Are the Lakers better? | Pacific Division Grades

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily – July 20, 2026

Episode: Are the Lakers better? | Pacific Division Grades
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keda, Esperaheni

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Episode Overview

In this summer edition, Dave DuFour, Zena Keda, and Esperaheni take a deep dive into the Pacific Division's offseasons, handing out comprehensive grades for each team. The central question: "Are the Lakers better after a transformative offseason?" The panel explores not only the roster moves but also each team’s direction, flexibility, and outlook for the upcoming year.

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Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Golden State Warriors: Staying the Course with More Age

• Continuity over Change:
  The Warriors opted to retain their core (Porzingis, Al Horford, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Steph Curry), embracing continuity despite an aging roster. Zena notes, "That continuity just happens to be a little bit aged, but that's okay." (04:31)

• Draft & Signings:

  • Drafted Yaxel Landenberg, praised for his offensive game, maturity, and journey through junior college, raising questions about his translation to a lesser scoring role and NBA defense.
  • Signed Charles Bassey — "an athletic big man...That's going to be huge behind Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford." (04:31)

• Summer League Impressions:
  Warriors won the summer league for the first time since 2013, with Yaxel impressing as MVP. But Zena cautions about translating summer league success to NBA rotation, especially defensively.
  Will Richard, LJ Cryer, and Malai Leons stood out as young options.

• Development System Analysis:
  Dave highlights the challenge and specificity of the Warriors’ system: "You have to know how to play basketball to play on that team. That's why some guys wash out so fast." (09:53)

Warriors Offseason Grades:

• Dave: C / B-
• Zena: B+ ("They brought in an athletic center...landed their pick.") (11:46)
• Esperaheni: B ("They really couldn't have done anything else...maybe higher if LeBron/AD scenario happens.")
• Hypothetical: If they land LeBron and Anthony Davis, it’s an A. But signing AD to a massive deal would bring the grade way down. (12:34 – 13:17)

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2. Los Angeles Lakers: The Luka Era, But At What Cost?

• Wholesale Changes:
  The Lakers lost key rotation players—most notably LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, DeAndre Ayton, and Jackson Hayes. Only Luka Doncic, Austin Reeves, and Jake LaRavia return in the core rotation.
  Additions: Walker Kessler (center), Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, Colin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, and Kevon Looney.

• Key Debates:

  • Is this team better?
    "Defense has a higher floor because of Walker Kessler...but then you lose Marcus Smart." — Dave (14:28)
    Colin Sexton and Quentin Grimes bring depth, but losing LeBron downgrades star power.
    "Any team without LeBron...takes a step back." — Zena (14:45)

  • Asset Management & Flexibility:
    The consensus is that mortgaging the future for Kessler (giving up four picks) is risky:
    “They committed all their money… to Luka, Austin and Walker Kessler. Is that group good enough to compete with the very best? I don’t think so.” — Esperaheni (15:34)
    The Lakers have “a lack of flexibility” (22:53), making it harder to make needed improvements at the deadline.

  • Defense & Star Reliance:
    "They've become more reliant on Austin Reeves and Luka." — Dave (17:02) "Walker Kessler needs to be a top five center defensively for this trade to pay off...I don’t see that happening, but we’ll see." — Esperaheni (18:26)

Lakers Offseason Grades:

• Dave: C / C- ("Lack of flexibility...may perform well, but can't make changes easily.") (22:53)
• Zena: B- ("You got what you were supposed to get—finally a rim-running defender.") (24:07)
• Esperaheni: C+ ("Massive cost to get it done...no team in NBA history has given up more than one first in a sign-and-trade; the Lakers just gave up four.") (24:32)

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3. LA Clippers: Reset Mode

• Kawhi Leonard Trade (Pending):
  Assumed to Toronto for Brandon Ingram and Grady Dick (and three first-round picks). Rui Hachimura was also added for play finishing duties.

• New Look:
  Younger group now centered around Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram, Bennedict Mathurin, Keaton Wagler, and John Collins replacement Rui.

• Prospect Watch:
  Keaton Wagler is praised for quick adaptation and self-awareness after a tough summer league debut.
  "He kind of found his way...looks like a real player." — Dave (26:35)

• Big Picture:
  "In terms of the offseason, grade wise, I’d give it like a B...might even give them a B+." — Esperaheni (28:16)
  Dave: "I’ll give them an A. They went from an old team to a young team, saved a ton of money, and picked up draft picks." (28:36)
  All agree the team won’t contend now, but executing a purposeful reset with young talent and assets is a major win.

Clippers Offseason Grades:

• Dave: A
• Esperaheni: B / B+
• Zena: Withhold final judgment—if Kawhi trade falls through, grade drops sharply (“If this trade doesn't happen, F.”) (30:49)

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4. Phoenix Suns: Lateral Moves, Losing Ground

• Roster Shuffle:
  Added Luke Kennard, Miles Bridges. Lost Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale.

• Analysis:
  "Step backwards because everyone else is getting better...this is a team going backward due to context." — Esperaheni (31:22)

  Both Zena and Dave agree that the loss of shooters—Allen and O'Neale—leaves the roster unbalanced; bigs like Osagie Ighodaro and Mawala Watch may pop but need space to operate.

  "They just didn't do enough. They might be worse and definitely didn't get better. Team feels like it has no direction." — Dave (33:37)

• Franchise Direction:
  "It’s tough when your star player (Booker) anywhere else would probably be an accessory...I don’t see a Booker-sized hole anywhere else." — Zena (34:42 – 35:12)

Suns Offseason Grades:

• Dave: D
• Esperaheni: C- / D+ ("Downgrade in personnel; Bridges acquisition makes little sense.") (32:59)
• Zena: F ("No strategy, no fit, even with a good coach.") (33:54)

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5. Sacramento Kings: Standing Pat, Hinging on Acuff Jr.

