Los Angeles Lakers Rumors

Western Notes: Kuminga, Kleber, Coward, Blazers, Grant

October 2nd, 2025 at 10:44pm CST by Luke Adams

After Jonathan Kuminga took part in his first Warriors practice of training camp on Thursday – he participated in about half the team’s scrimmages, per head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter video link) – the 22-year-old forward publicly discussed his contract situation for the first time since finalizing a two-year, $46.8MM deal that includes a second-year team option.

Negotiations on that contract dragged on for the entire offseason in part because Kuminga reportedly didn’t want to simply become a trade chip after re-signing. So, now that he’s back under contract on a very tradable deal, does he feel as if the Warriors want to keep him for the long term?

“I would say so,” Kuminga said, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “Based on me being back here. At the end of the day, let’s see where this takes us. But my focus is this year pushing and actually helping us win. You never know what’s going to happen, but I’m happy, glad to be back.”

As for whether he wants to remain in Golden State for the long term? “I’m here now,” Kuminga said. “That’s everybody’s goal, to be somewhere for longer. You never know your future. So far that’s my goal. That’s what I want to accomplish. Being here for longer.”

Kuminga’s role has been inconsistent during his first four years in the NBA, including last spring, when he was a DNP-CD in a handful of games at the end of the season and in the postseason. He said on Thursday that he’s determined to find ways to “help us win” on both ends of the court in 2025/26 and that he intends to silence critics who believe he’s an offense-only player.

“If it’s on defense, if it’s an assignment, just go guard the best player,” Kuminga said. “Today we need you to score. Today we need you to guard certain people. That’s what I’m looking forward to and I’m open-minded to it.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Lakers big man Maxi Kleber is dealing with a quad injury, but it’s considered minor, according to head coach JJ Redick, who said on Thursday the team is being cautious with Kleber and he’ll miss a few days (Twitter link via Jovan Buha). Kleber, acquired from Dallas in February’s Luka Doncic blockbuster, broke his foot in January and didn’t make his Lakers debut until Game 5 of their first-round series vs. Minnesota, the team’s last game of the season.
Cedric Coward, the No. 11 pick in June’s draft, is earning praise from coaches and teammates alike at the Grizzlies‘ training camp at Belmont University this week, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I think he’s kind of exceeded my expectations,” point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. said. “I never really saw any of his (college) highlights, but I’ve played and I’ve been around top picks. I feel like he’s been one of the better ones I’ve ever seen.” Memphis gave up a future first-round pick and two second-rounders in order to move up five spots from No. 16 to draft Coward.
After declaring at a July 22 press conference that it’s “winning time now” for the Trail Blazers, general manager Joe Cronin walked back that comment a little this week when he discussed the team’s expectations for the coming season, notes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “Do we want to make the play-in? Yes,” Cronin said. “Do we want to make the playoffs? Yes. Do we want to win 16 playoff games? Yes. But I don’t have expectations and I won’t be disappointed if those things don’t happen as long as we’re continually growing. We’re still thinking big-picture with this roster.”
On media day on Monday, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant answered a question about the possibility of him coming off the bench by replying, “I don’t really expect that.” On Thursday, Grant sought to clarify that he wouldn’t become disgruntled if he doesn’t end up starting. “I’m fine, man,” he said, per Highkin (Twitter link).

Pacific Notes: Monk, Kuminga, Leonard, LaRavia

October 2nd, 2025 at 9:49am CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Monk knows that the Kings were willing to deal him in order to acquire Jonathan Kuminga from the Warriors. Monk’s contract, which runs through the 2027/28 season and includes a player option, wasn’t one Golden State was willing to take on.

Now that Kuminga has signed a two-year contract with Golden State, that saga has ended and Monk says he looks at Sacramento as his home and “loves” it there, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.

