Lakers News: Orange County Register

Bronny-less Lakers fade in 4th, drop summer league finale to Nuggets

Staff and news service reports — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 05:29:15 +0000

LAS VEGAS — The Lakers and the Denver Nuggets tussled back and forth in their NBA Summer League finale on Friday night – for three quarters.

In a game that featured nine ties and 14 lead changes through the first 30 minutes, the Nuggets took control in the final 10, outscoring the Lakers 30-15 in the fourth quarter to secure a 106-84 win at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center.

Neither team led by more than six points until the final 12 minutes, but Denver did outscore the Lakers in all four quarters. The Nuggets shot 52% from the field while holding the Lakers to 41% and outscoring them 62-26 in the paint. The Nuggets also outscored the Lakers in fast-break points (21-6) and points off turnovers (19-7).

Cole Swider had 17 points and six rebounds and R.J. Davis had 17 points and three assists off the bench to lead the Lakers (1-4 in Las Vegas, 3-5 overall this summer), who played without second-year guards Bronny James and Dalton Knecht.

Ethan Taylor added 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Sir’Jabari Rice had 14 points and three rebounds.

Curtis Jones paced the Nuggets (2-3) with 22 points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Reyne Smith had 17 points off the bench, while Donovan Williams had 16 points and six rebounds and Terrence Hargrove Jr. contributed 12 points and six rebounds.

After going 2-1 at the four-team California Classic in San Francisco, the Lakers had a loss to Cooper Flagg and Dallas, a win against New Orleans and losses to the Clippers, Boston and Denver in Las Vegas.

Bronny James has up-and-down night in Lakers’ summer league loss to Celtics

Staff and news service reports — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 04:15:22 +0000

LAS VEGAS — Bronny James followed a forgettable first half with his best offensive half of the summer, but it wasn’t enough for the Lakers.

James scored all of his team-high 18 points after halftime in the Lakers’ 87-78 Summer League loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. The second-year guard, who had six turnovers during his scoreless opening half, finished the night with five assists, three rebounds and one steal to go with eight turnovers. He shot 7 for 13 from the field (1 for 4 from 3-point range) in 28 minutes.

DJ Steward had 14 points and five assists, while shooting 6 for 11 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range). Christian Koloko contributed 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and six of the Lakers’ 12 blocked shots to go with three assists and two steals in 25 minutes.

Cole Swider added 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and four rebounds, but second-year wing Dalton Knecht was held to eight points and three rebounds while shooting 3 for 12 (1 for 6 from behind the arc) in 31 minutes.

The Lakers (1-3 in Vegas, 3-4 overall this summer) outshot the Celtics overall (44.3% to 38.5%), but Boston shot 12 for 38 from 3-point range (31.6%) while the Lakers were just 6 for 28 (21.4%) from the perimeter. The Lakers were also outrebounded 42-31, giving up 15 offensive rebounds.

The Lakers led 26-21 after one quarter, but the Celtics outscored them 19-9 in the second for a five-point halftime lead. The Celtics held a double-digit lead (65-55) going into the fourth and the Lakers never got closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Jordan Walsh had 17 points and six rebounds to pace the Celtics (3-1). Hugo Gonzalez added 13 points and five rebounds and Kenneth Lofton Jr. had 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in 20 minutes.

The Lakers face the Denver Nuggets on Friday at 7 p.m.

Clippers top Lakers, remain unbeaten in summer league play

Staff and news service reports — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 05:58:38 +0000

LAS VEGAS — Jordan Miller and the Clippers got the better of Bronny James and the Lakers.

Miller had a strong offensive effort that helped offset James’ best performance of the summer, igniting a game-ending run that led the Clippers to a 67-58 victory in an NBA Summer League game on Monday night at UNLV’s Thomas and Mack Center.

The Clippers (3-0) held the Lakers to 22 field goals and 34.4% shooting while forcing 19 turnovers. Trailing with 3:26 left, the Clippers closed the game on an 11-0 run that started with a Miller 3-pointer. Zavier Simpson added a pair of free throws with 2:30 left, then a Miller driving layup made it a 63-58 lead with a minute left.

The Lakers’ Dalton Knecht missed a corner 3-point attempt with 45 seconds left, then a Miller steal and layup with 13 seconds left essentially iced the game. Miller tacked on another layup in the final seconds, giving him nine points during the game-clinching surge.

The Lakers (1-2 in Las Vegas, 3-3 overall this summer) missed their final seven shots of the night.

