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Lakers Off-Season Plans 2024 | Lakers Coaching Search |Lakers Trade Targets | NBA Free Agency Needs With the Lakers out of the playoffs after being eliminated by the Nuggets on Monday, the focus quickly turns to improving this team in the offseason.When the Lakers didn't make a move during the NBA trade deadline this season, vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka mentioned "making a much bigger and impactful movement potentially in June and July."Well, it's still a month before we reach the summer, but it seems Pelinka and the Lakers still share the sentiment that they will push to get better this offseason. Shams Charania, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on the current approach the Lakers will be taking heading into the summer.The Lakers have three first-round picks (and five second-rounders) to trade on draft night, including no. 17 overall in 2024.The Lakers have long been linked to Kyrie Irving and Atlanta Hawks guards/Klutch clients Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Mikal Bridges are names to watch, too.

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Lakers #CoachingSearch Candidates | #TyronnLue & JJ Redick Among Potential Head Coaching CandidatesThe Los Angeles Lakers seem to be heading towards another coaching search as reports indicate that head coach Darvin Ham is expected to be let go after two seasons.Finding a quality head coach has been a problem for the Lakers as they have already had six of them since Phil Jackson retired in 2011 and now will likely be looking for a seventh. Since Jackson, Luke Walton has coached the most games for the Lakers and he only lasted three seasons.One of the biggest mistakes the Lakers made in recent years was not bringing in Tyronn Lue to replace Walton in 2019 despite LeBron James’ wishes.It appears they may have another chance to make that happen though as ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported on the Dan Patrick Show that Lue and JJ Redick are among the candidates once the Lakers start looking for a new coach. Lue obviously has a history with James dating back to their time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so if the Lakers are trying to keep their star happy and avoid him leaving this summer then Lue should be their top option.While Lue is still currently the head coach of the L.A. Clippers, they are on the verge of a first round exit and he does not have a long-term contract, leading many to believe a parting of ways is possible.Redick is also someone that has a close relationship with James after starting a podcast together earlier in this year. He recently interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets job so seems to be interested in getting into coaching.Once the Lakers make news official that Ham will be let go, they can begin their coaching search, likely interviewing a number of candidates with Lue and Redick seeming to be firmly in the mix.So Z Nation, who should the Lakers target as the next head coach???Comments down below 💭☑️Like and Share my videos 👍🏼☑️✅ Subscribe to my channel ZSN on YouTube ✅✅Help us continue to provide ZSN coverage and SUBSCRIBE: http://youtube.com/@ZSN_Media#ZSN on Social Media:☑️Like my page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZSNSport☑️Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zsn_media☑️Follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ZSN_Media☑️ Follow Me On TikTok. www.tiktok.com/@ZSN_Media☑️Check out my podcast, ZSN, on Spotify! https://anchor.fm/zsnmedia💜GO LAKERS💛Thank You For The Support!!!!!!!

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🚨BREAKING: The Los Angeles #Lakers have fired head coach #DarvinHam after two seasons. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers will have an "extensive" search for a new head coach and that Mike Budenholzer, Kenny Atkinson, #JJRedick and possibly #TyLue will be candidates.Ham was 90-74 with a Western Conference Finals berth, two Play-In victories and an In-Season title.So Z Nation, Did the Lakers make the right move by firing Ham? And what top coaching candidate should the Lakers hire as the next head coach???Comments down below 💭☑️Like and Share my videos 👍🏼☑️✅ Subscribe to my channel ZSN on YouTube ✅✅Help us continue to provide ZSN coverage and SUBSCRIBE: http://youtube.com/@ZSN_Media#ZSN on Social Media:☑️Like my page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZSNSport☑️Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zsn_media☑️Follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ZSN_Media☑️ Follow Me On TikTok. www.tiktok.com/@ZSN_Media☑️Check out my podcast, ZSN, on Spotify! https://anchor.fm/zsnmedia💜GO LAKERS💛Thank You For The Support!!!!!!!