“For some people, yeah, but for me, what I’ve been through, no,” Monk said of whether he let the trade talk bother him. “And my support system is amazing. My brother, my agent, my mom, they always keep me upbeat, but I came to talk to (new general manager Scott Perry), too, right before everything, and he told me the same thing my agent told me. I like that from Scott. I appreciate him for coming forward and telling me to come talk to him. That’s being professional. A lot of GMs don’t do that, so I thank Scott for that.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Following contentious negotiations, Kuminga chose to sign a contract that would still allow him to be trade-eligible in mid-January. It also includes a team option. That means the speculation about his future won’t die down, Nick Friedell of The Athletic notes. Coach Steve Kerr says he doesn’t blame Kuminga for trying to get the best contract possible as a restricted free agent. “It’s just, this is the business we’re in, you know?” Kerr said. “I never begrudge any player for trying to get the best contract that he can. In fact, having been a player, I always feel like it’s part of my job to help our guys do the best they can come contract-wise and help them become the best players that they can be. Put themselves in the best position to have a great career, to sign a good contract, take care of their families. These are short careers, and so I want all our players to do well, how it gets there sometimes can be messy. I’m not worried about any of that.”
Kawhi Leonard addressed to a certain extent the allegation that the Clippers tried to circumvent the salary cap by arranging an alleged no-show endorsement deal with the now-defunct company Aspiration. He claims he’s not worried about the league’s on-going investigation, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. “The NBA is going to do their job,” Leonard said. “None of us did no wrongdoing. And yeah, I mean, that’s it. We invite the investigations. It’s not going to be a distraction for me or the rest of the team.” The Clippers have become experts in blocking out all the outside noise, Murray opines in a separate story.
The Lakers signed Jake LaRavia to a two-year contract during free agency. It was a low-profile move but the Lakers hope the 23-year-old forward can be a big part of their future, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times writes. “To get a young player — a young player in free agency for a team that is trying to win a championship — it’s an incredible opportunity for myself and our player development department to have him continue to grow,” head coach JJ Redick said. “Jake, I’m very high on him. His level of commitment to what we’ve asked of the guys this offseason has been very high.”

Lakers Notes: Smart, Vanderbilt, Kleber, Backcourt Rotation, Koloko

October 1st, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach JJ Redick is hoping the offseason addition of Marcus Smart and better health from Jarred Vanderbilt will improve the Lakers‘ perimeter defense, writes Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. Smart is a former Defensive Player of the Year and Vanderbilt has also been a highly regarded defender, but they’ve both been slowed by injuries over the past two seasons.

“With a healthy Vando and hopefully a healthy Marcus, our ability to put more pressure on the basketball earlier in the defensive possession will be a real thing,” Redick said.

Smart has been limited in camp due to Achilles tendinopathy, but Redick told reporters that he should be fully recovered by the end of the week. He has only played 54 combined games the past two seasons, and the Lakers are counting on him to be an anchor for their defense.

“I’ve talked with JJ and what he expects from me on both ends, especially the defensive end,” Smart said. “It’s everything I’ve been doing my whole career. It’s nothing new and I remember the first thing he told me was, ‘Hey, if we’re going to get the Celtics’ Marcus Smart, that’s who we want, that’s who we need. And we need you to be that person and be who you are.’ So for me, it’s just coming out and giving everything I got on this court and leaving it out there every night.”

Vanderbilt had surgery on both feet last summer and didn’t make his season debut until January 25. He said he’s feeling much better in training camp after being able to train during the offseason.

“It feels great being able to have a full summer under my belt. I was able to really work on my game, work on my body, and just having that confidence going into the year instead of playing catch up,” Vanderbilt said. “Being able to be a part of training camp early, and it’s a different level of approach and preparation when you already put the work in and being able to start fresh.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Maxi Kleber was set to undergo an MRI on Wednesday after tweaking his quad on the second day of camp, according to Lakers reporter Jovan Buha (Twitter link). Redick said the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, Buha adds.
Redick listed Smart, Gabe Vincent and Jake LaRavia as locks for the backcourt rotation along with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Buha tweets.
Christian Koloko believes this year’s version of the Lakers is more driven to succeed (Twitter video link from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin). “You can just see that everybody is like more hungry,” K0loko said. “We knew what we did last year, we could have done better. We want to do better. We want to win the championship. Everybody knows what it takes to get to that next level.”

Lakers Taking ‘Overly Cautious’ Approach With LeBron James During Camp

October 1st, 2025 at 8:35am CST by Dana Gauruder

A glute issue sidelined LeBron James at the start of Lakers training camp and could jeopardize his ability to play in the season opener, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Lakers coach JJ Redick indicated that the 40-year James has “a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute.”

“It’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into opening night for him,” Redick said. “Obviously in year 23, it’s uncharted territory here.”

James will make NBA history in his season debut, as no other player has played a 23rd year in the league.

“I’m still ramping things back up,” James said. “I’m not where I want to be. But I mean, I don’t want to be where I want to be right now in September. So, I got some time and I’m looking forward to the process of getting there.”

The Lakers’ approach regarding James’ training camp participation came at the urging of his camp. His representatives met with the Lakers’ brass with a directive for the team to be “overly cautious” with him in the early going to keep him fresh for a long playoff run. He suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee during last season’s playoffs.

Redick is still hopeful to have James available for one preseason contest.

“We would love to have that happen,” he said.

James exercised his player option this offseason and will make $52.6MM. That means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season but James declares that won’t have any effect on this season.

