The Lakers may not be done after their latest wave of roster work. Even with Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton now in the mix, Los Angeles still has at least one open spot, and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin says the team views the back end of the roster as “critical” for next season.
That alone keeps the door open on more movement. If the Lakers finish additional trades, the number of available spots could climb, and free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga remains tied to the team in the rumor mill.
In Charlotte, president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson wasn’t ready to speak directly about the club’s still-unfinished trades involving LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. But he did make the franchise’s direction plain in comments to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“The goal has never been to get to the playoffs one time and be out for seven, eight years and try to get back,” Peterson said. “We’re not going to take shortcuts. We are going to be methodical.”
That message lands after the Hornets won 28 of their final 38 games last season before making major changes this summer. Peterson’s stance points to a team trying to build something sustainable rather than chasing a quick playoff fix.
Over in Atlanta, the Hawks are bringing a familiar NBA name into their front office. Longtime ESPN reporter Tim Bontemps has accepted a role as a strategic adviser and will report directly to president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh, according to Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Bontemps spent eight years covering the league for ESPN after earlier stops at the New York Post and Washington Post. His move puts him in a growing group of media figures who have transitioned into front-office jobs, alongside John Hollinger, Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Royce Young.
In Other News...
Jeff Peterson Just Framed The Hornets Reset Fans Have Waited For
Jeff Peterson spent the offseason making the kind of moves that usually signal a front office has picked a direction, and in Charlottes case the direction is finally hard to miss. The Hornets have turned over major pieces, added future draft capital, and brought in veterans who fit a different timeline, while also using the draft to keep layering in young talent. It is a reset built more around flexibility and patience than trying to patch last seasons problems with another quick fix.
Petersons comments made the bigger picture even clearer for Hornets fans who have been waiting for a coherent plan. Charlotte is no longer pretending the next step has to be immediate, and the roster now looks like one that can be shaped around its younger core and the players the front office believes can grow with it. The unresolved part, of course, is how far the team is willing to lean into that long-term approach before the wins have to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Coby White Just Took On The Hornets Role That Changes Everything
Coby White is set to slide into a much bigger spotlight in Charlotte after arriving from Chicago on a three-year, $74 million deal this offseason. For a Hornets team that has spent the summer reshaping its roster, Whites move gives the backcourt a new direction and puts him in position to be one of the central figures in whatever comes next.
The Hornets have been busy reworking the lineup around a fresh mix of talent and draft capital, and Whites role is part of that larger reset. With Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel among the pieces expected to matter right away, Charlotte is clearly trying to build a different kind of foundation, and Whites fit at point guard will be one of the first things to watch when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]