Los Angeles Lakers Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Davis, Mavs, VanVleet, Lakers

January 4th, 2026 at 5:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Hawks and Mavericks are in something of a holding pattern when it comes to a potential Anthony Davis trade, Marc Stein reports for The Stein Line (subscriber link).

Given Atlanta’s tendency to avoid the luxury tax, Stein writes that it’s unlikely that the team will add Davis’ contract, which will pay him $58.5MM next season and $62.8MM in the 2027/28 season, without moving Trae Young, who has a $48.9MM player option for next season.

Stein adds that, despite previous reports that the Hawks would be willing to move former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in the right deal, his sources indicate that an in-season trade for Davis would not likely be considered one such deal.

Rich Paul, who represents Davis, is also a player in these conversations. Stein notes that Paul has a strong, plugged-in relationship with many of the top decision-makers in the Mavericks organization and that there are indications that he views Atlanta as a good landing spot for his client, though such a deal could have to wait until the offseason.

We have more from Stein’s most recent newsletter:

Regardless of what happens with Davis, it’s clear that the Mavs are taking a hard look at their roster. Stein writes that there’s a belief that everyone on the team outside of Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving is considered potentially on the table. The Mavs are currently 13-23 on the season and have lost six of their last eight games.
When Fred VanVleet tore his ACL during an unofficial Rockets preseason mini-camp, it was expected that he would miss the rest of the 2025/26 season. However, Stein reports that Houston isn’t ruling out a return for the 31-year-old point guard. VanVleet is apparently attacking his rehab process hard with the intention of giving himself the chance of returning to play before the season is over.
The Lakers‘ desire to add a two-way wing such as Herbert Jones or Trey Murphy III is well-documented, but their pathway to adding that player is complicated for multiple reasons. The first is that the two Pelicans’ wings are considered unlikely to be moved before the trade deadline, and the second is that the Lakers are not expected to sacrifice financial flexibility in any deal that doesn’t bring in a player they consider a real needle-mover, Stein writes. With two-way wings being some of the most coveted players around the league, there’s a question of how likely it is that someone who fits the bill will suddenly become available.

Lakers Notes: LaRavia, Hayes, Knecht, Vincent, Trade Deadline

January 3rd, 2026 at 9:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers got a scoring boost from Jake LaRavia in Friday’s win over Memphis, writes Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Inserted into the starting lineup the past two games because of an injury to Rui Hachimura, LaRavia sparked the offense with 11 points in the first quarter and 18 in the first half. He finished with 21 points and nine rebounds while shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.

“When I just talk about roles and the amount of hats that I can wear with this team, some nights, this is what happens,” LaRavia said. “Other nights I’m that defender, connector, crasher, like all that kind of stuff. So just continuing to play confidently throughout but also understanding what my role is going to be each game.”

Nguyen notes that the Lakers targeted LaRavia in free agency because of his combination of three-point shooting and defensive versatility. He has helped the team survive a rash of early-season injuries, but his scoring has fluctuated as he’s moved in and out of the rotation. Friday marked the first time he has reached 20 points in a game since November 2, and his three-point shooting has dropped to an uncharacteristically low 32% this season.

“I’m just working on my shot, starting with the basics again, and just kind of going from there,” LaRavia said. “And, you know, hopefully I can find my rhythm again. And tonight was just the start.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Jaxson Hayes played nearly the entire fourth quarter on Friday, getting crunch-time minutes ahead of starting center Deandre Ayton, Nguyen states in the same piece. Coach JJ Redick explained that he opted to stay with Hayes because “he was playing better.” He finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 23 minutes. “His ability to control the paint for us has been huge,” Marcus Smart said of Hayes.“… Just his ability to go get the ball at the highest point when we throw it and then defensively to alter shots, whether he’s blocking them or just changing shots for us, allows our defense to pick it up from our guards even more. To have that urgency that he brings, that’s huge.”
Redick promised that Dalton Knecht will get “consistent” playing time over the next few weeks, Nguyen adds. Redick also said the second-year forward will be judged by more than just his shooting percentage.
Gabe Vincent will miss Sunday’s rematch with Memphis as he continues to experience lower back soreness, but Redick indicated that he might be available during the upcoming road trip to New Orleans and San Antonio, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (Twitter link).
Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register contends that the Lakers aren’t good enough to compete for a title with their current roster and calls on general manager Rob Pelinka to be aggressive at the trade deadline to avoid wasting a year of Luka Doncic‘s prime.

