Deandre Ayton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Lakers, Gillespie, Kings, LaVine

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

Star guard James Harden remains confident the struggling Clippers can turn things around after a disappointing 5-13 start to the season, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Los Angeles has a pair of seemingly winnable matchups on tap, facing Memphis (7-12) on Friday and then Dallas (5-14) on Saturday.

“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.”

According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Harden is dealing foot soreness but he is not listed on Friday’s injury report. Veteran wing Bogdan Bogdanovic has been ruled out for a fourth consecutive game due to a left hip contusion, Murray adds.

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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.
Amid injuries to Jalen Green (right hamstring strain), Grayson Allen (right quad contusion) and Ryan Dunn (right wrist sprain), Collin Gillespie received his first start of the season on Wednesday and played well, recording 21 points and nine assists in 34 minutes during the victory in Sacramento. Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic wonders whether the former Villanova point guard has done enough this season to warrant consideration for a full-time starting role when the Suns are back at full strength. Green, Allen and Dunn will all be sidelined again on Friday at Oklahoma City, Rankin notes (via Twitter).
Heading into Wednesday’s game, the Kings had won two straight contests after an eight-game losing streak. They experienced another setback on Wednesday, according to Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee, with Zach LaVine setting the wrong type of tone early by committing consecutive turnovers on the team’s first two offensive possessions. The Kings trailed by 25 points after the first period and never held a lead in the eventual 12-point loss. “Not good,” said LaVine, who finished with 13 points (on 5-of-14 shooting) and six turnovers. “We’re frustrated we’re not winning. Guys are frustrated they’re not playing right or playing the way to best suit them. We’re all trying our heart out though. That’s what we get paid for.”

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.

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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.”

Lakers Notes: Ayton, LeBron, Paul, Three-Point Shooting

November 24th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers center Deandre Ayton had to leave Sunday’s game in Utah midway through the second quarter due to a right knee contusion, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ayton continued playing after an early collision with Ace Bailey, but the pain eventually became too intense.

“He had gotten hit on his leg in the first half and was kind of limping through it,” coach JJ Redick said. “And then couldn’t go in the second half.”

Ayton has been a bargain so far on the two-year, $16.6MM contract he signed during the summer after reaching a buyout agreement with Portland. He was averaging 16.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game coming into Sunday’s contest while shooting 69.6% from the field.

With Ayton sidelined, Jaxson Hayes started the second half and Maxi Kleber logged 14 minutes. Kleber was part of the closing lineup and had a dunk with 1:21 remaining to help L.A. hold on for a two-point victory.

“Obviously, Jaxson has been in a starting role for us before, so very easy for him to step in and into that role,” LeBron James said. “But Maxi gave us big-time minutes. Brought physicality, had a big-time move towards the end to get that dunk.”

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James, who finished with 17 points, six rebounds and eight assists in 34 minutes in his second game since returning from sciatica, talked about the process of getting back into playing shape (Twitter video link from Khobi Price of The Orange County Register). “The only way to get back in basketball shape is to be playing the basketball game,” James said. “My wind will get better and better. But this week was kind of like my training camp for me, to be honest. So I’m still working my way back.”
James also offered a message to his longtime friend, Clippers guard Chris Paul, who will retire at the end of the season (video link from McMenamin). “Hope he can just get joy out of this final year,” James said. “… I hope he takes it all in. This is his last hoorah, so we’ll never get this moment again once you’re done to be able to go out and be in the arena.”
The Lakers are off to a 12-4 start despite ranking 26th in the league in three-point shooting percentage, notes Dan Woike of The Athletic. The month-long slump continued Sunday as they were 10-of-38 (26.3%) from long distance. Austin Reaves, who missed seven of his eight three-point attempts at Utah, said the team is finding other ways to win. “I think it’s just chemistry. Care factor’s high,” he said. “You wanna go out there and do whatever you can do to help one another succeed. And I think that that goes a long way. There’s no selfishness; everybody wants to see everybody succeed.”

