Los Angeles Lakers Rumors

Pacific Notes: Doncic, Reaves, LeBron, Schröder, Curry, Richard

November 29th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luka Doncic faced the Mavericks again Friday night, but the game lacked the drama of last season’s matchup, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Nearly 10 months have passed for Doncic to process the unexpected trade to the Lakers, and the man who made it, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, has already been fired. So with the emotional stakes lowered, Doncic concentrated on business and delivered 35 points, five rebounds and 11 assists in L.A.’s 129-119 victory.

“I would say it’s a little bit easier now,” Doncic said. “But like I said, games against Dallas always have some special meaning to me. I still have a lot of friends there. It’s always special. It’ll always be special for me.”

The spotlight also belonged to Austin Reaves, who has become one of the NBA’s best offensive players in the midst of a contract year. He led all scorers with 38 points, and Woike suggests he might be headed for his first All-Star appearance.

“I think he’s been one of the best basketball players in this league, just the way he scores, he makes a place for others in the game,” Doncic said before taking a playful jab at his teammate. “It’s very good. I’m just happy he’s on my team. And that’s probably the last compliment I ever give him.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers are listing LeBron James as questionable for Sunday’s game with New Orleans due to left foot injury management, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s the first night of a back-to-back for L.A., which hosts Phoenix on Monday. Marcus Smart, who didn’t play Friday due to back spasms, is doubtful.
Kings guard Dennis Schröder underwent an MRI that showed he has a mild hip flexor strain, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Schröder, who recently lost his starting job, is considered day-to-day and is questionable for Sunday’s game with Memphis.
The Warriors have the league’s worst offensive rating without Stephen Curry, who will miss at least a week with a right quad contusion. Anthony Slater of the Athletic shares comments from coach Steve Kerr about the challenges of scoring without his star guard.
Will Richard‘s low turnover rate has helped him claim a spot in the Warriors‘ starting and closing lineups, notes Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle. The 56th pick in this year’s draft has quickly earned a major rotation role as well as his coach’s confidence. “You can see it,” Kerr said, “he’s just in the right spot, the right time. He has a lot of confidence, he’s not afraid to let it fly. Never turns it over, just connects the game, he makes the game easier for everyone else. He’s kind of wise beyond his years. I’ve got 100% trust in him.”

Mavericks Notes: AD, Luka, Flagg, Nembhard, Cisse

November 29th, 2025 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks big man Anthony Davis slightly exceeded the minutes restriction he had Friday in his first game back following a 14-game absence, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The star forward/center, who was facing the Lakers for the first time since the shocking February trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and Davis to Dallas, faced immediate double-teams, ultimately finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 28 minutes.

“I thought he was good for his first game back,” head coach Jason Kidd said (story via Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal). “We’ll try to get the rhythm and try to get the flow of just being with those guys on the floor. I thought he was good on both ends. As we go forward and continue, as we talked about, to stacking good minutes, he did that.”

The Mavericks wound up losing by 10 points to fall to 5-15, the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Davis is optimistic the team still has time to turn its season around, Afseth adds.

“We’re still playing basketball, we’re trying to compete,” Davis said. “We are competing, we’re playing for each other, and we’re playing together. I remember when Brooklyn started off 5-20 and ended up at the four seed. I’m not saying we’re comparing ourselves to that or that we’re going to start off 5-20, but we just have to keep competing. There were just a couple of plays here and there that hurt us, but we can’t complain, we keep fighting. I feel like we’re right there.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

