Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Hayes, Smart, Thiero, Reaves, Ayton
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.
There’s more on the Lakers:
- 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.”
Luka Doncic Out Multiple Games With Finger, Leg Injuries
Lakers guard Luka Doncic has been diagnosed with a left finger spain and a lower left leg contusion, the team announced today (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). The Slovenian star will be reexamined in about a week.
While it’s obviously unfortunate that Doncic is expected to miss multiple games, a source tell Woike there are no long-term concerns about the injuries (Twitter link).
The Lakers play four times this week — at Sacramento on Sunday, vs. Portland on Monday, at Minnesota on Wednesday, and at Memphis on Friday — before returning home to face Miami next Sunday.
Backup center Jaxson Hayes, who is battling left knee soreness, has also been downgraded to out for tonight’s game in Sacramento. It’s the second straight absence for Hayes, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN (via Twitter).
As we previously relayed, Doncic received MVP chants from the home crowd during Friday’s victory over Minnesota. The 26-year-old was off to an incredible start to the season, averaging a league-high 46.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.0 steal through two games.
Doncic reportedly sustained the finger injury early in Friday’s game and had the digit wrapped for the remainder of the contest. It’s unclear when the left leg injury occurred — he suffered a minor injury to the opposite leg in Tuesday’s season-opening loss at Golden State.
With Doncic out and LeBron James (sciatica on his left side) still sidelined, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart and Dalton Knecht are among the candidates for increased play-making responsibilities.
Doncic appeared in a career-low 50 games last season, largely due to a calf strain he sustained on Christmas. He received lots of attention for getting in better shape during the offseason and had an excellent showing at EuroBasket 2025 with Slovenia.
Injury Notes: Miller, Luka, LaVine, Hawks, Barlow
Guard/forward Brandon Miller, who missed most of last season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, was ruled out for the remainder of Saturday night’s game in Philadelphia due to left shoulder soreness, the Hornets announced (via Twitter).
According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Miller checked out early in the second quarter and “appeared to be in a good amount of pain,” though it wasn’t immediately clear when the injury occurred — or how serious it might be.
Miller, 22, was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 draft and was coming off a solid first game in which he recorded 25 points and seven assists in 31 minutes against Brooklyn.
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is questionable for Sunday’s matchup at Sacramento due to a left finger sprain, per the team’s injury report (Twitter link via Jovan Buha). According to Buha, Doncic sustained the injury early in Friday’s victory over Minnesota and had his finger wrapped for the rest of the evening. As we relayed this morning, Doncic broke a franchise record by scoring 92 combined points in the Lakers’ first two games. Jaxson Hayes (left knee soreness) is also questionable for Los Angeles, while Zach LaVine is questionable for the Kings due to an illness, tweets Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento.
- The Hawks played without their entire starting frontcourt in Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma City, notes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Center Kristaps Porzingis missed his second straight contest with flu-like symptoms, as did 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, who is battling a right ankle sprain. Forward Jalen Johnson missed his first game with his own right ankle sprain.
- Forward Dominick Barlow, who has started the Sixers‘ first two games despite being on a two-way contract, was ruled out for the second half of Saturday’s eventual win over Charlotte after suffering a right elbow laceration, tweets Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Another two-way forward, Jabari Walker, got the starting nod in the second half, as Tony Jones of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
Lakers Notes: Doncic, Smart, Lineup, Hayes, James
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.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- 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, 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.
Lakers Notes: Hayes, Starting Lineup, Injuries, Lobs
Jaxson Hayes is dealing with a light sprain in his right wrist, but believes that he’ll be ready to go for the Lakers‘ regular season opener on Tuesday, reports Dan Woike of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Hayes left Friday’s preseason game early after injuring his wrist, but he says he’s ready to play through the injury. He is slotted to serve as the primary backup to Deandre Ayton this season after starting a career-high 35 games for the Lakers last season.
Hayes also spoke at greater length about his intention to become eligible for a Slovenian passport and play international basketball alongside Lakers’ teammate Luka Doncic, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter video link).
“We have the same agent, and my parents and his parents are all kind of working on it right now,” Hayes said. “But they came to me with the idea… I wanted to play on that stage, and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get on that stage.”
Hayes added that Doncic and his family had been discussing the idea with him for the last year and a half. Woike confirmed (via Twitter) that Hayes is serious about the plan.
