Magic Johnson had planned to be part of the Los Angeles Lakers' meeting with Kawhi Leonard despite his resignation several months prior as president of basketball operations.
The NBA reminded Johnson that he would not be allowed at the meeting since he no longer was employed by the Lakers and had resumed his presence as a media personality.
Leonard and his camp had sought privacy in his free agency process, but Johnson spoke publicly about his involvement with the free agent.
The notion that Leonard's decision would be impacted by Johnson didn't add up since he was no longer involved with the team.
“We did exactly what (Robertson) asked us to do,” a Lakers official involved in the process said. “They never said anything about keeping Magic’s mouth shut.”
A source with knowledge of Toronto’s process said the Raptors never truly believed that the Lakers were an option for Leonard.
The Lakers continued to pursue Leonard because one of their players had been told that Leonard truly wanted to join their team, according to a source.
