Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

Well, it looked like a slow news day until it wasn't.

First, finally the Lakers (and everyone else) got a conclusion to the Jonathan Kuminga saga. He's going to Minnesota, agreeing to a two-year deal worth about $13 million, with a player option for the second year. He'll move into their exception space, try to play really well this season, opt out next summer and sign a genuinely big money deal somewhere else. That's the plan at least. Will it work? Who knows. But Camp Kuminga decided he'd ultimately make more money doing it this way than taking the 3 year, $36 million deal reportedly on the table from the Lakers.

Did LA lose out? Well, having Kuminga certainly could have helped, but the cost was higher for LA than Minnesota, because it wasn't just about the money, but what the Lakers would have to give up in order to make the space on the roster to bring Kuminga in. One second rounder? Two? If they had to raise their financial offer to Kuminga, that impacts their flexibility, and likely means having to send out more players.

At some point, the price is too high.

Meanwhile, Jeanie Buss is taking her siblings to court, in order to try and keep control of the Lakers, or at least the governorship she currently has, thanks to the family's near-18% stake in the team.

She says she's exercising her fiduciary duty to the family trust, and that the family members are acting out of school.

No matter how you slice it, it's a mess, one likely to annoy Lakers fans significantly, and severely damage Jeanie's standing with Lakers fans before it's over.



HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky



SEGMENT 1: Kuminga chooses Minnesota.

SEGMENT 2: What's next?

SEGMENT 3: Jeanie sues!!!

Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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There are a couple players still rattling around the NBA, unsigned. Two have limited options but likely return to their current teams (Benedict Mathurin, Jalen Duren) and one is Jonathan Kuminga, who currently has no home. 

He does have suitors, though. Minnesota needs a forward and can sign him straight into their exception, but can't pay him as much as the Lakers, who would have to agree to contract terms and then figure out how to actually execute a trade. No easy task, given that the Hawks (who have no interest in bringing Kuminga back) already have too many players, and have zero need for anything the Lakers would be willing to offer. Are there enough other teams that would be incentivized by a second rounder? How many picks would the Lakers be willing to give up? 

And that's all stuff that would assume that the Lakers decide that Kuminga is worth the assets, and could figure out a way to make Kuminga happy. Could they be willing to do a wink-wink nudge-nudge type deal where they sign him undermarket, then find a way to give a little boost after a successful first year? 

Meanwhile, what about PJ Washington? He seems to think he's staying put. Which makes sense! Dallas isn't incentivized to trade him right now and should they ever get the itch, the Lakers are likely not going to have a package that outdoes other interested parties. That, by the way, is going to be a common theme for the next few years, which explains the continued interest in Kuminga despite some totally legitimate reservations. It's reasonable to wonder how much access they'll actually have to the most desirable options at that wing spot now and down the road. 

Finally, answering a listener email, we're looking at something each player on the roster can do to improve for this season. We kick it off with Austin Reaves! 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

 

SEGMENT 1: A plan for Kuminga? 

SEGMENT 2: What about Washington? 

SEGMENT 3: What can Reaves improve? 

 

Photo Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

 

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ESPN is out with a bunch of late-summer evaluations for teams around the league. It includes win projections (45, which they say will be sixth in the conference) along with an offseason grade (C+) and all kinds of other little interesting bits of information. 

First and foremost, while it's reasonable to think the Lakers took a little step backward because they didn't fully replace LeBron's production (even if you disagree, it's a defensible position) are they eight games worse, considering the upgrades at center and with better depth? Moreover, didn't other teams take some small steps back, too? Or potentially so? It's also fair to ask whether the Lakers are even being graded on the proper criteria. Did they make progress in stated goals? Yes, but you have to judge by what those goals are, right? 

The story also gets into the biggest change to the roster composition, namely that the Lakers should have bolstered their bench, even if the starters get a hair worse. But the productivity gap between LA's starters and reserves last year was the biggest in the league, so closing that down will help JJ Redick considerably. And should the Lakers (sooner or later) find a starting caliber forward to drop into the lineup, not only will the disparity between last year's starters and this year's shrink, it'll make the bench better, too, by slotting guys into more appropriate roles. 

Is one of those guys Jonathan Kuminga? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers get graded by ESPN. 

 

SEGMENT 2: Are they being dinged for the wrong stuff? 

 

SEGMENT 3: Why the next player they add is huge. 

 

Photo Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

 

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Turns out there's no real downside to being Luka Dončić's teammate, at least as it pertains to offseason team bonding trips. 

The Lakers, flown out to Slovenia on Luka's dime, are being treated to a first class tour of his home country. There has been golf and food and kayaking and clinics and workouts and more, all of it designed to bring the team together. Important to build chemistry with a very new group, no question. But also to help that new team learn more about Luka, who is stepping into an enhanced leadership role this season with LeBron James now in Philly. 

It matters that the people being led understand who is doing the leading. And this trip plays a big role. Hopefully they can truly jumpstart the process of building meaningful cohesion. It'll be hard to quantify the impact, but it certainly won't hurt. 

Meanwhile, player movement! Klay Thompson, connected to the Lakers in one way or another for years, is again... not coming to the Lakers. He's going to Miami to help bolster the Heat bench, and will get a two year deal with a player option for the second season that the Lakers couldn't offer, and shouldn't have even if they could. Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan will try to stem the bleeding in Denver, agreeing to join the Nuggets on a one-year deal. He can't defend the way Peyton Watson does, but offensively is still a very strong player. 

Finally, is Adam Silver ready to help figure out a resolution to the Buss Family Drama (which doesn't involve helping the sibs get along, but likely means getting them out of the ownership group)? And what does the Walter issue indicate about the problems the league has with owners in the age of franchise valuations in the multi-billion dollar range? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

 

SEGMENT 1: Fun with Luka in Slovenia! 

 

SEGMENT 2: Klay in Miami, DeRozan in Denver. 

 

SEGMENT 3: Ownership issues get tricky as valuations rise significantly.

 

Photo Credit: REUTERS/Borut Zivulovic

 

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The Nuggets unloaded Peyton Watson in a deal on Wednesday that netted them a first rounder in 2031 and another second rounder. All of this despite Watson agreeing to a deal in line with market expectations, of four years and $88 million. 

So with the Nuggets in flux and Nikola Jokic currently not signed for the long term, it's of course time to start putting him in other jerseys. Lakers jerseys, specifically!!!

But while the fantasies are fun, they can also be destructive. In years past, the Lakers front office might put things on hold in order to make sure they had all the assets needed to make a run at an available star once his contract was up. That, of course, puts a damper on the team's ability to compete, either because moves are always for the short term, or because they simply aren't made at all. 

The good news? The Lakers can't play that game right now, even if they wanted to. They don't have a cache of draft picks, no young players who would fetch a premium in return (not yet at least), and no cap space coming. 

So the odds of Jokic coming here without... a lot of stuff having to happen... seem very slim. So the Lakers, whether with current or future ownership, can simply go about the business of trying to create a winner around Luka. 

Speaking of leadership, Jeanie Buss reportedly would be interested in holding on to her governorship (which requires a 15% stake in ownership) by buying out her siblings. But would they sell? Where can she get the money? And even if she got it... why would Kushner and Iger let her keep that gig? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

 

SEGMENT 1: Jokic dreams! 

 

SEGMENT 2: Bursting that bubble. 

 

SEGMENT 3: Jeanie willing to maneuver? 

 

Photo Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

 

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