Basketball - Los Angeles Lakers news

• Magic Johnson: Lakers Need To Get Younger & More Athletic

  14-06-2026 17:08 via lakersnation.com
  
  NBA free agency is just around the corner and the Los Angeles Lakers are amongst several Western Conference teams looking to make considerable roster changes. After Luka Doncic’s first full season in Los Angeles, it is apparent that he wants to win now and is playing at an MVP-level, giving reason to invest in the roster.
  Lakers legend Magic Johnson spoke about what needs to happen for L.A. to become champions again after getting swept in the second round this season.
  “Well first of
  
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• Lakers Rumors: Austin Reaves Re-Signing On Four-Year Max Contract

  24-06-2026 17:34 via lakersnation.com
  
  Coming off a career season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves had a seemingly easy decision to make going into this offseason. The final year of Reaves’ contract is a player option worth around $14.9 million for 2026-27.
  Reaves has obviously greatly outplayed that number, so according to Shams Charania of ESPN, the guard is unsurprisingly declining that player option and will re-sign with the Lakers on a four-year maximum contract:Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves intends to si
  
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• Lakers Trading Up To Draft Cameron Carr Comes With Salary Cap Restriction

  24-06-2026 17:01 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2026 NBA Draft armed with the 25th overall pick in the first round. But the team wouldn’t stay there as they made a trade with the New York Knicks to move up one spot to select Baylor guard Cameron Carr
  The Lakers gave up only cash considerations to move up to the 24th pick, but in doing so have now hard capped themselves. By trading cash, the Lakers will not be able to exceed the second apron of the salary cap, but that shouldn’t matter, via NBA sa
  
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• Highlights From Lakers Draft Pick Cameron Carr’s 2025-26 Baylor Season

  24-06-2026 16:20 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers selected Baylor guard Cameron Carr with the 24th pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. The guard offers a ton of potential as a 3-and-D player, listed at 6’5 with a 7’0 wingspan. He also tested extremely well at the NBA Draft Combine, posting the second-fastest lane agility score, second best standing vertical leap and the third best max vertical leap and that can be seen very clearly in this highlight video.
  Carr played sparingly in the first two yea
  
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• This Day In Lakers History: JJ Redick Hired As Head Coach

  24-06-2026 15:00 via lakersnation.com
  
  Going into the summer of 2024, the Los Angeles Lakers knew they need to find the right head coach who could lead the team for many years after firing Darvin Ham. And June 24, 2024, the franchise found their guy as the Lakers hired JJ Redick to serve as the team’s new head coach.
  This hiring surprised many and came with a ton of questions as Redick had no head coaching experience at any level. The Lakers bring about more pressure and attention than any other franchise in the NBA, and that&r
  
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• Lakers Trade Up With Knicks & Select Cameron Carr With 24th Pick In 2026 NBA Draft

  24-06-2026 04:55 via lakersnation.com
  
  An important offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers has finally arrived as the 2026 NBA Draft was set to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
  The Lakers went into the draft holding one pick at No. 25 overall in the first round, although things can always change as the organization has made trades and bought second-round picks in recent years.
  This year, the Lakers did make a trade, moving up from 25 to 24 in a deal with the New York Knicks for cash to draft Cameron Carr out of Baylor, per Shams Ch
  
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• NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers Have Reached Out To Pelicans About Yves Missi

  24-06-2026 02:46 via lakersnation.com
  
  It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the offseason with a lot of needs, but perhaps chief among them is the center position.
  Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes were both serviceable last season, but the Lakers are still looking for their long-term solution at the center position to pair with Luka Doncic. One option they appear to have inquired about is Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans, although he might not be on the trade block, per Ian Begley of SNY:
  Multiple tea
  
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• Lakers Rumors: Interest In Kel’el Ware After Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade

  23-06-2026 21:53 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Lakers have a number of avenues with which to improve the roster this offseason and one area the team is known to be targeting is at center. Ideally, the team would like an athletic, rim-running center to pair with superstar guard Luka Doncic.
  One intriguing name that would fit that bill is Kel’el Ware, who was recently dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the massive trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. And according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Lakers ha
  
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• LeBron James Explains Why He Did Not Enjoy His NBA Draft Day Experience

  23-06-2026 20:40 via lakersnation.com
  
  Hearing your name called at the NBA Draft is an absolute dream for so many young basketball players growing up and that moment, and walking on the stage afterwards is a memory that will never be forgotten. For Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, that moment came back in 2003 when he was selected first overall by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.
  But what most don’t see is everything that happens behind the scenes. There is so much hustle and so many things to be taken care of regard
  
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• Magic Johnson Reacts To Bucks Trading Giannis Antetokounmpo To Heat

  23-06-2026 18:40 via lakersnation.com
  
  The NBA offseason is underway and the first domino has fallen as the Milwaukee Bucks have completed a trade to send superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.
  This saga had been going on for almost a year, so it is nice to see that it is over with and Antetokounmpo can begin a new chapter with the Heat. Meanwhile, the Bucks are beginning their own new chapter after shipping out the face of their franchise and Bobby Portis for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jak
  
