Austin Reaves

Lakers Rumors: Trade Deadline Approach, Vanderbilt, Reaves

January 21st, 2025 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

With the February 6 trade deadline approaching, the Lakers could take one of three general paths, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. They could use one or both of their tradable first-round picks to try to significantly upgrade the roster; stand pat or make a relatively minor trade, perhaps using their two remaining second-round picks; or launch a rebuild by tearing down the roster and trading LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

That last option is clearly the least likely, according to Buha, who suggests that trading away James and/or Davis if they haven’t asked to be moved would be against the organization’s “ethos.” And there’s no indication that either player will seek a deal out of Los Angeles within the next couple weeks.

As Buha said a few days ago in a YouTube video, his sense from talking to rival scouts and executives around the NBA is that the Lakers are more likely to do something small than to take a big swing at the deadline.

While that could change if certain players unexpectedly become available, the Lakers aren’t in a great position to address all three of their most glaring needs – a two-way wing, another play-maker and ball-handler, and a center who can protect the rim and rebound – using their remaining assets, given their limited trade chips and their lack of mid-sized expiring contracts, Buha writes.

Here’s more from Buha on the Lakers:

Los Angeles is “cautiously optimistic” that the impending return of forward Jarred Vanderbilt will help give the team more clarity on which areas and positions represent its greatest need(s), per Buha. If Vanderbilt’s return goes well, the expectation around the league is that the Lakers will focus on adding either a big man or a ball-handler, especially since there likely won’t be impactful two-way wings available in their price range.
The “all-in” approach, which would involve trading the Lakers’ 2029 and 2031 first-round picks, has long been the one favored by James and Davis, Buha notes, but acquiring another impact player would be difficult, in part due to their cap situation — the club can’t take back more salary than it sends out and can’t aggregate Dorian Finney-Smith‘s salary since he was recently acquired, so stacking contracts for a Jimmy Butler-type star earning the max would be challenging.
As Buha observes, Austin Reaves‘ strong play since D’Angelo Russell was traded has also lessened the need for the club to acquire a high-level third option. In the nine games since Russell was moved, Reaves has averaged 20.4 points and 7.3 assists per game with a .450/.390/.915 shooting line.

Lakers Notes: Redick, Reaves, Bronny, Jemison

January 16th, 2025 at 7:24pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Lakers coach JJ Redick challenged the Lakers to prioritize connectivity and communication on Wednesday before playing the Heat, but they faced a big deficit at halftime. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Redick got it through to his team that they needed to talk more and play harder.

The Lakers fared better against Miami’s zone defense in the second half and came back to register their first win since Jan. 3.

“I challenged the team across the board today in our meeting about leadership,” Redick said. “And leadership — people think about talking, obviously being vocal, talking in the huddles, whatever it may be. That certainly is a form of leadership. But leadership takes many forms. And I think talk is a requirement of the job as a basketball player. Talk is a requirement of the job.”

According to Woike, Los Angeles’ Wednesday win was a sign of growth, with players taking accountability for things they hadn’t been doing.

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Guard Austin Reaves played a huge role in the win against Miami and he’s continuing to grow as a play-maker. Reaves is averaging 9.6 assists per game since Christmas, including a career-high 16 on Dec. 29 and 14 against the Heat. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link), Redick said Thursday that Reaves is playing at an “All-Star level.” His season-long averages of 17.9 points and 6.2 assists per game would be career highs if they hold.
LeBron James continues to be thrilled about having Bronny James on the roster, even if the younger James isn’t playing much, Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Bronny doesn’t have to play basketball at all,” LeBron James said on the New Heights podcast (YouTube link). “It’s not like he needs the money. He can do whatever he wants to do. Like, if he wants to be the CEO of my company, he could be that. I’ll start teaching him right now to be that if he wants to. But he’s like, ‘This is my career … my goals and … aspirations and I want to play ball. This is something I love.’ I love that kid. He’s awesome.” Bronny has played sparingly at the NBA level, but he’s averaging 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in the G League.
The Lakers signed Trey Jemison to a two-way contract on Wednesday, replacing Quincy Olivari. That deal is for two years, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
According to McMenamin (Twitter link), the addition of Jemison coincides with the coaching staff’s desire to play Anthony Davis with another center on the floor. Outside of Jemison, the Lakers’ centers on the roster consist of Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko. Wood hasn’t played all season due to a knee injury, while Hayes has also battled health issues and Koloko (on a two-way) has had a limited role.

