Lakers Rumors: Doncic, LeBron, Offseason Targets, Giannis
It was a relatively quiet trade deadline for the Lakers, who were linked to a myriad of potential targets but ended up making just one relatively minor deal, sending Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick to Atlanta for Luke Kennard. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, general manager Rob Pelinka described the Lakers as being “aggressive” at the deadline while using a nontraditional definition of the term.
“One form of being aggressive is saying no to moves that come your way that might not be best for the short- and long-term future,” Pelinka said. “That’s like being aggressive, even though you end up doing nothing, because it’s hard to say no sometimes to getting a good player that could be a quick short-term fix, but could have implications for the long term where it doesn’t fit into the overall vision you have for the team.”
A source close to Luka Doncic tells ESPN that the All-Star guard supported the team’s focus on the “long-term picture” at the trade deadline. That “adherence to discipline” at the deadline could lead to an eventful summer, according to McMenamin, who notes that the club preserved its most valuable trade assets and its future cap flexibility and is in position to create more than $50MM in cap room even if Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart pick up their respective player options.
Here’s more from McMenamin on the Lakers’ plans going forward:
- That $50MM+ cap projection doesn’t account for LeBron James, but if he wants to continue his career in 2026/27, the Lakers would welcome him back, sources tell McMenamin. Pelinka has said before that he’d love for James to retire as a Laker, and that would apply in 2027, not just 2026, McMenamin writes. Still, one Eastern Conference executive who spoke to ESPN believes it would be in the team’s best long-term interests to move on from LeBron and focus on building around Doncic this offseason. “Let him walk and use the space to retool around Luka,” that exec said. “Keeping (Austin) Reaves is critical. (Doncic) plays best with another ball handler/creator like with Kyrie (Irving) and (Jalen) Brunson.”
- Heat forward Andrew Wiggins and Rockets wing Tari Eason are among the potential 2026 free agent targets the Lakers have discussed internally, per McMenamin, though it remains to be seen if either will actually be available — Wiggins holds a 2026/27 player option, while Eason will be a restricted free agent. Peyton Watson is another player the Lakers have on their radar, since the cap-strapped Nuggets would have to shed salary or go into second-apron territory to match an aggressive offer sheet for the RFA-to-be. “We felt like creating optionality or having optionality now is really a positive thing for us this coming offseason,” Pelinka said earlier this month. “Because there’s some teams that maybe have gotten too deep into the aprons. And I think players, we see around the league, become available when teams get in that position.”
- One rival front office member who spoke to ESPN suggested the Lakers need to “get as many defenders with length that can knock down a shot as possible.” Tobias Harris, Quentin Grimes, and Dean Wade are among the other players who fit that bill and who will be unrestricted free agents in 2026, McMenamin notes.
- Of course, while the Lakers would like to add quality role players to complement Doncic, they also believe they could be among the top suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks explore moving the star forward again this summer, team sources tell McMenamin. Los Angeles will have the ability to trade up to three first-round picks (2026, 2031, and 2033) in the offseason and one Western Conference executive told ESPN that he thinks Giannis is the “big prize” the club has its eye on.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Talks Bucks Commitment, Chelsea Investment
After months of trade speculation, Giannis Antetokounmpo stayed put at this month’s deadline, with the Bucks reportedly entertaining offers but not engaging in serious back-and-forth negotiations with interested teams.
In response to the lack of a deal, Antetokounmpo took to social media, writing, “Legends don’t chase. They attract” (Instagram video link) and indicating that as long as he’s in Milwaukee, he’s committed to the team. He reiterated that sentiment at All-Star weekend, per ESPN.
“What I’ve said from the beginning of this year is that, out of my mouth and the way I’ve carried myself, you will never hear me say I don’t want to be a Milwaukee Buck,” the two-time MVP told ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
However, he also offered his usual caveat, leaving the door open for his position to change down the road.
“As of today, I’m committed to the Milwaukee Bucks,” Giannis said, echoing previous remarks he has made throughout the year. Antetokounmpo also didn’t deny that the idea of playing for another team has crossed his mind.