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• Lakers Rumors: Rohan Ramadas Has Been ‘Impressive’ In Draft Meetings

  23-06-2026 17:30 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers have made a number of hirings throughout the front office this offseason as new owner Mark Walter has taken over and is looking to improve the franchise on all levels. One of the biggest hirings is Rohan Ramadas as assistant general manager of strategy and data systems.
  Ramadas’ role is primarily focused on the analytical and strategy side of things and he came in very highly regarded. And the early returns on what he brings to the table are good as he has reportedly
  
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• Lakers Rumors: Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht Have Little Trade Value Across NBA

  23-06-2026 16:20 via lakersnation.com
  
  One of the ways the Los Angeles Lakers can improve their roster this offseason is through trades. The team has salary cap space to absorb contracts and draft picks to include in potential deals, however the team does not have much to offer in terms of players that other teams would want.
  The two most popular players that have been included in potential deals are wing Dalton Knecht and forward Jarred Vanderbilt. However, it sounds as if neither has much trade value across the league, via Dan Woik
  
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• Who Is Coaching Lakers In 2026 Summer League?

  23-06-2026 15:10 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers have a busy summer ahead of them as they are among the teams taking part in the California Classic Summer League from July 3-6 before heading to Nevada for the annual Las Vegas Summer League.
  According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers’ 2026 Summer League squad will be led by lead player development coach Ty Abbott:
  At last check, the coaching staff is set to return with Ty Abbott coaching for the Lakers in summer league.
  The rest of Abbott’s staff could
  
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• NBA Draft Rumors: Lakers Eyeing High-Motor Player With 25th Pick

  22-06-2026 22:00 via lakersnation.com
  
  With the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers have the opportunity to add a young piece who could help the team for many years. And there are a number of directions the front office can choose to go with their selection be it a rim-running big man, a knockdown shooter, or a defensive-minded wing.
  But regardless of what position the Lakers target with their pick, one characteristic the selection is likely to have is a high motor, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:
  I’l
  
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• Lakers Rumors: Still Searching For Second Assistant GM, Kurt Rambis Remains Involved With Front Office

  22-06-2026 20:50 via lakersnation.com
  
  At the beginning of the offseason, Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka spoke about the franchise intending to hire two assistant general managers to work alongside him. The Lakers hired Rohan Ramadas for one of those roles, being more on the strategy and analytics side, but the team still has yet to fill the other position.
  The second assistant GM will be more focused on scouting and player development and it has come as a surprise around the league that the Lakers have yet to make th
  
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• Latest Prospects Lakers Have Worked Out Ahead Of 2026 NBA Draft

  22-06-2026 19:40 via lakersnation.com
  
  With the 2026 NBA Draft right around the corner, the Los Angeles Lakers front office and scouting staff have been hard at work taking closer looks at a number of potential prospects whom they could look to add. The Lakers have the 25th overall pick in this year’s draft, but could always acquire other picks, not to mention look to add undrafted players once the draft concludes.
  And the players the Lakers have brought in for workouts recently cover a wide range, from potential first-round pi
  
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• Lakers Rumors: Marcus Smart More Likely To Return Than Deandre Ayton

  22-06-2026 18:23 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers’ two biggest moves came on the buyout market last offseason when they were able to land both Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart for below-market deals.
  Both players outplayed their contracts and now have player options for 2026-27, giving them the opportunity to decide what they want to do this summer. Ayton’s player option is for $8.1 million while Smart’s is for $5.4 million. It remains to be seen what they will do, but Dan Woike of The Athletic believes Sm
  
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• Lakers Hire Dominic Samangy As Basketball Analyst

  22-06-2026 17:20 via lakersnation.com
  
  Since Mark Walter took over as majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, the organization has invested in its infrastructure in order to improve on the margins.
  The NBA is a salary cap league so there are only so many ways you can improve your roster in a given transaction period. There is no cap on front office executives though, and that is one area the Lakers are looking to improve. Their latest hiring is former New Orleans Pelicans executive Dominic Samangy to be a basketball analyst, as he
  
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• Luka Doncic Admits To Feeling Nervous In Lakers Debut

  22-06-2026 15:10 via lakersnation.com
  
  Luka Doncic was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in one of the most shocking trades in NBA history. The deal was made in the late hours before the trade deadline, in early February of 2025. He was still recovering from a calf injury, so he didn’t make his Lakers debut until Feb. 10.In that game against the Utah Jazz, Doncic played 23 minutes and finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. He admitted, in an interview with Dratfeados, that he was among t
  
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• NBA Draft Rumors: Lakers Projected To Take Center; Interest In Jayden Quaintance & Tarris Reed Jr.