We have more Lakers news:
- The Lakers unleashed their LeBron James-less opening night starting five in the preseason finale, writes McMenamin. The unit featured Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura alongside Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Ayton. McMenamin reports that Vincent, who averaged 16.2 points on 55.6% shooting from three during his strong preseason, was informed of his promotion on Friday morning. “I do think in that lineup there’s lot of shooting around Luka and [Ayton], and Gabe is another ball-handler, another tough defender, said head coach JJ Redick. “I think he fits in well, but you have to take a look at every matchup we play against and have to make a decision there.” The Lakers went just 1-5 during the preseason.
- Redick shared some minor injury updates on Sunday afternoon, as relayed via Twitter by SoCal News Group’s Khobi Price. Chris Manon, on a two-way deal, was a full participant after previously suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain. Bronny James and rookie Adou Thiero were modified participants as they look to return from ankle and knee injuries, respectively.
- There’s a specific part of the Lakers’ offensive approach that Redick is concerned about heading into the season. “We’ve got to figure out our lobs,” Redick said, as reported by Price (Twitter video link). Redick added that a good lob connection is based on “concentration plus control.” Reaves expanded on that, discussing the difference between running the two-man game with Ayton as opposed to Hayes or Anthony Davis. “Every player is not the same,” he said. “I can throw some lobs to Jaxson that I can’t throw to DA. I can throw pocket passes to DA that I can’t throw to Jaxson. So it’s just reading personnel on the court and getting reps every single day together.”
Injury Notes: Queen, White, Brown, Raptors, Rockets, More
Rookie big man Derik Queen has been medically cleared to participate in full basketball activities, the Pelicans announced today (via Twitter).
Head coach Willie Green said Queen was a full participant in Saturday’s practice, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. While the team wants to get Queen up to speed, Green said New Orleans will be careful not to rush the process after a lengthy layoff.
Queen has been rehabilitating from July surgery to address a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist, an injury he sustained at Summer League in Las Vegas. He was a limited participant during New Orleans’ training camp due to the injury.
Queen was selected with the 13th overall pick in June after the Pelicans sent Atlanta this year’s No. 23 selection and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder (the most favorable of New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s picks) for the right to draft the Maryland big man, who was highly productive in his lone season with the Terrapins. In 36 games last season, the 20-year-old forward/center averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 30.4 minutes per contest.
We have several more injury notes from around the NBA:
- Bulls guard Coby White, who has been battling a calf strain since August and didn’t play in any preseason games this fall, “looked good” after going through most of the contact portions of Saturday’s practice, according to head coach Billy Donovan (Twitter links K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network). Donovan added that White would go through additional contact work on Monday after taking Sunday off. For his part, White said he was encouraged by today’s session, though he cautioned he’s still working on regaining his conditioning and rhythm. “We’ll see. It’s in the works,” White said of potentially playing in Chicago’s season opener, per Johnson.
- Celtics star Jaylen Brown sustained a left hamstring injury in Wednesday’s preseason finale. As Jay King of The Athletic writes, head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t say whether Brown would be active for next Wednesday’s season opener, but the injury doesn’t sound serious — Brown is considered day-to-day, per Mazzulla.
- Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic expressed optimism that lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles could be ready for Wednesday’s season opener in Atlanta after the former South Carolina forward sustained an arm injury last week, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links), Murray-Boyles is day-to-day with a right forearm strain.
- Although Raptors center Jakob Poeltl missed time during preseason with lower back stiffness and exited Friday’s preseason finale with the same injury, Rajakovic clarified after the game that the Austrian big man was pulled for precautionary reasons (Twitter links via Lewenberg). Poeltl is under contract through 2029/30 after signing a lucrative long-term extension in July.
- Forward Jae’Sean Tate, who underwent offseason ankle surgery, went through contract drills in Saturday’s practice, per Rockets head coach Ime Udoka (Twitter link via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). The team remains optimistic that Tate will be available for Houston’s season opener, but Dorian Finney-Smith probably won’t be, according to Udoka. Finney-Smith, a free agent addition, is recovering from June ankle surgery.
- Former Alabama forward Grant Nelson was originally expected to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets shortly after Summer League in July, but the signing was delayed until a few days ago due to an otherwise unspecified “stress reaction from overworking,” he told Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “It was like a small, little minor injury that held me out of training camp. And then I feel like I did everything I could. I caught the injury really early, so I wasn’t out long. But it worked out perfect. So now I’m back healthy, feeling 100 percent.”