Pacific Notes: Raynaud, Doncic, James, Knecht, Allen

January 3rd, 2026 at 9:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings rookie big man Maxime Raynaud is hopeful he didn’t suffer a significant injury on Friday, Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee reports. He had to be helped off the court during the fourth quarter after injuring his left leg while attempting to set a screen for Russell Westbrook.

“I’ll be fine,” Raynaud said. “It was just scary. … I think it was just an unpleasing sensation you’re not used to.”

Raynaud will undergo an MRI on his left knee in Sacramento on Saturday. The second-round pick has appeared in 25 games (11 starts), averaging 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per night.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Luka Doncic and LeBron James didn’t have any trouble blending their talents on Friday, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times notes. The Lakers‘ superstar duo led the club to a 128-121 win over Memphis. Doncic made 17-of-20 free throws while scoring 34 points with eight assists and six rebounds, and James had 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists. It marked the first time since March that Doncic and James have scored at least 30 points in the same game. “It was just playing and playing in rhythm,” James said. “We’re trying to find ways that we can be productive.”
Dalton Knecht got a chance to play some minutes off the bench on Friday but the Lakers wing didn’t do much with his playing time. He went scoreless in 11 minutes, missing both of his shots. However, Knecht won’t be judged on offensive output alone. “Play hard – that’s been the biggest playing emphasis for him all season,” coach JJ Redick said, per Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. “He’s not going to be judged on whether he makes or misses shots. That helps. When you go through a stretch and you feel like your team isn’t playing hard, you got to play the guys that are consistently playing hard.” Knecht’s role has been reduced drastically this season after he appeared in 78 games as a rookie.
Suns guard Grayson Allen missed his eighth consecutive game on Friday but he’s close to returning from a right knee injury, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “He did (five-on-five on Thursday). That’s a big step,” coach Jordan Ott said. “And then it’s just the response back, which was great. Now he just wants another one. We’re right there.” Allen will participate in another five-on-five again before he comes back to action.

Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards

January 2nd, 2026 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).

Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.

Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.

Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.

Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.

It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.

Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.

Windhorst/Bontemps’ Latest: Giannis, Trade Deadline, LeBron, More

January 2nd, 2026 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

A number of league insiders who spoke to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps about what will happen in the NBA in 2026 believe that this will be the year the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga in Milwaukee reaches an inflection point, according to Bontemps.

“The rubber is going to finally hit the road, one way or the other,” one Western Conference executive said.

However, several of those sources believe the situation will carry over into the offseason, with one Eastern Conference scout suggesting that the Bucks star would have “maximum leverage” if he waits until the summer to request a trade.

“They aren’t trading him in-season,” a Western scout predicted.

In fact, many of the executives surveyed by Bontemps are anticipating a relatively quiet trade deadline, with resolutions on players like Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Zach LaVine, and Trae Young potentially not coming until June or July (or later). One Eastern Conference exec suggested that a “crazy summer” could be on tap if February’s deadline ends up being somewhat uneventful.

“All these guys are going to be stuck where they are (at the trade deadline),” another Western Conference exec said. “I don’t think it will be as busy as people think, and I don’t think the available players will be that good.”