• Roster Activity:
  Minimal moves—re-signed Precious Achiuwa, DaQuan Plowden; traded away Devin Carter. Franchise centerpiece DeMar DeRozan appears to be exiting.
  Most significant addition: Darius Acuff Jr., rookie point guard "franchise cornerstone" with instant-scoring bravado. "He will average 20 as a rookie," predicts Esperaheni. (36:17)

• Development Focus:
  Sabonis’ screening and rebounding essential for Acuff’s development, with Keegan Murray, Emmanuel Sharp, and Alex Karaban rounding out a youthful roster.

• Front Office/Coaching Questions:
  Uncertainty about Doug Christie and the front office leading a proper rebuild.

• Patience & Fan Investment:
  "It's a wait and see...the fans need something to cheer on, and that's exactly what Acuff Jr. is—a spectacle." — Zena (39:01)

Kings Offseason Grades:

• Dave: D / C- ("Didn't do much, but didn't do anything dumb. Give credit for taking best player at their slot.") (40:16 – 40:47)
• Zena: C+ ("For the fans and because Acuff is fun—they need something positive.") (39:01)
• Esperaheni: C+ / B- ("Acuff is a massive win, otherwise not much but didn’t lock in egregious deals.") (38:04)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Warriors

• "They resigned Porzingis...the big moves were keeping guys." — Dave, (03:52)
• "You have to know how to play basketball to play on that team." — Dave, (09:53)
• “In their system, you have to know how to be a role player… not be the center of the universe.” — Zena, (07:03)

Lakers

• "Depth definitely matters. The Lakers are certainly deeper now than they were last year." — Esperaheni, (16:51)
• “Can they go up against Wemby and the Spurs? Against SGA and the Thunder? I don’t think so.” — Esperaheni, (15:34)
• "Colin Sexton is fine as a sixth, seventh man, but he is not going to carry your offense." — Dave (17:02)

Clippers

• "They went from an old team to a young team... saved a ton of money and picked up draft picks." — Dave (28:36)

Suns

• "They just didn't do enough...Team feels like it has no direction.” — Dave (33:37)
• "It’s a weird tough, it's always tough when you've got a, your star player anywhere else would probably be an accessory to someone else." — Zena (34:42)

Kings

• "He may shoot 35% for the season because he's not gonna have anybody else, but he's gonna average 20 as a rookie." — Esperaheni on Acuff Jr. (36:17)

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Key Timestamps

• Warriors Offseason Breakdown: 03:21 – 13:17
• Lakers Overhaul & Debate: 13:27 – 25:16
• Clippers Rebuild Discussion: 25:16 – 30:54
• Suns’ Summer Stagnation: 31:00 – 35:30
• Kings’ Minimal Moves/Acuff Hope: 35:56 – 41:37

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Final Takeaways

• Warriors: Aging core, minor additions, solid summer league showing. Grades generally B range for continuity and drafting.
• Lakers: Drastic changes, bet the farm on Kessler, lost LeBron and flexibility—grades range from B- (got their guy) to C- (questionable asset management).
• Clippers: Bold reset, leaned into youth and picks; widely praised with A/B+ grades, pending Kawhi trade.
• Suns: Criticized for lack of clear direction, personnel downgrades, and imbalance; D/F territory.
• Kings: Did very little but landed Acuff Jr.; C+ for hope, otherwise grades in the D/C- range for inactivity.

Overall:
The Pacific Division saw major transitions—some teams getting younger and accumulating assets (Clippers), some going all-in but sacrificing the future (Lakers), and others treading water (Kings, Suns, to a lesser extent Warriors). The hosts balanced grading individual moves with bigger-picture trajectory, flexibility, and context within a loaded Western Conference.

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For further insights & continuing updates, catch The Athletic NBA Daily, Monday–Friday, wherever you get your podcasts.

Transcript

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[Dave Dufour]

Good morning everybody. Dave Dufour, Zena, Keda, Esperaheni. The gang's all here. Little summer pod. What's up guys?

[Zena Keda]

I've missed you guys. It's been a while.

[Dave Dufour]

I know. You know what's funny? I sent you that text the other day and I was like, I feel like we haven't talked in forever and obviously we text like every day.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, and the funny thing is my response was, well, I feel like I've talked to you guys every day because I've been listening to you guys. You guys have been keeping me up to date with everything with summer league and off season. So.

[Esperaheni]

Dude, I feel like I have said this every single time we've potted, but Xena, I miss you, man.

[Zena Keda]

I know. I'm happy. We got the vibes. The gang is all here. Vibes have not been missed. Like we are going to be diving right in today.

[Monday.com Advertiser]

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[Dave Dufour]

But S is the only one that's seen the Odyssey, which is, you know.

[Zena Keda]

When are you going, Dave?

[Dave Dufour]

I'm gonna go tomorrow night.

[Zena Keda]

Same.

[Dave Dufour]

I had somebody say don't spoil it for me when I, when I asked, which is hilarious.

[Zena Keda]

Come on now.

[Dave Dufour]

Don't spoil it. I was like, it's a 3,000 year old spoiler, right?

[Esperaheni]

Yeah.

[Zena Keda]

Did you get it in high school? If not, then you missed.

[Esperaheni]

Well, you know, I, I don't know

[Dave Dufour]

if a lot of people did read it in high school.

[Esperaheni]

Even if you didn't read it in high school, it's been made in so many different ways already.

[Dave Dufour]

Armanda Sante was sure in the Odyssey.

[Zena Keda]

Oh, I don't know.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Oh brother.

[Esperaheni]

Where art thou? Was the Odyssey.

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[Zena Keda]

Okay, okay, okay. Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Renditions of it. Yeah. So I'm looking forward to seeing that. Guys, let's talk a little bit of off season stuff. It's summer.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

We.

[Dave Dufour]

We've. I don't know. The Pacific Division is very interesting.

[LifeLock Advertiser]

It.

