Six huge questions after the Lakers' 35-minute flu...

Day 1 of NBA free agency started with a bang and ended with a whimper for the Los Angeles Lakers. On Tuesday morning at 9 local time -- six hours before teams could begin contacting outside players -- LeBron James informed the Lakers he would be continuing his career elsewhere, immediately making him one of the most intriguing players on the market. Within the hour, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss released a warm statement, thanking James for his eight years with the franchise. James responded in kind, with an appreciative post on X (formerly Twitter). And then ... nothing. While the rest of the league went on a spending spree, the Lakers held on to their $52 million in cap space, clinging to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and a roster riddled with holes around them. It turns out that L.A. was just waiting for its first massive domino to fall before it could settle all its business on Day 2. The Lakers did so in the span of about 35 minutes Wednesday morning, when they agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Utah Jazz for center Walker Kessler then signed unrestricted free agents Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton in quick succession. The net result was a Lakers team decidedly younger than last season's version -- with key veteran role players Marcus Smart (Houston Rockets) and Luke Kennard (Phoenix Suns) signing elsewhere -- but also totally unproven. As James' leadership tenure with the Lakers ends, with one championship secured, Doncic's now begins in earnest. Here are the six biggest questions stemming from the Lakers' roster overhaul. After James informed the Lakers of his decision, a source familiar with the 41-year-old's thinking told ESPN that James felt "it was time to move on." While James had a chance to decompress in the six weeks since the Lakers were swept out of the playoffs in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder, James came to the conclusion that he wanted to extend his career playing "meaningful, competitive basketball," according to the source, and welcomed a change. There was no personal rift between James and Doncic, multiple team sources told ESPN. While they worked through growing pains on the court as two ball-dominant players, they got along and respected one another off of it. There was more of a disconnect between James and the organization, sources said, one that started during the doomed 2021-22 season following the Russell Westbrook trade and never fully recovered. Ultimately, James recognized the Lakers were in a different phase with their franchise and chose to prioritize his basketball happiness, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania, in finding his next situation -- which will be the last stop of his Hall of Fame career. The Lakers' interest in Kessler actually predates Davis' public angling for a big man, as L.A. inquired about the 7-foot-2, 245-pound center as far back as early in the 2023-24 campaign, Kessler's second season in the league, sources told ESPN. L.A. was rebuffed on subsequent inquiries too, sources said, because Utah's asking price was too steep. The reason the move came together now is twofold: • As ESPN previously reported, Doncic gave the front office a clear directive this offseason: to find him an "A-list" center. • Utah had more motivation to move the 24-year-old Kessler. The NBA offseason is here. Our experts have you covered on the latest signings, trades and what to know this summer. • 2026 Buzz: Latest news, injuries, league intel, updates • Kram: Grades for free agency signings, extensions • Kram: Grades for every trade • Trade tracker: Details for every deal • Marks: Draft, free agency, trade targets for all 30 teams In the past when the Lakers reached out to the Jazz, Kessler was on a cost-controlled rookie contract, making under $3 million. This time around, Kessler was a restricted free agent -- and seeking a massive raise. The Jazz ultimately decided that building around this year's No. 2 draft pick, Darryn Peterson, while armed with a bevy of draft assets from L.A. would be a better path than overpaying Kessler over the long term. Utah offered Kessler a five-year, $140 million extension, sources told ESPN's Tim MacMahon, or about $28 million per year. The Lakers offered a four-year deal worth $130 million, sources told Charania, or about $32.5 million per year, and they emptied their war chest to send their unprotected 2031 and 2033 first-round picks -- plus pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 -- to Utah in the deal. It was an all-in move by Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. And it landed a defensive anchor to grapple with other superior bigs in the Western Conference (hello, Victor Wembanyama) and a pick-and-roll partner for Doncic. But if the pairing doesn't pan out for whatever reason, L.A. will have little flexibility to reset the roster. There is currently no money left for Rui Hachimura. L.A. has 13 roster spots filled and can only pay a veterans minimum t

Six huge questions after the Lakers' 35-minute flu...

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