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Los Angeles Lakers
[Twitter Link](https://x.com/Lakers/status/1823451989398970749)
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It was reported earlier this week that LeBron James was returning to the Lakers on a 2-year, $104 million deal. Those numbers were always subject to change if needed to help the Lakers avoid the second apron and it looks like James is doing just that. Shams Charnia of The Athletic reported that his contract has now been adjusted to two years at $101.355 million. > [@ShamsCharania](https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1809803877195145639): LeBron James' final two-year deal total, per sources: $101.355 million – almost $3M less than his $104M max, placing Lakers below second apron. Charania also mentioned that the deal includes a player option and a no-trade clause; James' contract also includes a 15 percent trade kicker. > [@ShamsCharania](https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1809805329024061550): While this discount may seem minimal, it gives the Lakers flexibility to make some deals moving forward. Adding LeBron's contract puts the Lakers at just under the $188.9 million second apron. If vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka can execute a deal that clears up some salaries, he can create two roster spots and have the flexibility to use the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception. That kind of money could bring a productive guard or a backup big on the roster to improve the Lakers in marginal but not insignificant ways. James deserves some credit here for sacrificing and helping the Lakers. At 39 years old, with the Lakers striking out on players like Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan, he could've easily taken the maximum and just played out his contract. He's thinking of the team first and doing things to help the Lakers compete in the Western Conference. James' end has to be near and instead of squeezing every dollar out of the game, he's taking less to make room for more talent. The question now becomes, will that sacrifice be worthwhile? Can Pelinka and the Lakers front office use that flexibility and bring in an impactful player so LeBron and Anthony Davis can have one more legitimate shot at a title? It's not an easy position to be in, but heavy lies the crown and with the King giving you some room to work with, it's time for Pelinka to get on the phone and cook. By [Edwin Garcia](www.x.com/ecreates88)
lakersnation.com
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Colin Castleton and forwards Blake Hinson and Armel Traore to two-way contracts, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka. Castleton returns for a second season with the Lakers after originally going undrafted and signing a two-way contract out of Florida in 2023. He told us he was hoping to return to the Lakers to continue his development, and now he gets that chance. The 24-year-old appeared in 16 contests for the Lakers last season, averaging 1.5 points in 3.7 minutes per game. Castleton also played in 12 regular season G League games, averaging 14.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 blocks in 28.6 minutes with the South Bay Lakers. Hinson and Traore were both undrafted free agents this year that quickly landed with the Lakers on two-way deals. Hinson averaged 18.5 points per game in 33 outings for the University of Pittsburgh last season, shooting an ACC-best 42.1% from 3-point range. He earned All-ACC First Team honors, ranking second in the conference in 3-point field goals made and third in points per game. Traore averaged 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 33 games (28 starts) last season for ADA Blois of the LNB Élite in his home country of France. He previously played for Metropolitans 92 in 2022-23 and was a teammate of San Antonio Spurs Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama. Castleton, Hinson and Traore all played for the Lakers in their Summer League opener on Saturday afternoon, flashing their talent despite the loss to the Sacramento Kings. --- ##### **Lakers’ Colin Castleton working on 3-point shot?** When Colin Castleton spoke with Lakers Nation about what he has been working on this offseason, he specifically mentioned looking to improve his shooting from outside after not being a threat from beyond the arc so far in his career. “Yeah, every day. That’s the focal point this summer, that’s the No. 1 thing,” Castleton said. “I feel like I’ve gotten more shots up than I have my whole life, to be honest. Just every single day, working on my shot in the gym with multiple coaches and some of the guys in the front office helping me as well. “So, just being able to focus on that going into Summer League cause it’s something that we want to do and I want to be able to do in Summer League to be able to showcase that ability that I worked on throughout the whole summer. So, that’s the No. 1 focal point this summer, that and my defense, just little tendencies. But for the most part, that’s the biggest focus I have this whole entire summer.” By [Danial Starkand](https://x.com/DStarkand)