Miller finished with a team-high 19 points to go with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Simpson added 12 points, six assists, four rebounds and two blocked shots, while Patrick Baldwin Jr. contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks and rookie first-round draft pick Yanic Konan Niederhauser had 10 points, two rebounds and two steals. Cam Christie added eight points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals.

James shot 6 for 10 from the field on his way to a team-best 17 points, while adding five rebounds and five assists in 24 minutes. Cole Swider had 16 points, five rebounds and three steals while shooting 6 for 14 from the field (4 for 11 from 3-point range).

Knecht added eight points, seven rebounds and two assists on a poor shooting night (3 for 15 overall, 1 for 8 from behind the arc), while Christian Koloko had eight points, three rebounds and three steals. Darius Bazley was held to one point, four rebounds and two assists while attempting just one shot.

On a night when neither team shot well, the Clippers opened a 22-13 lead after the first quarter. James and the Lakers right themselves some in the second quarter and outscored the Clippers 18-10 to trail by just one at halftime.

UP NEXT

The Lakers face the Boston Celtics on Thursday at 6 p.m. The Clippers face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at 8 p.m.

Both teams will play at least one additional game on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday, with the Clippers still alive for a spot in the semifinals.

Cole Swider, Darius Bazley lead Lakers past Pelicans in summer league

Staff and news service reports — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 04:10:23 +0000

LAS VEGAS — Cole Swider scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Lakers to a 94-81 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in an NBA Summer League game on Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Swider shot 8 for 17 from the field, including a 4-for-9 showing from 3-point range, to go with 10 rebounds, four assists and a steal. With his father, Lakers star LeBron James, watching the team from a courtside seat, Bronny James added 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting (1 for 5 from behind the arc) to go with three assists, two steals and one blocked shot in 24 minutes.

Darius Bazley stood out with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and five blocks despite a 4-for-12 night at the free-throw line. Christian Koloko had his best outing of summer league play with 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and three blocks. Arthur Kaluma (12 points) and RJ Davis (nine points, five assists) provided a spark off the bench.

The Lakers (3-2 overall this summer, 1-1 in Las Vegas) led by just three points with five minutes to play before using a 12-0 run to secure the victory. Bazley started the run with a long 2-point jumper, then DJ Steward (nine points) and Swider added 3-pointers. Bazley and James each added a free throw before Koloko made a short jumper to cap the surge for an 84-69 lead with 2:31 left.

The Lakers got off to a slow start. The Pelicans opened a 9-0 lead while the Lakers missed 10 of their first 11 shots, but James and the Lakers found their rhythm and held a 22-19 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Lakers held a 40-36 lead at halftime and and held a 64-59 advantage going into the fourth quarter.

Antonio Reeves paced the Pelicans (0-2) with 20 points, six rebounds and three steals, and first-round draft pick Derik Queen had 12 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes. Jeremiah Fears had 15 points on 5-for-21 shooting.

Second-year swingman Dalton Knecht was held out of the game for the Lakers. Second-round pick Adou Thiero, whom the Lakers selected with the No. 36 pick in last month’s draft, is not participating in the team’s summer league games. He’s in the final stages of his return-to-play process from a left knee ailment he dealt with at Arkansas and is expected to be fully cleared in time for training camp.

The Lakers’ next summer league game is against the Clippers on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Lakers fall to Cooper Flagg, Mavericks in Las Vegas Summer League opener

Staff and news service reports — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 02:45:42 +0000

Lakers guard Bronny James handles the ball as Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg defends during the first half of their NBA Summer League opener on Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

1 of 18

Expand

LAS VEGAS — As NBA Summer League games go, this one had considerably more intrigue.

The Lakers got their first on-court look at Cooper Flagg as the celebrated Dallas Mavericks rookie made his professional debut Thursday night and helped his team to an 87-85 victory over Bronny James and the Lakers at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center.

Flagg finished with 10 points on 5-for-21 shooting, including an 0-for-5 showing from 3-point range in 32 minutes. He also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one blocked shot. Though Flagg struggled at times to find his rhythm, there were flashes as to why the former Duke star was chosen No. 1 overall in the draft last month, doing plenty of little things that helped the Mavericks seal the win, including a key block near the end of the game.

Flagg swatted DJ Steward’s shot with 1:10 left in the game, and Ryan Nembhard made a 3-pointer at the other end to give Dallas an 87-85 lead.