[Dave Dufour]

This is a nice way to just split these things apart so we don't have to go for two hours. But Xena, you cover the Warriors. We've been talking about them as the, the old folks home of the NBA. They're not technically out of the LeBron race, although definitely much less smoke around LeBron going to the bay right now. Right. But it didn't. Go ahead.

[Zena Keda]

Oh, go ahead. No, no, please.

[Dave Dufour]

I was gonna say it didn't stop it from doubling down on being old, you know, coming back. Right. They. They resigned Porzingis. You know, kind of their. That was like their big moves were keeping guys.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

They.

[Dave Dufour]

They drafted a player who looks to be pretty good at least offensively in, in Yaxel Landenberg. I know his size is going to be important. They lost Quentin Post, which is that. That's one of the wilder signings of the offseason if we're. If we're being here and good on the warriors to not match that, by the way.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, it.

[Dave Dufour]

It feels crazy. Like I. That feels like a guy who's.

[Esperaheni]

They really couldn't. Anyways, it was just right.

[Zena Keda]

It would have been silly for them to do so. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, you're right. It's so funny because you resign Kristoff Verzingus, you resign Al Horford, and obviously Jimmy Butler coming back. Draymond Steph, like, you're like, oh, continuity. This is good. That continuity just happens to be a little bit aged, but that's okay. I. I like the fact that I agree with you on the Quint post, like, they didn't bring him back. I like the fact that they signed Charles Bassey. If y' all remember, at the end of the season, Charles Bassey had to come in, play some 10 days for the Warriors. And he's athletic. He's an athletic big man. He can finish above the rim. And that was one of the things that was really fun, to watch him move in space around Stefan and. Or around whomever and get to the rim. Like, that's going to be huge beside, you know, coming from behind Christophs Brzingis and Al Horford that aren't necessarily the most agile. But, hey, Al Horper was still blocking shots, like volleyball games out there last year, so we'll see. Yeah, the Yaxel thing is fun. And it's. I would say, even just summer league finals. I was just gonna say the. The summer league championship game. MVP warriors haven't won summer league since 2013. It's been a minute, right?

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[Zena Keda]

And there were. There were quite a few people out there that you're like, okay, I like Davon Smith that he kind of popped on my. My radar. But Graham, Ike, he's gonna have probably a longer way up to the. To the mix of the bigs. But of course, Yaxel, you like what you see. Being able to create in space, being able to go off the dribble, the little side dribble. You know, put up the three with ease. Like, you like the fact that his shot comes in rhythm. So naturally, I have a little bit of questions about, you know, how is this going to translate? Remember, the warriors are the number one team that don't need their young people to come in and be scores. And I was having this conversation with someone, actually, while I was in Vegas, not for summer league, but to watch Olivia Dean. Amazing concert, by the way, if you haven't seen it. Oh, nice going on.

[Esperaheni]

August 2nd.

[Zena Keda]

Oh, my God. You're gonna have the best time. It's gonna be amazing.

[Esperaheni]

Very excited.

[Zena Keda]

But randomly.

[Esperaheni]

Wait, Dave, do you know who Olivia.

[Dave Dufour]

No idea who that is?

[Zena Keda]

No.

[Dave Dufour]

No idea who that is?

[Esperaheni]

I figured.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, I have no idea who that is.

[Esperaheni]

You Come be the man I need, you know?

[Zena Keda]

Okay. That's okay. Wow. You've been under a rock, but that's okay. Or climbing rocks. One of the two. Who?

[Dave Dufour]

Harold Hardrada. No, I rest my.

[Esperaheni]

He's doing this intentional.

[Zena Keda]

Let's move on. Let's move on. But I was having a conversation right outside, standing outside, waiting for food outside of Mandalay Bay about, um, the fact that the warriors, in order to survive in their system and to be really good in their system, it seems like you have to have not been the star in college. Right. A lot of the folks that have come in and been able to play really well have been role players in their college teams and then come in and been able to know how to be a role player because this is not new to them. Right. They're true to this. We've seen players that were stars on their teams. Obviously, Jordan Pool find some success. That was a very unique case in how he exited. But a lot of folks have kind of like, struggled in this. I am not the center of the universe. And Yax was kind of a mixture, right? Because he's had this, like, long path to where he is going, you know, the juco route, like the different schools he's gone to. Like, he became a star in college and got on the radar as a star. But now it's going to be about how does this translate where you not necessarily needed to be the main scorer, but you absolutely need to hit a corner three. You absolutely need to be in the dunker spot and be athletic and finish in that way. I'm very curious as how that's going to translate. And particularly like, defensively, that's not. I don't know if that's anything I. Anything I saw during summer league was not necessarily like my takeaway. Like, oh, sure, this guy's going to be the guy that's going to be locking folks up. Like Will Richard.

[Dave Dufour]

You just don't know until they get out there.

[Zena Keda]

Exactly, exactly. But like, Will Richard, though, even I seeing him in summer league this year and last year, I was like, oh, he's gonna be able to lock some guys down as long, as long as ever. Super athletic. And. But we learned during the season he knows where to be defensively, which is more important than anything. And that's the only question I have about Yaksel. But the fact that they won summer league, you're seeing the development you're seeing, you're seeing folks, I guess. I guess there's a growth, I would say, in the way that the warriors showed up in the summer league this year, but last year, you know who won last year?

[Dave Dufour]

Do you know?

[Zena Keda]

It doesn't matter. It never matters.

[Dave Dufour]

The Sacramento Kings Charlotte Hornets won summer league in 2025.

[Esperaheni]

Oh.

[Zena Keda]

Oh, maybe that does matter because there's a lot. There's a lesson about development.

[Esperaheni]

Oh, are we going to start to

[Dave Dufour]

say that the warriors destined to be a play game just like the Hornets?