“It will have no impact,” James told McMenamin. “I’m super excited about the challenges and the excitement of our team. We added some new guys. We got another year under our belt with our coaching staff from last year. Got a full year with Luka [Doncic] and another year with the guys that I’ve been with. So super excited about that. And I’m not worried about contracts at this point in my career. That doesn’t bother me at all. Super humbled to even have it, have a contract still and be able to play the game that I love still at this part of my career and take full advantage of it.”

As for retirement, James said his motivation to go through his usual offseason regimen will determine that decision.

“For me, it’s just, am I still excited about the process? Do I still get motivated about the process every single year?” James told ESPN. “Preparing my body. Preparing my mind. Working on my body, training, things of that nature, to get ready for a full season. I think once I kind of fall out of love with the process, then I’ll know for sure. Then, it’d probably be the end for me.”

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Reaves, Ayton, Hachimura, Smart, Thiero

September 29th, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward LeBron James didn’t offer any specifics on Monday when asked at media day about his retirement plans, but admitted the end of his record-setting career is coming “sooner than later,” writes Dan Woike of The Athletic.

After making it a priority to play with son Bronny James in the NBA, LeBron made it clear on Monday that he won’t necessarily stick around in an effort to do the same thing with Bryce James, who is a freshman at Arizona this year.

“I am not waiting on Bryce,” James said, per Woike. “I don’t know what his own timeline is. I got my timeline, and I don’t know if they quite match up.”

James also said that the opportunity to play with a superstar like Luka Doncic in his prime provides some additional “motivation,” but he said that won’t have a material impact on his retirement decision, which will be made by LeBron and his family (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Lakers guard Austin Reaves turned down a four-year, $87MM extension offer from the Lakers earlier this offseason and admitted to Woike that he was nervous that decision might cause the team to move him. “I thought that there was a good chance for, like, a week after I declined the extension that there was a possibility I’d get traded,” Reaves said. “I mean, it’s still a possibility.” The Lakers guard wants to remain in Los Angeles, but will be eligible for a more lucrative deal if he waits until at least 2026, when he could become an unrestricted free agent. Team and league sources who spoke to The Athletic believe Reaves could receive an annual salary of $35MM+ on his next contract.
New Lakers center Deandre Ayton said on Monday that coming to L.A. represents the “biggest opportunity of my career” and said repeatedly that he’s not taking it for granted (Twitter links via McMenamin and Khobi Price of the Orange County Register). The former No. 1 overall pick has faced questions about his compete level in recent years.
Forward Rui Hachimura and guard Marcus Smart both told reporters at media day on Monday that it doesn’t matter to them whether they start or come off the bench (Twitter links via Jovan Buha and Khobi Price). James, Doncic, Reaves, and Ayton are probable starters, but that leaves one spot open in the starting five. For what it’s worth, Hachimura did point out that he has established chemistry with James and the starters over the past couple seasons, but stressed that he’s more concerned about his overall minutes than whether he’s on the court to start the game.
Lakers rookie forward Adou Thiero has experienced swelling in his knee and hasn’t been cleared for the start of training camp, according to McMenamin (Twitter links), who hears from a source that Thiero’s rehab process is on schedule and he should be cleared in another week. The second-round pick didn’t play in Summer League after injuring his knee in his final college season at Arkansas.

Nick Smith Jr. Signs Two-Way Deal With Lakers

September 29th, 2025 at 12:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers have added Nick Smith Jr. on a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. In a corresponding move, the Lakers waived big man Kylor Kelley.

Smith was waived by the Hornets last week due to Charlotte’s roster crunch and glut of guards. The 21-year-old was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He appeared in 60 games last season, including 27 starts, and averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

Smith had been on a guaranteed standard contract prior to being waived but was eligible to sign a two-way contract as a third-year player. He’ll fill the Lakers’ open two-way contract slot alongside Christian Koloko and Chris Manon while also filling the 21st spot on their preseason roster. He replaces Kelley, who was signed late last month on an Exhibit 10 deal.

Kelley appeared in 11 NBA games (two starts) last season with the Pelicans and Mavericks, averaging 3.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per night. He was also in the Lakers organization last season, though he didn’t appear in an NBA game with them. He was on their training camp roster but was waived before opening night. He then joined their G League affiliate.

With the South Bay Lakers last season, the 27-year-old appeared in 32 games (27 starts) and averaged 11.5 points on a career-high 68.2 percent shooting from the field, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.4 blocks in 26.7 minutes.

If he clears waivers and rejoins South Bay, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he remains with that team for at least 60 days.

Lakers Waive Kylor Kelley

September 28th, 2025 at 9:09pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Lakers have waived center Kylor Kelley, according to the NBA’s official transaction log.