Cole Swider had 22 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 6 for 9 from 3-point range to pace the Lakers, who went 2-1 in the California Classic in San Francisco before heading to Las Vegas. Dalton Knecht added 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting (3 for 7 from behind the arc), while Steward finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists on 6-of-14 shooting.

Darius Bazley added eight points, 11 rebounds and three assists for the Lakers, while James added eight points, two rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes. James shot 2 for 8 overall (1 for 6 from 3-point range) and missed a long 3-point attempt in the final seconds.

Flagg strolled into the arena at 4:17 p.m. on Thursday, wearing Mavericks gear, bright white New Balance shoes, and an emotionless look on his face as he passed through security.

Roughly 45 minutes later, he wore the same stone-cold face as he came out for warmups shortly after 5 p.m.

His fans more than made up for it with plenty of energy, electrifying the jam-packed arena that cheered loudest when he was announced as a starter in his first summer league game.

Flagg missed his first two attempts of the game, picked up his first foul just 46 seconds into the game, and gave the crowd what they’d been anticipating, going one-on-one with fellow fan favorite James.

James buried his first attempt over Flagg, and then hit a 3-pointer after the 6-foot-8 Flagg missed his second attempt to give the Lakers a 5-0 lead.

Flagg excited the crowd at the 4:30 mark of the first quarter, dunking home his first points.

Early in the second quarter, Flagg nearly sent every fan in the building into a frenzy when he made a spin move into the paint and attempted a one-handed slam dunk over 7-foot Christian Koloko. The ball caromed off the back of the rim but the moment still drew plenty of oohs and aahs.

Generally filled with Lakers fans when the team plays in the summer, the arena was full of emotion with a fair share of Mavericks fans in attendance to see the 2025 National College Player of the Year.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said before the game he’s looking for nothing more than effort and grit in his team’s opening game, as he wants them all playing hard.

“This summer league is a little different when you have this type of turnout,” Kidd said. “But the guys have had a couple practices. There’s going to be some turnovers. I just want to see how they respond to a couple of mistakes being made, no one’s gonna play a perfect game and be unselfish.”

As for his prize draft pick: “We’re all excited,” Kidd said of Flagg. “Seen enough of him on tape, so now it’s good to see him on the floor.”

The Audible: On the Lakers’ and Clippers’ moves and baseball’s trade deadline

Jim Alexander, Mirjam Swanson — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:55:09 +0000

Jim Alexander: It is the middle point of the baseball season, the All-Star Game is Tuesday in Atlanta (as well as the amateur draft the day before, at which the chances are good we may see multiple picks from Corona High School), and yet … why are we talking basketball?

But I do wonder if the NBA, in its attempt to emulate the NFL as an all-year talking point, has miscalculated. Pro football has skillfully extended its calendar to almost a 365-day conversation piece: The Super Bowl leads into the combine, which leads into the draft, which leads into OTAs and minicamps and the release of the schedule, which leads into spending the month of June talking about training camps that start in July.

Maybe Adam Silver needs to take this a little more seriously. The NBA Finals end, the draft is later that week, free agency is the week after that – actually the real news is on July 1, and then team announcements of those deals six days after the fact – and boom, most of the conversation that drives interest is done three weeks in.

We have Summer League, which might or might not become known as Bronny James’ Season, but by late July all is quiet. The schedule is released in August, but we already know the Lakers and Clippers have been placed in the same group for the NBA Cup – or is it the Emirates’ NBA Cup? I’ve lost track. Whether you like that schedule gimmick or not, and I would be in the “not” category, at least it’s a “news” development.

So, Mirjam, before we begin dissecting what the Lakers and Clippers did in the last week or so, what would your suggestion be for getting the NBA into top-of-mind status in August and early September?

Mirjam Swanson: Oh man. As a recovering NBA beat writer, I hate this idea. Haha.

Give us our August and September without having to worry about putting our phones down for five minutes for fear of missing breaking NBA news. Plus, how can we, as an audience, miss the NBA if it’s never gone? Like, most of the country does have seasons, and personally I think we should embrace it.

Also, this is the WNBA’s time to shine! Let Caitlin and Angel and Phee have the floor; they’re putting on a good show.

And I’d argue football is a different animal, or you might say, the NBA isn’t the same beast. Americans have a different appetite for football – and maybe, to your point, that’s because we’re used to being fed football news 12 months a year.

But I wouldn’t trust the NBA to give us offseason fodder worth our attention. I mean, we’ve seen the mess they’ve made of the All-Star Game and that weekend, right? And I don’t know, I still haven’t managed to get myself to feel strongly, or even mildly, about the In-Season Tournament.