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LakersMediaDay BREAKDOWN | #Lakers Winning Mentality | Lakers #TrainingCamp ExpectationsThe vibes were light, loose and confident for LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers at 2023-24 Media Day.The Lakers are proceeding one day at a time, but they'll at least open training camp as an inarguable championship contender, armed with versatile, culture-fitting players either locked into contracts or playing for new ones. The roster is fully-healthy, balanced, and cohesive around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The coaching staff is respected.Comments down below 💭☑️Like and Share my videos 👍🏼☑️✅ Subscribe to my channel ZLN on YouTube ✅✅Help us continue to provide ZLN coverage and SUBSCRIBE: http://youtube.com/ZLNSportsLike and Share my videos 👍🏼☑️Follow ZLN on Social Media:☑️Like my page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZLNSports☑️Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zln_sports/☑️Follow me on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@zln_sports☑️Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZLN_Sports☑️ Follow Me On TikTok. www.tiktok.com/@zln_production ☑️ Subscribe To My Podcast: https://anchor.fm/zln💜GO LAKERS💛Thank You For Watching‼️

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Lakers' #DepthChart, Rotation After 2023 NBA Free Agency

The Los Angeles Lakers might still have a move in them during the 2023 NBA offseason, but they have largely assembled what they hope will be a championship roster.

They eschewed more flashy pursuits to focus instead on building continuity and depth. While they overhauled a big chunk of their supporting cast, they also kept most of the primary contributors to their recent Western Conference finals run.

They'll head into #TrainingCamp with a few position battles worth watching, but as things stand, we have a decent idea of how coach Darvin Ham will handle the depth chart during the 2023-24 campaign.

Point guard: D'Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino

Shooting guard: Austin Reaves, Max Christie

Small forward: Rui Hacimura, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Maxwell Lewis

Power forward: LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt

Center: Anthony Davis, Jaxson Hayes

So Z Nation, what do you think about the Lakers depth chart and rotation ideas heading into next season???

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Lakers NBA Free Agency Results | Austin Reaves, Rui and D'Lo Back | Lakers Add Gabe Vincent & More Lakers New Roster (So Far) Heading Into The 2023-2024 NBA Season 💜💛

-D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino -Austin Reaves, Max Christie -Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish -LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxwell Lewis -Anthony Davis, Jaxson Hayes

The Lakers have unanimously been considered one of the winners of the offseason. And they aren’t done.

Christian Wood and Bismack Biyombo are in consideration for the 14th roster spot, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. ✅Help us continue to provide ZSPN coverage and SUBSCRIBE: http://youtube.com/c/ZSPNSports

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Lakers 2023 #NBADraft Class Results | NBA Draft 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers prioritized the future in the 2023 NBA Draft, opting to select two players — Jalen Hood-Schifino (no. 17) and Maxwell Lewis (no. 40) — instead of trading up, down, or for a win-now piece.

“I think the end goal, we talk about it all the time, is for us to put a championship-level product on the court,” said Rob Pelinka after the draft. “Sometimes you can’t make all of your moves in one fell swoop. But we’re really excited about the way the draft panned out. Just the value we were able to acquire with the two players.”

The Lakers have since signed three undrafted free agents, which should not be overlooked considering the successes of Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso.

Summer League begins on July 3.

Jalen Hood-Schifino (No. 17 Overall Pick)

The Lakers, like many draft prognosticators, including ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, had the former Indiana guard ranked in the mid-teens. Pelinka called Hood-Schifino a “lottery-level” talent with “Lakers DNA.”

Basketball-wise, Hood-Schifino hypothetically fills various needs. On defense, he projects as a switchable, two-way wing with above-average size (6'6, 6'10 wingspan, 215 pounds).

“He comes with such a great physical package and profile to be a great defender,” Pelinka said. “He’s got all the skills with the length to disrupt passing lanes, disrupt shots.”

“I would just say I’m an all-around player,” Hood-Schifino assessed. “I check a lot of boxes. Obviously, a big guard. I feel like I can score from all three levels. Really unselfish. Floor general.”

Pelinka envisions a perimeter pairing of Reaves and Hood-Schifino, which would supply IQ, crafty movement (ideal around LeBron James), and two-way versatility.

“Fino” grew up a Lakers fan and has a Kobe Bryant tattoo on his arm. The Lakers were the first team he worked out for, and seemed to be his preferred destination.

“It’s honestly really crazy and kind of hard to say how I feel because growing up I was a big Kobe fan. I was always watching his videos, watching the Lakers. For me to get drafted by the Lakers is kind of surreal and kind of crazy.”

Maxwell Lewis (No. 40 overall pick)

The Lakers sent the Indiana Pacers over $4 million to move up seven spots in the second round, ultimately resulting in the selection of the Pepperdine swingman.

