Happy Spooky Season! The NBA is officially back in October. Training camps have opened and the Lakers play their first preseason game this Sunday.
Let’s take a look back at last week’s biggest news:
Training Camp:
The Lakers officially opened training camp this week. Media day allowed fans to see their new big three together for the first time and get some insight into what the team will look like in the early parts of the season.
You can follow along with our entire coverage of media day and training camp by looking through the “News” section on our website. This includes both Anthony Davis and Frank Vogel confirming that the big man will play more center minutes this season and quotes from the players about COVID vaccinations as the Lakers aim to have everyone vaccinated by opening night.
He Said, She Said:
Elsewhere in the league, Dennis Schröder spoke to the media for the first time after taking the oft-discussed contract offer from the Boston Celtics. He claimed that the Lakers never formally gave him a contract offer but that he and his agent decided not to sign it, which sounds like two contradictory statements.
Kyle Goon of the OC Register with some clarity:
It wouldn't be the first time Dennis has contradicted himself in one sitting, but FWIW, intel from the team side is also that the talks didn't reach a formal stage. There was an understanding of what the terms could be, but Dennis didn't get far down the road discussing it. https://t.co/5uc0LXjts0
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) September 28, 2021
Lakers Roster Moves:
The Lakers finally signed another player to a guaranteed contract and it came as a bit of a shock. Undrafted rookie Austin Reaves had his two-way contract converted to a full deal, making him the 14th player on the roster and leaving the Lakers one more open spot that they will likely take into the season. Reaves’ promotion seems to have come on the heels of a minicamp organized by LeBron James in Las Vegas during which the rookie impressed everyone.
The Lakers also announced the signings of Cameron Oliver and Trevelin Queen to Exhibit 10 deals. They have an open two-way slot that seems to be up for grabs based on competitions during training camp.
Lame-Ish Duck:
Among other tidbits, the Athletic reported this week that Frank Vogel’s recently signed extension is for just one additional year, meaning he only has the next two seasons under contract. The Lakers clearly did not want him to enter the season in lame duck status but it’s worth questioning if the additional year really adds much comfort.
Klutch Gang:
Kendrick Nunn has signed Klutch as his new agency, joining LeBron, AD, and Talen Horton-Tucker as Lakers represented by Adele’s boyfriend Rich Paul and Co. The team lost a couple of Klutch clients this summer so they had to meet the quota one way.
What We Wrote This Week:
On Monday, Alex answered fan questions including minutes allocations beyond the big three.
On Tuesday, Donny wrote about Wayne Ellington and the rumors that he will be the starting shooting guard.
On Wednesday, Honi gave his three main takeaways from media day.
On Thursday, Donny looked at the numbers behind AD and the other bigs providing rim protection for their perimeter defenders.
