L.A. Notes: Doncic, Lakers, Lopez, Clippers
Getting the Lakers into peak physical condition appears to be head coach JJ Redick‘s primary goal entering the season, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Redick refers to it as being in “championship shape,” and notes that the directive is not only aimed at star Luka Doncic, though Doncic is one of the more visible examples of the fitness push.
As McMenamin writes, remaking his body through dieting and rigorous exercise routines has been the focus for Doncic this summer, both for himself and for the team as a whole.
“It’s not just physical shape, it’s mental shape, too,” the Slovenian star said. “Both are very important. We’re doing it in practice. It was great. Everybody’s in great shape. Everybody’s running a lot, so it’s been great so far.”
Despite Doncic’s efforts to reshape his body this offseason, he will not play in the Lakers’ preseason games this weekend, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), who calls it a collaborative decision with the Lakers’ performance team. Redick had previously said he’d be careful about overextending Doncic too early after the 26-year-old’s run with the Slovenian national team in EuroBasket.
While Doncic isn’t playing this weekend, Redick is expecting him to play at some point during the preseason, tweets Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina.
LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Adou Thiero, and Maxi Kleber are all expected to miss tonight’s game against the Suns as well.
We have more from the world of L.A. hoops:
- The Lakers remade their roster this offseason, but there are still significant questions to answer, writes Eric Pincus for Bleacher Report. Health will play a key role in the team’s outlook, along with the natural wear and tear that can be expected for the 40-year-old James. However, the most pressing unknown revolves around the fifth starting spot. Pincus names Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Jake LaRavia as three players most likely competing for the role. Hachimura has experience with the team and has shown himself to be a consistent shooter, having made 41.8% of his three-point tries over the last two seasons in L.A. Pincus calls LaRavia a high-effort defender who can also shoot the ball at 6’7″, while Smart brings a perimeter defensive toughness that a team built around Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves could use. Pincus also throws Jarred Vanderbilt‘s name into the mix as a potential dark-horse option.
- The Clippers brought Brook Lopez into the fold in an effort to reduce the burden on breakout defensive stalwart Ivica Zubac this season, writes Janis Carr for the Orange County Register. “We didn’t really have a backup center (last season), so when things got tough, we always had to get Zu back in the game,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “I thought he played for too many minutes. If you asked him, he didn’t play enough, but for me it’s just too many minutes.” While Zubac was always up for the challenge and turned in the best season of his career, the Clippers now have the luxury of bringing a longtime starter and multi-time Defensive Player of the Year candidate off the bench in Lopez. As an added bonus, Lopez and Zubac have a Los Angeles-based history together. “I played with Zu with the Lakers almost 10 years ago now. I think it was his second year in the league, and he was a very talented, raw young player then,” Lopez said. “But to see his growth, it’s astonishing.“
- Lopez wasn’t the only big-name acquisition for the Clippers this summer. They also added Bradley Beal, John Collins, and brought back Chris Paul. They now have one of the deepest benches in the league, but that brings with it questions about how the rotation will shake out, writes Law Murray for The Athletic. Murray predicts that Beal will be the starting shooting guard and suggests that Collins could have a chance to start at the four, sliding Kawhi Leonard to the three. However, with so many talented players, some will likely be squeezed from the rotation. When asked about his role with the team, Nicolas Batum said, “Ask (Lue) that question, I don’t know… I mean, I’m here to play basketball.” Murray writes that he considers Batum the most likely odd man out when everyone is healthy.
Kings Notes: Murray, Raynaud, Clifford, Carter, Defense
Keegan Murray has had an up-and-down start to his career with the Kings after being selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft, from starting in a playoff Game 7 as a rookie to two straight ninth-seed finishes as the team added more scoring options, resulting in a decline in his offensive responsibilities. However, going into training camp, the 6’8″ wing is excited about the changes head coach Doug Christie has implemented.
“I feel like there’s more movement going around, which we didn’t have last year,” he said after practice, per Sean Cunningham of KCRA News (Twitter video link).
Murray spoke about his offensive role and how he can contribute on a team with so many offensive shot creators, incuding Dennis Schröder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Domantas Sabonis.
