Since they were hired in February to head up basketball operations, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have significantly re-shaped the Los Angeles Lakers roster, keeping only six of the 15 players they inherited: youngsters Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr, Julius Randle and Ivica Zubac, and veteran Luol Deng.
Starting with a couple of trades just before the deadline, moving forward with a blockbuster pre-draft trade, and continuing with the draft and free agency, here’s how they rebuilt the team:
- Before Pelinka was even hired, Johnson traded leading scorer Lou Williams to Houston for veteran Cory Brewer and the Rockets’ first-round pick.