- Backup Lakers center Jaxson Hayes exited Friday’s preseason finale with a right wrist contusion, the team announced (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). Head coach JJ Redick said after the game that X-Rays on the wrist were negative, with another update on Hayes expected to come on Sunday, as veteran NBA report Mark Medina relays (via Twitter).
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija experienced upper back stiffness on Thursday in Utah, causing him to exit Portland’s preseason finale, per the team (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Avdija will miss additional time as a result of the injury.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Christie, Westbrook, Hayes, Collins
Within a story breaking down the Kings‘ decision to sign Russell Westbrook, Sam Amick of The Athletic says that “hordes” of opposing scouts have been attending Sacramento games during the preseason, since teams around the league anticipate that the Kings will be sellers at February’s trade deadline.
Westbrook is among several players on the Kings’ roster who will have something to prove this season, according to Amick, who notes that head coach Doug Christie falls into that category too.
As Amick details, citing league sources, the new contract that Christie signed in the spring when he was named the team’s permanent head coach is only guaranteed for two seasons, with a third-year team option. And his salary is only about $2MM annually in those first two years, followed by a significant increase if his option is exercised. In other words, Christie will have plenty of motivation to show during the next couple years that he deserves to keep his job.
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- Malik Monk, who played with Westbrook in Los Angeles, is excited to have his former teammate join the Kings, as Sean Cunningham of KCRA News relays (Twitter video link). Referring to Westbrook as “probably one of the best teammates I had,” Monk added that he thinks Westbrook can hold his own as an undersized power forward and defend opposing fours, which would help the club while Keegan Murray (thumb surgery) is sidelined.
- After teaming up with Luka Doncic as members of the Lakers, center Jaxson Hayes wants to do so in international basketball competitions too. Hayes told reporters this week that he’s working on getting Slovenian citizenship in the hopes of representing the country in future competitions, per Eurohoops. A spokesperson for the Slovenian Basketball Federation confirmed that discussions are ongoing about adding a naturalized player at the center spot, but declined to offer specifics or confirm that Hayes is the player in question. “We are aiming to secure this player for a longer period to ensure the team’s stability in the coming years,” that spokesperson said.
- Speaking to Law Murray of The Athletic about the offseason deal that sent him from Utah to Los Angeles and his expectations for the coming season, John Collins said the Clippers were “one of the first teams” he thought of when his name began to pop up in trade rumors. His head coach and teammates also expressed excitement about the fit. “It’s great. We get a big player like John on the floor, alongside Kawhi (Leonard), teams have a nightmare as far as matching up,” Tyronn Lue said. “You want to put a smaller guy on John, or a smaller guy on Kawhi? … (Collins’) versatility on both sides of the basketball is a huge thing for us.”
Free Agent Rumors: Guards, Kuminga, Pacers, Hayes
An expectation that Bradley Beal will soon become an unrestricted free agent is affecting the markets for free agent guards Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Malcolm Brogdon, who are drawing interest from many of the same teams, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
According to Fischer, the Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, and Timberwolves are among the teams expected to have interest in signing Beal if and when he finalizes a buyout agreement with the Suns, which seems increasingly likely. A previous report also identified the Warriors as a possible suitor for Beal, with the Heat viewed as less likely after their trade for Norman Powell.
The Clippers and Bucks are known to have interest in Paul, Fischer points out, so if Beal ends up with one of those teams, it would likely rule that club out for CP3, perhaps increasing the odds of the 40-year-old reuniting with the Suns.
As for Brogdon, he has the Clippers, Suns, Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves, and Bucks are also among the teams that have registered some level of interest in him, along with the Pelicans and Kings, Fischer reports.
Free agents like De’Anthony Melton and Ben Simmons may also find themselves involved in this game of backcourt musical chairs, according to Fischer, who suggests that their potential landing spots should become more clearer once one or two of those top guards – starting with Beal – finds a new home.
Here are a few more notes on free agents from around the NBA:
- There was no traction on the Jonathan Kuminga front over the weekend, sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Slater, the Kings have been the most aggressive suitor for the Warriors restricted free agent so far, but nothing has come close. In fact, the market for all of the top restricted free agents remains “ice cold,” Slater adds.
- The Pacers are expected to reunite with a pair of familiar faces to fill out their frontcourt. Speaking to reporters today, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said the club is planning to re-sign James Wiseman and that things are trending in the right direction with restricted free agent Isaiah Jackson (Twitter links via Tony East).
