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For the second consecutive preseason media availability, Rob Pelinka was limited with what he could say about a pending Lakers’ ownership change.

Last year, it was the $10 billion sale of the Lakers from the Buss family to Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter. 

This summer, it was the historic $12.5 billion sale from Walter to businessman Josh Kushner and ex-Disney executive Bob Iger.

With the sale not official yet, the Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager didn’t say too much about the sale, citing league rules.

But he’s been encouraged by the initial impressions of Kushner and Iger. 

“We have had introductory meetings with Bob and Josh, and those have been excellent,” Pelinka said Thursday during his preseason media availability alongside coach JJ Redick. “With a pending transaction, we’re not at liberty to talk more about that under league rules. But we’ve had preliminary discussions with them that have been really, really positive.” 

Even with the sale pending, and the Buss family drama surrounding their potential sale still looming, Pelinka noted nothing has tangibly changed in terms of the franchise’s day-to-day operations. 

“We’re operating with Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said. “We’re continuing to build out a world-class front office. Proud of the people we’ve added, incredibly proud of the energy we’ve had upstairs. We’re super excited about the people upstairs, the coaching staff, the support staff, the roster. Nothing’s changed day-to-day.”

Among the people the Lakers added to their front office were two assistant general managers: Eric Amsler (player personnel) and Rohan Ramadas (cap, analytics and data).

The additions of Amsler and Ramadas were among the 15-plus front office hires the Lakers made over the last few months, Pelinka added. 

“Super appreciative of the support from Jeanie [Buss] and ownership to build out,” Pelinka said. “Really built out our strategy and analytics department, have hired two assistant general managers. Have more to do, and we’re actually continuing to do that. And then in terms of player services, as JJ said, we’ve really rebuilt our player experience and player development arm. With that comes new equipment, new recovery and modalities. We’ve worked with our training department to do that.”

When asked what other additions the Lakers were looking to make, Pelinka mentioned wanting to make more hires to support Amsler’s side of the front office.

Amsler will focus on the “player draft and evaluation processes,” which will include pro scouting, draft scouting and player development. 

He spent 22 years in the Heat organization, most recently serving as the vice president of player personnel before the Lakers hired him.

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“You guys saw we hired Eric Amsler, who was with two decades with the Heat to kind of see over our player personnel, our draft scouting, our G League scouting and NBA scouting – we’re gonna be adding more scouts in those departments,” Pelinka said. “That’s just one example of a sort of a vertical that we’ll continue to build. And there are others, too. But it’s been a really robust last two months. The players are already seeing the differences. And we’ll continue, like I said, to set the gold standard with the people we have upstairs.”

It’s clear there’s a lot more to come when it comes to building out the Lakers’ infrastructure.

What isn’t clear amidst the ownership change is how involved the Dodgers will be in those changes to come. 

Dodgers executives Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi took on special advisory roles with the Lakers last fall following Walter’s purchase of the franchise.

Their influence included being involved in the assistant general manager hiring process.

But with Walter’s ownership tenure coming to an end soon, it isn’t clear what roles Friedman and Zaidi will have with the Lakers future.

“We can’t really talk in this interim period,” Pelinka said. “There’s just a transaction that’s going on. I will say this, I’m super grateful for the opportunity to learn from incredible leaders like Andrew Friedman. And the reps and time and conversations we’ve had have been enriching for me. He does an incredible job. Good luck to the Dodgers in three-peating. So, we’ll see.”

The Los Angeles Lakers are about to embark on a new era of basketball, as they are set to endure a full season without LeBron James as a member of the roster for the first time in eight years.

During Thursday’s media availability, Lakers head coach JJ Reddick might’ve accidentally taken a shot at James when he told reporters that he believes this year’s “group is probably the first time in my three years that I feel like the pieces actually fit together.”

It’s unknown if Reddick was actually taking a shot at James or not, but what is true is this year’s roster was constructed around creating role players to play alongside Luka Doncic, whereas in the past it was constructed to fit around James.

