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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.
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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.
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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.

We have more on the Lakers:

  • 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.”
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Pacific Notes: Lakers, Reaves, Vincent, Powell, Ellis

December 7th, 2024 at 11:19am CST by Tristan Tucker

After opening their four-game road trip on Sunday with a win in Utah, the Lakers lost three consecutive games, including blowouts in Minnesota and Miami and an overtime heart-breaker in Atlanta on Friday. LeBron James told reporters after the latest loss that L.A.’s lack of depth is being tested, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, who notes that the Lakers’ bench was outscored 65-17 last night.

“Mismatching with lineups, we’re trying to figure out ways, obviously,” James said. “So it’s very challenging. We don’t have much room for error. … It’s big, big, big, big pieces.”

Austin Reaves, Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt were all inactive on Friday. Reaves, the biggest absence on the road trip in terms of point production, returned to L.A. before Friday’s game to receive treatment for a pelvic bruise. He has averaged 16.7 points and 4.8 assists this season across 19 games (all starts).

“He’s like a connector for our offense, but he’s also a scorer and a play-maker,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

The Lakers rank in the bottom five in the league in bench points and are going to have to stick with what they have for the time being.

“There’s no cavalry,” Anthony Davis said. “No one feels sorry for us. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. Just got to continue to put our head down and grind and work. Try to get back in the win column on Sunday against Portland. … No game’s going to be easy for us, so we got to go take the win.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Redick switched things up on Friday by starting Gabe Vincent over D’Angelo Russell. Vincent delivered in his second start of the season by recording 12 points and five assists, The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price writes. Those 12 points were Vincent’s most in a Lakers uniform and he’s averaging 9.0 PPG with a 37.5% three-point rate in his last four games. “I just tried to compete on both ends like I always do,” Vincent said. “The ball was in my hands a little more. I tried to create where I could. I tried to find guys where I could. Tried to take care of the ball. I was trying to win. I’m about winning, so I’m pretty frustrated with the loss. But it happens.” Vincent dealt with injury issues for most of last season, but appears to be rounding into form.
  • Clippers guard Norman Powell is playing like an All-Star and a Most Improved Player candidate in his 10th season, averaging 23.9 PPG on a scorching 50.7% three-point clip. He has got the Clippers firmly in the Western Conference playoff picture. Powell recently spoke to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto about his ascent, championship experience and his personal battles on and off the court. “I thought about quitting basketball a few times,” Powell said. “I don’t think people really get to hear the dark moments that you go through. I’ve talked about being at the forefront of mental health, and guys like Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan talk about how important it is. People don’t really get to see that side of things.” I recommend checking out the interview in full here.
  • After some inconsistent showings in recent games, the Kings scored a season-high 140 points on Friday. Keon Ellis didn’t play on Tuesday and only saw two minutes of action on Thursday, but was inserted back into the rotation on Friday and was a +32 with four steals in 21 minutes. Coach Mike Brown explained Ellis’ playing time fluctuation, according to The Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman. “Starting Malik [Monk], he’s going to command more minutes,” Brown said. “We’re trying to play Kevin [Huerter] more. We’re trying to be a little bigger with Isaac [Jones] and Jae [Crowder]. So there hasn’t been a ton of minutes. Now, I can take minutes away from one of those guys to try to get him out on the floor. But it’s just, right now, it’s a minutes thing, based on who I’m playing.“
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Lakers Notes: James, Vincent, Russell, Jackson, Knecht

December 2nd, 2024 at 8:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers notched a one-point win over Utah and it was an old-school game of sorts for LeBron James. His usage rate is down noticeably this season but coach JJ Redick put the ball in his hands regularly in the second half and he attempted 14 fourth-quarter shots.

“We really slowed things down in the second half and tried to get the matchup we wanted for LeBron to just handle in that pick-and-roll,” Redick said, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. “And truthfully, that was the best offense we were going to generate. So whether we missed or made it, we just kept going to that. I thought we got some clean looks that could have given us a little bit more of a cushion. But I liked our execution offensively.”

