With the game tied and seconds winding down, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James‘ streak of 1,297 consecutive games of double-digit points hanged in the balance.

The veteran forward tallied eight points against the Toronto Raptors, but had a chance to win the game – and keep his streak alive – in the final seconds as the Lakers held the final possession.

But like many times in his career, James made the right play at the right time.

Sacrificing his streak, he dished the ball wide to set up Rui Hachimura‘s 3-point buzzer beater to defeat the Raptors on Thursday night, 123-120.

James didn’t seem bothered when asked about his feelings after his run ended, which began in early 2007.

“None. We won,” he said.

“Just playing the game the right way. You always make the right play. That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career.”

The Lakers led by as many as 13 points. They held a nine-point advantage going into halftime, but the Raptors made adjustments and clawed their way back into the contest.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 44 points, half of those coming in the third quarter. Each team traded leads in the second half which ultimately came down to the final play of the match.

With James having space through the center, he could have gone for the game-winning jump shot from midrange. But he picked out an open Hachimura in the corner, who drilled a 3-pointer with no time remaining.

“Once they doubled AR [Reaves] and the ball got swung to me, I know it’s a numbers game,” James said. “We got a four-on-three advantage and were just trying to put the ball on time, on target, in Rui’s socket, in his shot pocket, and he knocked it down.”

The win was the Lakers’ eighth in their last nine games as they remain in the top three of the Western Conference.

James and point guard Luka Doncic missed the following game against the Boston Celtics, where the team lost 126-105 the next day.

The Lakers conclude their three-game away trip against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. On Wednesday, JJ Redick‘s side faces the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

The Los Angeles Lakers fired team executives Joey and Jesse Buss with immediate effect, ESPN reported on Thursday.

Joey Buss worked as an alternate governor and vice president of research and development. Jesse Buss’ position was assistant general manager. The brothers both worked with the Lakers organization throughout the past decade.

“We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons,” the brothers said to ESPN. “Thank you to Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this, we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think about it all.”

Jesse and Joey’s firings came a month after the NBA Board of Governors approved Mark Walter‘s purchase of a majority stake in the franchise, valued at $10 billion. Walter is also the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have won three World Series championships in the past six seasons.

Jesse and Joey’s father, Jerry Buss, bought the Lakers in 1979. During his reign as owner, the team won 10 NBA titles and featured talent such as Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. When Jerry died in 2013, his daughter Jeanie Buss took over and is currently the team’s primary team governor.

The firings also signal movement in the front office and scouting positions following the change in ownership.

The Lakers, who sit third in the Western Conference with an 11-4 record, visit the Utah Jazz on Sunday night.

Ja Morant hinted at a coaching staff issue during a post-game conference.

This incident happened on October 31, when the Memphis Grizzlies played against the Los Angeles Lakers.

During a quick locker room interview, Morant took questions from reporters when he was questioned on why he wasn’t his usual self. He responded with a quick one.

“Go ask the coaching staff why,” Morant said.

Then reporters asked what could have been done differently other than asking the coaching staff, Morant answered honestly.

“According to them, probably don’t play me,” Morant said. “That’s basically what the message was. It’s cool.”

Following these responses, the Grizzlies quickly disciplined Morant.

Morant was suspended for one game for detrimental conduct towards the team.

The Grizzlies continued their losing streak against the Toronto Raptors and the Detroit Pistons.

To make matters worse, Morant has been shooting 38.3% from the field and 14.0% from three-point range, and as a result, the Grizzlies had a miserable 0-4 week.

Austin Reaves is making a name for himself with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Last week – with stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic sidelined with injuries – the 27-year-old took the spotlight, scoring 120 points in three games. Against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, Reaves recorded a career-high 51 points in a 127-120 win. A day later, the guard netted 41 points against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Then came Wednesday, when Reaves notched 16 assists and scored a buzzer-beater to rescue a 116-115 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Reaves finished the game with 28 points, continuing his streak of five consecutive games with 25 or more points.

With James and Doncic out, Reaves’ leadership is being put to the test – and he’s been delivering.

“Everyone’s looking at me,” Reaves said after the game. “In those situations, you have to be calm, be confident and lead your guys through.

“It’s not hard to kind of crumble in those situations, but you got to keep the energy high and you got to keep the spirit high.”

The Lakers looked on course for a comfortable win after leading by 16 points at the start of the fourth quarter. However, the Timberwolves roared back in a late rally, eventually taking the lead with 10 seconds remaining after a layup from Julius Randle.

