The Los Angeles Lakers have two new additions to the team. With a little over two months remaining until the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Lakers are looking to fill in their roster. Looking at their current lineup prior to the two new signings, the Purple and Gold had a fairly similar roster to the one they had last year. While they lost Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie in free agency, they did manage to add Bronny James and Dalton Knecht in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Lakers seem to be doubling down on adding younger guys to their roster, and their two latest moves back up that line of thought. They recently signed the NBA G League's Kelley Kylor and the fresh college graduate Quincy Olivari.
As mentioned earlier, Kylor played in the G League and has 64 career games under his belt. Within that period he played for the Austin Spurs, Raptors 905, and Maine Celtics.
Throughout his G League career, Kylor averaged 7.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 17.5 minutes of play, while also leading the league in blocks per game with 2.9. Kelley also now holds the Maine Celtics single season blocks record after he racked up 105 rejections last season, so with that type of defense, it's no wonder the center piqued the Lakers' interest.
As for Olivari, he played most of his college basketball career at Xavier, and joining the Lakers will mark the beginning of his professional basketball career. In his final collegiate year, Olivari averaged 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in 32.2 minutes per game. He also showed lots of promise after putting up 20 points, three rebounds, and one steal against the Chicago Bulls in the Lakers Summer League action.
With all that in mind, the Lakers seem to have a promising young core to help the seasoned veterans of the team in the 2024-25 season.
Do the young guys fit in with the Lakers' vision?
The Lakers are synonymous with greatness. They are one of the teams in the NBA with the most championship wins in league history, being only one title shy of the Boston Celtics. Having that in mind, representing the Purple and Gold is no easy task.
The Lakers are looking to redeem themselves in the 2024-25 season. With LeBron James most likely in his final run with the team, the organization will be aiming to take advantage of the potential championship they could secure with their King still around. However, given that the roster is now filled with younger guys, that's going to be easier said than done.
The Lakers failed to secure significant names across the league in the offseason. While there were rumors linking them to guys like Dejounte Murray and Klay Thompson they ended up whiffing on all of their biggest offseason targets. Given these factors, the Lakers front office had no other choice but to sign less experienced players who have the potential to hopefully help them make a deep playoff run.
Out of the four new guys on the roster, Knecht seems to have the most potential. Knecht was the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and after playing three years in college, he averaged 16.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. With those numbers, Knecht might be able to deliver on the role that will be asked of him.
Kelley and Olivari seem to be great additions to the squad as well. Kelley will undoubtedly provide a solid defensive presence in the paint, which should hopefully lessen Anthony Davis' load. Olivari, on the other hand, can also contribute to offense given his abilities as a scorer.
The only player at the moment that draws some concern is Bronny James. While he eventually found his rhythm late in the Summer League, James doesn't seem to be ready for the NBA's level of competition. However, with his father by his side, it wouldn't be surprising at all if he ends up rapidly maturing and growing on the hardwood.
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