  21-06-2026 20:50 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers — barring a trade — will be on the clock on Tuesday, June 23 during the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. L.A. holds the No. 25 pick, and right now have not had any significant momentum towards dealing it. But there is pressure on the Lakers to make a good pick if they keep it, as they have not had a successful first-round draft pick since 2018’s Moritz Wagner.The Lakers traded their first round picks each year from 2019-2022. They then drafted Jalen Hoo
  
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• Lakers Have Reportedly Called Thunder About Lu Dort

  21-06-2026 19:50 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers’ primary path to adding talent this offseason will be by operating as a cap space team, and either signing free agents outright or absorbing players into their cap space via trade. The Lakers can add players that other teams might, for financial reasons or otherwise, need to part ways with. One example of this is Oklahoma City Thunder wing Lu Dort.
  Dort has been a pivotal part of the Thunder for the entirety of his seven-year career. He was named to the All-Defense F
  
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• Lakers Rumors: Potential Suitors For Mitchell Robinson & Robert Williams III

  21-06-2026 18:40 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers have about a week before plans must start turning into formal action. The NBA’s free agency window opens on June 30, and the Lakers are under significant pressure to build a contending team after promises around the summer of 2026.One area the Lakers desperately need to improve is the center position. Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes performed admirably as the big man tandem, but Ayton is the wrong archetype to pair with Luka Doncic and Hayes cannot provide the minutes
  
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• Lakers News: Jarred Vanderbilt Can Relate To Adou Thiero

  21-06-2026 16:20 via lakersnation.com
  
  There is a lot to like about Adou Thiero as he was by far the most athletic player on the Los Angeles Lakers roster during his rookie season.
  The Lakers don’t have many prospects in the pipeline, but Thiero represents one of the few that could pan out for the parent roster. His jumping ability sticks out, but he’s also shown flashes of being a quality defender who can stick on the perimeter and block shots at the rim.
  However, Thiero’s rookie season was a rollercoaster as he st
  
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• Warren Buffett Credits LeBron James For Intelligence On & Off Court

  21-06-2026 15:10 via lakersnation.com
  
  Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has had one of the most impressive careers of any athlete as not only did he live up to the insane hype, but he exceeded it.
  James is about to enter his 24th season and remains one of the best players in the NBA. In addition to what he has accomplished on the court though, he has also stayed out of trouble off it and built a media and business empire that has led to him becoming a billionaire.
  The 41-year-old has earned the respect of his peers both in the ba
  
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• Darryn Peterson Hopes To Have Career Longevity Of LeBron James

  20-06-2026 21:40 via lakersnation.com
  
  The 2026 NBA Draft is believed to be one of the most talented draft classes in many years. One of the top prospects on every draft board is Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who hails from Canton, Ohio. And being from Ohio, it should come as no surprise that he is a huge fan of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
  Peterson recently spoke about his admiration of James, saying that while he hasn’t yet met him, James commenting on his Instagram posts meant so much and that he hopes to have
  
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• Lakers Video: Jalen Brunson Lists Luka Doncic As Most Famous Person In His Phone

  20-06-2026 19:55 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Dallas Mavericks will forever be lambasted for trading away superstar guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in his prime. But just a couple years earlier, they also allowed Jalen Brunson to leave in free agency for nothing, and he would sign with the New York Knicks and ultimately lead them to their first NBA Championship in 53 years.
  Brunson and Doncic worked well together as teammates on the Mavericks and they still have a good relationship to this day. And when Brunson was recently
  
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• Luka Doncic Reveals Biggest Difference He Felt From Body Transformation

  20-06-2026 17:30 via lakersnation.com
  
  Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic was the talk of the town last offseason when he unveiled a new physique after getting into the best shape of his life through workouts and dieting.
  That was felt on the court as Doncic turned in one of the best seasons of his career, leading the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game to go along with 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.6 steals en route to a sixth All-NBA First Team honor. The 27-year-old finished fourth in the NBA MVP voting, which was the sec
  
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• Malik Beasley Makes Admission About Lakers Tenure

  20-06-2026 16:20 via lakersnation.com
  
  Back in 2023, the Los Angeles Lakers traded away Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz for D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley. While much of the focus went towards Russell’s return to the franchise that drafted him, Beasley was viewed as a very underrated acquisition due to his elite shooting ability.
  Unfortunately for Beasley and the Lakers, he didn’t play up to his potential in purple and gold as he shot just 35.1% from 3-point range, a number that dropped to
  
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• Lakers Rumors: Luka Doncic Has Kept In Contact With Austin Reaves & LeBron James

  20-06-2026 15:10 via lakersnation.com
  
  The Los Angeles Lakers’ core trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves finally had things click into place late last season and showed that they can lead their team to great success. But with Reaves and James both free agents this summer, it is unclear whether the trio will continue playing together as the front office must figure out the best way to move forward and make this roster a championship-level squad.
  But the relationship that has been established between the three cont
  
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• Potential Lakers Unrestricted Free Agency Targets

  19-06-2026 22:12 via lakersnation.com
  
  This summer is one in which the Los Angeles Lakers are poised to make upgrades to the roster and make a leap into championship contention. The goal is to build a team that best complements superstar guard Luka Doncic and there are a number of options in free agency who could fit that bill.
  Obviously the Lakers have a number of their own free agents whom they must decide whether they want to return, but plenty of other free agents including the likes to Tobias Harris, Norman Powell and Mitchell R
  
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