Lakers Rumors

Lakers Notes: Okongwu, Center Targets, Finney-Smith

Asked during an appearance on the Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre podcast whether he has heard any buzz linking the Lakers to Onyeka Okongwu, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said Los Angeles inquired with the Hawks about the big man earlier this year. McMenamin believes Okongwu was one of the centers Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka asked Luka Doncic about before the team reached an agreement to acquire Mark Williams.

“I do know that the Lakers made a call to the Hawks around the trade deadline about Okongwu,” McMenamin said (52:38 mark; hat tip to Ron Gutterman of Lakers Nation). “I think lob threat, athleticism, absolutely. In terms of being a perfect fit, maybe not. They might not get a perfect fit though. Clint Capela of ’17/18 probably was a perfect fit, but we’re in ’25/26 now. So that is kind of the spot they’re gonna be in.”

After voiding their deal with Charlotte for Williams in February due to concerns about his physical, the Lakers figure to make it a priority this summer to add a center in free agency or via trade. While there has been speculation about more ambitious trade targets like Nets big man Nic Claxton, McMenamin wonders if it would be in L.A.’s best interest to take a more conservative approach this offseason.

“I am of the opinion to not go all-in on someone like a Claxton, etc. making $20-30 million (per year),” he told McIntyre. “… They’re going to have the taxpayer mid-level available to them, so I’d try to go and get a guy at that level and if he doesn’t prove to be the best fit, make sure you’re holding on to one of your picks and then you can try to pursue something come February.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a closer look at how the Lakers might address their hole in the middle this season. Pincus suggests that Daniel Gafford would be an ideal trade target, though he wonders if the Mavericks would be reluctant to make another deal with L.A. so soon after the Doncic blockbuster. Pincus also mentions the RaptorsJakob Poeltl and the Magic‘s Goga Bitadze as possibilities, but acknowledges that Toronto will likely be reluctant to part with Poeltl and that Bitadze is more of a backup than a starter.
  • Dorian Finney-Smith‘s contract situation is up in the air heading into the summer, since it’s unclear whether he plans to pick up the $15.4MM player option on his current contract or opt out in search of a new deal. However, as Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes in a subscriber-only story, it sounds like the veteran forward wants to stick with the Lakers — during his exit interview, he referred to his half-season with the team as “amazing.”
  • Assuming Finney-Smith remains with the Lakers, McMenamin expects him to be a valuable part of next season’s roster, as he said on his aforementioned podcast appearance with McIntyre. “I think Dorian Finney-Smith will be a major contributor on this year’s Lakers team,” McMenamin said. “He did not come in healthy and it took him some time to get some rhythm. With him having the comfort factor, the health factor on his side, I think he’ll be right there with being considered the (Lakers’) third-best player along with Austin Reaves.”

Details On NBA’s Playoff Bonus Money For 2024/25

The pool of bonus money for NBA playoff teams this season is worth approximately $34.7MM, according to Kurt Badenhausen and Lev Akabas of Sportico.

The top six teams in each conference earn bonuses based on their regular season records, while the 16 playoff teams also receive a chunk of money from the playoff pool, increasing the value of their payout with each series win. That bonus money is divvied up among the players on each club’s 15-man roster.

Teams eliminated in the play-in tournament aren’t entitled to any of the playoff bonus money, even if they had the seventh- or eighth-best regular season record in their conference.

The breakdown for 2025’s playoff pool money is as follows (rounded to the nearest thousand), per Sportico:

Regular season achievements:

  • Best record in NBA (Thunder): $869K
  • No. 1 seeds in each conference (Cavaliers, Thunder): $761K per team
  • No. 2 seeds (Celtics, Rockets): $609K per team
  • No. 3 seeds (Knicks, Lakers): $456K per team
  • No. 4 seeds (Pacers, Nuggets): $372K per team
  • No. 5 seeds (Bucks, Clippers): $288K per team
  • No. 6 seeds (Pistons, Timberwolves): $204K per team

Postseason achievements:

  • Teams participating in first round (all 16 playoff teams — the 12 listed above, plus the Magic, Heat, Warriors, and Grizzlies): $466K per team
  • Teams participating in conference semifinals (eight teams): $568K per team
  • Teams participating in conference finals (four teams): $951K per team
  • Losing team in NBA Finals: $3,803,000
  • Winning team in NBA Finals: $8,805,000

A team that makes a deep playoff run will cash in on more than one of the bonuses listed above.

