Lakers Spend Big On Free Agency & Other Major Moves (w/ Grant Liffmann)
Open Floor: SI's NBA Show
SI NBA
4.5 • 2.4K Ratings
🗓️ 1 July 2026
⏱️ 37 minutes
🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS
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Summary
Chris Mannix and Grant Liffmann break down the major free-agent signings made by the Los Angeles Lakers after the departure of LeBron James, including the massive price they paid for Walker Kessler. They also get into the Hornets quickly rebuilding their roster after making the play-in, why Kawhi Leonard was traded back to the Raptors, and why teams aren't making a play for Jaylen Brown.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Now playing. |
| 0:01.5 | Open Floor. |
| 0:03.1 | This is Open Floor. |
| 0:05.3 | Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix back at it. |
| 0:07.7 | An NBA podcast with Sports Illustrated senior writer. |
| 0:11.5 | I think it's time that the world get to know. |
| 0:14.1 | My guy, Chris Manix. |
| 0:15.4 | I think your opinion is shared by everyone. |
| 0:17.1 | And now it begins. |
| 0:18.3 | Now it begins. |
| 0:19.5 | Bang! |
| 0:32.9 | All right. The NBA off season is in full swing, 24 hours or so into the free agent frenzy. |
| 0:40.0 | And it has been an interesting 24 hours. You get a Kaauai Leonard reunion in Toronto who saw that one coming. |
| 0:46.0 | LeBron James getting ready for the decision 4.0 and the Lakers taking all the money that LeBron left him and spending it like drunken sailors. |
| 0:48.9 | To talk more about that, I would bring in my friend, my colleague over at NBC Sports, |
| 0:53.9 | Grant Liffman, long time media member, |
| 0:57.1 | also former executive with the Atlanta Hawks, now a front office insider over at NBC. |
| 1:02.6 | Like, is that drunken sailor metaphor appropriate there, Grant? |
| 1:06.6 | Because the Lakers, they have themselves a day on Wednesday. |
| 1:10.2 | Like LeBron, Tuesday afternoon, he says no to them, the Lakers, they had themselves a day on Wednesday. Like LeBron, Tuesday afternoon, he says no to them. |
| 1:14.5 | The Lakers, they turn around. |
| 1:16.7 | They make a mega deal for Walker Kessler, paying four years. |
... |
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