Lakers Rumors

Lakers Notes: Cap Room, Luka, LeBron, Preseason

August 3rd, 2025 at 3:54pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Even after signing Luka Doncic to a maximum-salary extension, the Lakers are in position carve out maximum cap space for the 2027 offseason, with multiple superstars in position to reach free agency at that time, writes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link).

Doncic signed a three-year, maximum contract extension on Saturday that could pay him up to $165MM. While Doncic qualified for a five-year, $335.9MM super-max extension as a Maverick, he lost that privilege upon being traded to Los Angeles. His shorter-term deal will enable him to potentially reach free agency in 2028. With 10 years of NBA service at that time, he will qualify for a maximum deal worth 35% of the NBA’s salary cap (up from 30%).

Gozlan observes that Los Angeles could also have significant cap room in 2026. Even if L.A. gives impending guard Austin Reaves a massive raise next offseason and both Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart pick up their 2026/27 player options, the team will still be able to reach $30MM in available space.

But because there is no superstar-level talent expected to hit free agency next summer, 2027 has been viewed as the Lakers’ target date to maximize their cap flexibility. Both Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo could reach free agency that summer, when they would figure to earn maximum annual deals in the $60MM range.

There’s more out of Los Angeles:

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin answers some lingering questions for the Lakers in the wake of their new deal with Doncic, including addressing their expectations for the upcoming season. McMenamin indicates that Doncic and L.A. both think the current club can realistically compete for a title in 2026. The team has augmented its 50-win 2024/25 core by adding free agents Ayton, Smart and sharpshooting forward Jake LaRavia this summer.
With the Lakers seemingly going all-in on the 26-year-old Doncic, Dylan Hernández of The Los Angeles Times wonders how invested L.A. is in the future of 40-year-old All-NBA forward LeBron James.
The Lakers’ full six-game preseason slate has been revealed, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (Twitter link). Los Angeles will tip off against Pacific Division nemeses the Suns and Warriors twice between October 3-14, before wrapping up with a game apiece against the Mavericks and Kings.

Rob Pelinka: It Would Be ‘Great’ To Have LeBron James Retire As A Laker

August 2nd, 2025 at 6:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

As Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka met with the media to announce Luka Doncic‘s new three-year max extension on Saturday, the subject of LeBron James‘ future with the team also came up, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic.

Now that Doncic is the cornerstone of the organization, there are questions about how much longer James will remain in L.A. He has an expiring $52.6MM contract after picking up his player option in late June, and there has been speculation that he might either be traded or reach a buyout agreement before the end of the season.

Pelinka told reporters today that it would be “great” if James were able to retire as a Laker.

“In terms of LeBron’s career, I think the number one thing we have to do there is respect he and his family’s decision in terms of how long he’s going to play. I think that’s first and foremost,” Pelinka said. “And we want to respect his ability to come up with his timetable on that.”

James will turn 41 in December, and he hasn’t made any public statements about many more years he plans to remain active. He’s still performing at an elite level, earning second-team All-NBA honors last season while averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games.

James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, said during a Summer League interview that James hasn’t asked the Lakers for a trade. Team and league sources confirmed that to Woike, adding that there has been no discussion of a buyout either.

“All the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp, Rich in particular, have been positive and supportive. So very professional and Rich has been great,” Pelinka said. “The dialogue with him has been open and constant.”

It has also been reported that the Lakers didn’t offer James a multiyear contract, which is something that Paul said he never asked the team for. Numerous reports have indicated that L.A. is preserving cap space for the summer of 2027, and Woike notes that among this summer’s major signings, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart both got one-year deals with player options, while Jake LaRavia was signed for two seasons.

Lakers’ St. Jean, Grizzlies’ Mutombo On Knicks’ Radar

August 2nd, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Knicks continue to work on filling out their coaching staff under new head coach Mike Brown, Lakers assistant Greg St. Jean and Grizzlies assistant Patrick Mutombo are among the potential targets they’ve considered, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

The Knicks are retaining several coaches from Tom Thibodeau‘s staff, including Rick Brunson and Maurice Cheeks, and are adding Charles Allen and Riccardo Fois, a pair of player development assistants who worked under Brown in Sacramento. They’re also expected to hire longtime Clippers assistant Brendan O’Connor.

