Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Ayton, Bronny
LeBron James‘ future, whether with the Lakers or elsewhere, has been speculated on throughout the course of the season, and one prediction appears to be gaining traction.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, there is widespread talk about James returning to the Cavaliers for a final reunion with his hometown team.
“I don’t know if LeBron knows what he’s going to do,” MacMahon said on NBA Today, as relayed by RealGM. “I certainly don’t know what he’s going to do. I know what the rampant speculation is around the league and that is this summer there’s going to be a reunion and potentially a retirement tour for the ages back home again with the Cleveland Cavaliers next year.”
While the financial realities of adding James could be complicated for the Cavs, he would fit a positional need, as Cleveland has long struggled to find a permanent wing starter to play between Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
James has also been linked to the Warriors and Knicks, though other teams would surely have interest if he became available on the free agent market.
We have more from the Lakers:
- James added another record to his collection on Thursday, becoming the oldest player in league history to record a triple-double, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The record had previously been held by Karl Malone, who was 40 years and 127 days old when he accomplished the feat. James was 41 years and 44 days old on Thursday as he put together a 28-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound triple-double and led Los Angeles to a 124-104 victory over the Mavs. “To be able to do it and get the win is, that means more to me than anything,” James said. “But I’m very blessed to play this game, play it at a high level.”
- Luka Doncic was traded to the Lakers just over a year ago, a move that has had massive implications for the franchise — notably, switching from a team built around James’ timeline to one built around Doncic’s, writes Kevin Pelton for ESPN. Pelton notes that this year’s record of 32-21 is not dissimilar to the team’s record last year, when they were 32-19 after winning the first game of the Doncic era. But while the team’s record and the Slovenian star’s statistical production might not be vastly different from their pre-trade levels, some of the teambuilding approach has shifted to be more future-facing. Pelton writes that, after previously being very aggressive to put complementary pieces around James, the team has chosen not to send out first-round picks since the voided Mark Williams deal collapsed. They are prioritizing flexibility, and will head into the 2026/27 season with just four players on guaranteed deals: Doncic, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, and Jarred Vanderbilt, though Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart hold player options.
- Doncic remains day-t0-day for the Lakers with a left hamstring injury, with his status for Sunday’s All-Star game still unclear, Benjamin Royer writes for the OC Register. “He’s progressed really good,” coach JJ Redick said of the decision to sit him on Thursday’s game against the Mavericks. “I think part of him, you know, wanted to push to get back part of the break, but, you know, we just got to be cautious with the soft tissue injuries … We all feel comfortable with the decision to hold him out and should be good to go post-All-Star (break).” Redick declined to comment on whether Doncic needed to check off certain recovery boxes before he could suit up for Sunday’s festivities.
- Ayton underwent imaging due to the lingering right knee soreness that has caused him to miss the last two games for Los Angeles, reports Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). The tests came back clean, and Woike writes that the Lakers are hopeful that the time off will allow him to recover and return to play following the All-Star break.
- Bronny James‘ counting stats might not look wildly different in year two than they did in his rookie season, but he can feel his own growth when he’s on the court, Royer writes in a separate piece. “(I) feel different. Feel way more comfortable,” Bronny said. “My teammates believe in me, my coaches believe in me. That’s all I’ve wanted. It’s just good to get out there and take advantage of the minutes I get.” James had his best game of the season on Tuesday, recording 12 points and six assists in 25 minutes and even taking some matchups against Victor Wembanyama that impressed Redick. “In terms of the physicality we wanted on defense, he had two really good possessions in the first half against Wemby,” Redick said. While his shot has been much more efficient this season, James knows that if he wants to carve out a role on this Lakers team, it will start on the defensive end.
Southwest Notes: Mavs, Bryant, Coward, Wemby, Rockets
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont is in the process of vetting candidates for the team’s head of basketball operations role, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The list of contenders for the job includes multiple veteran executives with “proven track records” of running a team’s front office, according to MacMahon — including some who currently hold that position in rival teams’ front offices.
League sources who have spoken to Christian Clark of The Athletic have “consistently” conveyed that the Mavericks don’t plan to make an out-of-left-field hire after the way things played out with longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison. High-level front office experience is a top priority for the Mavs this time around, Clark explains.
“After Nico, there’s not much room for creativity,” one source with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic.
Clark, who also hears that Dallas is expected to interview executives currently working for other teams, adds that a promotion to a top front office position for head coach Jason Kidd is unlikely. While Kidd has reportedly had a say in personnel decisions and wouldn’t be the first head coach to transition to a GM role, it doesn’t sound as if that’s a path the club is seriously considering.
