They’re LYING to You About the Lakers Offseason… AGAIN

They’re LYING to You About the Lakers Offseason… AGAIN

[Music] You know, last week I talked about how the Lakers were having an underrated and kind of quietly a pretty good off season. Not anything special and definitely not a perfect offseason yet, which I still don’t think they have done even after signing Marcus Smart, but definitely underrated by many media outlets and by many of the narratives they have been pushing. And well, I really thought that might change a little bit after they signed Marcus Smart after the fact that it was revealed that Luca Donichel recruited him. Therefore, showing his commitment to their team and not only for this season, but for the future, too, with a new report saying that he’s likely to take a new contract with their team, signing or rather resigning for a 4-year contract extension. And yet, pretty much nothing has changed. If you look around the major media outlets and what they have graded the Lakers off season, it’s been no better than a C from anything I could find. I mean, pointing to Bleacher Report, for example, grading the Lakers off season with a D. And yes, even after signing Marcus Smart, it really only gets funnier and literally the first thing they write is that LeBron James didn’t get another oneplus one offer from the Lakers. So, he picked up his player option and positioned himself for free agency in 2026. That being the first thing they write in immediately following a narrative pretty much saying that LeBron’s not happy, therefore the Lakers didn’t have a great start to free agency, haven’t had a good free agency in general. also pushing the narrative that Luca is probably not happy and that there’s no guarantee he signs a contract extension with them, despite him recruiting Marcus Smart, despite him recruiting DeAndre, and despite him showing obvious and a full commitment to their team’s future, using narratives to cite their grade of a D rather than actually using logic, skills, fit, anything like that. And I’m not just hating on them or, you know, pointing them out, but pretty much every other major media outlet has given them a C or a D-grade for pretty much narrative reasoning, pointing to CBS Sports here, giving them a grade of a C minus. Also citing the relationship between LeBron and the Lakers, that not being in a good place, so therefore, I guess they deserve a bad grade for their offseason. also citing the Luca Donuch relationship or rather the fabricated narrative about their relationship or pointing to Yahoo’s sports year doing a whole lot of the same giving them a grade of a C mentioning the relationship and dicey offseason between the Lakers and LeBron here so therefore it’s not been a good offseason I guess you know obviously they write other things here too but for the most part it’s been entirely narrative based and that’s why they justified their poor grade for the Lakers off season which in my opinion is simply a bit lazy and a little bit undeserved, too. Again, I don’t think the Lakers had a perfect off season. Definitely are not at that point yet, but definitely a whole lot better than many of the grades given to them. What the narratives are saying about their off season, and what they have been able to do with literally no trade assets involved in it, how they’ve been able to upgrade their team, at least in my opinion, the additions they have made, the minimal subtractions they have made, getting younger, more athletic, a little bit more defensive- minded even. I think it’s been a whole lot better than many narratives will say about them. And we’re going to talk about why today. We’re going to grade every move they have made so far, then grade the entirety of their offseason overall here. You know, actually citing numbers, citing trade assets, citing fit, using actual logic to grade it. Not going to be too biased, even though I’m a Laker channel, so I can’t help it completely, but I’m going to try to use a bit more logic to grade off season and actually going through their moves one by one. not simply pushing the narratives and following the narratives that lead Maine to believe they have had a terrible off season. But okay, narrative talk aside here, beginning with the first move they made, that being their draft pick for Ado. And it wasn’t simply a draft pick and simply taking him. They actually had quite the pathway to getting that draft pick. Initially having the 55th overall draft pick, then trading up to the 45th overall draft pick. doing that with only cash and not giving up a legitimate trade asset. Neither a future second round draft pick or a player attached with it. Moving up 10 spots with only cash. And well then they did that pretty much again. Moving up from 45th to then 36th only trading cash once again. Not attaching a future second round draft pick, a future player asset or any kind of legitimate asset in return for it. Therefore, moving up 19 total spots with only cash considerations. And then for the cherry on