Lakers legend Magic Johnson not too long ago stated that Jayson Tatum didn’t work out for LA earlier than the 2017 Draft as a result of his agent Jeffrey Wechsler didn’t need him to.
Johnson was the purple and gold’s president of basketball operations on the time and the franchise had the No. 2 general decide that 12 months.
“[Jayson Tatum’s] agent didn’t need him to work out for [the Lakers]…as a result of we already had too many forwards,” Magic defined on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Following Magic’s feedback, Tatum was requested about the entire state of affairs and says he doesn’t maintain a grudge.
“I feel I used to be simply upset on the time that there wasn’t, I suppose, real curiosity,” Tatum informed reporters on Saturday.“Simply from my perspective, I grew up the largest Kobe (Bryant) fan, wished to play for the Lakers. Magic defined it. That they had too many forwards and that was their thought course of on the time. It wasn’t like I bought any animosity towards Magic or the Lakers. It was simply as a child. I used to be near carrying out a life-long dream, the best way I assumed it might be.”
Wechsler himself has additionally since responded to Johnson’s feedback and defined his facet of the state of affairs.
“Magic’s appropriate in what he stated, however the best way it was introduced was a bit of completely different,” Wechsler stated on SiriusXM NBA Radio. . “I imply, everybody is aware of that the draft begins in June, and guys end the tip of March Insanity, they usually work out for months. Properly, Jayson labored out in L.A. for months coaching with Drew Hanlen there, and the Lakers knew that he was in L.A. and by no means known as. And in late June, they known as and wished to deliver him in for a exercise. However by that point, everybody knew that they had been taking Lonzo Ball.
“So when Rob Pelinka known as me and requested if they might work Jayson out, I stated ‘Properly, should you’re not gonna take him, why are you workin’ him out?’ And so I stated, ‘Get me on a name with Magic, and we’ll discuss it.’ So he set that up a couple of days later,” the agent continued.
“Get on the decision with Magic, I feel it was round June thirteenth, and I stated, ‘Magic, everybody is aware of you’re takin’ Lonzo Ball.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, nicely we’re actually heavy at ahead place, and we have to take some extent guard, and in order that’s most likely who we’re gonna take.’ He says, ‘However we’d like to take a look at everyone.’ And I’m like, ‘Properly, should you’re not gonna take my man — he’s been on the market all summer season. He’s now in St. Louis. He’s workin’ out for different groups. I’m not gonna fly him again throughout the nation for a exercise if you guys aren’t gonna take him.’ And that’s the way it went down.”
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