The Los Angeles Lakers took over the NBA free agency period on Wednesday, signing FOUR players to help their rotation. They spend over $250 million in just a few hours. Here are some grades on all of their signings.
Collin Sexton was the surprise signing of the bunch, coming out of nowhere after the other deals had been agreed to. He will be their scoring punch off the bench, giving them something they really needed through the playoffs. Guard depth on a team with Luka Doncic is extremely valuable as well, with his history of missing time.
Grade: B+
Sandro Mamukelashvili is the home run pickup of the day for the Lakers. Yes, it was expected, but it is a fantastic fit. The contract is a bit pricey, but they had to pay up to get him. This is the Rui Hachimura replacement, as he will now move on to another NBA team. Mamukelashvili will be set up for a career year next to Doncic in LA.
Grade: A-
Quentin Grimes is an extremely overhyped signing, and the price doesn’t help that at all. He has a weird fit in LA, especially after the Sexton signing. It would’ve been better to use this money on another wing rotational player and still get Sexton later.
Grade: C-
Walker Kessler is the big signing that Doncic was begging for from the center position. They had to give up a ton to get him (multiple unprotected firsts + more draft capital), but they were heavily pushed by their superstar. It was probably an overpay, so it can’t get an A grade, but it’s a great pickup for the Lakers and Doncic.
Grade: B
The Lakers moved on from LeBron James and immediately added a ton of depth to their roster. This will be the best Lakers team in quite a few years. Certainly one to watch as the NBA season kicks off.
One more Lakers note: What happens with Bronny James after his father left the organization?
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