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Curry, Warriors, Sabonis, Livers

November 19th, 2025 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward LeBron James only took seven shots from the floor in his season debut on Tuesday vs. Utah, but he racked up 12 assists in a 140-126 victory and extended his NBA-record streak of double-digit scoring performances to 1,293 consecutive games, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Most importantly, James played 30 minutes after missing the first month of the season due to sciatica and didn’t experience any setbacks.

“The pace tested me, but I was happy with the way I was able to go with the guys,” James said. “As the game went on, my wind got a lot better. Caught my second wind, caught my third wind. Rhythm is still coming back, obviously. First game in almost seven months, so everything that happened tonight was to be expected.”

For a separate ESPN story, McMenamin spoke to 10 sources inside and outside of the Lakers’ organization to get a sense of what they’re monitoring with James back on the floor, including how the return of the four-time MVP will impact the team’s role players and whether the high-scoring duo of Luka Doncic (34.6 PPG) and Austin Reaves (28.1 PPG) will keep rolling. Not all of those sources were in agreement on certain topics, including Deandre Ayton‘s fit alongside James, McMenamin notes.

“Ayton should benefit the most out of LeBron back,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “LeBron makes people look good. [He’ll feed Ayton] lobs and dump-offs at the rim.”

“I imagine Deandre’s going to be a problem. He’s just not smart enough of a player,” a Western Conference exec countered. “And the inconsistent effort, LeBron usually has issues with, to say the least.”

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Stephen Curry (right ankle soreness) will sit out the Warriors‘ game vs. Miami on Wednesday after tweaking his ankle a couple times during the team’s recent road trip, tweets Anthony Slater of ESPN. Golden State could end up very shorthanded on the second night of a back-to-back — Al Horford (left toe injury management) and Jonathan Kuminga (bilateral patellar tendonitis) are both out, while Jimmy Butler (right low back strain), Draymond Green (illness), and Buddy Hield (illness) are all considered questionable to play.
The Kings will be without center Domantas Sabonis on Wednesday vs. Oklahoma City due to left knee soreness, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. It will be the fourth missed game of the season for Sabonis, who has also dealt with hamstring and rib injuries.
Back in the NBA this fall after a lengthy absence due to hip problems, forward Isaiah Livers is grateful to be playing a role for the Suns and isn’t concerned about keeping track of his active games, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. A player on a two-way contract can be on his team’s active roster for a maximum of 50 games — Livers is at 11 so far. “I’m not counting,” Livers said. “I’m taking it one day at a time. We all know my story. I’m just blessed and grateful to put a uniform back on and help an organization win games. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

Lakers Notes: Bronny, Reaves, Offense, Vincent

November 8th, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers‘ injury woes are providing an opportunity for Bronny James, who’s seeing regular minutes for the first time in his career, writes Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times. The second-year shooting guard was on the court for 18 and 19 minutes in back-to-back wins over Miami and Portland earlier this week and made an impact in the fourth quarter of both games. He contributed three steals against the Heat and had six assists with no turnovers against the Trail Blazers.

“Ready to take advantage of the times that I get when our guys are out,” James said. “I’m going to stay aggressive.”

Coach JJ Redick attributes James’ improvement to his ability to adjust to the speed of the NBA game. Redick wants his players to determine whether they’re going to shoot, dribble or pass within a half-second of receiving the ball, and James wasn’t ready as a rookie to make those quick decisions.

“He’s now developed where he’s got a great point-five mentality,” Redick said. “He’s catch-and-shoot ready at all times.”

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Austin Reaves missed his third straight game on Saturday, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be out of action much longer, Nguyen adds in the same piece. Medical imaging revealed that he has a mild right groin strain, but Reddick told reporters that Reaves’ pain level is “really low.” Nguyen states that Reaves plans to play golf during the five-game road trip and he could be back in action before the Lakers return home.
Khobi Price of The Orange County Register examines how the offense has been able to succeed despite the absence of LeBron James, who remains sidelined with sciatica. Luka Doncic (40 PPG) and Reaves (31.1) have led the attack, but the Lakers can also rely on scoring depth, with Deandre Ayton (17.5), Rui Hachimura (16.7), Jake LaRavia (12.1) and Marcus Smart (10.3) all averaging in double figures.
Redick said Gabe Vincent is making progress in his recovery from a sprained left ankle that has sidelined him since October 26, Price tweets. Vincent hasn’t done any contact work yet, but Redick is hoping his two- to four-week recovery timeline is closer to three weeks.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Luka, Ayton, Smart, Harding

November 6th, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Rory Maher

LeBron James is reportedly gearing up to play five-on-five. The 40-year-old superstar’s 2025/26 season debut has been delayed by sciatica on his right side.

