NBA: Previewing the Pacific Division

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Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Brandon Ingram (Duke) does an interview after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The Los Angeles Lakers are in an era of transition. In truth, they have been for a few years now, but it begins in earnest now that Kobe Bryant has officially retired.

Luke Walton now runs the show in Los Angeles, in what was largely deemed a fantastic hire. The Kobe-less Lakers will have a different look. The Lakers, aided by multiple high draft picks, have begun to rebuild their core. For the first time in a long time, the key pieces in purple and gold don’t include Kobe Bryant.

Now, it’s D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and rookie Brandon Ingram.

The Lakers did make what many considered to be a head-scratching decision to give Timofey Mozgov $64 million in free agency. Overall, this will be a wait-and-see approach as far as judgement is concerned. The Lakers were going to spend money somewhere, and they expect Mozgov to be a good fit.

The reason for optimism within the Lakers is the young core, though. The Lakers have had dreams in recent years of signing high-profile free agents. It hasn’t worked out, but if the young core, especially Ingram, develops over the next few years, Los Angeles should once again become a destination for free agents.

Next: Golden State Warriors