We have more on the Lakers:

  • Gabe Vincent, thrust into the lineup on Sunday due to the absence of Austin Reaves (left pelvic contusion), scored 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. It was Vincent’s first double-digit scoring outing in his 30 regular-season games as a Laker, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register notes. Vincent joined the Lakers as a free agent on a three-year, $33MM contract prior to last season.
  • Vincent’s stint as a starter didn’t last long. D’Angelo Russell replaced him in the lineup against Minnesota on Monday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets.
  • Los Angeles will likely look to include Vincent as a salary filler with draft pick compensation in trade talks, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype reports. The Lakers could potentially dangle Vincent and future second-round picks in a deal for Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, a coveted Lakers target, Scotto adds.
  • The Lakers announced last month that they’ve commissioned a statue of former coach and player Pat Riley on their Star Plaza. It’s expected to be a prelude to an eventual announcement about a statue for another former coach, Phil Jackson, Marc Stein reports in a Substack article.  Riley coached the Lakers to four championships in the 1980s, while Jackson coached the Lakers to five.
  • The Lakers have been searching for years to find a dead-eye shooter to complement James. They may have finally found that player in rookie wing Dalton Knecht. “We, as a front office, have sort of chased in theory the exact player he is, a movement shooter,” Lakers vice president of basketball operations and GM Rob Pelinka told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And then not only is he a movement shooter, but a movement shooter with athleticism, which is a really unique combination.”
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Pacific Notes: Leonard, Clippers, Waters, Vincent

October 6th, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Kawhi Leonard sat out the Clippers‘ preseason opener Saturday night, but he expressed confidence that his surgically repaired right knee will be less of a problem this season, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.  Leonard was limited to two games in last year’s playoffs due to inflammation in the knee, then he was replaced on the U.S. Olympic team because of concerns that the knee wouldn’t permit him to play.

Leonard told Youngmisuk that the focus in training camp has been on strengthening his knee and preparing him for the long season ahead. However, no determination has been made on whether he’ll be used in back-to-back games.

“I feel good,” Leonard said. “Just been taking my time, getting stronger and getting ready. … We’re just taking it slow, day by day and just trying to get me back on the floor. Once those conversations come, we’ll see what they’re talking about [on the best approach for back-to-backs].”

Leonard appeared in 68 games last season, his highest total in seven years, and the Clippers will need him in the lineup as much as possible to remain competitive after losing Paul George in free agency. Leonard is hoping for a similar workload this season, but that’s not his primary concern.

“I strive to get a championship and I’m not out there to try to [solely] play 82 games,” he added. “I’m trying to win, even though [playing as much as I can] that’s obligated for me. I try to. But it hasn’t worked out [the last two postseasons] so we’ll see.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • James Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac looked ready for the regular season on Saturday, but it may take time for coach Tyronn Lue to work out the rest of the Clippers‘ rotation, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Newcomers Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones were in the starting lineup, but they both went scoreless. More impressive were Kevin Porter Jr., who scored seven points, and Kai Jones, who contributed four points, six rebounds and three assists.
  • Lindy Waters, who’s in camp on a non-guaranteed contract, won the game for the Warriors with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, per Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Waters described the moment as the “cherry on top” after a long week of training camp. “I had already hit a couple of them, so that rim gets bigger and bigger,” he said. “So I just let it fly, and I knew it was good as soon as it left my hand.”
  • One positive for the Lakers in Friday’s preseason opener was backup guard Gabe Vincent, who scored 11 points in 15 minutes. Vincent missed 71 games last year with a knee injury, and he told Lakers Nation this week that he didn’t feel 100% until about a month after the season ended. “Obviously I was healthy enough to come back and compete, but I think it was clear to everybody that I wasn’t really myself even though I was able to impact in certain ways,” Vincent said. “It just wasn’t really what I was proud of producing and I don’t think it’s what this ballclub needed me to produce at the time. So definitely happy to be healthy coming into this season.”
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Los Angeles Notes: Leonard, Harden, Lakers Rotation, Redick

October 1st, 2024 at 6:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard anticipates he’ll be on the court for the team’s regular season opener, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes. Leonard has been dealing with inflammation in his right knee during the offseason. However, Leonard acknowledges knee issues will remain an ongoing concern.