“Growing up, you dream, ‘Oh, what if I played for the Knicks, Madison Square Garden,'” he said. “‘What if I get drafted by the Lakers and I’m teammates with Kobe Bryant? What if I go play for the Cavs and LeBron [James] passes me the ball?‘”
While Antetokounmpo made clear that getting back to competing for championships is paramount — he likened it to trying a delicious steak and not being able to get it out of your head — he doubled down on his commitment to the Bucks, at least for the rest of the season.
“This is my team, and I love it,” he said.
Antetokounmpo also spoke to Eric Nehm of The Athletic about his recent investment in the Chelsea Women’s soccer club.
On February 7, Antetokounmpo announced (via Twitter) that he had joined the ownership group for the club alongside Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
“Chelsea’s history speaks for itself, and I’m excited to contribute to the future by supporting continued growth and impact in women’s sport,” he wrote in the post. “This is about ambition, legacy, and pushing the game to new heights.”
Speaking to Nehm, Antetokounmpo expressed that doing something to amplify women’s sport appealed to him.
“[Ohanian] was telling me how he wants to make a difference and do things that his daughters can remember him for, and I was like, ‘Damn, I didn’t even think about that,'” Antetokounmpo said. “… He was like… ‘I’m trying to keep on pushing forward and investing in women’s sports and just change the narrative around that.’ And I said, ‘Hey, I mean, just let me know when and what I gotta do,’ and then the opportunity came to my desk of investing and being a minority owner of Chelsea Women. I was like, ‘Say less. I want to do it.'”
It’s unclear how big a stake the Greek star has in the club, according to Nehm, who points out that this spring could be an opportunity for the new minority owner to get some face time with the team, given that the Bucks are currently on outside of the playoff picture.
“This is probably the only offseason that I’m going to have that I’ll be able to probably go out there and be around the team, meet the players, meet the staff and see what it’s about,” Antetokounmpo said.
And-Ones: Bonga, Tanking, Giannis
KK Partizan recently received lucrative buyout offers for Isaac Bonga from four unnamed NBA teams, according to Pedrag Saric of Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops). However, the Serbian club rejected those offers for the German forward, who played in the NBA from 2018-22, because Partizan didn’t want to lose its most consistent player.
Bonga is still just 26 years old and could receive NBA interest again this summer, assuming he stays with the Belgrade-based team for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. In 41 total games (26.3 minutes per contest) this season, Bonga has averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .505/.312/.830 shooting.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Tanking has come under increased scrutiny this season, in part because of the perceived strength of the 2026 draft class. “This draft has a chance to be legendary,” one NBA executive told Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. How can the league combat teams trying to intentionally lose to boost their lottery odds? Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lays out his idea to address the tanking issue.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s investment in prediction market company Kalshi isn’t a great look for the NBA, says Dan Wetzel of ESPN.com. As Wetzel writes, Antetokounmpo’s minority stake in Kalshi technically doesn’t break any league rules, but it’s easy to see how it could cause fans to lose confidence in the integrity of the sport — one popular category a couple weeks ago was whether or not the Bucks‘ star forward would be traded.
- Speaking to the media on Saturday, Antetokounmpo said he would the welcome opportunity to be an owner in the NBA’s proposed European league, per Javier Molero of Eurohoops. “Being an owner? 100%,” the two-time MVP said. “If there’s an opportunity that comes across my desk to be an owner in sports, anything, I would consider it 100%. In the real NBA, I don’t know if I have that type of money. If I ever come into a position where I’m able to make that decision and it won’t affect my lifestyle, my family’s lifestyle, and it won’t be too risky for my wealth and network, I will consider doing it.”
Giannis On Calf Injury: ‘I Feel 100 Percent’
Speaking to the media on Saturday at All-Star weekend, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo gave an update on his right calf strain, which has prevented him from playing since January 23.
“I feel good. I feel 100 percent, to be honest with you,” Antetokounmpo said (Twitter video link via the Bucks). “ … When you come back from an injury and you go through the rehab, you gotta check the boxes, right? So I gotta do things.
“I feel like the break doesn’t help, because now I gotta get on the court, I gotta play some 1-on-1, 3-on-3, 5 vs. 5. Players are on vacation right now, so it’s kinda hard for me to do that.