While O’Connor will serve as Brown’s defensive coordinator, the Knicks remain on the lookout for an assistant who could take the lead on the offensive side of the ball. The team has reportedly shown interest in James Borrego, Jay Triano, and Pablo Prigioni, but wasn’t granted permission to meet with Borrego or Triano, while Prigioni decided to remain in Minnesota.

St. Jean had stints working for the Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, and Suns before rejoining the Lakers in 2024 as a member of J.J. Redick‘s coaching staff.

Mutombo, who played professionally for seven seasons outside the NBA, was an assistant for the Nuggets, Raptors, Suns, and Bucks before being hired by the Grizzlies for the 2024/25 season. He also had a two-season stint as the head coach of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League team, from 2020-22.

It’s unclear if the Knicks intend to seriously pursue either assistant for a spot on Brown’s staff or whether they’ve requested permission to interview either one.

Lakers’ Luka Doncic Signs Three-Year Max Extension

August 2nd, 2025 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Lakers and Luka Doncic have agreed to terms on a three-year, maximum-salary contract extension that includes a third-year player option, agent Bill Duffy tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The deal will begin in 2026/27, replacing the player option on Doncic’s current contract. It will be worth roughly $160.8MM over three years based on the NBA’s most recent projection of a 7% cap increase next summer. The total value could reach $165.3MM if the cap ends up rising by the maximum allowable 10%.

Based on a 7% cap increase, the year-by-year breakdown would be as follows:

2025/26 (last year of current contract): $45,999,660
2026/27 (first year of extension): $49,641,600
2027/28: $53,612,928
2028/29 (player option): $57,584,256

Both the Lakers and Doncic have put out statements officially confirming the extension.

“I just signed my extension with the Lakers,” Doncic wrote (via Twitter). “Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all the fans who’ve shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning.

“Today I’m also committing $5 million to help 77 young athletes around the world chase their dreams, just like I did,” he added in a follow-up tweet. “Basketball gave me everything, and I’m lucky to be able to give back and help the next generation.

“Today is a monumental moment for our franchise,” Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in the team’s statement. “Luka Doncic’s future is with the Los Angeles Lakers. Luka is one of the game’s most transcendent players, and his on-court dominance and passion is without compare.

“From the moment Luka become a Laker, there was an immediate connection and admiration between Luka and our fanbase. You can feel it in your spirit when you attend a Lakers game. Luka is an absolute killer on the court, and blends that with a unique generosity and care for the community. Above all else, Luka will lead our franchise to pursue future championships, a goal that will forever define the Lakers.”

As we outlined earlier today, now that six months have passed since Doncic was traded from Dallas to Los Angeles, he had become eligible to sign a maximum-salary extension that could cover up to four additional seasons beyond 2025/26.

However, a three-year agreement with a 2028/29 player option makes more financial sense for him in the long run, since it will allow him to start his next contract in 2028, once he has 10 years of NBA service and qualifies for a higher maximum salary (starting at 35% of the cap instead of 30%).

If Doncic waits until 2028 free agency to sign his next contract and re-ups with the Lakers at the time, he could get a five-year deal worth up to a whopping $417MM. That $417MM projection would hinge on the salary cap increasing by 10% in each of the next three years, but even with slower cap growth, the five-time All-Star will have an opportunity for a massive, record-setting payday.

The NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2019 and a five-time All-NBA first-teamer from 2020-24, Doncic battled a calf issue last season that limited him to 50 games (22 for Dallas and 28 for L.A.). He still put up his usual superlative numbers when he was available, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game with a .450/.368/.782 shooting line, but he and the Lakers failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs after he made the NBA Finals with the Mavericks a year earlier.

Motivated by the early postseason exit and criticism that leaked out of Dallas following February’s blockbuster trade, Doncic has dedicated this offseason to improving his body and his conditioning. He made changes to his diet and workout regimen and looked noticeably slimmed down in a recent Men’s Health photo shoot, as we detailed earlier this week.

We’ll get a chance to see the new-look Doncic in action later this month. He’s set to rejoin the Slovenian national team ahead of this year’s EuroBasket tournament. The club will play a handful of exhibition games in the coming weeks before the event begins on August 27. Slovenia’s group-play schedule will begin with an Aug. 28 matchup against Poland.

As for the Lakers, even with Doncic’s new extension on their books, they’ll have significant cap flexibility going forward. Doncic is their only player who currently has a guaranteed salary beyond the 2026/27 season (Jarred Vanderbilt holds a ’27/28 player option, while three other players have team options on their contracts).

The extension makes Doncic ineligible to be traded for six months, though it’s safe to assume that wasn’t an option the Lakers were considering.

Luka Doncic’s Extension Restrictions Have Lifted

August 2nd, 2025 at 7:36am CST by Luke Adams

It has been six months since the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers in one of the most stunning trades in NBA history. That means that the restrictions limiting Doncic’s first-year salary, annual raises, and total years on a contract extension no longer apply.

Doncic is now eligible to sign a contract extension with the Lakers that would be worth up to a projected $222.4MM over four years, beginning in 2026/27.

While that four-year, $222.4MM extension is the most lucrative deal Doncic could lock in at this time, it may ultimately be in his best interests financially to sign a shorter-term deal. If he agrees to a three-year, $160.8MM contract that includes a third-year player option, he’d have the ability to start his next contract in 2028, when he’ll have 10 years of NBA experience and would qualify for a maximum salary worth 35% of the cap instead of his current 30%.

“The (two)-plus-one structure is the smartest move for a player in Luka’s position,” one veteran agent told Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com. “It gives him the flexibility to hit that 10-year mark when he can sign a super-max. If I had to guess, that’s what I expect him to do. That’s what I’d advise.”

The Lakers would presumably be thrilled to get Doncic’s signature on any contract in order to ensure that their newest superstar won’t have the ability to reach free agency next summer. His current deal will pay him about $46MM in 2025/26 and he holds a player option worth roughly $49MM for 2026/27. An extension would likely replace the option, since his new maximum for ’26/27 projects to be worth $49.6MM based on the NBA’s estimated 7% cap increase.

As Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes, all signs in recent weeks have pointed to Doncic and the Lakers working out a new deal. The former Maverick helped recruit free agents Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart and has spoken about a desire to continue his career in Los Angeles.

“He obviously didn’t ask for the trade, but he’s embraced it as much as the Lakers could have hoped,” one assistant general manager of a Western Conference team told Afseth. “He’s clearly invested in the team if he’s putting in work to help recruit Smart and Ayton. You don’t recruit like that unless you’re planning to stay a while.”

There was some speculation earlier this summer that a new contract for Doncic might not get done until later in the offseason, once his obligations to the Slovenian national team had wrapped up. However, it now looks like there will be an opening for a deal to get done as soon as this weekend — Doncic is making a stop in Los Angeles as part of a week-long U.S. tour for Jordan Brand before he heads back overseas for this year’s EuroBasket tournament.

Signed Second-Round Picks Now Count Against Cap

July 31st, 2025 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Between July 1 and July 30 of each NBA league year, a player signed using the second-round pick exception doesn’t count toward his team’s cap, but that changes as of July 31. Beginning on Thursday, each of the second-rounders signed using that exception will begin carrying 2025/26 cap hits.

[RELATED: 2025 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

The effect this will have on teams around the league is negligible. The only club still operating below the cap is Brooklyn, but the Nets didn’t make any second-round picks in this year’s draft and haven’t signed any second-rounders that were stashed from previous drafts, so this change won’t reduce their cap room at all.

The Nets are far from the only NBA team that hasn’t signed a second-round pick to a standard contract this offseason. In fact, only 11 of the league’s 30 clubs have done so.

The Suns, Magic, Hornets (two picks), Sixers, Lakers, Pistons, and Pacers made the top eight selections of the 2025 second round and have signed those players to standard deals, while the Pelicans (No. 40 pick Micah Peavy), Kings (No. 42 pick Maxime Raynaud), Cavaliers (No. 49 pick Tyrese Proctor), and Hawks (2024’s No. 43 pick Nikola Djurisic) have joined them. The rest of this year’s second-rounders are either still unsigned, will play overseas, or agreed to two-way contracts.

None of those 11 teams surpassed an apron threshold as a result of their second-rounders’ new cap hits. For example, the Cavs would be well over the second apron with or without Proctor on their books.

Since none of those teams will see their ability to make other roster moves affected by the new cap charges, this is really more of a housekeeping note than anything.

Pacific Notes: Bronny, Suns, Saric

July 30th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Lakers guard Bronny James is adjusting to life ahead of his second pro season, as he tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James, who still deals with occasional health issues after suffering a cardiac arrest in the summer of 2023, is looking to improve his conditioning and develop his defense. After his second Summer League stint, the 6’2″ USC alum seems to feel a bit more secure in who he is and his own upside.

