The defeat the Lakers suffered to the Kings on Wednesday was critical for their draft lottery position, giving them their 50th loss, two more than the Kings and Pistons, the teams directly beneath them in our Reverse Standings. The Lakers are right below the Celtics and Jazz, who have 52 losses apiece, but it seems like L.A. has a strong chance of ending up anywhere from fourth through eighth at season’s end. It’s not the usual late-season intrigue for the purple-and-gold, but the team’s final seven games will have meaning nonetheless. Here’s the latest on what lies ahead:
- Xavier Henry says he would love to re-sign with the Lakers this summer, and he’s playing through a painful wrist injury against doctor’s advice to prove his worth, as Shams Charania of RealGM details.
- Jodie Meeks, another soon-to-be free agent, reiterates his intention to stay with the Lakers, too, but he also acknowledges there will be more to his decision than that, observes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “Definitely, I want to stay, but it’s a business,” Meeks said. “So, both sides of the party, it will be interesting to see what happens. … I’ll just kind of play the waiting game.”
- Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is a fan of Nick Young‘s ebullient personality, and while there appears to be mutual interest in him returning next season, there’s no certainty he’ll be back, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Young seems likely to decline his nearly $1.228MM player option.