[Podcast Link](https://locked-on-lakers-daily-podcast-on-the-los-angeles-lakers.simplecast.com/episodes/how-a-new-contract-for-lebron-james-impacts-the-rest-of-the-offseason-for-the-lakers) **HOSTS:** Andy and Brian Kamenetzky **SEGMENT 1:** LeBron agrees to a new deal. **SEGMENT 2:** Was Team James negotiating in good faith, when it comes to his offer to take less? **SEGMENT 3:** Bronny gets a contract. More nepotism? --- **EPISODE SUMMARY** The inevitable happened on Wednesday, as the Lakers and LeBron James agreed to a two year contract for max (or near max -- getting to that in a moment) money, about $104 million. The second year? A player option. So there's a good chance LeBron and the Lakers are right back here next year. It means, first and foremost, that the window LeBron opened by offering to take less money in year one so the Lakers could improve the team by acquiring a higher cost player that might require the full midlevel exception, for example, has likely closed. Well, the Lakers haven't been able to make that happen and don't appear to be in position to make it happen before the end of the free agent moratorium on Saturday. So was LeBron serious when he made the offer? Was it done in good faith? Was it done only with a mind to PR, and trying to manage the fallout of an offseason where, to say the least, the optics could tell a story of a star player getting A LOT of things he wanted? (His preferred coach, his kid on the team, etc.) Are these things mutually exclusive? Now the Lakers must go forward with a very constrained roster, one that will be difficult to manipulate without finding trade partners. Which is a tricky thing given the roster construction. They're also full, which gets to the roster spot taken by Bronny James, who signed his deal today. It is, in most ways, similar to the contracts given to most second rounders at this point, save a more generous buyout for Year 3 than some other players have received. On the other hand, the Lakers, realizing the roster crunch they'd be facing, still gave him a guaranteed deal, rather than a 2-way contract. Not all late second round picks would be afforded that luxury. (Many, yes. All, no.) It's just one reason why the chatter around Bronny isn't likely to dissipate fast, especially if he struggles in Summer League, which kicks off this weekend.
www.espn.com
**LOS ANGELES** -- Bronny James signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Lakers on Wednesday, a league source told ESPN, reaching his rookie deal on the same day LeBron James agreed to an extension with the team and ensured the first father-son duo in NBA history will play for the purple and gold next season. Bronny James' contract begins at $1,157,143 in 2024-25 and progresses to $1,955,377 the following year, $2,296,271 in 2026-27 and $2,486,955 for a team option in 2027-28, sources told ESPN. The Lakers announced Wednesday that they had signed Bronny James and Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick in this year's draft, without disclosing terms. James averaged 4.8 points on 36.6% shooting (26.7% from 3), 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes at USC after undergoing a heart procedure last summer. He said the nearly five-month layoff because of the medical issue affected his development. Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka praised James' mindset and potential as a point-of-attack defender, and new Lakers coach JJ Redick said James, whom Los Angeles selected with the No. 55 pick last week, will be a top priority with the team's revamped player development program. “We view Bronny as [a] Case Study One because [of] his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing,” Redick said. “There's a lot to like about his game, and as we build out our player development program holistically, he's going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.” James and Knecht will make their summer league debuts Saturday in San Francisco against the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic. The Lakers' roster now stands at 15, the maximum number of players an NBA team can carry. By [Dave McMenamin](https://www.x.com/mcten) [ESPN Link](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40489068/source-bronny-james-getting-4-year-79m-deal-lakers)
www.silverscreenandroll.com