[Zena Keda]

I don't know if I, I'll. I correlate where the team ends up, but I will correlate what the pipeline looks like. Right, right. And also not only just the pipeline of the youth, but the pipeline of the coaches that are developing these guys. A lot of people like to, you know, crap on the warriors of like, oh, they don't develop young players, but a lot of their players have gone elsewhere to be solid rotational players.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Zena Keda]

Or not even rotational. Look at Ryan Wallace.

[Dave Dufour]

They run a system, obviously. Well, they have a player that's a system. And so you, you somehow it's just like the old spurs teams. You know, they would have these guys who, who would exist in that system, and then they go somewhere else and they were a pumpkin. And I think with the Warriors a little bit different because you have to know how to play basketball to play on that team.

[Zena Keda]

Absolutely.

[Dave Dufour]

Part of. Right. It's part of why some guys wash out so fast is they can't pick it up. And, you know, someone made the point about, About Yaxel being like one of the oldest prospects in the draft.

[Zena Keda]

Right.

[Dave Dufour]

I. I think that works to his advantage. Right. Like, he comes in more mature, ready to accept a lesser role. Right. And then he's got that size, which I think the warriors just need.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Big time. Right. And so if he can, if he's going to have a high motor on the defensive end, he's going to play a lot. And they need, they need somebody that can soak up 30, 35 minutes right away.

[Zena Keda]

That's why I'm particularly. Exactly. That's why I'm not only just particularly excited about Yaxel. I'm excited about whatever their pipeline looks like. We know how much the WAR rely on their G League team. How many times did we have nights where it was the G League Warriors?

[Dave Dufour]

I was like, zena, who is this guy?

[Zena Keda]

Right. And you're seeing. And the other thing that I thought was really cool, though, is that you're seeing the guys that were getting NBA minutes last year playing in summer league. Will Richard was out there, LJ Crier was out there. Malai Leons was out there. Like these guys were taking it very seriously because they know they're gonna be called up. The opportunity is going to be there with a team that is this veteran heavy. And when I say veteran, I mean age. So it's going to be a factor of that. But I think they did pretty well with this.

[Dave Dufour]

What do we grade this offseason for them? I. I come in around a C. I, I'll give him a lot. Like landing on Yaxle, getting him. That's great. Like they, they took the pick instead of trading it. I think that gives him a, A leg up on the. Maybe, maybe it's a B minus.

[Zena Keda]

I got, I gave him a B plus. I think they got their top end. It's solid. We, we know what those guys can do. And they got. Brought them back. I think they upgraded. They brought in an athletic center. Like they need a big man that can jump as well. And like you said, I think they landed their pick. So B plus for me. We'll see what happens. I'll.

[Esperaheni]

I'll give it a B because I don't think they really could have done anything anyways. You know, they were kind of hamstring.

[Dave Dufour]

Unless they were going to move Jimmy.

[Esperaheni]

Unless they were going to move Jimmy and move the picks to go out and get someone. And honestly, maybe that still happens with the Anthony Davis stuff. If LeBron decides to go there, there's. There's an opportunity for this to maybe get better. I don't know. Let me ask you guys this question. I'll throw it back at you guys. If they end up getting LeBron and getting Anthony Davis, do your grades change for them?

[Dave Dufour]

Oh, for sure.

[Esperaheni]

How much you go.

[Dave Dufour]

You get LeBron. I think it gives you. You're. It's an A. I mean, it's. He's an all star, like a legitimate all star level player. You add him to, to your core without los, I think you get an A.

[Zena Keda]

And I, I'll say it's an A because of what you just said. S. What they were capable of doing. Right. If you're, if you're maneuvering and being able to get someone in like LeBron, you're making some moves, right? Like you're beating other teams out.

[Dave Dufour]

Yep.

[Zena Keda]

That probably had more to work with and you're being able to attract a star like LeBron.

[Dave Dufour]

So let me add a caveat here though, for you guys. What if they get Anthony Davis and LeBron, but then they sign Anthony Davis to some ridiculous three year contract?

[Esperaheni]

F. No, I'm just Kidding.

[Dave Dufour]

That's. See this. But that's big problem. Hey, at least it's not Gary Trent, right? All right, let's talk about the Lakers, LeBron's old team. Okay.

[Esperaheni]

They have had.

[Zena Keda]

I.

[Dave Dufour]

This is an interesting situation here because they've lost so many of their core rotation players from last season. They basically have a whole new team. I mean, you know, Austin Reeves and Luca basically being the only guys that are coming back that are. That are in the rotation. I mean, Jake Laravia is going to be out there. They lost LeBron, they lose Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, which is a big one. Luke Kennard, DeAndre Aiden and Jackson Hayes. All right, so they lose all those guys. They add Walker Kessler, Mamu, Quentin Grimes, Colin Sexton, Zaire Williams and Kavon Looney. So essentially it's a whole new rotation. Yep. Outside of Luca Austin and Jake Laravia, that's. That's their new core, the Big Three.

[Esperaheni]

Is this Lakers team better than it was last year?

[Dave Dufour]

Feels kind of the same, doesn't it?

[Zena Keda]

I don't know. I think the details. You just said you subtract LeBron, right?

[Dave Dufour]

Defense has a higher floor because of Walker Kessler, I'll say that. Right. Like you've got a legitimate rim protector in there. Not. Not deandre Aiden, not Jackson Hayes. So I would say the defense probably takes a step up. But then you lose Marcus Smart.

[Esperaheni]

See, I like man, but you plug.

[Zena Keda]

You do plug in some guard wing depth, right? Like we. We know Quentin Grimes can go off and Colin Sexton can go off and it is also a solid point guard that you want to be able to push the pace, come in behind Luca. I. I like. I don't know. I. It's hard Any. Any team without LeBron. I think you all automatically are going to take a step back. But I agree with you that signing not only signing Kessler, but signing Mamu, I think is a really big leg up for them. We'll see if mama can kind of come in and be a replacement in a way for Rui. But you also lose RUI 45 3, which is. Which is really, really tough. I don't. That's a really good question. Did they get better from last year? I think they did.

