Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

On Tuesday's show, we talked about how in many ways, the Luka Dončić Era, while technically starting when he was actually traded to the Lakers, really started Saturday when Luka signed his extension.  Turns out, in a lot of ways, Team Dončić agrees. Via Dan Woike's story about the epic week Luka had leading up to last weekend's contract party, the contract was presented to Dončić "in custom purple...

With most of the dust settled in the NBA offseason, it's not a bad time to start doing some leaguewide evaluations of how things have gone.  That means grades! The Athletic put out a batch, and Lakers beat writer wrote this about the purple and gold:  "Grade: B- The challenge in grading the Lakers’ offseason is whether to hold them to the relative scale of what they were trying to accomplish or wh...

Nick Angstadt and the Locked On NBA Squad dive into Doncic's physical makeover and its potential impact on his game. They explore the restricted free agent market, with a focus on Jonathan Kuminga's situation with the Golden State Warriors. The panel debates the Houston Rockets' chances in the loaded Western Conference after adding Kevin Durant, and assesses the Orlando Magic's rise in the East. P...

It was the morning of the first day he was eligible to get it done, and while at this point it was expected, that it happened so fast is still a great sign for the present and future of the relationship between Luka and the Lakers. At the press conference on Saturday, Rob Pelinka spoke (not surprisingly) in glowing terms about Dončić and reiterated the excitement he feels having him committed to t...

The news isn't unexpected, but it's very, very welcome and happened as soon as it could have. The Lakers announced Saturday that Luka Dončić has signed a three-year contract extension worth $165 million. The third year is a player option, and sets Luka up for a deal worth potentially $400 million after he reaches 10 years of service in the NBA.  This is exactly the contract most experts figured Do...

On Thursday's program, we talked about ESPN's (very, very early) Power Rankings, which had the Lakers at 10, which translates to 7th in the conference. Not exactly outrageous, but are there reasons to believe that broadly the Lakers are being underestimated?  Keep in mind, the Lakers made a massive improvement at center (Deandre Ayton), gained some defensive capability in the backcourt (Marcus Sma...

The Athletic put together an oral history of the Bubble, five years later. Of course, that weird, (hopefully) never-to-be-repeated NBA season resulted in LA's most recent title, with the Lakers beating the Heat to earn a banner.  No question, the whole thing was weird, and unlike any other title in the history of the game. But in that oral history, Sixers GM Daryl Morey (then with the Rockets, who...

As the world gets to know Skinny Luka Dončić, there is tremendous speculation as to whether any of this would have happened had Luka stayed in Dallas, untraded and unbothered. Team Luka says this was an evolution already underway. Team Pretty Much Everyone Else seems to think we're talking pure "revenge bod," and even if it sticks, the catalyst was the trade and the way he was treated out the door...

"Skinny Luka" has been a topic of conversation most of the offseason, but always had a certain uncertainty. Like talking about Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, or any number of creatures that may not actually exist.  Well, Bigfoot is real, and on the cover of Men's Health.  The magazine put out an issue with Luka as the featured story, and while the information within is interesting and relevant,...

The Lakers' offseason has been, relative to realistic expectations (and frankly, most observers' lack of confidence in Lakers' President of Basketball Operations/GM Rob Pelinka), pretty successful. Upgrades have been made. Assets have been retained. Options remain fairly narrow, but still far from exhausted. But at minimum, the roster is better than it left off after getting eliminated by the Minn...

Save the Lakers' impending sale, there's been no bigger storyline for the franchise since the summer of 1996 (which saw the simultaneous arrivals of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal) than the arrival of Luka Dončić. Even acknowledging the magnitude of LeBron James signing in 2018 (a BFD, indeed), that was nonetheless a star on the tail end (chronologically speaking, if nothing else) of his prime....

Deandre Ayton has been a polarizing center since nearly the moment the former first overall pick began his NBA career. While the raw talent is undisputed (and to be fair, often on display), questions about Ayton's desire, professionalism, and true passion for the game have dogged him for years. He's also been a regular scapegoat for underwhelming seasons taking place while he was a member of the P...