For example, if the Thunder win the championship, their payout from the playoff pool would be worth more than $12.4MM in total — that amount would include their bonuses for posting the NBA’s best record, claiming the West’s No. 1 seed, making the first round, making the conference semifinals, making the conference finals, and winning the NBA Finals.

NBA Announces 2024/25 All-Rookie Teams

The NBA has officially revealed its All-Rookie teams for the 2024/25 season (Twitter links). The First Team is made up the top two picks in the 2024 draft, a pair of Grizzlies, and this season’s Rookie of the Year, while the Second Team is heavy on centers.

A panel of 100 media members selected the All-Rookie teams, with players earning two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team nod. The 10 players who made the cut, along with their corresponding point totals (Twitter link), are as follows:

First Team

Second Team

There are no real surprises on the First Team. Castle was the recipient of this season’s Rookie of the Year and was also the only player to be unanimously selected to the First Team, but fellow Rookie of the Year finalists Risacher and Wells weren’t far behind him. Edey and Sarr played significant roles for their respective teams and also finished in the top five in Rookie of the Year voting.

Among the members of the Second Team, Ware and Buzelis finished sixth and seventh in Rookie of the Year voting, while Missi, Clingan, and Carrington became starters for their respective teams in their first NBA seasons.

Carrington just narrowly edged out Jazz guard Isaiah Collier, who received one First Team vote and 50 Second Team votes for a total of 52 points. Carrington technically showed up on fewer overall ballots, but gained the slight edge because he was selected to the First Team by three voters (he was named to the Second Team by 47).

A total of 23 players showed up on at least one voter’s ballot, with Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski, Pistons forward Ron Holland, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, and Suns wing Ryan Dunn rounding out the top 15 vote-getters — they, along with Collier, would’ve made up a hypothetical All-Rookie Third Team if the league recognized 15 players like it does for All-NBA.

All-Rookie is one of the few awards that doesn’t require players to meet the 65-game minimum and certain minutes-played thresholds. Risacher, Edey, Ware, Buzelis, and Clingan each would have been ineligible for consideration if that rule applied to All-Rookie voting.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Hachimura, Suns, Clippers

The Lakers already made their big move of the year by trading for Luka Doncic mid-season. Now, after a five-game playoff run that ended with a loss to the Timberwolves, the team has to figure out how to build the team around him, writes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link).

The critical pieces this summer will be the player options for LeBron James and Dorian Finney-Smith. James is reportedly not expected to take a discount deal in what will likely be his last contract, and while he’s expected to return to Los Angeles, it’s not a certainty.

The Lakers could use a mid-range deal like Gabe Vincent‘s $11.5MM or Maxi Kleber‘s $11MM, along with Shake Milton‘s non-guaranteed deal, to bring in a starting big man, but with only one tradable first-round pick available, the return will likely be modest unless the team is willing to include a young player like Dalton Knecht, Gozlan notes.

Finney-Smith has a $15.4MM player option. He is extension-eligible and serves a valuable role as the Lakers’ best wing defender. Austin Reaves is also extension-eligible, but the limitations on what L.A. can offer him make it unlikely a deal gets signed. Finally, Doncic himself will be able to sign an extension on August 2 worth up to a maximum of $229MM over four years.

