Most teams would dive directly into compete short-term mode as soon as they got any kind of commitment from LeBron James, but the Los Angeles Lakers have remained patient. Yes, there are quibbles to be made about some signings specifically, but in their general stance hinges on one key factor this season: Their young core’s development.
To discuss how that youth might fit around LeBron, I welcomed Sam Vecenie (The Athletic, “Game Theory”) onto today’s Locked on Lakers.
We start by discussing this strategy in general not just with the Lakers, but across the league’s smarter organizations.