Lakers Notes: Vincent, Finney-Smith, Vanderbilt, Wildfire

January 8th, 2025 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though the Lakers lost by 21 points at Dallas Tuesday night, the return of Gabe Vincent provided some good news, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Vincent sat out the previous four games with a strained left oblique he suffered December 28. He went scoreless in 24 minutes, but coach J.J. Redick was happy to have Vincent back on the court.

“Have missed his toughness first of all,” Redick told reporters before the game. “He’s someone that has, as the season (goes on), it seems like he’s got increasingly tougher on the defensive end. His screening takes care of the basketball. Another handler. And then he’s shot the ball really well for a sustained stretch starting with that Utah game (on December 1) when he was in the starting lineup. So we’ve missed him. He’s a pro. It’d be good to get a look at the group with him back.”

Price notes that before the injury, Vincent had been playing his best basketball since joining the Lakers in the summer of 2023. He averaged 7.3 points on 43.9% shooting in his previous 11 games.

Shake Milton replaced Vincent while he was sidelined, and Price points out that L.A.’s rotation is the healthiest it has been since acquiring Milton and Dorian Finney-Smith in a December 29 trade with Brooklyn.

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Finney-Smith has only played five games since the deal, but he’s noticed that the Lakers aren’t communicating enough on defense, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. They gave up 119 and 118 points in two road games this week. “We got to do a better job of talking behind guys, giving them confidence so defenders can crawl up in ball handlers and force them to the rim,” Finney-Smith said. “And we got (Anthony Davis) down there, so we got to use it.”
Mismatches have been a problem for the Lakers on defense, as Dallas repeatedly targeted Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht with isolations, observes Johan Buha of The Athletic. The recent return of backup center Jaxson Hayes was supposed to provide another rim protector, but Buha states that Hayes hasn’t been good in that role since he was cleared to play. Jarred Vanderbilt will be reevaluated in a week and Christian Wood is expected to be back soon, but they might not make an impact right away. Redick said Tuesday that Vanderbilt will be eased back into the rotation, probably starting at around 10 minutes per game.
Redick said his family was among the many who had to evacuate Tuesday night due to a wildfire that swept through Southern California, per Stefan Stevenson of The Associated Press. The NBA released a statement regarding the status of Thursday’s scheduled game against Charlotte at Crypto.com Arena, relays Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). “We are in communication with the Lakers and Hornets and continue to closely monitor the situation to determine if any scheduling adjustments are necessary related to tomorrow night’s game,” league spokesman Mike Bass said.

Lakers Notes: Trade Deadline, Christie, Reaves, LeBron

January 5th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have gone 8-3 since they moved Max Christie into the starting lineup last month, ranking sixth in the league in defensive rating over that span, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. That makes the third-year guard highly unlikely to be moved prior to the February 6 trade deadline, according to Woike.

In fact, Christie is just the type of player the Lakers should be targeting, someone who can provide off-ball shooting, athleticism and perimeter defense. However, people around the NBA are quick to point out that just about every team is looking for players in that mold, Woike notes.

As Woike writes, the Lakers have frequently been linked to centers like Jonas Valanciunas and Walker Kessler, but acquiring a big man seems less likely after the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith, a floor-spacing forward who is capable of defending multiple positions. Rival teams are skeptical that the Jazz would even trade Kessler, preferring to keep the 23-year-old.

Los Angeles would also like to get a look at a second unit featuring a healthy Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt — the latter is expected to make his season debut in January, while Vincent is currently dealing with an oblique injury.