We have more from around the Pacific division:

  • Rui Hachimura was named a Lakers starter by new head coach J.J. Redick in the fall and he repaid that trust with a strong, well-rounded season, writes Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. His shooting, rebounding, and defense were crucial for a team without much depth on the wing. However, with one year and $18.3MM left on his contract, if an extension isn’t reached this summer, Hachimura’s name will likely come up in trade talks as the Lakers look to build a future-facing roster around Doncic.
  • The second round of interviews for the Suns‘ head coaching vacancy will begin this week, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix (via Twitter). Phoenix has reportedly narrowed its search down to nine candidates: Sean Sweeney, Micah Nori, Steve Hetzel, Dave Bliss, James Borrego, David Fizdale, Johnnie Bryant, Jordan Ott, and Chris Quinn. The names are interesting for such a veteran team, as only Borrego and Fizdale have previous NBA head coaching experience. The Suns hope the new coach can help build a program from scratch while aligning with owner Mat Ishbia.
  • The Suns are facing another lawsuit, the fourth in seven months from a current or former member of the organization, writes ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. The suit, filed on behalf of Gene Traylor, the team’s director of safety, security, and risk management, alleges discrimination, harassment, and retaliation following a presentation by Traylor of risks to the team’s reputation or security. It also alleges that the team discouraged him from taking leave after a cancer diagnosis. “Ms. [Sheree] Wright and her client have made absurd accusations of misconduct surrounding the security department of the Phoenix Suns,” a Suns spokesperson responded to ESPN. Traylor’s team, in response, has claimed that the Suns are trying to publicly discredit Wright, who is on Traylor’s legal team, in an effort to shift focus from their own culpability.
  • The Clippers will enter the summer with 13 players under contract, Gozlan writes in his offseason preview (Substack link). Much of the offseason revolves around the player options of James Harden and Nicolas Batum, who has stated that next year will likely be his last season. After a very successful regular season, Harden is expected to decline his option and look for a pay bump, and Gozlan suggests aligning his contract with Kawhi Leonard‘s on a two-year deal could make the most sense for both sides. The Clippers can sign Harden for up to four years, but in that case it’s likely the last two years would be at least partially non-guaranteed, Gozlan writes. The Clippers will also have access to the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level, with which they could add another veteran. The team could also try to sell high on Norman Powell, who is coming off a career year and is extension-eligible.

International Notes: P. Gasol, Bogut, Nunn, Shorts, Biberovic

Former NBA stars Pau Gasol and Andrew Bogut were welcomed into the FIBA Hall of Fame Saturday night in Bahrain, according to Eurohoops. In addition to their NBA accomplishments, both players had extensive experience in international competitions, with Gasol being Spain’s all-time scoring leader in EuroBasket and Bogut representing Australia in three Summer Olympics.

Gasol, who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023, used his speech to reflect on his time with the Spanish national team and share memories of former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.

“None was more important than my brother, Kobe,” Gasol told the crowd. “Our connection went far beyond that. He was unique. He challenged me to leave it all on the court every day to make us NBA champions. I’ll never forget how he welcomed me onto the team. We built something special. It wasn’t easy. Trust, accountability, unwavering commitment, and pure determination. I miss him and (his daughter) Gigi terribly.”

Other notable members of this year’s class include former Duke and Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski, three-time gold medalist Dawn Staley and WNBA career assists leader Ticha Penicheiro of Portugal.

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Kendrick Nunn is mulling over offers to represent Greece or Turkey at this year’s EuroBasket tournament, according to George Adamopolous of EuroHoops. The former NBA guard, who plays for Panathinaikos in Greece, is the reigning EuroLeague MVP. “There were offers that came on the table to play either for the Greek national team or the Turkish national team,” Nunn said. “It’s still in the air. I haven’t made a decision yet to be honest. I still have time.”
  • T.J. Shorts, who has received interest from the Grizzlies, has earned back-to-back MVP honors in the French League, per EuroHoops. The Paris Basketball point guard averaged 16.9 points and 8.0 assists per game in his first season in the league, shooting 59.1% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range. Shorts, 27, will be a free agent this summer.
  • Fenerbahce swingman Tarik Biberovic, whose rights are controlled by the Grizzlies, is pondering a move to the NBA and is getting encouragement from teammate Marko Guduric, EuroHoops relays in another piece. “If I’m Fener, I’m obviously trying to keep Tarik,” Guduric said, “but for him, personally, it’s going to be his decision and of his family, whatever is best for them. I told him, if there is an opportunity, maybe you should try.”

