The overwhelming consensus this offseason among pundits, fans, and seemingly LeBron James, was that the Lakers did quite well for themselves in free agency. At worst, they maintained a nice status quo. At best, they even improved. But was there perhaps a better route that could have been pursued, with more big picture flexibility? Anthony Irwin, host of the Lakers Lounge Podcast and Substack author, thinks so. In Irwin's opinion, the Lakers could have set themselves up better with an approach that meant going into the luxury tax, losing full mid-level exception (and by extension, access to Gabe Vincent), and keeping Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba on the roster as expiring contracts for a potential in-season mega-deal.

The pros and cons of each route, and whether economic concerns played too big a role, gets a deep dive examination.

All that, plus thoughts on whether Lonnie Walker IV will be missed, Max Christie's readiness to enter the rotation, and if Saudi Arabia's brash, big money entry into sports could eventually disrupt the NBA as we know it.

Host: Andy Kamenetzky, with Guest Anthony Irwin.

Segment 1: Did the Lakers take the best possible path this offseason?

Segment 2: Did money dictate the Lakers' decisions?

Segment 3: Could Saudi money cause an NBA exodus?

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