[Esperaheni]

I think they're about the same. I think they're a different team to what Dave was saying earlier. They've change, changed. But I. I ultimately think maybe this is being harsh on their future outlook more than their current outlook. I just think the way that they invested their assets in Walker Kessler, and just like committed everything to this being the team. Like, they don't have control of really any of their picks moving forward. I think they have one pick that they can maybe swap or trade. They. They committed all of their money, I think around $450 million to Luca Austin and Walker Kessler. And I just feel like, is that group good enough to compete against the very best in the NBA? I don't think so. I think it's good. I think it will be a playoff team in the Western Conference. And you will give Luka Doncic a chance, right? A chance is enough in this NBA. So I understand it from that perspective. But can they go up against Wemby and the Spurs? Can they go up against SGA and the Thunder? I don't think so.

[Zena Keda]

Do you think it's a fair assessment to measure, especially in the west, because the west is so stacked. Do you think it's a fair assessment to look at any team in the West, Big three, and compare it in that way, or does depth matter so much? More?

[Esperaheni]

Depth. Depth definitely matters. And the Laker, the Lakers are certainly, I would say, deeper now than they were last year.

[Zena Keda]

Right?

[Esperaheni]

Yeah. Which helps them. Absolutely. I. I just.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Okay.

[Dave Dufour]

But the depth, it's not as high level. Right. Like, I actually think that there's multiple positions where their depth took a hit. And yeah, they have. They might have an extra guy or two, but like, you, like Xena, you just said it. You lost LeBron. So the, the playmaking that they got from LeBron when Luca or Austin Reeves was on the bench or hurt, like, that's just. Who's doing that. It's not going to be like, Colin Sexton is fine as a, as a sixth, seventh man, but he is not going to carry your offense. He's just not. He's not going to create for other people. So I actually think that in some ways, man, they've now become more reliant on Austin, Reeves and Luca.

[Esperaheni]

I, I could agree with that. Although, like, I think Colin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, those guys offensively will be able to help. I just want to mention a comment here that we have in the YouTube MSN034 says that Walker Kessler is a top five center defensively in the world. I completely disagree. I do not agree with that sentiment. I think Walker Kessler is a very, very good center. He's an elite rebounder. He's about, like, over the last couple years, he's been about a top 10 rim protector in the NBA. He's been hurt a little bit but admittedly for the Utah Jazz in terms of defensive field goal percentage, protecting the basket, literal numbers. He is like a top 10 rim protector in the NBA.

[Dave Dufour]

What they are, he needs to be top five for this.

[Esperaheni]

Exactly. Exactly. What they are expecting of him is to eventually become a top five center defensively. Like a Rudy Gobert type of player.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Esperaheni]

I don't necessarily see that happening. If it's, if it happens, I'm wrong, I'll eat crow. I'm looking forward to it.

[Dave Dufour]

But it just.

[Esperaheni]

I. I don't know. I don't necessarily see that happening.

[Zena Keda]

You hit it lightly, but we also haven't seen enough of him. Yeah, right. Like the injuries have been, we haven't been able to see what he can do in a full season consistently alongside

[Hiker 1]

Awkward time to ask this, but hey, did you download the trail map?

[Hiker 2]

Yeah, no, I don't need to.

[Dave Dufour]

I don't understand.

[Hiker 1]

You're trusting your signal out here.

[Hiker 2]

I'm trusting T Mobile. They have the best network and if we end up in bumtots nowhere, well, we've got T Satellite for backup. Whoa.

[Hiker 1]

I don't trust my carrier that much.

[Hiker 2]

We'll just use your phone as a flashlight.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

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[Zena Keda]

Luca. And you know Austin Reeves, who, by the way. Yeah. You're absolutely going to need to be elite with those two out on your perimeter. Like, that's, that's going to be important. So. I don't know. We'll see.

[Dave Dufour]

I mean, my assumption is that Grimes is going to be their point of attack guy when he's on the court. We'll see how that works. Again, that's a, That's a downgrade from what Marcus did.

[Esperaheni]

That's tough. It's tough.

[Dave Dufour]

If. Look, if they could have kept Marcus smart and you've got Walker Kessler, hey, man, you. You can do some stuff. You can get some stops here and there. I do. I, I think the point of attack is going to be a big deal. And even if Walker Kessler is a top five center defensively this season, I, I think the point of attack defense is going to be a big problem because you know, you can get, you can get this guy into space because you don't have the right defenders around him, and then what happens? The rest of the team is not going to defend.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah, this is the, the, the recipe for the Utah Jazz last year. Even though they were tanking and I get it. And like they, they were not in a place to try and compete. Like, Walker Kessler was their only good defender, elite defender, if you will. But that didn't result in a good defense. And I think some of those same issues will plague the Lakers in the sense that Walker Kessler is their only good defender.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

He's.

[Esperaheni]

And look, I'm. I'm excited to see how JJ Redick creates a good defensive nucleus for this group. He found a way for last year's Lakers team to win defensively with that zone coverage. We'll see if they figure out some things this year, but I just, I'm. I'm curious. I think this will be a top 10 offense in the NBA. Very curious to see if it will be a top 10 defense. I don't think so, but we'll see.

[Zena Keda]

So we have to. Now look at the grade of you get. You finally get what the Lakers have been begging for. A center. A rim, running rim, defending center. Awesome. You got that. But you also gave away so much to be able to get this team when you balance that out, where would y' all put them in terms of your grade? It's tough.

