Jaxson Hayes Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Clinch Playoff Berth

April 9th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

It was overshadowed by Luka Doncic‘s emotional return to Dallas, but the Lakers clinched a playoff spot with tonight’s 112-97 win over the Mavericks, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. At 49-31, L.A. can wrap up the No. 3 seed by winning Friday at home against Houston or Sunday at Portland.

Doncic led the way on Wednesday with 45 points after the Mavs welcomed him back with a tribute video during pregame introductions (Twitter link from Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal). Dallas fans cheered wildly for their former franchise player when his name was announced and continued to show their support throughout the game.

“I don’t know how I did it,” Doncic told ESPN (Twitter link). “Because when I was watching that video, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m playing this game.'”

The improbable addition of Doncic shortly before the trade deadline in February changed the course of the Lakers’ season, setting them up as a dangerous opponent heading into the playoffs. Doncic is surrounded by a roster that’s just as talented as the one he led to the NBA Finals last year, and he appears to be fully healthy after dealing with a string of injuries during the first half of the season.

LeBron James continues to perform at an All-NBA level after turning 40 in December, averaging 24.5 points, 7.9 assists and 8.3 assists in 68 games heading into tonight. He and Doncic are both creative passers with elite court vision and a history of playoff success.

Austin Reaves gives the Lakers a reliable third scorer who can carry the offense on any given night. Reaves has been handed a larger role under first-year coach J.J. Redick and has responded with career highs of 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 71 games.

The Lakers made another significant move at the deadline, acquiring Mark Williams from Charlotte in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft assets, but they later rescinded the deal due to concerns about Williams’ health following his physical. That decision left Jaxson Hayes as the team’s starting center with little proven help off the bench to back him up.

L.A. may have another roster move to make before the regular season ends. Jordan Goodwin was promoted from a two-way contract to a standard deal in late March, and either Christian Koloko or Trey Jemison is reportedly being considered for a spot on the 15-man roster to become eligible for the playoffs. Veteran center Alex Len appears to be most in danger of being waived if that happens.

Lakers Notes: Doncic, LeBron, Hayes, Kleber

April 4th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Luka Doncic wasn’t happy with his first experience in the Lakers-Warriors rivalry, taking the blame for Thursday’s loss to Golden State following a poor shooting night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Doncic went 6-of-17 from the field and missed all six of his three-point attempts, ending a 114-game streak of making at least one three-pointer, which McMenamin notes was the fifth longest in NBA history.

The loss knocked L.A. back into fourth place at 46-30, a half-game behind Denver in the tight race for Western Conference seeding. The fifth-place Warriors moved to within a game of the Lakers at 45-31.

“That performance from me was unacceptable,” Doncic said. “When I play like that, that makes [it] harder [for the team] to win, so just got to figure that out.”

After the game, Doncic had ice on his left elbow, which was heavily wrapped in kinesiology tape, McMenamin states. However, Doncic refused to blame the injury for his shooting woes.

“It’s fine,” he said. “That’s my left [arm], so it’s fine. I was shooting with the right. It [just] looked like [the] left.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

LeBron James isn’t showing any effects from the groin strain that sidelined him for two weeks in March, McMenamin adds. In his seventh game since returning, James played 40 minutes and finished with 33 points, five rebounds and nine assists. “That was the best I’ve felt since before the injury, for sure,” he said. “I just tried to press, get downhill. My rhythm, as far as my jump shot, felt pretty good today. I have been shooting it from the free throw line extremely well as of late. But that was probably the best physically I’ve felt so hopefully I can build off of that.”
Jaxson Hayes saw his scoring numbers rise after the Doncic trade in early February, but opponents have adjusted to take away the lob threat, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Hayes averaged 9.6 PPG and shot 78.4% from the field in his first 19 games with Doncic, but defenses are now focusing on keeping their low man close to the basket. “When teams do that, man, it’s either Luka’s gonna get a bucket or one of the shooters gonna get a bucket,” Hayes said. “They’re pulled in trying to help on my rolls and tackle on my rolls, that means the corner man’s open. So it’s just all about making the right reads. I just gotta continue to force overs and continue to roll hard so people come pull into the paint and can try to bring more of their defense in to get other guys open.”
Maxi Kleber, who was acquired from Dallas in the Doncic deal, has been cleared for on-court activities, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kleber is recovering from surgery on his right foot in late January.

