The Celtics have plenty to sort through after their own offseason shake-up, but at least they can look across the league and see a rival in even murkier shape.
The Los Angeles Lakers have made some significant changes, yet the overall picture still looks cramped. Losing LeBron James was a massive blow, even if he is no longer at his peak. Replacing a player like that is never simple, and the Lakers’ biggest moves this offseason only underline how narrow their margin for error has become.
Their key additions were bringing back Austin Reaves and committing good money to Walker Kessler. Neither move is a disaster.
The issue is where those players sit on the depth chart. With Luka Doncic now the centerpiece, Reaves and Kessler are being asked to function as the second- and third-best players on a team that wants to contend.
That raises a real question: is Reaves good enough to be a title contender’s second option? Is Kessler good enough to be the third?
There just does not seem to be much evidence for that.
That matters even more because Doncic is in his prime and needs the right structure around him. The Lakers have tied up a lot of money in Reaves and Kessler, but the roster still does not look like one built to chase a championship. On top of that, the Kessler trade left them without draft assets, and their cap flexibility is drying up fast.
By contrast, Boston’s situation may be messy, but it is not hopeless. The Celtics have questions now and more waiting down the road, but they still have room to improve later. The Lakers do not have that same cushion.
And yet, there is always the Lakers factor.
Time and again, when the franchise has looked stuck, something seems to break its way. Pau Gasol arrived after Kobe Bryant wanted out in 2007.
When the Kobe era started to fade, the Lakers landed Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. That did not end well, but at the time it looked like the kind of move that could save them.
Later, when the team felt adrift again, LeBron James showed up, followed by Anthony Davis. Even after that stretch turned bleak, they somehow ended up with Luka Doncic in what has been called one of the worst NBA trades ever.
So while the Lakers’ current roster construction does not scream contender, history says they have a way of stumbling into another lifeline. No one can say how it happens, only that it keeps happening.
For now, though, Boston can at least take some comfort in this: whatever its own long-term questions are, Los Angeles looks to be in a worse place.
In Other News...
Celtics Fans Just Got The Dillon Mitchell Sign They Were Hoping For
The Celtics kept rolling in Las Vegas, moving to 2-0 at NBA Summer League with a win over the Hornets, and Dillon Mitchell was at the center of it. Bostons No. 40 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft led the way with 24 points, while also piling up eight rebounds, six steals and two blocks in a performance that gave the team plenty to like on both ends.
Mitchells value for Boston has always been tied to his energy and versatility, but this was a more complete showing than the one he put together in college. He attacked the glass, created turnovers and looked far more comfortable as a scorer, the kind of all-around line that can make a front office take notice even in the middle of summer league. The bigger question now is whether this was a one-night flash or the first real sign that he can carry that growth into the next stage. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Made A Franchise Shaking Bet Fans Will Debate
The Celtics have taken a swing that will reshape the roster and the conversation around it, adding Paul George and future draft picks in a move that signals a willingness to chase a different kind of ceiling. According to the teams official release, the deal comes with multiple future selections and conditions attached, the sort of fine print that can matter just as much as the headline in a trade this large.
George arrives with plenty of name value, but also with real questions after two seasons in Philadelphia that were defined by injuries and uneven production. Boston is betting that the version of George it gets now can still tilt a playoff race, while the draft compensation gives the front office some insulation if the fit is not as seamless as the price tag suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Walsh Knows What Could Keep Him Off The Floor Late
Jordan Walsh spent last season carving out a real place in Bostons rotation, getting into 68 games and showing why the Celtics value his defensive versatility. He also flashed enough on offense to make this summer feel important, because the next step for a young wing on a contender is rarely about effort or activity. It is about becoming someone the coaching staff can trust when the game tightens and possessions get harder to find.
Walsh said during Summer League that his focus is on becoming a better scorer and playmaker, with the goal of giving himself more ways to stay on the floor late. He knows the margin is thin for wings in Boston, especially with the roster shifting around him, and he has pointed to the need to improve his shot, handle and ability to create his own offense in small pockets. The opportunity is there for him to grow into a bigger role, but so is the pressure to prove he can be more than a specialist when the Celtics need a bucket. [Read more 🡒]