So I don’t think we need anything scheduled, per se, especially because around here, the Lakers are always going to be top of mind anyway.

And, speaking of … so, Jim, what have you made of the Lakers’ offseason so far?

Jim: Taking in the comments from Deandre Ayton the other day, my first thought is, “Hmm, maybe he gets it after all.” And it seems that (a) his skills fit the rim protector/lob threat vision in the Lakers’ lineup, and (b) after a situation in Portland that didn’t seem conducive to his development, being on the same court with LeBron James and Luka Doncic daily will give Ayton the best opportunity to be his best – if he takes advantage of it. Words are meaningless once the ball goes up.

Re-signing Jaxson Hayes to be the backup probably isn’t a bad call. There were times, after the Anthony Davis trade, when Hayes looked like a better-than-adequate NBA center. Problem is, with this franchise better-than-adequate isn’t nearly enough.

Now, is Jake LaRavia better than a better-than-adequate replacement for Dorian Finney-Smith? Jury’s out there. I thought DFS was a near-perfect addition to their system when he came over from Brooklyn, just from the standpoint of doing a lot of little things that contribute to winning. Then again, it’s hard to tell until you see a guy in a particular team’s system and alongside its personnel. LaRavia’s 3-point shooting ability seems to be a plus, and if he can be a true 3-and-D player this was money well spent.

These aren’t sexy acquisitions. But they fit the Lakers’ budget, as in “how do we upgrade and stay out of the second apron?”

Mirjam: I think the Lakers are in better shape than a lot of people think they are – including their own hard-to-please fans, whose sky-high expectations are part of what make the Lakers the Lakers, of course.

But whatever happened with the Finney-Smith negotiations, it worked out well for the Lakers. They essentially traded him – a good, aging player – for an up-and-coming 23-year-old 3-and-D guy with something to prove yet AND that much-needed good center – better, my friends, than should-be backups Brook Lopez and Clint Capella – with something to prove and lots of upside, if things go right.

The jury you mentioned is mixed, it seems, on Ayton, who is just 26. There was the Athletic piece that detailed all the ways he irritated people in Portland – anonymously sourced; the NBA is nothing if not petty and, more and more, teams love to throw shade as players are walking away.

But there were also accounts from reporters like Sean Highkin, who is on the ground, covering the team every day, about how admirably Ayton actually carried himself in Portland. One of several tweets defending the big man: “One thing I really respected about him this past season was how visibly/vocally he supported and helped out (fellow big man Donovan) Clingan. He could have felt a certain way about them drafting someone at his position in the top 10 but he embraced him right away and always hyped him up to us.”

And anyone who blames him for the Trail Blazers’ woes isn’t understanding what the Blazers are doing up there.

I’m not saying he’s a perfect player, but, personally, I’m going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt because the misgivings seem a bit much.

And – avert your eyes, Clippers fans – I witnessed the Valley-Oop live in Phoenix. That was an amazing play and an electric moment and I can imagine those sorts of things for him playing with Luka in purple and gold.

Jim: And as for the Clippers’ moves, they’re sounding as if John Collins is the last piece of the puzzle. I’m not sure that’s accurate – the ultimate success of this team depends on (a) Kawhi Leonard’s health and (b) James Harden’s ability to push aside the ghosts of past playoff failures. But Collins does give them a true power forward and might be a better fit, as much as I hate to see Norman Powell go.

There’s this with the Collins situation, too: According to Sports Illustrated’s Karl Rasmussen, reporting on a suggestion made by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon on a podcast hosted by fellow ESPN hoops reporter Brian Windhorst, Collins was “too damn productive” in Utah and, allegedly, hindered the Jazz’s tanking strategy.

Isn’t it amazing? One ESPN guy talks to another on a podcast and a Sports Illustrated guy reports it, and it doesn’t matter how flimsy the report might be, it’s the first thing you see when you Google “John Collins.” A reminder, then, to be careful who and what you believe. Just imagine when the AI bots start disseminating NBA “news” … if they haven’t already.

The other big move by the Clippers: bringing Brook Lopez back to SoCal as a backup for Ivica Zubac. Not a championship-securing move, but I’m OK with it, having someone who can relieve Zubac’s burden.

Mirjam: The Collins piece is a big one for the Clippers. As Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations said this week, they’ve been trying to get him on the roster for years. Years!