According to the Lakers, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer has been cleared for contact work and will be reevaluated in one-to-two weeks (Twitter link via Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group).

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The team recorded an impressive victory on Wednesday against San Antonio despite missing James and Austin Reaves (right groin soreness), writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Luka Doncic had a poor shooting night, but still finished with game highs of 35 points, 13 assists and five steals (he also contributed nine rebounds and two blocks).
Perhaps more importantly, Deandre Ayton (22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds, one steal, two blocks, and zero turnovers) outdueled Victor Wembanyama (19 points on 5-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block, and five turnovers before fouling out) in the battle of former No. 1 overall picks, Murray notes. “That’s something I’ve been wanting to show, especially to my coaching staff as well,” Ayton said of his defense. “And they trust me to really go out there and guard one or two dribbles before my help come. And yeah, I’ll be good, comfortable out there. I know my help coming, so I’m straight.”
Veteran guard Marcus Smart nearly blew the game after committing a careless turnover in the final seconds, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Smart stepped on the end line as he attempted to make an inbounds pass. “To have that call at the end of the game, 1.2 [seconds], we got a guy wide open, all he’s got to do is catch it and the ballgame is over,” Smart said. “It’s kind of crazy, but as a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake. I take full ownership of it. My teammates understand. They are going to joke with me. They are going to let me hear about it. But it will never happen again.”
Within an in-depth story for ESPN.com, McMenamin writes that Lakers assistant coach Lindsey Harding aspires to be the first female head coach in NBA history. Governor Jeanie Buss believes Harding has all the tools for the job. “She’s a professional, she knows the game, she is a great communicator, she brings a level of energy, positivity. She is just great,” Buss told ESPN. “I’m just thrilled that she is part of our staff. But I understand if people are going to try to pick her off because she’s just that good.”

Western Notes: Draymond, Edwards, N. Smith, Kyrie

November 4th, 2025 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

Draymond Green learned earlier this year that he has a legitimate chance to add his name to a short list of NBA legends with 10 All-Defensive seasons, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who notes that the opportunity has become a major source of motivation for the Warriors forward. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Scottie Pippen, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players who have accomplished the feat in the league history. Green, who has earned nine All-Defensive nods, needs one more to join them.

“You see a list like that, and that immediately becomes your ‘why,'” Green told Amick. “It’s like, ‘Man, I need to give all that I f—ing can to be on that thing.’ When you look at a list like that and you say, ‘Man, I can be on that list.’ It’s captivating. If I’m honest, it consumes you.

“You’re always looking to add these stamps (of approval). And I think for me personally, that’s one stamp that I would love to add, for no other reason than the little kid from Saginaw being able to one day look at that list and say, ‘Damn, my name is on the list with those guys.’ …So that’s a huge, huge, huge goal of mine.”

Amick’s wide-ranging interview with Green also touched on several other topics, including how much longer the 35-year-old plans to continue playing. According to Green, he thought at one point that he might only have another year or two in him, but he has since reconsidered that position.

“My body feels better and better every year,” he said. “I’ve learned more about my body and what I need to do. I still enjoy competing at the highest level. I still enjoy setting this goal and then going through the process and trying to reach it. So I wouldn’t necessarily say (just one more) year or two, like I would have said a year ago. I don’t really put a number on it, either. Like I’ve always said, the game will tell me when it’s time to go.”