Lakers Notes: Reaves, Offseason, Centers, Streit, Draft

There has been speculation that the Lakers might look to trade Austin Reaves this summer to address the team’s needs on the wing and/or frontcourt. He struggled in the Lakers’ first-round loss to Minnesota after a strong regular season and is on a below-market-value contract, which could make it tricky to extend him prior to 2026 free agency — he’s considered likely to decline his $14.9MM player option for 2026/27, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group.

However, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka made it clear that the Lakers highly value the shooting guard when he referred to Reaves as one of the team’s three pillars, alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Price writes.

When your foundation for those three players is that they’re players of high character and a highly competitive nature, that’s the perfect starting point, to have three players like that,” Pelinka responded when asked about the benefit of having training camp ahead of the 2025/26 season.

LeBron (is) a selfless player, high character. All he cares about is winning. Luka Doncic, the same. Austin Reaves, the same. When you get those three pillars in a training camp environment and you’re starting to build an ethos around them, that’s a great starting point.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

  • In a subscriber-only column for The Los Angeles Times, Bill Plaschke explains why he believes it’s in the team’s best interest to trade Reaves for a center, despite the impressive strides he’s made over the years. Plaschke is a big fan of Reaves’ game, toughness and story, but says his skill set isn’t an ideal complement for Doncic and argues he’s the team’s best remaining trade chip outside of Doncic and James, who aren’t going anywhere. If they want to make a major upgrade in the middle, moving Reaves is the Lakers’ best option to do so, Plaschke contends.
  • The Lakers were at the center of attention last spring and summer amid a coaching change, but there hasn’t been much buzz about them this offseason, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link). According to Woike, the Lakers have shown “no interest” in trading Reaves unless they receive a “top-tier” big man in return, and there aren’t any centers like that on the market right now. Nic Claxton of the Nets and Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks have been linked to the Lakers, Woike notes, but neither is an elite center or a lock to be heading to L.A., for various reasons.
  • The Lakers parted ways with strength coach Ed Streit last week, people with knowledge of the situation tell Woike. Streit, whom Woike describes as a “well-liked” member of the franchise, was initially hired as an assistant strength coach in 2019 before being promoted in 2021.
  • Los Angeles controls the 55th pick in next month’s draft. LZ Granderson of The Los Angeles Times would like to see the Lakers draft a mature, experienced center prospect with their lone selection.

2025 NBA Draft Picks By Team

The Nets and Jazz were among the teams who left Monday’s draft lottery disappointed, as Brooklyn slipped two spots to No. 8 while Utah, the NBA’s worst team during the 2024/25 season, ended up at No. 6.

Still, while they won’t be picking as high in the lottery as they might like, the Nets and Jazz will enter this year’s draft armed with plenty of ammunition. Brooklyn controls a league-high five 2025 draft picks, including four first-rounders and an early second-rounder. Utah, meanwhile, is one of just two teams (along with the Magic) controlling four picks in this year’s draft, including a pair of first-rounders.

Four other clubs – the Spurs, Hornets, Wizards, and Thunder – own three picks apiece, so those seven teams combine to control 25 of the 59 selections in the 2025 draft.

In addition to those teams with three or more picks, 12 more clubs own a pair of 2025 draft selections, while another 10 control one apiece. That latter group includes the Mavericks, whose No. 1 overall pick is their only selection in this year’s draft.