But I don’t know that it’s so much even reporting as common sense to think that the hard-tanking Jazz didn’t have much use for productive players. I mean, they did get fined $100,000 last season for violating the NBA’s player participation policy for failing to make their standout power forward Lauri Markkanen available in games, even though he was healthy.

But I don’t think Collins is the last piece of the Clippers’ puzzle. For their sake, I’d hope not. Because, if the reporting on the NBA’s never-totally-dormant rumor mill is to be believed, they’ve got their sights squarely on Bradley Beal once – if? – he’s bought out in Phoenix.

We’re assuming so, because they traded away Powell and now there’s a massive void in terms of ball-handling and scoring, a hole that Beal sure would fit snugly.

So we wait to see when (if?) he’s really going to give back a brain-numbing $13 million – and his no-trade clause, by the way – in the process of accepting a buyout of the remaining two years and $110.8 million in the deal he had with the Suns.

What do the Clippers have to offer him after that? As our Janis Carr wrote this week: “They have the $5.3 non-taxpayer mid-level exception available and are expected to target a backup point guard, with reports indicating they are interested in pursuing both Bradley Beal if/when he is bought out by the Phoenix Suns and perhaps reuniting with Chris Paul, who has said the upcoming season will be his last.”

It feels, from all the reporting, that the buyout and Beal’s eventual destination are foregone conclusions, and I suppose he’ll expect to land in a better situation in L.A. that resets his value going forward – not unlike Ayton hopes to do with the Lakers. But, man, I am having trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that a player would forfeit not just $1 or 2 million, but as much as $13 million.

Good for the Clippers, when (if?) it works out. They’re not winning a title this year – as the league is getting younger, they’re getting older … but believe they have big dreams for 2027. Still, we ought to applaud their dedication to putting quality teams on the court every single season. Next season won’t be any different.

Jim: I find it intriguing – fascinating, actually – that a player doesn’t work out in one organization, but another will take a shot figuring it has the key to unlock whatever remaining performance is in there. I’m curious how much of those decisions are actual assessments of the player, his situation and his potential usefulness – as opposed to organizational arrogance, as in, “We can straighten him out.”

I’ve got to think that – in all sports, not just this one – there are so many analysts and so much number-crunching in front offices that there are plenty of ways to make a rational assessment, especially with so much money involved. But I’m sure there are organizations where the people in charge let that arrogance get in the way, and I suspect more often than not they’re the ones at the bottom of the standings.

Which brings us to that other sport. There are now exactly three weeks until baseball’s trade deadline.

Forget the current Dodgers’ losing streak. Lots of fans seem to be heading for the ledge, but slumps happen during a 162-game season, and the defending champs are in the middle of a bad one. More significantly, though, while the Dodgers are 56-38 and have the second-best record in baseball even after this bad stretch, they’re 20-22 against teams over .500, including these last six straight losses to the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. That, plus the lengthy injured list – 11 pitchers alone at this moment – has people yelling “Do something!”

But if you’re Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes, do you go all in at the deadline or do you take the chance that those guys who are supposed to be part of the master plan – Blake Snell, Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, etc. – will be ready for the stretch run?

Mirjam: I don’t think it’s a hot take to suggest that the Dodgers will be fine. Just fine.

Because, No. 1, they’re so loaded that anytime they activate one of their own players from that well-populated injured list, it’s like making a major acquisition.

And No. 2, for me, it’s a matter of trust. We know the Dodgers’ front office knows what it’s doing, so if there’s a move to be made, it’s going to be a smart one, and with a team as talented as this one, it doesn’t need to be an all-in blockbuster, either.

Because, thinking about your point above, about teams thinking they can get something out of players that other organizations could? Has there been another team as good at doing that as the Dodgers? Probably not many, if any.

Didn’t Max Muncy just about think he was done when the Oakland A’s released him back in 2017? He’s done all right as a Dodger.

Chris Taylor had a similar story, coming from the Seattle Mariners, I recall. And Evan Phillips, who they claimed off waivers after it didn’t work out for him in Philadelphia. Alex Vesia had an 18.69 ERA with the Miami Marlins in 2020 before the Dodgers fished him out of the so-called scrap heap. And on and on … I think the organization can absolutely matter. The infrastructure, the coaching, the philosophies – though, sometimes, it’s a matter of perception. Back to the Suns’ Beal, for a bit: He’s a real good player; he’s just not a five-year, $250 million god-tier player.

But, yes, in the Dodgers’ current case: I say the defending World Series champions, with that second-best record in all of the baseball, they should definitely stick with the master plan.