Here’s more from Windhorst and Bontemps:

According to Windhorst, league executives believe there will be three paths available to LeBron James after this season: Re-sign with the Lakers at a reduced salary, join another team in free agency, or retire. In other words, they don’t expect Los Angeles to continue paying the four-time MVP maximum or near-max money. While James is no longer performing at his peak level, he would continue to be a coveted player if he decides not to retire, one head coach said: “LeBron is still averaging 20 points and shooting 50%. You just have to find the right situation.”
The NBA is reportedly weighing rule changes to further disincentivize tanking, and ESPN’s sources expect the outcry for changes to grow as the season progresses, Windhorst writes. “This is only going to get louder,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “By the spring, I think one out of every three games we’re going to play is going to be against a team that’s tanking.”
While commissioner Adam Silver has said the NBA will make a decision on expansion in 2026, stakeholders who have been working with the league on possible domestic expansion and a new European league are skeptical that the NBA would be able to move forward on both endeavors simultaneously, says Windhorst. The NBA reportedly hopes to launch its European league in the fall of 2027, so perhaps the NBA would aim to expand a year or two after that.

Lakers’ Adou Thiero To Be Reevaluated In Four Weeks For MCL Sprain

January 1st, 2026 at 8:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers announced that Adou Thiero has suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee and will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register writes in a subscriber-only story.

Price notes that it’s not clear when Thiero suffered the injury. He played in the team’s last six games and 15 of the past 18. He was on the court for four minutes in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s loss to Detroit.

The 21-year-old rookie forward had surgery on his left knee while he was still in college. That caused him to fall to the second round of the draft and forced him to miss the Summer League and preseason.

The recovery process caused Thiero’s NBA debut to be delayed until November 15. He has seen limited action in 15 games, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per night and shooting 38.9% from the field.

The injury comes at an unfortunate time for Thiero, who may have been able to increase his role with the shorthanded Lakers. Austin Reaves is sidelined for at least three more weeks with a calf strain, Gabe Vincent has missed the last six games with lower back pain, and Rui Hachimura is dealing with right calf soreness.

Lakers Notes: Hachimura, LeBron, Identity, TPEs

December 31st, 2025 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing two games last week due to right groin soreness, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura sat out on Tuesday vs. Detroit as a result of right calf soreness. The team is optimistic that it won’t be a long-term issue, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register.

“He’ll miss a couple games,” head coach JJ Redick said. “Then we’ll get him ramped up and, hopefully, he’s playing again in the next week.”

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link), the expectation is that Hachimura will miss games on Friday and Sunday vs. Memphis. The Lakers will play a back-to-back set in New Orleans and San Antonio next Tuesday and Wednesday, so presumably the hope is that Hachimura will return for one or both of those games.

We have more on the Lakers:

While LeBron James‘ performance on or around his birthdays have often served as reminders of his unprecedented longevity as an NBA star, he looked mortal in a loss to the Pistons on Tuesday, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Celebrating his 41st birthday, James made just 6-of-17 shots from the floor for 17 points and committed five turnovers, while the Lakers were outscored by 16 points during his 32 minutes.
Mark Medina of RG.org spoke to an NBA assistant coach and a pair of scouts about what the Lakers can expect from a 41-year-old version of James, as well as his fit alongside standout guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. “When all three of them are out there, it’s hard to watch LeBron,” the assistant said. “He’s not completely uninvolved. But it’s just weird not to see him touch the ball so much. It’s odd watching him out there. When it’s just him and one of them, (head coach) JJ (Redick) is able to find a way to keep LeBron involved and run ATOs for him and utilize his passing out of the post through different actions. But when it’s all three of them, it doesn’t seem like there is enough of a pie to split up.”
Although the Lakers have a 20-11 record, they’ve allowed more points than they’ve scored this season, and they had the NBA’s No. 29 defense in December. They’re still searching for an identity, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
James cited injuries as one reason for the Lakers’ recent struggles, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “We haven’t had a full team all year,” James said. “We got some very important guys out right now. And obviously I started the year being out. And having our All-Star two guard (Reaves) out, and Rui is now out. And Gabe (Vincent has) been out for a minute. Jaxson (Hayes) just came back. There’s been a lot of in and out. So that’s very hard to get a rhythm of chemistry on the floor with guys that you know you’re going to play with every night. … But still no excuse. We still got to go out and execute.”
A pair of Lakers trade exceptions expired earlier this week following the one-year anniversary of the deal that sent Maxwell Lewis and D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn. Neither exception was significant though — the larger of the two was worth just $1.9MM.

