Lakers Notes: Smart, Vanderbilt, Kleber, Backcourt Rotation, Koloko
Head coach JJ Redick is hoping the offseason addition of Marcus Smart and better health from Jarred Vanderbilt will improve the Lakers‘ perimeter defense, writes Khobi Price of the Orange County Register. Smart is a former Defensive Player of the Year and Vanderbilt has also been a highly regarded defender, but they’ve both been slowed by injuries over the past two seasons.
“With a healthy Vando and hopefully a healthy Marcus, our ability to put more pressure on the basketball earlier in the defensive possession will be a real thing,” Redick said.
Smart has been limited in camp due to Achilles tendinopathy, but Redick told reporters that he should be fully recovered by the end of the week. He has only played 54 combined games the past two seasons, and the Lakers are counting on him to be an anchor for their defense.
“I’ve talked with JJ and what he expects from me on both ends, especially the defensive end,” Smart said. “It’s everything I’ve been doing my whole career. It’s nothing new and I remember the first thing he told me was, ‘Hey, if we’re going to get the Celtics’ Marcus Smart, that’s who we want, that’s who we need. And we need you to be that person and be who you are.’ So for me, it’s just coming out and giving everything I got on this court and leaving it out there every night.”
Vanderbilt had surgery on both feet last summer and didn’t make his season debut until January 25. He said he’s feeling much better in training camp after being able to train during the offseason.
“It feels great being able to have a full summer under my belt. I was able to really work on my game, work on my body, and just having that confidence going into the year instead of playing catch up,” Vanderbilt said. “Being able to be a part of training camp early, and it’s a different level of approach and preparation when you already put the work in and being able to start fresh.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Maxi Kleber was set to undergo an MRI on Wednesday after tweaking his quad on the second day of camp, according to Lakers reporter Jovan Buha (Twitter link). Redick said the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, Buha adds.
- Redick listed Smart, Gabe Vincent and Jake LaRavia as locks for the backcourt rotation along with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Buha tweets.
- Christian Koloko believes this year’s version of the Lakers is more driven to succeed (Twitter video link from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin). “You can just see that everybody is like more hungry,” K0loko said. “We knew what we did last year, we could have done better. We want to do better. We want to win the championship. Everybody knows what it takes to get to that next level.”
Lakers Notes: Doncic, Pelinka, LeBron, Thiero
The Lakers provided a huge show of support for Luka Doncic as he represented Slovenia at EuroBasket, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Team governor Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka both made the trip to Poland to watch Doncic in action. They were joined by team stakeholders Kurt Rambis and his wife Linda, along with other staff members, and assistant coach Greg St. Jean worked on Slovenia’s coaching staff.
“Luka has a tremendous amount of heartfelt pride and appreciation for his roots and playing for his country,” Pelinka said. “I just think in the partnerships we have with our players, the Lakers want to be mindful of players’ passions and who they are as men and then lean in and support those things. So, around Luka, it was a very easy partnership decision that we wanted to support.”
Even though his team didn’t bring home a medal, Doncic was outstanding. He averaged 34.7 points per game, the highest by anyone since 1989, and raised that figure to 40.5 PPG in two knockout round contests. Team sources tell McMenamin that the Lakers’ coaching staff was impressed by the way Doncic moved after his offseason conditioning program. He was able to jump noticeably higher, split double teams and be more disruptive on defense.
“Players playing basketball in the offseason is something that, from a leadership standpoint, I support,” Pelinka said. “I think you could say in some sense that some of the offseason and sort of the current basketball lens, especially in the States, is on individual work. And I think that sort of the team environment can get lost.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Multiple stories have indicated that L.A. is prioritizing cap room for the summer of 2027, but Pelinka indicated that plans could change if the right opportunity comes along, McMenamin adds in the same piece. The team will face important financial decisions soon with Rui Hachimura ($18.3 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million) and Maxi Kleber ($11 million) all on expiring contracts and Austin Reaves likely heading for free agency after declining a four-year, $89MM extension in June. Sources tell McMenamin that the Lakers would consider trading for a contract that extends beyond 2026.“In terms of team building, we’ve talked about the importance of having optionality and when I use that word, it’s not to say in the future,” Pelinka said. “I think optionality is also in the now.”