Jim: I’ve often wondered, not being a devotee of picking fantasy teams myself, what the lure is. Why do people invest so much time in playing general manager? Maybe it’s because there’s comparatively little risk in putting together a fantasy team, no salary caps or luxury tax thresholds, and no real world consequences – beyond being laughed at by your acquaintances – in screwing up a pick or signing the wrong guy at the wrong time. At the highest levels, enough bad decisions or risky ones that blow up in your face can cost your job. (Ask Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, after he and Manager Davey Martinez both got fired the last few days, victims of a rebuild that hasn’t been fruitful.)

Which brings me to one last question/observation: If you’re the Angels, with a promising young core of players and sitting just three games out of a wild-card spot, is it too soon in those players’ development to go all-in at the deadline? The risk there: They don’t seem to have a lot of bargaining chips in a farm system that still seems to lag in player development, especially given that a number of the guys now playing key roles have been rushed through (or past) the minors to the major-league roster.

And also consider: The last time the Angels went all-in at the trade deadline, two years ago, they wound up going into a slump that took them out of the wild-card race, they wound up waiving some of those players they’d acquired to try to get under the luxury tax threshold, and their very best player wound up taking his talents up the 5 to Chavez Ravine.

Lots to think about.

Mirjam: Indeed. And so I’ll say: If I was the Angels, I wouldn’t sell this year either.

No, because what they’re selling to their fans is that they’ve got youth worth developing – which they do. I wouldn’t give any of those young (and affordable) dudes up.

Not to mention that they’re three games out of a wild-card spot right now. That’s not a layup, of course, for an Angels team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2014 … but it’s not out of the ballpark of possibility. And I think they owe it to their loyal and long-suffering fans to give it a shot if there’s any shot at playing playoff baseball.

Lakers, Clippers placed in same 2025 NBA Cup group

Khobi Price — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 19:26:59 +0000

The Lakers and Clippers will be in the same group for the opening round of the 2025 NBA Cup.

The crosstown rivals were placed in West Group B for the third iteration of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, the league announced Wednesday, alongside the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans.

All 30 teams were randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the 2024-25 regular season.

The Lakers will be the top seed in West Group B and the Clippers will be the No. 2 seed. The Grizzlies are the No. 3 seed, the Mavericks are slotted at No. 4 and the Pelicans are No. 5.

Group-play games for the 2025 NBA Cup will take place on Fridays from Oct. 31-Nov. 28. Quarterfinal games, to be played at the arena of the higher-seeded team, will take place Tuesday, Dec. 9, and Wednesday, Dec. 10. The semifinals will be played Saturday, Dec. 13, in Las Vegas and the final – which will not count toward the season record or statistics for either of the clubs involved – is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 16, also in Las Vegas.

Each team will play one game against each of the four opponents in its group – two games at home and two on the road.

Eight teams will advance to the quarterfinals: the team with the best standing in group-play games in each of the six groups and one wild-card team from each conference. The wild card will be the team from each conference with the best record in group-play games that finished second in its group (with point differential a tiebreaker).

Teams that do not reach the quarterfinals or semifinals will have added to their schedules matchups against two other teams that also did not qualify for the Cup playoffs, pushing the season to the full 82 games.

Quarterfinal and semifinal games will count toward the regular season for the teams involved.

The Lakers will host the Clippers and Mavericks, and travel to the Grizzlies and Pelicans. The Clippers will host the Grizzlies and Pelicans, and travel to the Mavericks and Lakers.

The game and broadcast schedules for group play will be announced in August, coinciding with the rest of the NBA’s schedule rollout for the 2025-26 season.

The groups:

East Group A – Cleveland, Indiana, Atlanta, Toronto, Washington

East Group B – Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Brooklyn, Philadelphia

East Group C – Milwaukee, New York, Chicago, Miami, Charlotte

West Group A – Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Sacramento, Phoenix, Utah

West Group B – Lakers, Clippers, Memphis, Dallas, New Orleans

West Group C – Houston, Denver, Golden State, Portland, San Antonio

Darius Bazley, Dalton Knecht rally Lakers past Spurs in California Classic finale

Staff and news service reports — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 05:29:46 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO — Dalton Knecht found his shooting stroke and the Lakers’ summer league team rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to edge the San Antonio Spurs, 89-88, in their California Classic finale on Tuesday night at the Chase Center.

