Celtics Notes: Tatum, Hauser, Porzingis, Pritchard
After undergoing surgery on his ruptured Achilles earlier this week, Jayson Tatum was out of the hospital and met with his Celtics teammates on Thursday at the team’s hotel in New York, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press.
“It sucks to see someone go down like that who doesn’t deserve it,” Celtics wing Sam Hauser told reporters on Friday. “But he wouldn’t want more than us to just keep winning. We saw him yesterday. He seems to be in good spirits. Definitely thinking about him and trying to get some wins for him.”
After losing both their star player and Game 4 on Monday to fall behind 3-1 in their second-round series vs. New York, the Celtics found themselves facing long odds to advance. But they took Game 5 on Wednesday and can force a Game 7 at home if they can pull off an upset on Friday at Madison Square Garden.
While Tatum’s injury and their new underdog status has given the Celtics some added motivation to find a way to win the series, Payton Pritchard said on Friday that just getting to see their injured teammate on Thursday was an emotional lift for everyone, according to Hightower.
“We didn’t talk about basketball at all. That stuff is bigger than basketball now,” Pritchard said. “It’s seeing how he is as a person, how he’s dealing with stuff. The basketball side, we’ll handle that. But just want to check in as a friend.”
We have more on the Celtics ahead of a big Friday game:
- Outside of Tatum, the Celtics have a clean injury report for Game 6, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Hauser, who returned on Wednesday and played 15 minutes after missing three games due to a sprained ankle, isn’t listed, and neither is Kristaps Porzingis, despite the fact that didn’t play in the second half of the Game 5 win as he continues to battle the lingering effects of an illness.
- The Celtics have a decision to make for Game 5, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.com, who argues that Porzingis should be removed from the starting lineup and should perhaps even be benched entirely due to his diminished condition. Both Al Horford and Luke Kornet look like better options in the middle right now, Robb adds.
- In a separate story for MassLive.com, Robb contends that Pritchard needs to continue playing an increased role after logging a playoff-high 39 minutes on Wednesday. Even though Pritchard made just 6-of-17 shots in the Game 5 win, the team was significantly better when he was on the court, which has been a trend for much of the postseason. Boston has a +16.4 net rating and 122.9 offensive rating during the Sixth Man of the Year’s 274 playoff minutes, as opposed to marks of just +0.6 and 105.8, respectively, when he’s on the bench.
Knicks Notes: Towns, Starting Five, Robinson, Achiuwa
After averaging 24.4 points and 16.9 field goal tries per game during the regular season, Karl-Anthony Towns has attempted 17 or more shots in just three of 11 playoff outings so far this spring and has been held below 24 points in all five games in the Knicks‘ second-round series vs. Boston.
Towns was limited to 5-of-11 shooting from the field in New York’s Game 5 loss, with many of his 19 points coming in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach, prompting Stefan Bondy of The New York Post and Ian Begley of SNY.tv to write that the Knicks need to find a way to unlock Towns and get him more involved in the offensive game plan.
Towns shot 42.0% on 4.7 three-point attempts per game during the regular season but has gone just 2-of-13 in five games against Boston. He suggested after Game 5 that the decline in his shots from beyond the arc has been by design, per Begley.
“I haven’t really been out there really. Haven’t had the chance to shoot. We’ve just been trying to do our game plan and I’m just trying to execute at the highest level,” Towns said. “So I’m trying to do most of my damage inside and do whatever my team asks of me.”
As Begley points out, Towns made just one outside shot in his first two games against Detroit in the conference quarterfinals before knocking down nine and scoring 58 total points in Games 3 and 4, so there’s a recent precedent for him bouncing back and coming up big when the Knicks need him most.
