CHICAGO -- Carlos Rodon and Nate Jones will miss the rest of the season with arm injuries, leaving the rebuilding Chicago White Sox without two key pitchers.

Rodon is scheduled for Tommy John surgery to replace the ligament in his left elbow on Wednesday in Los Angeles. The left-hander started on Opening Day and made six more appearances before he was placed on the injured list on May 2 with elbow inflammation.

"Given that he has yet to undergo the surgery, it's still too early to give you a precise timeline in terms of his potential return," general manager Rick Hahn said. "However, in general, given the timing of the surgery, it is reasonable to expect Carlos to be able to rejoin us during the second half of the 2020 season."

Rodon was selected by Chicago with the No. 3 pick in the 2014 amateur draft. He has shown flashes of brilliance since breaking into the majors in 2015, going 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA during one stretch last year, but he has struggled with injuries.

Rodon missed the first three months of the 2017 season because of left biceps and shoulder inflammation. He had shoulder surgery that September, and the resulting rehab pushed back the start of his 2018 season.

"I think he is at peace with it in terms of the road ahead of him," Hahn said. "He knows it's not going to be, necessarily, an easy rehab, but at the same time, it's one that has a very, very high likelihood of success and one that should put him in a position to continue on and have a very, very promising career once he returns."

Jones had surgery Monday to repair a flexor mass tear in his right forearm. The 33-year-old right-hander also has been hampered by injuries since he had a 2.29 ERA in 71 appearances in 2016.

While Rodon and Jones have been ruled out for the year, top prospect Eloy Jimenez could return to the White Sox before their seven-game trip begins next week. Hahn said Jimenez will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Jimenez has been sidelined by a high right ankle sprain since he crashed into the wall in left during a 12-11 victory over Detroit on April 26. He is batting .241 with three homers and eight RBIs in 21 games.

"He's been looking very good," manager Rick Renteria said. "All the stuff that he's been doing both here and then on the road. He's going to be heading out and put himself back in game-type situations, and hopefully he'll be going through that in a positive way and be able to rejoin us."

The injury trouble for the White Sox extends into their highly regarded minor league system.

Hahn said outfielder Micker Adolfo will have arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Tuesday but is expected to be ready for the start of next season.

"This is an unfortunate side effect sometimes of Tommy John in terms of the scar tissue buildup as well as issues that develop with the nerve," Hahn said. "Both of these are highly fixable, so we remain very optimistic on his full recovery and returning to us without restriction."

Hahn said Zack Collins is asymptomatic after dealing with a concussion and will enter the return-to-play protocol with Charlotte on Tuesday. The catcher was selected by Chicago with the 10th pick in the 2016 amateur draft.

MINNEAPOLIS -- One week into Shohei Ohtani's return to the Los Angeles Angels, the lineup is looking sharp.

Minnesota ace Jose Berrios bore the brunt of their batting success on Monday.

Ohtani hit his first home run of the season, a towering two-run shot, in the third inning against Berrios, and Tommy La Stella hit the go-ahead homer in the sixth to give the Angels a 5-4 victory over the Twins.

"I've been hitting the ball in the air recently,'' Ohtani said through an interpreter. "I think it showed today that I'm improving.''

The Angels are 5-2 on this nine-game trip that started with Ohtani's 2019 debut following Tommy John surgery that has shelved the two-way Japanese sensation's pitching prowess for now.

"We've been waiting to get him back. You see how different the lineup is when he's in there, and hopefully he's starting to get his timing,'' La Stella said.

Ohtani reached base in four of his five plate appearances. His 429-foot drive off the videoboard facade beneath the second deck in left-center field was the highlight of a five-hit, three-run third. The AL Rookie of the Year homered 22 times in 326 at-bats in 2018.

"We all know the power's there, and that was a no-doubter to the opposite field,'' Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. "You don't see a lot of balls hit the other way from many people in this game that way.''