Darius Bazley finished with a game-high 27 points, including the game-winning dunk on a putback of a Knecht miss with 13.3 seconds left. Bazley, who shot 8 for 10 from the field and 10 for 12 from the free-throw line, also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

Knecht had 25 points and eight rebounds on 9-for-18 shooting (4 for 8 from 3-point range), shaking off a slump that had seen him shoot 5 for 20 overall (0 for 9 from behind the arc) in the Lakers’ first two summer league games.

The Lakers (2-1) trailed 83-69 with 4:44 left but closed the game on a 20-5 run that included a trio of 3-pointers from Knecht. They outscored the Spurs 32-20 in the fourth quarter.

Cole Swider finished with 15 points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots, while shooting 5 for 13 overall (2 for 8 from 3-point range).

Bronny James, still working on his conditioning, had just two points and two steals on 1-for-5 shooting in 15 minutes.

David Jones-Garcia had 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting, six rebounds and five assists to lead the Spurs (1-2).

Second-round draft pick Adou Thiero, who the Lakers selected with the No. 36 pick in last month’s draft, is being held out of all summer league games. He’s in the final stages of his return-to-play process from a left knee ailment he dealt with at Arkansas and is expected to be fully cleared in time for training camp. Undrafted free agent Eric Dixon, who signed a two-way contract with the Lakers after starring at Villanova, has been held out of all three games so far.

The Lakers next travel to Las Vegas for the league-wide summer league event, facing No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks in their opener on Thursday at 5 p.m. PT (ESPN).

The Lakers’ summer league team was coached by assistant coach Beau Levesque during the California Classic, with assistant coach Lindsey Harding set to take over for the games in Las Vegas.

Fueled by criticism, Deandre Ayton looks to get back to winning with Lakers

Khobi Price — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 01:09:30 +0000

New Lakers center Deandre Ayton listens to a reporter’s question during an introductory press conference on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

1 of 11

Expand

EL SEGUNDO — For Deandre Ayton, the decision to sign with the Lakers wasn’t a tough choice to make.

After agreeing to a contract buyout with the Trail Blazers to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, Ayton was looking to get back to a winning situation after back-to-back sub-.500 seasons in Portland.

The kind of winning environment he was a part of with the Phoenix Suns, who had three consecutive winning seasons (2020-23), including a run to the 2021 NBA Finals and a 64-win season the following year, with Ayton as the starting center. The 7-foot Bahamian big man was traded to Portland during the 2023 offseason as part of the transaction that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.

“The teams that me and my agents evaluated, I feel that the Lakers [were] the best fit,” Ayton said during his joint introductory press conference with fellow free agent signee Jake LaRavia at the team’s practice facility on Tuesday afternoon.

Ayton continued: “They want to win a championship right now and I want to win right now as well and just be part of a winning legacy and be around winners. And everyone said it was something difficult to think about, but it just brings me back to playing with the Suns and being part of a winning organization.

“Once you win, everything is easy. And that’s what I want to be a part of again. The last two years [were] just a different route for me and I just learned a lot that when you don’t win in this league, you can be forgotten.”

With the Lakers, Ayton is looking to get back to his “full form of how I used to play,” something he believes he will be able to do while playing off of All-Stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

“I’m just here to be a part of the puzzle,” Ayton said. “I’m here to fit in with Luka, [Coach] JJ [Redick] and whatever ’Bron wants me to do. That’s about it.”

The playmakers the Lakers have in Doncic and James, as well as rising star Austin Reaves, are the types of players Ayton became accustomed to playing with in Phoenix when he played alongside Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant.

“Just the type of players they create with their teammates – they turn them into superstars,” Ayton said of Doncic and James. “They make them bigger than their roles, they make them very important on the floor. Just seeing that and finally getting the chance to go in and experience that would be big for me. It’s those playmakers I’m used to having around me [that leads] to wins.”

Ayton was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft – two selections ahead of Doncic. The two share an agent in WME Sports’ Bill Duffy.

“This feels like a video game,” Ayton said. “Like somebody set it up. Like somebody set this up. But honestly, this is an opportunity that I won’t take for granted. Luka is a once-in-a-generation player and I’m happy to be his teammate. Hearing about the kind of shape he’s been in, he’s super ripped and I’m finally glad to be on his side when he’s doing all of that.”

LaRavia, the 23-year-old wing the Lakers signed to a two-year, $12 million deal not too long after free agency started last week, also mentioned playing off the Lakers’ stars as something that excited him.