“They’re using me more than they did last year, just coming out of the corner and in transition and things like that,” he said. “Just knocking down shots, being able to have the ball, touch the ball is the biggest thing when you’re talking about flow. When you don’t touch the ball for five minutes, it’s hard to get into a flow.”
Last season, Murray saw his shot attempts drop from 12.7 per game in 2023/24 to 10.8 while his usage rate fell to a career-low 15.0%.
According to Murray, Christie’s stated directive to shoot 10 threes a game is less a specific goal and more a reminder to him to stay aggressive at all times and look for his shot. He also noted that the addition of Schröder will help with his defensive workload, as he can still focus on the opposing team’s top perimeter scorer without having to defend as many point guards as he did last season.
We have more notes from around the Kings’ training camp:
- Christie spoke highly about rookie center Maxime Raynaud and what he brings to the team. “He’s a super-skilled big man that has the ability to do a lot of different things on the floor,” Christie said after training camp (Twitter video link via ABC10’s Matt George). He noted that the seven-footer will have to adjust to the NBA’s physicality and floated the idea that Raynaud’s ability to shoot could allow him to play the four at times next to Sabonis. Overall, Christie was impressed by the rookie’s training camp performance. “He’s been great in practice,” Christie said. “He talks at a high level, his communication skills are great, and I think his teammates love him. His passing, his shooting, he’s done well.”
- In the same media session, Christie spoke about rookie Nique Clifford. Clifford was named to the All-Summer League First Team after averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 45.8% shooting from three, and that versatility was the main point Christie hit on when discussing how he could use the 23-year-old wing. “Do I see him playing some point guard?” Christie asked. “Yes, because of his skill set, but he’s also gotta be out there with a secondary ball-handler… It’s good for him to face Dennis in practice, because that’s about as high a level [point guard defender] as you’re gonna see in the NBA… his skill set says to me that he can play all the perimeter positions.”
- Finally, Christie spoke about 2024 lottery pick Devin Carter, who was limited by injuries to just 36 games as a rookie. Carter struggled to find a rhythm during Summer League, posting shooting splits of .405/.289/.593, but Christie is unconcerned. “Devin has grown immensely from Summer League to now,” the Kings’ coach said. “He’s in way better shape. He’s understanding and reading the game better. From the point guard position, he’s beginning to understand things. When you’re at the free throw line, you’re already calling out the play, you’ve got something in your mind, what are we running? On defense, making sure everyone’s set. And a guy like Dennis is going to help him too because [Carter]’s not a natural point guard, but he’s gonna play that position sometimes… and he’s fearless, he’s not scared of the moment.”
- Standout backup guard Keon Ellis spoke about the team’s defensive areas of focus in training camp, tweets George (video link). “I think just certain situations, not over-helping when you don’t need to, to give other teams advantages,” he said. “He’s really trying to emphasize everyone picking up 94 feet. It’s tough, but that’s kind of what you have to do to win. So that, and being physical, making sure on every catch you’re up, you’re getting a hand on them so they know you’re there.“
Nets Notes: Porter, Whitehead, Demin, Sharpe, More
Michael Porter Jr., the Nets‘ biggest non-rookie offseason move, recently spoke about his struggles with injuries and how they impact his view of his career, saying, “Because of the injuries and stuff, I don’t know how much longer I really want to play,” and adding that his strategy is to take his career one year at a time.
He clarified those comments this week, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post (via Twitter).
“I wanna play as long as I can; it’s just easier in my head to be like, man, give it my all, everything I have this year and when the year’s over see where I’m at mentally and reevaluate,” he said. “But… I wanna play as long as my body allows me to.”
While the early stages of Porter’s career were beset by back injuries, he’s been able to hold up relatively well in recent years, writes CJ Holmes of the New York Daily News. Porter credits psychotherapist Nicole Sachs, who specializes in chronic pain and mind-body healing, for helping him get back on track physically.
“I didn’t realize how much of that actually stemmed from the mental side of things and the stress and all that,” Porter said. “So, once I kind of put all those pieces together, and I didn’t just pay attention to the physical side of things, I was able to have a very well-rounded approach to my rehab. And since then, I haven’t had any problems with my back.”