##### The Lakers finally landed some assistant coaches with head coaching experience, bringing in Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks. --- The Lakers have finally begun adding coaches to their bench. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that Nate McMillain and Scott Brooks will be joining JJ Redick’s staff as top assistants. > ESPN Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers are hiring Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks as top assistant coaches on JJ Redick’s new staff. Redick gets two longtime head coaches with a combined 1,189 victories to surround him. -[@wojespn](https://x.com/wojespn/status/1808521192262729793) Redick and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka have been “completely aligned” with adding former head coaches to the staff and these acquisitions accomplish that. Brooks has been rumored as a potential assistant coach option for the Lakers since early June and it appears that the Lakers were able to land one of their top targets. With the addition of Brooks, the Lakers add plenty of coaching experience to Redick’s bench. He was the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008-15 and the Washington Wizards from 2016-21. He was previously the assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers, working as an assistant there for three years. McMillan also has extensive head coaching experience. He had three stints as a head coach, first with the Seattle Supersonics from 2000-05, then the Indiana Pacers from 2016-20 and lastly with the Atlanta Hawks from 2021-23. Adding these previous head coaches should relieve Lakers fans who have been nervous about the lack of activity in filling out the staff. It was starting to look like previous head coaches had little interest in joining Redick. That noise only got louder when Dwane Casey reportedly removed his name from consideration for the Lakers coaching job. Now, the Lakers have two coaches who match the criteria they mentioned they wanted and suddenly, the staff fills out nicely. With the Lakers expected to be “more involved” with assistant coach hires and financially investing in the staff, more moves are undoubtedly on the horizon. Other coaches, such as Sam Cassell, Jared Dudley and former Laker Rajon Rando, have been connected to the Lakers and could join Redick’s staff. If Los Angeles can add a few of these candidates to the organization, Redick will suddenly have one of the most experienced and esteemed benches in the NBA to help him navigate his first year as an NBA coach. By [Edwin Garcia](https://x.com/ECreates88) [Silver Screen & Roll Link](https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2024/7/3/24191622/lakers-rumors-nate-mcmillain-scott-brooks-assistant-coach-hired-rob-pelinka-jj-redick)
With the new season just around the corner, what would we like to see more of in this community? I'm not quite sure how polls work on Lemmy, but comments work, or I can comment, and we can vote on whatever? I do appreciate when we get posts from other users and more engagement, but I understand if this community is more of the lurking type. If this post doesn't get any engagement outside the usual up/downvotes. I'll assume we're good with the usual posting and continue.
www.silverscreenandroll.com
This summer has been more about who isn't coming to the Lakers than who is. Dan Hurley reportedly turned down the Lakers' head coaching offer, Klay Thompson picked Dallas over Los Angeles and now, Dwane Casey is reportedly withdrawing his name from consideration as part of JJ Redick's staff. Casey has been coaching in the NBA for over 30 years and was the head coach of the Detroit Pistons from 2018-23. His coaching pedigree perfectly matched what vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and Redick mentioned as their ideal assistant during Redick's introductory press conference. Another potential assistant is also off the board, with Terry Stotts reportedly coaching with the Golden State Warriors next year. It's starting to look harder and harder for the Lakers to fulfill their promise of head coaching experience on the bench. This has to be concerning, given that Redick is currently the only coach on the Lakers' staff and the number of coaches available for hire is getting smaller by the day. The offseason may be long, but building out the staff quickly is crucial. Free agents want to know who they will be playing for besides Redick and the Lakers already have Summer League basketball looming, making it that much harder to coach the young guys and build out the staff. Redick confirmed on Tuesday that Dane Johnson would be the head coach of the Lakers during Summer League action and that Bronny James and Dalton Knecht will play in both the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League. With the Lakers reportedly willing to financially invest in assistants, it begs the question, why are coaches choosing not to come here? If the Lakers fail to hire the caliber of assistants they mentioned, it will appear that this is not an alluring job or franchise to be associated with at the moment. That might seem unfair or exaggerated, but perception quickly becomes reality in the NBA. For Pelinka and the Lakers' sake, they need to start landing some of the personnel they've been seeking. By [Edwin Garcia](https://x.com/ECreates88)
James will have a player option next summer and a no-trade clause as part of his new two-year, $104M maximum deal with the Lakers, sources said. [X Link](https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1808477973814583625)
[YouTube Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUaiohuMJZs)
Christie — 35th pick in the 2022 draft — has shown promise as a future LA rotation player.