“I’m pretty versatile on both sides of the ball,” LaRavia said. “Being able to space the floor and playing off guys like LeBron, Luka, Austin and then defensively just being able to take on that toughest matchup [on defense] is something that I’ve been growing on as my years have gone on. I’ll fit right in just as that kind of 3-and-D connector-type player on this team. I’m just excited to grow and develop here.”

LaRavia added: “It’s just a well-put-together team. A lot of obviously really, really good players on this team: Luka and LeBron, high-IQ players that’s been in the league a long time. I’m just excited to get with them and learn.”

And while there’s still an element of learning for Ayton, who will turn 27 later in July and is entering his eighth NBA season, joining and thriving with the Lakers will be, in part, about getting back to consistently doing the things he did to impact winning at the highest level with the Suns. And showing that his time with the Trail Blazers isn’t a reflection of his career trajectory.

Ayton has been a polarizing player since he entered the league despite his statistical productivity.

He’s averaged a double-double every season of his career, with career averages of 16.4 points (59% shooting), 10.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and one blocked shot in 398 regular-season games (30.8 minutes).

But his drawbacks, primarily perceived inconsistencies regarding his effort and team buy-in, have led his first two NBA teams – first the Suns and now the Trail Blazers – to move on from him despite his talent.

“True professionalism,” Ayton responded when asked what he learned at his previous two stops. “I feel like I’ve just been absent for a little bit in this league. And hard work, I’ve just been trying to put in as much work as I possibly can. When I’m on the floor, I want to really just show the world and prove to everybody that I am a winner. Any position I’m in, I just want to really win and sacrifice the way I did coming into this league.”

Ayton said on Tuesday that the criticisms about him not consistently playing at the highest level motivates him.

“It fuels me, it fuels me up completely,” he added. “And it’s a different type of drive that I’ve been wanting to express for a long time. This is the perfect timing, here in the purple and gold. And it’s a platform that I cannot run from. I can show what I really am and just be around some greats to really emphasize that for me as well. It is a lot of fuel in me to prove to the whole world.”

Lakers sign Deandre Ayton, announce array of offseason acquisitions

Khobi Price — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:07:52 +0000

The Lakers announced an array of acquisitions throughout Sunday, including the signing of center Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The free agency moratorium period ended on Sunday morning, allowing teams to sign players or officially make transactions they agreed to over the past week.

The Lakers agreed to terms with Ayton, who was an unrestricted free agent after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers last weekend, on a two-year, $16.6 million contract with a player option for the 2026-27 season.

“Acquiring a starting-caliber center was the top priority for us this offseason, and we believe Deandre is an amazing solution to that objective and is an ideal player to add to our current core,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “Deandre’s size, mobility and athleticism will allow both paint scoring and paint protection. Deandre’s playoff experience as a starter on an NBA Finals team also aligns well with our ultimate Lakers championship aspirations.”

The team also announced the signing of 23-year-old wing Jake LaRavia, who signed a two-year, $12 million deal.

“Jake is a high-IQ, two-way player with ideal skills for a JJ Redick basketball system,” Pelinka said. “He’s a disruptive defender who uses his size and physicality to create turnovers. Offensively, he can score at all three levels and has a knack for creating space for himself and his teammates. Being just 23 years old, we think Jake has significant basketball upside, which will be honed nicely in our Lakers basketball development program.”

The Lakers also re-signed 25-year-old center Jaxson Hayes to a one-year contract.

The franchise started Sunday by officially acquiring the draft rights of second-round pick Adou Thiero as part of a historic seven-team trade before officially signing him to a contract later in the day.

The transaction that brought Thiero to Los Angeles was headlined by Kevin Durant going from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets and also involved the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The deal had the most teams involved in a single trade in NBA history, beating out the six teams involved in the transaction that sent Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks last offseason.

The seven-team deal revolved around Durant, five other players and a slew of draft picks.

The Lakers selected Thiero with the No. 36 pick in the second round of the NBA draft on June 26 after a pair of draft-day trades. They originally had the No. 55 pick.

Thiero, who will wear jersey No. 1 with the Lakers, won’t participate in the team’s summer league games. He’s in the final stages of his return-to-play process from a left knee ailment he dealt with at Arkansas. Thiero is expected to be fully cleared for training camp.

The Lakers fell to the Golden State Warriors in their California Classic opener on Saturday at the Chase Center in San Francisco before beating the Miami Heat on Sunday. They’ll face the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (ESPN).

The team will then head to Las Vegas to participate in the league-wide Summer League, with their first game scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. PT (ESPN) against the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas & Mack Center.