Making an all-in move for a maximum-salary star seems very far-fetched, per Woike, as the failed Russell Westbrook experiment and the restrictions of the new tax aprons has made acquiring another massive contract unpalatable and impractical, if not impossible.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Trading D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to Brooklyn acquire Finney-Smith and Shake Milton wasn’t just about adding complementary role players — it was also a way for the Lakers to see if Austin Reaves can develop into the third offensive star they’ve long been searching for, contends Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link).
As Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group details, Reaves’ usage rate has skyrocketed over the past few weeks, with the 26-year-old given more opportunities to run the offense. The Lakers have been far more efficient offensively when Reaves is on the court, especially lately, but he acknowledged there will be an adjustment period, Price adds. “I’m excited,” Reaves said. “I’m going to do dumb things. I’m going to mess up. I’m going to do dumb things and I’m going to learn from them. That’s all I can really do. I’m taking on this role on the fly, trading D-Lo, getting more on-ball reps. I’m just gonna learn. This is my fourth year in the league. Every day I can still learn something new. I’m really excited to continue to learn, to continue to grow and become a better player.”
Anthony Davis jokingly pointed out that it took him seven more seasons to accomplish the feat, but LeBron James broke Michael Jordan‘s NBA record for the most regular season games (563) scoring at least 30 points in Friday’s victory over Atlanta, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays. “It’s very humbling,” James said. “Anytime I’m mentioned with any of the greats, and arguably the greatest ever to play the game, super cool. It’s someone I idolized in my childhood, and I wear 23 because of him.”

Pacific Notes: Carter, Davis, Reaves, Schröder

December 26th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Lottery pick Devin Carter appears to be nearing his season debut for the Kings.

Sources tell Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento that Carter, who underwent surgery in July to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, has been cleared for “unrestricted basketball activity.” The team confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).

The former Providence star is expected to be assigned soon to Sacramento’s G League affiliate in Stockton to participate in live play, Cunningham reports.

The Kings announced in November that Carter had been cleared for unrestricted shooting. When he underwent surgery, Carter was given a return timeline of six months, and he seems to be right on track in his recovery process.

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Anthony Davis tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN he’s confident the left ankle sprain he experienced on Wednesday won’t keep him out for the Lakers‘ next matchup (Twitter link). “I’ll be OK. I am playing against SAC on Saturday,” Davis said. The star big man missed most of yesterday’s game with the injury.
Austin Reaves says he’s “not really an emotional person” but he nearly teared up after notching a 26-point triple-double and making a game-winning layup in the Lakers‘ Christmas victory over Golden State, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “I know all my people back home are locked in and sitting around with family watching the game and that means a lot to me. I say it all the time, I’m not necessarily supposed to be in this position,” said Reaves, who went undrafted in 2021 and wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school. “I got lucky, got my foot in the door and took advantage of an opportunity. And now I’m sitting here … on Christmas with a game-winner and a triple-double, and really the win that matters the most to me.”
Veteran guard Dennis Schröder is still adjusting to his new role after being traded to the Warriors less than two weeks ago, he tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape. An impending free agent, Schröder has struggled in his first four games with Golden State after putting up some of the best numbers of his career this season with Brooklyn. He says he doesn’t mind switching teams so many times over the past several years. “Twelve years in, I don’t really care no more,” Schröder said. “As long as I’m somewhere where I’m wanted and people appreciate me, and that is what I’ve had so far from the coaches. Steve Kerr is one of the best coaches. For him to believe in me like that, everybody in the organization telling me, ‘You kicked our ass the last couple of years.’ Of course, that is great. If I can stick here, cool. But if not, then I will move on to next city and organization. I don’t really mind. There are 400 people out of eight billion who play in the NBA. I don’t take those moments for granted. I can play 25, 30, 35 minutes every night. I don’t care what nobody has to say. You played on eight teams. That’s fine. I’m really blessed. I have more money to spend and help my family.”

Lakers Rumors: Trade Targets, LeBron, Davis, Bronny, Hachimura

December 17th, 2024 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are expected to be one of the most active buyers on the trade market during the 2024/25 season, though it remains unclear how much of their available draft capital they’re willing to move and how significant a deal they’ll make, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

As Buha notes, the Lakers were also considered likely to buy last season, but ultimately stood pat at the February trade deadline, choosing not to surrender a first-round pick. However, there’s hope that Golden State’s deal for Dennis Schröder (which saw the Warriors give up three second-round picks and get one back) may be a signal that teams’ asking prices for useful role players will be more modest this time around.

