The Los Angeles Lakers are making changes for the 2011-2012 season. The Lakers have announced that Spero Dedes, who had been doing radio play-by-play for the past six seasons, will not return in the fall. He was supposed to be moving along to handle TV play-by-play, but requested the right to be absent to handle some outside work, and the team wanted its TV voice to be there for every game. Dedes already had a full plate. Last year, he also served as a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports and worked for the NFL Network. ESPN Los Angeles reports that replacing Dedes at the radio mic will be John Ireland, who co-hosts the Mason & Ireland Show on KSPN-AM (710). That's the Disney-owned station in Los Angeles that is also the Lakers flagship. Ireland will be partnered with former Lakers star Mychal Thompson. KSPN PD Michael Thompson (no relation to Mychal Thompson) says, "I think the Lakers fans will be served by having a radio play-by-play voice in John Ireland interact with listeners throughout the day [on 710 ESPN]. It's probably the first time that has ever happened in Los Angeles." On the Los Angeles Board of Radio-Info.com, they're talking about this move by the Lakers, here.