Lakers Rumors

Lakers Notes: Doncic, LeBron, Mavs Win, Defense

February 26th, 2025 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic scored just 19 points in his first game against the Mavericks on Tuesday, but he also contributed 15 rebounds and 12 assists, registering his first triple-double since joining the Lakers and becoming the third player in NBA history – along with Russell Westbrook and teammate LeBron James – to post triple-doubles against all 30 teams, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Most importantly, Doncic and the Lakers picked up the win, defeating his former team by a score of 107-99. After the game, the star guard sounded more relieved than triumphant, according to McMenamin.

“It was just a lot of emotions and not much sleep,” Doncic said. “I can’t even explain (it). It was a different game. … Sometimes I don’t know what I was doing. And I’m just glad it’s over, honestly.”

While the scene wasn’t as charged as it figures to be on April 9 when the Lakers visit Dallas for the first time since the trade, Doncic said getting his first game against the Mavs out of the way will “definitely help me,” though he added that it will take “a while” to feel like he has closure on that era of his career.

“Obviously there’s a lot of emotion that goes in when you give so much to a franchise and you sacrifice for a franchise and you have that type of love and respect for a franchise — throughout all the journeys,” James said, per McMenamin. “(Doncic and the Mavericks) went to the Finals, all that stuff. He’s grown from being an 18-, 19-year-old kid to now a 25-year-old man with a family. … And when you move on or they move on from you, it’s very emotional, obviously. It’s very taxing.

“It’s probably a lot of things that were going on in his head that probably didn’t even involve the game itself. And with that said, I thought he handled it tremendously.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Within an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how the first few weeks of Doncic’s time in Los Angeles have played out, ESPN’s McMenamin notes that James has expressed a willingness to defer to his new superstar teammate on offense. “I’ve worked on my outside shot and my catch-and-shoot game for quite a while now to be able to sync up with someone like Luka,” LeBron said. “… I believe that in order for us to ultimately be the team that we want to be with him here, he has to have the ball, he has to be able to put us all in position, he has to be him. The seven years that we’ve seen in the NBA with Luka, we want that Luka.”
Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison was on the court during warmups on Tuesday, but Doncic didn’t acknowledge Harrison and stated after the game that he didn’t see him, as ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne writes.
Shelburne also provides a few more details on Doncic’s first game against the Mavericks, such as Mark Cuban‘s admission that he “hated” rooting against his former franchise player. According to Shelburne, Doncic jokingly told Cuban to “shut up” after the Mavs’ former majority owner made a point of booing him.
Since January 15, the Lakers own the NBA’s best record (15-4) and No. 1 defensive rating (107.4), as Jovan Buha of The Athletic observes. While their roster has undergone significant changes during that time, the Lakers’ defensive rating during that time isn’t being buoyed by Anthony Davis‘ play — since his last game with the team on January 28, L.A.’s defensive rating is a league-best 105.9. Head coach J.J. Redick praised the Lakers for being “committed” to playing team defense and told reporters on Tuesday that James has been playing at “an All-NBA defense level” in recent weeks, according to Buha.

Mavericks, Doncic’s Lakers Ready For ‘Weird’ Matchup

February 25th, 2025 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Almost immediately after word broke earlier this month that the Mavericks were sending Luka Doncic to the Lakers in the most shocking trade in recent NBA history, a steady flow of reports questioning Doncic’s weight and conditioning began leaking out of Dallas.

Although Doncic never publicly responded to those leaks, a source close to the five-time All-NBA guard tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN that they’ve been a motivating factor for Doncic as he settles into his new home.

“A beast was awakened inside him,” the source said to ESPN.

On Tuesday, Doncic will have the first opportunity to exact some level of revenge on the organization that traded him, as the Lakers tip off a six-game home stand by hosting the banged-up Mavericks. The Lakers are expecting it to be an emotional reunion, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

“I think he’ll be fine,” head coach J.J. Redick said of his newly added star. “Every day that he’s been with us it’s becoming a little more normal. I’ve been there. The first time you play your old team, particularly this close in time duration, it’s going to be weird. But he’ll be OK.”

While the matchup will mean more to Doncic than to the rest of the Lakers, his new teammates are all excited for it and will have his back as he faces his old team, according to Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who used to play with Luka in Dallas.