The Lakers are believed to be in the market for three kinds of players, according to Buha: a “physical, defensive-minded” center, a three-and-D wing, and an athletic guard with some size who can defend at the point of attack. As Buha writes, players the Lakers have been linked to in the past, including Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas and Nets wings Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, are among the targets who would make sense at this season’s deadline.

Jazz guard Collin Sexton and center Walker Kessler, Raptors swingman Bruce Brown, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant and center Robert Williams, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma are some of the other potential players of interest who have come up in Buha’s conversations with team and league sources. However, the Lakers aren’t expected to be in on former All-Stars like Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, and Brandon Ingram, Buha adds.

Here’s more on the Lakers and their approach to the trade deadline:

Unsurprisingly, the Lakers aren’t considering trading LeBron James and Anthony Davis and almost certainly wouldn’t do so unless they asked to be dealt, sources tell Buha. Other players unlikely to be moved include Austin Reaves, Max Christie, and Dalton Knecht, who are viewed as potential long-term pieces.
While Bronny James isn’t untouchable, he’s not expected to be included in a trade that doesn’t involve his father, sources tell The Athletic.
One or more of the Lakers’ four mid-sized contracts – D’Angelo Russell ($18.69MM cap hit), Rui Hachimura ($17MM), Gabe Vincent ($11MM), Jarred Vanderbilt ($10.71MM) – figures to be included in any deal of note this season. Of those players, Hachimura looks like the one the Lakers would least want to move, Buha writes, though the forward would probably also have the most trade value of the four. Russell hasn’t drawn significant interest from potential suitors during previous discussions, Vincent has dealt with injuries and has struggled offensively since joining the Lakers, and Vanderbilt has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from offseason surgeries on both feet.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Lineup, Christie, Davis, Reaves

December 16th, 2024 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward LeBron James, who stated at the start of the 2024/25 season that he hoped to play all 82 games, had to be convinced to sit out contests last Sunday and Friday to address quad and foot injuries, he said in his post-game media session on Sunday after returning to action and helping Los Angeles defeat Memphis.

“If it was up to just me, I probably would’ve played,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It would’ve been hard to keep me away from it. I have a team and I got to listen to them as well. They look out for my best interest.”

Due to the unusual nature of the NBA’s schedule during the knockout round of the in-season tournament, James was able to get nine days off while only missing two games. He told reporters on Sunday that it made sense to take advantage of that unique opportunity for in-season rest in the hopes of coming back stronger than before.

“I mean it’s very rare, to be honest, if you can get a break in the schedule like that,” James said, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “So it was a very easy decision for myself and for the team and for my trainer to be able to take advantage of those days just for everything. So, it was great. … I had an opportunity to take more days and get my mind, body and everything where I wanted it to be for tonight. And it worked out.”

As Buha relays, the nine-day layoff allowed a minor quad injury James sustained on December 6 to heal, though the four-time MVP expects to have to continue managing his sore left foot going forward.

“It’s not behind me,” James said of his foot issue. “It’s an everyday thing. It’s been lingering for the last few years, but I was able to do a lot of great things to reassure not only that, but I got kneed in the quad in the Atlanta game at the end of regulation by (Anthony Davis), that’s now back to 100 percent. Probably three days ago it was still pretty sore. But I’m able to get that back to 100 (percent), so that was great, so I was able to hit a lot of other elements as well.”