NBA Dates, Deadlines To Watch In January

December 31st, 2025 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

At the start of the 2025/26 campaign, we looked ahead and identified several dates and deadlines to watch on the NBA calendar this season. While that list covered the general highlights, it’s worth taking a closer look at some of those key dates to keep an eye out for in January, which should be a busy month.

Non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed

January 10 is the date that all non-guaranteed NBA contracts for 2025/26 will officially become guaranteed, but January 7 is really the day to watch.

If a team wants to avoid having a salary become guaranteed, the player must clear waivers before January 10, which means he needs to be cut by January 7 — at the latest.

There are currently 32 players around the NBA who are on non-guaranteed deals. Many of those players without fully guaranteed salaries aren’t in danger of being waived by next Wednesday, but some teams will take the opportunity to save a little money and open up a roster spot.

Players on two-way deals (which are non-guaranteed) are subject to that January 7 waiver deadline as well, and will have their salaries become fully guaranteed if they’re still under contract as of January 8.

Prior to the 2023/24 season, the annual salary guarantee date for players on two-way contracts was January 20, but that changed in the NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts

As of January 5, clubs will be able to sign players to standard 10-day contracts, which count against team salary for cap and tax purposes and require an opening on the 15-man roster to complete.

Prior to Jan. 5, teams were able to sign players to 10-day contracts only if they qualified for a hardship exception. Two banged-up teams – Indiana and Memphis – have taken advantage of hardship exceptions so far this season, with the Pacers signing five players to a total of seven hardship 10-day deals, while the Grizzlies signed three players to one apiece.

Rebuilding teams generally use 10-day contracts to audition G League standouts or other prospects to see if they might be worth investing in beyond this season. Contending clubs are more inclined to use 10-day contracts to bring in veterans who can step in right away to address a need or provide depth at a position hit hard by injuries.

Currently, 13 teams have an open spot on their 15-man rosters, making them candidates to sign a player to a 10-day deal. That number will likely increase after next week’s salary guarantee deadline.

More players become trade-eligible

A significant portion of the NBA’s offseason signees became eligible to be traded on December 15, but there are still many players who can’t be dealt. By the end of January, that list of players ineligible to be traded will shrink further, since there are 20 players currently on track to have those restrictions lift between now and January 31.

January 15 is the key date, with 11 players becoming trade-eligible as of that Thursday. That 11-player group includes some standouts who almost certainly aren’t going anywhere, such as Bulls guard Josh Giddey.

However, a handful of players on the list figure to be involved in trade rumors in 2026. Some – including, most notably, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga – have already been the subjects of speculation.

Nine other offseason signees have unique trade-eligible dates in January, since they either signed as a free agent in October or inked a veteran extension in July.

That list features names both big (like Devin Booker) and small (such as Keaton Wallace). Of the nine players in that group, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones is perhaps the most intriguing in-season trade candidate, though New Orleans has reportedly set a very high asking price for the defensive ace.

Last day to apply for a disabled player exception

January 15 is the last day that teams can apply for a disabled player exception to replace an injured player who is deemed unlikely to return this season. If a player suffers a season-ending injury on January 16, his team would be ineligible to apply for a DPE.

A disabled player exception gives a club some extra cap flexibility, but not an extra roster spot, so they often go unused. So far this season, the Bulls, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, and Thunder have reportedly been granted a DPE, while the Bucks and Mavericks have applied for them.