Lewis is another rangy wing with good size (6'7, 7'0 wingspan). Unlike Jalen, the 21-year-old is an elite athlete with a more developed shot (35.4% from 3 for the Waves). At the very least, he should be able to knock down open looks off the catch right away.

His game needs polishing, especially in the areas of ball-handling, passing, and defensive awareness. For a second-round pick, though, the upside and value are obvious. So Z Nation, what do you expect from this Lakers draft class this upcoming season???

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Lakers NBA Draft Prospects 2023 | Jordan Hawkins Lakers | NBA Draft 2023

The Lakers don’t need much ammo to do damage in the NBA draft, which makes the prospect of them having two draft picks, including the No. 17 overall pick, an encouraging one. On top of having a pick in the middle of the first round, the Lakers will also have a mid-second round pick to do damage with as well.

While there’s the potential of them making a trade with either of those picks to find win-now talent, the Lakers have been more than willing to draft players and develop them as well. And with a first round pick as high as the one they have, they could find a player that could legitimately help them next season.

The No. 47 is also in range of where the Lakers have previously found talent. Talen Horton-Tucker (No. 46), Svi Mykhailiuk (No. 47), and Ryan Kelly (No. 48) were all picked at or around that pick in recent drafts.

Jordan Hawkins — UConn guard Jordan Hawkins is an excellent spot-up shooter and a good passer. He averaged 16.2 points per game for the Huskies in his sophomore season and shot 38.8% from deep. Putting the 6-foot-4 guard in the corner on offense should free up space for LeBron and AD to operate in the offense.

Hawkins isn’t a lockdown defender, but he is a smart one who is solid off the ball and will help improve the Lakers' overall team defense. He also gets steals by jumping passing lanes and hustling after loose balls, which often lead to easy transition baskets.

Jordan Hawkins also just turned 21, so he’s a little older than some of the other Lakers options in this year’s NBA draft. That means he should be more ready to come in and contribute right away than some of the younger prospects.

The Lakers so far have interviewed and worked out a lot of draft prospects in this years draft that may land to them such as…

Kobe Bufkin — Michigan (Interview) Tyger Campbell — UCLA (Workout) Marcus Carr — Texas (Workout) Kihei Clark — Virginia (Workout) Adam Flagler — Baylor (Workout) Jordan Hawkins — UConn (Interview) DaRon Holmes II — Dayton (Workout) GG Jackson — South Carolina (Interview) Trayce Jackson-Davis — Indiana (Interview) Djordjije Jovanovic — Ontario Clippers (Workout) Maxwell Lewis — Pepperdine (Workout) Chris Livingston — Kentucky (Workout) Leonard Miller — G League Ignite (Workout) Justyn Mutts — Virginia Tech (Workout) Kevin Obanor — Texas Tech (Workout) Brice Sensabaugh — Ohio State (Interview) Cason Wallace — Kentucky (Interview) Anton Watson — Gonzaga (Workout) Nadir Hifi — France (Workout) Jalen Wilson — Kansas (Workout) Morris Udeze — New Mexico (Workout) Cam Shelton — LMU (Workout) Terquavion Smith — NC State (Workout) Oscar Tshiebwe — Kentucky (Workout) D’Moi Hodge — Missouri (Workout) Caleb McConnell — Rutgers (Workout) JT Shumate — Toledo (Workout) Logan Johnson — Saint Mary’s (Workout) Damion Baugh — TCU (Workout) Matthew Mayer — Illinois (Workout)

So Z Nation, who do you think the Lakers should draft with 17th & 47th???