We have more from the Nets:
- Dariq Whitehead is entering a crucial season for his career, writes Lewis in an article for the New York Post. A top high school recruit who struggled in college largely due to injury, Whitehead is now on a roster that added five rookies, many of whom play on the perimeter like himself. The Nets will have to make some difficult roster decisions in the near future, which means this training camp is critical for Whitehead to make his case to stick around. For his part, the former first-round pick said that having his first fully healthy NBA offseason could make a huge difference. “For me, I feel like this was honestly my most important summer,” he said. “Not being able to do what I had needed to do the past three summers, being able to work out, work on my body. Just the difference I felt from the last game of last season to now and just being able to trust my body — how comfortable I am with just handling things that I’d done before — is just night and day.“
- Head coach Jordi Fernandez was noncommittal when discussing lottery pick Egor Demin‘s status for the preseason, according to Lewis, who tweets that Fernandez simply said that Demin is “progressing well” from the plantar fascia tear that he sustained during the offseason. Lewis notes that fellow 2025 first-round pick Drake Powell will not play in the preseason opener Saturday as he looks to return from the knee injury that caused him to miss Summer League.
- Day’Ron Sharpe has visibly trimmed down his weight this offseason, Holmes writes in a separate piece for the New York Daily News, adding that Fernandez has emphasized conditioning across the roster. “I’m trying to be able to play more minutes and not be gassed out if I’ve got to play more minutes, for consecutive games or whatever,” Sharpe said. “So just trying to get in the best shape I could be.” However, it’s not just bulk that Sharpe focused on this summer. “It was flexibility, I tried to get my flexible stretch in, doing pilates, stuff like that,” the big man said. After signing a two-year deal with the Nets, Sharpe will now look to carve out a more consistent role on a team that also employs Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, and newly-drafted 7’0″ big man Danny Wolf in the frontcourt.
- Tyrese Martin had his team option picked up this summer, but he’s not taking anything for granted, given that his salary for 2025/26 remains non-guaranteed, per Lewis (via Twitter). “I’d never say that I’m actually on a solid footing,” the 26-year-old wing said. “Even when things are guaranteed, stuff’s still not guaranteed, especially in this business. So that’s just been my mindset all the way out and through.”
G League, Next Gen Union Agree To First NBAGL CBA
The G League has agreed to terms on the league’s first-ever Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Next Gen Basketball Players Union (NGBPU), reports ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link).
According to Bontemps, the new agreements includes player salary increases, as well as pay bumps for Exhibit 10 recipients who come to the G League after being signed and waived by NBA teams.
To this point, an Exhibit 10 deal has allowed a player to receive a bonus payment, which this season was capped at $85,300. Bontemps goes on to report (via Twitter) that the CBA will allow more players to join G League teams following being waived from an Exhibit 1o deal — that could mean an increase in the number of affiliate players (currently capped at four per team). He also writes that the CBA would allow for fewer restrictions when it comes to player movement.
The NGBPU has been around since 2020 and held its first-ever General Assembly meeting in 2024. This included voting on leadership positions, which led to Rob Baker, of the Osceola Magic, being named union president and Yauhen Massalski of the San Diego Clippers being named Secretary-Treasurer.
“This CBA negotiation represents a critical opportunity to elevate the professional basketball experience for our players and also impact the quality of the game for fans,” Massalski said at the time of the assembly. “We’re committed to ensuring that our members’ voices are heard and that their needs are met.”
As Bontempts notes, the deal has only been agreed to; it has yet to be officially approved by both parties involved.
Warriors Sign Alex Toohey To Two-Way Deal
September 29: Toohey’s two-way contract with the Warriors is now official, according to a press release from the team (Twitter link).
September 28: The Warriors are signing rookie Alex Toohey to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania for ESPN (Twitter link).
Toohey, a 6’7″ forward out of Australia, played two years with the Sydney Kings prior to coming over to the NBA. Last season, he averaged 10.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 23.0 minutes per game. In six Summer League games for the Warriors, he averaged 6.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG.
Toohey, the No. 52 pick this summer, was the last player from the 2025 draft class whose plans for the 2025/26 season have been confirmed, after new teammate Will Richard agreed to a four-year contract with the Warriors earlier today.