top, they drafted Duo, which I initially wasn’t that happy about or didn’t love it that much, but after they lost Storfy Smith, which I think they kind of did see coming here, it made a whole lot more sense to their team. Obviously not being able to replace Storing Infinity Smith, neither right now, but maybe in the future, but replacing the defensive minded wing forward kind of combination there with the Duthi, replacing the athletic ability, actually upgrading the athletic ability, adding a defensive minded player to a rotation that pretty much lacked it entirely other than Jared Vanderbilt. I think that was a pretty good draft pick for them and especially the process they went through to get him too. Like I said, moving up 19 spots without trading a major trade asset. So, in my opinion, that was a great first step for them, and I would probably grade that with an A minus. Yes, again, he might not immediately help them. Definitely hoping he can, and at least in situational matchups and maybe matchup dependent games, I think he might be able to, though, it definitely is more of a long-term move for them. But it did add to their athletic ability need, did add to their defensive minded need in their rotation, and simply a guy that probably will be able to offer them some good things in the future. But following the NBA draft came free agency and this where they had their first major subtraction. That obviously being the loss of Dorian Finey Smith. Though it kind of was a two-part thing for them. Yes, he did leave their team, but that directly opened up more cap space for them, or rather payroll relief, which gave them the ability to use their non- tax pyramid level exception. And well, they wasted no time putting that toward Jake Larabia first. And following the loss of Dorian Smith, that kind of was a direct replacement. Obviously not the same kind of player per se, but kind of fitting the mold of Dorian Finny Smith. Both bigger wings that can play at both the four or three. Guys that can defend one through three sometimes one through four. Vinnie Smith obviously being better at it, but Larabia having more potential, fitting their timeline a whole lot better and actually improving rather than declining over time, which also came with the contract that Dorian Smith got or would have gotten from their team if he was stayed with them. That being a four-year $54 million contract, not a terrible contract, but if the Lakers would have given him that contract, I guarantee the narratives would have said that it was a bad contract, even though the Rockets gave him that same contract, and many praise them for it. So replacing Finey Smith with Jake Rabbia, then following that up by using the remainder of their non-tax pyramid level exception to then sign DeAndre and well directly kind of replacing Finey Smith again with the mold of Jake Rabbia, adding a 3 andish bigger wing player. Then filling their biggest need after that point and probably their biggest need in general, that being a viable starting center option, getting DeAndre in. Yes, obviously the questions and red flags that come with him, which would have been a much bigger problem if they would trade for him and gave up legitimate assets for him, but no. Rather than giving up trade assets for him, they got him pretty much for free off the bio market. Yes, having to use the remainder of their mid-level exception to get him, which came out to roughly 8.3 million. But that’s an absolute steal for a major need on their team, a guy that’s been a starting center for an NBA Finals team, you know, a guy that’s defending the timeline of Luca Donuch. a guy that Luca Donuch wanted and helped recruit. I think that was an A+ kind of move for their team. But overall, kind of grading the loss of Dorian Smith and what that led to. Again, the addition of both DeAndre Aton and Jake the Arabia, I’d probably grade that total transaction overall with an A minus or a B+. Good move in my opinion. It opened up the space for them to not only replace Finny Smith, but address two major needs in their team. And you can even argue that Finny Smith leaving their team forced them to stay under the first apron and therefore opened up their banual exception too which obviously led to them signing Marcus Smart. That kind of being the final part of it you know indirectly rather than directly with DeAndre Aton and Jake the Rabia but kind of a part of it as well here and with Marcus Smart also an addition off the bio market getting him for free getting him to come to their team via the recruitment of Luca Donuch. So once again, a pretty high priority target for their team. And no, I guess we’re not talking about prime Marcus Smart. Not talking about the 202122 defense player of the year award winner Marcus Smart. But we are talking about a very viable option yet. A guy that’s definitely a highle rotation player in my opinion, which many media blitz are saying that he’s not at this point, and I’m not buying into that. Obviously, yes, there are health concerns