League: NBA Sport: Basketball Country: United States Category: Trades

Byron Scott assesses Lakers' offseason moves, cites gap with Thunder and Spurs

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 8, 2026, 8:25 AM

Last updated Oct 8, 2026

Byron Scott assesses Lakers' offseason moves, cites gap with Thunder and Spurs

Summary

Byron Scott, former Lakers player and coach, expressed skepticism about the team’s offseason acquisitions, stating they remain 'not close' to the OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Despite adding new players like Sandro Mamukelashvili and Walker Kessler, Scott believes the Lakers have not significantly improved their competitiveness in the Western Conference. He highlighted the strengths of the Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Spurs, who recently reached the NBA Finals with Victor Wembanyama. Scott identified Minnesota and Denver as additional threats. The Lakers will need to demonstrate improvement in future games.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Key Details

•Byron Scott critiques Lakers’ offseason as inadequate for championship contention.
•Lakers added players but lost key ones like DeAndre Ayton.
•Scott cites Thunder and Spurs as frontrunners in the West.
•Minnesota and Denver also considered threats to the Lakers.
•Lakers face pressure to improve performance this season.

Latest Updates

8:25 AMYahoo Sports — Byron Scott Says Lakers Are ‘Not Close’ to Thunder, Spurs

What they're saying

"
The 2026-27 offseason has seen major shakeups in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. LeBron James took a massive paycut to form what many consider a superteam in Philadelphia. Elsewhere, his former team, thr Miami Heat, saw two-time MVP and former DPOY Giannis Antetokounmpo join their ranks. There was even buzz up north with Kawhi Leonard returning […] The post Byron Scott Says Lakers Are ‘Not Close’ to Thunder, Spurs appeared first on HEAVY.
— Yahoo Sports

Related Teams & Leagues

Cleveland Cavaliers Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat Oklahoma City Thunder San Antonio Spurs NBA Basketball