Several teams can fit free agents under their hard caps

As we outlined last month, there are a number teams around the NBA who are currently operating so close to first- or second-apron hard caps that they can’t presently sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract. That will change for many of those teams at some point in the coming weeks, when the cap hit for a prorated veteran’s minimum deal will get low enough to fit below those clubs’ respective hard caps.

Here are the dates on which the teams right up against hard caps can legally sign a free agent:

January 6: Dallas Mavericks
January 7: Los Angeles Clippers
January 8: Houston Rockets
January 9: Orlando Magic
January 18: Los Angeles Lakers

Those clubs are unlikely to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract as soon as they’re eligible to do so, since taking that route would leave them would essentially no cap flexibility for the rest of the season unless they make a separate cost-cutting move.

Two more teams right up against hard caps, the Warriors and Knicks, will have to wait until much later in the season to squeeze a free agent addition onto their rosters. That will happen on March 24 for Golden State and on April 2 for New York, though those dates would be subject to change if either team reduces its salary in a trade.

It’s also worth noting that January 26 is the first day that the Thunder can sign a free agent to a prorated minimum-salary deal without surpassing the luxury tax line.

Doncic, Antetokounmpo Lead Early Fan Voting For All-Star Game

December 29th, 2025 at 12:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the first returns of fan voting for the All-Star Game, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Doncic leads all players with 1,249,518 votes. The top five vote-getters from the Western Conference also include Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.

Joining Antetokounmpo among the top five in the Eastern Conference are Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.

Fans voting represents 50% of the vote to determine the five players from each conference to be named as starters for the All-Star Game, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. This year, All-Stars are being selected without regard to position.

A newly-created, round-robin tournament featuring a USA vs. World format will be held Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Doncic, N. Smith, Leonard, M. Williams

December 29th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James and Luka Doncic took over as the Lakers ended a three-game slide by routing Sacramento on Sunday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Coach JJ Redick blasted his players twice over the past week, questioning their defensive effort and professionalism. Neither of those was a concern on Sunday as L.A. turned in a dominant performance led by James, who made 11 of his 13 shots from the field and finished with 24 points.

“I don’t want to create the narrative of (just) me and Luka,” James said. “It’s five guys on the floor and seven guys that come off the bench. It needs to be all of us. (But) it’s important that we set the tone.”

Doncic expressed a similar sentiment, saying it’s up to the leaders to carry the team through hard times, especially with Austin Reaves expected to miss the next month with a calf strain. Doncic had a team-high 34 points, including 15 in the second quarter as the Lakers built a comfortable lead.

“I think it definitely starts with us,” Doncic said. “And when AR is back, it’s going to be all three of us. But now, it starts with us. We need to show what we can do and if we are going to do it, we both are going to do it. The group is going to follow.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers also got a scoring boost from two-way guard Nick Smith Jr., who made his first seven shots from the field and finished with 21 points in 24 minutes, McMenamin adds. L.A. is carrying a roster opening, so it’s possible that Smith could be converted to a standard deal later in the season. “In this league, you got to have confidence. If you don’t, they’ll go out there and see it right away,” he said. “I feel like I can hoop with the best of them.”
Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 55 points as the Clippers topped Detroit for their fourth straight win. He wound up tied for the franchise record as he only played six minutes in the fourth quarter, notes Doug Padilla of The Associated Press. “Like I told (Lue), I would rather play another game than go out there and risk it,” Leonard said. “Hopefully we can get another win and be in the same situation. It is what it is.”
Suns coach Jordan Ott said after Saturday’s game that a more physical atmosphere led to the fight that resulted in suspensions for Mark Williams and Jose Alvarado, per Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic (subscription required). Williams and Alvarado exchanged punches in the third quarter on Saturday as the Suns and Pelicans faced one another for the second time in two nights. “Last night (Dec. 26), there was a lot of free throws,” Ott said. “Tonight, there wasn’t as much. They let us play tonight, which is something that we enjoyed to do, and they got tangled up.”