NBA News Roundup, Thursday, April 11th: Marcus Smart injury update, Top prospect declares for NBA draft and more

Last night bought an end to the NBA regular season. During an emotional night Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki both stepped away from the game, while the Detroit Pistons became the final team to qualify for the postseason.

Due to the impending 2019 playoffs, and the upcoming draft, there is no shortage of stories emerging from around the NBA, and here is all you need to know for April 11th.

LeBron left stunned by Magic Johnson's departure

Magic Johnson has announced his surprise exit from the Los Angeles Lakers

On Tuesday, Magic Johnson surprised the basketball world as he announced his deperature from the Lakers ahead of the team's final game of the season.

Johnson had been the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers since replacing Jim Buss in the role two years ago, and Johnson played a major role in bringing LeBron James to the franchise last summer.

Neverthless, ESPN is reporting that James himself was blindsided by Johnson's shock announcement ahead of the Lakers' defeat to the Trail Blazers:

LeBron James was stunned to learn of Magic Johnson's decision to step down as the Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations, a source with knowledge of James' thinking told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne on Wednesday.

Johnson offered no indication that he was on the brink of leaving the team, sources said. Johnson said he did not tell James about his decision to leave before making his announcement, either. Despite Johnson's abrupt resignation, James stands behind Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and the organization, the source told Shelburne.

Despite Johnson's departure, general manager Rob Pelinka is expected to remain in Los Angeles. The Lakers also have a big decision to make on the future of Luke Walton, as the team has posted a losing record during all three of his seasons in charge.

R.J. Barrett is entering the 2019 NBA Draft

R.J. Barrett has announced that he will be entering the upcoming 2019 NBA draft

After a week of speculation, R.J. Barrett today declared his plans to enter the 2019 draft. In a video released on his official Twitter account, Barrett explained his decision -- saying:

It was a dream of mine to play at Duke ever since I was a young kid. It was also a dream of mine to play NBA and have great success there. After discussing with my family and coaches, I have decided that I will be declaring for the 2019 NBA draft.

The 18-year-old spent his freshman season at Duke, during which he was a unanimous first-team all-ACC selection. The guard averaged 22.6 points along with 7.6 rebounds, forming a dynamic partnership with Zion Williamson -- who himself is expected to be the first pick of the 2019 draft.

Marcus Smart could return earlier than expected

Marcus Smart left the court with an oblique injury during the Boston Celtics' penultimate game against the Orlando Magic. The injury occurred during the third quarter of the Celtics' 116-108 defeat, and the team's concerns were confirmed when Smart was subsequently ruled out for between 4-6 weeks.

However, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe is reporting that Smart could return in as little as three weeks:

Have been hearing that despite the 4-6 week timetable on the Celtics' press release, the belief is that it's a 3-5 week injury for Marcus Smart.

Due to the injury, Smart will miss the entire first-round series against an Indiana Pacers side that is without Victor Oladipo. If Boston advances as expected, they will most likely take on the Milwaukee Bucks and the Greek Freak, and Smart should return in time to feature.