Kelley signed an Exhibit 10 contract in August and has previous experience with the Lakers, as he was signed and waived by Los Angeles heading into the 2024/25 season as well, then spent much of the year with the Lakers’ G League affiliate.

Kelley has appeared in 11 NBA games, eight with the Mavericks and three with the Pelicans. He holds career averages of 3.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game.

Kelley averaged 11.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game for the South Bay Lakers last season. He will now be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he reports back to the G League and stays in South Bay for at least 60 days.

L.A. Notes: Redick, Lakers, Clippers, Kawhi Investigation

September 28th, 2025 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

The contract extension the Lakers gave J.J. Redick after his first season on the job is a two-year deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an appearance on NBA Today (YouTube link). When Redick was hired by the Lakers in 2024, he received a four-year contract, so he’s now locked up for five seasons, through 2029/30.

Charania also reported that Redick will make $45MM over the course of the next five seasons. His original four-year contract was said to be worth approximately $32MM. We don’t know the exact year-to-year structure of that original deal, but it likely didn’t have more than about $25MM left on it after year one, which suggests Redick’s extension is in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, a step up from the $8MM annual salary he received on his initial agreement.

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

Law Murray of The Athletic takes a look at the changes the Lakers‘ roster has undergone since last season, noting that Redick has yet to confirm his starting five for the upcoming season. “I haven’t spent much time thinking about the starting lineup yet, but I feel there are seven to eight starting-caliber players on the roster,” Redick said. “We will know the official starters once the training camp starts.”
Khobi Price of The Orange County Register identifies five Lakers-related storylines to monitor during training camp, including who will round out the starting lineup and who will emerge as the team’s primary backup center. Janis Carr of The Orange County Register conducts a similar exercise for the Clippers, with Bradley Beal‘s role and Chris Paul‘s return to L.A. among the storylines she believes are worth monitoring.
Of course, the biggest Clippers-related storyline these days is the NBA’s investigation into possible salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard. While team owner Steve Ballmer has been interviewed about the subject, Leonard has yet to address it all. As Murray writes for The Athletic, that’s about to change with media day around the corner
In a pair of in-depth stories for The Athletic, Joe Vardon surveys league sources and sponsors to get a sense of how Leonard’s “endorsement” deal with Aspiration compares to other arrangements about the NBA, while Dan Woike, Sam Amick, and Mike Vorkunov take a deep dive into what we know about Dennis Robertson, aka Uncle Dennis, who is a central figure in the league’s investigation into Leonard and the Clippers.

Lakers Sign Anton Watson, Nate Williams

September 27th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers have announced (via Twitter) the signings of forward Anton Watson and guard Jeenathan “Nate” Williams. Both players are expected to remain with the team for training camp, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

Watson, who’ll turn 25 next week, signed a two-way contract with Boston after being selected out of Gonzaga with the 54th pick in the 2024 draft. He didn’t see any playing time at the NBA level with the Celtics before being released in early March, but he got into nine games with the Knicks, who claimed him off waivers.

Williams, 26, spent the past two seasons in Houston after playing one year in Portland. He was promoted from a two-way contract to a standard deal in March, but the Rockets waived him in July to avoid paying his non-guaranteed $2,270,735 salary for the upcoming season. Williams appeared in 20 games last season, averaging 3.3 PPG in 7.4 minutes per night.

The Lakers created room on their roster by waiving Tevian Jones and Eric Dixon, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jones just signed on Friday, while Dixon has been with the team since late July.

Both players will likely wind up with L.A.’s G League affiliate, where their Exhibit 10 contracts will make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with the team.

Lakers Waive Jarron Cumberland, Sign Tevian Jones

September 26th, 2025 at 8:34pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Lakers have waived Jarron Cumberland to make room to sign Tevian Jones, reports Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Cumberland signed his Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers on Thursday after Los Angeles waived forward Arthur Kaluma to make room on the roster for him. The terms of Jones’ deal weren’t reported, but it will almost certainly also be an Exhibit 10 as well.

Jones, a 6’7″ guard, went undrafted in 2023 after five years of college, two with Illinois and the final three with Southern Utah. He averaged 17.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in his senior season.

The 25-year-old played for the Grand Rapids Gold in 2024/25, averaging 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in the G League regular season, with a shooting line of .415/.346/.732.

Jones was previously signed and waived by the Pelicans in 2023. If he’s cut prior to the start of this season, he will be eligible to join the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, who acquired his returning rights in a trade earlier this month. Jones would earn a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he sticks with the team for 60 days or more — Cumberland and Kaluma will be eligible for the same deal.