Golden State previously signed Jackson Rowe on a two-way deal, and they have extended a qualifying offer for Taran Armstrong as they look to finalize their roster outside of the ongoing stalemate with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
Warriors Sign Payton, Richard; Will Bring Back Melton
September 29, 12:30 pm: The Warriors’ deals with Payton and Richard are now official, according to the team (Twitter links). Since both contracts are worth the minimum, making them official won’t affect Golden State’s other signings.
September 28, 7:42 pm: Free agent guards Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton have committed to deals with the Warriors, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
The terms of the deal were not included in the report, though they’re likely to be worth the veteran’s minimum. These signings have long been expected around the league, with the understanding being that the Warriors were waiting to complete them until after they finalized their restricted free agency standoff with Jonathan Kuminga.
Payton, a nine-year NBA veteran, has spent a little over four seasons with the Warriors over the course of his career. While he has dealt with injuries in recent years, he appeared in 62 games last season for Golden State, averaging 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 15.0 minutes per contest while serving as a versatile, defensive-minded guard/forward who can attack in transition.
Melton is another defensive guard with some injury concerns that have popped up in recent years. He signed with the Warriors ahead of the 2024/25 season, but tore his ACL in just his sixth game with the team, ending his season. Golden State included him in its December trade with the Nets for Dennis Schröder.
During his time with the Warriors, Melton averaged 10.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 20.2 minutes per night. He has only played in 45 games over the last two seasons and will be hoping for a bounce-back year in terms of health.
The Warriors are also signing rookie Will Richard to a four-year contract, Charania reports (via Twitter). The No. 56 pick in the 2025 draft will receive two fully guaranteed years in the deal.
Richard is a four-year college player who spent his final three seasons for Florida. As a senior in 2024/25, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game and played a key role on the championship-winning team. In six Summer League games for the Warriors, Richard averaged 11.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.8 SPG.
Word of these three deals follows the report earlier in the day that free agent big man Al Horford had agreed to a multiyear deal with the Warriors. Judging by the four signings, the Warriors appear to be targeting defense, especially along the perimeter, and some level of versatility as they look to round out their roster.
Anthony Slater of ESPN notes (via Twitter) that Horford, Payton, Melton, and Richard will occupy roster spots nine through 13 for the Warriors, and that the 14th spot is currently left for the resolution of the Kuminga standoff.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks adds (via Twitter) that as long as the Warriors don’t sign Kuminga to a deal with a starting salary higher than approximately $23MM, they would have the ability to add a 15th player and remain below the second tax apron. That projection assumes Horford receives the full taxpayer mid-level exception, which would hard-cap Golden State at the second apron.
Malcolm Brogdon On Decision To Compete For Knicks Roster Spot
Malcolm Brogdon, who joined the Knicks on a non-guaranteed deal, is confident in his ability to win a regular season roster spot in training camp, writes Kristian Winfield for the New York Daily News. That confidence showed in Brogdon’s claims that he turned down other chances with NBA teams in order to join New York.
“I come here with the expectation I’m going to make the team,” Brogdon said today. “I feel what I bring to the table and have to offer, I can help this team. The decision is out of my control but I feel like I have what it takes to help this team.”
Brogdon, a nine-year NBA veteran, holds career averages of 15.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game on .463/.388/.874shooting splits, but three of the last four years have been beset by injuries. He appeared in a career-low 24 games in 2024/25.
However, he spent last season, as well as ’23/24, on teams that were not in win-now positions, and Brogdon said he’s feeling good about the chance to be back on a team with loftier ambitions.
“Going into my 10th year, I wanted to be in a good organization that’s competing and trying to win a championship,” he said. “I had that in Milwaukee, Boston, and here I think there’s a real shot.”
Winfield notes that ball-handling around star Jalen Brunson was an area of weakness for the Knicks last season, and that the addition of Brogdon, as well as free agent signing Jordan Clarkson, could go a long way toward addressing that issue. Brogdon also brings a defensive steadiness that could allow him to play alongside Brunson.
Brogdon, for his part, is aware of the potential benefit he could bring in such minutes.
“Anything that can take pressure off Jalen is the big goal going forward with this team,” he said. “That’s what I want to do this year: Take pressure off him on both sides of the ball — and everybody else.”
Brogdon elaborated on this topic, and how he sees himself in the context of the team, writes Dan Martin for the New York Post.
