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Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Hayes, Smart, Thiero, Reaves, Ayton

October 29th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s no firm timetable for LeBron James to resume playing, but Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters before Wednesday’s game that it will likely be during the second or third week of November, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). That confirms a report two weeks ago from ESPN’s Shams Charania, who pegged mid-November as the most likely time for James to return.

James is expected to be reevaluated later this week to determine how much progress he’s made in his bout with sciatica. He reportedly began experiencing the nerve condition during the summer and it affected him through the start of training camp.

Redick also provided an update on Luka Doncic, who is missing his third straight game tonight with a finger sprain and leg contusion. Redick said they hope to have Doncic back in the next “couple of games,” adding that his left hand has gone from twice its normal size to about one and a half times the size it should be (Twitter link). Doncic is considered day-to-day, but he’s not with the team on its current road trip, which ends Friday at Memphis.

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Backup center Jaxson Hayes was upgraded to available for tonight’s game after missing the past three contests with soreness in his left knee, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hayes played 14 minutes in the opener for his only action this season. Marcus Smart is missing his second straight game with a right quad contusion.
The Lakers announced that Adou Thiero has been cleared for live on-court contact work, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (Twitter link). The next step is 5-on-5 activities, which will begin soon at practice with the NBA team and the G League South Bay Lakers. The rookie forward is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered in college.
The absences of James and Doncic has forced Austin Reaves into a larger ball-handling role, and he’s formed an instant chemistry with Deandre Ayton, Price states in a full story. Along with his 92 points over the past two games, Reaves has handed out 14 assists, many of them to Ayton as a pick-and-roll partner. “He’s been awesome,” Reaves said. “He’s been very receptive to listening to not only what I have to say, Luka, Bron, the front office, coaches, he’s been very locked into everything that we’ve told him. And then take everything that we told him, but on the back end of that, we give him a voice. We ask him what he wants, what he likes and try to make that work together. Four games in, I feel like he’s continued to build on that, and it’s been very, very good.”

Lakers Notes: Reaves, Ayton, Doncic, Vincent

October 27th, 2025 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

With Luka Doncic sidelined for about a week due to a finger sprain and a leg contusion and LeBron James still recovering from sciatica, Austin Reaves turned in a star performance in Sunday’s win over Sacramento, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Reaves carried the scoring load with a career-high 51 points while adding 11 rebounds and nine assists.

“Especially on a night where you don’t have Luka, you don’t have Bron, you don’t have Jaxson (Hayes), you got to go out there and be big for the team,” Reaves said. “I wasn’t in my head thinking, ‘You got to go score 50.’ It was, ‘Do whatever you can do to help the team win.'”

Teammate Jarred Vanderbilt told Reaves on the team bus that the Lakers would need 50 points from him, and the fifth-year guard delivered, becoming the 12th player in franchise history to reach that mark. McMenamin points out that Reaves tallied 45 and 37 points in the two games he played without Doncic and James last season, so he has a history of producing big scoring nights as the number one option.

“I do think for this group it’s important to know that you can win a basketball game without those two guys,” coach JJ Redick said.

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Center Deandre Ayton had his best game since coming to L.A., posting 22 points and 15 rebounds in 36 minutes, McMenamin adds. The free agent addition has fit smoothly into the offense, averaging 15.7 PPG while shooting 62.9% from the field. “This team is, no matter who’s on the floor, we’re going to come out and play hard as hell,” Ayton said.
Doncic and Reaves worked with Ayton in practice this week to develop better pick-and-roll chemistry, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (subscription required). Ayton admits he’s a “confusing big” because he plays a variety of ways as a roll man.
Veteran guard Gabe Vincent left the game after turning his ankle early in the second half. He wore a walking boot as he left the arena, but he told McMenamin that X-rays were negative.

Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Lineup, Hayes, James

October 25th, 2025 at 8:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

Luka Doncic is already hearing MVP chants from the home fans, and with good reason. The Lakers star guard has racked up 92 points in the team’s first two games — the most by a player in consecutive games to begin a season in team history, Dan Woike of The Athletic notes. Doncic scored 49 points in 35 minutes in a win over the Timberwolves on Friday.

“He, of course, dominates the whole game so easily,” forward Rui Hachimura told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And it’s not some random team we played against. They’re a Western Conference Finals team. So this is crazy.”

Minnesota knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs last season but Doncic didn’t have revenge on his mind.

“I just want to forget about last season,” he said. “I was trying to move on. I don’t really think about that first-round series.”