“There is a very clear ask for you to be able to play. And if you don’t do those things, then you’re not gonna play,” Reddick said. “That’s just the reality.”

Reddick went on to say that he’s already spoken with players on the roster about his vision for the team, and the reception has been positive.

In July, the Lakers were informed by James that he would be departing from the team — to which he would later go and sign a veteran minimum, two-year $7.95 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Team President of basketball operations and general manager, Rob Pelinka, started to clean house by getting rid of veterans like Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, and Luke Kennard.

As he began the reconstruction process, Austin Reaves was handed out a max contract extension. They then went and acquired Walker Kessler through a sign-and-trade-deal with the Utah Jazz.

With a key building block put together, the team went and added Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton to help with offense, while Matisse Thybulle and Ziarie Williams were brought in to help the defense.

“We have high confidence in these guys that they’re going to buy into that, “Reddick said. “It’s going to create naturally healthy competition, and everybody at some point will inevitably get a chance to impact our team and impact winning.”

An 11-time NBA All-Star and one of the league’s greatest scorers and rebounders in its history has died. 

Bob Pettit, the first NBA MVP winner, died at the age of 93, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Thursday.

Pettit spent 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Hawks organization, first in Milwaukee and then in St. Louis. 

He helped lead the Hawks to four NBA Finals appearances and a league title in 1958 when his team toppled the Celtics. Pettit scored what was a playoff record at the time 50 points in Game 6 of that series. 

Pettit took home the first-ever NBA MVP award during the 1955-56 season and then won it again during the 1958-59 season, both of which led the NBA in scoring with average points of 25.7 and 29.2, respectively.

He also won Rookie of the Year in Pettit’s first NBA season, averaging 20.8 points per game. 

“The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame mourns the passing of Bob Pettit, a sleek, skilled big man who revolutionized the forward position during his career,” the Hall of Fame said posted on X. “The 11-time NBA All-Star and 2-time MVP retired as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and left an enduring legacy. He led the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship over the Boston Celtics. The Basketball Hall of Fame salutes this true giant of the game.”

Pettit was named the All-Star Game MVP on four occasions, a feat only Kobe Bryant has been able to match. 

He also starred in college for the LSU Tigers and helped the program reach its first NCAA Final Four in 1953. 

Pettit averaged 17 rebounds and an NCAA-leading 31.4 points per game during his senior season at LSU.

The news conference Thursday began with Lakers president of operations Rob Pelinka saying he wanted to “express gratitude” to LeBron James for the eight years he spent playing for Los Angeles before departing to Philadelphia as a free agent over the summer.

It didn’t take long for Pelinka to pivot into Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and how they are now the leaders of the Lakers with James gone.

James informed the Lakers on June 30 that he had plans to play elsewhere, and thus began a new chapter for the Lakers. James, who signed with the 76ers, won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020. He led the Lakers to the Western Conference second round of the 2026 playoffs.

Over the course of his 23-year NBA career, James’ longest tenure had been with the Lakers.

And for that, Pelinka was thankful.

“I think before we get into the questions, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve last seen you guys. I thought it would be appropriate at the front to express gratitude for the LeBron era here,” Pelinka said. “Clearly, new team and new players, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today. But we as an organization are still grateful for the run that we had with him here. The Lakers have become — as they should — a perennial playoff team — won a championship, went to the Western Conference finals. It was a great era, and we’re grateful for it. I think it’s important to say that at the onset as we turn into a new chapter.”

Read more:Beloved Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter dies at 76

Pelinka said he collaborated with Lakers coach JJ Redick to build a team around Doncic, using a three-pronged approach.

They wanted to re-sign Reaves, which the Lakers did at four years and $180 million, the largest contract ever for an undrafted player in NBA history.

They wanted to acquire a top-notch center, which the Lakers did by getting Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade deal. The Lakers sent two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Jazz for Kessler and then signed him to a four-year, $130-million contract.