[Dave Dufour]

I think I'll go C minus. And it's because of the lack of flexibility. They may, they may perform well. I mean, they have Luka Doncic. This can still be a home court advantage team in the playoffs. Absolutely. He has a great season, like a healthy season. I think they're going to rebound extremely well on both ends, actually. I think offensive rebounding, they're going to be good. I do. I think this offense is going to score. I don't think that's going to be an issue. It's just, it's going to be stops. But I, I just say a C minus and it's not because I don't like the players. I think the players they got are fine. It's the lack of flexibility. I don't know that they're going to be able to be very active at the trade deadline when they, when they start to realize, oh, we need this stuff, they're not really going to be able to go out and get it. That that's an issue. It's more about where can they make changes. To me. So I, I would say C C minus. The team is about the same, though. I don't think it's that much of a change.

[Zena Keda]

Honestly. I don't know if I'd go that low. I only because you got what you're supposed to get, like that, that was the biggest thing. So I feel like I'm with you on the flexibility. I think I'm gonna give him a B minus. I'm gonna be minus.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, I think it's good.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Good young player. And, and I know everybody feels like it's a lot of money.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

But it's the Lakers.

[Esperaheni]

The money actually isn't the issue with Walker Kessler. It's the fact that they gave up four picks is what I'm talking about.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni]

You know, and, and no, and I again, we have someone in the comments saying like, hey, screw the picks. Like, hey, the Knicks just get it. A billion dollars on the picks. I get it.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni]

If Walker Kessler becomes that guy, then this trade is an. It's an absolute home run. But we have yet to see that happen, so we'll see. I, I'm gonna give it also like a C plus. I think again, they, they were able to get what they needed to done, but they ultimately spent an enormous cost to do it. Think of it like this. In a signing trade, no team in NBA history has given up more than one first round pick. The Lakers just gave up four. You know, so I just, I think

[Dave Dufour]

that's a lot, that's a lot to

[Esperaheni]

consider putting on the plate of Walker Kessler. So we'll see if it pans out, great. But if it doesn't, it's going to be tough to maneuver out of.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, in their defense, it's harder and harder to get these restricted guys 100. It's just, it's very, it's difficult to pull it off. Okay, guys, Clippers, Clippers. No Kawhi.

[Esperaheni]

Are we sure about that?

[Zena Keda]

All right.

[Dave Dufour]

I mean, let's see if this trade happens. You know, obviously we're, you know, as we're recording this on the 20th of July, the, the Kawai trade to Toronto has been paused. But let's, let's operate under the assumption that Brandon Ingram and Grady Dick.

[Esperaheni]

Well, I'll just say this. Overhearing his conversation, he was, he was looking at real estate homes in Toronto. So it seems like, seems like that trade is going to be going through.

[Dave Dufour]

That's my assumption. The Clippers also added Rui Hachimura, so they've got another play finisher in there. I mean, to me that's like kind of a John Collins replacement for them. But the Clippers, we, we like Keaton Wagler quite a bit. I think that he kind of found his way. I don't know how much summer league everybody's been watching. I, I really love summer league. I've been watching a lot. And I think Waggler really compared to his first game s. And we talked to him after his first game. I, I think the last two that he had in summer league. He looks like a real player.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah, he figured it out. I, the, the thing that jumps out about Keaton Wagler is like his level of self awareness and he knew after that interview that we had against him was just like the physicality was too much for him. Okay, how do I respond? How do I react to that? And his shot making was on display. His playmaking was on display. I'm very excited to see how him and Garland work together. It, it's going to be a struggle defensively, I think especially with how much Wagler will struggle defensively with the physicality as a rookie. But this is an interesting team. Like if you think of Garland and Brandon Ingram, Mather and I expect will be back. They have a lot of like wing depth and versatility between Rui Hachimura and Derrick Jones Jr. And they still have Chris Dunn in the fold. We Last year liked Conan Niederhauser. That's who it was.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. I saw his jersey at summer league, by the way.

[Esperaheni]

Yes, I did too. Real quick. So like, so in this current Western Conference, I'm not sure whether this team is like built to, to compete and be a playoff team.

[Dave Dufour]

Sure.

[Esperaheni]

But I think they could be in the mix for the playing and for where they were last year. To have to like, structurally maneuver away from the old James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George group to a much younger group which is now featuring Garland and Brandon Ingram and Wagler and Matheran. I think they did a decent enough job to kind of paint themselves out of that corner. In terms of the off season, grade wise, I'd give it like a B. I think this is a fine B. They drafted Wagler, who I like. I think the Ingram trade and in terms of the picks that they got will be very valuable. Those three first round picks from Toronto will be interesting. Yeah, I, I honestly, I might even give him a B plus.

[Dave Dufour]

I'll give them an A. Yeah.

[Esperaheni]

It's a good option.

[Hiker 2]

Really.

[Zena Keda]

Okay.

[Dave Dufour]

Well, listen, when you look at the turnaround that they've made, they went from an old team to a young team.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

And saved a ton of money and picked up draft picks on top of it. I, I don't think that anything could have gone better for them. Now, look, this team is not going to compete and maybe not for years, but.

[Esperaheni]

No, they won't.

[Zena Keda]

They are.

[Monday.com Advertiser]

Right.

[Dave Dufour]

Like, I'm not saying that like the

[Esperaheni]

Lakers, they got themselves out of a tough spot. The lakers are, are 10 times. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

But, but I do think that when you look at what they had, where, you know, they, Kawhi just had this, this great season, finally had this healthy season, finished healthy. They were able to move on. They got James Harden and out of there and instead replace him with a guy 10 years younger. I just think that. And a lot of this is continuing what they started at the deadline. But I think the Kawhi trade and with the assets they picked up, it's huge. Again, Brandon Ingram is a player that I'm guessing that they would like to flip somewhere else probably. So it's not even really about like, what they did there. It's more about accomplishing the goal that it felt like they went into the summer with, which was move away from Kawhi, get younger, pick up a good draft pick, and then they've got all these assets moving forward. So. Yeah, I mean, I don't expect them to even. I Don't think they're gonna be a serious contender for the play in actually.

[Zena Keda]

Agreed.

[Dave Dufour]

I don't think they're going to be very good.