La Stella hit his team-leading 10th homer of the season and went 3-for-5. The 30-year-old second baseman, who came to the Angels in a largely unnoticed trade with the Chicago Cubs, had 10 home runs in 396 major league games entering this season.

Just as impressive as the power was the way the Angels beat the shifts employed by the Twins. Albert Pujols, who went 3-for-5, poked a single off an 0-2 curveball past the glove of Berrios (6-2) and through the empty right side of the infield in the fifth for a 4-2 lead.

Jorge Polanco and Marwin Gonzalez each hit two-run homers off Angels starter Tyler Skaggs (4-3), but the Twins weren't able to overcome the uncharacteristic vulnerability from their All-Star right-hander.

"Today was one of those days where the ball found open spaces against us, and that's just part of the game,'' said Berrios, who gave up five runs and a career-high 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings, his shortest start of the year, while walking three. He induced two ground ball double plays.

The Twins went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, including a fly ball by Mitch Garver with two on and two out in the fourth that left fielder Brian Goodwin caught with his glove stretched to the top of the wall and his back pressed against it.

"It's going to happen. I wouldn't be surprised if our guys bounce back well and have the same good at-bats they have been having all year tomorrow,'' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.

EGREGIOUS ERRORS

Although Ohtani's home run immediately after the gaffe rendered it moot, Gonzalez committed a two-base error when he slightly overran Mike Trout's line-drive single and allowed the awkwardly bouncing ball to skip past him into the corner as La Stella scored. This was Gonzalez's first career start in right field.

Pujols produced his own blooper for the Angels in the following inning, when he dropped a soft popup by Willians Astudillo to first base to put the leadoff man on in the fourth. Pujols followed fundamentals by putting both hands in place for the catch, but the ball still bounced off the heel of his glove.

HEATING UP

After a slow start, Gonzalez has a 1.042 OPS in his past 11 games. With third baseman Miguel Sano slated to return soon, Gonzalez will start moving around the diamond more.

"I don't have a favorite position. I enjoy what I do. I fell in love with what I do. I'm going to do whatever Rocco needs me to do,'' Gonzalez said.

SAME SIDE

Skaggs, David Fletcher and Griffin Canning of the Angels and Byron Buxton, Blake Parker and Mike Morin of the Twins are scheduled for a joint visit to a local children's hospital on Tuesday. When the Angels and Twins meet next week, players from both teams will again share cheer-up efforts at a children's hospital in Southern California.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: RHP Luis Garcia was placed on the 10-day injured list with a muscle spasm in his lower back. RHP Taylor Cole was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to take his place in the bullpen.

Twins: DH Nelson Cruz sat out with a sore left wrist, but an MRI test revealed no structural damage. He said he hopes to start swinging a bat on Tuesday or Wednesday, and he isn't expected to need a stint on the injured list. "I have to be a good kid. Just be patient,'' Cruz said.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Felix Pena (2-1, 3.21 ERA) will start on Tuesday after a one-inning opener was used in his past three appearances. Pena pitched seven shutout innings in his latest turn, allowing three hits and striking out seven without a walk in a win at Detroit.

Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (3-1, 4.19 ERA) will take the mound in the middle game of the series, coming off his strongest start of the season. He gave up one run on two hits and one walk in six innings, with a career-high 11 strikeouts in a win at Toronto.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics have gotten to first base in their quest for a new stadium.

The city's port commission on Monday took a first step in providing land at Howard Terminal, where the A's hope to build a 35,000-seat stadium as part of a housing and retail development. Commissioners tentatively agreed to give the team four years to complete an environmental impact report for the 50-acre site.

The current Oakland Coliseum is more than 50 years old.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf supported the commission's decision.

The A's have a long way to go before they can get their stadium, including negotiating a lease or sale of the land and receiving city council and state approval.

Opponents say the development would add traffic and disrupt port operations.