They wanted to add quality depth, which the Lakers did by getting Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney.

Pelinka said this was the “thesis” on how they wanted to build the Lakers for the 2026-27 season.

“And there were three fundamental pillars of what we wanted to accomplish in the offseason: We wanted to retain Austin Reaves. That was a really big thing for us,” Pelinka said. “We wanted to find a way to acquire a franchise center and then we wanted to develop a roster of JJ Redick dribble-pass-shoot players that were younger and add depth to our roster. That was sort of our three-prong thesis basketball-wise for the offseason, and we felt like we accomplished all those things.

“Re-signing Austin, putting together a trade to acquire Walker Kessler, and then building out our team with young players that could dribble-pass-shoot, and have brought the average age of our roster to around 26 or 27, which lines up so perfectly with building a team around Luka Doncic. That’s what we’re here to talk about today, is our offseason and the excitement heading into this year.”

Pelinka, who held the news conference with Redick by his side, was asked about the new Lakers ownership group of Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner, who purchased the franchise for a record $12.5 billion from Dodgers owner and Guggenheim Partners’ Mark Walter, who owned the Lakers for about a year. The deal hasn’t been finalized but is expected to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors.

“We have had introductory meetings with Bob and Josh, and those have been excellent,” Pelinka said. “With a pending transaction, we’re not at liberty to talk more about that under league rules. But we’ve had preliminary discussions with them that have been really, really positive. In terms of day-to-day, nothing’s changed. We’re operating with Lakers excellence.”

The biggest change is James not being with the Lakers.

After the Lakers were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in May, James expressed interest in re-signing with the team.

Pelinka even said the Lakers wanted James to retire with the franchise.

But that didn’t happen.

“Again, we’re grateful for the LeBron era,” Pelinka said. “I think the communications with him this offseason were held diplomatically, professionally and honestly. I’m so thankful for the partnership that we had that continued up until this summer when a decision was made for him to play for another team. It was done amicably, professionally, gracefully. We looked at the whole thing with gratitude, because it’s been an incredible era for us here.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

When it comes to the Lakers, only one thing matters. 

Are they championship contenders?

That’s what happens when you’re a 17-time championship organization. That’s what happens when guys named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant have worn your jersey. It’s title or bust. It’s Larry O’Brien or 911. 

So, when Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka learned that LeBron James was leaving after eight seasons in free agency, he had three goals. 

He wanted to re-sign Austin Reaves. He wanted a franchise center. And he wanted to fill out the roster with young guys who could dribble, pass and shoot.

And? 

“We felt like we accomplished all those things,” Rob Pelinka said Thursday in his first availability since last season ended. 

That begs one question. 

So, does he believe they’re real championship contenders?

Then came some humming and hawing. A bit of honesty, A tacit acknowledgement that as of now, the Lakers are still nipping at the heels of the West’s juggernauts, ie, the Spurs and Thunder. 

“As [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] pointed out, there’s no off-season where you can check every single box you’re hoping to check,” Pelinka said. “But we felt like the major ones we did, and the work continues. But we feel like we’re on the path of being a really competitive championship-level team.”

Being on the path is far from the front door. 

But that’s when things got interesting. Redick had a different take. He spoke into microphone, unprompted. 

“I’m confident we’re going to develop as a team into a championship-level team this year,” Redick said.

In that moment, it seemed a bit far-fetched. It was the type of thing a coach has to say. You know, lip service, if you will. 

But then again, we’ve seen Pelinka’s almost radical belief in the Lakers before, laughed it off and then realized we chuckled too soon. 

Remember when the Lakers lost their two leading scorers in Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to injuries against the Thunder on April 2? They were kapuut. Done. Obituaries were being penned in purple and gold ink. 

But Redick said the Lakers wouldn’t drop the rope. He pulled players aside to try to convince them to believe. Heck, he had to convince his own coaching staff. 