“So once I check all those boxes, I’m ready to go. I feel like I can play a game today.”
Head coach Doc Rivers recently suggested Antetokounmpo was close to returning from the right calf strain, which the two-time MVP has injured multiple times this season. He was sidelined for eight games in December due a right soleus (calf) strain and strained his right calf again in the Jan. 23 loss to Denver, causing him to miss Milwaukee’s last nine contests.
Antetokounmpo was named to his 10th straight All-Star game last month but he won’t compete in Sunday’s event due to the injury. Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox was selected as his replacement.
While he continued his long streak of All-Star nods, Antetokounmpo is ineligible for major postseason awards after missing extended time. He has made nine consecutive All-NBA teams — including seven straight on the first team — but that streak will end in 2025/26.
The Bucks and Antetokounmpo will likely revisit their discussions about his future in the offseason after no trade materialized ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Won’t Play In All-Star Contest; Fox Chosen As Replacement
Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, according to the Bucks (Twitter link).
The news comes as no surprise, since the star forward hasn’t played since suffering a right calf strain on Jan. 23. Antetokounmpo was chosen to play for World Team in the new three-team format.
Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox has been selected by commissioner Adam Silver as his replacement, the league announced (Twitter link), but Fox won’t join the World Team. Rather, he’ll play for the USA Stripes group while the Heat‘s Norman Powell will be reassigned to the World Team. Powell has ties to Jamaica.
According to the Bucks, Antetokounmpo will help coach the All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday and then cheer on his World teammates on Sunday. The perennial All-Star, who is averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists this season, had been the subject of trade rumors leading up last week’s deadline.
His availability to Milwaukee, which currently sits 12th in the Eastern Conference, is another matter of intrigue. The Bucks could make a push for a play-in spot when he’s ready to go but it’s also possible they may limit his availability or even shut him down in order to improve their lottery chances.
Fox will be making his second All-Star appearance — his first came in 2023 with Sacramento. The veteran guard is averaging 19.4 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 32.0 minutes per game while appearing in 45 contests.
He’ll give San Antonio, the team sitting in second place in the West, another All-Star representative along with Victor Wembanyama. The Stripes team will be coached by the Spurs’ Mitch Johnson.
Warriors Rumors: Porzingis, Murphy, JJJ, Green, Kerr
Kristaps Porzingis is exactly the type of player the Warriors have wanted to add to their frontcourt for years, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who says Golden State views the big man as a no-risk, potentially high-reward addition. Still, sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Porzingis was something of a fall-back option for the Warriors, who pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo and several other impact players leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.
The Warriors’ interest in Trey Murphy III has been well chronicled, and Siegel suggests Golden State was prepared to offer Kuminga, an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, and a lightly protected 2028 first-rounder for the Pelicans wing. However, sources tell ClutchPoints that New Orleans had set an asking price of at least three first-round picks for Murphy and wasn’t enthusiastic about Kuminga as a long-term building block.
The Warriors also spoke to the Grizzlies about Jaren Jackson Jr., Siegel confirms, and would’ve done a package that included Kuminga, Hield, two first-round picks, and “some sort of swap.” But Siegel hears that Golden State was reluctant to include Moses Moody or far-off draft picks which Memphis would’ve valued more highly (since they’d likely land after Stephen Curry‘s retirement), so Utah was able to beat Golden State’s package for Jackson.
While Porzingis may not have been atop the Warriors’ wish list, the team is looking forward to seeing what he’ll bring to the table and there’s optimism that he’ll be ready to play in the first game after the All-Star break, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed today (Twitter link via Nick Friedell of The Athletic). Kerr told reporters that Porzingis did some three-on-three work on Tuesday and will play in short bursts once he’s activated.
For his part, Porzingis – who has been limited to 17 outings this season for injury/illness reasons – is optimistic about what the rest of the season holds for him and the Warriors.
