“External fretting” about whether or not Luka Doncic will make a long-term commitment to the Lakers has subsided significantly in recent weeks, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link), who says the star guard and his camp have worked closely with the front office this summer as it has bolstered the roster in free agency.
As previously reported, Doncic played a major role in the Lakers’ efforts to recruit both center Deandre Ayton and guard Marcus Smart to Los Angeles. According to Stein, Doncic’s pitch to Smart “particularly resonated” with the former Defensive Player of the Year, who ultimately chose the Lakers despite the division-rival Suns making a “determined push” to land him.
As of August 2, Doncic will be eligible to sign an extension that could be worth up to a projected $222.4MM over four years. While there’s no guarantee he’ll sign for the maximum four years or that he’ll get a deal done immediately on Aug. 2, it seems increasingly likely that the five-time All-Star will have a new extension in hand before the 2025/26 season begins, as reporting over the weekend indicated.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Like Doncic, Smart has been working hard this offseason on his body and his conditioning, according to Stein, who writes that the Lakers are optimistic about getting a “sleeker” version of the 31-year-old next season after he battled health issues over the past couple years.
- Stein has also heard that forward Jarred Vanderbilt is healthier now than he was at any point during the 2024/25 season. Although both players were on last season’s roster, healthy versions of Vanderbilt and big man Maxi Kleber could feel sort of like offseason additions for the Lakers, Stein writes. Vanderbilt played a very limited role in 36 regular season outings last season, while Kleber didn’t make his debut as a Laker until the playoffs — both of them missed time while recovering from foot surgery.
- People around the league believe Trail Blazers veterans Jrue Holiday and Robert Williams are potential trade targets to watch for the Lakers this season, according to Grant Afseth of Fast Break Journal. I’m skeptical of the Holiday fit, given that Los Angeles has shown no interest in taking on long-term money (Holiday is still owed $104.4MM over three years) and Portland was prepared to give up a pair of draft picks along with Anfernee Simons to acquire him (those two second-rounders ultimately weren’t included due to minor concerns about Holiday’s physical). However, if he proves he’s healthy, Williams might make some sense for the Lakers due to their limited depth behind Ayton in the middle.
- In case you missed it, the Lakers waived both Jordan Goodwin and Shake Milton on Sunday in order to create the cap flexibility necessary to sign Smart using their bi-annual exception.
That makes no sense re Jrue. The Blazers got him because they want to contend.
The Blazers haven’t tried to contend in a decade, that’s why Dame wanted out to begin with. Adding Jrue and Dame’s ghost isn’t going to make this team any better this season.
I think they got him solely because they need some adults in the room if they really want to develop their young guys, especially Scoot
Jrue, Deni, Shaedon, Camara & Clingan is a solid 5. If they get anything from Rob Williams & Scoot, they’ll have a good bench. That’s def a playoff contender. I guess they’re going to surprise some ppl.
You’re right. The Blazers weren’t trying to contend 5 years ago when they went to the Western Conference Finals. I mean they haven’t tried to contend since 2010 when they still had LMA and prior to Matthews injury. Now that you mention it, I’m not sure they ever tried to contend in the or 55 year existence.
Dame wanted out because Olshey mismanaged the roster and screwed the team’s financials up due to the huge increase to the salary cap in 2016.
how are the Lakers going to end up bringing in Williams or Holiday when they have no extra money to spend. Who are they going to trade Reeves? Lakers are done bringing in any more players.
Expiring contracts in Kleber and Vincent along with sweeteners like the first, swaps, seconds, and knecht if he still holds any value.
Neither Vincent, Kleber, or Kneht have very much trade value and another team could easily out bid the Lakers for those players. It would take at least a 1st rounder to get Williams. Holiday would be a huge cost.
The trade value is the expiring contract plus a sweetener.
I’m not sure which players you’re referring to as far as outbidding. Williams and Holiday? Lakers have a first and Williams doesn’t have much of a market given his health right now.
Holiday didn’t even get the Celtics a first. At his age being owed 100M for the next 3 years, his value is likely not “huge”
Williams contract is expiring too and there is a market for him with lack of centers. Holiday has a $34 million contract to match and Portland wanted him to be the vet on the team by trading away a expiring contract to get him. So picking up Holiday was not about getting rid of payroll or they would have kept Simmons. Those 2 expiring contracts that Lakers have are not needed by Portland.
Picking up Holiday might very well be about flipping him for picks and an expiring contract. It wasn’t that long ago that the Thunder did the same thing with CP3.
Holiday is not worth it.
And for Williams: Lakers could start the season, see which of the three (Kleber, Vincent, Vanderbilt) they want to trade away and how Williams evolves. They can wait and see here. No hurry (unless Doncic pushes for it before signing the new contract).
I don’t think Williams is worth a first round pick though.
i highly doubt the Lakers are even thinking of pickking Williams since they have Ayton so they don’t need a center at this point. The way teh article reads Stein is 100% guessing on lakers getting Williams.
They would think about him if they got draft capital to take on his salary :)
But as it’s expiring and only slightly higher as Vanderbilt, Kleber and Vincent, they certainly thought about it.