Then the Lakers pulled off the improbable. 

Missing their two stars, the 41-year-old LeBron James put the Lakers on his arthritic shoulders and led them past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. Nearly everyone who got playing time made monster contributions, including Luke Kennard ephemerally transforming into a star and Marcus Smart channeling his prime. 

So, maybe Redick’s words aren’t so outlandish after all. 

The Lakers lack perimeter defense. They made a huge gamble on Kessler, who needs to jump from being an elite rebounder and rim protector into a defensive beast for them to have a shot. They need time for their revamped roster to gel. 

And in the West, there’s no margin for error. 

Not when the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama has spent all summer lamenting blowing double-digit leads in his first Finals appearance last June. Not when reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has stewed for months about being sent home in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. 

Pelinka teed up Redick. He completely revamped the roster around Dončić. He rolled the dice and took risks and put himself on the line for this to work. 

The guys have bought in. 

Dončić hosted a mini-camp in Slovenia to build chemistry. Kessler claimed he’d run through a wall for the Lakers after they essentially mortgaged their future for him by giving up all their assets. Reaves apparently is already showing leadership qualities. 

The building blocks are there. 

But it seems improbable that the Lakers could really compete this season. 

Right?

There’s something about Redick’s confidence that gives you pause. There was something about him speaking in that moment when he didn’t need to that resonated. 

He knows the deck is stacked against him. The Lakers are likely a few tweaks away from being great. 

But then again, did anyone think the Knicks were going to win their first championship in 53 years last season? Did anyone have that on their bingo card?

Projections can be wrong. 

And Redick believes this roster has what it takes to go all the way, even if it doesn’t look that way. 

“The games are not played on paper,” Redick said.

Bob Pettit, the first man to receive the NBA's MVP (most valuable player) award, has died aged 93.

Pettit won the award twice, in its first year in 1955-56 and again in 1958-59, when he topped the scoring charts in both seasons.

The Basketball Hall of Fame confirmed Pettit's death, describing him as "a true giant of the game" and "a sleek, skilled big man who revolutionised the forward position during his career."

He was also named an NBA All-Star in all 11 of his seasons and was the first player to reach 20,000 points.

"He raised the bar for excellence as the league's first MVP, first 20,000-point scorer and first four-time All-Star Game MVP," said the NBA.

Having starred for Louisiana State University (LSU), Pettit was signed by Milwaukee Hawks in the draft in 1954.

The team then moved to St Louis, and Pettit stayed with them for the rest of his career which included winning the NBA title in 1958 with victory over the Boston Celtics.

He reached two more finals with the Hawks in 1960 and 1961, and retired in 1965 with a career average of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game.

Pettit was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 and had his number 50 jersey retired at LSU in 1954. He was the first of their athletes to ever receive the honor.

LSU paid tribute to Pettit on their website, saying: "Pettit defined what the modern power forward should be in the NBA and set standards that have been hard to duplicate in professional basketball."

No cause of death was given.

The Spurs got to the Finals last season mostly on the strength of their core players. It’s typically how things go for contenders, since they are not expected to field a deep rotation as the playoff rounds go on. The strange thing is that the reigning Sixth Man of the Year was one of the guys who just couldn’t contribute as much as he was counted on to when on the floor.

Keldon Johnson played under 20 minutes in both the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, and the Spurs were better with him off the floor against Oklahoma City while doing better with him playing in a much smaller role than he had in the regular season in the Finals. Something just wasn’t right for the longest-tenured Spur, and the timing of the struggles couldn’t have been worse.

Johnson is eligible for an extension but has not received one yet. It feels unlikely one is in the cards, but that was probably the case no matter what, as the Spurs deal with potentially getting past the tax line next season and need all the flexibility they can muster. Still, having a breakout year in a new role made Johnson seem like a core piece instead of a likely future casualty to the cap. The postseason issues, along with other developments, might have changed that equation.