“My confidence level is, for sure, taking a leap,” James told McMenamin.

James’ head coach JJ Redick, a rookie in his own role in 2024/25, believes the 20-year-old can potentially crack the team’s rotation sooner rather than later — provided his fitness improves.

“The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape,” Redick told McMenamin. “That’s the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he’s got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA.”

Lakers athletic trainer Mike Mancias explained how James, son of All-Star L.A. teammate LeBron James, can continue to build on his conditioning.

“His conditioning is like a basketball 401(k),” Guthrie said. “It is all about daily deposits… That 401(k) will be great because he’s been putting in the work starting now, starting in the offseason, focusing on his diet, focusing on sleep, focusing on all those things. That’s all part of conditioning. It’s all tied together.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Former Suns director of safety, security and risk management Gene Traylor has been fired by Phoenix after he sued the club for discrimination, harassment and retaliation, sources inform Baxter Holmes of ESPN. “Mr. Traylor was terminated from his position as a security manager because an independent, outside investigation concluded that he violated company policies with respect to confidential information about security operations and he was intentionally untruthful with the investigator,” Suns senior VP of communications Stacey Mitch said in a statement to Holmes.
New Kings center Dario Saric is determined to play meaningful minutes for Sacramento after riding pine with Denver for most of 2024/25, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. The 31-year-old spoke with gathered reporters after a practice with the Croatian national team, as the club gears up for the second round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup pre-qualifying matchups. “I went to Sacramento, passed medicals, talked to the coach and general manager,” Saric said. “I received positive feedback. I hope to get minutes at the four and five positions. But you never know for sure. I thought I was going to play in Denver too, but I ended up sitting on the bench.” Instead, the 6’10” vet appeared in just 16 games for the Nuggets.
In case you missed it, restricted free agent Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga remains frustrated by his stalemated contract talks with Golden State.

Mavs Notes: Davis, Lineups, Arena Site, Casson, Preseason

July 29th, 2025 at 7:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Injuries prevented the Mavericks from taking a long look at double-big lineups last season. They plan to utilize their size next season in the hopes of making a deep playoff run, Christian Clark of The Athletic writes.

Clark notes that Anthony Davis logged only 95 minutes with either Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford in the middle. Davis is expected to play the bulk of his minutes at power forward next season.

“That’s something we have a huge advantage (with) going forward: our size,” Mavericks assistant coach Josh Broghame said. “The talent with that size, that’s something we put on a premium here, and it’s been really, really good for us so far.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

In the same story, Clark projects the opening night lineup, with Davis and Lively joined by top pick Cooper Flagg in the frontcourt and D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson starting in the backcourt. P.J. Washington, Gafford, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall and Dante Exum or Max Christie are projected to fill out the rotation.
Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said that multiple sites for a new arena are being considered and the process is in the early stages. “We have been presented several sites by the city and we are doing a deeper dive on two of them currently to see how viable they are,” he told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “Neither may work and we may refocus on others.” Welts has set a goal of choosing a site by the end of the year or early next year. “The process is going to go on, I would guess, for months. But, no, we’re not like on the 10-yard line,” he added.
Ethan Casson has been named president of business operations for the franchise, Townsend reports in a separate story. Casson announced last month he would step down after nine years as the Timberwolves’ CEO after the sale of the franchise was finalized. He will report to Welts once his new job officially begins on Aug. 11.
The Mavs will play an Oct. 6 preseason game against the Thunder in Fort Worth, according to Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal, as well as a neutral site preseason contest in Las Vegas against the Lakers on Oct. 15. The remainder of the preseason slate has yet to be revealed.

Latest On Luka Doncic

July 29th, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers star Luka Doncic, who has faced criticism over the years for his conditioning, weight, and workout habits, is on the cover of the latest issue of Men’s Health and is the subject of a handful of feature stories from the magazine as a result of the work he has put in this offseason.

In addition to their cover story on Doncic, Men’s Health published separate articles about the star guard’s intense summer training regimen and the gluten-free, low-sugar diet he has been on since the Lakers’ season ended.

As Andrew Heffernan and Ebenezer Samuel of Men’s Health detail, Doncic let manager Lara Beth Seager know the day after Los Angeles was eliminated from the playoffs that he wanted to dedicate this offseason to improving his body and his conditioning — and that he wanted to start that work immediately.