“Everything has been going great for the past month, but being very cautious for reasons in the past we haven’t been able to finish some playoff runs, so making sure we’re staying healthy for those important moments,” he said. “Trying to maintain it and figure it out. We’ll be in here for a long time if I started describing stuff [about the injury and treatment] … but just learning on how it came and how to keep it down and make sure that we don’t fall in that timeframe of [missing time in] those important [late-season] moments and just making sure I’m healthy. There’s certain stuff that we could do or try to do to make me last.”

Leonard, who signed a three-year max extension in January, is encouraged by the fact he played more often last season.

“I played my most games I’ve played in a long time last year,” Leonard said. “Last two years I came back from ACL and been injured and it’s a progression for me. It was successful for us last year. Obviously from a fan base [perspective] or just from my own competitive nature, we didn’t reach a goal [of winning a title]. But in the grand scheme of things and how my body’s been doing it, it was a good year. I went from zero games to 52 to 68. So let’s see if I could keep it going from there.”

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

  • With Paul George signing with the Sixers and Russell Westbrook also out of the picture, the Clippers will lean heavily on 35-year-old James Harden this season. Harden says he’s up to the challenge, Ben Golliver of the Washington Post tweets. “It’s definitely going to involve a lot of me,” Harden said. “There was talk when I was in Houston… ‘You can’t win like that.’ You just saw a guy [Luka Doncic] last season make the Finals playing the same exact way I played.”
  • Lakers first-year coach J.J. Redick envisions a nine-man rotation, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. Redick mentioned Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes, Max Christie, Cam Reddish and Jalen Hood-Schifino as some of the candidates for bench rotation spots.
  • Redick and his staff are already receiving compliments from the players, according to Buha. “I just think the whole structure and foundation these coaches have brought in for us is a great start,” Austin Reaves said. “Because I feel like a lot of times last year we won games off talent. And when you have talent around structure, then you have the opportunity to do something really special.” Christie said Redick has gone to great lengths to explain his philosophy: “J.J. has done a really good job, I think, to start. Definitely imposing himself as a coach. … I think he’s done a really good job kind of explaining what our offensive identity, defensive identity and so on is going to be.”
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Lakers’ Pelinka, Redick Talk Roster, Lack Of Trades, Health, More

September 25th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Addressing the media alongside head coach JJ Redick on Wednesday, Lakers executive VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said it will take about 30 or so games to properly evaluate the team’s 2024/25 roster.

The Lakers only added four outside players this offseason, bringing in Dalton Knecht and Bronny James via the draft and adding two-way players Armel Traore and Christian Koloko. The team will primarily be banking on good health luck and internal improvement to take a step forward in the Western Conference hierarchy.

“We believe in this group,” Pelinka said according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link).

The Lakers were in rumors revolving around Hawks guard Trae Young and other big names toward the start of the offseason, but didn’t end up pulling the trigger. If they did decide to swing for a star or role player down the line, their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks would be highly coveted.

“We would do a trade with both picks if that leads to sustainable Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said, per Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina (Twitter link). “We would also use one pick to make a marginal upgrade if we felt that was the right thing to do.”