And they probably have it on their longlist for potential trades further in the season. But pre-season it would be jumping the gun and selling low on Vanderbilt, Kleber and Vincent. Let those three play a bit first and then see where the team could improve and what opportunities arise…
@arc89
A 1st rounder to get Rob Williams? Did you mean the Blazers would have to include one to get anyone to take him?
He’s among the most injured 5s in the league.
@NBA Why would Portland trade him if Williams contract is expiring for a bench player?
A straight up trade of Williams for Vanderbilt, given his 3 years, would probably not do it for the Blazers.
Not sure if Lakers should give up any draft assets in a trade for Williams.
Wondering what a fair addition to the expiring Vincent or Kleber is. A little salary reduction for the Blazers could make them accept a straight-up trade?
As for Vanderbilt: if sending out the maximum allowable cash with Vanderbilt would do it, Lakers would probably jump at it as he’s considered a negative contract.
No one is paying a first rounder for Williams or Holiday at this point. Most teams who have decent centers wouldn’t even want Williams’ contract. He has to be the third center on any contending team cause he is so injury prone.
Holiday is 35 and owed $105M over the next 3 years. Before his trade the talk was that Boston needed to give draft picks to unload him.
Knecht and Vincent would definitely get Williams, or should. The Lakers wouldn’t want Jrue unless he is bought out, which he won’t be.
Nobody is trading for Vincent or Knecht. Neither of them have any trade value. Why do you feel other teams should just gift players to the lakers?
Knecht does have trade value. The hornets just traded Williams to the Suns for 2 first round picks. They were trading him to the Lakers for a first round and Knecht. Plus, Williams value came down after the Lakers rescinded the trade.
Knecht scored 9 ppg, 38% from 3, with 58% egg in his rookie season. Plus, he is very athletic.He definitely needs to be developed, but there is the raw talent to build on.
Vince is an expiring contract that teams will value. The Nets, for example, are still $25 million below the minimum NBA salary for next year. They don’t seem to be willing to pay Thomas more than $20M, and maybe not even $15, otherwise, they would have a contract already cause he doesn’t have a market.
Did you watch how horrible Knecht was in the summer league? Bronny has more value now than Knecht. He is not athletic and plays poor defense. Vince expiring contract is only a good value for a team that wants to get rid of a contract that is for multiple years and not needed by other team. Thomas has a market but no team has the $30 million he wants a year. lakers don’t have $30 million a year deals to give out too so they are not going to offer him a $30 million a year deal.
I did see his summer league results. Cooper had a subpar summer league play the first game, he only played two. Do you think that lowered his value?
Plus, Knecht had a very good rookie season. 4 or 5 summer league games are not going to change anything.
So what trade value does Robert Williams have as a player who has played 60 games over the past 3 seasons combined? You believe there’s a market of teams willing to give first round picks for that? Why hasn’t he been traded given that market for his services as a center and Portland having Clingan and Hansen in the same role?
A first round pick if nothing of value comes back. Vincent or kleber has less value. So Portland would rather build up Williams trade value than trade him for nothing. If he is healthy and plays well they will get a 1st round pick for him.
We shall see. I doubt they get any kind of first for him unless it’s one with heavy protections unlikely to convey
No one is giving a first round pick for the privilege of assigning Williams medical care.
Hopefully, new ownership will bring back the respect.
Luke,
I’m curious about the positioning of Holliday’s injury as “minor”. Is that really what Portland believes? Or are they trying to avoid devaluing Holliday as an asset?
It seems more than “minor” insofar as it undid 2 second round picks — a lot of value. The injury must have posed significant risk to Holliday’s performance and/or availability, so that Portland was in its rights to cancel the deal on its original terms. Otherwise Boston would still have those 2 draft picks.
As for trading Holliday, in addition to being 35 yrs old with 3 years remaining at $35M/yr, he’s now tainted with new injury concerns.
Even without the injuries, adding any draft capital was over-paying, given how much the Celtics wanted to get rid of that salary for luxury tax purposes.
Lakers fans, who haven’t been watching the Mavs the last years, are going to be scratching their heads why Redick is playing Kleber so much at crucial times.
In 2023-24 season, when the Mavs had both Gafford snd Lively, the Mavs were closing with Kleber. In fact, his minutes went up during the playoffs, like they did in prior years. The Mavs plus/minus was the highest with Kleber in the lineup.he is a very good defender, who can move his feet, guard all positions and protect the rim at a high level.
Kleber will be the first off the bench behind Ayron, and Redick will experiment playing both Ayton and Kleber together at times. I wouldn’t be surprised the Lakers closing games with both Ayton and Kleber.
> fans … are going to be scratching their heads why
> Redick is playing Kleber so much at crucial times.
Whoa. I’m not expecting Reddick to play him much, if at all. He’ll be gone by the trade deadline. Kleber was bad in his last 2 seasons with the Mavs, especially offensively (he’s awful). Defensively, he’s always been a serviceable team defender, but he’s not a rim protector.
> In 2023-24 season, when the Mavs had both Gafford
> snd Lively, the Mavs were closing with Kleber.
Very misleading. Lively was a rookie that season. PJ Washington and Gafford both arrived at the trade deadline,which pushed Kleber to a background role. By last season, it was clear Kleber’s only role with these Mavs was as a 3rd stringer.
His next contract will be at the vet minimum