The Lakers (Officially) Sign (Most of) Their Free Agents... Which New Player Could Have the Biggest Impact?

The Lakers officially welcomed nearly all of their free agent signees on Thursday, putting pen to paper with all but D'Angelo Russell, who appears to be on vacation. Nothing unexpected, but it feels like the official start of something new, nonetheless. So with that in mind, which of the free agents are the most consequential? Among the new players, is it Gabe Vincent? He was certainly the highest profile acquisition (and cost the most money). Or maybe Taurean Prince? What exactly has changed from last year to this one, based on who the Lakers have brought in/retained? It wasn't that long ago the Lakers were lining up Patrick Beverley on opposing wings because they didn't have the length to throw at them. Even with the center position still a question mark, that type of imbalance is a thing of the past. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves might now be on the most team-friendly non-rookie deal in the league. Why didn't anyone else make an offer? Did the Lakers just get lucky? Finally, there is plenty of drama around the NBA, when it comes to superstars looking for new homes. Whether James Harden or Damian Lillard, the possibility of blockbuster deals is certainly generating plenty of attention. Except the Lakers aren't involved in any of it, which is certainly not the norm. Even when rumors don't exactly make sense, the Lakers are usually tied to talks about superstar trades. Not this year. Why? Well, some of it is LeBron, some of it is context, much of it is math... and maybe the Lakers are just operating a little differently? (Was that theory actually tested this offseason?) HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers ink their free agents. Which of the new guys is most important? SEGMENT 2: Why didn't Austin Reaves get his big $ offer? SEGMENT 3: There's plenty of drama around the league, but none of it is reaching El Segundo. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! BetterHelp This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA for 10% off your first month and get on your way to being your best self.  PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices