Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux), Ben Golliver of the Washington Post (@BenGolliver) and Kevin Pelton of ESPN (@kpelton) go in-depth on the NBA’s Pacific Division.

They discuss how the Kings, Suns, Warriors, Lakers and Clippers fared in the off-season, including which teams improved and what moves stood out. The three also predict the season to come, including projected finish, breakout players and rookies they are most excited to see.

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The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a bronze statue of Kobe Bryant outside Crypto.com Arena on February 8th, 2024.

The Lakers will host the Denver Nuggets that night.

The date hold special meaning for the Bryant family because his daughter Gigi wore No. 2, while Bryant wore numbers eight and 24 during his career with the Lakers.

Bryant and Gigi passed away along with seven other people in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.

“Kobe Bryant was one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time, and one of the most iconic individuals in the history of Los Angeles,” said Jeanie Buss. “There is no better place for Kobe to be honored with a statue than here, at the center of our city, where everyone can celebrate him and be inspired by his incredible achievements.”

The San Antonio Spurs were rumored to be a suitor for Austin Reaves ahead of free agency opening this offseason. Reaves had the Spurs mulling different offer sheet scenarios, before he re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to a report, San Antonio considered offering Reaves a four-year, nearly $100 million offer sheet. That was the maximum the Spurs would have been allowed to offer Reaves, as he was an Arenas Provision restricted free agent. San Antonio also considered a shorter, three-year, $60 million offer sheet.

Ultimately, Reaves signed a four-year, $54 million contract to stay with the Lakers. That was the most Los Angeles could offer the young guard, given they only had his Early Bird rights.

Mikal Bridges and Austin Reaves are first-time teammates on Team USA for this summer's FIBA World Cup. The Brooklyn Nets star is counting himself as a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers emerging star. Bridges also said people need to start thinking of Reaves in a different light.

“This ain’t no underdog s*** no more,” Bridges said of Reaves. “He’s here.”

Bridges went on to compliment Reaves' game, including his ability to draw free throws.

“I’ve been a fan. … I think the biggest thing about him I like is that he knows how to draw a foul,” Bridges said of Reaves foul-drawing ability. “He knows how to create fouls and get to the free-throw line and that’s like a skill. He’s not just getting there. There’s a skill to that and it’s very underrated. People don’t really understand it but the ones that do, they know how tough it is to guard. That s***‘s an art.”

The NBA's Christmas Day schedule has leaked via Shams Charania of The Athletic, headlined by the Boston Celtics at the Los Angeles Lakers.

• Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks
• Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat
• Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers
• Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns
• Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets

The NBA will open the 23-24 season on October 24th with a doubleheader featuring four Western Conference teams.

The Denver Nuggets will host the Los Angeles Lakers in the opener. The Nuggets swept the Lakers in four games during the Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets will raise their championship banner and also receive their rings. 

The Golden State Warriors will then host the Phoenix Suns in what will be Kevin Durant's first game at his former team with fans in attendance.

Neither the Miami Heat or Los Angeles Lakers are considered sign-and-trade candidates for Christian Wood, according to Marc Stein of Substack.

The Heat are currently almost $9 million over the first tax apron and cannot acquire a player via sign-and-trade. 

The Lakers remain interested in Wood, but can only sign him to a veteran minimum. 

The Mavs are open to facilitating a sign-and-trade including Wood if they can get a player they like in return. 

The Los Angeles Lakers are still interested in signing Christian Wood. The Lakers have two open standard roster spots and would like to fill their 14th spot ahead of training camp.

Los Angeles has only the veteran minimum to offer Wood in a deal. The Lakers believe that with them, his offensive contributions would offset his defensive liabilities and his past maturity issues. In addition, Los Angeles has been looking to add one more big man to their frontcourt mix.

Wood played in 67 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season, with 50 of them as a reserve. He averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. Wood had shooting splits of 52/38/77.

Anthony Davis inked a three-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers recently. The deal reportedly includes a player option on the final season in 2027-28.

Davis' extension could be worth up to $187 million, if the cap rises the maximum of 10% over the next two offseason. As part of the deal, Davis picked up his player option for the 2024-25 season, and then added three new seasons to his deal.

Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a three-year, $186 million extension through 2028.

Davis had two years and $84 million remaining on his contract.

Davis' deal is the richest annual contract extension in NBA history, averaging $62 million a season.

"Couldn't think more highly of Anthony Davis as a Laker and as a player," Rob Pelinka said recently "He's helped deliver a championship to our franchise. He's been an incredible captain and leader."