www.silverscreenandroll.com
Ahead of signing likely his last contract in the NBA, LeBron James looks set to really help out the Lakers. After LeBron opted out of his contract earlier on Saturday, his agent, Rich Paul, spoke to Dave McMenamin of ESPN and revealed that he is open to taking a discount on his next deal to open up the full mid-level exception for the Lakers. If LA cannot find an impact player to sign for the full MLE that would be created by James taking a paycut, James will seek the max. There can only be so much patience on James' part: Team USA camp begins a week from today in Las Vegas and he needs a deal before taking the court https://t.co/lSkfup7YQJ — Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 29, 2024 In his article, McMenamin elaborated that players who fit this archetype would be quality veterans with something to prove, like Jonas Valančiūnas or a shooter like Klay Thompson, who appears to be on his way out of Golden State. The type of player that James would be willing to make a financial sacrifice for would be an established veteran playmaker like James Harden or Klay Thompson, or an established big man to play alongside Anthony Davis — like Jonas Valančiūnas, sources told ESPN. LeBron has consistently taken the max throughout his career, except on his first contract with the Miami Heat in 2010. Since then, he’s taken the max and no team associated with the King has ever blinked. Even now, the Lakers were reportedly eager to re-sign LeBron at the max. If he takes less money, however, it opens up the chance to sign a player on the full mid-level exception, which is approximately $12.9 million. That kind of salary could land a quality starter and put the Lakers back into contention in the Western Conference. This is the kind of scenario that was unfathomable just a week ago, when it seemed inevitable that LeBron would take the max and the Lakers wouldn’t have the cap space to acquire any potential free agents on the market. LeBron is more than willing to take the max and with the Team USA camp and his son likely playing in Summer League, if he’s still a free agent, he’ll have to deal with a media circus and this contract situation will undoubtedly create tension. There’s no need for that if he wants to remain a Laker. So, if vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has a deal he can get done, then now is the time to do it and show that he can help build a contender here in Los Angeles.
[NBA Profile](https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/bronny-james) [YouTube Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67QSisNiG9o)
[NBA Draft Profile](https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/dalton-knecht) [Streamable](https://streamable.com/siyj74)
[X Link](https://x.com/mcten/status/1806144769418215832)
www.espn.com
[Twitter Link](https://x.com/wojespn/status/1803866324730331335)
www.espn.com
So, the Lakers still have a coaching vacancy. But, who would want this ridiculous game of musical chairs? First of all, you have a meddling, incompetent ownership group to deal with who will probably get you on the cheap because they like to spend/blow all their money on aging superstars. Next, is kowtowing, accommodating and acquiescing to the whims and ego of that aging superstar or find yourself gone before your tenure is up. Then, there’s the flawed lineup: no, established backup center, a weak bench and no third reliable scoring option in your starting five. Finally, you can forget about developing young, promising talent because they’ll be gone before you know it. Um … sounds like a “great“ Job opportunity.
....along with Kurt Rambis if not already done. Laker management messed up when they broke up the bubble roster and the team has never recovered. The coaching carousel is likely to continue until Lebron retires and likely beyond.