There is something remarkable going on in the early weeks of 2019. Here is a list of the best offenses in the past 100 years, ranked by the weighted runs created formula at FanGraphs (wRC+ adjusts for the league run environment and home park, with 100 being average):

2019 Astros: 133
1927 Yankees: 126
1930 Yankees: 124
2017 Astros: 122
1976 Reds: 120
1982 Brewers: 120
2003 Red Sox: 120

And here are the worst offenses:

2019 Marlins: 65
1920 Athletics: 67
1963 Mets: 69
1952 Pirates: 70
1965 Mets: 71
1930 Red Sox: 71

I'm not surprised to see the Marlins atop the worst offenses list, considering they are averaging a feeble 2.69 runs per game, an almost unfathomable total in the 2019 version of baseball. After all, the Astros are averaging 1.88 home runs per game after swatting four more in an 8-1 victory over the Tigers on Monday.

The Astros have hit 30 home runs in their last 10 games, their most in any 10-game span in franchise history.

Alex Bregman has a team-high 7 of those 30 HR and 8 total HR this month, already his 2nd-most homers in any month of his career (11 HR in June 2018). pic.twitter.com/fMcs5Pw35L

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 14, 2019

I am a bit surprised to see the Astros rank at this level, given that their offense got off to a bit of a slow start, plus the fact that the Rangers actually lead the majors in runs per game, 5.61 to 5.45 over the Astros. Weighted runs created is not based on runs, however, and the Astros fare much better than the Rangers in their triple-slash lines:

Astros: .281/.353/.507
Rangers: .245/.330/.443

The Rangers are seventh in the majors in OPS but first with runners in scoring position, which is why they're scoring so many runs. Throw in park factors, and the Houston offense rates as far superior. Of course, you can debate the best method to rate "best offense," and wRC+ can certainly overrate an offense that hits poorly with men on base (the Astros rank ninth in the majors in OPS with RISP).

Still, the Astros are at .281 when the major league average is .244. They are slugging .507. Here's the complete list of teams that have slugged .500 in a season: the 2019 Astros. That's it. No team has done it for a full season. The highest since 1920 is the 2003 Red Sox at .491. Only 17 teams have slugged .475: four teams between 1927 and 1936 (including the 1927 and 1930 Yankees of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig listed above), 11 teams between 1994 and 2003, the 2009 Yankees and the 2017 Astros. (The Twins are currently slugging .495.)

The fact that the Astros had an all-time great offense two seasons ago is reason to believe this offense might really be this good. Six players in Monday's lineup ended the game with a slugging percentage above .500. I don't expect Robinson Chirinos to keep slugging .567 or Jake Marisnick to slug .563, but I also don't expect Jose Altuve to bat .243. Against the Tigers, the Astros forced a red-hot Matthew Boyd to throw 96 pitches in four innings. As Boyd would attest, good luck against this lineup.

Opposing starters, meanwhile, can't wait to start against the Marlins. They're hitting .219/.283/.310 as a team, a line that would make Ozzie Guillen blush (he hit .264/.287/.338 in his career). The last team with a lower slugging percentage was the 1972 Rangers, who hit .217/.290/.290 with 56 home runs. The difference, however, between those Rangers and these Marlins: The overall AL slugging mark that season was .343; the NL slugging mark in 2019 is .413.

Joe Sheehan beat me to writing about the Marlins and wrote this on Monday:

Through about a quarter of the season, the Marlins have scored 105 runs, on pace for 436. No team since 1972 has scored fewer than 500 runs, and the 1972 season was shortened a week by a player's strike. The 1971 Padres are the last team to score fewer than 500 runs (486) in a full season of play. The fewest runs any team has scored since the second Deadball Era is 468, by the expansion Padres in 1969. Just one team in the last 100 years has scored fewer than 450 runs, and that was the 1942 Phillies, a terrible team playing with altered baseballs during World War II.

The Marlins, of course, are getting to hit the cork-centered, rubber-cushioned, low-seamed nitro ball of 2019, which makes their efforts all the more impressive. When you compare them to their peers, you begin to understand just how bad they are.

The Marlins have been shut out seven times in 39 games and have scored just one run another eight times. They've been held to five or fewer hits 16 times. The amazing thing is they lead the majors with four games with at least 16 hits; only the Astros and Twins have three such games.

