Jovan Buha welcomes Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Game Theory Podcast to preview the Los Angeles Lakers' plans for the 2024 NBA Draft.

Jovan and Sam discuss the passing of Jerry West, the Lakers’ plans at No. 17, the prospects Sam likes in that range, if LA will draft the best player available or for need/position, Zach Edey, Bronny James, LA potentially acquiring another second-round pick, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis entering Year 2, Max Christie’s free-agency market, Dan Hurley and more.

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:39 Rest in peace Jerry West
6:30 Lakers’ No. 17 pick in Sam’s latest mock
9:10 Will draft BPA or best fit/position?
15:17 Which other players make sense at No. 17?
19:05 Odds the Lakers trade the No. 17 pick?
23:23 Bronny James at No. 55?
27:56 What is Bronny’s ceiling in the draft?
29:50 Any buzz about LA acquiring another second-round pick?
33:46 Jalen Hood-Schifino entering Year 2
38:03 Maxwell Lewis entering Year 2
41:12 Max Christie’s restricted free agency and his market
51:36 Sam’s take on LA’s Dan Hurley pursuit
59:26 Check out Sam’s NBA Draft guide!
1:01:16 Outro

Jovan Buha breaks down Connecticut coach Dan Hurley rejecting the Lakers’ six-year, $70 million contract offer on Monday, June 10, 2024.

Jovan analyzes the timeline of events, why this never passed the smell test for me and many others, why this situation reflects poorly on LA, Hurley’s potential leverage play, all of the fallout from the Lakers’ Hurley pursuit, JJ Redick’s standing, his take on the contract offer for Hurley, what’s next and more.

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:28 Recapping the Hurley timeline
2:07 This situation never passed the smell test
4:06 How this reflects on the Lakers
7:31 The fallout from striking out on Hurley
13:10 The second botched coaching search?
16:11 There are more questions than answers currently
17:44 My take on the Lakers’ contract offer to Hurley
25:24 What’s next for LA?
28:02 Outro

Jovan Buha welcomes Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation to break down the Los Angeles Lakers' surprising pursuit of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley.

Jovan and Trevor discuss the stunning nature of Thursday’s news, the Lakers’ secrecy during the process, how Hurley could fare at the NBA, what this could signify from a roster-building perspective, why JJ Redick shouldn’t be counted out yet, LA’s biggest team priorities, the potential roster crunch, the reality of the new NBA and more.

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:34 LA’s stunning pursuit of Dan Hurley
4:41 Does this signify a shift toward player development?
9:46 How would Hurley fare at the NBA level?
16:19 What about JJ Redick?
19:48 Hurley vs. Redick
21:09 The secrecy element is fascinating
25:03 Ranking the biggest roster priorities for LA
31:05 The Lakers’ potential roster crunch
37:08 The ideal third frontcourt player
39:35 Using Dallas as a roster-building example
43:38 The realities of the new NBA
44:56 Outro

Jovan Buha looks at the Lakers’ current roster and depth chart to assess their five biggest roster priorities this offseason. He then breaks down LA’s needs on the wing, their hole in the backcourt if D’Angelo Russell leaves or is traded, their revolving door of subpar backup bigs, their potential 3-point shooting void, bench wildcards and more.

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:23 A look at the roster and depth chart
5:43 No. 1: 3-and-D wings
19:51 No. 2: DLo replacement
24:18 No. 3: Quality backup big
30:46 No. 4: 3-point shooting
35:10 No. 5: Bench scoring
39:15 Outro

The Los Angeles Lakers are "zeroing in" on JJ Redick as the "front-runner" for the franchise's next head coaching position, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Jovan Buha covers why this has been building for weeks, James Borrego's standing, the uncertainty with the assistant coaching staff and the next steps.

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Jovan Buha welcomes Anthony Irwin of Lakers Daily and the Lakers Lounge podcast to break down the Lakers’ coaching search and roster-building approach and answer a few mailbag questions.

Jovan and Anthony discuss the latest on the coaching front, JJ Redick, the assistant coaches the Lakers are looking at, the most likely roster-building path, why LA should go all-in this summer, Darvin Ham interviewing with Golden State, how LA can acquire a better second big, how to build around LeBron James in the frontcourt, Cam Johnson, wing and big free-agent options, and more.

If you'd like Jovan to answer your questions in a future mailbag, drop your question in the YouTube comments (or respond to him on X/Twitter when he tweets out he’s doing a mailbag).

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:37 Coaching search updates
6:15 Assistant coaching options
17:44 Most likely roster-building path for LA?
23:15 Why LA should go all-in with assets this summer
35:58 How would Darvin Ham fit with the Warriors?
41:22 Mailbag
41:28 Feasible ways to acquire a good big?
45:51 Will LA actually go all-in for LeBron and AD?
52:43 Best approach in building frontcourt around LeBron?
1:02:05 Is Cam Johnson a good target?
1:09:00 Wing and big free-agent options?
1:23:40 Outro

Jovan Buha answers your questions on the coaching search and offseason plans in the latest Buha's Block mailbag.

Jovan covers the Los Angeles Lakers’ most likely roster-building route this offseason, how strong the JJ Redick coaching rumblings are, how Mikal Bridges would fit, the best non-star targets for LA, the best role players around a hypothetical LeBron James/Anthony Davis/Trae Young core, the need for more frontcourt size and athleticism, if Zach Edey makes sense if the Lakers keep the No. 17 pick, if Kyrie Irving really was an option at the 2023 trade deadline, the Lakers’ future post-LeBron, and more.

If you'd like Jovan to answer your questions in a future mailbag, drop your question in the YouTube comments (or respond to him on X/Twitter when he tweets out he’s doing a mailbag).

If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing, rating and reviewing.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:43 What is the most likely route for the Lakers this offseason?
6:26 How strong are the JJ Redick rumblings?
8:08 Should LA go after Mikal Bridges?
11:58 Who are the best non-star targets?
18:40 Are the Lakers shopping Rui Hachimura?
20:42 What are the ideal player archetypes around Trae/LeBron/AD?
24:23 D’Angelo Russell’s future?
27:48 Is LA going to prioritize more frontcourt size and athleticism?
31:32 Should LA draft Zach Edey at No. 17 (if they keep the pick)?
33:54 Was Kyrie Irving really an option for the Lakers?
38:08 Is Zach LaVine at Klutch Pro Day a sign?
40:13 Do the Lakers have a bright future post-LeBron?
44:27 Outro

With the conference finals underway, here is one lesson for the Los Angeles Lakers from each finalist.

Jovan Buha covers the impact of Minnesota’s size and length (and especially their frontcourt), Dallas’ trade-deadline activity turning their season around and showing you can significantly improve without acquiring a star, Boston’s 3-point volume and one of the most decisive trends of the playoffs, Indian’s all-in trade for Pascal Siakam and the importance of finding a star that complements your roster, and more.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing, rating and reviewing.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:14 Minnesota Timberwolves
9:19 Dallas Mavericks
17:44 Boston Celtics
23:58 Indiana Pacers
29:16 Overarching lesson from all four teams
31:24 Outro