[NBA Summary](https://www.nba.com/game/lal-vs-lac-0022300848?watch=) [NBA Game Charts](https://www.nba.com/game/lal-vs-lac-0022300848/game-charts?watch=) ::: spoiler spoiler Sailing the Seven Seas? Use [uBlock Origins](https://ublockorigin.com/), [Privacy Badger](https://privacybadger.org/), and a great VPN like [Mullvad ](https://mullvad.net/en) installed via [Firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/)! **Link Hubs** - [NBABite](https://links.nbabite.com/) - [NBAStreams](https://reddit.nbastreams.app/) :::
[Twitter Link](https://twitter.com/jovanbuha/status/1757863806632702203)
[Twitter Link](https://twitter.com/LakersReporter/status/1757649386899939776)
[Streamable Link](https://streamable.com/ogibuc) [YouTube Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0dUh-8E-h8)
www.espn.com
**LOS ANGELES** — LeBron James had 25 points and eight assists, Anthony Davis had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the NBA-worst Detroit Pistons 125-111 Tuesday night for their fifth win in six games. D'Angelo Russell scored 21 points and hit four 3-pointers for the Lakers, who have won 10 of 15 overall to move three games above .500 (29-26) for the first time since a week before Christmas. Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves added 15 points apiece in another dominant offensive game by the Lakers' new starting lineup, which combined for 96 points. The Lakers had a rare three-day break between games before this meeting, and they rolled to an early 24-point lead in their final home game before the All-Star break, when James will participate for the 20th time. Spencer Dinwiddie had six points and seven assists in his debut with the Lakers, who signed the veteran Los Angeles native last Saturday. Dinwiddie started 48 games for Brooklyn this season, and the graduate of Taft High School in suburban Woodland Hills will be a key scoring option and playmaker off the bench for the Lakers. Ausar Thompson scored 19 points and James Wiseman had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who had won two of their previous three games for only the third time all season. Team owner Tom Gores, who lives in Beverly Hills, watched from courtside. Cade Cunningham had 12 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in the least impressive game of a strong road trip for Detroit, which beat Sacramento and Portland to open it before barely losing to the Clippers in this building last weekend. One game after the Lakers put up 87 points in the second-highest scoring first half in franchise history, they dropped 71 on the Pistons and took a 71-48 halftime lead, paced by Davis' 18 points and 12 boards. Detroit trimmed the lead to 12 points with 4:50 to play, but got no closer. Davis sat out the entire fourth quarter, resting his legs for a back-to-back set ending in Utah. New Pistons guard Quentin Grimes remained out with a sprained right knee. He has yet to debut for his new team since arriving in the multiplayer trade with New York. Isaiah Stewart missed his seventh straight game for Detroit with a sprained left ankle. He should return immediately after the All-Star break. Lakers guard Max Christie missed his second straight game with a sprained right ankle. By AP
[NBA Box Score](https://www.nba.com/game/det-vs-lal-0022300776/box-score)
“Spencer is returning to his roots and the city where his journey began… His play-making and aggressiveness from the guard position provides us valuable depth as we continue our strong push toward the back-half of the season.” -Rob Pelinka [Twitter Link](https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1756500164230184973) [Streamable Link](https://streamable.com/mjf7i3)
[Twitter Link](https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1756498381772620109)
www.silverscreenandroll.com
##### The Lakers made a big splash in the buyout market by landing guard Spencer Dinwiddie as a midseason acquisition. --- The Lakers made quick work in the buyout market this season, landing their first target and likely the biggest name that’ll be available. Los Angeles native Spencer Dinwiddie will be signing with the Lakers, as first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic. >Just in: Spencer Dinwiddie plans to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers after he clears waivers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/XJCQZnW1Dc — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2024 >Spencer Dinwiddie will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers when he clears waivers, a source familiar with his plans confirms to ESPN — Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 10, 2024 Dinwiddie had a mini free agent courting tour across the country before he was ever even officially released. His first stop came in Madison Square Garden to take in Mavericks-Knicks on Thursday. He then flew across the country back to his hometown to watch the Lakers and Pelicans on Friday alongside vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka. After the game, he visited with former teammates D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, with D’Lo dropping a big hint that he would be signing with the