As we always say: You can't predict baseball.

ShoTime: Do you want to see a highlight of Shohei Ohtani hitting a home run? Yes, you do:

SAYONARA! #ShoTime pic.twitter.com/pGUwzeTUd7

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 14, 2019

A patented Ohtani blast to left-center field, 429 feet with an exit velocity of 111.7 mph. Tommy La Stella added his 10th home run in the Angels' 5-4 victory over the Twins. That matches his career total entering the season -- accomplished in 947 plate appearances.

Speaking of bad offense: The White Sox beat the Indians 5-2 as Reynaldo Lopez allowed just two hits in 7⅔ innings. The Sox hit four home runs off Shane Bieber, two from Yoan Moncada:

.@ymoncada19 stole the show tonight, recording his second career multi-homer game! pic.twitter.com/03VHyj0SIE

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 14, 2019

For the slumping Indians, Terry Francona moved Jose Ramirez from third to fifth in the order. It didn't work, as Ramirez went 0-for-4 and is hitting .193/.291/.293. I get that, though -- maybe take some pressure off Ramirez or something. Jason Kipnis, however, has somehow worked his way up in the lineup, which says a lot about this lineup and nothing about Kipnis. How long do the Indians stick with him? His past three seasons:

2017: .232/.292/.414, 81 OPS+
2018: .230/.315/.389, 89 OPS+
2019: .198/.281/.267, 49 OPS+

That's more than 1,000 plate appearances of bad hitting. Kipnis had a few really nice seasons for Cleveland, but his last one came in 2016. At least with Ramirez, you can hope he finds his 2018 stroke again. The Indians need to find a second baseman.

Phillies win ugly: This tweet sums up a wet night in Philadelphia. It was a 7-4 win for the Phillies over the Brewers in a game that took 3 hours, 57 minutes after a 52-minute rain delay:

Phillies 7, Brewers 4. Aaron Nola threw 84 pitches in three innings. Milwaukee stranded 14 men. They're not all pretty. The Phillies are 24-16.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) May 14, 2019

Bryce Harper, meanwhile, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, is hitting .222 and is on pace for 219 strikeouts. Who knew the Phillies were getting Mark Reynolds when they gave Harper $330 million?

‘She never gives up and I had to treat the third game like the first’
By ELLIE MAWSON in Manchester

New Zealand’s World No.5 Joelle King reigned victorious at the National Squash Centre after she claimed a 3-0 victory over Wales’ World No.9 Tesni Evans in the final of the inaugural Manchester Open PSA World Tour Silver event.

The Manchester Open – a women’s only tournament – is supported by Manchester City Council and follows the successful staging of the award-winning AJ Bell PSA World Championships in the city in December 2017, where equal prize money was on offer across both the men’s and women’s events for the first time in the tournament’s history.

King had only dropped a game all week leading up to the final and continued her impressive display in the North of England as she took a tight first game before powering to the finish line by an 11-8, 11-2, 11-4 scoreline in 33 minutes.

Welshwoman Evans had prevailed in two mammoth five-game battles in the days leading up to the final, but was unable to continue that momentum as she struggled to put a halt to a confident King, who eased to victory.

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The Manchester Open is the New Zealander’s second title this season following her victory at the Hong Kong Open in November.

“I’m over the moon,” said 30-year-old King following her win. “Someone had to lose tonight, but she can hold her head up high after what she has achieved this week. She has a few years on me yet, so I’m sure that she will be back stronger.

“She has shown all week that she never gives up. She came from 2-0 down against the World No.3, so I came out in the third like it was the first and never slowed down and I came out on the right side tonight.

“It’s special to win any event, coming off Hong Kong it has been a long time in between, but it makes it even more special when it is the first women’s only event here. I have to say a huge thank you to Manchester for holding this event in partnership with PSA and all the volunteers and spectators who have supported us this week.”