- Among his many accomplishments, LeBron James last season became the first player ever to reach 50,000 combined points in the regular season and playoffs. During a visit to China, he talked about what it took to achieve that record in an interview with CBV Game (YouTube link, hat tip to Lakers Nation). “I don’t think it’s about the record, I just think it’s a microcosm of my career, of my hard work and dedication to my craft, and my love for the game,” James said. “I put so many hours into trying to be the greatest of what I can become and the best I can become. That moment is there is an indication of that, of hard work paying off. It’s always pretty cool when you can have those moments that show that the work does pay off.”
- Rookie forward Adou Thiero told NBA on Prime (Twitter link) that he chose No. 1 as his uniform number as a tribute to Derrick Rose. “My first favorite player was Derrick Rose,” Thiero said. “So then I tried to go with the number I was throughout college (3) and everything. I wasn’t able to get that number so, you know, why not go back with what we started with.”
Pacific Notes: Harris, Wiggins, Hayes-Davis, Aspiration
Zach Harris has been named general manager of the Warriors’ NBA G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, according to a team press release. Additionally, Noah Robotham has been promoted to assistant GM.
Harris is entering his second season with the Santa Cruz Warriors after serving as an assistant GM last year. He joined the Warriors organization with four years of G League experience, having worked for the Grand Rapids Gold as a basketball strategy coordinator for the 2022/23 season, the Capital City Go-Go as a basketball operations assistant from 2018-20, and as an intern for the Iowa Wolves in 2017.
Robotham is entering his third season with the Santa Cruz Warriors, having spent last year as the team’s manager of basketball operations. In his first season with the Warriors in 2023/24, he served as a coaching associate and basketball operations coordinator.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers reportedly are looking to upgrade the wing position with the Heat’s Andrew Wiggins as a potential target. Lakers beat reporter Jovan Buha expresses skepticism on his Buha’s Block podcast (video link) that the Lakers can pull off a Wiggins trade without including a first-round pick. He also doesn’t expect that some combination of Dalton Knecht, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent would be enough to pull off a trade.
- The Suns signed Nigel Hayes-Davis to a one-year contract in July after he spent seven years playing overseas. The Athletic’s Doug Haller details Hayes-Davis’ long journey back to the NBA. “For sure, I would’ve been surprised (it took so long), but to talk about the past is almost pointless,” Hayes-Davis said. “… I will say that I’m appreciative of the journey that I’ve had. Is it the one I thought about as a child growing up? Of course not. But it’s been fantastic.”
- The ongoing saga regarding Kawhi Leonard‘s no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration as a means of the Clippers potentially circumventing the league’s salary cap rules has been a hot topic the past two weeks. ESPN’s Shwetha Surendran takes a closer at the now-defunct company, including its business model and high-profile investors.
Agent Says LeBron James Hasn’t Asked To Be Traded
Trade speculation has been swirling around LeBron James for the past two weeks since his decision to exercise a $52.6MM player option for next season was accompanied by a statement from agent Rich Paul indicating that James will be monitoring the Lakers‘ personnel moves to make sure they’re assembling a championship-level roster.
During today’s broadcast of L.A.’s Summer League game (Twitter video link), Dave McMenamin of ESPN relayed a conversation with Paul, who said James hasn’t asked him to work out a trade and he hasn’t discussed the possibility of a future trade with team officials. McMenamin adds that four teams contacted Paul directly to express interest in acquiring James.
Paul also dispelled a theory that James is upset because the Lakers didn’t offer him a contract beyond 2025/26, with McMenamin saying that Paul and James never asked the team for that.
James was at Saturday’s game to watch his son, Bronny James, and the rest of L.A.’s Summer League squad. McMenamin said he gave LeBron a chance to appear on the broadcast to discuss the situation, but he responded, “I ain’t got nothing to talk about.”