Here’s more on the Knicks ahead of Friday’s Game 6:
- Despite being built around a strong starting five, the Knicks haven’t been as dominant with Towns, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart on the court as hoped. That lineup had just a +1.9 net rating in 330 minutes from Christmas Day through the end of the regular season and has posted a -7.3 mark in the playoffs, including -16.3 in the second round. With that in mind, Fred Katz of The Athletic considers whether or not a starting lineup tweak makes sense.
- The Knicks acquired Bridges and Anunoby for situations like this one, according to Chris Herring of ESPN, who looks at the impact the two standout wings have made in New York and explores how they could make a difference in Game 6.
- Mitchell Robinson‘s 6-of-6 performance from the free throw line was a silver lining for the Knicks in Game 5 and could make him an even more valuable weapon if he can keep it up, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Despite the fact that New York leads the series 3-2, Robinson’s is the only Knick who has a positive net rating (+10.6) vs. Boston.
- The Knicks have listed big man Precious Achiuwa as questionable for Friday’s game due to a right ankle sprain. Achiwua’s status doesn’t figure to have any impact on Tom Thibodeau‘s rotation, since he has only played 15 total minutes in the series.
Fischer’s Latest: Cavs, Rockets, Hawks, Blazers, Draft
The Cavaliers avoided the luxury tax this season when they sent Caris LeVert and Georges Niang to Atlanta at the trade deadline in a deal for De’Andre Hunter, which allowed them to duck below the tax threshold by less than $1MM. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), that move was widely viewed as one intended to create financial flexibility for the Cavs going forward, rather than as part of a directive to cut costs.
The Cavaliers’ salary projects to soar well into apron territory beginning in 2025/26, and while the team presumably has some sort of upper limit for how much it’s willing to spend in a given season, Dan Gilbert has been portrayed as an owner who is comfortable paying tax penalties as long as the club is a legitimate contender, according to Fischer.
Despite Cleveland’s second-round playoff exit, the club presumably still views itself as a contender on the heels of a 64-win season, Fischer notes. That means it appears safe to assume the Cavs will operate above the luxury tax line for the foreseeable future, with future repeater penalties pushed down the road by an extra year as a result of avoiding the tax this season.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- Rival teams expect the Rockets to explore trading the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft for win-now talent, according to Fischer, who notes that last year’s No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard couldn’t break into Houston’s regular rotation during his first season. People around the league are skeptical the Rockets will be looking to add another lottery-pick rookie to the mix as the club looks to take the next step toward title contention.
- Although the Hawks continue to seek a new head of basketball operations and have arranged interviews with some candidates, there’s still a chance that Atlanta opts not to make an additional hire after dismissing Landry Fields and promoting Onsi Saleh to general manager, sources tell Fischer. There is already reportedly no shortage of executives who have a voice in Atlanta’s personnel decisions, as we detailed last month.
- In addition to reiterating that the Pelicans would be a potential facilitator to watch in the event of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade request, Fischer points to the Trail Blazers as another team to monitor in that scenario. While New Orleans controls Milwaukee’s 2026 and 2027 first-round picks via swap rights, Portland will be in that position from 2028-30, so if the Bucks want to regain control of their own drafts, they’d have to deal with one or both of those clubs.
- Yaxel Lendeborg, Miles Byrd, Cedric Coward, and Karter Knox are among the prospects testing the draft waters whose decisions are being “eagerly awaited” by NBA teams, Fischer writes. According to Fischer, all four players have multi-million-dollar NIL offers on the table if they return to college, including a $3MM+ offer from Michigan for Lendeborg. They have until May 28 to decide whether to keep their names in the draft pool or withdraw.
- In case you missed it, Fischer reported that there’s a “rising expectation” Myles Turner will re-sign with the Pacers, as we covered in a separate story.
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
Fischer: Myles Turner Expected To Re-Sign With Pacers
Myles Turner will be one of the NBA’s marquee free agents this summer, but it sounds like he probably won’t be going anywhere. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), there’s a “rising expectation” around the NBA that the veteran center will re-sign with the Pacers.