It’s been almost 10 months since Doncic was traded, but he says matchups against his former team will always be meaningful, Afseth writes in another story for Dallas Hoops Journal. “I would say it’s a little bit easier now,” Doncic said. “But games against Dallas always have some special meaning to me. I still have a lot of friends there. It’s important, it’s fun, and it’s always special. Like I say, it’ll always be special for me.”
After the game, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News asked Doncic for his thoughts on Cooper Flagg (Twitter video link). “I think he’s a good player,” Doncic said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure that comes with (being) the first pick so he has a lot on his shoulders, but I think he will become a great player.” The 18-year-old rookie had 13 points, a career-high 11 assists and seven rebounds in the loss.
Rookie Ryan Nembhard, who is on a two-way contract, received his first career start on Friday, as first reported by Marc Stein (via Twitter). The former Gonzaga point guard had a solid outing, recording 17 points (on 7-of-11 shooting) and four assists in 23 minutes. “They weren’t really guarding me,” Nembhard said, per Afseth. “They was trying to play off me and stand those gaps for AD and double him and make it tough on him. So a lot of open shots presented themselves and I’m just trying to be aggressive, get my teammates involved, and take advantage of the opportunity.”
In a feature story for Ratings, Afseth details how undrafted rookie Moussa Cisse has become a valuable contributor for the Mavs. Like Nembhard, the Guinean center is on a two-way deal with Dallas. “He’s a bit undersized at the five, but he’s explosive and plays extremely hard,” a scout said. “He’s a bit further along than I expected, but there’s still plenty of work there. You can tell he’s still getting used to guarding NBA actions and talent — his angles can use some work. But he’s really dynamic rotating from the weak side and he’s going to crash the boards hard on both ends. I like his potential.”

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Doncic, Allen, Kuminga, Payton

November 29th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

The reeling Clippers lost at home for the sixth consecutive time, falling to the Grizzlies, 112-107, on Friday. They’ve dropped 12 of their last 14 overall. The Clippers were up 16 in the first half but couldn’t sustain that momentum.

“Every second half, we don’t come out right,” center Ivica Zubac said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “We’re not playing the right way. It feels a little bit mental. The second half we got to string some wins, man. We got to string some wins.”

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard scored 39 points, but it wasn’t enough to turn around their fortunes.

“That’s a challenge you got to face and I’m up for it and we just got to go out there and tuck in our jerseys and get ready to scrap if we really want to win,” Leonard said. “It can’t be two players, can’t be three. It has to be the whole 15, the unit, even guys on the bench that’s not playing.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Luka Doncic haunted his former team in the Lakers‘ 129-119 win over the Mavericks. Doncic piled up 35 points and 11 assists. “I think he’s done a good job throughout the year of finding balance, whether he’s on or off-ball, of hunting 3s and touching the paint,” coach JJ Redick said, per Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. “When he’s in that mode, he’s just really hard to guard. He’s really been in a groove with that balance, particularly late in games.”
Suns guard Grayson Allen (right quad contusion) didn’t play against the Thunder on Friday but head coach Jordan Ott is optimistic Allen will return soon, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “Trending in the right way. Yesterday played full court. We’re just continuing to see how he reacts after that. Everything is moving in a good direction,” Ott said. Allen hasn’t played since Nov. 13.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, who last suited up on Nov. 12, is listed as questionable to play tonight against the Pelicans, Brett Siegel of Clutch Points tweets. Kuminga is dealing with soreness in both knees. Gary Payton II (ankle) is probable, while Stephen Curry (quad), Al Horford (sciatica) and De’Anthony Melton (knee) remain out.

Field Set For NBA Cup Knockout Round

November 29th, 2025 at 7:41am CST by Dana Gauruder

The group stage of the NBA Cup was completed on Friday, determining the matchups for the knockout round.

In the East, Group B winner — the Magic — captured the No. 1 seed. The Raptors, the Group A victor, snared the No. 2 seed with the Knicks, who emerged from Group C, in the No. 3 slot. The Heat earned the wild card bid and No. 4 seed.

On the West side, the Thunder grabbed the No. 1 seed after taking Group A. The Lakers, who won Group B, got the No. 2 seed with the Spurs, the Group C winner, nailing down the No. 3 seed. The Suns collected the wild card bid and No. 4 seed.

Here is the knockout round schedule, per NBA.com:

Quarterfinals

December 9
- No. 4 Heat at No. 1 Magic (6:00 p.m. ET)
- No. 3 Knicks at No. 2 Raptors (8:30 p.m. ET)
December 10
- No. 4 Suns at No. 1 Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET)
- No. 3 Spurs at No. 2 Lakers (10:00 p.m. ET)

Semifinals

Saturday, Dec. 13 (Las Vegas)

Championship

Tuesday, Dec. 16 (Las Vegas)

Meanwhile, the 22 teams who did not advance to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup have each had two regular season games added to their initial 80 to fill that mid-December gap on their schedules.