“I think it’s a great, great opportunity to turn a new page,” Porziņgis said over the weekend, per Friedell. “From what I’ve seen, and the conversations I’ve had so far with the medical staff here, and the people that work here, I have to say I’m very surprised and very optimistic. I’m in really, really good hands, if not some of the best hands, and I think that will also add to what I already have in my mind. So, I look forward to really having a surprisingly good post All-Star break.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- Interestingly, during his post-deadline media session, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. strongly pushed back against the idea that the team discussed Draymond Green in trade talks. “His name was not in conversations other than the ones where teams called me to ask about him,” Dunleavy said, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “The idea that he ‘stayed with the Warriors past the deadline’ was greatly exaggerated. It was never a possibility of him not being here or remotely close.” Multiple reporters – and Green himself – have suggested that the longtime Warrior would’ve almost certainly been included in a package for Antetokounmpo, so perhaps Dunleavy’s comments reflect a belief that the Giannis scenario never gained any traction.
- Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area passes along several more of Dunleavy’s remarks from Saturday’s media session, including the GM’s assertion that the Warriors remain well positioned to trade for an impact player going forward. “We’ve got the goods to make deals,” Dunleavy said. “I think the only way we wouldn’t be in the mix is if we gave out assets, young players, all the things you need to get a great player. We still have all that. I think that’s one of the reasons the KP trade is really good for us, similar to Jimmy last year. We don’t feel like we gave up a ton. We still have the kind of firepower to move forward and do more deals.”
- Checking in on Kerr’s future in Golden State, Siegel reports that the Warriors would like to keep the veteran head coach in his role as long as he wants and that the hope has always been that he and Curry will retire together. While a January report indicated that Kerr’s assistants have been operating as if 2025/26 will be his last year, Siegel doesn’t get the sense that the coaching staff is expecting that outcome.
- Hield was one of Green’s “favorite teammates of all time” and “left a mark” on the franchise, the former Defensive Player of the Year said on Saturday’s episode of The Draymond Green Show (hat tip to Will Simonds of NBC Sports Bay Area). “To see him go, you feel the gap, you feel the hole, you feel it,” Green said. “It’s like I said before, it’s the s–ttiest part of the business.”
Southeast Notes: Heat, Giannis, Wagner, Connaughton, More
The Heat weren’t offered a first-round pick for Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, or Tyler Herro ahead of last Thursday’s trade deadline, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. According to Jackson, Miami could have potentially secured a pair of second-round picks in a Wiggins trade, but the front office didn’t think the upside of those picks outweighed the value of hanging onto the veteran forward.
While the Heat intend to renew their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, the Bucks didn’t tell Miami what it would’ve taken for them to accept an offer, according to Jackson, who reports that Milwaukee simply turned down the Heat’s proposal rather than making a counteroffer or engaging in any real back-and-forth.
Interestingly, Jackson says the Heat – who only had two tradable first-round picks at the deadline – had a viable path to acquiring a third first-rounder and would’ve been willing to pull the trigger on that deal and include the pick in their offer for Antetokounmpo. However, it still wouldn’t have been enough to satisfy the Bucks.
It’s unclear how Miami would’ve acquired that third first-round pick without using either one of the three veterans mentioned above or another asset that would’ve otherwise been included in its Giannis offer.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Southeast:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner, who missed nine consecutive games – and 25 of 27 – due to a left ankle injury, returned to the court on Monday vs. Milwaukee, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel details (subscription required). Wagner came off the bench for the first time in his NBA career and was on a “very strict” minutes restriction, per Beede. But he made an impact as a reserve, scoring 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and handing out five assists in 17 minutes of action as Orlando beat Milwaukee 118-99.
- The new contract that veteran wing Pat Connaughton signed with the Hornets is a two-year, minimum-salary deal that includes a team option for next season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Connaughton will earn $1,315,814 for the rest of this season, while his 2026/27 option is worth $3,815,861.
- More contract details out of Charlotte: Tosan Evbuomwan‘s new two-way contract with the team is a two-year deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Among the Hornets‘ two-way players, only Antonio Reeves has a one-year contract, with Evbuomwan’s and PJ Hall‘s deals running through 2026/27.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) analyzes the Anthony Davis trade and considers possible next steps for the Wizards. In Gozlan’s view, unless Davis is willing to take a pay cut on his next deal, it doesn’t make sense for Washington to sign the big man to a contract extension unless he stays healthy and plays well for an extended period of time.