McMenamin states that it’s “business as usual” for the Lakers, who are trying to put together the best possible roster around James and Luka Doncic. He lists their assets in potential deals as their 2031 first-round pick and the expiring contracts of Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber and Gabe Vincent. They can open a roster spot by waiving Shake Milton before his $3MM contract for next season becomes fully guaranteed on July 20.
James raised some eyebrows around the league by visiting the Cavaliers’ practice facility last week. Although he explained it’s an annual occurrence because he lives in the area during the offseason, it’s possible that similar incidents will continue throughout the summer and maybe into the season until his future gets settled.
Fred VanVleet Elected New NBPA President
7:00 pm: According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the other members of the Executive Committee are as follows:
- Grant Williams, first vice president.
- Mason Plumlee, secretary-treasurer.
- Jaylen Brown, vice president.
- Jaren Jackson Jr., vice president.
- Donovan Mitchell, vice president.
- Garrett Temple, vice president.
- Karl-Anthony Towns, vice president.
- Gabe Vincent, vice president.
6:01 pm: The National Basketball Players Association has elected Rockets guard Fred VanVleet as its new president, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). VanVleet will replace CJ McCollum and will serve a four-year term.
VanVleet, 31, has earned tremendous respect from his peers during his nine-year NBA career. He was one of the veteran players Ime Udoka brought in to help change the culture when he took over as head coach in Houston two years ago.
VanVleet was a beloved figure in Toronto before switching teams and played a vital role in bringing the city its only NBA title in 2019. He recently signed a two-year, $50MM deal to remain in Houston, and Charania notes that he has set several records for being the highest-paid undrafted player in league history (Twitter link).
With the expiration of his four-year term, McCollum will take on an advisory position with union, Charania adds. His time in office included a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2023 that introduced the two-apron system and ensures labor peace through the 2029/30 season.
Trade Rumors: Lakers, Wiggins, Knicks, Celtics, Cavs, Bulls
After previously reporting that the Lakers checked in with the Heat to inquire on Andrew Wiggins‘ price, Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints says the two teams have continued to explore the possibility of a Wiggins trade, though nothing is imminent.
As Irwin details, Rui Hachimura and his expiring contract would likely be the centerpiece of any deal, with another expiring contract (either Maxi Kleber‘s or Gabe Vincent‘s) necessary for salary-matching purposes. According to Irwin, league sources believe the Heat would also try to push for the inclusion of 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht.
A source tells Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the Heat are “very open” to moving Wiggins, who was part of last season’s Jimmy Butler trade with Golden State. Trading him for expiring salaries would create additional cap flexibility for Miami in the summer of 2026.
The Lakers are also scouring the trade market for help at the center position, Irwin continues, but he has heard from league sources that the front office believes the asking price for big men so far has been too high. As a result, it’s possible Los Angeles will look to use the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception to address the center position while trying to upgrade other areas of the roster on the trade market, Irwin explains.
Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:
- Mikal Bridges‘ and Mitchell Robinson‘s names have surfaced in Knicks trade talks this offseason, according to Frank Isola of YES Network (Twitter link). Bridges and Robinson will also both be eligible to sign contract extensions beginning in July, so I’d expect New York to explore both scenarios before determining how best to move forward.
- Prior to Wednesday’s first round, the Celtics touched base with teams in the lottery, including the Spurs at No. 14, but didn’t end up finding a deal they liked, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. While Jaylen Brown and Derrick White rumors have circulated this week, Sam Hauser is considered Boston’s top current trade candidate — Chris Mannix of SI.com said during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast that there has been a “robust” market for Hauser (Twitter video link).
- The Cavaliers explored the possibility of trading into the first round on Wednesday, with a few picks considered to be available, but didn’t find any opportunities they deemed worthwhile, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The team holds the 49th and 58th overall picks on Thurday.
- During a press conference on Wednesday night, Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said Chicago spoke to a few teams about moving up before deciding to stand pat at No. 12 and select Noa Essengue. Everseley added that the Bulls may end up trading tonight’s No. 45 pick or using it on a draft-and-stash prospect (Twitter links via Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times).