Lakers. >D’Angelo Russell on Spencer Dinwiddie: “I’m a fan. Y’all will get to know him soon.” pic.twitter.com/uEBMx7Da5K — Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) February 10, 2024 After the trade deadline, Pelinka indicated that a ball handler was the top priority for the team in the buyout market. With Kyle Lowry an unlikely signing, Dinwiddie moved to that top spot for the purple and gold. A polarizing player, Dinwiddie has had success in the past but certainly is not coming off a strong season with the Nets, hence him being traded and released. A return to LA and a smaller role on the roster could see him find success akin to what he did in Dallas with Luka Doncic in which he averaged 17.1 points and shot 46% from the field and 40% from the 3-point line. If nothing else, Dinwiddie will provide the team much-needed insurance at the guard position. A whole host of injuries has left the team with few ball handlers and a need for players who can run the offense. And Dinwiddie can do that, though it remains to be seen if he can reliably do that in the postseason. All things considered, though, it’s hard to imagine the team could do much better with a buyout market signing than someone as talented as Dinwiddie. And if it does indeed work, it could be a big homerun and help push the Lakers toward the playoffs. By [Jacob Rude](https://twitter.com/JacobRude)
[Twitter Link](https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1756347271682375681)
[Mastodon Link](https://mastodon.social/@LakersReporter@sportsbots.xyz/111903742480630352)
theathletic.com
**LOS ANGELES** — The NBA trade deadline came and went without the Los Angeles Lakers making a move. Over the past few weeks, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka fielded what he estimated were hundreds of offers. But after a “thoughtful and tricky calculus,” Pelinka and the rest of the Lakers’ brass determined that standing pat made more sense than making a marginal improvement to a .500 roster. “My job is to always look for ways to upgrade our roster,” Pelinka said before the Lakers’ 114-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. “But you can’t buy a house that’s not for sale. … The right move wasn’t there.” The Lakers (27-26) canvassed the league for upgrades despite having limited means to improve their roster. Most conversations transitioned to teams asking for their two best assets: their 2029 first-round pick — the only pick they could trade until this summer — and Austin Reaves, according to team sources not authorized to speak publicly. Los Angeles was prudent about emptying its asset cupboard, aiming to find a move that could elevate it from a play-in team to a bona fide contender, according to those sources. It never found such a deal. “If the right move would’ve been there at the right price, we would’ve pulled the trigger,” Pelinka said. “We’re not fearful of using future assets for now. It’s just gotta be using future assets for the now in the right way and the right deal.” The Lakers were not close to any deals on Thursday morning, according to team sources. The closest they ever got to a trade was with the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray. The Athletic reported the framework of the deal several weeks ago: D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino and that 2029 first-round pick. The trade ultimately fell apart once the Hawks repeatedly insisted on Reaves being a part of the deal, according to team and league sources. Rival teams just didn’t covet Russell, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent in trades, according to team and league sources. Any deal involving those players would’ve required the Lakers to attach assets, including their first-round pick more often than not. With limited interest in their players with multiple years left on their contracts, one option the Lakers weighed was trading Taurean Prince, who is making $4.5 million on an expiring contract. However, head coach Darvin Ham was one of the vocal supporters of retaining Prince, according to team sources. The Lakers also decided not to trade away a minimum-salaried player to duck under the luxury tax — they were only $1.2 million above it — as they didn’t want to save money at the expense of the strength of the roster. In conversations with rival teams, the Lakers, according to team sources, sensed something of a “Lakers tax,” with Los Angeles believing it was asked to pay more for role players in potential deals than other suitors. The Lakers were surprised by some of the final prices quoted for certain players. Several of the Lakers’ top targets — Murray, Toronto’s Bruce Brown Jr., Brooklyn’s Dorian Finney-Smith, Washington’s Tyus Jones and Chicago’s duo of Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond — didn’t move at the deadline, a sign to Los Angeles that demands were out of control. “We tried everything we could, and again, the market is the market,” Pelinka said. “There were very, very few sellers. I don’t think today on the deadline day there were many marquee players moved. There were a lot of buyers, and as everyone knows, when the market has few sellers and tons of