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Lakers Off-Season Plans | #LakersFreeAgency | Lakers #nbadraft 2023 The Los Angeles Lakers had one of the most impressive mid-season turnarounds in NBA history from spending most of the year in 13th place to making the Western Conference Finals. They couldn’t reach their ultimate goal of winning a championship, but this team will be greatly remembered by fans as a favorite in recent history.Now the Lakers head into the offseason with a ton of optionality on the make-up on the roster. The prevailing thought after completing a busy trade deadline was that the Lakers would likely stay over the cap and run back the entire roster. But as they got deeper into the postseason, their rotation tightened and several new additions were squeezed out. The Lakers will likely look to prioritize bringing back key players while using their remaining flexibility and trade assets to improve the rest of the roster.One of the bigger questions surrounding the Lakers heading toward the summer of 2023 is whether or not they would be a cap space team. They are still positioned to generate as much as $33 million, which could put them in the mix for one of the top free agents like Kyrie Irving. But the Lakers seem more likely to operate over the cap this offseason since the cap space route would decimate their depth. The over-the-cap option would allow them to keep role players under contract and re-sign their top free agents.The increased costs to run back this roster could guide them to reshape it in a more cost-effective way. The biggest factor that could lead to that decision is how several of their highest-paid players not factoring in the playoffs. They have outs on some of the players they acquired at the trade deadline like Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba. The Lakers have the option to clear their salaries off their books or potentially trade them for players that fit their needs.The Lakers could still swing for a major contributor without needing to use cap space. For example, if Irving is indeed interested in joining the Lakers, it would make more sense for them to acquire him in a sign-and-trade. Such a framework could include trading draft picks and the salaries of Beasley and Bamba, or a double sign-and-trade featuring Russell. A starting salary in the $33-34 million range for Irving would allow the Lakers to fill out their roster under the first apron while being able to re-sign Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and potentially Lonnie Walker IV or a replacement with a portion of the mid-level exception.