- Spurs rookie forward Carter Bryant has been named an injury replacement for Friday’s Rising Stars event, per the NBA (Twitter link). Bryant will be taking the spot of Grizzlies rookie forward Cedric Coward, who has been ruled out due to right knee soreness.
- Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points in 26 minutes in the Spurs‘ victory over the Lakers on Tuesday, and despite the team’s sizeable lead in the fourth quarter, he wanted more, Tim MacMahon writes for ESPN. “I was also pushing to go back, but I mean, they did the right thing by keeping me on the bench,” Wembanyama said. “We got to think long term. But yeah, these kind of games, you got to have the greed.” McMahon adds that coming into the game, the Spurs’ star was committed to ensuring San Antonio did not let its guard down simply because they were facing the Lakers, whose squad was decimated by injuries. Wembanyama ended up playing over 33 minutes the next night in the Spurs’ 126-113 victory over the Warriors.
- The Rockets have the profile of a very good team, but they don’t feel like an inner-circle title contender, Varun Shankar writes for the Houston Chronicle. However, for a team missing its starting point guard, Fred VanVleet, for the season, as well as one of their identity setters, Steven Adams, since mid-January, it’s not unexpected that they’ve struggled to play to the level they were predicted to be at before the season. “It’s all about perspective,” Kevin Durant said. “… My presence is allowing people on the outside to put heavy expectations on us and put the microscope on us and not realize that we’re still growing individually as players. Continuity matters. We had injuries too. But when I’m around, the expectations go up. Nobody cares about context.” Shankar writes that even if a championship isn’t in the cards this season, the rest of the season still matters from a developmental perspective, especially with so many players contributing at a young age. A playoff series win or two would show the team is taking its next steps and positioning itself to be ready next year when it’s fully healthy again.
Malik Beasley Signing With Puerto Rican Team
Free agent sharpshooter Malik Beasley, whose NBA future remains in limbo, is joining the Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The club has announced its deal with Beasley on social media (Instagram link).
As Charania notes, the team is owned by Bad Bunny, the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican recording artist who headlined the Super Bowl halftime show last Sunday. The Cangrejeros de Santurce compete in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). The league’s 2026 season will tip off next month.
A nine-year NBA veteran, Beasley had arguably the best year of his career in 2024/25, averaging 16.3 points per game and finishing second in the NBA in total three-pointers (319). He appeared in all 82 games and finished as the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up for a Pistons team that improved its record by 30 wins and snapped a five-year playoff drought.
However, Beasley has been in a holding pattern since the 2025 offseason while federal investigators and the NBA look into a possible connection to illegal betting activity. Unlike Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter, who were investigated as part of the same general probe, Beasley hasn’t been arrested by law enforcement or disciplined by the NBA in any way, but he remains in limbo while he waits for those investigations to wrap up.
The 29-year-old was said to be closing in on a three-year, $42MM contract with the Pistons last summer before news broke that he was linked to the federal investigation into illegal gambling.
Beasley has reportedly drawn interest from teams in Europe and China while waiting to be cleared by the NBA, but Charania suggests (via Twitter) that the guard/forward remain closer to home and use his stint in Puerto Rico as a showcase ahead of 2026 free agency while he awaits closure on the NBA’s investigation.
Central Notes: Thomas, Rivers, Harden, Cavs, T. Smith
Cam Thomas scored just four points on 1-of-5 shooting in his first game with the Bucks on Monday, but he showed on Wednesday and Thursday why Milwaukee were eager to bring him in after he was waived by Brooklyn last week. In those two road wins over Orlando and Oklahoma City, Thomas racked up 46 points in 45 total minutes of action, making 17-of-33 shots from the floor.
After Thomas scored 34 points against the Magic on Wednesday, head coach Doc Rivers likened the fifth-year guard to two former Sixth Man of the Year winners he coached earlier in his career with the Clippers.
“I’ve had Jamal Crawford. I had Lou Williams,” Rivers said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And now, I have Cam Thomas.”
Thomas has faced criticism at times during his four-and-a-half NBA seasons due to the perception that he’s an “empty calories” scorer who doesn’t play good defense or contribute in any other ways on offense. As Nehm writes, Thomas insisted this week that he’s “more than just a scorer” and suggested his play-making is “underrated.” While the 24-year-old is at his best when he’s putting the ball in the basket, Rivers said the Bucks want to give him the chance to show off all facets of his game.
“Cam wants to do right. He wants to play well. You can see that,” Rivers said after Wednesday’s game. “And we’re going to give him every opportunity. I mean, the guy is a natural scorer, and you can see that. Probably forced one or two today where he overdribbled. You live with that, and you teach that to get that out of him. But overall, he was fantastic.”