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Marcus Smart signed a two-year contract in July after being bought out by the Wizards. He showed his worth on Friday with his defense and energy, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times writes. Smart had just three points and zero rebounds in 21 minutes, but the Lakers outscored Minnesota by 24 points during his time on the floor. “Unfortunately my stats aren’t going to do me any justice, so I try not to worry about it,” Smart said. “I just try to go out there, and like I said, do what I’m supposed to do, and help my teammates out the best way I can. Being plus-24 is great and everything and it definitely shows the impact that can be made without touching the ball, scoring the ball, shooting the ball.”
Coach JJ Redick has used the same starting five in the first two games, deploying Deandre Ayton, Doncic, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves and Hachimura, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register notes. Dalton Knecht was also in the first-half rotation after being a DNP-CD (Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision) in the team’s opener.
Jaxson Hayes was ruled out on Friday because of left knee soreness, Price adds. Hayes played 14 minutes in the opener against Golden State.
Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones allegedly gave gamblers inside information regarding LeBron James‘ availability for a couple of games during the 2022/23 season. James, according to Woike and The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, was unaware that someone he considered a friend was tipping information about him and the Lakers for betting purposes.

Pacific Notes: Butler, Goodwin, Luka, Reaves, Warriors

October 15th, 2025 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns came into the preseason carrying 13 players on guaranteed salaries, with Jordan Goodwin on a partially guaranteed deal and Jared Butler on a non-guaranteed contract. Given that Phoenix projects to operate slightly over the luxury tax line even without a 15th man, the expectation was that only one of Goodwin or Butler would make the team. However, both players finished the preseason strong on Tuesday, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes.

Earning the start in the Suns’ 113-104 win over the Lakers, Goodwin had 24 points and six assists in 37 minutes of action, with a team-high +14 plus/minus rating. But his fellow starter in the backcourt was even better, as Butler racked up 35 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in 34 minutes, making 14-of-25 shots from the field, including 5-of-9 three-pointers.

In Rankin’s view, Butler’s spot on the regular season roster is still far from a sure thing. But if he ends up being waived by the Suns, the 25-year-old has certainly shown he deserves consideration for a spot on another NBA roster.

“I’m just still believing in myself, and I’m just hoping that people catch up with the faith that I have in myself,” Butler said after Tuesday’s game (Twitter video link via Rankin).

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It took some time for the shock of his trade out of Dallas to wear off last winter, but as Lakers guard Luka Doncic made his preseason debut on Tuesday, his teammates and coaches suggested that he seems looser and more comfortable with his situation this fall, per Dan Woike of The Athletic. “I think by being in a clearer headspace, and by that I mean just mentally and emotionally in balance, it allows you the freedom to just be yourself,” head coach JJ Redick said of Doncic. “And that gets reflected in his expressions, his interactions with teammates, his interactions with our coaching staff, his desire to toe that line between competition and joy and playfulness that truthfully makes him the special person and player that he is.”
Even though Austin Reaves is unlikely to sign an extension with the Lakers ahead of his free agency, he’s still likely to stay in Los Angeles beyond his current contract, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, who takes a closer look at the guard’s potential earnings going forward. Smith believes a five-year deal that begins in 2026/27 and is worth in the neighborhood of $150MM could make sense for both Reaves and the Lakers.
Making an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio (SoundCloud link), Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke about a handful of topics, including why the team targeted Al Horford in free agency and building a contending roster around aging stars with the long-term view still in mind. “You’re balancing everything,” Dunleavy said. “You’re balancing your future assets, you’re balancing the cap. You’re trying to thread the needle of staying good now and having a chance to be good in the future. That’s the fun and the challenge of this job.”

Lakers Notes: Doncic, LeBron, Starting Lineup, Smart

October 11th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

After missing the Lakers‘ first two preseason games, Luka Doncic will play in two of the last four, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Coach JJ Redick announced the plan on Saturday, but he didn’t specify when Doncic will be active and said it hasn’t been determined if he’ll suit up for Sunday’s matchup with Golden State. L.A. will also face Phoenix on Tuesday, Dallas on Wednesday and Sacramento on Friday.

Doncic has been given a reduced workload in practice to allow him to recover from an intense summer representing Slovenia at EuroBasket. He was a full participant during Saturday’s session.

“I had (the) national team,” Doncic said. “Playing one month or something of basketball (for Slovenia). Obviously it’s a long season ahead, so just because of that.”