Here are the newly added games for those clubs, according to the league:

December 11:

L.A. Clippers at Houston Rockets
Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks
Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans
Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings

December 12:

Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets
Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers
Cleveland Cavaliers at Washington Wizards
Utah Jazz at Memphis Grizzlies
Brooklyn Nets at Dallas Mavericks
Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors

December 14:

Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers
Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks
Charlotte Hornets at Cleveland Cavaliers
Milwaukee Bucks at Brooklyn Nets
Sacramento Kings at Minnesota Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers

December 15:

Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics
New Orleans Pelicans at Chicago Bulls
Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz
Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets
Memphis Grizzlies at L.A. Clippers

Regular season games for NBA Cup quarterfinalists:

If Toronto and Orlando advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Miami at New York game will be played on Dec. 14
If Toronto and Miami advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Orlando at New York game will be played on Dec. 14
If New York and Orlando advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Toronto at Miami game will be played on Dec. 15
If New York and Miami advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Toronto at Orlando game will be played on Dec. 15
If San Antonio and Oklahoma City advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the L.A. Lakers at Phoenix game will be played on Dec. 14
If San Antonio and Phoenix advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City game will be played on Dec. 14
If L.A. Lakers and Oklahoma City advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Phoenix at San Antonio game will be played on Dec. 15
If L.A. Lakers and Phoenix advance to the NBA Cup Semifinals, the Oklahoma City at San Antonio game will be played on Dec. 15

Lakers Notes: Hachimura, AD, LaRavia, Smart, Christie

November 28th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Ahead of Friday’s matchup with Dallas, Rui Hachimura said he’s satisfied with the role he has with the Lakers, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter video link).

“I’m not trying to be a superstar. … I’m just trying to help the team win — whatever they ask,” Hachimura said. “I like my role here … I’m really trying to win the championship with this team. I like how they’ve been treating me. … So, I’m happy.”

The former lottery pick (No. 9 overall in 2019) has gotten off to a strong offensive start in 2025/26, averaging 14.9 points per game on elite efficiency (.568/.483/.735 shooting line) while chipping in 3.9 rebounds per game through 16 outings (33.5 MPG). The 27-year-old forward is earning approximately $18.3MM this season and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Hachimura admitted he hasn’t gotten used to seeing Anthony Davis in an opposing team’s uniform, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter video link). “It’s still weird sometimes when I see him on the TV or like, when I play against him. It feels weird,” Hachimura said. Davis returned to action on Friday for his first game against his former team after missing a month with a calf strain. The 10-time All-Star received a “warm reception” from Lakers fans when he was introduced as a starter for the Mavericks, tweets Mark Medina.
In an EssentiallySports interview with Medina, free agent addition Jake LaRavia says he’s enjoying his time with Los Angeles, adding that the “vibes on our team are very good.” “It’s been great,” LaRavia told Medina. “We have a great group of guys. Just to be able to play with AR (Austin Reaves), Luka (Doncic) and ‘Bron (LeBron James) has really been beneficial for me. It’s a very exciting team. It’s a great city. There are great fans. So the whole experience so far has been really good.”
After previously being listed as questionable, Marcus Smart was then downgraded to doubtful and then out ahead of Friday’s game, as McMenamin relays (via Twitter). The former Defensive Player of the Year is dealing with back spasms.
Mavericks guard Max Christie, who was included alongside Davis in the blockbuster trade for Doncic, downplayed the significance of facing his former team again. “It’s the same. I mean I was here last year, too. I’m a Maverick so I’m not really thinking about it like that. It’s just another game,” Christie said (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). “It feels good. It’s cool to be back. Just another game.”