We have more from around the Central:
- Rivers had to attend a funeral and wasn’t on the Bucks‘ bench for Thursday’s game in Oklahoma City (Twitter link). Darvin Ham coached the team in Rivers’ place and led Milwaukee to an upset victory over the defending champions in a game that both teams’ MVPs (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) missed due to injuries.
- James Harden attempted just four shots in his Cavaliers home debut on Wednesday, but he had 11 assists and no complaints after the team improved its record to 3-0 since acquiring him. “Like I told them, I’ll figure it out. We’ll do some adjusting with each other, but for the most part, I’ll play with y’all and do what y’all been doing and I’ll find my way and they’ve been doing that,” Harden said, according to Joe Reedy of The Associated Press. “So even (Wednesday), I shoot four shots, but we win by 25 points. That’s the most important thing. … I’m just here to win.”
- After the Rocket Arena floor came under scrutiny again last month following a Luka Doncic injury scare, the Cavaliers have installed temporary extensions along the sidelines and baselines of their raised court in an effort to increase player safety, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. A team spokesperson said a permanent solution will be implemented prior to the start of the 2026/27 season, Vardon adds.
- Second-year Pistons big man Tolu Smith, who is on a two-way contract, got a chance to play on Wednesday for the first time since January 10 with Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren serving suspensions. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before the game that it represented a real opportunity for Smith. “He’s an elite defensive rebounder, paint protector, pick and roll guy,” Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). “… He’ll be just fine with the tools that he has.” Smith finished with three points, three rebounds, and two assists in 15 minutes off the bench in Detroit’s win win over Toronto.
Examining The Hornets’ Trade Deadline Moves
The Hornets executed five trades ahead of last week's deadline, using their cap flexibility to act an unconventional buyer without giving up valuable assets in the process. Today we're taking a closer look at Charlotte's moves and how the team pulled them off.
Blazers’ Cissoko Latest Two-Way Player To Reach Active Game Limit
Several teams will head into the NBA’s All-Star break with roster decisions to make before their schedules resume next week. One of those teams in the Trail Blazers, who deployed two-way player Sidy Cissoko for his 50th game of the season on Thursday in Utah.
Cissoko, who made his 24th start of the season and played 30 minutes in Portland’s win over the Jazz, has now reached the active game limit for two-way players and will no longer be able to suit up for the NBA team unless he’s promoted from his two-way contract to the Blazers’ standard 15-man roster.
Cissoko is one of several players in that boat, along with Nuggets forward Spencer Jones, Timberwolves guard Johnny Juzang, and Sixers forward Jabari Walker. All four two-way players have been active for 50 NBA games this season.
Cissoko and Jones have emerged as key contributors for their respective teams and will likely be promoted to standard contracts sooner rather than later. The Nuggets might have taken that route with Jones already if not for the concussion that sidelined him for the final three games before the All-Star break, which allowed the team to put off an official roster move for an extra couple weeks.
Denver has two openings on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to promote Jones, making the club’s decision even more straightforward.
That’s not the case in Portland though, where one of the team’s 15 players currently holding standard contracts will need to be cut if the Blazers want to promote Cissoko. If the team decides to convert both Cissoko and its other standout two-way player, Caleb Love (who is at 45 active games), two cuts would be required. Rayan Rupert and Matisse Thybulle have been mentioned as possible odd men out, but that’s not necessarily a given.
There’s less urgency for certain other teams whose two-way players have reached – or are fast approaching – their active game limits. For instance, while Juzang has been active for 50 games this season, he only actually saw the floor in 21 of them — he was a DNP-CD in the other 29. As such, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Wolves haven’t rushed to promote him to the standard roster. Juzang was on the inactive list for Minnesota’s last three games prior to the All-Star break.
Rockets two-way guard JD Davison is another player nearing his 50-game limit (he has five games left), but like Juzang, he hasn’t been a crucial part of his team’s rotation when he’s active. Davison has appeared in 24 games and been a DNP-CD in 21 others. With that in mind, Houston may not be in a rush to move him to the 15-man roster when he gets to his game limit.
It’s also worth noting that promoting a two-way player or leaving him in limbo aren’t the only two options a team has at its disposal after he reaches his active game limit. When two-way player Chris Youngblood found himself in that situation last week, the Thunder decided to waive him, recognizing that there was no room for him on their 15-man roster and wanting to give him the chance to explore other opportunities before the end of the season.
Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (six games left) and center Moussa Cisse (eight games left), Wizards big man Tristan Vukcevic (nine games left), Pelicans guard Bryce McGowens (nine games left), and Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea (10 games left) are among the other notable two-way players whose teams will have roster decisions to make in the coming weeks.
The full list of players who have already been converted from two-way deals to standard contracts can be found here.
Chris Paul Announces Retirement
After being waived by the Raptors on Friday, Chris Paul has officially announced his retirement from the NBA, confirming his decision in an Instagram post.
“This is it!” he wrote as part of a longer statement. “After over 21 years I’m stepping away from basketball.
“… While this chapter of being an ‘NBA player’ is done, the game of basketball will forever be ingrained in the DNA of my life. I’ve been in the NBA for more than half of my life, spanning three decades. It’s crazy even saying that! Playing basketball for a living has been an unbelievable blessing that also came with lots of responsibility. I embraced it all. The good and the bad.
“As a lifelong learner, leadership is hard and is not for the weak. Some will like you and many people won’t. But the goal was always the goal, and my intentions were always sincere (Damn, I love competing!). It feels really good knowing that I played and treated this game with the utmost respect since the day my dad introduced me to it.”
Paul’s decision brings an end to the career of one of the NBA’s all-time great point guards. The former Wake Forest star, who was drafted fourth overall in 2005, spent 21 seasons in the league, appearing in 1,370 total regular season games and another 149 playoff contests for seven franchises.
Paul earned 12 All-Star berths and 11 All-NBA nods, won the 2006 Rookie of the Year award, was the MVP of the 2013 All-Star game, and led the league in assists five times and steals six times. He also made nine All-Defensive teams (including seven first teams) and was part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary squad.
The North Carolina native began his NBA career with New Orleans, spending six seasons as a member of the then-Hornets, before he was traded to the Clippers in 2011. Former NBA commissioner David Stern, who was acting as the de facto owner of New Orleans’ team at that time while the league sought a buyer, controversially vetoed a trade that would have sent Paul to the Lakers before signing off on a deal sending CP3 to Los Angeles’ other team.
The best stretch of Paul’s career arguably came during his first five seasons in L.A. — he was named an All-Star and an All-Defensive first teamer while also finishing in the top seven of the MVP vote in each of those five years. Although those “Lob City” Clippers never made a deep playoff run, they won postseason series in three of five years after Paul had won just a single series during his time in New Orleans.
Paul, who was traded to Houston during the 2017 offseason, subsequently had stints with the Rockets, Thunder, Suns, Warriors, and Spurs before returning to the Clippers for his final season last summer. The reunion with the Clippers turned sour in the fall as the team decided to part ways with him due to the poor cultural fit. He was traded to Toronto at last week’s deadline before being waived and making his retirement announcement on Friday.
Despite the anticlimactic end to his career – and the fact that he never won an NBA championship – Paul is a surefire future Hall-of-Famer who made the All-Star game with four different teams and will retire holding the No. 2 spot on the NBA’s all-time list of assists and steals leaders. He also served as the president of the National Basketball Players Association from 2013-21.
For his career, Paul averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 33.5 minutes per game, with a .469/.370/.870 shooting line.
Raptors Waive Chris Paul
The Raptors have waived veteran point guard Chris Paul, the team announced today.
Toronto acquired Paul from the Clippers at last week’s trade deadline in a financially motivated deal. There was never an expectation that CP3 would suit up for the Raptors, so it was just a matter of time before this transaction occurred.
After spending last season in San Antonio and starting all 82 regular season games for the Spurs, Paul sought a team in free agency last offseason that would allow him to stay close to home in Los Angeles. He eventually came to terms with the Clippers on a one-year, minimum-salary agreement.
However, the future Hall-of-Famer’s 21st NBA season didn’t play out as planned. There was reportedly some tension over his limited role and his “abrasive” locker-room presence. With the Clippers off to a dismal start to the season, they announced in early December that they were “parting ways” with Paul, who would remain on the roster but would no longer be around the team.
L.A. didn’t want to waive Paul, since it would mean eating his guaranteed salary and leaving his $2.3MM cap hit on the team’s books, compromising the front office’s ability to make additional moves around the edges of the roster. Eventually, the Clippers got involved in a three-team deadline deal with the Raptors and Nets that allowed them to move off Paul’s minimum-salary contract while Toronto shed Ochai Agbaji‘s expiring $6.4MM salary in order to duck out of luxury tax territory.
Waiving Paul will create an open spot on the Raptors’ 15-man roster, with no urgency to fill it until at least the end of the All-Star break — and perhaps even later than that. Toronto will have the option of perusing the buyout market for a veteran free agent or perhaps elevating a two-way player like Alijah Martin to the standard roster.