“I’m excited, man,” Finney-Smith said. “I know (Doncic is) gonna be ready but I try not to put too much pressure on him because at the end of the day, we just want to get the win. We get the win, I know he’s gonna be happy.”

Doncic didn’t look like his usual self in his first three games as a Laker after returning from a lengthy layoff due to a calf strain. He averaged just 14.7 points on 35.6% shooting in those three outings. But he showed on Saturday in Denver why the Mavericks’ decision to trade him was so stunning, going off for 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals in a 23-point win over a Nuggets team that has repeatedly stymied the Lakers in recent years.

Doncic’s former Mavs teammates are fully prepared to see that version of Luka on Tuesday, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.

“I expect him to bring his A-game,” Mavs forward P.J. Washington said. “Knowing just the player he is, the mentality he brings to the game, I know he’s going to be ready as soon as we get out there. We can’t wait to compete against him. We miss him, but at the end of the day, he’s our brother and we’re always going to love him but we just gotta go out there and compete against him.”

“I would love to get into the emotions after the game, but before the game it’s just about having fun and making sure that we lock in and have a deep focus,” Dallas guard Kyrie Irving said. “They’re going to come in and be ready to play against us. Luka’s obviously going to have a lot of confidence in that game. He played well the last game so he’s feeling good. We just have to be aware.”

Mavericks Notes: Kidd, Doncic, Nowitzki, Washington, Thompson

February 24th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks guard Jason Kidd can relate to how his former star point guard Luka Doncic feels. Kidd was an All-Star entering his prime when Dallas dealt him to Phoenix in 1996.

“It shocks you because you don’t know about that side of the business,” Kidd told Christian Clark of The Athletic. “But you have to grow up fast. It is a business.”

Doncic never saw the trade to the Lakers coming, thinking he’d be signing a super-max extension after the season with Dallas.

“You believe you are going to be with the franchise forever,” Kidd said. “But the business of basketball sometimes gets in the way. Teams change. I’ve been involved in quite a few sales of the team. Any time there is a sale, there could be change. It just happens.”

We have more on the Mavericks:

Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki was on vacation when news broke of the Doncic trade. Nowitzki didn’t see it coming either, he revealed on a Sportsradio 96.7 FM interview relayed by the Dallas Morning News. “I felt a little disappointed and sad for him. He obviously didn’t see this coming, so he invited me to come out to his first game in LA, and I felt like I had to support him,” Nowitzki said. “I felt like, I played with him in my last season, we’ve gotten close, I’ve tried to mentor him, I’ve tried to help him as much as I can the last few years and he’s a good kid. I felt like I had to go out there and support him in this new chapter, because I think and it was reported he was obviously pretty down and disappointed in how it went down. So I wanted to be there for him, I wanted to be there for his family and show support. But you guys saw my face, it was weird. It was surreal to see him play for the Lakers. I’ll never be a Laker fan, but I’ll always be a Luka fan.”
An ankle sprain limited P.J. Washington to one February game prior to the All-Star break. He came back strong on Friday with 24 points and seven rebounds against New Orleans. “He’s a budding star for our team, and he’s showcasing that,” Kyrie Irving said of Washington, per Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “His numbers have showcased that. So I think it’s about time we started furthering that conversation about P.J. Washington consistently doing these things and being a great asset for our team as one of our leaders and making money plays.” Washington added 17 points against Golden State on Sunday.
Klay Thompson’s technical foul on Sunday has been rescinded upon league office review, NBA Official tweets. Thompson was held to 11 points in the 24-point loss to Golden State.

Pacific Notes: Iguodala, Kawhi, Powell, Morris, Martin

February 24th, 2025 at 4:11pm CST by Rory Maher

Andre Iguodala‘s No. 9 jersey went into the rafters of the Chase Center on Sunday, making him the seventh Warriors player to have his jersey retired, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The four-time champion dedicated much of his speech to thanking staff members, but made sure to express his appreciation to fans and former teammates as well, including two-time MVP Stephen Curry.

“None of this would have happened without all of you, the fans,” Iguodala said.

“We haven’t really had time to reflect, Steph, you made the world turn. That is not something you say lightly. You truly changed the game of basketball. It was beautiful. … I understood my role. I understood the genius of Draymond [Green], the genius of Klay [Thompson], the genius of Kevin Durant. … Shaun Livingston and I … we had this unique team that understood, had this precious ultra-talented assassin. Steph, none of this happens without you.”