The first thing to clarify is that Johnson didn’t do anything differently on offense in the playoffs. His shot chart is almost identical to the one he had in the regular season; his rebounding was good; he shot about the same from beyond the arc. His main problem came when he attacked the rim. He was atrocious from the restricted area, shooting a paltry 46 percent, a gigantic gap from the very solid 65 percent he shot in the regular season. The simple explanation is that he faced better rim protectors, and what worked against lesser competition didn’t work against top teams.

The tape is kinder to Johnson. Watching his forays to the rim, it’s clear that he couldn’t find the right touch, but he still used his body to try to create separation and some good looks, by his standards. A few of those shots just rimmed out. The problem for Johnson is that if he’s not having success attacking the rim, there’s nothing special about his game. He’s a good but not exceptional rebounder. He tries on defense but will never be a major plus on that end. The three-pointer averages out to being solid, but it’s anything but consistent, with some looks hitting nothing but net and others the side of the backboard. When the battering ram aspect of his game is missing, he loses his best trait.

Luckily for the Spurs (and probably bad for Johnson), Dylan Harper took over as the rim pressure provider off the rim. The rookie took 233 shots in the postseason, and 115 of them came in the restricted area, where he converted at a 66 percent clip. It was a breakout performance for Harper, who looked ready for a bigger role next season. Positionally, he doesn’t overlap with Johnson, but his driving ability, along with the other guards’, could move Keldon to even more of an off-ball role, as Harper likely becomes the new sixth man.

It could all work out for the best for Johnson and the Spurs. He shot 40 percent on threes in his third year in the league on good volume, so he could take advantage of the looks the guards create for him and get close to that number again. He’s also much better at attacking when he catches on the move than from a standstill, so he could turn kick-out passes into drives to maintain his threes-and-shots-at-the-rim-only diet. His role might get smaller, but he could become more efficient. Johnson has proved to be adaptable in the past, after all.

The question is, if his role does shrink, how good would he need to be both in the regular season and the playoffs to become a priority next offseason? Especially considering San Antonio has Julian Champagnie, Tobias Harris, and Carter Bryant in the books to compete with him for minutes now, and those three will be in the books next season, while Johnson’s contract expires after this one. His leadership gives him an edge over the others, at least in the locker room, but the money already committed to players could force Keldon to either take a smaller deal or leave the franchise that drafted him.

The 2026/27 season hasn’t even started yet, so it might seem premature to think about the free agency that comes after it, but with the current cap rules, it’s hard not to look ahead. Still, more important than figuring out how Johnson fits on the books in the future is determining what role he plays while he’s still under contract. The abundance of wings, the emergence of Harper as a potentially elite bench piece that would move Johnson down on the pecking order, and how well Johnson once again adjusts could impact his place in the rotation and, eventually, in the team’s plans going forward.

Looking at next year, Johnson could either be a key piece off the bench who thrives next to guards who push the pace and draw the attention of the defense or a bit player if Harris’ more well-rounded offensive game and Bryant’s defense and athleticism endear them more to the coaching staff. Either scenario seems just as likely. And even if Johnson plays well in the regular season, he’ll need to prove he can also get it done in the playoffs, or retaining him on anything but a very team-friendly deal would be hard to justify.

The contending Spurs have not faced many tough decisions yet. What happens with Johnson, a fan favorite and the team’s emotional leader, both this season and after it, could make the ugly aspects of trying to build a championship team finally become clear.

There was a point this summer when keeping track of the Celtics roster started to require an unreasonable amount of concentration.

Jaylen Brown is in Philadelphia. Paul George and Mitchell Robinson are in Boston. Mike Conley is somehow beginning Year 20 in a Celtics uniform. Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell joined through the draft, while Brad Stevens spent part of July locking up several young players already in the system.

Boston will also enter camp with one standard roster spot and one two-way spot unclaimed. For the five guys coming in on Exhibit 10 deals, there are actual chairs left when the offseason music stops.

