Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson was pretty critical of team owner Jim Buss in some recent interviews. One criticism Johnson had was that he felt Buss was trying to do too much by himself and not allowing general manager Mitch Kupchak to do his job.
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Kupchak, however, disputed that notion, saying that he has the same authority with Jim Buss that he had when Dr. Jerry Buss was running the team according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Mitch Kupchak: "I have the same authority that I had w/ Dr. Buss."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) February 20, 2015
Criticizing Jim Buss has been something that many have done since he has taken over the team, but Kupchak saying that he has the same authority he always had says a lot. Kupchak is one of the most respected front office members in the entire NBA and everyone has faith in Kupchak’s ability to turn things around.
Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Lakers will look to finish out this season and figure out which players are worth keeping around. With multiple draft picks and ample cap room, the pieces are in place for the Lakers to be major players this summer and Kupchak will be at the forefront of that push.
Kupchak has maintained that he and Jim Buss work closely in trying to make the right moves for this Lakers franchise and this summer will be extremely important for the team. If the Lakers strike out this summer, the criticism will only get worse.
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