That leaves just a single NBA team without a draft pick this year: the Nuggets. Denver traded its 2025 first-rounder to Orlando back in 2021 as part of a package for Aaron Gordon in a deal that has worked out exceedingly well for the 2023 champions and sent out its 2025 second-rounder last offseason in a Reggie Jackson salary-dump. The Nuggets could still trade into this draft, but for now they’re the only team on track to sit it out.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2025 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 59 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…


Teams with more than two picks:

  • Brooklyn Nets (5): 8, 19, 26, 27, 36
  • Utah Jazz (4): 5, 21, 43, 53
  • Orlando Magic (4): 16, 25, 46, 57
  • San Antonio Spurs (3): 2, 14, 38
  • Charlotte Hornets (3): 4, 33, 34
  • Washington Wizards (3): 6, 18, 40
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (3): 15, 24, 44

Teams with two picks:

  • Philadelphia 76ers: 3, 35
  • Toronto Raptors: 9, 39
  • Houston Rockets: 10, 59
  • Chicago Bulls: 12, 45
  • Atlanta Hawks: 13, 22
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: 17, 31
  • Indiana Pacers: 23, 54
  • Boston Celtics: 28, 32
  • Phoenix Suns: 29, 52
  • Los Angeles Clippers: 30, 51
  • Memphis Grizzlies: 48, 56
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: 49, 58

Teams with one pick:

  • Dallas Mavericks: 1
  • New Orleans Pelicans: 7
  • Portland Trail Blazers: 11
  • Miami Heat: 20
  • Detroit Pistons: 37
  • Golden State Warriors: 41
  • Sacramento Kings: 42
  • Milwaukee Bucks: 47
  • New York Knicks: 50
  • Los Angeles Lakers: 55

Teams with no picks:

  • Denver Nuggets

Pacific Notes: Curry, Warriors, Suns, Durant, Lakers

Stephen Curry is excited about the prospect of running it back with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green next season after that tandem played playoff-level basketball over the final portion of the season, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes.

The Warriors took Game 1 of the second round of the playoffs against the Timberwolves, but Curry was injured in that game and did not return for the rest of the series.

Our contracts — me, Draymond, Steve, Jimmy — are all two years [more],” Curry said. “And we want this ride to last as long as possible. But it’s just about what does this team need for next year, answering those questions over the summer, everybody preparing themselves individually to get through another 82-game season hopefully with a little bit more of a comfort room down the stretch where we don’t have to have a two-month gauntlet just to make the playoffs.

Regardless of what direction the team takes this offseason, Green believes Golden State got the hardest part of the team-building process over by acquiring Butler

It’s harder to get guys like that through trades, through free agency,” Green said. “It just doesn’t come up often. That part is done. It puts us in a much better situation going into this offseason than last year where we were kind of looking for that.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • This offseason is a pivotal one for the Suns. After they hire their next head coach, it seems likely they’ll explore the trade market for Kevin Durant, Keith Smith of Spotrac writes in his offseason preview. Smith opines that the team should at least look into fully resetting but is more likely to try to retool around Devin Booker. Any Durant trade should return multiple rotation players on smaller salaries, and potentially draft assets to replenish a depleted collection of future picks. A smaller decision worth monitoring is what the team does with Vasilije Micic‘s $8.1MM team option. Exercising that would give the team another decent salary to include in trades, Smith notes, but declining it could create significant tax savings.
  • Durant won the Professional Basketball Writers Association’s Magic Johnson Award for 2024/25, per a press release. The award honors a player who best combines on-court skill with grace in dealing with media and fans. Durant also won the award in 2010/11. “We’re really pleased to honor KD again,” said PBWA president Howard Beck. “Kevin has long been one of the NBA’s most thoughtful and accessible stars. He always makes time for reporters, whether for on-the-record interviews or just informal chit-chat, and he never shies away from any topic.
  • The Lakers‘ priority this offseason — outside of keeping LeBron James and extending Luka Doncic — will be to add size and athleticism around their two superstars. Jovan Buha of The Athletic explores how Los Angeles could improve its roster. If Dorian Finney-Smith opts into his $15.4MM player option, the Lakers would have four sizable expiring deals that they could potentially use in trades, in Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura‘s ($18.3MM), Maxi Kleber ($11.0MM) and Gabe Vincent ($11.5MM).