So, before Media Day next week, let’s sort through who’s here and what any of them are actually competing for.

The sure things

• Jayson Tatum
• Derrick White
• Paul George
• Payton Pritchard
• Sam Hauser
• Neemias Queta
• Mitchell Robinson

Joe Mazzulla can probably write these seven names in pen.

On nights when they’re healthy, Tatum, White and George are locks to start. Queta should have the inside track at center after earning a new deal this summer. Robinson gives Boston a second real center and, more importantly, an offensive rebounder who can turn a missed shot into another possession by himself.

The fifth starter is less obvious.

Pritchard started plenty last season, but his scoring and sparkplugability (am I the first to use this word?) also make him valuable as a sixth man. Hauser has started alongside Boston’s core plenty of times before, and several younger wings will have a chance to make their case, too.

To me, it feels like Hauser probably has the most fragile grip on “sure thing” status here. The shooting will keep him around, but if González or Walsh gives Boston enough offense alongside better defensive versatility, or Scheierman starts bringing comparable shooting with more creation, his minutes could get squeezed pretty quickly.

George is the sure thing with the biggest asterisk. He won’t be expected to replicate Brown’s game despite being the return in the trade for him (plus picks), and at 36, Boston probably doesn’t want him trying. What the Celtics need is a healthy secondary creator who can shoot, defend and take some pressure off Tatum.

The center rotation should be deeper, too. Queta brings continuity, rebounding and steadily improving offensive skill. Robinson adds elite offensive rebounding, rim protection and a level of interior physicality Boston hasn’t consistently had in years.

The first seven names are easy. Figuring out who gets minutes eight through ten? Not so easy.

The young guys ready to fly

• Hugo González
• Baylor Scheierman
• Jordan Walsh
• Ron Harper Jr.
• Chris Cenac Jr.

There probably aren’t five rotation spots available here. There might only be two come playoff time. Which makes this less about whether Boston’s young players are ready and more about which of them makes it hardest for Mazzulla to keep him on the bench.

González has an obvious path to minutes. His defense, size, physicality and motor already made him useful as a rookie. The question is whether his offense improves enough to keep him on the floor for longer stretches.

Scheierman probably enters camp with the clearest offensive case. His shooting is already an NBA skill, and he showed more last season as a rebounder and quick decision-maker.

Walsh remains one of the more intriguing players on the roster. The tools have always made sense: long, athletic, switchable and capable of guarding several positions. Boston’s decision to extend him suggests the organization still believes there’s another level there.

Harper also turned his opportunity into a multi-year deal after working his way up from Maine.

Then there’s Cenac, who probably has the widest range of possible outcomes this season. He’s 19, 6-foot-11 and loaded with developmental upside. He may spend plenty of time in Maine, but if he develops faster than expected, Mazzulla suddenly has a long, mobile big who can do things Queta, Robinson and Garza simply aren’t built to do.

Boston doesn’t need all five of these guys to break through. If even two become dependable rotation players, the roster starts to look significantly deeper.

The break-glass-in-case-of-emergency crew

• Mike Conley
• Luka Garza

Conley probably isn’t here to play 20 minutes a night.

At 38, a lot of Conley’s value may come from everything that happens before he ever checks into a game. Boston lost a lot of veteran presence over the last two offseasons, and Conley gives Mazzulla someone he can trust to organize an offense when injuries, rest nights or foul trouble create a need.

Garza fills a similar role up front.

Queta and Robinson should absorb most of the center minutes, but Garza gives Boston a proven third option who can screen, move the ball and stretch the floor in ways the other two don’t.

If Conley and Garza spend most nights watching from the sideline, Boston will probably consider that good news.

The development group

• Amari Williams, two-way
• Dillon Mitchell, two-way

If you’re wondering how much Williams and Mitchell will play in Boston this year, you may be asking the wrong question. Their more important minutes are probably going to come about two hours north in Portland, Maine.