Evans added afterwards: “After the week I’ve had, she’s definitely someone I didn’t want to play. I’m obviously disappointed that I couldn’t put up a big enough fight, but she was just too good. She was on everything early and when you’ve had some tough matches under your belt it was tough.

“I just tried to give everything and on reflection, after a disappointing day, I can reflect on it and take a lot of good things from the week I have had.”

PSA $76,000 Women’s Manchester Open 2019, National Squash Centre, Manchester, England.

Final:
[2] Joelle King (NZL) bt [6] Tesni Evans (WAL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-2, 11-4 (33m)  

Report by ELLIE MAWSON (PSA Media Team). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

Pictures courtesy of PSA 

DINWIDDIE, Va. — After a three-race break, count Alex Laughlin as one of many who are thrilled to have Pro Stock return to NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series action.

Laughlin is off to the best start in the class in his promising career, sitting second in points heading to this weekend’s second annual Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.

With the new 18-race schedule for the class during the 2019 season, Pro Stock was on hiatus over the past month. But there is considerable excitement brewing with the class returning in Virginia and Laughlin is ready to come back with the same momentum he had to start the year in his Havoline Chevrolet Camaro. He’s done almost everything but win this year and Laughlin now has his sights set on his third career win in the class.

“People are definitely excited to see the class back out there and we’re excited to be back out there,” Laughlin said. “I’ve never been this high in points, but it’s so tight in this class. Bo (Butner) is way out there (as the points leader), but the position we’re in now, we’re trying to race for a championship, the pressure is on to say the least. There’s no room for mistakes and we have to be on our game. The Countdown (to the Championship) will be here quicker than you think.”

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Courtney Force (Funny Car), Tanner Gray (Pro Stock) and L.E. Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are the defending winners of the race. It is the fifth of 18 races during the NHRA Pro Stock season and Laughlin is eager to pick up where he left off a month ago when he started the year with one final and one semifinal appearance.

But while he sits second in points in the talent-heavy class, Laughlin doesn’t have much of a cushion. Butner has dominated the start of the year to the tune of three victories, but the rest of the top 10 is tightly-contested, as Laughlin sits just a point ahead of Matt Hartford and 24 in front of Jason Line. There’s also his Elite Motorsports teammates Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Erica Enders to deal with, which means a quick start in Virginia will be necessary for Laughlin, who is also racing the full 12-race E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service.

“Whether you’re running multiple cars or not, it does take a run or so to get it back together,” Laughlin said. “I’ve been out of the seat of the Pro Stock car, so you have to get acclimated. It’s going to come down to who’s ready. With this team, they have it together and I’m confident we’ll be ready. Ultimately, the group of guys, the car and myself, we’re all clicking and being consistent and making good runs. It goes back to confidence and believing and knowing we have a good team.”

Things have come together well for Laughlin, but he’s not taking the quick start for granted. If anything, it’s got him even more focused heading into one of the busiest stretches of the season. He’ll be racing both Pro Stock and Pro Mod in Virginia, a scenario that isn’t easy but one that Laughlin embraces. It makes for a thoroughly hectic weekend in two difficult classes, but Laughlin enjoys it, especially when it happens at a facility like Virginia, which impressed him last year.

“It’s great to come back at a track like Virginia,” Laughlin said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect last year, but I think it was the best race track we saw. It was a great facility and a great track. We’ve got two very competitive races cars, so it’s two chances for us to win and I’m excited about that.”

Veteran Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler underwent right hip resurfacing surgery last week, the team announced on Monday.

It is unlikely Kesler will play in the 2019-20 season.

According to the team, the surgery is a "bone-preserving hip replacement that can provide pain relief and increase function in normal activities of daily living." The Ducks said the surgery leaves "open the possibility that Kesler could resume his NHL career following a lengthy recovery."

General manager Bob Murray said in a statement that the team would support any decision the 34-year-old Kesler makes on his future. "At this point, Ryan needs to think about his life and family," Murray said.