“This is a roster that in the past has been in need of more ball-handlers and more creators, more versatile players that can handle the ball,” Brogdon said. “I think I bring that. I can help guard. I’m a Swiss Army knife in a lot of ways and have a lot of strengths.”
Brogdon also believes that his experience in the recent phase of his career, as he’s become a bit more of a journeyman, can help him seamlessly integrate into new coach Mike Brown‘s system.
“The last three years I’ve had three different systems, different playing styles and different coaches,” Brogdon said. “I do think that gives me an edge on other new guys coming here, being able to adjust fast. I think that’s what this league is all about: Who can adjust fastest.”
Brogdon added that he’d been talking to the Knicks for a while before signing an Exhibit 9 deal with them.
“I was really set on being on the Knicks,” he said.
Kings Waive Jameer Nelson Jr., Jaylin Williams
The Kings have waived Jameer Nelson Jr. and Jaylin Williams, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
Both Nelson and Williams split much of last season between the G League and the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Nelson appeared in 23 games for the Calgary Surge and averaged 20.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while making 35.5% of his three-point attempts, while Williams played 19 games for the Winnipeg Sea Bears, averaging 9.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.1 APG.
The Kings signed the two free agents to Exhibit 10 deals on Friday. Both players will be eligible to receive bonuses of up to $85,300 if they sign G League contracts and spend at least 60 days with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate.
Lakers Waive Kylor Kelley
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.
Magic Notes: Banchero, Suggs, Richardson, Two-Way
Paolo Banchero knows that expectations for the Magic have risen dramatically this offseason, and he’s ready to embrace the challenge of meeting them, writes Josh Robbins for The Athletic (subscriber link).
“I think, just as a competitor, as a winner, as a player, you want to be expected to be great,” Banchero said.
Robbins writes that Banchero was stunned by the Magic’s trade for Desmond Bane, which sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round picks to the Grizzlies, but quickly grew excited about the prospect of teaming up with the sweet-shooting guard.
“I felt like there were some guys that were kind of up on the list of who we would maybe trade for, at least in my head, and Desmond Bane was not one of them,” Banchero said. “So when I heard that one, I was like, ‘Desmond Bane!’ I was like, ‘S–t, he’s a hell of a player.'”
Banchero spoke about the impact that Bane, as well as Tyus Jones, who signed with the team on a one-year deal, should have this year.
“I think it’s going to do a lot of great things, not only on the court but off the court, just with the way they are as people and how they’re able to kind of control a room,” he said. “They talk with so much experience that you listen to them. Both of them offensively are just really experienced players, and they just know how to play. They have great feels for the game, feels for the court, when to make plays, when to shoot, when to drive.”
We have more from the Magic:
- Jalen Suggs is working hard to get back from the arthroscopic knee surgery that ended his season in March, but his updates remain cryptic, writes Jason Beede for the Orlando Sentinel. “This is definitely the hardest summer that I’ve had so far,” he said last week in a podcast appearance. “The knee is coming along but I’m just really getting to work on minute muscles and really detailed parts about my body that just have been overlooked up to this point. So it’s been great. Camp and the return will come in time, in [God’s] time, but our process is really working and I love the spot that we’re in right now.” Beede notes that a more concrete update on his timeline, as well as that of Moritz Wagner, who is recovering from an ACL tear, should come tomorrow.
- In the same article, Beede writes that the Magic’s bench will look dramatically different with the departures of Anthony, Gary Harris, Cory Joseph, and Caleb Houstan, but adds that internal development for Anthony Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva should help boost the unit around Jones’ floor generalship. Beede also suggests that, given head coach Jamahl Mosley‘s preference to keep his rotations intact, if Suggs misses the start of the season, it could open a pathway for rookie Jase Richardson to start. While Black and Jones are capable of stepping up, Beede observes that in the past, Mosley has often looked to the third-string players in such situations.
- The Magic currently have Jamal Cain and Orlando Robinson on two-way contracts, with plenty of options for the third slot. Among the most likely candidates, Beede lists Reece Beekman, Colin Castleton, Justin Minaya, Lester Quinones, and Alex Morales, all of whom are currently on Exhibit 10 deals with the team. Beede notes that Castleton and Morales both have experience with the franchise, as both spent time with the G League affiliate in Osceola — Morales for three seasons and Castleton for part of last year.