[Zena Keda]

I'm with you. It feels like a reset, a really smart one. They are very much future oriented now, which is perfectly fine. Flexible, inflexible. Yep, I agree with that.

[T-Mobile Legal/Disclaimer Voice]

I,

[Zena Keda]

I do, I do judge them because of the move from Toronto for, for Kauai to Toronto. Who, by the way, the last part I did, I think with you guys a while ago, I was like, guys, what if Kawhi goes to Toronto? And I cannot believe it actually is possibly happening. But I'm also wondering now that I've heard your show with Pablo Torre, was this a move just to kind of try and make up and get some. I don't know.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

That's.

[Esperaheni]

That's true. What if they're hooked but their, their off season could flip very quickly.

[Dave Dufour]

Oh yeah. If this Kawhi trade doesn't happen, by the way, they get an F. Yeah, that's.

[Zena Keda]

That's where it's at until that is set. That's why I'm like, I don't know if I can give him an A just yet. But yeah, we'll see.

[Dave Dufour]

It's an incomplete. How about the Suns? They added Luke Kennard and Miles Bridges. They lose Grayson Allen and Royce o' Neill didn't really do much. You know, they brought everyone back. But is that, is that a step forward or a step back in the West?

[Esperaheni]

In this Western Conference, it is a step backwards because everybody's getting better. I, I think this is a natural team that's going step back next season and, and clearly just because of the competition that we're seeing in the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns, with Booker now entering his like, you know, kind of like late prime, I would say entering his

[Dave Dufour]

time to be traded years.

[T-Mobile Legal/Disclaimer Voice]

Sure.

[Esperaheni]

I mean his time to be traded years must have. Might have been like a couple years ago too.

[Zena Keda]

I was gonna say it's been.

[Esperaheni]

But. But at the same time, I just, I, I think this team is well coached with Jordan Ott. I, I think the copy draft is interesting. I like a lot of their young guys with Rasheer Fleming and come on, Malawatch, who might take a mile away.

[Hiker 1]

Yes.

[Dave Dufour]

Really good.

[Zena Keda]

So good in summer league. Agree.

[Hiker 1]

He did.

[Zena Keda]

And that's actually where I think, I think where there's opportunity is. While they might be taking a step back in terms of, you know, just being good in general, that is Elaine,

[Esperaheni]

the young guys, the young guys to

[Zena Keda]

be able to Pop. Exactly. Sorry.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah. No, that's a great point. And also Iguidaro, like, he's another guy who's at rotation level big. I don't like the Miles Bridges trade for. For them at all. I know they were. They were missing someone in that 40 position. I just. I don't understand why they made that trade. I think they did a pretty good

[Dave Dufour]

guys from one college I think is gonna. Is gonna be a problem.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah. If the warriors end up flaming out, Draymond Green might just end up signing with the Phoenix Suns. Just for the sake of signing with the Phoenix Suns, I would. I would give their offseason like

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

a

[Esperaheni]

C minus because of the Bridges thing. Maybe like a D plus because I

[Dave Dufour]

really downgrade from Grayson Allen and Royce o'. Neill, man.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah, man.

[Dave Dufour]

They got worse players.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

And the Russian, Neil is kind of important.

[Zena Keda]

It still feel because of that, you lose a lot of outside shooting and the roster feels imbalanced because of it. Even if you got Osogadaro, if model watch, you know, pans out, he translates what we're seeing in summer league into next year. It's like, great. You got some bigs. You got some bigs that can move. Awesome. But they need space to move, and the only way you create that is with shooters. So, yeah, that's gonna be.

[Dave Dufour]

I'm giving them a D. They just didn't do enough. They might be worse and. And they definitely didn't get better. It's a team that just feels like it has no direction.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

What do you feel like your organizational philosophy is?

[Esperaheni]

Yeah, there's. There's really no.

[Zena Keda]

I'm giving an F. I'm. For that reason, I'm giving an F. And it's tough, right? Exactly. They've got a great coach, but they don't have the right pieces and they don't have the right strategy. It doesn't seem like they have a

[Dave Dufour]

status that are interesting, but it just

[Esperaheni]

feels like we are eventually going to get to the point where Devin Booker is traded. Right.

[Dave Dufour]

I think this year might be the year we'll see. Might be. I mean, the issue is nobody wants to pay the that kind of money to a guy who's not a top 10 player.

[Esperaheni]

And he is. You know, he's also so beloved in Phoenix and in Arizona. And it's just like he is much more valuable to that organization than he would be for 20. I love Devin Booker. I love his game, but I just. He would be much more valuable to Phoenix currently than he would be to 29 other teams because of his contract.

[Zena Keda]

It's a weird tough, it's always tough when you've got a, your star player anywhere else would probably be an accessory to someone else. Right.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Right.

[Zena Keda]

And, and that's, and we, we love Devin Booker from a perspective of he can score, obviously he can get to his spots, whatever. But we saw what happened. I still always will reference the Olympics in the way that he stepped up defensively, in the way that he took on that load and he accepted that look, that lesser role and it feels like that's what he would do if he goes anywhere else.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Zena Keda]

I don't, I don't see a world in which there's a Devin Booker sized hole that needs to be filled and it requires an all star like him being the center of whatever a team is doing. He's, it's going to be, we have a star, he needs some help.

[Dave Dufour]

He'd be good like if Orlando could get him, right?

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

And you had him playing next to, to Paolo. I think that would be fantastic for, for Devin Booker to, to be a guy who you don't really, you don't focus your own offense on him. You let him find spots. I mean he's a smart player like you said, you know, fit in really well on Team usa. Okay, let's hit. Finally, before we get out of here, the Sacramento Kings once again just, it's just vibes out there in Sacramento.

[Esperaheni]

Hey, they got a new franchise corner.

[Zena Keda]

I was gonna say they do.

[Dave Dufour]

I'm serious. Acuff fan. Anybody who plays like that is, is instantly going to be a must watch. He's gonna take 20 shots a night. I'm gonna watch every single one of them.

