The Los Angeles Lakers are playing as much professional basketball as the fans tuned in to the playoffs right now; absolutely none. 

For the fourth season in a row the Lakers find themselves on the outside looking in to the postseason. It's been a long dry spell for a franchise so proud of the 16 titles captured in the past, and with a new front office in place, they're hoping to change that sooner than later. 

That's the picture Magic Johnson, the man who was named President of Basketball Operations in the middle of the season, painted during a radio interview in Los Angeles. The Lakers are looking to the stars this summer, and Magic thinks that's a big piece of what's currently missing. 

"The Lakers have always had a super star... that is what we are going to try and bring in here," Johnson Said, according to Jason Stewart of AM570 LA Sports.

The previous front office didn't ignore the need for a star to help fill in the gap between the end of Kobe Bryant's career and development of their new core. The problem for them has been the failure to secure one in free agency, or find one via trade. 

The price for failing to land that star may have been their jobs, as both Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss were ousted as the Lakers floundered through another season destined for the NBA Draft lottery. That's been their postseason for the last several years. 

How they go about acquiring this star is the big question, and it won't solely be on Magic either. Rob Pelinka has a huge summer ahead as a first-time general manager with one of the biggest franchises in all of professional sports to figure out. 

Pelinka likened the process to twisting and turning a Rubik's Cube during the Lakers' exit interviews, saying that he definitely plans on working on solving the puzzle this summer during his first offseason with the team. 

The Lakers were reportedly on the hunt for a star near the trade deadline, linked closely to both DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George. Cousins went to New Orleans, while George remains with the Indiana Pacers. George seems like the likeliest target for the team. 

They could also look at free agency, where a handful of star-type players could become available. Perhaps most notable of the bunch are Blake Griffin, who has a player option he's expected to decline for a more lucrative contract, and Gordon Hayward who is in the same boat.

The purple and gold are known to roll out the red carpet for star players, and it sounds like that's still very much the case. Whether this regime can finally land one will be the biggest marker of whether the Lakers are becoming a destination again.