Turner is finishing his 10th season in Indiana after being selected with the 11th pick of the 2015 draft. The 6’11” big man has helped the Pacers reach the Eastern Conference Finals each of the past two seasons, and those back-to-back deep playoff runs have contributed to the league-wide perception that Indiana will do what it takes to retain him this summer, Fischer writes.
While Turner has been the subject of trade rumors several times during the past decade, Indiana never pulled the trigger on a deal.
With the 29-year-old on an expiring contract this season and not eligible for an extension prior to free agency, there was more speculation leading up to February’s trade deadline that he might be gettable, but the Pacers never appeared to seriously entertain the idea of moving him this year, which suggested they felt good about their odds of negotiating a new deal this offseason.
Turner’s current contract, which he signed in January 2023, was a two-year extension worth $41MM. He has made a strong case over the last two seasons for a raise on that $20.5MM annual salary, having continued to serve as the Pacers’ defensive anchor while providing strong offensive production. In 149 regular season outings since the start of 2023/24, he has averaged 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game on .503/.379/.773 shooting.
Rudy Gobert (three years, $109.5MM) and Jarrett Allen (three years, $90.7MM) are among the veteran centers who have signed contract extensions during the 2024/25 season that might come up as comparables for Turner during his upcoming negotiations. Those deals will cover Gobert’s age 33-to-35 seasons and Allen’s age 28-to-30 seasons. Turner will turn 30 next March.
Investing heavily in Turner could create some cap issues for the Pacers, who have historically remained out of luxury tax territory — they haven’t been a taxpayer since 2006 and have paid just under $9MM in total tax penalties since the system was introduced nearly 25 years ago.
Indiana already has $165MM in guaranteed money on its books next season for 10 players, with the luxury tax line projected to come in at $187.9MM. If the Pacers have to pay $30MM+ per year to re-sign Turner and want to stay out of tax territory, they’d have to shed salary elsewhere on the roster. According to Fischer, rival teams are anticipating “roster-consolidation trade conversations” in Indiana.
Luke Adams contributed to this story.
Pistons Notes: Draft, FA Targets, East, Offseason
For the first time since 2018, the Pistons do not hold a first-round pick in the NBA draft, as their own selection — No. 17 overall — was sent to Minnesota as part of a trade, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). However, the Pistons do control a second-rounder, which comes in at No. 37.
“I can’t tell you there’s a specific thing we’re looking at doing in the draft,” head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said. “Again, understand the landscape of it and see if we can move up if there’s a player we really like, but we have to look at how much that cost is for the kind of player we think we’re gonna get, and we’ll weigh all these things as we get information in Chicago and start doing our draft prep going forward for us to draft in June.”
Sankofa lists three needs — size, power forward depth and shooting — the Pistons could target if they keep their pick, and three prospects — Johni Broome, Adou Thiero and Drake Powell — who could fill them.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Who will Detroit look to sign in free agency this summer? Hunter Patterson of The Athletic speculates on potential targets, with Naz Reid and Bobby Portis coming in at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Both big men hold player options for 2025/26. The third of eight players on Patterson’s list is forward Santi Aldama, who will be a restricted free agent if Memphis gives him a qualifying offer, as expected.
- Aside from the Pacers, Knicks and Cavaliers, there are suddenly major question marks about much of the rest of the Eastern Conference entering ’25/26. The Pistons appear primed to capitalize on that uncertainty and have a chance to take another major step forward after going from 14 to 44 wins over the past two seasons, Sankofa writes for The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link).
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews Detroit’s offseason, detailing the team’s short- and long-term salary cap outlook, potential rookie scale extensions for Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey, and what the roster might look like next season. According to Gozlan, the Pistons are likely to operate as an over-the-cap team this summer, which means they’ll have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Re-signing both Dennis Schröder and Malik Beasley could be difficult, so it’s possible they might lose one in free agency. Gozlan also discussed the team’s offseason with Bryce Simon of The Pistons Pulse Podcast (YouTube link).