LeBron James Opens Up About Knee Injury

After going down in the middle of the fourth quarter of Game 5 against the Timberwolves with a knee injury, LeBron James was able to return to the court and finish the game. But in the wake of the Lakers‘ loss, which ended their season, it was revealed that he had suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain.

In an episode of James’ “Mind The Game” podcast with Steve Nash, the Lakers star shed more light on that injury and his path forward.

I knew as soon as when the impact happened with me and [Donte] DiVincenzo, I felt it right away,” James said. “My knee locked up, and that’s why I kind of stayed on the ground for quite a minute to see if the knee will kind of release a little bit. But I knew right then and there was a pain that I hadn’t felt before.”

James reflected on the latter point, discussing how this was a unique experience in his 22-year career: “I’ve had the regular tendonitis and the patella, all that stuff, but this is the first time I’ve ever had a sustained knee injury where I had to, like, okay, you got to get off your feet.”

James told Nash that he had initially planned on waiting and assessing his pain level before getting his MRI, but when he woke up the next day, he knew it was dire enough to get the situation checked out immediately.

Well, when I woke up Thursday morning and tried to get out of bed, I was like, holy s–t,” he said. “And I called Doc right away. I said, ‘I can’t wait till Friday. I need to go today.'”

James confirmed that if the Lakers had won Game 5, he likely would’ve been unavailable for the rest of the series “and even further.”

If there’s a silver lining to the injury – other than the fact that thanks to the Wolves taking care of business in five games, James’ record of playing in 292 straight playoff games without missing time to injury remains intact – it’s that his recovery process won’t involve surgery. With the season behind James and the Lakers, he has plenty of time to complete the four-to-six week rehab period and still get the rest of his conditioning in before next season starts.

While James has been noncommittal about his future, both in the NBA and with the Lakers in light of his looming player option for the 2025/26 season, his comments seemed to indicate his plans on playing next season.

I have some time to get it right and get back to full strength as far as I need,” he told Nash.

Draft Notes: Lottery Teams, Mock Draft, S. Johnson

Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN break down each lottery team’s outlook ahead of the 2025 NBA draft lottery, which will take place on Monday. They also list which player each team is most likely to select assuming the pre-lottery draft order remains unchanged.

While Duke forward Cooper Flagg and Rutgers guard Dylan Harper are widely expected to come off the board first and second overall, respectively, there could be some surprises starting at No. 3. Rutgers wing Ace Bailey and Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe are ranked third and fourth, respectively, on ESPN’s big board and Givony and Woo believe they should be selected (in some order) with the following two picks.

However, Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears and Texas guard Tre Johnson could also be in consideration starting at No. 3, according to Givony, who reports that NBA teams are bullish on both players’ long-term potential, though they’re also somewhat polarizing. Fears is ranked fifth on ESPN’s board, while Johnson is sixth.

Here are a couple more notes related to the 2025 NBA draft:

  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report recently published his last pre-lottery mock draft. There’s a good deal of overlap between ESPN’s most likely picks and Wasserman’s, including the Raptors selecting Duke center Khaman Maluach at No. 7. There are also some noteworthy differences. For instance, Wasserman seems a little lower on Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 14 to San Antonio vs. No. 8 in ESPN’s story) and quite a bit higher on Georgia forward/center Asa Newell (No. 10 to Houston vs. outside the lottery on ESPN).
  • UConn forward Samson Johnson impressed at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament last month and has upcoming pre-draft workouts with the Jazz, Lakers, Bucks and Wizards, sources tell Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). A 6’10” big man, Johnson averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a senior this past season for the Huskies (19.4 minutes per game). Johnson is not ranked on ESPN’s big board.