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Lakers #TradeDeadline Results | D'Lo Back In LA | #MoBamba Lakers TRADE DEADLINE COMPLETE. Additions:D’Angelo Russell Malik BeasleyJarred VanderbiltMo BambaRui HachimuraDavon ReedSubtractions:RussJTADamian JonesPatrick BeverleyThomas BryantKendrick NunnFirst-rounder2 second-roundersWE UPGRADED. Let’s make this playoff push😈 LETS GO LAKERS💜💛So Z Nation, what do you think about the Lakers trade deadline moves? And will the Lakers make a huge run after this???Comments down below 💭☑️Like and Share my videos 👍🏼☑️✅ Subscribe to my channel ZSPN on YouTube ✅✅Help us continue to provide ZSPN coverage and SUBSCRIBE: http://youtube.com/c/ZSPNSports#ZSPN on Social Media:☑️Like my page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZSPNSports☑️Follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/zspn_sports☑️Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zspn_production☑️ Follow Me On TikTok. www.tiktok.com/@zspn_production ☑️Check out my podcast, ZSPN, on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/7hRfH2WzMhoKzgFyftUz1l☑️Join this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3I60o3Wt-X421fEiJSjziA/join💜GO #LAKERS💛--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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LeBron Makes HISTORY, #Lakers Fall Short To #OKC 133-130LeBron James eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record as the Los Angeles Lakers superstar hit a stepback fadeaway bucket near the end of the third quarter of their game Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He passed Abdul-Jabbar's regular season scoring mark of 38,387 career points.So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers loss against OKC and how do you feel about LeBron surpassing Kareem???Comments down below 💭☑️Like and Share my videos 👍🏼☑️✅ Subscribe to my channel ZSPN on YouTube ✅✅Help us continue to provide ZSPN coverage and SUBSCRIBE: http://youtube.com/c/ZSPNSports#ZSPN on Social Media:☑️Like my page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZSPNSports☑️Follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/zspn_sports☑️Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zspn_production☑️ Follow Me On TikTok. www.tiktok.com/@zspn_production ☑️Check out my podcast, ZSPN, on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/7hRfH2WzMhoKzgFyftUz1l☑️Join this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3I60o3Wt-X421fEiJSjziA/join💜GO #LAKERS💛--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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Lakers Got ROBBED by REFS Tonight In Loss VS #Celtics, #LeBron Got FOULED😡😡😡😡😡😡😡LeBron James, Lakers furious after missed foul in loss vs. CelticsThe Boston Celtics picked up a dramatic win over the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime on Saturday, but it took a blatant no-call at the end of regulation to get there.Let's just say LeBron James and the Lakers weren't pleased.In the final seconds of regulation with the score tied 105-105, the Lakers had the ball and a chance to end the game. Predictably, the ball ended up in the hands of James, who drove into the paint and missed a would-be game-winning lay-up.Replay soon showed that James was clearly hacked on the arm by Jayson Tatum and should have received two free throws. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the officials didn't see it that way and sent the game to overtime.James was apoplectic immediately after the play, yelling at the officials, spinning around, smacking the floor and ultimately ending up on his hands and knees on the court.Despite James' theatrics, he wasn't the reason the Celtics opened overtime with a free throw via a technical foul.That fell at the feet of one Patrick Beverley, who minutes earlier had thrown down arguably the best dunk of his career. As the dust settled on regulation, Beverley picked up a tech by presenting a photographer's camera to an official as evidence of the missed call.Technical fouls really don't get funnier than this:The robbery narrative was sealed once the Celtics put the Lakers away in overtime. It was little consolation that James managed to post 41 points as he inches ever closer to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time NBA scoring record.The no-call was so bad that crew chief Eric Lewis admitted "the crew missed the play" to a pool reporter after the game, a rarity in such interviews. Per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers have already received confirmation from league officials that the call was botched.Meanwhile, the Lakers were unsurprisingly furious while speaking with reporters.Here's Darvin Ham:“The best player on earth can’t get a call. It’s amazing.”Then Anthony Davis weighed in:“It’s bulls***. End of the day, it’s unacceptable and I guarantee nothing will happen to the refs. We got cheated tonight. It was a blatant foul.And, of course, James:"You saw my reaction."The loss knocks the Lakers' record down to 23-27, still good for 13th in the Western Conference. Between injuries, mistakes and now this, it has been a frustrating season, and Saturday represented a major opportunity to move in the right direction.Of course, the call was also just one play in a 52-minute game, but that's never going to take the sting out of the fact that one whistle would have almost certainly given the Lakers the win.So Z Nation, give me your reaction about the Lakers getting robbed by the REFS in loss against the Boston Celtics???Comments down below 💭☑️Like and Share my videos 👍🏼☑️✅ Subscribe to my channel ZSPN on YouTube ✅✅Help us continue to provide ZSPN coverage and SUBSCRIBE: http://youtube.com/c/ZSPNSports#ZSPN on Social Media:☑️Like my page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZSPNSports☑️Follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/zspn_sports☑️Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zspn_production☑️ Follow Me On TikTok. www.tiktok.com/@zspn_production ☑️Check out my podcast, ZSPN, on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/7hRfH2WzMhoKzgFyftUz1l☑️Join this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3I60o3Wt-X421fEiJSjziA/join💜GO #LAKERS💛--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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Lakers Fall Late Again In OT vs #Celtics 122-118, #AnthonyDavis Misses BOTH FT AGAIN!!!!!!After a 3-3 road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers returned home and hosted the rival Boston Celtics, one of the NBA’s best teams, on Tuesday night.The Celtics were coming off back-to-back losses but that streak came to an end as despite the Lakers going on an incredible second-half run, they collapsed late and lost 125-120 in overtime.It was a slow start for the Lakers as LeBron James missed a pair of easy layups. Meanwhile, Derrick White drained a pair of 3s and Blake Griffin had a couple of layups of his own. After a 3 by Jayson Tatum, the Lakers took a timeout trailing 15-5.The Lakers began establishing Anthony Davis inside out of the timeout, which led to success against the smaller Celtics starting lineup. After a personal 6-0 run by Davis, Marcus Smart answered with another Celtics 3-pointer.That started another barrage from deep for the Celtics, who just couldn’t miss in the first quarter. As a result, the Lakers trailed 37-24 at the end of the first despite 13 points from Davis.Despite the Celtics continuing to knock down shots from deep, James led a run in the second quarter to get the deficit down to seven and force a Boston timeout. He was getting to the rim for easy buckets and also setting up his teammates with Beverley draining another 3.James then hit the bench though and Boston immediately went on another run, extending its lead back to 15. Tatum led the way with 24 first-half points and the Lakers went into the locker room trailing 65-50.The Celtics did not cool down at halftime as Smart and Tatum came out and drilled 3-pointers at the start of the third quarter to extend the lead to 20.Lonnie Walker IV finally got involved late in the third quarter, getting on the scoreboard with seven points to cut the deficit back down to 12.The close to the third quarter was very important for the Lakers as they locked in on defense and James and Davis led another run offensively, cutting what was a 20-point deficit all the way down to six at the end of the period.L.A.’s run continued into the fourth quarter as they scored the first 10 points of the frame to extend the run to 18-0 overall, five by Russell Westbrook, to take the first lead of the game.Tatum finally ended the run with a layup out of a timeout, but that didn’t stop the bleeding as James, Davis and Westbrook continued to dominate on both ends. After each hit a dunk in transition, the Lakers built their lead all the way up to 13 in what became one of the more impressive runs of the season.Led by Tatum though, the Celtics had one last run to tie the game in the final minute. James had a chance to win it at the buzzer but missed a 3, sending the game to overtime.Westbrook scored the first four points of the overtime period, giving the Lakers some much-needed life. The Celtics responded with 12 straight points of their own, however, retaking the lead for good as L.A. appeared to run out of gas.So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers heartbreaking loss against the Boston Celtics???Comments down below 💭☑️Like and Share my videos 👍🏼☑️✅ Subscribe to my channel ZSPN on YouTube ✅✅Help us continue to provide ZSPN coverage and SUBSCRIBE: http://youtube.com/c/ZSPNSports#ZSPN on Social Media:☑️Like my page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZSPNSports☑️Follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/zspn_sports☑️Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zspn_sports☑️Check out my podcast, ZSPN, on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/7hRfH2WzMhoKzgFyftUz1l☑️Join this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3I60o3Wt-X421fEiJSjziA/join💜GO #LAKERS💛--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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Lakers Blow Out #Spurs 123-92, #AnthonyDavis Dominates Again 30 Pts, 18 Rebs, Austin Reeves 21 Pts

