Magic Johnson made sure he didn’t put all his eggs in one basket when discussing the Lakers’ offseason.

“Like I told you when I took the job, it’s going to be a two-summer thing for the Lakers.”

The first summer was a successful one. LeBron James joined the purple and gold despite L.A. not having a second star on the roster. On Saturday, the Lakers created a path to a successful 2019 summer by waiving F Luol Deng via the stretch provision.

Deng signed a four-year, $72 million deal in 2016 after the Lakers struck out on the available stars. Despite being just 31, Deng’s production was already declining due to his overwhelming workload under Tom Thibodeau during his years in Chicago. Expected to be a steady veteran presence, Deng posted career lows in points per game and shooting percentage. His defense wasn’t where it used to be. The long-term deal looked like a disaster after half a season. In 2017, the Lakers benched Deng. He played just 13 minutes all season.

The Lakers weren’t able to find a taker for Deng’s massive contract and would’ve likely had to attach a great draft asset or promising young player to get rid of his deal. That’s what they did with Timofey Mozgov, another Mitch Kupchak contract gone horribly wrong. Eventually, Los Angeles used the stretch provision to waive Deng and push his salary across three seasons instead of two. Deng also reportedly sacrificed $7.5 million in salary in the buyout.

The move allows the Lakers to pursue another star in 2019. Los Angeles signed a series of one-year deals this offseason in an effort to maintain cap flexibility, a priority under GM Rob Pelinka and Magic. With Deng’s buyout and the expiring contracts, the Lakers should have north of $38 million in cap room entering the second summer of Johnson’s plan.

Los Angeles didn’t have to sacrifice any of its young assets in an effort to land a second star this past offseason to land James, providing a solid foundation for the team to build on. High-lottery selections Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball showcased their potential last season while late first-rounders Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart took the NBA by surprise. All four players are still on their rookie contracts, allowing the Lakers to comfortably fit in a max contract by waiving Deng.

Ingram looked lost during his rookie season, but made a major leap in year two with improved shooting efficiency. He averaged 16.1 points per game and connected on 39 percent of his threes. Both numbers should improve due to James’ presence on the floor creating better looks for Ingram. Hart, another deadly three-point marksman, will also help space the floor for James.

Ball came into the NBA with unrealistic expectations and intense pressure due to his loudmouth father and playing for his hometown team. He struggled mightily in the first two months, shooting just 26 percent from deep after drilling 41 percent of his threes at UCLA. Ball’s long-range percentages fluctuated wildly over his rookie season, which was cut short due to lingering injuries. Despite these drawbacks, he finished with 10.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game. Only three players in NBA history have put up 10-7-7 in their rookie season and one of them happens to be the Lakers president. Ball should be a more consistent point guard in 2019, and his shooting should improve with better looks as the defense gravitates towards James and Ingram.

Kuzma experienced the opposite phenomenon as Ball. A relatively unknown prospect out of Utah, Kuzma had shot just over 30 percent from behind the arc in three college seasons. There were plenty of questions about his fit in the NBA as a power forward who wouldn’t be able to stretch the floor. Kuzma silenced the doubters relatively quickly, knocking down 71 threes over the first three months at a 39-percent clip. He landed on the All-Rookie First Team and should provide an additional scoring presence for the Lakers going forward.

With James, four intriguing prospects in the fold and a max salary slot, the Lakers will garner significant interest from big-time names in 2019. Kevin Durant could bolt after a successful run in Golden State. Kawhi Leonard expressed his desire to be traded to Los Angeles before eventually being shipped to Toronto. Jimmy Butler almost joined the Lakers before re-signing with the Bulls. Now, he’s reportedly disgruntled with the situation in Minnesota. Klay Thompson will also be an option, although he’s stated his desire to remain in the Bay Area.

Pelinka and Johnson have patiently rebuilt the franchise by shedding poor long-term contracts and hitting on draft picks. Despite the longest playoff drought in franchise history, the Lakers showed enough year-to-year improvement to captivate James and lure him to Southern California. After five years of futility, Los Angeles should be back in the postseason conversation and check off one more box on the path to championship contention.

When that final box is checked remains to be seen, but Magic Johnson seemed to know all along it would take a second summer to bring the Lakers back to relevance.

In waiving Deng, the Lakers are now ready for their second summer.