Florida Notes: Anthony, Bitadze, Ware, Heat
Guard Cole Anthony had an up-and-down fifth season with the Magic, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. While the 25-year-old had some big performances, including a team-high 26 points in Orlando’s play-in victory over Atlanta, he wound up averaging career lows in multiple counting stats, including points (9.4), rebounds (3.0), assists (2.9) and minutes (18.4) per game during the regular season.
After taking some time off to recuperate both physically and mentally after a long season, Anthony says he plans to work on all aspects of his game this summer, with one particular area of emphasis.
“I just want to continue to become a better defender,” Anthony said. “That’s a big one for me. And just keep polishing my game, keep working on my jump shot, tighten up the handle, get stronger. … I don’t think there’s any part of the game I don’t want to improve. I’m just going to have a good summer and just lock in.”
Here a few more notes from the two Florida-based teams:
- Although Magic center Goga Bitadze posted career-best numbers in several categories in 2024/25, he was out of the rotation by the end of the regular season and in the playoffs, Beede writes in another story for The Orlando Sentinel. Bitadze says he’s “super proud of himself” for the way he helped the team amid role changes and injuries, and he wants to continue to take strides in the offseason. “My shooting is going to be the first I’m going to work on,” Bitadze said. “Because it’s already there, it’s got to be a different mindset. All I’ve got to do is just trust in it and it’s going to help this team moving forward offensively. I’ve just got to keep working.”
- Heat center Kel’el Ware will likely be named to one of the All-Rookie teams after a solid debut season, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The 21-year-old big man says he gained confidence over the course of the season and learned from Miami’s first-round thrashing by Cleveland, but he knows he needs to add more muscle to his frame this summer. “I would say definitely the strength part of it,” Ware said. “That was really the main thing for me. That’s probably going to be the main thing I continue to work on during the offseason, to get better and get stronger. I would say that, definitely that.”
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews the Heat‘s offseason, including whether the team can trade for a star, how Davion Mitchell‘s restricted free agency might play out, and potential extensions for Tyler Herro and Nikola Jovic (the latter Gozlan views as unlikely). Gozlan also discussed the team’s offseason on a YouTube stream with Ethan Skolnick of 5 Reasons Sports.
Draft Rumors: Spurs, Giannis, Bucks, Sixers, Coward, More
The Spurs moved up from No. 8 to No. 2 in the NBA draft lottery on Monday. As Sam Vecenie of The Athletic writes, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper is “nearly unanimously” viewed by league executives and scouts as the second-best prospect in the 2025 class.
However, San Antonio just traded for star point guard De’Aaron Fox in February and also has Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle. All three guards are at their best with the ball in their hands, which may make Harper’s fit a little awkward at first. For what it’s worth, he recently expressed confidence about the possibility of playing alongside Fox and Castle.
The majority of the NBA sources Vecenie has spoken to believe the “most likely outcome” is that San Antonio will keep the No. 2 pick and select Harper. But the value of that pick — and having Harper on a rookie scale contract for the next four years — could open another possibility: a potential trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, should he become available.
“If the Spurs paired Giannis and (Victor Wembanyama), they would be the favorite to win the title next year,” one Eastern Conference executive told Vecenie. “They’d have two guys who might be top-five players in the league next year on the same team. Plus, they fit. They’d have a dominant defense that no one would be able to score against inside, and they’d have the ability to play five-out in an even more devastating way than the Bucks did with Brook Lopez if they surrounded Giannis and Wemby with the right wings.”