Siegel’s Latest: DeRozan, Sabonis, Wolves, Claxton, Kuminga, Wiggins

November 28th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the three Kings veteran stars considered in-season trade candidates, DeMar DeRozan looks like the one most likely to be on the move ahead of the February 5 deadline, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

As Siegel explains, DeRozan’s relatively team-friendly contract structure – $24.6MM this season and a $10MM partial guarantee on his $25.7MM salary for 2026/27 – makes him a more manageable investment for most clubs than either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis. LaVine is earning $47.5MM this season, with a $49MM player option for ’26/27, while Sabonis will be owed $94MM over the next two seasons after making $42.3MM in ’25/26.

The Bucks, Clippers, Heat, Trail Blazers, and Grizzlies are some of the potential suitors to watch for DeRozan, says Siegel, though he doesn’t explicitly state that all those clubs have shown interest in the veteran forward.

Sabonis, who is currently on the shelf with a meniscus tear, will likely have to show he’s healthy before drawing real interest on the trade market. According to Siegel, the Sacramento big man isn’t expected to begin the return-to-play portion of his recovery process until sometime around Christmas.

Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA, courtesy of Siegel:

There’s a “growing sense” that the Timberwolves would be willing to sell high on forward Julius Randle in the right deal this season, Siegel writes. Minnesota is known to be on the lookout for a point guard, having checked in on Ja Morant. The team has also inquired about Cavaliers guard Darius Garland for the past year-plus, sources tell Siegel. However, the Wolves’ lack of tradable first-round picks will be complicate their ability to make any major moves.
Nets center Nic Claxton is considered a trade candidate and has come up in discussions with sources around the NBA as a possible Warriors target, Siegel writes. However, given that the Nets showed no interest in pursuing Jonathan Kuminga using their cap room when he was a restricted free agent over the summer, it doesn’t appear the fifth-year forward would be a target for Brooklyn. Claxton has also been considered a potential Lakers target dating back to last season, Siegel notes.
The Pacers are among the teams that have been keeping an eye on Kuminga, having “quietly” scouted him since the start of last season, according to Siegel, who wonders if the Warriors would have any interest in a deal involving Bennedict Mathurin. There’s a sense around the league that Indiana might look to move a player like Mathurin, Jarace Walker, or Obi Toppin due in part to the club’s cap situation going forward, Siegel adds.
The Warriors are known to have interest in forwards Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones and will likely talk to the Pelicans during the season, Siegel writes. It’s unclear if New Orleans would be open to moving either Murphy or Jones, but they represent the sort of “versatile wings” that Golden State will likely be targeting in a Kuminga trade, Siegel explains.
If the Heat were to trade Andrew Wiggins this season, they’d be seeking a first-round pick, plus a player or two who could step into their rotation and be a positive contributor, per Siegel. The Lakers were linked to Wiggins during the offseason and the Bucks also inquired about him, Siegel reports, but Miami hasn’t had any serious trade talks about the veteran forward as of late.

Anthony Davis To Return Friday Vs. Lakers

November 28th, 2025 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

November 28: Davis will make his return on Friday vs. the Lakers, ESPN’s Shams Charania confirms (via Twitter).

November 26: Injured Mavericks big man Anthony Davis took part in Wednesday’s practice and is expected to be listed as questionable for Friday’s game against the Lakers, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.

After having the next two nights off, Dallas will play a back-to-back set in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Friday and the Clippers on Saturday. Davis won’t be cleared to play both of those games after being sidelined since October 29 due to a left calf strain, so the plan is for the team to see how he feels on Thursday and then make a decision on whether he’ll play Friday or Saturday.

Asked which game he’d prefer to play in, Davis responded with a smile and made it clear he’d love to suit up against his former team.

“That’s a real question?” he said (Twitter video link via Curtis). “You know what game I want to play. But we’ll see. We’ll have a conversation and see what makes the most sense with the medical staff and the coaching staff.”

Having been affected by multiple injuries since the Lakers traded him to Dallas in February, Davis hasn’t had the chance yet to play at Crypto.com Arena as a member of Mavericks.