With the game on the line, Reaves danced his way around two Minnesota players and fired home a jump shot at the buzzer.

“This guy is going to show up in the big moments,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said in his postgame press conference. “I’m not surprised. He’s done that many times in his career. He’s done that many times since I’ve been his coach. I feel very comfortable with him making decisions at late game.”

Redick praised his team after Wednesday’s victory, which keeps the Purple and Gold undefeated on the road so far despite the key injuries.

“I’m so proud of this group right now,” he said. “From where we were like three weeks ago, where we were discombobulated and guys are missing training camp and guys are modified participants, we’re starting to come together.”

Reaves and Redick will look to secure another road win as the Lakers open their NBA Cup campaign against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka revealed team updates on Thursday, including a contract extension for head coach JJ Redick and a comment on LeBron James‘ future.

The GM announced the team will keep the 41-year-old head coach on the sidelines for the long term. Redick, who signed a four-year deal with the Lakers in June 2024, has reportedly signed a multiyear extension.

“We think he’s a special coach with a special voice that’s really helping us define the culture of Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said. “We just wanted to make a clear statement that this is what we believe in, what we’re going to lean into and what our players are going to mold into as we continue to develop the identity. I think having long-term planning is helpful as we build this team and go forward.”

In his first season as a head coach, Redick helped the Lakers finish third in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record. It was the team’s highest conference position since its championship-winning season in 2019-20.

“I think it starts with a high level of gratitude – to the Lakers, to Mark [Walter], Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] for having that confidence in me,” Redick said on the extension. “It’s not lost on me, this sort of rarity of a first-time head coach getting an extension. I recognize how fortunate I am to be in an organization that supports me in that way.”

But now the attention shifts to 40-year-old star forward LeBron James, who used his one-year player option in June. James is set to enter his 23rd season in the NBA: a record in the league.

Pelinka said the ball is in the four-time NBA champion’s court regarding his future, but hints that he would love for him to retire in Los Angeles.

“Just give him absolute respect to choose his story with his family in terms of how many years he’s going to continue to play,” Pelinka said on James’ future. “He’s earned that right, and he’s the best one to talk about in terms of how many years he’d like to play.

“We would love if LeBron’s story would be to retire as a Laker. That’d be a positive story.”

The Lakers’ media day will be held on Monday, with training camp beginning the following day. The team will open its 2025-26 campaign on Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors.

Luka Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. When the contract was signed and the ink was still drying, Doncic got a call from the face of the franchise for the past seven seasons: LeBron James.

James congratulated Doncic on the deal with a video call, sources familiar with the exchange confirmed to ESPN, after the contract was signed and before Doncic participated in a news conference at the Lakers’ practice facility Saturday.

James was not among the half-dozen teammates to attend the news conference or the group trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Saturday night to attend the Backstreet Boys concert at The Sphere. But the call continued the support James has shown for Doncic since the Lakers shocked the basketball world by trading for the 26-year-old superstar in February.

“Luka has been my favorite player in the NBA for a while now,” James said on February 4 in his first public comments after his longtime teammate, Anthony Davis, was traded to Dallas to acquire Doncic.

The Lakers went 16-7 in the games James and Doncic played together down the stretch in the regular season.

When asked about Doncic’s impending contract decision following the Lakers’ first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, James told ESPN he wanted Doncic to stick around – but he would not attempt to sway his decision.

“I hope, obviously, [he stays long term],” James told ESPN on April 30. “Laker fans f—ing love him here. L.A. has accepted him. We love him as a teammate, as a brother. But ultimately, he’s got to make a decision for him. S—, I ain’t going to be around much longer.”

Though James’ sentiments toward Doncic have been consistent, with sources telling ESPN that both players hold respect and reverence for each other, James’ thoughts about the Lakers are not as clear-cut.

James opted into the final year of his contract worth $52.6 million in June, setting up his record-setting 23rd season in the league in 2025-26 with the Lakers.

But when James opted in, his agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul issued a statement to ESPN’s Shams Charania that opened the door for speculation about how the final chapter of the four-time champion’s career would play out.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN on June 29. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.

“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”

Luka Doncic said he took a “huge step” in improving his health and conditioning this summer, adding that his “whole body looks better” after spending the past two months training in Croatia.

