Thursday, Christian Wood met the LA media for the first time, and said a lot of "meeting the media for the first time" type things. How excited he is to be in Los Angeles, how (as a Long Beach native) he's always wanted to play for the Lakers. And how he has a great relationship with Darvin Ham... who called him every day during free agency. Every day? That's a lot of days, and a lot of calls. But even if it's an exaggeration, it also makes some sense. The Lakers didn't have any extra money to offer, but what they could sell were vibes and opportunity. And whether you're a big Darvin guy or not, there probably aren't too many guys around the league who can sell culture to a player better than he can. And really, context should drive home to Wood the critical nature of this opportunity. If he doesn't make it work in LA, if he can't accept and then thrive in a role on a good team, where does he go from here? But red flags aside, the Lakers got the most talented player left available on the free agent market. And if you want him, it can't hurt to sweet talk him a little. Meanwhile, Pat Beverley was on his podcast, talking about the Jarred Vanderbilt extension. Interestingly, he told him that his advice was not to sign an extension. Why? Because players who do that get paid appropriately. Players who get signed during free agency? They get overpaid. Whether that would have applied to Vanderbilt is an open question, but it's a fascinating view of how folks get paid in the league. And finally, Buddy Hield is on the trade market. But this is a Buddy Hield safe space, because the Lakers do not have any players they can trade for him until at least mid-December. But what's really interesting is that the need for someone like Hield is a lot lower now than it was a year ago at this time. Please leave your Hield comments to yourself until then. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Christian Wood meets the media. Is this his last/best opportunity to change the narrative? SEGMENT 2: The Lakers don't need Buddy Hield. SEGMENT 3: Pat Bev on Vanderbilt. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! DoorDash Get fifty percent off your first DoorDash order up to a twenty-dollar value when you use code lockedonnba at checkout. Limited time offer, terms apply. Jase Medical Save more than $360 by getting these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical plus an additional $20 off by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com. Birddogs Go to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONNBA or enter promo code LOCKEDONNBA for a free water bottle with any purchase. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you. FanDuel This episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, Official Sportsbook of Locked On. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS - GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. 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