Lakers Lounge

Anthony spent all last show trying to convince himself about Myles Turner, so now he spends a little while doing the same to Pete. They're still friends!

Anthony has watched enough of these playoffs to come to the realization that the Lakers are going to need to be able to play five-out next year. If they're going to do that, there really aren't many centers on the market with the skillset they'd need. So... sigh ... Myles Turner! No please, come back.

The west is filled to the brim with incredible talent at the center position, both offensively and defensively. Anthony has always felt they need to focus on that spot, but now feels a specific player type is going to be necessary if the Lakers are going to keep up in that positional arms race.

Anthony opens by not exactly celebrating the season Myles Turner had last year but he also stresses that there are not many better realistic options who boast his skillset. He wraps up by diving into the chat for a few questions.

Anthony welcomes Kirk Henderson (Pod Maverick) into The Lounge to discuss the season he watched Luka Doncic have from afar. The guys talk about Doncic's production, the way he's talked about by various media types, the MVP race and ways Doncic could still get better. They also discuss the Maverick's interesting offseason ahead and whether a certain former Laker could ever make a return.

Anthony and Kirk take a look back at the season Luka Doncic had and the bummer of an ending to it. Kirk lobbies for handling Doncic's minutes better, but does grant that doing so is kind of tricky because of the impact he makes while he's on the court.

Anthony and Kirk agree about the most important position teams must prioritize when building around Luka Doncic. They also discuss the Mavericks and whether they've moved on to the point where they can trade with the Lakers again. (please bring us back Max, please)

About an hour before Anthony and Harrison were getting ready to record, news dropped that the Rams had traded for Myles Garrett. The Rams have enjoyed a run of recent success that would normally make them the pride of their sports city, except they share L.A. with the Dodgers, who are vying for a three-peat of their own. So, the guys discuss whether the Lakers are at risk of giving up ground at a...

If so, should we be thanking the Rams for trading for Myles Garrett?

The guys continue their conversation about the state of trust Lakers fans have in the team compared to the Dodgers or Rams, but first, Anthony tells his favorite story from the three-peat Lakers, featuring John Salley and cheap parking.

Anthony noticed something from afar over the weekend as, once again, aggregators did a disservice to their audience by removing context from a reporter's content (in this case, Jovan's). So, as we embark on another summer filled with reporting and speculation, all viewed through the filter of whichever aggregating account you prefer, Anthony and Harrison discuss how they think you can avoid this k...

The finals matchup is set. The Spurs upset the Thunder. The league feels different now than it was a couple weeks ago. Anthony reacts to all of it, then dives into a mailbag focused on closing the gap between where the Lakers are and where the Spurs appear to be going.

Anthony answers a quick question about the Lakers' approach to finding value in free agency and how that might change over time. He also starts a conversation about how this WCF oddly made him more confident in the Luka-led Lakers.

Anthony enjoyed that WCF and found himself thinking throughout the series that it might be a league-altering event. He explains that, then discusses a buy-low wing who a listener is hoping might be available from Milwaukee.

The price on Giannis has fallen far enough that Anthony kinds wondering if we'll see a repeat of what Toronto did with Kawhi. He explains that theory, then wraps up the final couple questions of a packed Q&A.

Anthony gives his thoughts on the anti-tanking measures the NBA took and what they say about the things Adam Silver cares about. He also has an epiphany about the kind of league Silver is working toward.

The funny part in all of this is the league itself says it's still working through some stuff. This leads to some questions from Anthony on why this needed to be announced right away, and what doing so says about Adam Silver.

If you just want to be purely machiavellian, the NBA's anti-tanking measures help the Lakers -- who don't think they can tank anyway. So if no one can, well, all the better for the team that won't.

The NBA has, historically, enjoyed its most prosperity by way of superstars and super teams. Adam Silver has methodically built a league that stands ten toes down against those ends. Anthony realized this live on the air.

Anthony dives into a particularly full mailbag slate, with listeners curious about how ownership might feel about Rob Pelinka's efforts to fill out the front office, late draft picks vs. UDFAs, the impact LeBron leaving would have on the Lakers and Bronny, and more.

A Twitter follower asked if Anthony Davis could ever return to the Lakers. This one is kind of tricky, but Anthony tries to navigate it nonetheless.

Anthony got a tip while he was on the air right towards the end of the episode. Before that, he expanded on what Rob Pelinka has riding on this summer (with a Star Wars analogy).

Anthony and Harrison discuss the Lakers hiring their first of two assistant GMs and the nagging questions that have been bugging Anthony. They also discuss the Knicks dominating the Cavs and the impact that might have on LeBron James' offseason.

Anthony and Harrison explain why this is, for the most part, an objectively net-positive for the Lakers. But still, that really annoying voice in the back of their minds just won't shut up about a couple unfortunate truths about what led to this hire, instead of some higher-level talent from more respected organizations.

Anthony and Harrison continue their conversation about the Lakers' efforts to become more like the Dodgers and the speed bumps they've run into, as people around the league aren't sure who will be in charge for how long. They also touch on the Knicks run through the east and, more importantly for Lakers fans, the Cavs falling squarely on their face. LeBron can't possibly look at that and think Cle...