A report published on Monday included multiple photos of a significantly thinner Doncic. Men’s Health Magazine detailed the Los Angeles Lakers star’s offseason diet and fitness regimen.

Doncic said that he has stuck to a gluten-free, low-sugar diet that includes intermittent fasting and high levels of protein – at least 250 grams per day.

That diet, along with a rigorous training schedule, has yielded dramatic results.

“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” said Doncic, who has faced criticism about his weight and conditioning throughout his seven-year NBA career.

Doncic struggled through an injury-plagued 2024-25 season, highlighted by the February blockbuster trade that sent the five-time All-Star from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers.

A calf injury limited Doncic to a career-low 50 games combined with the Mavericks and Lakers, who the Minnesota Timberwolves ousted in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

The 26-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Lakers, including a player option for 2026-27. The Lakers will be able to offer Doncic a four-year, $222 million extension as of August 2, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Doncic contacted his manager one day after the Lakers were eliminated and informed her that he wanted to start his training program immediately.

“Every summer I try my best to work on different things,” he told Men’s Health. “Obviously, I’m very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better.”

That training included no basketball for a month, according to physiotherapist Javier Barrio, who said that Doncic didn’t resume shootaround work until June.

“I think that this summer, he sees the difference,” Barrio said, “and he’s really happy.”

Free agent center Deandre Ayton has agreed to sign a two-year deal, which includes a player option, with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources told ESPN on Wednesday night.

Between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Lakers, Ayton will earn $34 million next season. Ayton’s agents, Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports and Bill Duffy of WME Sports, reached a deal with the Lakers’ president of basketball operations and general manager, Rob Pelinka, on Wednesday, according to sources.

Ayton finalized a buyout with the Trail Blazers on Sunday night, with his representatives approaching the franchise about his desire to play in a winning situation and understanding the team’s rising number of young centers. Multiple teams reached out to Blazers’ general manager Joe Cronin to conduct a background check on Ayton and received strong reviews surrounding Ayton’s leadership and mentoring of big men such as Donovan Clingan.

With the Lakers, Ayton will slide into the starting center slot, providing an anchor and partner with fellow 2018 top pick Luka Doncic. Ayton and Doncic went Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, in the 2018 draft, developing a relationship from that class.

Ayton cleared free agency waivers Wednesday evening and took some time to speak with interested teams before deciding on the Lakers. The Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets all had interest in Ayton, sources said.

Ayton is the first player to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in each of his first seven NBA seasons since Dwight Howard, whose career began in 2004-05. Ayton is also one of four players to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in each of the past seven seasons, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert and Nikola Vucevic.

Ayton, who will turn 27 on July 23, averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting 56.6% last season.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is exercising his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN on Sunday.

James, the NBA’s career scoring leader, wants to compete for a championship next season and potentially beyond and will be closely monitoring the Lakers’ moves and whether the team is positioning itself this offseason to field a title-contending roster, Paul said.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career. We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”

James, 40, is entering a record-setting 23rd NBA season and has said he remains uncertain about whether he has one campaign left or wants to play multiple more years.

James, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, is 50 games away from breaking Robert Parish’s record for most career regular-season games. Next season he will break a tie with Vince Carter for the most seasons played in NBA history.

It remains to be seen whether James will reach season No. 24 or beyond. James went out to dinner in New York this past week with his wife, Savannah, Miami Heat big man Kevin Love and his wife, Kate, and other confidants, and one of the dinner guests posted a snippet of the night to Instagram where James can be hard saying, “[Savannah] wants me to f—ing retire in the next year or so.”

In February 2024, after the Golden State Warriors inquired about trading for James before the Lakers, though Paul told them they were not interested. James expressed his desire to continue playing for the purple and gold.

“I am a Laker, and I’m happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way,” James said.

A few months later, the Lakers drafted James’ eldest son, Bronny James, with the No. 55 pick to set up the historic father-son tandem, then signed LeBron James to a two-year, $104 million contract extension in July 2024.

James is a four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP and four-time league MVP, and he has made 21 All-Star teams and 21 All-NBA squads; he is also the first 40-year-old to make an All-NBA team. He joined the Lakers in 2018 and led the franchise to the 2020 NBA title and the 2023 Western Conference finals.

He averaged 24.4 points, 8,2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game this past season, ending his record 20-year streak of averaging at least 25 points per game. He was one of three players to average 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists from December 30 to the end of the season, along with Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.