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Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who has missed the past four games due to a right hamstring strain, has been cleared to resume contact basketball activities, the team announced on Monday in a press release. As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets, it’s a sign that Edwards’ return to action should happen sooner rather than later, barring a setback.
With LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves all inactive on Monday, the Lakers picked up a 123-115 win over Portland on the second end of a back-to-back. While Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton had big games, Nick Smith Jr.‘s 25-point performance was the biggest surprise of the night, as Kevin Pelton of ESPN writes. Smith, a former first-round pick who joined the Lakers on a two-way deal last month after being waived by Charlotte, was reportedly battling an illness and threw up at halftime, per Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet (Twitter link), but said the game was “probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
After raising eyebrows by hinting in Mexico City that Kyrie Irving has a chance to return from his ACL tear before the calendar turns to 2026, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd walked back those comments to some extent on Monday, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic. “When I made the statement (in Mexico), it was more or less, ‘We would love to have him back,'” Kidd said. “But he’s doing great mentally and physically. We still don’t have an official schedule for Kai. Once that comes out, then we can start to speculate if he’s going to be back by ’25. We do miss him. But hopefully it is sooner rather than later.”

Lakers Notes: Luka, Reaves, Ayton, Kleber, LaRavia, Smart

November 3rd, 2025 at 4:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guards Luka Doncic (lower left leg contusion injury management) and Austin Reaves (right groin soreness) have been ruled out for Monday’s contest in Portland, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays.

It’s the second night of a back-to-back for Los Angeles, which defeated Miami on Sunday to improve to 5-2 on the season.

Doncic missed three games last week due to the leg injury as well as a left finger sprain. This will be his fourth missed game.

As for Reaves, this will be his first absence of the 2025/26 campaign. A source tells Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the 27-year-old played through the groin issue on Sunday and the team is hopeful that it isn’t serious.

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Starting center Deandre Ayton missed the second half of Friday’s win over Memphis and all of Sunday’s contest due to back spasms, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. “He’s still dealing with some tightness and spasms in that mid-back,” head coach JJ Redick said before Sunday’s game. The Bahamian big man is questionable vs. Portland, McMenamin notes, as is Maxi Kleber, who could make his season debut on Monday after missing the first seven games with an strained abdominal muscle.
After a slow start over his first four games (6.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists on .348/.333/.556 shooting), free agent addition Jake LaRavia has been scorching hot in the past three contests, averaging 21.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 2.7 SPG on .781/.667/.583 shooting. Redick was effusive in his praise of the 6’8″ forward after Sunday’s win, saying he “just knows how to play,” as Dan Woike of The Athletic writes. “He just has a really good feel,” Redick said of LaRavia. “His knack for the basketball as a defender. His knack for the basketball as a rebounder. He just has a real intuitive feel for the game.”
According to Jillian Adge of The Kings Herald (Twitter link), the Kings were determined to keep LaRavia in free agency but were outbid by the Lakers — Sacramento was limited to offering the 24-year-old a starting salary of $5.16MM in 2025/26 after Memphis declined his fourth-year option last fall, while L.A. was able to exceed that figure ($6MM this season and next). Matt George of ABC 10 confirms (via Twitter) the Kings wanted to re-sign LaRavia and were confident they’d be able to, but the extra money — and LaRavia’s close relationship with Reaves — made signing with the Lakers an “easy” call for the former first-round pick.
Veteran guard Marcus Smart, another free agent addition, had a solid all-around performance on Sunday, finishing with 11 points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block. He also made several “momentum-changing hustle plays,” according to Price. “Unbelievable impact,” Doncic said of Smart. “I’ve played against this guy a lot. He was always guarding me, so I know how it feels for the other team. I’m glad he’s on my team, and the impact he has [is] unbelievable. He’s been hustling every game, every moment, every minute, every second.”

Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Ayton, Reaves, NBA Cup

November 1st, 2025 at 9:56am CST by Dana Gauruder

In his return to action on Friday, Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic reached heights only achieved by Wilt Chamberlain. Doncic scored 44 points in a win over Memphis, becoming the only player in NBA history other than Chamberlain to top 40 points in three straight games to begin his season.