Lakers Notes: Game 4 Loss, Hayes, Finney-Smith, Doncic, LeBron
Coach J.J. Redick made two bold strategic moves that nearly led the Lakers to a Game 4 victory in Minnesota, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Redick decided to replace center Jaxson Hayes with Dorian Finney-Smith for the start of the third quarter, and he used the same five players for the entire second half. Buha notes that Gabe Vincent nearly checked in at one point, but Redick changed his mind and stayed with the same unit for the full 24 minutes.
“I think once you’ve kind of made that decision, and (the players) all are in, you just gotta trust them,” Redick said.
The move seemed inevitable with Hayes, who has been limited to seven points and eight rebounds in the series and didn’t reach double digits in minutes in any of the first four games. Finney-Smith enables L.A. to spread the floor on offense and switch more easily on defense.
The group started the second half on an 11-0 run and won the third quarter by a 36-23 margin, giving the Lakers their highest-scoring quarter of the series. They led by seven points with 5:06 remaining and seemed to be in a good position to tie the series, but couldn’t close out the game. A series of late mistakes proved costly, but players refused to blame the loss on their iron man performance in the second half.
“I don’t think fatigue had anything to do with that,” LeBron James said. “Just missing some point-blank shots, you know? We were getting into what we wanted to get into. We just weren’t able to convert.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Sunday’s game displayed how little trust Redick has in his bench, Buha adds. Along with Hayes, his other rotation members, Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan Goodwin, tend to be one-way players. Buha believes Redick might use a center-less approach for the rest of the series, even though the Wolves have a lot of size on their front line.
- After battling through a stomach virus in Game 3, Luka Doncic seemed to be back to normal on Sunday, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Doncic finished with 38 points while logging a series-high 46 minutes. “This is the playoffs – fatigue shouldn’t play any role in this,” Doncic said. “I played a lot of minutes, but that shouldn’t play a role. I think they just executed better on the offensive end during the last minutes.”
- James also played 46 minutes and appears to be fully recovered from a left hip flexor strain he suffered two weeks ago, Buha states in a separate story. “He’s moving better,” Redick said after Game 3. “He seems like he’s getting healthier by the day. It’s typically a one-to-two-week injury. Believe it’s been two weeks tonight, if I’m mistaken, from the Houston game. Clearly he’s moving better.”
Lakers Notes: James, Game 3, Doncic, Wolves’ Crowd
LeBron James recorded one of his highest-scoring playoff performances in a Laker uniform in Game 3 against the Timberwolves on Friday, scoring 38 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers also knocked down 17 of their 40 three-point attempts after making just 21 combined in the first two games. Still, as Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes, these positive developments didn’t help the Lakers overcome the Wolves in Game 3.
Los Angeles still committed too many turnovers that led to a significant shot disparity and ultimately, those downfalls cost them the game.
“They’re big, they’re long, they’re athletic, they pressure the basketball, they make everything tough,” head coach JJ Redick said of the Timberwolves. “We’re gonna have some turnovers. Sometimes they force you into turnovers, which they did. But we also had some unforced turnovers: over-dribbling, trying to draw fouls, dribbling into traffic, trying to do a little bit too much with the basketball. We generated a lot of really good shots when we didn’t turn [the ball] over.”
We have more from the Lakers:
- Another reason the Lakers couldn’t pull out a victory on Friday is that Luka Doncic wasn’t playing at 100%, Price adds in the same piece. Doncic has been battling a stomach illness since Thursday and Redick said he was vomiting through Friday afternoon. He battled through the injury and recorded 17 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, but it was clear he wasn’t feeling like his usual self. He underwent thorough post-game treatment and didn’t speak to the media following the loss. As Price notes, Gabe Vincent started the second half in his place, though Doncic returned less than a minute into the third quarter. “I didn’t think he was going to come out [out of the locker room for the] second half,” teammate Dorian Finney-Smith said.
- The Minnesota crowd was tough on the Lakers in Game 3, with the noise from fans having a direct impact on the game. At one point, officials had to address the crowd and tell them to stop whistling, as it was getting confused with the refs’ actual whistle. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link), Jordan Goodwin said he and other teammates heard a whistle come from the stands a handful of times before the officiating crew addressed it.