The Buss family is entering into an agreement to sell the majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter for a franchise valuation of $10 billion, which is the highest ever for a U.S. professional sports franchise.

The Buss family will keep a minority share of the team for a period of time, which is just over 15%

With the Buss family keeping a minority share of the team, Jeanie Buss will remain the Lakers’ governor and continue to run the team for “at least a number of years,” sources with knowledge of the deal told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. It was guaranteed as part of the agreement that Buss would remain in charge for the foreseeable future, and Walter fully endorsed this plan, according to sources.

Walter, the CEO and chairman of diversified holding company TWG Global, has been a stakeholder in the Lakers since 2021, when he acquired Phil Anschutz‘s 26% stake. That also was when Walter received a right of first refusal on the majority share of the team.

Walter and TWD Global have interests in multiple professional sports organizations, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks, Premier League club Chelsea and the Professional Women’s Hockey League. And through TWG Motorsports, Walter owns several auto racing teams, including Cadillac Formula 1.

The Buss family has owned the Lakers since 1979, when Jerry Buss purchased the franchise from Jack Kent Cooke in a $67.5 million transaction that also included the Los Angeles Kings and the Forum. Since 1980, the Lakers have won 11 championships, the most by any NBA team during that span.

When Buss died in 2013, ownership of the Lakers went into a trust controlled by his six children, who all worked for the Lakers in various capacities for several years. An agreement was struck in 2017 calling for Jeanie Buss to serve as controlling owner, ending a battle that included her going to court after her brothers Jim and Johnny Buss called for a board meeting that she interpreted as a challenge to her power — shortly after she removed Jim Buss as the Lakers’ executive vice president of basketball operations.

The intended sale to Walter was approved by the Buss siblings through a majority vote, sources told ESPN.

Sources told Shelburne that Lakers star Luka Doncic, acquired in the blockbuster February trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, was given a short heads-up on the purchase agreement.

Many believe the Los Angeles Lakers’ game five loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves could be LeBron James‘ last game as an NBA player.

For now, the future Hall-of-Famer is still undecided.

“I don’t know. I don’t have an answer to that,” James said.

James, 40, has a $52.6 million player option to return to the Lakers for the 2025-2026 season. He must opt in by June 26, or he will become a free agent.

The Lakers’ season ended in a largely disappointing fashion. After winning 50 games in the regular season and finishing as the third seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers were gentleman swept by the Timberwolves.

Three of the Lakers’ four losses in the series were by double digits.

“Every season that I did not make it to the Finals or did not win the championship has been a disappointment,” James said. “So it will be an off-season of disappointment and fulfillment.”

James is not the only player on the Lakers with an uncertain future. Luka Doncic will likely be offered a four-year, $229 million contract from the Lakers. Doncic is still “considering his options.”

James finished game five with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He finished 9-21 from the field. He was last on the Lakers in plus/minus with a -14.

“I got a lot to think about myself,” he said. “So I don’t know what the roster will look like. I don’t know where I stand right now.”

The strain between Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks is not disappearing anytime soon.

Tuesday night’s Los Angeles Lakers 107-99 win over Dallas had a notable spectator – Mavericks’ general manager Nico Harrison – just as more troubling reports emerged about Doncic.

According to The Athletic, “the people who witnessed Doncic’s last days in Dallas do not paint a flattering portrait of the 25-year-old’s professionalism.”

Included in the concerns were Doncic’s “taste for beer and hookah,” leading to fears that his health might result in a premature end to his career.

Seen celebrating a win that led Dallas to the NBA Finals last season, Doncic was drinking a beer when Mavericks’ executive Michael Finley took it out of his hands. Other videos emerged of Doncic smoking hookah, which LeBron James had joked about long before they were teammates.

Harrison, who facilitated the deal that swapped Doncic for Anthony Davis, had reportedly grown increasingly frustrated with Doncic’s conditioning and personal habits outside of basketball.

While Doncic shot three free throws in the second quarter, Lakers fans chanted, “Thank you Nico” with the TNT broadcast showing Harrison doing his best to ignore the heckling.

The Lakers’ fans weren’t the first to heckle the general manager.

Harrison faced taunts at an SMU basketball game on Feb. 12, while Mavericks fans were ejected from home games for chanting “Fire Nico” and displaying signs.

On Tuesday’s Hoops Collective Podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon shared that Harrison typically sits courtside but has not done so at the American Airlines Center since the trade.