Here are some more draft-related rumors, mostly from Vecenie:
- Vecenie hears the Bucks still want to keep Antetokounmpo, but it’s unclear if he will seek a change of scenery after spending his first 12 NBA seasons in Milwaukee. If Giannis does request a trade, the draft lottery results could be a boon for the Bucks. As Vecenie explains, while it isn’t known if the Spurs would actually offer the No. 2 pick as part of a package for Antetokounmpo, people around the league are very high on Harper, and Milwaukee could leverage his possible inclusion in a trade to try and create a bidding a war between San Antonio and any other interested suitors, with the Rockets viewed as another possible landing spot. According to Vecenie, Harper as a centerpiece to an offer would hold more league-wide appeal than Castle, who is a more polarizing prospect due to question marks about his shooting.
- The Sixers landing the No. 3 pick in the lottery could also be beneficial to the Bucks, Vecenie writes, since president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has historically been one of the most aggressive suitors for star players. The third pick doesn’t have as much value as the second in this draft, but it’s still an asset that Milwaukee could try to leverage in negotiations.
- Vecenie hears the Sixers are expected to be aggressive in looking for roster upgrades after acquiring the No. 3 pick and are expected to listen to offers from teams interested in moving up in the draft. However, if Philadelphia stands pat, it’s not yet clear which prospect it would prioritize. Ace Bailey is viewed as more of a long-term project instead of a player who can help a team win right now, Vecenie notes, and there are question marks about the fit and/or value of selecting V.J. Edgecombe, Tre Johnson or Kon Knueppel at No. 3.
- According to Vecenie, there appears to be a “dead zone” outside of the top eight for point guards who aren’t great at playing off the ball at this stage in their development, with the majority of the teams in the nine-to-18 range already having lead guards. Vecenie suggests that prospects like Jeremiah Fears, Nolan Traore and Jase Richardson have a chance to slide on draft night if they aren’t selected in top eight.
- Former Washington State forward Cedric Coward seems to be leaning toward keeping his name in the draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Coward plans to transfer to Duke if he stays in college, but that possibility sounds “increasingly unlikely,” says Givony. Coward, who started his college career at Willamette University, a Division III school, is ranked No. 35 on ESPN’s big board. He recently sat down for an extensive interview with Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (YouTube link).
Nuggets Notes: Fourth Quarter, Strawther, Murray, Gordon, Jokic
The Nuggets defeated the Thunder in Game 6 in Denver on Thursday, blowing the game open and keeping it out of reach in the fourth quarter. This comes one game after the Nuggets gave away a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose on the road.
Interim coach David Adelman shouldered the blame for the fourth quarter woes in Game 5, per The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. That game saw Nikola Jokic play the entire second half. This time around, the Nuggets were able to give Jokic some rest — for nearly four minutes of game time — and he was able to come back into the game with a larger lead than when he left.
Part of the reason for Denver’s impressive fourth quarter was the stellar play of Julian Strawther, who scored seven of his 15 points in the final frame.
We have more on the Nuggets:
- Jamal Murray was listed as questionable to play in Thursday’s game due to an illness, as we relayed earlier today. However, Murray pushed through and recorded 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes of play. After the game, Adelman credited the medical staff for getting him to a point where he could play, per the Denver Gazette’s Vinny Benedetto (Twitter link). “That’s Jamal Murray,” Adelman said. “It’s almost like the worse it is, the better he’s going to be. What a tough-minded man.“
- Aaron Gordon appeared to injure his left hamstring late in the game. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link), concern about Gordon’s hamstring is “high,” per Adelman, but the team is fortunate to have two days between games to maximize any potential recovery time.
- Jokic couldn’t care less about his shooting percentages or protecting his counting stats, as MacMahon writes. “Nobody should care about that at this time of the year,” Jokic said. The MVP candidate is putting up half-court heaves at a high rate this series after making a habit of doing so all season. “Most great shooters care about their stats. Bottom line,” Adelman said. “We’ve seen a lot of examples of guys taking shots just as the clock goes off or making that late pass to not take a bad shot. For Nikola to shoot the percentage he shoots and still shoot those shots — because, hey, there’s a chance it goes in and a chance it wins you the game — just shows how unselfish he is in all ways.“
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).