LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic is reportedly pleased with the Los Angeles Lakers’ whirlwind offseason, which has reshaped the roster around him following LeBron James’ departure and a flurry of moves aimed at building a contender for the post-James era.

According to a report from Dan Woike of The Athletic, league sources said Doncic was “excited” about the team’s recent moves, particularly the decisions to retain guard Austin Reaves and acquire center Walker Kessler in a trade. Woike reported that the Lakers addressed two of Doncic’s biggest priorities for the roster this summer: keeping Reaves in the fold and adding an elite rim-protecting big man alongside him.

Woike also reported that the Lakers maintained regular contact with Doncic and his representatives throughout free agency, even as the star guard spent the summer in Europe and the team worked across a significant time difference. Those conversations, according to the report, helped guide the front office’s approach as it reshaped the roster in the weeks following James’ exit.

The offseason began with James informing the organization that he would not return for a ninth season with the Lakers. He remains an unrestricted free agent and is expected to continue his career elsewhere for what would be his 24th season in the league. His departure closed a chapter for the franchise and set off a series of roster moves that quickly followed.

The Lakers soon lost two more rotation players. Marcus Smart signed with the Houston Rockets, the team the Lakers eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, while Luke Kennard agreed to join the Phoenix Suns. Reserve big man Jaxson Hayes also departed for a new team. The departures left the Lakers with considerable salary-cap flexibility, which the front office moved quickly to use.

The centerpiece of that spending was a sign-and-trade agreement with the Utah Jazz for Kessler, a 7-foot-2 center who has established himself as one of the league’s top young defensive anchors. The deal, which included a four-year, $130 million contract for Kessler, cost the Lakers significant future draft capital — their unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, along with pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. The transaction leaves Los Angeles without a controlled first-round pick until the 2032 draft.

In the same stretch of roughly 35 minutes, according to reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers also signed free agents Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton. Grimes is expected to help fill the playmaking and defensive void left by Smart’s departure, Mamukelashvili adds shooting and floor-spacing as a stretch forward, and Sexton gives the Lakers a true backup point guard, a role the team had lacked in recent seasons.

Those additions came after the Lakers had already made their most significant retention of the offseason, re-signing Reaves to a four-year, $185 million contract after he declined his player option and would have otherwise become an unrestricted free agent. Reaves and Doncic have built a close on-court partnership since Doncic’s arrival in Los Angeles roughly 16 months ago, and keeping the young guard together with Doncic and Kessler is expected to form the foundation of the team’s roster going forward. Spotrac data show that Doncic, Reaves and Kessler are projected to carry a combined salary-cap hit of $121 million next season, against a league-wide salary cap set at roughly $165 million for 2026-27.

Kessler, who spent four seasons with the Jazz, averaged 2.4 blocks per game over that span and has been regarded as one of the more promising young defensive centers in the league. A shoulder injury cut his most recent season short, but evaluators continue to view him as a high-upside addition who could pair well with Doncic’s passing ability in pick-and-roll situations. The Lakers finished last season with a defensive rating of 115.5, ranked 20th in the NBA, a figure the front office hopes will improve significantly with Kessler anchoring the paint.

Reporting from multiple outlets indicates the price the Lakers paid to secure Kessler and retain Reaves has drawn some scrutiny around the league, with rival executives and agents questioning whether Los Angeles surrendered too much draft capital and long-term financial flexibility in the process. The team’s roster is now considered younger and more athletic than last season’s group, but also less experienced, with the departures of veteran role players such as Smart, Kennard and Hayes leaving fewer proven contributors around Doncic, Reaves and Kessler.

Despite those questions, the Lakers’ front office appears to view Doncic’s endorsement of the moves as the most important measure of the offseason’s success. Rob Pelinka, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager, has overseen the roster overhaul while also expanding his front-office staff, including the hiring of an assistant general manager focused on salary-cap management and analytics. The team is reportedly still exploring the trade market for forward Rui Hachimura, who remains under contract, and has been linked to free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga after the Atlanta Hawks declined his contract option.

The Lakers are scheduled to give fans their first look at the retooled roster this week at the California Classic summer league event, where rookies Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero are expected to headline the team’s summer debut. While the additions of Kessler, Grimes, Mamukelashvili and Sexton have not yet been tested on the court together, the Lakers’ front office has made clear that the roster was built specifically around Doncic’s stated preferences following James’ departure.