July is nearing a close, which makes it a good time to take stock of the work Rob Pelinka has done since free agency began. Has the Lakers' roster sufficiently improved when evaluated against realistic expectations? What moves could (or should) Pelinka have made instead of adding (thus far) Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero, and (a re-signed) Jaxson Hayes? Does his approach of...

Jake LaRavia isn't a particularly well-established NBA commodity, between his previous stints with two smaller-market teams (the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings), his inconsistent first two seasons in the league, and a lack of star status. But the role player potentially brings some important skill sets and attributes to the Lakers, and is being counted on to play a key role in the rotation...

The Kamenetzky Brothers further discuss how the Lakers will benefit from the imminent signing of defensive guard Marcus Smart, whether he'll enter the starting lineup, and other areas where his presence will make an impact. Of course, creating cap space for Smart meant waiving Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin, the latter of whom may be periodically missed next season. Was this a reasonable cost of...

The Lakers and defensive stalwart guard Marcus Smart have been linked in rumors for much of the offseason, given the Lakers' need for defensive upgrades, particularly along the perimeter, and the high likelihood that a rebuilding Washington Wizards squad wouldn't have much use for Smart. Finally, the expected buyout has been agreed upon, and Shams Charania, Marc Stein, and others are reporting tha...

Context is key in most things. So when it comes to LeBron James, would the context around the conversation about his offseason feelings change if this was going to be his last season?  It's something that needs to be considered, at least, says ESPN's Dave McMenamin: "I think we have to start thinking that this could be his last year in the league,"  ESPN's Dave McMenamin said . "Rich Paul [James'...

It's possible things get moving a little faster now that Phoenix has bought out Bradley Beal, who reportedly will sign a two year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. It's a nice deal for the LAC, and a mild disappointment for the Lakers, who were reportedly among the teams vying for Beal's services. But at the least it should, or at least could, shake the rest of free agency loose. Teams that had...

The free agent market has another name coming. Veteran wing Josh Okogie will be let go by the Charlotte Hornets, and once he clears waivers (which he will), will become one of the more intriguing low-key names on the market.  Why? Because while Okogie has some limitations offensively (he's a career 40% shooter from the floor, and 29.9% from downtown) the guy can defend. That's a skill that's value...

The Lakers came into last summer with a highly touted rookie in Dalton Knecht, and a curiosity taken in the second round in Bronny James. Bronny looked every bit like a nepo-baby in over his head last summer, and into the regular season, while Knecht played real minutes for the big club. This summer, however, Bronny is the one who has looked far more consistent. James was the best player on the fl...

Lakers media continues to peel back the layers of the ever-evolving relationship between the team and LeBron James.  It's become pretty clear that the pairing isn't nearly as tight as it once was, with James now clearly playing second fiddle (rightly) to Luka Dončić both in team schemes and roster building strategies. And it's certainly understandable that James wants the Lakers to be as good as t...

By signing Deandre Ayton, the Lakers didn't only fill in their hole at center in about the best way possible, they injected 15 or so points a night into a position that didn't offer it last year, following the trade of Anthony Davis.  So with four very good offensive players in Luka, LeBron, Austin Reaves and Ayton, is there space for Rui Hachimura to play to his strengths? Will there be enough sh...

What things look like in the Mark Walter Era is of serious interest to Lakers fans.  And for the time being, whatever the complete answer is, part of it includes Jeanie Buss in a front-facing role. Sam Amick of The Athletic reports that the agreement between Walter and Buss will keep Jeanie as the team's governor for at least five more seasons. Now, does that mean Jeanie is the ultimate shot calle...

Deandre Ayton (and Jake LaRavia) met the local media for the first time on Tuesday afternoon in El Segundo, and not surprisingly, most of the attention was on LA's new starting center.  The vibes around Ayton, who not that long ago was viewed as a potentially ascending star, has definitely soured. Not to a point where nobody wanted him when Portland chose to buy him out and cast him into free agen...

Monday, we talked about the (reported) impending buyout in Phoenix for guard Bradley Beal, who would instantly become a highly sought prize on the free agent market.  He was quickly linked to the Lakers, and not just because everyone is quickly linked to the Lakers. Beal would fill a big need as a bench scorer and playmaker, but is that something the Lakers need more than, say, De'Anthony Melton,...