As for Paul, he’ll clear waivers on Sunday, but his NBA career will come to an end here. The 40-year-old announced shortly after being waived by Toronto that he has decided to retire. Our full story on that announcement can be found here.
Checking In On Active 10-Day Contracts
NBA teams have been permitted to sign standard 10-day contracts since January 5 and hardship 10-days since October. However, the busiest period of the season for 10-day deals often occurs after the trade deadline — open roster spots no longer need to be preserved for possible trades, many teams have newly opened roster spots to be filled, and rebuilding clubs are more likely to give G League standouts a shot at NBA auditions.
As our tracker shows, six 10-day deals have been signed since last Thursday, and that number figures to continue growing steadily after clubs return from the All-Star break.
Here are the 10-day contracts that are currently active around the league:
- Philadelphia 76ers: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (runs through Feb. 14)
- Philadelphia 76ers: Charles Bassey (runs through Feb. 14)
- Washington Wizards: Keshon Gilbert (runs through Feb. 15)
- Los Angeles Clippers: Dalano Banton (runs through Feb. 16)
- Memphis Grizzlies: Lawson Lovering (runs through Feb. 20)
- Washington Wizards: Kadary Richmond (runs through Feb. 20)
It’s worth noting that 10-day contracts signed just before the All-Star break can sometimes technically run beyond 10 days. That’s because those deals are required to cover a minimum of three games.
Baldwin, Bassey, Gilbert, and Banton were under contract for at least three games prior to the All-Star break, which is why their deals will expire before the NBA schedule resumes. Richmond signed on Feb. 11, so his contract is perfectly timed to cover three games during those 10 days — the Wizards played on his first day under contract and will be in action again on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20.
However, Lovering signed with Memphis on Feb. 9, with just two games left on the team’s schedule prior to the All-Star break. As a result, his deal will extend to become a 12-day contract in order to cover the first post-All-Star game on the Grizzlies’ schedule on Feb. 20.
You can use our 10-day contract tracker to continue to keep tabs on all the 10-day deals signed for the rest of the season.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Vucevic, Simons, Garza, Queta
Monday’s practice with Boston’s G League affiliate represented the first time that Celtics forward Jayson Tatum had taken part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage with NBA and NBAGL players – as opposed to coaches – during his Achilles recovery process, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link). Charania hears that Tatum looked “great,” but cautions that there are still several more checkpoints for the 27-year-old to pass before he could suit up for an NBA game.
“I’m feeling good,” Tatum said after his first practice with the Maine Celtics, per Brian Robb of MassLive. “… (Tuesday) is 39 weeks (since the injury), so it’s been a long journey. And it’s just like the progression of rehab. It was the next step. Doesn’t mean that I’m coming back or I’m not. It’s just following the plan. So it’s just another step.”
The 35-19 Celtics hold the No. 2 record in the Eastern Conference despite not having Tatum available at all this season. He said this week that there had been “no doubt” in his mind entering the season about the club’s ability to play at this level while he recovered from his Achilles tear, adding that it’s been “really fun and cool” to see what his teammates have done. He also spoke positively about Boston’s pre-deadline trade to acquire veteran center Nikola Vucevic, as Robb relays.
“Vuc is a hell of a player,” Tatum said. “Obviously I’ve competed against him for the last eight years. I’m excited about the things he brings to this team and the different dynamic. So we’re all excited to have him.”
We have more on the Celtics:
- Less than a week after being traded from the Celtics to the Bulls for Vucevic, Anfernee Simons was back in Boston on Wednesday as a visiting player. Before the game, the veteran guard spoke glowingly about his brief stint with the Celtics and said he could “for sure” see himself returning to the team later in his career if the opportunity arises (Twitter video link via Bobby Manning of CLNS Media). Simons added that he understood why Boston made the trade, referring to Vucevic as a “great player” who will give the C’s another floor-stretching option in the frontcourt.
- After using a double-big starting lineup featuring Neemias Queta and Luka Garza in the first three games since trading Simons, head coach Joe Mazzulla made an adjustment on Wednesday, moving Garza back to the bench. As Robb writes for MassLive.com, the move helped get the Celtics’ offense going but resulted in Garza playing just seven minutes, his lowest single-game total since early December. That could be a trend going forward with Vucevic likely to eat into his playing time.
- In a mailbag for MassLive.com, Robb considers whether or not Vucevic will eventually find his way into the Celtics’ starting lineup and argues that it makes more sense for Queta to hang onto that spot because he’s steadier on the defensive end.