The Lakers dropped their first two preseason contests while using a modified lineup because Doncic and LeBron James were unavailable.

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Doncic won’t go into games with the feeling that he has to do more while James recovers from sciatica, which is expected to sideline him for at least three to four weeks, McMenamin states in the same piece. “It’s a big change,” Doncic said of having to play without James. “He’s a great player. He can help us a lot. But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be ‘next man up.’ We got a group of guys that have been practicing and hopefully LeBron can join us as soon as possible. We are going to obviously need him. But our mentality has got to be ‘next man up.'”
James’ absence is presenting a huge challenge for Redick in putting together a starting lineup, McMenamin adds. Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton are definite starters heading into the season, but the other two spots are up for grabs. Power forward Rui Hachimura started 57 of the 59 games he played last season, but Jarred Vanderbilt started the first two preseason contests and is fully healthy for the first time in two years. Free agent additions Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart could contend for the other starting role, depending on whether Redick wants to emphasize offense or defense against a given opponent.
Smart will make his preseason debut on Sunday after sitting out the first two games with Achilles tendinopathy, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Reaves, who played in the opener but missed the second game, is also expected to be available.

Lakers Notes: Doncic, LeBron, Reaves, Smart

October 10th, 2025 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both love playing alongside LeBron James and would like to continue doing so for as long as possible, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Out of respect for the four-time MVP, neither Doncic nor Reaves has asked him about when he plans to retire, McMenamin adds.

As McMenamin points out, Doncic already has some experience playing next to an NBA legend during the final phase of his career, having done so with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. Doncic viewed that year he spent as Nowitzki’s teammate as “invaluable,” McMenamin writes.

Of course, by the time Doncic joined the Mavericks, Nowitzki had become a part-time role player — he averaged just 7.3 points in 15.6 minutes per game during his lone season alongside Doncic. It’s a different dynamic in Los Angeles, where Doncic views James as “vital” to the Lakers’ ability to contend in the short term, sources tell ESPN.

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The nerve issue that will sideline James for the start of the regular season isn’t new, ESPN’s Shams Charania said today during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link). According to Charania, James has been dealing with sciatica on his left side since late July or early August. “Even before the Lakers’ media day on September 29 and the start of training camp, I’m told LeBron James had not done much basketball for well over a month prior to that,” Charania said. “… For him to be out to start the season and miss his first ever opening night, it’s an admission by him and the Lakers that he needs more time to ramp up, get into basketball shape. … He’s not there yet.”
Dan Woike of The Athletic examines what it means for the Lakers that they’ll be without James to start the season, noting that league sources have been impressed by how Reaves has looked as a primary offensive option this fall. Reaves will likely be leaned on to take on that role whenever Doncic is off the court, Woike notes.
Marcus Smart, who has battled both Achilles tendinopathy and a stomach illness as of late, described training camp as a “roller coaster,” tweets Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group. Smart was able to participate in Thursday’s practice in full, but couldn’t say whether or not he’ll be available for the team’s next preseason game on Sunday. “I plan to play during preseason,” he said. “Just don’t know when.” The Lakers have a busy preseason schedule, with games also on tap for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, so the veteran guard will have a few more opportunities to suit up.

Lakers Notes: Vincent, Ayton, LaRavia, Smart

October 7th, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers didn’t have their “big three” available for their second preseason contest, a 111-103 loss to Golden State. It was an improvement from their 22-point loss to Phoenix. With Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves sitting out, Gabe Vincent led the way with 16 points and five assists.

“We came with more intention,” Vincent said, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times. “We were more focused. Obviously it’s different with those three not playing. They’re a huge part of our team and everything that we do. But next man up.”

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They were outscored by 25 points by Golden State with Deandre Ayton on the court but it’s going to take time for the Lakers to incorporate his skills, Law Murray of The Athletic writes. Murray notes Ayton is going to be very dependent on his play-makers to get him shots, unlike Anthony Davis. He’s not going to get a lot of touches to create shots for others or spread the floor with outside shooting, but it’s not time to panic about Ayton’s ability to help the team, Murray adds.
Jake LaRavia contributed 10 points and three assists against the Warriors and said he’s “already pretty comfortable with the role that I have” with his new team, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. LaRavia left the Kings and signed a two-year deal with the Lakers at the start of free agency.
Marcus Smart participated in the live play portions of practice on Tuesday, per coach JJ Redick, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Smart has been limited in camp due to Achilles tendinopathy. “He looked great. He was moving great,” forward Jarred Vanderbilt said, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “But like I said, his main power is that he’s vocal. So being able to help the guys. Communicate, that’s a big part of defense also. Being physical is one of them, but also being vocal, being able to communicate. I think he does both at a very high level. So, he can definitely help us on that end of the floor.” Smart signed with the Lakers after getting bought out by Washington.