With training camp still months away, the true measure of the offseason’s success will not be known until the Lakers take the floor together as a group. But based on the reporting surrounding Doncic’s reaction, the franchise appears confident it has entered its next chapter with the support of the player it is now building around for the long term.

This article was written by

Follow

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

This article was written by

Follow

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

This article was written by

Follow

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

This report contains independent commentary to be used for informational and educational purposes only. Michael Kramer is a member and investment adviser representative with Mott Capital Management. Mr. Kramer is not affiliated with this company and does not serve on the board of any related company that issued this stock. All opinions and analyses presented by Michael Kramer in this analysis or market report are solely Michael Kramer’s views. Readers should not treat any opinion, viewpoint, or prediction expressed by Michael Kramer as a specific solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell a particular security or follow a particular strategy. Michael Kramer’s analyses are based upon information and independent research that he considers reliable, but neither Michael Kramer nor Mott Capital Management guarantees its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. Michael Kramer is not under any obligation to update or correct any information presented in his analyses. Mr. Kramer’s statements, guidance, and opinions are subject to change without notice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither Michael Kramer nor Mott Capital Management guarantees any specific outcome or profit. You should be aware of the real risk of loss in following any strategy or investment commentary presented in this analysis. Strategies or investments discussed may fluctuate in price or value. Investments or strategies mentioned in this analysis may not be suitable for you. This material does not consider your particular investment objectives, financial situation, or needs and is not intended as a recommendation appropriate for you. You must make an independent decision regarding investments or strategies in this analysis. Upon request, the advisor will provide a list of all recommendations made during the past twelve months. Before acting on information in this analysis, you should consider whether it is suitable for your circumstances and strongly consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser to determine the suitability of any investment.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Of course, at some point Sky could decommission some ITV shows – or renegotiate their contracts. You don’t take over another company without believing there are savings to be made (and some are pointing to synergies that could be made on the tech platform side, with ITVX and Sky’s streaming services potentially merged in the future).

Longer term, Frost believes users of both current streaming platforms ITVX and NOW can expect to see more “integrated services, for example, bundling titles in terms of genre instead of channel, as a natural way to cut production costs, and to cross-advertise”.

But when it comes to programmes, they won’t be able to make significant changes to those beloved shows until the supply deal comes to an end.

Producer Patrick Spence thinks the deal is “exciting”. He won a BAFTA for Mr Bates vs The Post Office which was a huge hit on ITV in 2024, with around 15 million tuning in. He’s currently producing Two Birds, a thriller starring Sheridan Smith for ITV.

He’s also made dramas for Sky and told me ITV and Sky “are very good bedfellows in many ways”.

“When they get behind a show, they really get behind it,” Spence says. “They want to make water cooler shows that bring audiences together.”

He believes the deal is a sign that the regularly predicted end of so-called linear TV is overplayed.

“We get told so often about the death of broadcast TV,” he adds. “For producers it’s said we’re looking at a cliff edge where the only places that will be left for us to sell our programmes will be the streamers, or some version of BBC, ITV, Channel 4 all joining together.

“What I take away from this deal as a producer and an audience member is that Sky must really like and believe in ITV to be only buying the network. They think there is a business to be grown and driven that uses the audience reach and loyalty that the ITV network has.”

Pantiles, seen on rooftops across Britain, have a distinctive curved shape.

The machine Oldroyd is using dates back to the 1920s. Some equipment on site is much older and the work is far from easy.

“The most challenging thing for me probably would be lifting the clay,” she says.

But she wouldn’t trade her job.

“I’m glad to be actually making history.

“When I think about this site and how old it is and we’re still carrying on this tradition and the fact that lots of the tiles, if not all of them, will be here for hundreds of years to come.”

The work Oldroyd and her co-workers do today is part of a tradition stretching back centuries.

Though clay roof tiles were introduced by the Romans, the English industry grew up in the eastern part of the country during the 12th century.

By the early 1700s, pantiles were being made, with East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire becoming major centres of production.

Today about a dozen old school firms survive across the UK, according to the Roof Tile Association. William Blyth, founded in 1840, is among them.