Jeanie Buss was ready to let the Magic happen – again.



The Lakers owner knew that Luke Walton’s fate was hanging in the balance, how her front office that was led by Magic Johnson truly believed that much of what ailed them in this disastrous debut season with LeBron James fell at the young coach’s feet, and that was just fine by her. The final choice, as she had told Johnson and others in the days leading up to his stunning resignation on Tuesday, was theirs to make.



She wouldn’t intervene. She wouldn’t push back. If that’s what Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka wanted, then so be it. They had earned her trust by landing LeBron in the first place last summer, and maybe that chasm that existed between Walton and the men who controlled the roster was too big to bridge. She had total confidence in the people who held the most basketball power.



End-of-season meetings would be had. Important decisions would be made. That...