Doncic had missed the previous three games with a sprained finger on his left hand and a lower left leg contusion.

“I mean, I feel great,” Doncic said when told about joining Chamberlain that category, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “But obviously, if we get a win, I feel even better. So that’s the whole point, trying to help the team to win. And sometimes it’s going to be scoring, sometimes other things.”

By averaging 45.3 points in his first three games, Doncic became the first Lakers player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to average 45 or more in any three-game span. He doesn’t see himself keeping up the 4o-per game pace throughout a whole season.

“That’s going to be tough,” Doncic said. “Sometimes they’re going to double me more. Sometimes I won’t be able to score that much. I had I think three or four shots that were crazy shots that I felt like doing, but they were terrible shots. … I’ve got to work on that. But that’s tough. I don’t know.”

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After missing two games due to a quad contusion, Marcus Smart contributed 12 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals on Friday. “He was great,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, per Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. “The main point about physicality, I think he, along with a couple other guys, but he’s gotta be the leader of the physicality. He’s gotta set the tone and there were a lot of moments where he did that. But it made a big difference and then he just played really good on the offensive end, made some timely shots for us.”
Starting center Deandre Ayton didn’t play in the second half after experiencing back spasms. Redick said Ayton was available to play in the fourth quarter, but didn’t want to “risk it,” according to Price.
Austin Reaves averaged 40 points during the three games Doncic missed. He had a season-low 21 points against Memphis and was disappointed with his 5-of-14 shooting performance. “His ability to get us off to hot starts is big for us because, if you come out and he has 15 in the first, we’re going to score, I would assume, 30 (points),” Reaves said of Doncic. “Unless everybody else is shooting bricks like I was (Friday).”
The Lakers’ win on Friday was the first of four NBA Cup group play games. Their other matchups are at the Pelicans on Nov. 14, at home vs. the Clippers on Nov. 25 and at home vs. the Mavericks on Nov. 28, Price notes. “It’s my little taste of an All-Star Game,” Ayton said. “It feels like that’s when everybody [is] watching, and everybody playing their hardest. Dudes are playing extremely hard. It feels like playoff games, the fans are super into it.”

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Hayes, Smart, Thiero, Reaves, Ayton

October 29th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s no firm timetable for LeBron James to resume playing, but Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters before Wednesday’s game that it will likely be during the second or third week of November, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). That confirms a report two weeks ago from ESPN’s Shams Charania, who pegged mid-November as the most likely time for James to return.

James is expected to be reevaluated later this week to determine how much progress he’s made in his bout with sciatica. He reportedly began experiencing the nerve condition during the summer and it affected him through the start of training camp.

Redick also provided an update on Luka Doncic, who is missing his third straight game tonight with a finger sprain and leg contusion. Redick said they hope to have Doncic back in the next “couple of games,” adding that his left hand has gone from twice its normal size to about one and a half times the size it should be (Twitter link). Doncic is considered day-to-day, but he’s not with the team on its current road trip, which ends Friday at Memphis.

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Backup center Jaxson Hayes was upgraded to available for tonight’s game after missing the past three contests with soreness in his left knee, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hayes played 14 minutes in the opener for his only action this season. Marcus Smart is missing his second straight game with a right quad contusion.
The Lakers announced that Adou Thiero has been cleared for live on-court contact work, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (Twitter link). The next step is 5-on-5 activities, which will begin soon at practice with the NBA team and the G League South Bay Lakers. The rookie forward is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered in college.
The absences of James and Doncic has forced Austin Reaves into a larger ball-handling role, and he’s formed an instant chemistry with Deandre Ayton, Price states in a full story. Along with his 92 points over the past two games, Reaves has handed out 14 assists, many of them to Ayton as a pick-and-roll partner. “He’s been awesome,” Reaves said. “He’s been very receptive to listening to not only what I have to say, Luka, Bron, the front office, coaches, he’s been very locked into everything that we’ve told him. And then take everything that we told him, but on the back end of that, we give him a voice. We ask him what he wants, what he likes and try to make that work together. Four games in, I feel like he’s continued to build on that, and it’s been very, very good.”