For the first time in like forever, the Lakers blew out an NBA team, routing the Spurs in their first of three meetings with San Antonio this week.

The Lakers did something they have rarely done in recent seasons on Sunday by blowing out the Spurs at home in their first of three meetings this upcoming week, 123-92.

Anthony Davis continued his thoroughly dominant stretch of basketball, pouring in 30 points with 18 rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block in 28 minutes. He finished with a plus-minus of +34 and only briefly needed to even take the court in the fourth quarter.

Austin Reaves also continued his strong stretch of late with 21 points on 7-11 shooting, including 3-4 shooting from the 3-point line. Russell Westbrook notched a triple-double off the bench, tallying 10 points, 10 assists and four rebounds in 22 minutes.

Against one of the worst teams in the league that was also without its starting center and one of its best players in Jakob Poeltl — as well as head coach Gregg Popovich — the Lakers had little resistance in this contest from the start. After San Antonio had a small lead in the early minutes, the Lakers took control of the game and never looked back.

The lead reached double digits late in the first quarter, then absolutely ballooned across the next two periods. The Lakers held a 66-48 lead at the half and then increased the lead to as many as 34 points in the third period before leading 95-67 heading into the final frame.

Without much in the way of deterrents in the paint for the Lakers, AD notched his 30 points while barely breaking a sweat, going 12-19 from the field. Thomas Bryant, in his second game back, was a perfect 5-5 from the field for 14 points and feasted on bench units while being the recipient of a number of those Westbrook assists.

More than anything, this game represented something the Lakers haven’t had in many games over the last two years: comfort. The Spurs were so bad that not even they could take advantage of the third-quarter Lakers. None of AD, Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV or Russ played more than 28 minutes, an important development in a week as busy as the one the Lakers are about to have.

Kendrick Nunn was a bright spot of the fourth quarter, breaking out of his recent slump by finishing with 13 points on 4-8 shooting while knocking down three of his six 3-point attempts. Both Bryant and Dennis Schröder got extended run as well as they return from injury.

At the same time, this coming against a Spurs team that the Lakers will see two more times at the end of the week, albeit on the road, is also a big mental boost in an important stretch of the season.

The three-game win streak for the Lakers is the first time they’ve won three consecutive contests since early January of last season. They’ll look to make it a four-game streak on Tuesday in Phoenix with tip-off set for 7 p.m. Pacific on TNT.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers win against the San Antonio Spurs???

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Lakers Win vs The #Nets 116-103, Anthony Davis Drop 37 Pts

Lakers take care of business beating Brooklyn to snap losing streak. Lakers snap a five-game losing streak by beating Brooklyn at home thank to Anthony Davis’ 37 point performance.

With LeBron James out, the Lakers opted to add Austin Reaves to the starting lineup. He had a great game scoring 19 points against Sacramento on Friday, and Los Angeles was hoping he could help spark a struggling offense. He ended the night with 15.

The Lakers took charge in the first quarter largely thanks to Patrick Beverly’s defensive efforts and Lonnie Walker IV’s offensive efficiency. Pat Bev has been a thorn in Laker Nation’s side with his lack of offensive production and while Sunday didn’t see an uptick in points (he had 2 total), he was better facilitating the ball with five assists and was a defensive irritant deflecting passes and grabbing four defensive rebounds. Lonnie Walker started perfect from the floor with 11 points going 3-3 from the field, 2-2 from three, and 3-3 from the free throw line.