Central Notes: Cavs, Giannis, Thomas, Giddey, Jones
It was a disappointing first half of the season in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers opened the year with a 24-20 record after going 64-18 a year ago. However, the team has won nine of its past 10 games and appears to be rejuvenated by a trade deadline shakeup that saw James Harden, Dennis Schröder, and Keon Ellis added to the roster, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
“There’s definitely a different energy,” center Jarrett Allen said on Monday after the Cavs eked out a 119-117 win in Denver. “Everybody feels a new energy and another belief that we can go even farther than we did last year. The belief is around the team. The last few games we have proven that we can be an amazing team down the stretch and during the game. There’s just a whole new belief and confidence. When you see change, you believe things are going to be different and things are going to go in a new direction.”
Schröder (+22 in 17 minutes) and Ellis (+20 in 17 minutes) played key roles off the bench against their former team in Sacramento on Saturday as the Cavs won for the first time with their new-look roster. On Monday, Harden came up big against the Nuggets, with 22 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks.
Donovan Mitchell, meanwhile, scored 35 points against the Kings and 32 in Denver, prompting head coach Kenny Atkinson to tell reporters that Harden’s arrival has given Mitchell “a different energy.” Mitchell didn’t dispute the idea that bringing in the 36-year-old star has created a greater sense of urgency for the Cavs.
“I think you understand what’s at stake,” Mitchell told Fedor. “You see what’s here. There’s a window. This is the window. This is the time. In a sense, the team is going all in. It’s time to go. When you make that move, understanding James’ age and where he’s at in his career, the time is now. There is no ‘runway’ in a sense with a group like that. You sacrifice even more. You believe even more. You go out there and feel it even more.
“I love the pressure of it. I love the expectation of it. I love the questions that have come from it. I love it. We need that. Embrace it. I think it’s a little bit of a jolt for everybody. When you make that move, what are you making it for? To win a championship. That’s what it is. The organization is basically saying, this is the time. And I love it. Now we have to go out there and do it. We are not running from that as a group.”
We have more from around the Central:
- While the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely revisit their discussions about his future in the offseason after no trade materialized last week, the club is facing a more pressing Giannis-related decision in the short term as the two-time MVP works his way back from a calf strain, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. If Antetokounmpo is ready to return sooner rather than later, as head coach Doc Rivers recently suggested, will the Bucks activate him and try to push for a play-in spot or delay his return to action in order to improve their draft position? “Everything they do is in service of Antetokounmpo,” one Western conference executive told ESPN. “It will absolutely be in their best interest to play for a draft pick, but if Giannis wants to try and make the play-in, they’ll try to make the play-in.”
- After signing with the Bucks on Sunday, Cam Thomas told reporters on Monday that he’s excited for his “fresh start” in Milwaukee and can’t wait to play alongside an “all-time great” like Antetokounmpo, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “The front office told me that they always wanted me, always called about me, been trying to get me here for years,” Thomas said. “That definitely plays a part in your decision to go somewhere, because I really felt wanted by the guys. Talked to Doc before. It was great. Great conversations. Just seeing the team, I feel like I can actually help and contribute and just blend in and be one of the guys.”
- Bulls guards Josh Giddey and Tre Jones should be back from their left hamstring injuries soon after the All-Star break, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. According to head coach Billy Donovan, both Giddey and Jones have been doing three-on-three work and running at full speed. The Bulls can afford to be cautious and take their time with the duo as the team evaluates some of its newcomers in the backcourt, Cowley notes.
Injury Notes: Furphy, Zubac, Giannis, CMB, Luka, Thiero
Second-year Pacers wing Johnny Furphy may have suffered a significant right leg injury in Sunday’s loss at Toronto, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Furphy landed awkwardly after converting a dunk and immediately went down in a great deal of pain while grabbing at his leg (YouTube link).
The 21-year-old was initially helped off the floor with assistance and then was taken to the tunnel in a wheelchair. Furphy was formally ruled out for the remainder of the game with what the team called right leg soreness (Twitter link).
“We’re not sure on Furphy’s situation. He’ll get testing tomorrow in New York and we’ll see where things are,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game (Twitter link via Tony East of Circle City Spin).