Here’s more on LeBron and the Lakers:

Speaking to reporters, including Buha, head coach JJ Redick said on Sunday that he’ll consider different ways to manage James’ workload within games in order to keep him fresh and reduce the need for him to sit out entire contests. “Maybe it’s not necessarily less minutes, but shorter runs so that he’s not getting gassed and then quicker segments on the bench and then he’s back in,” Redick said. “You know what I mean? So there’s different ways to do it than just to say we’re going to rest you and you’re going to sit out the game.”
With James, Davis, and Austin Reaves all available for the first time since November 29, Redick tried a new starting lineup on Sunday, with that trio joined by Max Christie and Rui Hachimura. The group played 20 minutes together and outscored Memphis by three points during its time on the court. After the game, Redick explained that it wasn’t an easy decision to start Christie over Gabe Vincent, but that he likes the way Christie’s size and athleticism fits into the starting five and views it as a good opportunity for the 21-year-old’s development (Twitter link via Buha).
Christie didn’t do much offensively on Sunday, with seven points on 1-of-3 shooting in 29 minutes, but he played a key role in holding Grizzlies star Ja Morant to 6-of-21 shooting with seven turnovers, notes McMenamin. “My main assignment tonight was Ja Morant, so my mind was just focused on trying to make it as tough as I could for him,” Christie said. “And I thought I did a decent job of that tonight.”
The Lakers survived a pair of injury scares on Sunday, as Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times writes. Davis headed to the locker room after hurting his left shoulder in the third quarter, while Reaves took a Zach Edey elbow to the face that drew blood in the fourth quarter. However, Davis was able to return and Reaves stayed in the game, with both players helping the club seal the victory.

Lakers Rumors: LeBron, Valanciunas, Vincent, Reaves, More

December 13th, 2024 at 5:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Speculating about whether LeBron James might change teams one more time is a “fun parlor game,” but little more than that, opines Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link).

As Windhorst explains, despite the Lakers‘ up-and-down play this season and in recent years, James has repeatedly made it clear both publicly and privately that he wants to remain with the team. He had an opportunity to push for a trade at last season’s deadline when the Warriors expressed interest in him, and he could’ve explored a change of scenery over the summer as a free agent. However, he had no interest in either case in leaving the Lakers and that hasn’t changed, according to Windhorst.

“The Lakers or any team who might want to trade for him don’t really have any say in the matter,” one league executive told ESPN. “He’s got a no-trade clause. Unless he goes in and tells (Lakers owner) Jeanie (Buss) he wants to leave, it’s not even a discussion.”

James’ position means the Lakers’ priority on the trade market is upgrading the roster around LeBron and Anthony Davis. As Tim Bontemps observes in that same ESPN story, it may take two separate trades for the club to address the issues with its roster — rival scouts and executives believe Los Angeles would like to add both a point guard and a big man, says Bontemps.

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The Lakers and Wizards have had preliminary conversations about the possibility of a Jonas Valanciunas trade and league sources expect head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka to ramp up those talks once Valanciunas officially becomes trade-eligible on Sunday, reports Anthony Irwin of Clutch Points. According to Irwin, the expectation is that the Lakers will offer Gabe Vincent and multiple second-round draft picks, perhaps along with one of their minimum-salary players for financial reasons. For what it’s worth, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic reported on Thursday that the Wizards have been “adamant” that they intend to hang onto their veterans, including Valanciunas, for as long as possible due to their positive influence on the team’s young players.
The Lakers have had internal discussions about the idea of signing free agent point guard Markelle Fultz, according to Irwin, who suggests Fultz could provide backcourt depth in the event that the team trades D’Angelo Russell and/or Vincent. Given L.A.’s current position relative to the second apron, as well as its full 15-man roster, signing Fultz wouldn’t be a practical option until the club has made at least one move on the trade market.
The front office has been unwilling in recent transaction windows to make guard Austin Reaves available in trade talks, and Sam Amick of The Athletic said during an appearance on Buha’s Block with Jovan Buha (YouTube link) that there’s no indication that stance has changed. “They’ve been very reluctant, specifically, to discuss Austin Reaves who I only highlight because he’s a good, young player on a very team-friendly contract that would inspire other teams to play ball, negotiation-wise,” Amick said (hat tip to Bleacher Report). “But that, to my knowledge, is still a non-starter.”
Dave McMenamin of ESPN takes a look at three reasons why the Lakers have lost seven of 10 games since their 10-4 start, including inconsistency and poor play on defense. One Eastern Conference executive told McMenamin that he doesn’t believe the Lakers have the personnel to be a good defensive team, while an Eastern scout said the club badly needs to acquire a good point-of-attack defender who can make three-pointers. “Honestly, they need what everybody wants,” one Western Conference scout told ESPN. “It’s that versatile wing defender that can guard two through four and then can make an open three. Your Mikal Bridges, your OG Anunoby, those type of players. And those guys, either: One, aren’t available; or two, if they are available, they’re not cheap, they’re at a premium. Everybody in the NBA wants guys like that.”

