NBA Notes: Lakers, roster, Hornets, Jeff Peterson, Hawks, Tim Bontemps

Lakers

The Lakers may have done the bulk of their offseason shopping last week, but don’t expect them to be finished.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Los Angeles still views the back end of its roster as “critical” heading into next season. The Lakers currently have at least one roster spot available after adding Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton, and that number could grow if more trades are completed.

The comments only add to the belief that the Lakers are still exploring additional moves, with free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga continuing to be linked to the club.

Hornets

The Hornets haven’t officially completed their trades involving LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, so president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson understandably wasn’t ready to discuss either move by name.

Still, Peterson made it clear where the franchise is headed in comments to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

“The goal has never been to get to the playoffs one time and be out for seven, eight years and try to get back,” Peterson said. “We’re not going to take shortcuts. We are going to be methodical.”

Charlotte surprised plenty of people by winning 28 of its final 38 games last season before making sweeping changes this summer. Peterson’s message suggests the organization remains focused on building something it believes can last rather than simply chasing a short-term playoff appearance.

Hawks

Longtime ESPN NBA reporter Tim Bontemps is officially headed to the Hawks’ front office.

According to Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Bontemps has accepted a position as a strategic adviser and will report directly to president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh.

Bontemps spent eight years covering the NBA for ESPN after previous stops at the New York Post and Washington Post. He joins a growing list of prominent NBA media members who have served in front-office roles, including John Hollinger, Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Royce Young.

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