Pacific Notes: Payton, Beal, Hayes, Carter, Kings

April 3rd, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Golden State should have one of its top defensive players back in the near future. While veteran swingman Gary Payton II has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Lakers, he is making “good progress” from the partially torn ligament in his left thumb is now considered day-to-day, according to an announcement from the Warriors (Twitter link).

Initial reports on Payton’s thumb injury indicated he would be sidelined indefinitely, but the Warriors announced last Thursday that he’d be reevaluated in one week and it sounds as if that exam went well. While the defensive specialist won’t suit up on Thursday, he has yet to be ruled out for the second end of the team’s back-to-back set, so it’s possible he could return as soon as Friday vs. Denver.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Bradley Beal isn’t listed on the Suns‘ injury report for Friday’s game in Boston and is on track to make his return after missing eight games with a left hamstring strain. He shares fans’ frustrations about his inconsistent availability this season and is hopeful he won’t have to miss any more games this spring, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “It’s not ideal, obviously, it’s not fun,” Beal said. “You don’t enjoy it. You control what you can control. That’s all I can do. I always preach about being available and that’s something I’m definitely kicking myself about, but that’s sometimes how the cookie crumbles. All I can do is keep my head up and keep getting better. The staff has been great, my body is in a better place and I feel really good right now. Hopefully it continues to stay that way.”
Jaxson Hayes averaged a career-low 12.5 minutes per game in his first season with the Lakers in 2023/24, but has taken on a significantly more important role in the second year of his minimum-salary deal following the trade sending Anthony Davis to Dallas. Hayes, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, is looking to make the most of the chance to start at center alongside an elite pick-and-roll play-maker like Luka Doncic. “I just view it as opportunity to make a name for myself, an opportunity to go win some games and win a ring,” Hayes said on Wednesday, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “And I just look at it as I gotta come in locked in every day and just try to make the most out of every day, be the best version of myself.”
The Kings got good news on Devin Carter after the rookie guard exited Saturday’s game early due to a right shoulder injury. Carter is considered day-to-day due to a shoulder contusion and is being listed as questionable to play on Friday in Charlotte (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). Carter has a history of shoulder issues, so the team can breathe a sigh of relief now that the injury appears to be relatively minor.
While the Carter update was a positive one, there hasn’t been much else to celebrate in Sacramento as of late. As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, the Kings‘ loss in Washington on Wednesday represents a new low for a team struggling to separate itself in the play-in race from a Phoenix squad that has lost four games in a row. The 36-40 Kings have a one-game lead on the Suns for the No. 10 seed in the West.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Lakers Notes: Luka, Reaves, Goodwin, Bronny, More

March 20th, 2025 at 4:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers will be shorthanded for Thursday’s matchup with Milwaukee, which is the second end of a back-to-back, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

In addition to LeBron James, who remains sidelined with a left groin strain, the Lakers will also be without superstar guard Luka Doncic, who continues to manage a sprained right ankle, sources tell McMenamin.

Austin Reaves will also be out tonight with his own right ankle sprain, the team announced, and Rui Hachimura will miss his 10th straight game due to left knee tendinopathy. Forwards Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle injury management) and Jarred Vanderbilt (right groin strain) are listed as doubtful.

As McMenamin notes, Thursday will mark Los Angeles’ sixth game in eight days, including a recent makeup contest against San Antonio from January that was postponed due to the L.A. wildfires. Other than trying to secure a favorable seed entering the playoffs, Vanderbilt said the team is focused on its health.

“Getting healthy,” Vanderbilt said. “S–t, that would be No. 1. Getting healthy. Getting rest with this stretch. And try to get some reps together. The main thing is getting healthy so we can try to keep building our chemistry.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

The acquisition of Doncic has transformed L.A.’s offense in numerous ways, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic details. The 25-year-old has been developing burgeoning chemistry with both Reaves and Jaxson Hayes. “He creates such havoc for teams’ defenses that 90 percent of the time people are blitzing him, as you can probably see, and he makes the right play out of the blitz,” Reaves said. “He doesn’t try to force it too much in those situations, and he makes the right play. So therefore you’re playing four-on-three, and it just comes down to playing the game the right way and passing it to the open person, because three people can’t guard four.“
In another story for ESPN.com, McMenamin outlines how the Lakers have improved over the course of the season on the defensive end. Having Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent healthy and trading for Finney-Smith helped, but L.A.’s supposed liabilities have also been punching above their weight. “Even their biggest defensive liabilities in Reaves, LeBron and Luka, who is only so-so, are playing well above their defensive standards,” a Western Conference scout told ESPN.
Two-way guard Jordan Goodwin has been another impact defender for the Lakers. As we noted this morning, he only has four active games remaining. “I’m just trying to find any way possible just to keep the job, keep being here. It’s going to be doing the little things,” Goodwin told McMenamin. “We already got our stars so we need guys to come in and be the role players, do the dirty work. So, I’m cool with doing that if that’s what’s going to keep me in the NBA.”
Although all three of the Lakers’ two-way players are nearing their active game limits, a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking told McMenamin that the Lakers aren’t in a rush to make decisions on the back end of their roster.
In an interview with Joe Vardon of The Athletic, guard Bronny James says he’s confident in the progress he’s made during his rookie campaign, particularly at the G League level with South Bay. “I definitely think I’ve improved, not only as a player, but just having a different mindset as a player to go out and play my game and play the game that I know how to play,” James said. “I feel really good about it — I see the progress.”

L.A. Notes: Powell, Harden, Hayes, Lakers’ Offseason

March 17th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers didn’t ask much from Norman Powell as he returned to the court Sunday night, but they didn’t need a big contribution from their leading scorer in a 35-point win over Charlotte, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Playing for just the second time since the All-Star break, Powell scored seven points in 22 minutes and Carr observed that the enthusiasm he displayed as he skipped onto the court showed his excitement to be playing again.

Carr notes that coach Tyronn Lue has found a way to keep the team successful without Powell’s 23.4 points per game. While he was sidelined, Lue focused the offense around Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac and James Harden.

“(We were) understanding how we want to play through guys,” Lue said, “and I think we’re getting more comfortable playing through Kawhi, playing through Zu, and James is just James.”

L.A. has managed to stay in contention for an automatic playoff spot, trailing sixth-place Golden State by just a game and a half. Powell’s return comes at a good time as the schedule is about to get much tougher with home games this week against Cleveland, Memphis and Oklahoma City.

“We pretty much need to win these games,” Leonard said. “Obviously, James is playing at a great level, Zu too. They played great individual basketball, being efficient and (Bogdan Bogdanovic) being great as well, making threes. It’s just been a collective group of thinking, just making shots that have been helping us.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

Harden has a streak of 15 straight playoff appearances that dates back to his rookie season with the Thunder, Carr adds in a separate story. It’s the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history, but he’ll have to go through the play-in tournament to extend it if the Clippers can’t move into the top six.
The Lakers also welcomed back an important player on Sunday as center Jaxson Hayes returned after missing the four-game road trip with a bruised right knee, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Hayes tied his season high with 19 points while shooting 8-of-10 from the field, and Price notes that all his baskets came off assists from Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. “Just the vertical spacer is massive,” coach J.J. Redick told reporters before the game. “It’s not just in pick-and-rolls, but it’s on drives. Just the threat of that that Jaxson has provided has been so good for Luka, for LeBron (James), for (Reaves), so excited to get that back.”
Finding another center will be an offseason priority for the Lakers, whether it’s someone to take over the starting role or serve as a backup to Hayes, Jovan Buha of The Athletic said on his latest podcast (hat tip to BasketNews). L.A. acquired Mark Williams from Charlotte before the deadline, but eventually rescinded the trade due to concerns about Williams’ physical condition. Buha also expects the team to try to work out extensions with Doncic and Reaves and to reach new deals with James and Dorian Finney-Smith. Doncic will become eligible in August for a four-year extension worth an estimated $228.6MM.

LeBron James Expected To Miss At Least Another Week

March 16th, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers star LeBron James is expected to remain sidelined for at least one more week as he continues to recover from a left groin strain, ESPN’s Shams Charania said today during an appearance on NBA Countdown (Twitter video link).

Charania first reported last Sunday that James’ groin ailment was expected to keep him on the shelf for a minimum of one-to-two weeks, so his latest report is consistent with that timeline.

According to Charania, James conducted an on-court workout on Sunday for the first time since sustaining the injury on March 8. However, the Lakers will be cautious with his return, Charania notes, given that it’s a soft-tissue injury and the 40-year-old has played significant minutes this season after participating in the Olympics last summer.

For what it’s worth, head coach J.J. Redick told reporters on Sunday that James is “ramping up” and is considered “day-to-day” (Twitter link via Mark Medina).

Los Angeles has struggled without James available in the past week. In addition to dropping the game in Boston in which he was hurt, the team has since lost road contests in Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Denver as well. The Lakers are back in L.A. and will host Phoenix today to tip off a five-game home stand, which runs through next Saturday.

Although it sounds as if James will likely remain inactive for that entire home stand, there are some positive injury updates out of Los Angeles. Starting center Jaxson Hayes will be available vs. the Suns after missing four games due to a knee contusion, per the team. Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Gabe Vincent (knee) are also available after being inactive on Friday in Denver.

Additionally, there’s optimism that Rui Hachimura, out since February 27 due to a knee issue of his own (patellar tendinopathy), will return within the week, according to Charania.

The 40-25 Lakers are in the midst of a battle to secure a playoff berth. They currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference, 1.5 games back of the Rockets, Nuggets, and Grizzlies (all tied at 43-25) and two games ahead of the 39-28 Warriors.

Pacific Notes: Sabonis, Kings, Lakers, Reaves, Suns, Plumlee

March 15th, 2025 at 8:31am CST by Rory Maher

Friday’s loss to Phoenix was the latest in a string of ugly defeats for the Kings, writes Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. The Kings were blown out for the third game in a row and have now dropped four straight and five of their past six.

“I expected a way better performance out of our guys,” interim head coach Doug Christie said to open his postgame press conference.

Opposing teams have been feasting from behind the arc of late against Sacramento, which gave up a season-high 24 three-pointers to the Suns and made only eight of their own. As Biderman notes in another story, things went from bad to worse in the fourth quarter, when star center Domantas Sabonis appeared to aggravate the left hamstring injury that had sidelined him for the past six games.

“I think he wanted to continue to play,” Christie said. “But (there’s) no conversation. Sit down. When I see you do that, I’m not even playing around with that one. You are way too important to us.”

The Kings, who are currently the No. 9 seed in the West, have dropped to .500 at 33-33 and are only one game up on Dallas and 2.5 games ahead of Phoenix as they vie for a postseason spot.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Prior to Friday’s game in Denver, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes all have a good chance to suit up within the next week, tweets Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet. “They’re all very close to returning,” Redick said. James has missed the past three games with a groin strain, while Hachimura and Hayes are battling knee injuries. The Lakers wound up losing their fourth straight game to conclude their road trip.
Austin Reaves was a bright spot for the Lakers in their shorthanded road loss to the Nuggets, as Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times relays. Reaves wasn’t sure whether he’d play after injuring his right wrist on Thursday in Milwaukee, but he wound up recording 37 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and four steals in 39 minutes. “We know when we’re full healthy and got everybody on the team that we have a really good chance to beat anybody,” Reaves said. “I just see this group, coming together, locking in on one common goal and that’s to win. And tonight I think is the biggest testament to that. Very shorthanded and went and played a really good basketball team with probably the best player in the world. And went toe to toe and had an opportunity to win it and just didn’t execute the last 50 seconds.”
Suns star Kevin Durant credited the play and professionalism of Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro following Friday’s victory over Sacramento, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter video link). “It was incredible. … Love playing with those guys and it’s something we need to build on,” Durant said. “We’ve been talking about it for so long, but each game matters, every possession matters. They came out there with that type of mindset.” Both rookies have been in and out of the rotation over the past month.
Suns backup center Mason Plumlee was ejected for the second straight game on Friday after elbowing Sabonis in the neck area (YouTube link via ESPN). The play was reviewed and Plumlee’s actions were deemed “unnecessary and excessive with contact above the shoulders,” leading to a flagrant 2 foul and automatic ejection. Plumlee was also ejected from Wednesday’s game vs. Houston after a brief scuffle with Steven Adams.

Injury Notes: Davis, Lively, Gafford, JJJ, Sabonis, Lakers, Walker

March 13th, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Tristan Tucker

There are no indications that the Mavericks are seriously considering shutting down Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford for the rest of the season, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. If any or all of the three currently injured big men are able to return while the Mavericks are mathematically in the play-in/postseason hunt, they’ll play, says Townsend.

A recent report suggested that it might be in Dallas’ best interest to preserve those players for the long run due to Kyrie Irving‘s season-ending injury and the team’s unfavorable spot in the standings.

“We know how good we can be when everyone’s healthy,” guard Dante Exum said. “But that’s one of the big things about the NBA: timing. Timing is everything. Runs and staying healthy during the season and going into playoffs, that’s a big part, and it’s something that we’re gonna have to figure out, quick.”

Davis is dealing with an adductor strain and Lively is recovering from a stress fracture. Both players, as we wrote, are on track to make their returns before the end of the season, if that’s the path the organization and players agree to. Gafford is recovering from an MCL sprain. His original six-week recovery timeline would have him back toward the end of March or the beginning of April, but there’s a sense he might be a little further off.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Jaren Jackson Jr. appears to be be nearing a return for the Grizzlies, as he was upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game against the Cavaliers, according to Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies have gone 4-1 without Jackson, but his return will be a welcome one for a team with aspirations of competing for a title. Jackson has been considered week-to-week due to an ankle sprain.
Domantas Sabonis hasn’t suited up for the Kings since March 1, but he was upgraded to questionable ahead of the team’s Thursday game against the Warriors, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Sabonis, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, was ruled out just before the game, tweets Anderson. But the fact that his injury status was upgraded at all is a signal that his return should be just around the corner.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes and forward Rui Hachimura left the team’s road trip to return to L.A. alongside LeBron James for health reasons, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Both Hayes and Hachimura are battling knee injuries. They, along with James, are considered day-to-day, according to McMenamin. We previously wrote about James’ injury here.
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker IV was diagnosed with a concussion on Thursday morning, according to PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck (Twitter link). Walker hit his head on the court on Wednesday against Toronto and entered the NBA’s concussion protocol. He’ll be evaluated daily moving forward.

L.A. Notes: Leonard, Lue, Morris, Hayes

March 10th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers‘ prospects for an automatic playoff spot — or at least a better position in the play-in tournament — improved dramatically on one Kawhi Leonard shot Sunday night, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Trailing by a point in overtime, Leonard held the ball for 15 seconds before making a move. He dribbled eight times, then launched his shot over a collapsing Kings defense. It bounced off the back of the rim and fell through the net to give the Clippers a 111-110 victory.