Curry called it “weird and surreal” to attend the ceremony, noting that it’s been “hard to fill that void” in the locker room since Iguodala retired.

“I think we all can feel it but this isn’t just about a number going into the rafters,” Curry said of Iguodala. “This is about a player who changed the course of our entire franchise. … You were the first one to choose us, and that meant the world. For a team that knew we were good but didn’t know how to get to that next level, you unlocked so much confidence, so much IQ, so much maturity to what we did.

“You sacrificed ego for excellence, which for us is the Warriors way.”

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Key Clippers starters Kawhi Leonard (left foot soreness) and Norman Powell (left patellar tendinopathy) will be sidelined for Monday’s contest in Detroit, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. It’s the second straight absence for Leonard and third for Powell, who was previously listed as having left knee soreness. As expected, Ben Simmons will also be sidelined with what the team called left knee injury management — he has yet to play both ends of a back-to-back this season (the Clippers lost at Indiana on Sunday).
Veteran forward Markieff Morris was an afterthought in the blockbuster trade that saw Luka Doncic land with the Lakers, but head coach JJ Redick says he’s been a valuable leader in the locker room, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (subscriber link). “He’s been awesome,” Redick said. “It’s very valuable to have a guy like that, a voice, an older voice, someone who’s seen it all in the NBA, someone who’s won a championship. Obviously that helps as well. He’s been great on the bench with talking with guys, making sure our bench energy is good. I told him the other day, we see it and we appreciate it and we all just value what he’s doing right now from that aspect in leadership.”
Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer says there’s no timetable for Cody Martin to return from a sports hernia injury, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link). “He’s putting work in. I think he’s making progress, but I don’t have an update on his expected return time. I think we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Budenholzer said. Martin, who was acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline, last played on January 24. The 29-year-old wing was doing some shooting drills prior to Saturday’s game, Rankin adds (via Twitter).

L.A. Notes: Doncic, Goodwin, Leonard, Bogdanovic

February 23rd, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

After a bumpy start to his Lakers career, Luka Doncic looked more like himself in Saturday night’s win at Denver, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Beyond his 16-point first quarter outburst and the familiar stat line of 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals that he put up in the battle of two of the West’s top teams, Doncic was more animated than he has been at any time since being traded.

“He was super dialed in,” LeBron James said. “He was very locked in on what he wanted to do out here on the floor tonight. Once he started hitting those step-back threes and got to yelling and barking, either at the fans or at us or himself. … He was just dialed in on what he wanted to do and how he wanted to execute his game plan individually.”

Coach J.J. Redick told Doncic before the game that he wanted to see “at least one blackout episode” where Doncic screams “at no one in particular.” Along with his unique talents, that fiery competitiveness is what has made Doncic one of the best players in the world. Doncic handled the ball more often on Saturday, Buha notes, repeatedly targeting Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in the pick-and-roll. Redick added that the plan moving forward will be to keep the ball in Doncic’s hands as much as possible.

“I think Luka needs to be the guy that controls the offense,” Redick said. “And (James) and (Austin Reaves), because we’re gonna stagger everybody, they’re gonna have their times to be on the ball. But all three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players, and we can create mismatches. We can get teams in the blender.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Jordan Goodwin has been productive since signing a two-way contract with the Lakers earlier this month, and Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggests they may want to convert him to a standard deal by the end of the season to make him eligible for the playoffs (Twitter link). L.A. would have to open a roster spot first, with Pincus pointing to Cam Reddish as the most likely player to be released. Goodwin can be on the active roster for up to 19 games after signing on February 7, so the Lakers have some time to make a decision.
The Clippers added Kawhi Leonard to their injury report for today’s game at Indiana with soreness in his left foot, marking his first new injury of the season, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Leonard and Norman Powell are both listed as questionable, while Ben Simmons is expected to play today and sit out Monday’s contest at Detroit, according to Murray.
Simmons has quickly developed a chemistry with Bogdan Bogdanovic even though they’re both new to the Clippers and haven’t played together before, Murray adds (Twitter link). Bogdanovic said building the on-court relationship was easy because of their respective talents. “We are basketball players at the end of the day, so we just play,” he said. “It’s tough when you’re joining a new team, definitely tough because you have to learn plays, you have to learn tendencies of the guys, but we are both new so that’s kind of making the job a little bit easier.”