- Veteran center Jaxson Hayes gave up his right to veto a trade this season when he re-signed with the Lakers, reports Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). By default, a player re-signing with his previous team on a one-year contract gets a de facto no-trade clause, but a team can ask a player to waive that right as part of his new deal.
Lakers, Jaxson Hayes Finalize One-Year Deal
July 6: Hayes is officially back under contract with the Lakers, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), Hayes actually got a slight raise to 120% above his minimum, so he’ll earn about $3.45MM in 2025/26.
July 3: Free agent center Jaxson Hayes is returning to the Lakers, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides are in agreement on a one-year contract.
Hayes, 25, signed a two-year contract with the Lakers in 2023 and has appeared in 126 games for the team since then, averaging 5.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks with a 72.1% field goal percentage in 15.6 minutes per night.
The former eighth overall pick took on an increased role during the second half of last season following Anthony Davis‘ abdominal injury and the subsequent trade sending Davis to Dallas. Hayes’ last 32 outings of the regular season were starts, as he boosted his averages to 8.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 21.9 MPG during that stretch.
Hayes’ starting role carried over to the postseason, but he struggled in the Lakers’ first-round series vs. Minnesota and was limited to single-digit minutes in each of the first four games before being removed as the starter for Game 5. While he was perhaps miscast as a starter, the seven-footer is a solid reserve option behind presumed starter Deandre Ayton in the middle.
Charania’s report doesn’t include any financial details on the deal, but it will likely be a minimum-salary contract, given that Hayes was earning the minimum for each of the past two seasons.
The Lakers now project to have 15 players under contract, assuming No. 36 pick Adou Thiero gets a standard roster spot, notes Jovan Buha (Twitter link). However, Shake Milton‘s $3MM salary is non-guaranteed, so the team has a little flexibility with that 15th spot. Jordan Goodwin also doesn’t have a guaranteed salary, though the expectation is that he’ll return after playing rotation minutes down the stretch last season.
Trade Rumors: Lakers, Bucks, Durant, Wolves
The Lakers‘ obvious need for a center is hurting their chances of finding one, according to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints. Sources close to the team and around the league tell Irwin that the offseason pursuit of a big man has been frustrating so far because rival clubs are hoping to take advantage of L.A.’s predicament.
“The worst spot you can put yourself in is trying to negotiate while everyone knows about your desperation,” a former executive told Irwin. “The whole league knows that not only do the Lakers need a starting center and probably a backup, but they need to bring someone in who Luka (Doncic) is going to want to play with. They basically have to hope someone else reaches their current level of desperation so that the talks can be held on even footing.”
Jaxson Hayes, who’s headed toward free agency, took over as the starting center after Anthony Davis was traded to Dallas in February. He put up solid numbers during the regular season, but was ineffective in a first-round playoff loss to Minnesota and wasn’t used at all in the deciding Game 5.
Irwin hears from sources close to the team that the Lakers hope to trade for their starting center and use the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception to sign a backup. According to Irwin’s sources, L.A. has been involved in discussions with the Nets about Nic Claxton, the Trail Blazers about Robert Williams and the Jazz about Walker Kessler. He adds that potential free agent targets include Brook Lopez and Clint Capela.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- The Bucks remain confident about keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo and will focus on trades and free agent signings to complement the two-time MVP, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Khris Middleton trade in February moved Milwaukee below the projected tax line for 2025/26, creating access to the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The Bucks also have the $5.1MM bi-annual exception, though ESPN’s story points out that it will be difficult financially to use both exceptions while re-signing Lopez and Bobby Portis.
- The Suns are finding it hard to get value for Kevin Durant because there isn’t an “open market,” explains Brian Windhorst of ESPN (YouTube link). Durant has manipulated the market by insisting that he’ll only sign an extension with Houston, San Antonio or Miami, and Windhorst says that advantage has given those teams leverage to limit their offers. He also points out that Durant is Phoenix’s only major trade asset due to its insistence on keeping Devin Booker, so it’s important to maximize the return.
- The Timberwolves seem more likely to keep the 31st pick in the draft than the 17th, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. The first-round pick, which was acquired from New York last fall, comes with a $4.2MM salary, which could hamper the effort to re-sign Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and possibly Julius Randle while staying below the second apron. Hine hears that the Wolves’ front office likes having the first pick in the second round and expects to get a lot of offers between the first and second days of the draft.