Lakers' Jim Buss 'excited to work with Magic for years to come'

Despite speculation that Los Angeles Lakers part-owner and executive VP of basketball operations Jim Buss may be on the outs with the franchise after the hiring of Magic Johnson, it seems Buss is determined to make it work with the Lakers legend.

"I'm taking Magic at face value, that he's here to help," Jim Buss told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. "He's one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Who wouldn't value his opinion? I'm excited to work with Magic for years to come."

Buss seems set to dispel any public notion that his standing within the franchise has changed, despite Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report reporting that he wasn't even made aware of the decision to bring Johnson on.

Related - Report: Lakers' Jim Buss wasn't told of Magic hiring

Buss and Johnson's history has been - in a word - contentious. Johnson has been publicly critical of a handful of decisions Buss made over the years, including the hiring of Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni, and the deal the Lakers gave Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade with Phoenix.

Buss stated in 2014 that he would step down from his post if the Lakers weren't back to contention in 3-4 years. This summer marks three years, and the Lakers aren't much closer to the upper echelon.

According to Shelburne, Buss and Johnson, along with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, will meet after the All-Star break to discuss past decisions made by management, as well as where they see the team headed in the future.