Mavs Notes: Irving, Doncic, Trade, Injuries, Davis, Martin

February 21st, 2025 at 2:29pm CST by Rory Maher

In an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews during All-Star weekend (YouTube link), star guard Kyrie Irving called for the Mavericks to “tailor back” their criticism of Luka Doncic, who was shockingly traded to the Lakers prior to the deadline earlier this month. As Grant Afseth writes for Athlon Sports, there have been numerous media leaks that have been critical of Doncic in the aftermath of the deal while glossing over how impactful he was during his time with the team.

“Part of our job every day to deal with the public space, but there were real relationships that were built behind the scenes that will transcend just the basketball court, coaching, and then upper management,” Irving told ESPN. “I know that for my own peace of mind, just because we not only had two years together, but we got a chance to know each other as men.

“Hopefully, we can tailor back on some of the public criticism aspects of it and really just maintain the kindness and the compassion that we have for each other that’s real every day, not just one moment or a sound bite that ends up being described as something that could be taken out of context. That’s what I feel like is going on right now. People are highly emotional. I’m not the one to shun anybody, whether in a public forum or behind the scenes, and trying not to have that happen.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Michael Rothstein examines the local fallout from arguably the most stunning trade in NBA history, as well as the team’s botched handling of the aftermath, which included censoring Doncic out of a promotional video on Friday morning. One longtime Mavericks fan who is also the co-founder and managing partner of a local public relations firm said the trade and fallout were handled “atrociously,” according to Rothstein. “If all of them were aligned and able to articulate their rationale without bashing Luka,” said Stephen Reiff, “I think it would have helped, and I think it would have gone away quicker. [It] has made it a lot worse.”
Part of management’s rationale behind the deal was the idea of featuring a massive, defense-first frontcourt, with P.J. Washington at small forward, Anthony Davis at power forward and Daniel Gafford at center. As Christian Clark of The Athletic observes, that trio looked promising together through about three quarters on February 8 against Houston, but then Washington (ankle) and Davis (adductor strain) went down with injuries, followed by Gafford sustaining a Grade 3 MCL sprain on Feb. 10. Due to a litany of injuries up front (second-year center Dereck Lively has been out since January due to an ankle fracture), the Mavs have instead had to scramble and go small, Clark notes. “I’d say our goals are still obtainable,” head coach Jason Kidd said Thursday. “It’s a matter of, ‘Can we get healthy?’“
Kidd dodged a question about whether Davis’ “good progress” means he’ll avoid surgery, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. However, it certainly sounds like Davis is trending in the right direction. “I’m not a doctor,” Kidd said. “(Davis’ reevaluation is) in two weeks. I think you’ll get a better understanding of what has to take place but right now he’s doing great. He’s in the weight room. He was shooting on the court. A lot of positive things for him. I don’t know if that means surgery, but I think we’re all excited to see him back to work.”
Kidd also gave an update on Caleb Martin on Thursday, per Curtis (Twitter link). Acquired from Philadelphia in a trade involving Quentin Grimes and second-round picks, Martin still isn’t doing contact work as he recovers from a hip injury. “Caleb is doing better,” Kidd said. “I don’t know if you guys were in there when he was doing some dribbling and shooting on the court. No contact, but he is trending in the right direction. He feels better.”

Mark Williams: Time To ‘Move On And Play Basketball’

February 21st, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Mark Williams has been through enough dramatic moments this month, and now he wants to focus on helping the Hornets for the rest of the season, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

The 23-year-old center was traded to the Lakers two weeks ago, reportedly at the request of newly acquired star Luka Doncic, who wanted to be teamed up with an effective lob threat. That deal was rescinded a few days later when L.A.’s team doctors found issues of concern during Williams’ physical.

Williams faced the Lakers when he returned to the court Wednesday night at Staples Center, putting up 10 points and nine rebounds as he reclaimed his starting role. After seeing the course of his career dramatically change twice within a few days, Williams wants to stop talking about the failed trade.

“Yeah, I think it’s, for us, to finish the season strong,” he said. “Just try to have some good games and do a lot of the right stuff on the floor. I think now it’s kind of done. I think now it’s just move on and play basketball.”