buyers, the prices are very, very aggressive. And sometimes no move is better than an unwise move.” The other factor the Lakers now have to deal with is the fallout with LeBron James, whose hourglass emoji tweet last week heightened pressure on the team and front office to turn this season around. James, 39, has a $51.4 million player option for next season, putting his future — and the Lakers’ future, to a large extent — in his hands. The Lakers didn’t feel enough pressure from James’ actions, be it the tweet, his non-elaboration thereafter or his public flirtation with the New York Knicks last weekend, to make even a marginal upgrade to appease him. “The last conversation I had with him was that he was focused on the guys in the locker room and making them the best players and teammates they could be,” Pelinka said. The Lakers will now turn their attention to the buyout market. Pelinka noted they will be “very aggressive” with their open 15th roster spot and said there is “a really good group of names” available to sign. Because the Lakers didn’t spend their full mid-level exception on Vincent, they can offer free agents a prorated amount of roughly $1.5 million, compared to most other teams being able to roughly $1 million prorated. Los Angeles is looking for a “ballhandling guard” and if not, the “best available” player. “Obviously, we signed Gabe Vincent and thought he fit really well, but his health just hasn’t (been there),” Pelinka said. “He’s played five games. I think that would be sort of top of the list. … That would probably be the area we’re trying to address the most, just because right now we have D’Angelo Russell at point guard, but after that, we don’t have a point guard on the roster.” The Lakers have interest in Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Lowry as backup point guard options, according to team sources. Dinwiddie, who will be waived by the Raptors after a deadline-day trade from Brooklyn, is the Lakers’ preference. Lowry, meanwhile, is expected to be released by Charlotte after it could not re-trade him following its earlier trade with the Miami Heat. The Lakers are expected to have competition with Dallas for Dinwiddie and Philadelphia for Lowry, among other potential suitors. The decision to stand pat was somewhat surprising considering the Lakers entered the season with championship aspirations, but have largely hovered around .500 all season. Injuries and a brutal schedule have played a part in their mediocrity, but so too has the roster’s construction. The Lakers don’t have a reliable two-way wing or many two-way players in general. They’ve quietly made a higher percentage of their shots recently, but they don’t have the type of high-volume shooters the best offenses possess. Ham has been forced to fluctuate between offensive- and defensive-minded lineups, struggling to find the proper balance until recently. Los Angeles didn’t necessarily need an overhaul like last season’s deadline, but it could’ve benefitted from adding a player that addressed one of its several needs (high-volume 3-point shooting, perimeter/wing defense, non-Davis interior defense). Dinwiddie doesn’t address any of those issues. Lowry’s plus-shooting and defense could help, but he’s almost 38 and coming off multiple injury-riddled seasons. There might not have been a move that turned the Lakers into a contender, but there were likely moves that would’ve given them a better shot to at least avoid the Play-In Tournament or advance in the playoffs. Nonetheless, they are betting on Cam Reddish, Vincent and possibly Jarred Vanderbilt returning from injury to bolster the rotation. After saying that Vanderbilt “to date has been able to avoid a plan of surgery” on his injured right foot, Pelinka clarified that a season-ending surgery is still a possibility for Vanderbilt. “Until an injury is healed and the player’s back, you’re kind of always in the evaluation process of figuring out what it’s gonna take to get a player healthy and back on the court,” Pelinka said. “I would just say we’re hopeful that we can get Jarred back healthy and on the court without surgery, but you never know. Time will tell. But that’s certainly our hope.” According to team and league sources, there is some internal pessimism regarding Vanderbilt’s potential return. Before the announcement he was set to be re-evaluated in three to four weeks, team sources believed he was trending toward being done for the season. Moving forward, the Lakers plan to use the three picks that they will have available this summer — 2031, 2029 and either 2024 or 2025, depending on which pick the New Orleans Pelicans choose to receive as part of their return for 2019’s Anthony Davis trade — to pursue a star via trade. Three potential targets are Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young and Kyrie Irving, according to team and league sources. The Athletic has previously reported on the franchise’s interest in Young and Irving. This isn’t the first time the Lakers have set their sights on the elusive third star of the James-Davis era. The Lakers courted Kawhi Leonard in 2019 in an attempt to team him up with James and Anthony Davis before