Six huge questions after the Lakers' 35-minute flurry of free agent deals

The Lakers’ free-agent offseason shifted dramatically after LeBron James informed the team he would continue his career elsewhere, setting off a rapid chain of moves and leaving Los Angeles largely inactive during Day 1. James, who is 41, made the announcement Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. local time, six hours before teams could begin contacting outside players. Within an hour, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss thanked James for his eight years with the franchise, and James responded on X. After holding $52 million in cap space and waiting for another “domino” to fall, the Lakers acted for about 35 minutes Wednesday morning, agreeing to a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz for center Walker Kessler and then signing unrestricted free agents Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton. Key veterans Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard left, and the reshaped roster now faces questions heading into a new era led by Luka Doncic.