Williams’ agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, issued a statement Thursday questioning the Lakers’ judgment for calling off the deal. Boone notes that Schwartz broke the news to Williams about his failed physical, and Williams expressed thanks for his agent’s support.

“It’s great for Jeff to have my back,” he said, “show his support and show he has the same stance as me and everybody else within my circle. So, for him to make a statement to go out to everybody is huge.”

Equally important, Boone adds, is the reaction of other Hornets players and team officials, who have welcomed Williams back like nothing ever happened. Boone states that Williams built up strong camaraderie within the organization since being drafted in 2022, and there’s “zero difference” in how he’s interacting with everyone now that he’s back in Charlotte.

“Mark is like a brother to us,” Miles Bridges said. “So, we’re just welcoming him back with open arms, letting him know that he’s wanted here. That’s just the biggest thing, just him knowing that he’s got a home here in Charlotte. That’s the biggest thing for us and he’s going to continue to play and give us results.”

Williams, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, is presumably back to being part of the Hornets’ foundation for the future. The decision to trade him was more about the return — the Lakers’ unprotected first-round pick in 2031 and the option to swap first-rounders in 2030, along with Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish — than a desire to part with the young center.

Williams is averaging a career-high 15.3 PPG in his third NBA season, along with 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per night. He hasn’t attempted a three-point shot throughout his career, but he’s an efficient finisher around the rim, shooting 61.9% in 86 games.

He was held out of Thursday’s game at Denver, but coach Charles Lee explained that it was due to reconditioning on the second night of a back-to back rather than any lingering physical problem.

“Just that long-term view on all of our player health,” Lee said. “He didn’t play a couple of games during that whole trade week and just the transition. And so then having the break, too, we just want to make sure that we’re bringing him back and ramping him up at the right pace so that he can continue to have longevity.”

Lakers Still Trying To Find ‘Ideal Rotation,’ Discuss Doncic’s First Games With Team

February 20th, 2025 at 8:56pm CST by Tristan Tucker

When the Lakers returned from the All-Star break on Wednesday, they did so with nearly every player on the roster available. Outside of Maxi Kleber, the Lakers fielded a healthy roster for pretty much the first time this season, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes.

In that game against Charlotte, the Lakers used a starting lineup of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes, with Gabe Vincent, Alex Len, Dalton Knecht, Dorian Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt playing as reserves. That left Shake Milton, Markieff Morris, Bronny James and Cam Reddish on the outside looking in, but head coach JJ Redick acknowledged that the rotation is a work in progress.

“We’re still trying to develop the ideal rotation,” Redick said before the game. “But again, as we’ve said all year, the ideal rotation may change night to night, depending on the opponent. So a lot of guys will get their shot.”

Outside of just which players will earn regular playing time, the massive changes to the roster also open up questions about the game plan. As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin notes, on Wednesday it was James, not Doncic, who got the last shot with the Lakers looking to send the game to overtime. Doncic inbounded a pass to James, who missed a game-tying three against the Hornets.

“[James] had it going, so obviously we’re going to go to him,” Doncic said. “I think it will go both ways. One time it’s going to be him, one time me. So I think it depends how the game is going.”

Doncic has only played three games with the Lakers, and everyone involved knows that integrating a system-changing superstar doesn’t happen overnight. In his three games, Doncic is averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 4.0 turnovers and 4.3 fouls.

“Obviously, it’s going to take a little time,” Doncic said. “Today, a lot of rustiness for my part. Started the game with like four or five turnovers. That can’t happen. So just got to play basketball the right way.”

It isn’t just a new environment that might be contributing to rust for Doncic. Those three appearances with the Lakers are his first since Christmas Day due to his calf injury.

“He still doesn’t know all the plays. He doesn’t know all the defensive coverages, all the signals and things that we’ve built since September,” James said. “So obviously we’re trying to fast-track it on the fly. He’s coming back from his injury. He’s getting back into form. So we’re all working through it together.”

It’s still obviously early in the process, but the Lakers acquired Doncic with an eye toward the future. He’s under contract through at least next season and holds a player option worth $48.97MM in 2026/27. He could agree to an extension before then, and by all accounts, he seems in good spirits following the trade. Dallas Hoops Journal’s Grant Afseth (Substack link) wrote more about Doncic’s integration.