Players Seeking Paydays This Season

October 5th, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

While some players are still hoping to finalize rookie scale extensions before the season begins, the majority of contract situations around the league have been settled at this point. But business never sleeps in the world of the NBA, and many players will enter this season hoping to impress executives and land their next big payday.

Zach Harper of The Athletic details the top names playing for new deals this season, excluding the aforementioned rookie scale extension seekers.

One player not on a rookie-scale deal but still extension-eligible is Michael Porter Jr., whom the Nets recently acquired to add some scoring pop to the starting lineup. Porter’s deal runs for two more seasons and will pay him $38.3MM this year and $40.8MM in 2026/27.

The Nets’ roster remains a major work in progress, making future projections tricky, but at just 27 years old, Porter is in position to have a big year in Brooklyn and boost his stock entering a contract year next summer. The biggest question, according to Harper, is whether Porter’s next deal would remain in the range of the $40MM+ he’ll earn in 2026/27 or if he would take a modest pay cut to secure a longer-term contract.

Harper takes a look at three big men who could hit the open market next summer: Kristaps Porzingis, the Hawks‘ new starting center, longtime Bulls veteran Nikola Vucevic, and the Knicks‘ on-and-off starter Mitchell Robinson. All three have question marks surrounding them — for Porzingis and Robinson, those questions center around health, though Robinson could also be a cap casualty on New York’s increasingly pricey roster.

Vucevic has been in trade rumors for years, and with the Bulls taking more steps to embrace a youth movement than they have in the past, his time in Chicago could be coming to an end. Harper predicts an annual value of around $21MM for Vucevic on his next deal, which is about what he’ll earn in 2025/26.

Another group of players Harper looks at is a trio of high-scoring guards who will be free agents in 2026: Anfernee Simons and Norman Powell, who were acquired this summer by the Celtics and Heat, respectively, and Coby White, who has grown into a talented combo guard over his six seasons with the Bulls. Harper predicts a deal around $20MM annually for Simons, $75MM over three years for White, and a two-year, $50MM contract for Powell.

The 2026 free agency class will also be impacted by the decisions made by veterans with player options, such as Zach LaVine (Kings), Bradley Beal (Clippers), and Austin Reaves (Lakers). Cam Thomas (Nets) and Quentin Grimes (Sixers) will also reach unrestricted free agency after accepting their respective qualifying offers and will be looking to recoup the money they passed on this offseason.

Finally, Harper singles out four role players who could be coveted next season, depending on their performance this season: Rui Hachimura (Lakers), Tyus Jones (Magic), Keon Ellis (Kings), and Georges Niang (Jazz). The 25-year-old Ellis has broken out over the last two seasons and could command his first real payday of his career if he has a strong season off the bench in Sacramento. Harper speculates he could be in line for a deal similar to the three-year, $27.6MM contract Ty Jerome signed with the Grizzlies this summer.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Reaves, Ayton, Hachimura, Smart, Thiero

September 29th, 2025 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward LeBron James didn’t offer any specifics on Monday when asked at media day about his retirement plans, but admitted the end of his record-setting career is coming “sooner than later,” writes Dan Woike of The Athletic.

After making it a priority to play with son Bronny James in the NBA, LeBron made it clear on Monday that he won’t necessarily stick around in an effort to do the same thing with Bryce James, who is a freshman at Arizona this year.

“I am not waiting on Bryce,” James said, per Woike. “I don’t know what his own timeline is. I got my timeline, and I don’t know if they quite match up.”

James also said that the opportunity to play with a superstar like Luka Doncic in his prime provides some additional “motivation,” but he said that won’t have a material impact on his retirement decision, which will be made by LeBron and his family (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin).