- In a subscriber-only story, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times details how the Lakers’ investment in player development is providing benefits in the postseason. Goodwin is a prime example of the Lakers’ development system working, as he went from a training camp player to the G League to a two-way deal to a standard contract and is now earning playoff minutes.
Lakers Notes: OKC Win, Defense, James, Doncic, DFS, Reaves, Bronny
The Lakers made a statement with their resounding victory over the Western Conference’s top team on Sunday, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times writes. They hammered the Thunder, 126-99.
“We know it’s the final stretch into the full season, so we’re just trying to rack up great habits,” LeBron James said.
Luka Doncic had 30 points and six assists, while James contributed 19 points. They also made a season-high 22 three-pointers.
We have more on the Lakers:
- The Lakers’ defense was just as stellar as their offense on Sunday, as they held OKC 21 points below its average for the season. MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was limited to 26 points and didn’t get to the free throw line. “Defending the way we defended and holding this team under 100 with a [96] possession game, that’s elite defense. That’s gonna give you a chance to win every night,” coach JJ Redick said, per Khobi Price of the Orange County Register.
- It’s anyone’s guess which players will suit up for the rematch against the Thunder on Tuesday. James and Doncic are listed as questionable due to groin strains, while Dorian Finney-Smith and Austin Reaves are also questionable with ankle injuries. Price tweets. Gabe Vincent (knee) is a 50-50 proposition too, while Rui Hachimura (knee) is out.
- The Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke says he was wrong to criticize the Lakers for drafting Bronny James. Plaschke notes Bronny averaged 22 points, five rebounds and five assists in his last 11 games with the G League’s South Bay Lakers. He scored 30 or more points three times at that level and showed he has the potential to develop into a legitimate NBA player.
Lakers Notes: Schedule, LeBron, Bronny, Redick
The Lakers were relieved to break even in an exhausting stretch of games over the past week, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The devastating wildfires that hit Los Angeles in January caused several games to be postponed until later in the season. That resulted in the team playing six times in eight days, with three back-to-backs.
“Big picture … feel good that you go 3-3 in this stretch,” coach J.J. Redick said. “It was going to be tough no matter what. The added game made it harder. I don’t think the game that exists today in the NBA and the modern NBA player is like (built to do this). I wouldn’t be either if this was what I came up in and this was the game that I had to play every night. It’s different than when I first started. You’re not built to play six games in eight nights. The game doesn’t allow you to play six games in eight nights. It’s just impossible. That’s why we, I don’t think, have four in five anymore.”
L.A. played without four of its starters in Thursday’s loss to Milwaukee as Redick, whose team was already short-handed due to injuries, tried to avoid overworking anyone. That game was originally set for Tuesday, but it had to be rescheduled when a San Antonio matchup from January 11 was moved to Monday. Rookie wing Dalton Knecht and two-way guard Jordan Goodwin were the only Lakers to play in each of the last six games.
“What our guys just went through, it’s difficult,” Redick added. “And the old heads are gonna talk about how physical it was in the (1980s) and (1990s) and that’s fine. But the level of physicality in our game and the way that the court has to be covered and all the movement, it’s tough. And I’m just glad to be on the other side of it and hopefully going forward we are healthy and can make a push here.”
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- LeBron James has been cleared to return for tonight’s contest against Chicago, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). He sat out seven games with a groin injury he suffered two weeks ago. Rui Hachimura, who has missed the last 10 games with patellar tendinopathy, has also been upgraded to available, along with Luka Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, McMenamin adds (Twitter link).
- Bronny James offered some evidence that he can succeed at the NBA level during Thursday’s game, McMenamin states in a full story. With nearly half the roster unavailable, Bronny played 30 minutes and finished with a season-high 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting, along with five assists, three rebounds and a blocked shot. “Not surprised by tonight,” Redick said. “I think his confidence is growing. … I think the next step is just becoming an elite-conditioned athlete. Because when (he) does that, with his physical tools and his burst and his handle — and we think he’s going to be an above-average to really good NBA shooter — he’s going to have a chance to really make an impact.”
- Redick is proving he can handle the challenges of being an NBA head coach, contends Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register, who admits she was among the doubters when he was hired last June.