Davis had initially hoped to return much sooner from the calf strain that has now kept him out of action for the past 14 games, but Mavs governor Patrick Dumont reportedly got involved in the decision-making process and pushed for a cautious approach that would reduce the risk of the 32-year-old re-aggravating the injury or making it worse.

The Mavericks, who were 2-3 with Davis in the lineup, have lost 11 of their last 14 contests and now have the second-worst record in the Western Conference at 5-14. In addition to playing without Davis, Dallas has also been missing guards Kyrie Irving and Dante Exum due to long-term injuries and big man Dereck Lively II, who has been dealing with right foot and knee issues.

Ayton Probable Friday; Smart Questionable

November 27th, 2025 at 8:36pm CST by Rory Maher

“What else are we going to do? Confidence (comes) every day when we wake up, right?” the 12-time All-Star said after the Clippers’ 135-118 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday. “We got a lot of games left where we can hit a stride, but we’ve dealt with literally everything you can do from injuries to different lineup changes. …We’re figuring it out. But tonight was a good step, start for us.”

The Lakers anticipate having Deandre Ayton back for Friday’s game vs. Dallas, listing their starting center as probable to play after he missed Tuesday’s contest with a right knee contusion, tweets Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. Marcus Smart‘s status is more uncertain, as he’s questionable against the Mavericks due to back spasms.

LeBron James Still Working On Conditioning

November 26th, 2025 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James experienced conditioning issues Sunday in Utah, but he looked more like his normal self as the Lakers defeated the Clippers on Tuesday, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times. Playing his third game since returning from sciatica, James posted 25 points, six rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes. “It will get better every game,” he responded when asked about his conditioning. “Today was another … testament to that. So great win for us, but I’m starting to feel better and better.”

Lakers Notes: Doncic, Ayton, Hayes, Timme

November 26th, 2025 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic put up a monster line of 43 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds against the Clippers on Tuesday to help the Lakers clinch a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, but he had an axe to grind in his post-game media session. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Doncic isn’t a fan of the special court at Crypto.com Arena for NBA Cup games.

“It’s just slippery. It’s dangerous,” Doncic said. “I slipped. I slipped a lot of times, and you could see a lot of players slipped. And that’s dangerous, man.”

According to Doncic, he didn’t notice any issues with the NBA Cup courts in Memphis or New Orleans during earlier group play games, but he was having traction problems during pre-game warmups on Tuesday and asked a court attendant to do an extra sweep of the floor — it didn’t help.

The Lakers, aware of Doncic’s concerns, are hoping to improve the court before it’s used again on Friday in the team’s final round robin matchup with Dallas, McMenamin writes.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Starting center Deandre Ayton sat out on Tuesday due to a right knee contusion, but the Lakers aren’t anticipating an extended absence for the big man, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (subscription required). Head coach JJ Redick said there’s some swelling to deal with, but imaging on the knee came back clean. “Don’t think it’s going to be a long-term thing,” Redick said. “Hopefully it’s a game-to-game thing, and he’s back at some point by the end of the week.”
Reserve center Jaxson Hayes got his second start of the season with Ayton out and acquitted himself well — he was a team-high +21 in his 30 minutes of action and came to Doncic’s defense during an altercation with Kris Dunn, as Dan Woike of The Athletic details. After being knocked to the floor by Dunn while battling for rebounding position, Doncic got up to confront the Clippers guard, who responded by pushing the basketball into Doncic’s chest (Twitter video link). Hayes shoved Dunn, resulting in a brief altercation between the two teams. Dunn was ejected and Hayes was hit with a technical foul. “I got (Hayes’ fine for the technical),” Doncic said (Twitter link via Price). “I told him right away.”
Fans in Los Angeles didn’t get a long look at new two-way player Drew Timme in his Lakers debut on Tuesday, as he played just 72 seconds of garbage time in the fourth quarter. However, Redick expressed enthusiasm during his pregame media session about what Timme can do when called upon (Twitter video link via Price). “I think he’s tremendously skilled offensively,” Redick said. “… The thing that’s kind of underrated with him is his defensive rebounding is really good, particularly for his size. He’s produced at every level and I’m looking forward to coaching him.”