“I didn’t see him in warmups,”  Doncic said about Harrison, even though the general manager was seated on the scorer’s table, watching his pregame warmup.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Doncic and the Mavericks front office did not have any direct interaction.

Doncic finished the game with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost its first game with Luka Doncic, failing to take the second leg of a back-to-back with the lowly Utah Jazz in a 131-119 defeat. Doncic and LeBron James both delivered below-average performances, scoring 16 and 18 points, respectively.

Los Angeles has played Utah exclusively since acquiring Doncic, which doesn’t indicate much about the new roster’s ability to compete at the highest level. It is a good opportunity for Doncic to ease his way into the Lakers’ system, however, as it will inevitably take time for the longtime Mavericks star to adjust to a new system. 

Losing to the Jazz, now 13-40, by double digits is a bad night for any team, regardless of the circumstances. But because of the circumstances surrounding Doncic’s trade from the Mavericks, some critics have begun using the defeat as an affirmation of fitness and defensive concerns surrounding the Slovenian. Rather than feed into any existing drama, Lakers head coach J.J. Redick offered a common-sense explanation for his team’s poor play.

“We weren’t physical,” Redick said after the game. “We didn’t talk, never really got to a place in the game where we were talking and executing.”

Defense and physicality have been issues for the Lakers at times all season, and pointing them out carries far more weight than the vague rumors about Doncic’s off-court attitude. Another wanting aspect of this Lakers team is that it’s incomplete. 

The team tried to trade for Charlotte Hornets big man Mark Williams, only for that trade to be undone by a failed physical. Los Angeles signed seven-footer Alex Len earlier this week to fill the gap, but it will take time to fully replace the size that Anthony Davis provided.

The hype surrounding Doncic’s arrival to Los Angeles, and counter-swinging criticism of the Lakers’ newest star, is being confirmed and denied all the time on the court in these early days. Doncic has had brilliant moments and costly miscues, typical of any talented player making a massive mid-season adjustment. It’s a tough time for the Lakers to be competing for a playoff spot, but if James and Doncic can white-knuckle their way to a postseason, it could be a very dangerous thing for a stacked Western Conference to deal with.

Barely a week after the massively controversial trade that took star Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic returned from a strained calf muscle that sidelined him for over a month to play his first game in Los Angeles as a Laker. Part of the team’s statement? Every one of the seats inside Crypto.com Arena was draped with a brand new Lakers Luka Doncic jersey shirt, emblazoned with his classic #77 and bright yellow.

“He came out … and obviously the place went crazy,” said teammate Austin Reaves. “It was awesome. I thought the energy from that point forward was great. His introduction in the starting lineup was one of the loudest I’ve heard since I’ve been here.”

Doncic’s introduction to Los Angeles comes amid a period of acclimation where he has seemed eager to embrace his new city – including his Foundation contributing $500,000 to wildfire relief efforts. Former Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki also attended the game, making a powerful statement of loyalty and support to the star who had been his presumptive torchbearer.

The Lakers went on to win the game 132-113, as Doncic posted 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes. He played 19 minutes with LeBron James, which the Lakers won by a net 17 points.

It wasn’t a statement game for Doncic, who went 5-for-14 from the field and 1-for-7 from three, but he was able to generate chemistry from his new teammates, albeit restricted by a cap on his minutes.

“Since I came here, I just wanted to play with them,” said Doncic following the game. “Every game I saw, they played amazing, very connected, and for me, it was just I want to be there with them.”

His introduction should lighten the load on James and Reaves, leaving them free to contribute more defensively and down the stretch. Lakers coach J.J. Redick was pleased with the effort, commenting postgame that he had thought of the game as a “no agenda game, beyond winning a basketball game and playing the right way.”

The stunning trade seems to have done its job in revitalizing the team. Now, the grind of the season begins anew.

“It’s a new team. New everything,” Doncic said. “But the way they helped me, teammates… it was just a lot of support for me. You could see when I came to the arena, I saw all the Luka jerseys. It was just a surreal feeling.”

The Los Angeles Lakers finalized a trade Wednesday night to acquire Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap. Williams will likely step into the role recently vacated by star big man Anthony Davis.

Williams, standing well above seven feet tall, will give the Lakers much-needed size after they sized down their starting five to acquire Luka Doncic. Many regard the trade for the Slovenian superstar as a supremely wise long-term decision, but it did give Los Angeles gaps to fill in the paint on defense. Williams should do some of the work to make up the difference.