he signed with the LA Clippers. They traded for Russell Westbrook in 2021 after inquiring about Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal and DeMar DeRozan, respectively. After the Westbrook trade became one of the worst in modern NBA history, the Lakers pivoted to chasing Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2022 and then again at the 2023 trade deadline, falling short as the Brooklyn Nets retained him through the summer before eventually trading him to Dallas ahead of last season’s deadline. This summer could be different, especially if the Lakers are willing to package Reaves with their three first-round picks. That’ll at least get them in the conversation for any potentially available star. But that plan also requires James to stay in Los Angeles and for him and Davis to remain as healthy and productive as they’ve been this season. The potential payoff is significant, but it’s also not without considerable risk. “We had one first-round draft pick was our only sort of hook to fish with,” Pelinka said. “And this summer in June, at the time of the draft, we’ll have three first-round draft picks to look for deals, which I think will really unlock access to potentially a greater or bigger swing. And we didn’t want to shoot a small bullet now that would only lead to very marginal improvement at the expense of making a much bigger and more impactful movement potentially in June and July.” By [Jovan Buha](https://twitter.com/jovanbuha)
[Streamable Link](https://streamable.com/cevizn)
[Streamable Link](https://streamable.com/xbdh6a) [YouTube Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WGf-kEdrKE&t=11s)
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**LOS ANGELES** — Jamal Murray scored 29 points, Michael Porter Jr. added 27 and the Denver Nuggets snapped the Los Angeles Lakers' three-game winning streak with a 114-106 victory Thursday night. Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for the defending NBA champion Nuggets, who opened a three-game road trip with their third straight win and eighth in 10 games. Denver blew a 15-point lead in the second half, but never trailed and eventually finished with a 10-2 run in the building where the Nuggets beat LA twice to sweep the Western Conference finals last May. Three hours before the game, the Lakers unveiled a 19-foot-tall bronze statue of Kobe Bryant outside their downtown arena. The Lakers played Denver in their Black Mamba alternate uniforms, and the evening was filled with Bryant tributes before the crowd began chanting “Kobe! Kobe!” in the final minutes to urge on the current Lakers. Anthony Davis scored 32 points and LeBron James had 25 for the Lakers, whose longest winning streak since the In-Season Tournament ended in their first game back from an encouraging six-game road trip. James added nine rebounds and seven assists, while Austin Reaves had 15 points and 10 assists. Several hours after the Lakers declined to make any moves at the trade deadline, the Lakers ran drastically short on guards. D’Angelo Russell sat out with left knee soreness, and Max Christie started in his place and scored seven points before spraining his right ankle shortly before halftime. Denver led by 15 midway through the third quarter, but Los Angeles eventually tied it with 6:41 to play on Davis’ alley-oop dunk from Skylar Mays. Los Angeles tied it again on Reaves' 3-pointer with 2:18 to play, but Murray hit a 3-pointer and an 11-foot floater on the Nuggets' next two possessions before Porter drained a 3-pointer with 1:05 left to seal it. Both of these teams made no major moves at the trade deadline, but the Nuggets have more reason to feel optimistic about their championship-winning core than the up-and-down Lakers. Russell's improved play in recent weeks was a primary factor in the Lakers' decision not to move his tradeable contract at the deadline. But the starting point guard couldn't play after undergoing an unspecified procedure on his sore left knee Wednesday. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said he decided to stand pat because he didn't find a deal good enough to risk disruption of his roster's chemistry and potential. Pelinka mentioned the fact he would have been allowed to trade only one first-round pick this month, but he'll have three to move this summer in pursuit of a third superstar. “My job is always to look for ways to upgrade our roster, but you can’t buy a house that’s not for sale,” Pelinka said. “The right move wasn’t there, and it’s a thoughtful and tricky calculus at times. ... We didn’t want to shoot a small bullet now that would only lead to very marginal improvement at the expense of making a much bigger and more impactful movement potentially in June and July. "We tried everything we could, and the market is the market. There were very, very few sellers.” Former Lakers swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sat out for the Nuggets with right hamstring tightness. Justin Holiday had a rough night in his place, scoring two points in 22 minutes as a starter before fouling out early in the fourth quarter. By AP
[Box Score](https://www.nba.com/game/den-vs-lal-0022300740/box-score)