with him. Only played roughly 50 games in the past 2 years now. though I think he was held that due to the Grizzlies tanking for part of that also playing for Washington after the trade deadline last season who were also tanking. So if you factor that in, if you factor him coming back to a winning situation, him trying to actually get back in the mentality of not only the winning mindset but actually getting to play for a contender again. I think there’s a lot of upside here with Marcus Smart. Not to mention the fact that they needed his skill set, a primary point of attack defensive option that’s been a proven option to do it at the highest stage in the highest level. Smart’s done that and will now be able to do that for their team. So, in my opinion, depending on the need, the lack of trade assets given up for him, how they’re able to get him, and Luca Tonic directly wanting him, I think I would have to grade it with a B+ at the bare minimum. Yes, obviously there is some risk with him with the health concerns. I guess the offensive fit at times not being the most reliable three-point shooting option. Yes, I’d say it’s fair to point to that, but if you’re going to mention that and try to tell me that’s a terrible move just because of that, that’s where I would disagree with you. Yes, okay, there’s some risk with it. He’s not the best fit offensively in the world, but the defense, the proven playoff background, getting him and coming to their team for pretty much nothing, not giving up a trade asset to get him, it was a complete no-brainer move, and you can’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing. So again, from that standpoint, I would have a hard time grading in anything below a B+. Factoring in the proven background and playoff background with Marcus Smart, the fact that he addresses a need for their team and that they gone for nothing off the bio market, it was a really good move in my opinion. And between the addition of Marcus Smart, DeAndre Aton, Jake the Rabbia, and Adiro, like I said, they did not give up a single trade asset to do it. And you definitely got to factor in that for their offseason and the grade you give them in my opinion, too. the fact that they got them and still have the ability to make more moves, whether you’re talking about their tradable first round draft pick either in 2031 or 2032, still having four future first round draft pick swaps, a tradeable second round draft pick, having the contracts of Maxi Cleba, Gabe Vincent, a contract and also value with Rui Hachimura, still having Dalton Connect, still having Austin Reeves if you want to go that route. They have plenty of trade assets left and do have different ways to improve their team even further. Whether that be a trade in the near future, whether that be a trade at the trade deadline or maybe around December like when they trade for Finny Smith last season, they do have the ability to do that and can buy their time between now and then to evaluate their team, figure out their biggest needs or whatever might happen with their team, injuries, health concerns, players underperforming or overperforming in some spots. they have the ability to wait for that and evaluate their team, then address that need later on from the preservation of their trade assets. And well, with all of that in mind here, if we’re actually trying to evaluate their team from an objective standpoint, not simply following narratives and not simply pointing to the biggest headlines to evaluate throughout season, I think they’re very smart with the way they went about it. addressing their team’s biggest needs, adding more youth to their team, adding more defensive mindset to their team, not giving up a single trade asset to do it, even getting help from Luke and Donuch, and therefore strengthening the relationship with him, which will likely lead to a new contract between them and therefore the securement of their future. I think it’s been a pretty damn good offseason for them. No, definitely not perfect. I think there’s still a few moves left to be made. Maybe one or two that could make it a perfect off seasonason for them. But I’m not going to grade anything below a B. Anything below that, I think you’re crazy and you’re simply following narratives at that point. But hey, those are only my thoughts about it. I’d love to hear your thoughts and how you feel about the Lakers off season. Do you think it’s been a good one, an underrated one, or do you actually side with the media and think it’s been a pretty bad one for them? Let me know your thoughts and what grade you would give them in the comments down below. But I think that’ll pretty much do it for this one. And if you enjoyed the video, then I’ll greatly appreciate it if you dropped a like, subscribe to the channel if you have not already, and hit that notification bell to never miss out when I upload a video. But as always, thank you for watching and have a great day or night. [Music]

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