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Reaves, Davis, Flaws

December 12th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers superstar LeBron James has been away from the team this week for personal reasons, but he’ll be sidelined for Friday’s contest in Minnesota due to left foot soreness. That’s the same issue that caused him to miss Sunday’s win vs. Portland, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

“For us, we have to be cognizant as we play more and more games, just the cumulative effect of playing a lot minutes,” head coach J.J. Redick said after practice Wednesday. “And Sunday, being banged up with the foot thing, it felt like a good opportunity for him to get some rest.”

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin, who first reported that James was unlikely to play Friday, the 39-year-old did not travel with the Lakers to Minnesota.

James would have eight days off if he returns for this Sunday’s matchup vs. Memphis. And he’d have nearly two full weeks off if he sits out that game and returns next Thursday in Sacramento, Woike notes.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Austin Reaves, who has missed the past five games with a left pelvic contusion, is officially questionable for Friday’s matchup, but he appears on track to return, according to Woike. As we previously relayed, the fourth-year guard went through nearly all of Wednesday’s practice.
Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times argues the Lakers’ season is already a lost cause and the only reasonable way to move forward is to trade James and Anthony Davis, though he acknowledges both players would need to push for those moves for them to happen.
In a column for RG.org, Mark Medina lays out why he believes the Lakers’ weaknesses aren’t easily fixable, writing that the front office’s plan of continuity hasn’t led to on-court consistency. In addition to a flawed roster and injuries to role players, Los Angeles simply doesn’t possess enough assets for meaningful upgrades via the trade market, according to Medina.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Reaves, Bronny, Slump

December 11th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James was absent for personal reasons Wednesday as the Lakers held their first full practice during a break in the schedule, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. After missing his first game of the season on Sunday due to soreness in his left foot, James “wasn’t in the building” Tuesday for what coach J.J. Redick called a voluntary “get what you need day.” James had an excused absence today, and it hasn’t been determined if he’ll travel with the team for Friday’s game at Minnesota.

“I don’t know yet,” Redick told reporters. “Again, it’s personal reasons, so he’s taking some time.”

James continues to put up remarkable numbers in his 22nd NBA season, averaging 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists through the first 23 games, but he may be getting worn down from the long schedule as his 40th birthday approaches later this month. He played 43 minutes in Friday’s overtime loss at Atlanta, leading to the decision to hold him out on Sunday.

Max Christie said the Lakers are staying focused on the task ahead of them while James is away.

“Having a leader like that that’s not here is tough, but I know some of that stuff is out of our control,” Christie said. “It’s kind of like a next-man-up mentality, still, even in practice. The guys still competed really hard even though he wasn’t here. There was some good leadership, there was good vocalization for us as a team, good collaboration, so it was a good practice.”

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Austin Reaves was nearly a full participant in today’s practice as he works his way back from a bruised left pelvis that has caused him to miss the last five games, Price adds. Reaves was held out of one drill that Redick described as “particularly physical,” but he was able to take part in five-on-five scrimmages and other portions of the session. He’s still considered day-to-day.
Bronny James will begin playing in G League road games, with the first one coming Thursday in Phoenix against the Valley Suns, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). Earlier in the season, Bronny was shuttling back and forth between the Lakers and the G League, but there was always the possibility that he would increase his time with South Bay, notes Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Jovan Buha of The Athletic looks at what’s gone wrong for the Lakers during a 3-7 stretch has dropped them into eighth place in the Western Conference. There’s plenty to address as L.A. ranks 28th in the league offensively and 24th defensively over its last 10 games. Redick and the players deserve their share of the blame, Buha states, but most should be directed at the front office for bringing back essentially the same roster as last season. He suggests that at least two trades could be necessary to contend for a title, which might mean parting with first-round picks in 2029 and 2031.

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