[Esperaheni]

Can't wait.

[Dave Dufour]

He may shoot 35 for the season because he's not gonna have anybody else

[Esperaheni]

out, but he's gonna average 20. I'll tell you right now, he will average 20 as a rookie.

[Dave Dufour]

That no DeMar DeRozan. Zach Levine picked up his option. I'm assuming they're not bringing back Russell Westbrook. We'll see. Franchise legend, the Kings, they just kind of haven't done anything. You know there's this, this off season tracker it's, you know, they re signed Precious Achua, Daquan Plowden. They resigned. They lose Devin Carter, he, they trade him away and that's it. That's the only changes.

[Esperaheni]

Yeah, they haven't done much. I, I was waiting for some sort of Demontes Sabonis trade to happen. Maybe it ends up happening later against

[Dave Dufour]

it now because of Acuff I do

[Esperaheni]

like him with this team, though. Developmentally, the screening of Demonta Sponis will be essential for Darius Akov to get easy opportunities to develop to figure things out. I'm holding out hope that Keegan Murray can kind of rebuild himself as a player and figure things out as well. I actually really like the other rookies they've drafted between Emmanuel Sharp and Alex Caraban, where, like, winning players come from, winning programs, bring a winning identity, etc. Etc. So I just. I think they are in the. In the beginning stages of trying to transition into something. I don't know if Doug Christie is the guy for that. I'm very curious to see if, like, just in general, the King's front office is the right front office to build that, but they do have a little bit more talent in the door now. They weren't able to do anything crazy. Levine was always going to opt into that contract. They were in a tough spot.

[Zena Keda]

I would give it like a.

[Esperaheni]

Like a C plus, a B minus.

[Zena Keda]

Wow. We heard there.

[Esperaheni]

Acuff is really like getting. Acuff is a massive win for them.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Esperaheni]

You know, and they finally have something they can build around a young guy that you can build a franchise around.

[Zena Keda]

I don't know.

[Esperaheni]

I feel like. Are we giving them.

[Dave Dufour]

Are we giving them some credit here? S. And just for giving him some credit for not doing the Duran deal and. And locking Duran into some crazy contract.

[Esperaheni]

I would have liked the Duran deal. I. I would. Maybe I'm on the opposite side of things.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Esperaheni]

I would have liked for them to take.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, well, they're a team that needs to do stuff like that. Yeah. You know, it's almost again, back to the Lakers point. Did the Lakers need to do that? I think if you're the Kings, you. You maybe do need to say, all right, we're going to overpay for this young All Star.

[Esperaheni]

And maybe they do like, maybe there's still. There's still time in the office. Weird stuff to happen.

[Zena Keda]

That's the thing. Sacramento, I feel like. I mean, I. I'm also the C plus cup camp as well. And I. No play on words here, but it is. It's a wait and see. Right. Their entire situation is a wait and see. And I also was shocked that, you know, Demonte Sabonis hasn't been moved. Not necessarily because, let's be real, I don't know what the market is like for him, but it just still feels like it's been. They've. It's been a trial for a long time and we have not seen anything come of the Sabata Simonis. Like, yeah, kind of. They've kind of put all their eggs a little bit in that basket, and it's just not come to fruition for them. But if anything, I. I did the C plus as opposed to just the C, because the fans, they need something. They need something to watch. They need something to cheer on. They need some. Some sort of a spectacle. And that's exactly what Darius Acuff Jr. Is, a spectacle. He's a lot of fun to watch. So I'm. I'm happy for the fans to have something to look forward to, and I still feel like there might be some. I agree with you. Like, more moves to be had, but wait and see. And also, really good piece on the Athletic today by Jason Jones on Darius Acuff.

[Hiker 1]

Yes.

[Zena Keda]

Like, who he is and his background. Not too much basketball, but a lot of just, like, what his confidence is. Like, it was fun.

[Dave Dufour]

I'm gonna just say it's a D just because they didn't really do much. I mean, you know, they took. They probably the best player available at their draft slot. Right. Like, do you get credit for drafting a good guy? I. I don't know. I give him credit for not trading away that pick. I give him credit for not doing any. Any bad moves, I guess so.

[Esperaheni]

That's a good point.

[Monday.com Advertiser]

Really?

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. So maybe it's a C minus, but

[Esperaheni]

I'm gonna give them an A for not doing anything dumb. Yeah, actually, yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

No, I mean, they just didn't do much. But that being said, they were. They were trying to be good last year and they were awful. They were just awful. So anything is up, up from here. And. And, you know, the Sabonis thing, if they're going to keep him on the team, I actually think he's going to be really good for Acuff, especially when it comes to Acuff learning how to navigate NBA pick and roll. Because Sabonis is such a good screener. And then he's. He's a big monster, monster offensive rebounder. Yeah. So I. I think that, you know, there's a. There's an argument to be made there that keeping Sabonis is a good move in and of itself for development. They're still gonna stink. They're still going to be the Kings. I'm still. I wouldn't be shocked if Russell Westbrook's back. Right? Like, anything could happen. But so far, not too bad.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, I agree.

[Dave Dufour]

Awesome. All right, well, that was the Pacific. We gave our grades. Let us know what you think in the comments. Give us a five star review. Wherever you listen to podcasts, you know, that whole thing, it's summer. Give us, give us a hand. Yeah, buying out DeRozan might be addition by subtraction. What do you think about that one

[Esperaheni]

S He's coming home.

[Dave Dufour]

He's going back.

[Esperaheni]

Unlike, unlike the World cup to England. He's coming home.

[Dave Dufour]

There you go. All right. That's gonna do it for the show, folks. For Esperahenny and Zena Keda, I'm Dave DeFore and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.

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Whoa.

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I don't trust my carrier that much.

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We'll just use your phone as a flashlight.

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[Zena Keda]

I thought it was safe.

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