The 35th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Furphy has become a rotation mainstay in his second season, averaging 5.2 points and 4.4 rebounds on .466/.324/.486 shooting through 34 games, including 20 starts (18.5 minutes per contest).
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Carlisle suggested on Friday that trade acquisition Ivica Zubac may not make his Pacers debut until after the All-Star break, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. The former Clippers center is still dealing with the lingering effects of a Grade 2 ankle sprain he sustained in December and Carlisle said the team wants the injury fully heal. “It’s kind of yo-yo’d a little bit,” Carlisle said. “My understanding from talking to him is that there’s still something there that’s not quite right. We’re not going to put him out there until he’s really ready. … He’s a guy that has played 94 or 95 percent of his games through his career and I’m presuming that’s because he’s always raring to go through things. That’s not going to be an option here.”
- The Bucks have no plans to shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo for the rest of the season and the two-time MVP is close to returning from a right calf strain, head coach Doc Rivers said on Friday (story via Collier of ESPN). “He’s going to play when he’s healthy,” Rivers said. “We just got to make sure he’s healthy. He’s getting close. He’s working out. He looks good. So I would say hopefully sooner than later.”
- Raptors forward/center Collin Murray-Boyles exited Sunday’s game early after aggravating a left thumb injury, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). The rookie big man’s injured digit was hit during the game and he is considered day-to-day, Murphy adds.
- Lakers star Luka Doncic will miss his second straight game on Monday due to a left hamstring strain, tweets Dan Woike of The Athletic. There’s reportedly optimism that the soft-tissue injury isn’t serious. Adou Thiero, who has been out since the end of December because of sprained MCL, was assigned to the G League for a practice on Sunday, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the rookie forward went through a full contact stay-ready game last week.
L.A. Notes: Leonard, Knecht, Highsmith, Giannis, Doncic, Kleber
Kawhi Leonard offered a diplomatic response regarding the Clippers’ trade deadline moves, which included trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac, beat writer Joey Linn tweets.
“Just trying to get younger. We came in the year with the oldest team,” Leonard said. “It makes sense for them to try to get some assets and try to build for the future. It’s a big class coming in 2027, hopefully. They gotta do what’s best for them…. I thought we were tracking well the last six weeks. Everybody has human nature.
“It’s a complete turnaround from what I thought we could potentially do. Not saying we were contenders, but we thought we could make some noise or mess someone’s season up. Now the tides changed. We’ll get back into it, hopefully after All-Star.”
Leonard is signed through next season. Does he want to want to stay in the organization? Leonard sidestepped that question.
“Yeah, I mean right now I’m not thinking of anything else but trying to finish this season off. And that’s the main goal,” he said.
Here’s more on the Los Angeles teams:
- Numerous teams contacted the Clippers regarding a potential Leonard trade but none of the talks reached the serious stage, Chris Haynes said on NBA on Prime (Twitter link). However, Haynes hears that Leonard’s camp is not in any rush to initiate extension talks with the Clippers. That could be revisited this summer and Haynes anticipates Leonard will either pursue that extension or he’ll be dealt.
- Dalton Knecht was aggressively shopped by the Lakers prior to the trade deadline, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports. The Lakers are also one of the teams currently interested in Haywood Highsmith and possibly Cam Thomas after both players were waived by Brooklyn. Regardless of how the Lakers fill out their roster this season, they are in a position to pursue a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal this summer, Woike notes. The team will have three first-round picks available on draft night to make their best offer, as well as more cap space than any other competitive team.
- Lakers star Luka Doncic will sit out today’s game against Golden State due to a left hamstring strain, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. There’s some optimism that Doncic is not dealing with a major issue with his hamstring, McMenamin adds. He was injured during Thursday’s game against Philadelphia.
- Little-used Lakers big man Maxi Kleber contributed four points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals in Thursday’s win over the Sixers. His teammates appreciate the veteran’s professionalism. “The ultimate professional,” guard Marcus Smart said, per Benjamin Royer of the Orange County Register. “There’s a reason why Maxi is still in this league, still playing and there’s a reason why he’s on this team with us. There’s a reason why we celebrate him the way we do.” Kleber will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.