The Los Angeles Lakers were unsuccessful in their attempts to land their top star choice before the NBA trade deadline. After a final trade offer for Anthony Davis, Magic Johnson and company backed away from the table, hoping the New Orleans Pelicans would counteroffer. That didn't happen for the team, but based on the future, it appears just fine, as Magic and the Lakers are looking towards other possibilities.

Magic with Lakers in Philly

On Sunday, Magic was in Philadelphia to watch his Los Angeles Lakers take on the 76ers. The game featured plenty of great highlights and even produced a viral photo of Ben Simmons' girl Kendall Jenner gazing at LeBron.

Other stars were in attendance, including Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles.

It was a lopsided win for the home team and much of that credit goes to the trade they pulled off ahead of the deadline. Philly made a move to bring All-Star-worthy player Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers to their roster. It's been praised by many as a trade that has given the Sixers top contender status in the East.

Magic was able to witness first hand just how a talented starting five full of All-Star talent looks. Seeing that move, as well as how other teams use multiple NBA All-Stars as part of their plan, clearly shows the Lakers will need to step up their game.

Luckily, they plan to this summer.

Magic's comments on trade, future plans

On Sunday, comments from Magic arrived via ESPN's Dave McMenamin in a report about the Lakers' recent trade attempts with New Orleans. That deal was quite public and involved a number of young Lakers players including Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram.

When asked if he felt that New Orleans acted in good faith during the negotiations which became public until the NBA trade deadline hit, Johnson said "No." He also said he feels the media needs to stop treating the players involved in trade headlines like "babies." He noted, "They're professionals. All of them. And this is how this league works."

The team will persist on despite two recent tough losses.

The Anthony Davis trade fell through, but the Lakers are OK with what will be available. Magic Johnson is quoted as saying, "That's not going to change our plans this summer. It's a great [free-agency] class, and we just want to get one of them."

There are a number of top options that the Los Angeles Lakers could consider too. Among the 2019 NBA free agents are Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler. It's a stacked class full of talents that have been linked to the Lakers in previous trade rumors or potential free agency speculation.

The team was previously mentioned with the Warriors' Thompson as their "plan B," but the other plans don't look all that bad.

It seems like a stretch for Kevin Durant to join the team, but after his move from the Thunder to Warriors, anything is possible. Even so, the future looks bright for Magic's Lakers if they can find the right star to pair with LeBron James.
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