Kesler underwent major hip surgery after the 2016-17 season and has struggled since. He was limited to 60 games last season -- in which he scored just five goals and three assists -- and 44 games in 2017-18. Last season, he became the seventh active U.S.-born player to reach the 1,000-career game mark.

In 1,001 games with the Canucks and Ducks, Kesler has 285 goals and 315 assists for 573 points.

"At this point in my career, this surgery was the best option for my quality of life," Kesler said in a statement. "The pain I was suffering has been greatly reduced since the procedure, and I'm grateful for that. While my playing future is unknown, I'm in a good place."

Kesler added that he looks "forward to spending more time with my family and doing everyday activities without pain."

Kesler, an alternate captain, carries a $6.875 million cap hit through the 2021-22 season. His contract includes a no-movement clause. The team can put him on Long Term Injury Reserve for the remainder of his contract.

The Ducks are coming off a difficult season, in which they fired longtime coach Randy Carlyle -- the winningest coach in franchise history -- and Murray took over as interim behind the bench. The Ducks have yet to name a new head coach.

Kesler, a Michigan native, was a part of the Ducks' "big three," which also includes captain Ryan Getzlaf (34 years old) and Corey Perry (33). Kesler joined the Ducks via a trade from the Vancouver Canucks in 2014.

Getzlaf and Perry helped the Ducks win the Stanley Cup in 2007 and have made three appearances in the Western Conference final (2006, 2007 and 2017). However, after a dismal season, the team is looking to retool -- making changes to become faster and younger. Getzlaf and Perry both have cap hits of over $8 million, both under contract through 2020-21, and both have no-movement clauses as well.

With the Los Angeles Lakers hiring Frank Vogel as head coach after being rejected by Monty Williams and Ty Lue, questions are swirling about the team's power structure.

Who is calling the shots? Who is gaining influence? How are these individuals affecting the Lakers since the sudden resignation of Magic Johnson as team president on April 9 and the split with head coach Luke Walton on April 12? Who was involved in negotiating the coaching candidacies of Williams -- since hired by the Suns -- and Lue and Vogel in the last month?

No one from the front office has conducted a news conference since the Lakers' season ended, making it difficult to be sure how the org chart looks these days. What's known is there are plenty of people who have a stake in the proceedings. Though everyone in this group ostensibly shares the goal of seeing the Lakers return to prominence, there are varied personal motivations involved in getting there. Family pride. Legacy building. Respect. Money. Notoriety. All of it.

Perhaps the only clarity is who's at the top of the hierarchy.

The boss

Jeanie Buss | controlling owner

As Buss was ousting her older brother Jim -- who was executive vice president of basketball operations -- and general manager Mitch Kupchak in 2017, she received a text from Kobe Bryant encouraging her to see things through. "I sent her a meme from 'Game of Thrones' of Khaleesi riding on the ship, going to her homeland with the ships behind her," Bryant told ESPN's Rachel Nichols. "I said, 'Sometimes the mother of dragons has just got to be the mother of dragons.' And Jeanie went full Khaleesi."

Bryant was referring to the queen character on the popular HBO drama who cut through a crowded field of competitors to make a legitimate run at ruling the land.

Buss' position atop the Lakers' hierarchy is unchallenged, if not unblemished.

Buss, 57, took over as the Lakers' governor after the death of her father, Dr. Jerry Buss, in 2013. She had previously filled a variety of positions in her dad's pro tennis and roller hockey businesses. Later, Jeanie Buss cut her teeth as an executive in charge of The Forum in Inglewood, California, and subsequently transitioned to the business operations side of the Lakers.

As the controlling owner, she had publicly stated her trust in Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka to make basketball decisions. Those decisions had the potential to run counter to her personal preferences. Johnson told Nichols he was prepared to make the decision of whether to fire Walton, and it was going to be tough for Buss because she loved Walton and Johnson. But Johnson didn't make his decision official before stepping down.

Walton and the Lakers parted ways shortly after Johnson's departure, and Buss was tasked with reshaping her team with two major roles vacated.

