Almost lost in the flurry of last-minute trades before the NBA deadline, was a strange arrangement between two struggling teams who once were at the top of their respective divisions.
In a surreptitious exchange, the Los Angeles Lakers sent their head of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who tossed in a 12th and a 15th round draft pick in 2021, along with two minor league players to be named later.
The Lakers were anxious to be rid of Johnson after his disastrous acquisition in the off season of Cleveland's aging free agent LeBron James, who has spent much of the season on the disabled list. What Johnson will do at Cleveland is unclear. Rumor has it that Johnson will be forced to watch the failing Cavaliers struggle through the rest of the season in or near last place in the East.
"He ruined a perennial Eastern division champion by enticing James to join the Lakers," said one disgruntled Cavalier fan. "Now make him watch the mess he created."