Here are a few of the more interesting comments from Pelinka and Redick from today’s presser:

  • Jarred Vanderbilt underwent procedures on each of his feet this offseason, tweets The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. Pelinka said both operations were successful and he’s optimistic the forward will be ready for the start of the season. According to Pelinka, the surgeries happened at the beginning of the Lakers’ offseason. Vanderbilt had a bone spur in one foot and the doctor recommended going ahead and cleaning up the other foot since he was missing time anyways (Twitter link via Buha).
  • According to Pelinka, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Jalen Hood-Schifino have all been cleared to participate in training camp (Twitter link via Buha). Hachimura didn’t miss much time last season, but Vincent and Hood-Schifino combined to play in just 32 games. The Lakers paid $33MM over three seasons to Vincent last year but he was limited to 11 appearances due to a knee injury. He’ll likely be relied on more this coming season.
  • Redick says he’s spoken to D’Angelo Russell more than any other Lakers player. His message to the guard, according to McMenamin (Twitter link), has been “Let’s put you in position to have a career year.” Russell averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 assists per game last year while making 41.5% of his three-point attempts.
  • Redick said he and his staff have already discussed the moment that LeBron James and Bronny James will first share the court in the regular season, McMenamin tweets. Redick will involve both players in the process, but doesn’t view coaching the pair as a challenge.
  • Pelinka said he thinks new two-way center Christian Koloko will be cleared by the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel sooner rather than later, according to The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price (Twitter link). Koloko missed all of last season due to career-threatening blood clots.
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Pacific Notes: Wiggins, Kuminga, Davis, Lakers, Suns

September 14th, 2024 at 11:52am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors explored a handful of blockbuster moves this offseason, including potential acquisitions of Lauri Markkanen and Paul George. With neither of those deals coming to fruition, the 2024/25 Warriors season relies in part on Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga taking a leap to All-Star levels, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes.

Wiggins performed at an All-Star level previously when the Warriors won the 2022 title, but his production has dipped since then. Kuminga enjoyed a modest breakout last season, averaging 16.1 points per game compared to the 9.6 PPG he registered in his first two seasons, but he hasn’t yet turned into a star level player.

Both players have star-level potential and the Warriors could submit another 50-win season if either of them erupts this year.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

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L.A. Notes: Davis, Lakers, DeRozan, Batum, Clippers, Christie

July 9th, 2024 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

After LeBron James downplayed any concerns over what has been a quiet offseason so far for the Lakers, his star teammate Anthony Davis followed suit from Team USA’s training camp in Las Vegas, as Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times relays. Davis pointed out that injuries to presumptive rotation players like Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent had an impact on last year’s team and that having better health luck in 2024/25 could make a difference.

“We don’t know what we could have been if we had those guys, especially in the playoffs,” Davis said. “You know especially Vando because he’s a big part of what we do defensively. But, so we look at the lineup, and you know we come in ready to work.

“And last year is last year. We can’t say, ‘Oh this is the same team.’ It could be a different result. For us it’s about coming in with the mindset of getting to work and seeing how it plays out.”

Of the 15 players who finished last season on the Lakers’ roster, 13 remain under contract for the coming season. The only two newcomers to this point are the team’s two draft picks, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles-based teams:

  • Although DeMar DeRozan was said to be on the short list of “impact” Lakers targets that LeBron James would have been willing to take a significant discount for, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium stated during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link) that it came down to the Kings and Heat for DeRozan. “I’m told the Lakers never went beyond expressing just simple interest in DeRozan,” Charania said. “There were no offers or tangible conversations with the Bulls on a sign-and-trade deal.”
  • Speaking to reporters after he agreed to re-sign with the Clippers, veteran forward Nicolas Batum indicated that he chose to reunite with his former team and former head coach (Tyronn Lue) after receiving interest from over half the league. “I had several options, a lot of options, I actually had 17,” Batum said (French link via BasketUSA.com).
  • The Clippers, who had the NBA’s oldest roster last season, haven’t exactly been a player development hub in recent years, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who takes a look at how the team could change that going forward, starting with this year’s second-round pick Cam Christie.
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