Andy Kamenetzky here, the host of the daily Locked On Lakers podcast, with your daily Locked On Lakers newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Lakers and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Report: Lakers Decline 3rd Year Option on Jalen Hood-Schifino. Are They Prepping for a Trade?
The Lakers reportedly won’t pick up the third year option on last season’s #1 draft pick, Jalen Hood-Schifino. This is, unquestionably, an unusual move. Teams will sometimes choose not to pick up fourth-year options, but a third year? It’s definitely the exception to the rule. So why are the Lakers going in this direction? First and foremost, it seems to be about roster flexibility. Perhaps over the summer, where not having $4 mil or so guaranteed for JHS makes it significantly easier for the Lakers to shed enough salary to use their full mid-level exception. Likely, the Lakers are thinking about this season, and the ability to move JHS as part of a trade. Clearly they’re calculating that dangling him on an expiring contract will have more value than the opportunity for a team to take a chance on his talent.
That, to say the least, is not a ringing endorsement of JHS’s development, but is it also a commentary on the state of the roster more broadly? If the Lakers thought they had appealing pieces to package, would they do this? If Gabe Vincent had appeal? Or Max Christie? Certainly they’re familiar with the (lack of) market for D’Angelo Russell. Jarred Vanderbilt hasn’t played in a while. And so on.
And what does this mean about the team’s recent track record in drafting? Or the grand plans around player development?
It’s an interesting move for the Lakers to say the least, but one that raises some red flags.
Three Questions...
1. How do the Lakers respond tonight in Toronto, following their worst game of the young season?
2. At what point does the bench kick in and contribute?
3. What needs could the Lakers realistically fill with a trade?
As someone who just celebrated a birthday — a milestone birthday — I’ll admit that aging has been on my mind. Its privileges, its gifts, its expectations and assumptions (especially for women), aging can feel overwhelming, particularly wrought, even if you’ve made relative peace through the years with it.
Much of my writing is concerned with the nuances around basketball and its athletes, particularly the elements that underscore them as people. Strange to call “humanity” a nuance, but that can be the flattening of pro sports. Athletes aging is something larger fandom is pretty bad at processing, to the point where, in the NBA, anyone over 28 is considered long in the tooth and anyone over 35, ancient. The churn of the Draft, with its college phenoms and untapped prospects, makes it so we have a continually replenishing assembly line of young athletes ready to oust the old, often in a way that we don’t actually witness. Very few NBA athletes announce their retirements or make their exits from the league public, they just sort of… vanish, and with them goes our public consciousness of them.
In his postgame presser on Wednesday night, after the Warriors had beat the Pelicans for the second time on a two day back-to-back, Draymond Green touched on aging. Well, not explicitly, but his lengthy answer when asked about his impactful defensive efforts throughout Golden State’s first five contests was telling. Namely, because he brought up two of the youngest centers in the league, Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Analysis The team has declined the third-year option on guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, making him an unrestricted free agent next season. But was it the right move for the team? (Last Word on Sports)
Odds The Lakers head up north to take on the Raptors. LeBron and the gang are 9-point favorites against Toronto. (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Must Watch Every NBA player knows about The Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. Pablo Torre needed to know more, so he sent two reporters out to stay at what’s dubbed OKC’s “most haunted hotel.”
Feel Good They’re all kids at heart. Check out how players from around the league celebrated Halloween. (ESPN)
Must Read Pure talent, or being good in the room? Inc. looks at how certain personality types are affecting roster decisions in the league.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Paolo Banchero Injured - The Fantasy Basketball Fallout
Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) defends Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the second half at United Center.|Photo by David Banks-Imagn Images
As we dive into the latest NBA action, the fantasy landscape is ever-changing, with injuries and unexpected performances shaping our strategies. The recent news of Paolo Banchero’s injury is a significant blow for both the Orlando Magic and fantasy managers. Banchero is set to miss four to six weeks due to a torn abdominal muscle, which means a reevaluation around mid-December. This absence leaves a gaping hole in the Magic’s lineup, and the question remains: who will step up?
Orlando Magic’s Lineup Dilemma
The obvious choice might be Jonathan Isaac, but his limited minutes due to health concerns make this uncertain. Isaac’s potential is undeniable, yet his ability to sustain a starting role is questionable. Mo Wagner has been suggested as a possible fill-in, but his experience at power forward is limited. The Magic might opt for a more unconventional approach, possibly pushing Franz Wagner to the four and utilizing a three-guard lineup with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black. Black, although not a high scorer, could contribute across various categories, making him a viable fantasy consideration.
The situation is fluid, and while Wendell Carter Jr. should be a priority add if available, the rest of the lineup remains a puzzle. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on the Magic’s rotations in the coming games to identify any emerging trends.
Click the button below to see who should be on your waiver radar, plus the fantasy impact of Desmond Bane’s injury for Memphis.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Lakers podcasts.
Report: Lakers Decline 3rd Year Option on Jalen Hood-Schifino. Are They Prepping for a Trade? The Lakers reportedly won’t pick up the third year option on last season’s #1 draft pick, Jalen Hood-Schifino. This is, unquestionably, an unusual move. Teams will sometimes choose not to pick up fourth-year options, but a third year? It doesn’t happen often. So why are the Lakers going in this direction?
The Lakers Look Horrible In Cleveland, Lose 134-110. Is Early Momentum Gone? Monday in Phoenix, the Lakers lost their first game of the season. Wednesday, they played their first horrible game of the season, losing to the Cavaliers in Cleveland 134-110. Everything about this game, from the flow of the offense to the work of the defense to the hustle and focus of the team overall was well below par.
Can a Homecoming Game Help LeBron Break a Slow (for Him) Start? Plus, Koloko Cleared, D’Lo Questionable For LeBron, can a homecoming game help him break out of what has been, by his lofty standards, a slow start to the season? Save a truly epic fourth quarter Saturday night against Sacramento, James has been (again, by his standards) pretty ordinary through four games.