In his third season with the Hornets, Williams has appeared in 23 games and is currently scoring 15.6 points with 9.6 rebounds per game. With his improved scoring, he is on track to have the best season in his short career. He is an ideal replacement for Davis, a young big man slowly but surely finding his way in the NBA. The team has shifted its focus from building around LeBron James to preparing for Doncic to eventually take over. Williams could be an excellent long-term addition.

Adding a lesser-known big man as massive, splashier trades occur around the league this week may diminish the impact of the move. But adding a big man ahead of a presumptive playoff run could easily prove integral to any playoff success the Lakers have. Doncic and James have both proven that it’s immensely hard to carry a team to a championship alone. They’ll need help, particularly in areas where they don’t typically contribute.

While Los Angeles prepares a new system around James and Doncic, the Hornets, currently 12-36, have struggled to build around star point guard LaMelo Ball. This trade could help matters in the long run, however. Reddish has not panned out as a reliable starter over the course of six NBA seasons, but Knecht has shown flashes of potential in his rookie year, scoring 9.4 points per game.

Bronny James returned to the NBA floor on Thursday night after a miserable performance earlier in the week. LeBron James‘ son was met with chants of “MVP” from the crowd when he stepped up to the free-throw line. He played the entire fourth quarter in the Laker’s 134-96 blowout against the Wizards, scoring a career-high – five points.

It was a far better showing than Tuesday night when he played his first significant minutes for the Lakers, where he had never previously played more than five minutes in a game.

The result? Bronny went 0-for-5 from the floor with three turnovers, turning in a -9 plus-minus in the first quarter and -8 overall in his 15 minutes of play. He was targeted by Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, who would go on to score 43 points in a 118-104 win over the Lakers.

“[Maxey]’s a fast guard,” said Bronny after the game. “Amazing touch. Can shoot it. I was trying to stand my ground. Just trying to play as hard as I can and bring as much energy as I can. That’s all.”

Bronny was called up from the G-League South Bay Lakers following a strong string of games, including a season-high 31 points against the Rip City Remix on Friday.

Head coach J.J. Redick mentioned the back-to-back situation as a contributor to the call-up. “Just felt like on a back-to-back, just him giving us energy, I think, was the goal,” Redick said. “I have confidence in him, but obviously didn’t provide that at a high level.”

“Tonight was his first opportunity with the big club,” said LeBron when asked for comment on Tuesday.

“He’s gonna continue to use that to get better and better, just like his first time he played with the G League. … Hopefully he does get more opportunities with us, that’s obviously out of his hands, but what he can control is how he works on his game to get better and better, which we’ve seen him do since the moment he entered that Minnesota game to today.”

LeBron led the team with 31 points and 33 minutes played in the loss on Tuesday.

LeBron James and his son, Bronny James, played together for around four minutes during the Los Angeles Lakers’ pre-season game against the Phoneix Suns, becoming the first father-son duo to share the court in NBA history. Bronny played 13 minutes and did not record any points, while his father played 16 minutes as he gears up for his 22nd season. After the game, LeBron commented on what it meant to play with his son.

“For a father, it means everything. For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have influence on your son. Be able to have moments with your son. And ultimately, to be able to work with your son. I think that’s one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for.”

Unfortunately, the honeymoon phase seems to be ending soon as ESPN released a long forum article on Tuesday about why scouts believe that taking Bronny did not make sense besides the fact they wanted to keep his father happy. Anonymous scouts stated that Bronny does not have an NBA body and made the wrong decision to declare for the draft instead of remaining in school to continue his development. Here is one clip of the article:

“The expectations for Bronny by the fan base and by LeBron and [agent] Rich Paul are not commensurate with the reality of his game,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “If they had any real idea of how far away Bronny is, they just would not have done this.”

LeBron and his wife, Savannah James, made their first public comments about Bronny’s cardiac arrest during an episode of ‘Starting Five’ on Netflix.

The Lakers took Bronny out of USC with the 55th pick in the second round of this year’s NBA draft.

LeBron James may have to wait to play with his son.

While the NBA superstar was overseas preparing for the Olympic games in Paris, his son, Bronny James, began his NBA career at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Bronny, drafted with the #55 pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, drew backlash from some scouts for being selected due to his lack of size and poor statistical numbers in his lone season at USC. James’ son signed a standard four-year $7.9 million contract for a player taken at the later stages of the second round.

