According to some observers and fans, the front office of the Los Angeles Lakers is dysfunctional.
One reason that is often cited is the influence and pull that LeBron James has on personnel moves.
The Russell Westbrook trade last summer, according to reports, was mostly James’ doing, and the same seems to be true for the signing of Carmelo Anthony.
Many have criticized both moves and feel that the disappointing play of both men was a chief reason the Lakers failed to reach the play-in tournament.
In an interview with Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, team owner Jeanie Buss gave some simple reasoning for why she allows James to have some say in what the organization does.
Via Los Angeles Times:
“It’s normal when you have a top player or players you bounce things off of them, I think that’s smart business,” she said.
Running potential moves through a franchise player is something that many NBA teams have done for decades. The Lakers reportedly have done so in the past with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson.
Doing so without giving that franchise player any final say may not exactly be a bad idea, but many have accused James’ agency, Klutch Sports, of wielding a disproportionate amount of power on each team he has played on.
Buss asserted she wants James to remain with the team and lead it to another championship.
“It is also clear that if James wants to leave the team, either this summer or after his contract expires next year, it will be of his own volition. Buss wants to keep him happy enough to remain a Laker and is excited about him breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record next season.
“‘I want him to feel confident in the team, that we have the pieces to win a championship,’ Buss said. ‘He has to be happy. … I want to make sure that he’s happy.’
“Besides, she believes the Lakers can win another championship with James and Anthony Davis as their cornerstones.
“‘There’s no reason for me to think we can’t win with them,’ she said. ‘Something that I learned from Phil Jackson is that there’s always a path to success. … Sometimes it might be a little bit harder than other times, … but you have to see the ability.'”