“I’m happy to be here, man,” Doncic said. “This is one of the greatest clubs in the world. Just happy to be here. Obviously, I’m gonna need some time, but I’m happy to represent the Lakers.“

Agent: Lakers Shouldn’t Have Failed Mark Williams’ Physical

February 20th, 2025 at 3:25pm CST by Rory Maher

In a statement released via Excel Sports Management (Twitter link), agent Jeff Schwartz pushed back on the Lakers‘ decision to fail his client’s physical.

The Lakers agreed to trade Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, their unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets for Mark Williams, but later voided the trade over “multiple issues” with Williams’ physical.

“The overwhelming sentiment, after conferring with multiple, nationally recognized doctors, is that the Los Angeles Lakers should not have failed Mark Williams on his physical.

“Mark was ready and able to play for them and should have been given that opportunity,” Schwartz said.

In his first game back with the Hornets following the nixed trade, Williams recorded 10 points, nine rebounds and two assists on Wednesday in a three-point victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles. After the game, he suggested the Lakers may have had buyer’s remorse over all the assets they gave up to acquire him, according to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.

“I don’t know for them, if it was what they gave up or went into that reasoning. But I don’t think it was solely because of my physical,” Williams said. “I’ve been playing all year. And I think my minutes and production on the court speak for itself.”

As Medina notes, Williams missed the majority of last season with a back injury as well as the first 20 games of 2024/25 due to a left foot injury, but he has bounced back by posting some of the best numbers of his career this season, averaging 15.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per game in 24 appearances (25.2 minutes). The 23-year-old called the past few weeks “crazy” and “tough,” but he’s happy to be back with the Hornets.

“Obviously the last two weeks have been national attention. It’s not really something that happens very often,” Williams said. “So I think just the rest of the way being able to show the player that I am, I feel like I’ve been doing that all year and I’ll just try to continue to do that.”

Williams (return to competition reconditioning) and LaMelo Ball (right ankle injury management) are among several Hornets who will be sidelined for Thursday’s back-to-back against Denver, the team announced (via Twitter).

For the Lakers, Luka Doncic (left calf injury management) and Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot surgery management) will be sidelined for tonight’s back-to-back in Portland, while LeBron James (left foot injury management) is questionable (Twitter link via Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group). According to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link), the Lakers are “pleased” with Doncic’s recovery progress and are confident he’ll soon be able to play both ends of back-to-backs.

And-Ones: 2025 FAs, College Jobs, MCW, WNBA, More

February 20th, 2025 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

A series of contract extensions have depleted the star-level talent in the NBA’s 2025 free agent class, but there will still be some notable names to watch this summer, as Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) detail.

Both Pincus and Marks have longtime NBA stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden atop their lists of 2025 free agents, with Marks positing that no player will have more leverage this offseason than Irving, given how badly the Mavericks need to retain the veteran point guard following the trade of Luka Doncic.

After James, Irving, and Harden, who have combined for 41 career All-Star appearances, the next tier of free agents consists of players like Myles Turner, Fred VanVleet, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Timberwolves power forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Interestingly, Pincus has Reid ranked ahead of the three-time All-Star he backs up, placing Reid at No. 5 and Randle at No. 7 in his early FA rankings.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As is typical at this time of year, a number of NBA coaches and executives are receiving interest for jobs at the college basketball level, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Fischer mentions Hornets executive Buzz Peterson and veteran player agent Jim Tanner as possible candidates for UNC’s general manager job and says Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Suns assistant David Fizdale, and Bucks assistant Dave Joerger are among the names to watch for the University of Miami’s head coaching position. Fischer adds that Kings assistant Luke Loucks has been linked to Florida State’s head coaching opening.
Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is involved in a bid to bring an WNBA expansion franchise to Boston, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With expansion teams lined up for San Francisco, Portland, Toronto, and Cleveland, the WNBA will have 16 clubs by 2028, so it’s unclear whether or not the league will be looking to expand beyond that number right away.
Passing along the results of a player poll from All-Star weekend, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes that the 14 respondents were unanimously against the idea of 10-minute quarters floated last month by commissioner Adam Silver. However, 12 of those 14 players liked the new All-Star tournament format.
The Lakers‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates completed a trade on Wednesday, with the South Bay Lakers acquiring forward Cole Swider from the Motor City Cruise in exchange for Chris Silva‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, per a press release. Silva is currently playing overseas, but Swider has been active in the G League and will begin suiting up for South Bay.

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