The Lakers have been chasing center Thomas Bryant throughout the free agency period, and late Tuesday finally landed their man. The former Laker draftee, who only turns 25 at the end of the month, returns on a one-year deal that should provide a major opportunity to re-establish his value around the NBA. While the Lakers moved quickly when free agency opened, signing four players out of the gate, a very solid argument can be made that Bryant will be the most impactful. Before hurting his knee in Washington, Bryant was evolving into one of the better young offensive centers in the game, scoring efficiently and stretching the floor with a reliable 3-point shot (over 40%). The Lakers, desperate for floor spacing, may need to find Bryant a role if for no other reason than he's their best shooter, on paper. He is this year's Malik Monk - a player with some skill on a minimum contract trying to parlay opportunity into security. It worked for Monk, who got two years and 19 mil from Sacramento. If it works for Bryant, that's good news for the Lakers because it means he played well. What about Lonnie Walker IV? He talked Wednesday in El Segundo about defense. A lot. About defending multiple positions, and using his athleticism. He talked about shooting, and making teams pay for leaving him open. Walker sounds sincere, and has plenty of incentive to make all of it happen, but to this point in his career he hasn't, which is why Walker was available for the Lakers to sign. Can he evolve in L.A.? Finally, Juan Toscano-Anderson spoke to the media, reflecting on his excitement to be in Los Angeles (he was, like many, a big Kobe guy) and play for a team with the history of the Lakers, after experiencing a championship with Golden State. JTA, who is going to be massively popular in L.A., talked a lot about culture and what goes into making positive contributions on that front. It's something the Lakers need. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers sign Thomas Bryant, continuing the trend of skewing young in free agency. Is he the best player they've picked up? SEGMENT 2: Can Lonnie Walker IV live up to some of the potential that made him a high draft pick? What's been missing? SEGMENT 3: Why the Lakers need Juan Toscano-Anderson, beyond what he might contribute on the floor. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! TrueBill Don’t fall for subscription scams. Start cancelling today at Truebill.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! Rock Auto Amazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Arcade1up Pre-order now from arcade1up.com - that’s Arcade, the number 1, Up, dot com - for an estimated early September ship date! They are giving away a NBA JAM Shaq edition to a Locked On listener! Enter for a chance to win a game console for your man-cave at arcade1up.com/lockedon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices