LeBron James

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.

Pacific Notes: Beal, Durant, LeBron, Lakers, Huerter

December 15th, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic both returned Friday night, but the Suns may have a new injury concern, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bradley Beal was a late scratch for the game at Utah with swelling in his right knee. Coach Mike Budenholzer said he was added to the injury report after the knee issue began to develop between Thursday night and Friday morning. Beal was able to take part in a shootaround on Saturday, but he’s listed as questionable for tonight’s game against Portland.

“We’ve been in that situation already this season,” Devin Booker said of Beal’s absence. “It’s obviously a different game plan. You can’t replace what he does on the court, but everyone has to give a little bit more.”

Durant was able to play 34 minutes and compiled 30 points and eight assists after sitting out three games due to a sprained left ankle. He told reporters that the ankle felt “great” after the game as the team improved to 12-2 with him in the lineup.

“Of course his scoring, the iso plays, but his off the ball defensively,” Ryan Dunn said of what Durant brings to the team. “His leadership role as well. Just trying to motivate everybody to keep going.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers have provided some clarity regarding LeBron James‘ absence, saying it’s for “left foot injury management,” according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. James hasn’t played since Dec. 6 and has been away from the team for “personal reasons.” He has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s home game against Memphis.
The Lakers are searching for answers for their sputtering offense after scoring just 87 points in Friday’s loss to Minnesota, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Price notes that the team has failed to score 110 points in eight of its last 10 games after reaching that mark 12 times in the first 15 contests. “Got to score,” Anthony Davis said. “Getting good looks. We haven’t been shooting the ball from three well. Just got to make shots. We’re getting great looks. We’re generating open threes, generating open looks for our guys. We just got to be confident enough to make them.”
Kings guard Kevin Huerter suffered a minor AC joint sprain to his surgically repaired left shoulder Thursday night, relays Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The injury occurred on a foul by New Orleans center Yves Missi midway through the third quarter. Huerter is considered day-to-day, and his status for Monday’s game against Denver is uncertain. Huerter underwent surgery in March after dislocating the shoulder.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kuminga, LeBron, Zubac, Sabonis

December 14th, 2024 at 9:41am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors‘ late-game issues came to a head on Thursday in their last-second loss to the Rockets. They led by six points with just over a minute left, but let the lead slip away, culminating in a late-game call that head coach Steve Kerr called “unconscionable.”

For what it’s worth, the NBA said that call — a personal foul on a loose ball scramble that resulted in Houston getting game-winning free throws — was correct, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. The NBA said of the foul that Jonathan Kuminga reached “over [Jalen] Green in an attempt to get to the ball and pulled his shoulder down.”

Right call or not, the Warriors know they need to be better in late-game situations, Anthony Slater of the Athletic writes. Golden State ranks 27th in the league in field goal percentage in clutch situations.

“The pattern of scoreless droughts down the stretch has to be addressed or else we’ll be a mediocre team,” Stephen Curry said. “I’ll take responsibility for not being able to get us organized and not being able to finish plays. Ball’s in my hands. I got to make shots.

“But I think we can all address certain sets that can get us into better shot-creation type opportunities knowing how teams are trying to guard us, especially the last five minutes. We’re talking about it. We’re experimenting. That’ll be the defining point of our entire season. If we figure it out or if we don’t. Because we’re playing well enough to win most games. That’s a good sign and a bad sign.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kuminga is getting every opportunity to break out, having being heavily featured in Golden State’s five games in December. He’s averaging 21.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per night this month. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link), owner Joe Lacob still has an affinity for Kuminga, but it’s important to note that the two sides were far off on an extension this summer. There’s hope that clarity on Kuminga’s future will come during this stretch of increased playing time amid rumors that the former No. 7 overall pick could change hands in a trade for a star.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said Friday that he’s not sure when LeBron James will return to the team after a second straight absence, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes. James is out with foot soreness and was also granted an excused absence due to personal reasons. James hasn’t played since Dec. 6.
The Clippers are getting Ivica Zubac‘s best night in and night out amid a career season, The Orange County Register’s Janis Carr writes. Zubac is averaging career highs in points (14.7) and rebounds (12.2) per game while the Clippers are 14-12 despite a current three-game losing streak.
Arvydas Sabonis enjoyed a successful NBA career, becoming a Trail Blazers’ mainstay in the 1990s. In a feature story for ESPN, Baxter Holmes explores the connection the senior Sabonis has with his son Domantas, who is carrying the torch from his father while being a star for the Kings. “I’m very happy the Sabonis blood is there and showing [well],” Arvydas said. “My story, it ended short. Now comes a Sabonis with a long story.” I highly recommend checking out the story in full.

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.”

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.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

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.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, LeBron, Hield, Huerter

December 9th, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James‘ stated goal of playing 82 games this season ended Sunday night, but the Lakers got contributions from plenty of other players, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. With James sidelined by soreness in his left foot, L.A. snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Portland.

“Next man up,” Anthony Davis said. “That’s why we have a team. Other guys had to step up. Guys know have to step up when we have a guy like Bron out. Guys took on a challenge and, even though it was a last-minute scratch this is what guys prepared for and guys got a chance. Some guys got a chance to come in and play in a little bit more minutes than they probably normally would, and they did what they were supposed to do.”

With James and Austin Reaves both unavailable, D’Angelo Russell took on a larger role in the offense, posting season highs with 28 points and 14 assists. He had 13 points and six assists in the fourth quarter as L.A. broke open a tight game, but he declined to speak to reporters about the performance. Rui Hachimura also hit a season high with 23 points, along with four steals.

“I was just trying to be aggressive,” Hachimura said. “Especially defensively, we have been traveling, but [Sunday] I think we were playing more with Gabe (Vincent), Cam (Reddish), Max (Christie), it made it easier to kind of be more aggressive because I can trust them. They’re always making plays defensively.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

On the latest Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said rival teams continue to monitor whether James would consider asking the Lakers for a trade (hat tip to RealGM). Windhorst offered a reminder that the Warriors called about LeBron at last season’s deadline, but the talks never progressed because he wanted to stay in L.A. James has a no-trade clause in his new contract, so he can’t be moved without his consent.
Warriors guard Buddy Hield benefited from a lineup change Sunday night, per Anthony Slater of the Athletic. Making just his third start of the season, Hield responded with 27 points and seven made three-pointers while playing a season-high 35 minutes. It was his first 20-point game in more than a month. “(Coach Steve Kerr) did a good job of just letting me stay out there and letting me figure it out,” Hield said. “Sometimes, you need to get settled in. If you know what I’m talking about as a basketball player, you sometimes get locked in and you’re just running around all the time and you don’t feel comfortable.”
Malik Monk‘s move to the starting lineup has left the Kings short on bench production, but Kevin Huerter may be the answer, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Huerter scored a season-high 26 points in Sunday’s rout of Utah after coming into the game averaging a career-low 9.3 PPG and shooting a career-worst 29.7% from beyond the arc. “Sometimes it’s just a numbers game,” he said. “You’ve just got to come back, you’ve got to trust it, continue to put the work in every day and just trust that it’s going to come back at some point.”

Pacific Notes: James, Harden, Durant, Kuminga

December 8th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James had appeared in all 23 of the Lakers‘ games this season until Sunday. The 39-year-old forward missed Los Angeles’ game against the Trail Blazers because of left foot soreness, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports.

James played a season-high 43 minutes on Friday in an overtime loss at the Hawks. He racked up 39 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. He is averaging 23 points, 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds per contest.

The four-time MVP was listed as probable earlier on Sunday before being downgraded to doubtful after the team’s walk-through.

“You don’t want him out of the lineup, that’s for sure, but he has an opportunity to get four days’ rest before we practice again,” coach JJ Redick said. “So, it could be really good for him.”

Austin Reaves missed his fifth straight game because of a left pelvic contusion.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Like James, Clippers guard James Harden sat out for the first time this season on Sunday. Harden was sidelined by a groin injury, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Harden scored a season-low five points against Minnesota on Wednesday, but is averaging 21.6 points, 8.5 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game on the season.
Kevin Durant is making good progress from his left ankle sprain, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “We feel like the reports that we’re getting back are very positive,” Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ll see how the next day or two go and I think re-evaluate him. It’ll be good for us to get back and give him some love. He’ll probably give us some love. It’s always good to be around Kevin. He’s good for our spirit.” The team stated on Wednesday that Durant would be out at least a week.
The Jonathan Kuminga era has begun for the Warriors, Marcus Thompson of The Athletic writes. Kuminga has been inserted into Golden State’s lineup at Draymond Green‘s expense in order to infuse that unit with another offensive jolt. “He’s a big weapon for us. … So we’ve got to lean into that. And it may not go well every night, but that’s what we’re trying to build,” Stephen Curry said. Kuminga will be a restricted free agent after the season.

And-Ones: China, 2025 Draft, Doncic, Trade Deadline, Trends

December 6th, 2024 at 11:31am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Nets and Suns will play two preseason games in Macao next October, which marks the first time the NBA is playing in China since 2019, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (Twitter link). The NBA later formally announced the decision (Twitter link).

“Bringing preseason games to Macao will showcase the excitement of the NBA to fans in one of the world’s emerging hubs for sports,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said in the statement. “The Nets and Suns feature an exciting mix of established and rising stars, and we look forward to engaging fans, aspiring players and the local community in Macao through these games and a variety of interactive events, youth development programs and social impact initiatives.”

The partnership is the result of a years-long effort to repair the relationship between the two sides after commissioner Adam Silver and the league didn’t reprimand then-Rockets general manager Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for protests in Hong Kong in 2019, Charania and Brian Windhorst write.

NBA games were then temporarily removed from broadcasts in China and sponsorships were lost. The relationship has been mended largely in part to NBA China’s CEO Michael Ma, according to Charania and Windhorst.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Duke’s Cooper Flagg is still the top-ranked prospect on Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft, but Rutgers’ Dylan Harper is beginning to put pressure on him for that top spot. The 18-year-old Harper scored 36 points against Notre Dame and 37 against Alabama. Despite Harper’s strong play, executives have a hard time seeing Flagg being unseated from the pole position, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Insider link). BYU’s Egor Demin and Rutgers’ Ace Bailey are among other players who will push to hear their names called No. 1 overall.
While Luka Doncic is obviously primarily focused on the Mavericks‘ current season, he’s still excited that Slovenia qualified for EuroBasket 2025 and is looking forward to the chance to suit up for them, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal reports. Slovenia is also up to potentially host EuroBasket in 2029. “That would be a dream come true, playing in front of fans in a big tournament at the EuroBasket,” Doncic said.
The NBA trade deadline could see reduced action as compared to other recent seasons, due in part to the restrictive CBA but also fewer bad contracts across the league, Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “Teams are a little bit smarter and I just think the intelligence into the game and the way teams are operated and the gameplay is taking some of the stuff fans kind of like — at least some of the older school fans,” Windhorst said.
Hornets two-way player Moussa Diabate has played well amid Charlotte’s frontcourt injuries, which is one recent trend worth monitoring, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. Diabate is averaging just 3.1 points per game, but has grabbed 7.8 rebounds (3.6 of which are offensive boards) per night. The Lakers playing better when LeBron James is off the court and Atlanta owning L.A.’s first-round pick are other trends worth keeping tabs on as the season progresses, Katz notes.

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