“Every summer I try my best to work on different things,” said Doncic, who took a month off from any basketball activities after the season as he focused on his training. “Obviously, I’m very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better.”

As Dan Woike of The Athletic observes, Doncic began working with trainer Anže Maček and physiotherapist Javier Barrio back in 2023, so the idea of embarking upon a stricter workout program didn’t materialize overnight — some sources in the 26-year-old’s inner circle believe he would’ve taken this path toward a physical transformation even if he was still in Dallas, according to Woike.

But calf issues last season set Doncic back, and the fact that the Mavericks cited his conditioning and work habits after making the shocking decision to trade him in February provided some extra fuel as he began his new training program this spring. The photos shared by Men’s Health show a more toned, slimmed-down version of the five-time All-Star.

“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” Doncic acknowledged.

After spending much of the offseason in Europe, Doncic is back in the United States this week doing promotional work for Jordan Brand. According to Woike, Doncic is headed to Chicago and then to Los Angeles after making multiple appearances in New York City.

It’s likely not a coincidence, Woike writes, that Doncic’s stop in L.A. will line up with August 2, the day the restrictions on his contract extension eligibility lift.

While there has long been a sense that Doncic would likely sign some form of extension with the Lakers this offseason, there was speculation that it might happen later in the year, once his obligations to the Slovenian national team had wrapped up. But it now looks like there will be an opening for a deal to get done as soon as this weekend, before he heads back overseas for EuroBasket.

As he gears up for this year’s EuroBasket tournament and the coming NBA season, Doncic made it clear that he intends to keep up his new regimen, since he doesn’t work his work this offseason to “all (be) for nothing.”

“This year, with my team, I think we did a huge step,” he said. “But this is just the start, you know. I need to keep going. Can’t stop.”

Stein’s Latest: Paul, Smart, Thomas, Kuminga

July 28th, 2025 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Paul returned to Los Angeles and signed with the Clippers on a one-year deal last week. Paul showed strong interest in playing for one of his other former teams before making his decision, according to the latest Substack article from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

The other team that Paul considered rejoining was the Suns. The team’s star, Devin Booker, was intrigued by the potential reunion, given how they meshed during Phoenix’s run to the 2021 NBA Finals. There was also seemingly a spot for Paul at the point, since Tyus Jones chose to sign with Orlando.

The Suns’ front office decided to go in another direction. Phoenix was much more interested in defensive stalwart Marcus Smart, who chose to sign with the Lakers after reaching a buyout with Washington. Phoenix’s brass also had some concerns how the future Hall of Famer’s presence might create some awkward situations for first-year head coach Jordan Ott.

The Suns wound up claiming Jordan Goodwin off waivers and signing Jared Butler to a non-guaranteed contract. Paul also drew interest from the Hornets, Mavericks and Bucks, as previously reported.

Citing a source, Stein said Dallas had D’Angelo Russell higher on its wish list than Paul. The Mavs’ brass believed Russell would be more comfortable in a complementary role once Kyrie Irving returns from his knee ailment. They also felt Russell was a better fit with Anthony Davis, considering they had played together with the Lakers. Russell signed a two-year deal with the Mavs.

Here’s more nuggets from The Stein Line:

The Hawks considered absorbing Smart’s contract into its $25MM traded player exception prior to his buyout. Atlanta opted instead to acquire Kristaps Porziņgis and make a sign-and-trade transaction for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Bucks explored potential trades for Smart and the Warriors‘ Andrew Wiggins with the aid of Pat Connaughton‘s expiring $9.4MM contract. They instead dealt him to Charlotte for two future second-round picks.
Fischer reiterates that the Nets’ offers to restricted free agent Cam Thomas have yet to exceed two-year proposals featuring an annual average value in the range of the league’s $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Those offers also include a team option for the second year. Brooklyn appears to be in no rush to ramp up negotiations with Thomas’ representation, given Thomas’ lack of leverage.
Regarding another prominent restricted free agent, Jonathan Kuminga has not gotten an offer from the Warriors close to his reported $30MM annual asking price. The Warriors’ best offers to Kuminga have topped out in the two-year, $40MM range, per Stein. As previously reported, the Kings and Suns are regarded as the top suitors but Golden State wants a first-round pick in any sign-and-trade deal. Phoenix is unable to offer a first-rounder.

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