“Read the defense, got to a spot on the floor and was able to get a shot off,” said Leonard, who topped 40 minutes for the first time this season. “I wanted to play. I’m kind of capped on the minutes — 36 is a lot of minutes. But it was just about me just wanting to finish that game. They told me they were going to sit me for a minute and bring me back. So just itching to get back in and didn’t want to sit.”

It was the third straight victory for the Clippers, who are eighth in the West at 35-29, one game back of Golden State for the sixth spot. L.A. has rebounded from a 1-6 stretch immediately after the All-Star break and appears to be surging ahead of four upcoming games against sub-.500 opponents. The Clippers have now clinched the head-to-head tie-breaker against the Kings, who trail their division rivals by a game and a half at 33-30.

Although Norman Powell and Ben Simmons remained out for Sunday’s game, league sources tell Murray that they’re both making progress. Powell, who is sidelined with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, will be reevaluated following a three-game road trip. Simmons, who is also dealing with a knee issue, may play during the trip.

There’s more on the two Los Angeles teams:

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had to miss Sunday’s game due to back pain, according to an Associated Press report. Lue didn’t give any indication during his pregame media session that he wouldn’t be able to coach, and the team didn’t provide any other details. Assistant Brian Shaw replaced Lue for the night.
Markieff Morris has barely played since rejoining the Lakers last month, but he’s finding other ways to contribute, notes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. The veteran forward has taken on a leadership role and was instrumental in helping Dalton Knecht regain his confidence after his trade to Charlotte was rescinded. “I missed (Morris),” LeBron James said. “… We’ve been in the foxhole together. We’ve been on the floor during big games together. And there’s someone whose opinion I value very much when I come off the floor. He’s watching it. He’s seeing it. I’m just happy to have him back. It’s great to see him.”
The Lakers will be without their entire starting front line for tonight’s game at Brooklyn. Center Jaxson Hayes has been ruled out on the team’s official injury report due to a contusion on his right knee. He joins James, who’s recovering from a groin injury he suffered Saturday night, and Rui Hachimura, who remains sidelined with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee.

Lakers Notes: James’ Injury, Road Trip, Doncic, Hayes

March 9th, 2025 at 7:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers know that LeBron James won’t be able to play for at least a week, and probably longer than that, due to a groin strain. How will they survive the upcoming stretch of games without him?

“I think we just have to continue to play hard and play defense,” coach JJ Redick said, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

The Lakers have been the No. 1 ranked defense in the league since mid-January. They’re confident they can collects wins despite the future Hall of Famer’s absence.

“We’ve had many situations where a player deals with some type of injury or a trade or whatever it is, and we’ve done a really good job of bouncing back,” guard Austin Reaves said. “And I don’t expect anything else. It’s a next-man-up mentality. Not one person’s gonna do what LeBron does for us. But you can do it as a collective. And … hopefully, he gets back out on the court soon.”

As Buha notes, the Lakers have a rugged stretch of games upcoming. They’ll play in Brooklyn on Monday, then finish their road trip by playing in Milwaukee on Thursday and Denver on Friday. They also have a pair of home back-to-backs (four games in five days) against Phoenix/San Antonio and Denver and Milwaukee within the next two weeks.

We have more on the Lakers:

James believes that being at full strength for the postseason supersedes anything else at this point, Buha relays. “We can compete versus anyone in this league,” James said. “So, we’ll be fine. We got to continue to build our habits. … We made an acquisition late in the season, and we’re still trying to build. And we want to get full. That’s the No. 1 objective for us: How we can get full and get all our guys together and see exactly what we look like.”
James and Rui Hachimura (knee) are among the players listed as out for the matchup with the Nets, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Luka Doncic (back soreness) and Jaxson Hayes (right knee contusion} are listed as questionable.
Hachimura, who has missed five consecutive games, is making progress from the patellar tendinopathy affecting his left knee. Get the details here.