Williams returns on a two-way deal after spending his rookie year bouncing between Boston and the G League.

Mitchell arrives as the No. 40 pick, bringing explosive athleticism and defensive potential at 6-foot-8. His immediate challenge is developing enough offensively to turn those tools into a long-term NBA role.

A quiet year in Boston wouldn’t necessarily be a bad year for either of them. This season will likely involve substantial time in Maine with occasional NBA opportunities mixed in.

Boston knows this path can work. Queta originally arrived on a two-way, and Harper played his way from Maine into a multi-year NBA contract. Williams and Mitchell get the next crack at it.

The guys fighting to stay

• Devin Carter
• Milos Uzan
• Tucker DeVries
• Hayden Gray
• Gabe McGlothan

Boston has two open seats and five guys trying not to be the ones standing when camp ends.

Carter is the biggest name. The former No. 13 pick and Big East Player of the Year hasn’t yet found his footing in the NBA, but Boston gives him a fresh opportunity to compete for either opening. A former lottery pick fighting an undrafted rookie for the same two-way contract is exactly the kind of weird little subplot we love during preseason basketball.

Uzan and DeVries both arrived on Exhibit 10 deals after going undrafted, while Gray and McGlothan round out the camp group.

McGlothan is particularly notable because Maine already acquired his G League rights, making the potential path easy to see: compete for a spot in Boston, then continue developing in Maine if one doesn’t materialize.

For the sure things, preseason basketball is mostly an elaborate way to get sweaty. For this group, it can determine where they live come November.

What’s actually left to figure out?

Most of Boston’s roster questions aren’t really roster questions anymore. They’re pecking-order questions.

Nobody is walking into camp wondering whether Tatum, White or George has a job. The uncertainty lives farther down the depth chart.

Paul George is extension-eligible, while Payton Pritchard becomes eligible on Oct. 1. Boston also still has the $27.7 million trade exception created in the Anfernee Simons deal. Keith Smith has the Celtics sitting $1.7 million below the luxury tax and $10.3 million below the first-apron hard cap.

Brad Stevens has spent two summers getting Boston out of second-apron hell and back into something resembling financial flexibility. The books finally look calmer. Joe’s problem now is figuring out which version of this roster actually works.

We know who the Celtics are bringing to camp. Now we get to find out which of them Joe actually trusts.

While the Los Angeles Lakers added a bevy of guards and wings this offseason, they’ll certainly be hard-pressed to replace Marcus Smart, whose defense and playmaking on both ends of the floor were integral to their success last year.

Smart agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Houston Rockets during free agency. Varun Shankar of the Houston Chroniclerecently spoke with Smart about that decision, which Smart said, among other factors, was influenced by plenty of friends and family being in Houston, just four hours south of his hometown in Flower Mound, Texas.

More than that, however, Smart described the Lakers’ offer — which was larger than Houston’s (Smart declined to specify the terms) — as “disrespectful.”

“First off, I played so well that the offer that was ultimately given didn’t match the way that I played,” Smart told Shankar, “especially when you see guys who played way worse than I did, the offers they’re getting. And then it wasn’t any security that we wanted that they were willing to do.”

Shankar also reported, “Smart always had a feeling that when he got deeper into his career, he’d try and come home.” A sentiment like that, plus Smart’s belief the contract presented was “disrespectful”, suggests Los Angeles’ offer would’ve had to be substantially higher to retain the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year.

Smart played very well for the Lakers last season and it’s absolutely possible they’ll regret not being able (or willing, at a certain cost) to re-sign him. They’ll hope that doesn’t prove true, with Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton likely expected to fill Smart’s void in 2026-27.

Each is a different type of player than Smart but Grimes will be relied upon to replace some of his perimeter defense while the hope is that Sexton can bring juice offensively as a reserve, just as Smart did with his passing/driving.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.