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Lakers guard Austin Reaves turned down a four-year, $87MM extension offer from the Lakers earlier this offseason and admitted to Woike that he was nervous that decision might cause the team to move him. “I thought that there was a good chance for, like, a week after I declined the extension that there was a possibility I’d get traded,” Reaves said. “I mean, it’s still a possibility.” The Lakers guard wants to remain in Los Angeles, but will be eligible for a more lucrative deal if he waits until at least 2026, when he could become an unrestricted free agent. Team and league sources who spoke to The Athletic believe Reaves could receive an annual salary of $35MM+ on his next contract.
New Lakers center Deandre Ayton said on Monday that coming to L.A. represents the “biggest opportunity of my career” and said repeatedly that he’s not taking it for granted (Twitter links via McMenamin and Khobi Price of the Orange County Register). The former No. 1 overall pick has faced questions about his compete level in recent years.
Forward Rui Hachimura and guard Marcus Smart both told reporters at media day on Monday that it doesn’t matter to them whether they start or come off the bench (Twitter links via Jovan Buha and Khobi Price). James, Doncic, Reaves, and Ayton are probable starters, but that leaves one spot open in the starting five. For what it’s worth, Hachimura did point out that he has established chemistry with James and the starters over the past couple seasons, but stressed that he’s more concerned about his overall minutes than whether he’s on the court to start the game.
Lakers rookie forward Adou Thiero has experienced swelling in his knee and hasn’t been cleared for the start of training camp, according to McMenamin (Twitter links), who hears from a source that Thiero’s rehab process is on schedule and he should be cleared in another week. The second-round pick didn’t play in Summer League after injuring his knee in his final college season at Arkansas.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Redick, Luka, Reaves, Buss Brothers

September 26th, 2025 at 4:28pm CST by Rory Maher

How and where will the NBA’s all-time leading scorer end his career? Yaron Weitzman explores that topic in a story for Bleacher Report, writing that most people around the league expect LeBron James to eventually retire with the Lakers.

If James does leave Los Angeles, the Cavaliers are viewed by agents and executives as the “only team LeBron would seriously consider joining,” Weitzman writes.

“If he wants to do a farewell tour like Kobe (Bryant) did, it’s the only other team that makes sense,” a league executive told Weitzman. “LeBron cares about narratives. He doesn’t want to be like Michael Jordan on the Wizards.”

Still, James potentially joining the Cavs is highly unlikely during the upcoming season for several reasons, Weitzman notes. If LeBron decides to return to Cleveland, it would likely occur in 2026 free agency, and would require the 40-year-old to take a major pay cut.

For his part, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka continues to insist the team wants LeBron around as long as he wants to be in L.A., per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“We would love if LeBron’s story would be he retired a Laker,” Pelinka said about the possibility of re-signing James next summer. “That would be a positive story.”

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According to McMenamin, Pelinka explained why the team decided to extend the contract of head coach J.J. Redick after just one season at the helm. “We think he’s a special coach with a special voice that’s really helping us define the culture of Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said. “We just wanted to make a clear statement that this is what we believe in, what we’re going to lean into and what our players are going to mold into as we continue to develop the identity. I think having long-term planning is helpful as we build this team and go forward.” Redick said he was grateful for the Lakers’ support, McMenamin adds.
Redick also touched on his offseason conversations with James and Luka Doncic, expressing confidence in both of the team’s stars, as McMenamin writes. “[James is] in a great spot mentally and know he’s going to give us his absolute best,” Redick said. “… I expect the best version of Luka, and it’s my job as a coach to bring that out on a daily basis.”
Doncic told Dan Woike of The Athletic he feels “way more comfortable” being a Laker now compared to when he was first traded to Los Angeles in February and is looking forward to the season. The Slovenian guard said he made progress becoming a more vocal leader during EuroBasket 2025. “(Being a leader), sometimes it’s comfortable, sometimes not,” Doncic said. “Sometimes it’s great to be a leader and sometimes you have to say things that you don’t want to, but that’s part of being a leader.”
Evidently Doncic isn’t the only Laker who worked hard at getting in better physical shape this offseason, as Redick said Austin Reaves has improved his “burst” and “athleticism,” tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Redick added that Reaves has been the best player in the gym when he has participated in informal activities.
Lakers alternate governor Joey Buss and his brother, assistant GM Jesse Buss, are launching an investment firm called Buss Sports Capital, McMenamin and Shams Charania report for ESPN. “Our vision is to really go after strategic investments and good partners — specifically sports-related investments,” Joey Buss told ESPN. “Buss Sports Capital is not going to compete with our interests in the Lakers or the NBA. This is our first step towards where the future of sports is going to lead us. It is exciting to see what growth opportunities exist — particularly opportunities that we can add value to, given our skill sets.” Both Joey and Jesse are expected to remain with the Lakers following the sale of the team to Mark Walter.
Athlon Sports contributor Mark Medina shares five takeaways from Thursday’s joint press conference with Pelinka and Redick.