James Jr. has yet to make an impact in two games of Summer League action. On Monday, he scored two points in 25 minutes with just one assist, while Lakers first-round pick Dalton Knecht knocked down 19 as their team fell to the Boston Celtics 88-74. Two days earlier, Los Angeles dropped their first game in Las Vegas after the former USC SG went 3-14 from the floor on 0-8 shooting from behind the arc. James Jr. has yet to knock down a three in 11 attempts in 52 minutes of game action across two games.

When ESPN asked him about his thoughts on developing at the G-league level, the rookie gave a professional answer stating, “I’m just looking forward to any basketball I play, no matter what level I’m playing at.”

The Lakers are in a transitional period after getting bounced in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Their superstars, Anthony Davis and James, are at the USA basketball showcase exhibition games in the Middle East to find their footing before taking on Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico in Group C at the Olympics. When they return, a new coach will sit at the sideline as JJ Redick takes on his first gig as the headman of an NBA team, taking over for Darvin Ham who lasted two seasons.

Rich Paul, the agent representing Bronny James ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, is attempting to distance his client from his father and future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James. Many have speculated that the two would be a package deal, but Paul discredited that idea earlier this week.

“LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny,” Paul said Wednesday, according to ESPN. “If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. There’s no deal made that it’s guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at 55, he [LeBron] will re-sign. If that was the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny, and LeBron doesn’t re-sign. LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal. We can squash that now.”

Coming off a season in which he scored five points per game at USC, much of Bronny’s prospective draft value stems from the idea that the team drafting him would also have a chance of signing LeBron. The four-time NBA Champion has previously expressed the desire to play in the league with his son before retiring.

“I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny,” James said in early 2023, before quickly adding that it could be together or in opposing uniforms.

Despite his eagerness at one point, however, several reports in recent months seem to confirm that LeBron is no longer fixated on the idea. Though he still has the family name, Bronny will enter the draft as a green mid-tier prospect with limited college experience.

Paul reported that the 19-year-old guard has worked out with the Lakers and Suns and that focused interactions with teams is part of the agent’s plan.

“I got the word out early to teams that if you plan on bringing Bronny in, here’s what you need to know: If you won’t give him a real deal, there’s nothing to talk about,” Paul said. “It’s hard to get real development on a two-way deal. I don’t care about him going to the Lakers, or Phoenix, or about what number he gets picked. It’s about fit.”

While drafting Bronny may not have the power to pull LeBron away from Los Angeles as some once thought, it is still likely that the move could convince him to stay. The Lakers are currently in talks with LeBron to extend his stay with the team, and drafting his son would be an excellent way to prevent him from exploring the waters in free agency. It may no longer be a priority for the James family to unite, but Los Angeles could make it far more convenient.

After Darvin Ham‘s firing last week, the Los Angeles Lakers are hunting for their third coach in five years. The team faces loads of off-season drama, including the future of star LeBron James, who can opt out of his contract at the end of the league year. However, the first order of business the Lakers must attend is their new head coach, and Shams Charania announced that GM Rob Pelinka has three names that stand out.

Former NBA player and media personality JJ Redick is beginning to pick up steam as a bench boss next season. He interviewed for the Charlotte Hornet’s job earlier in the off-season, and his name has been connected with the Lakers throughout the hiring cycle. Although he would be a first-time NBA coach at any level if hired, he played 15 years in the NBA and instantly went into the media and started calling games for ESPN after his retirement. Reddick also co-hosts a podcast with James; the two are close friends off the court.

Charania then listed James Borrego as another option the team is considering for Ham’s replacement. Borrego does boast head coaching experience on his resume, as he head-manned the Charlotte Hornets for four years between 2018 and 2022. His first coaching stint came as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, where he learned under the legendary coach Greg Popovich from 2003 to 2010. Currently, Borrego sits on the sideline with the New Orleans Pelicans and helped the Pels reach the playoffs this season.

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzula hired away Sam Cassell from the Philidelphia 76ers last year, and his basketball knowledge and maturity helped lead the Celtics to the best regular season in the NBA. However, the former Florida State standout may be headed west after just one season in Beantown as the Lakers are interested in Cassell. While he has never been a head coach, the long-time assistant played 15 years in the NBA and coached as an assistant since 2009.