The inner circle

Linda Rambis | executive director, special projects

Don't let the title fool you: Rambis is Buss' longtime best friend and most trusted adviser. League sources have described her as a "shadow owner."

And though the buzz over Rambis gaining the most influence in the organization has intensified since Johnson stepped down, the fact is she has been Buss' consigliere for four decades. Rambis, who was then Linda Zafrani, was one of the first hires by Jerry Buss when he purchased the Lakers in 1979, according to an article in The Beach Reporter. Linda Rambis told the paper that Jerry Buss introduced her to Jeanie, who was in high school at the time, and the two became friends and worked together while Jeanie was in college. They also worked together on Jerry Buss' pro tennis venture.

Jeanie Buss respects advice from senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis -- Linda's husband and a former Laker -- as well as Johnson, Bryant and Phil Jackson. But it's Linda Rambis' opinion Buss has long valued the most, according to league and team sources. Many believe Buss has leaned on Rambis even more after Johnson blindsided the organization with his resignation.

Rob Pelinka | general manager

Pelinka has remained in his GM role since Johnson's departure and is the Lakers' highest-ranking basketball official.

With Johnson gone, Pelinka reports to Buss while communicating with Linda and Kurt Rambis. Sources around the league said those four operate as a group on basketball decisions.

The position of team president currently remains vacant.

Unless Buss hires someone to replace Johnson, Pelinka -- with Kurt Rambis involved -- is expected to oversee the draft and free agency. Sources said Pelinka and Rambis worked in tandem during the coaching interview process.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the influence of Rambis and Jackson weighed heavily in the hiring of Vogel and of Jason Kidd as an assistant coach.

On the night he stepped down, Johnson said he did not like "the backstabbing" and "the whispering" that was going on but would not elaborate. Johnson also was given opportunities to endorse Pelinka but said that it would be up to Buss to determine if Pelinka should remain as GM, offering that he and Pelinka had "worked well."

League sources said Buss and Linda Rambis trust Pelinka, who has been around the organization since his days as an agent representing Bryant, his longtime client and best friend.

However, some agents and executives around the league said they preferred to deal with others they felt more comfortable with, like Johnson, according to sources. Some longtime agents said they have gone directly to Buss, Linda Rambis or Joey or Jesse Buss when they need to talk.

Two other agents said Pelinka and the Lakers just have "a lot of haters" out there and that the agents do not have a problem with the GM.

Kurt Rambis | senior basketball adviser

Johnson hired Rambis, a former Lakers forward and assistant coach, to be an adviser to the president in September 2018. With Johnson gone, Rambis has emerged as a powerful voice in basketball operations and played a major role in the coaching search, as Wojnarowski reported.

Rambis has held positions with several organizations over his career, from assistant coach to head coach to assistant general manager, many of them served under Jackson with the Lakers and Knicks. His most recent job before rejoining the Lakers was as associate head coach of the Knicks from 2014-15 to 2017-18. Wojnarowski reported Jackson and Rambis strongly considered Vogel's candidacy in New York before hiring Jeff Hornacek in 2016. Vogel would later tell New York reporters that he was surprised the Knicks didn't hire him based on how his interview with Jackson went.

Rambis and Jackson remained good friends after each was fired by the Knicks.

The star factor

LeBron James | forward

James signed a four-year, $153 million deal with the Lakers in the summer of 2018, bringing with him four MVPs and three championships' worth of experience. Yet Year 1 as a Laker for James, who will turn 35 in December, could not have gone much worse as he got hurt, missed five weeks and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

James said he was "stunned" by Johnson's departure, saying on HBO's "The Shop" that he joined the Lakers after a conversation with Johnson and had no clue the resignation was coming.

James has a strong relationship with Kidd, multiple sources told ESPN, which may have helped Kidd's leverage in landing the job on the Lakers' bench.

James was taken aback by how the Lue negotiations broke down, a league source told ESPN, but James "liked" several Instagram posts touting the Vogel/Kidd hires over the weekend. It has been James' only public endorsement of the team's recent hires.

