The Los Angeles Lakers had a plan. And after LeBron James told them he was out, they executed it fast. Real fast.
Walker Kessler via sign-and-trade. Sandro Mamukelashvili on a four-year deal. Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton both signed on opening day. The Lakers turned what looked like a disaster into one of the busiest first days of free agency the league has seen in years.
But Bill Simmons wasn’t having it. The longtime Boston Celtics fan and NBA analyst took to X to poke fun at the Lakers and the media narrative he expects to follow.
His first post was just a photo of the old Minneapolis Lakers — George Mikan and a few teammates — with zero context. Just the image. Letting it hang there.
Then he followed up with a sharper jab: “Which media member is gonna grab the ‘Amazing job by the Lakers to pivot so quickly with all of these splashy signings after LeBron stunned them yesterday by abruptly leaving the franchise’ corner? It’s sitting right there!”
The message was clear. Simmons isn’t buying the idea that the Lakers deserve a round of applause for their response to James leaving.
And honestly? The numbers are worth looking at. To land Kessler — one of the better young defensive centers in the league — the Lakers reportedly sent unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 to Utah, plus pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. That’s a lot of future capital for a team that just lost its best player.
Mamukelashvili gives them floor-spacing size up front. Grimes is a two-way guard who was one of the more sought-after names in free agency. Sexton adds scoring and playmaking off the bench. On paper, the Lakers got deeper around Luka Doncic, who is now unquestionably the face of the franchise.
But Simmons had a point buried in all that sarcasm. There was a narrative ready to write itself: the Lakers scrambled, spent big, and the media would call it a savvy pivot. He just got there first with the joke.
None of these moves were total surprises either. The Kessler rumors had been floating around for weeks. Grimes and Mamukelashvili were linked to LA well before the draft. The shock was James leaving — not the Lakers reacting.
Whether this all works is anyone’s guess. The Western Conference is still a minefield. The Lakers might have gotten better on paper, but they didn’t replace LeBron James. Nobody does. They just built a roster around Doncic that looks competent on opening night.
Simmons will be watching. Probably laughing either way.
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