Known as the ambassador who ushered in an era of athlete empowerment, James has found ways to leverage his situations. He helped convince Kevin Love to request a trade to Cleveland that coincided with James' return to the Cavs in 2014. He also influenced the Cavs' hand into reshaping the roster at midseason in 2017-18 to salvage a stretch run, because, sources said, it was the only way Cleveland brass believed it could "get back Bron" due to the disconnected vibe he was projecting.

Rich Paul | president/founder of Klutch Sports, James' agent

Paul represents Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, among others, and learned the lay of the land with the Lakers when Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year deal in 2017-18. Caldwell-Pope returned for a second season and James joined L.A., but Paul's most notable move during the 2018-19 season went awry. Anthony Davis, also represented by Paul, requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, leading to a very public pursuit by the Lakers that damaged the chemistry and on-court results for both teams.

The team executives

Tim Harris | chief operating officer

After a professional soccer career playing goalkeeper, Harris -- like Jeanie Buss -- parlayed a gig with The Forum into a career on the business side with the Lakers that has spanned 30 years. He was included in the Lakers' traveling party that interviewed Williams in Philadelphia. Harris negotiated one of sports' largest regional TV deals, with Spectrum SportsNet in 2011, and helped secure partnerships with UCLA Health for the team's training facility and Wish as a jersey sponsor. He also serves as a Lakers alternate governor and has been a part of planning and executing the Lakers' free-agent pitch meetings in the past.

Joe McCormack | chief financial officer

McCormack was included in an emergency meeting Buss convened with trusted advisers in El Segundo the night that Johnson stepped down. McCormack has been involved in projects with the Lakers over the years ranging from locking up their 20-year local TV deal to installing solar panels at the new training facility.

The family ties

Joey Buss | co-owner/team president of the South Bay Lakers

Many fans first saw Joey, the second-youngest of the Buss children, when he filled in for his father during the Lakers' championship celebration in Orlando in 2009. Joey started with the title of coaching associate for the Lakers in the 2006-07 season and has worked his way up the ranks. Most recently, the Lakers' G League president engaged in one-on-one conversations with Williams and Lue during the interview process.

Jesse Buss | co-owner; director of scouting and assistant general manager

The youngest of the Buss siblings, his responsibilities in the organization focus primarily on the team's draft process. For all of L.A.'s struggles in recent seasons, the draft decisions have generally been considered sound. He was also part of the Lakers' interview process with Williams and Lue.

Ryan West | director of player personnel

The older of two sons of former Lakers general manager Jerry West, Ryan often finds himself on the road, scouting for the Lakers. Having started his NBA career in Memphis when his father was the GM for the Grizzlies, West has been with the Lakers since 2009 and now works closely with Jesse Buss.

The alumni

Phil Jackson | former Lakers head coach

The Zen Master proved that his influence remains strong with the Lakers, with whom he won five titles as head coach. He is also Jeanie Buss' ex-fiancé.

Jackson spends half the year at his Montana residence, but he remains close to Kurt Rambis and has been a regular visitor to the Lakers facility.

Kobe Bryant | former Laker

Bryant told Slam Magazine in March that he has no desire to be a GM or own a team or coach. Still, Bryant will always make time for Pelinka. The two talk often and share the same passion and outlook. And Bryant is always available to advise Buss, with whom he remains close. Bryant could have considerable influence over the Lakers' matters if he so chooses.

Magic Johnson | former Lakers team president and player

He may have left the building, but Johnson said he still talks to Buss regularly and wants to help the Lakers. "I'm still helping them," Johnson told TMZ in April, less than two weeks after he stepped down. "It's almost like I never left. I'm still talking to them every day. I'm going to help them get the Lakers back right. You can believe that."

"I love Jeanie," he added. "I've been talking to her almost every day. I'm trying to help. Listen, I may not be in there physically, but I'm still there." Despite his intentions, Johnson's departure shook the franchise and sent the Lakers into a chaotic start to the offseason.