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Lakers Lose To #Blazers 104-106, Lakers Remain Winless Thanks To #RussellWestbrook

The Los Angeles Lakers were at home for a Sunday matinee against the up-and-coming Portland Trail Blazers. The winless Lakers were in an early must-win situation with a 0-2 record after losses to the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers.

This game is interesting because last year’s loss to the Blazers is when the Russell Westbrook saga officially started as far as this writer is concerned. The Lakers played Portland on the road the night before last year’s trade deadline. The Blazers had traded away C.J. McCollum, shut down the starters and went fully into tank mode.

Russ was benched in case a deal was made. Even with LeBron and AD in the lineup, the Lakers lost. The season spiraled out of control and the mistrust, division and chaos that we are all witnessing now became the norm.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 106-104 to fall to 0-3 on the season. The record is ugly but for the first time in 15 months, Lake Show Life can actually see a plan, some improvement and something to actually analyze. To start…

The Lakers’ tough early schedule continues on Wednesday with a game against the Nuggets at 7 pm PT. The Nuggets are currently 2-1 with a victory against the Warriors and one of the favorites to come out of the West.

So Z Nation, what do you think about the Lakers loss vs Portland Trailblazers??? Should Russ be traded NOW?!?!

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Lakers Struggle From 3 Again In Loss To #Clippers In #HomeOpener

The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the L.A. Clippers in their home opener on Thursday night, looking to get into the win column for the first time.

Unfortunately, despite playing hard all night, the Lakers fell just short with a 103-97 loss to fall to 0-2.

The Lakers got off to a solid start with Lonnie Walker IV and LeBron James draining 3-pointers in the first two possessions. The Clippers answered with a Marcus Morris 3 though and Ivica Zubac had a couple of early buckets to give them an 11-8 lead into the first timeout.

Anthony Davis got going out of the timeout with eight quick points although the Lakers struggled defensively, fouling Clippers players on multiple jump shots early. John Wall was the first Clippers sub off the bench, playing in his first game in over a year.

He wasted no time with four quick points and then Normal Powell drained a 3 to stretch the Clippers’ lead to eight. Walker answered with another triple of his own, however.

The Lakers’ second unit struggled offensively to close the quarter and as a result, the Clippers led 35-23 through one.

Things picked up for the Lakers in the second when James and Patrick Beverley knocked down back-to-back 3s. Matt Ryan then had five straight points to get his team back within five at 41-36.

Luke Kennard led a Clippers run from there though to get their lead back up to 12 midway through the second quarter. Kawhi Leonard then checked in for the first time and immediately went to work with back-to-back buckets. That allowed the Clippers to stretch their led to 16, but the Lakers responded with a 10-0 run to keep it close.

The Lakers’ defensive intensity continued to close the half, allowing them to fight all the way back and head into the locker room tied at 56.

Unlike the season opener against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers came out with solid energy in the third quarter. Davis knocked down a 3 but then unfortunately fell and appeared to hurt his back. He was limping around a little bit and eventually went back to the locker room to get it looked at.

Davis’ absence was felt immediately as the Clippers went on a 15-0 run to stretch their lead back to double-digits. Luckily, Davis was able to return but L.A. was forced to work themselves out of a hole because of the run while he was out. A nice close to the quarter cut the Lakers’ deficit to eight at 85-77.

James began to take over the begin the fourth, swatting a shot on one end and then finishing a layup on the other. Walker and Austin Reaves also contributed on both ends with the latter coming up with a steal and then hitting the former with an alley-oop to give the Lakers the lead.

After the Lakers went down by four, Russell Westbrook sparked them with a pair of steals, although he continued to struggle on the other end of the floor.

With the Lakers not being able to knock down an outside shot, they weren’t able to make it all the way back, suffering a close defeat.

So Z Nation, does the Lakers need to make a trade now to turn this around???

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Lakers Lose To #Warriors In Season Opener 109-123, LeBron 31 Pts, 14 Rebs, AD 27 Pts

The Golden State Warriors received their 2022 championship rings. They also defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109, and the Boston Celtics topped the Philadelphia 76ers 126-117 as the #NBA opened its 2022-23 season.

And TNT’s Charles Barkley was in midseason form when addressing Lakers guard Russell Westbrook’s role with the Lakers. “I admire him. I respect him,” Barkley said. “It’s time for the Lakers to move him. They are taking all his joy out of life and basketball … and it pisses me off.”

Lakers’ 3-point shooting was the downfall for the Lakers.

The Lakers opened the game 1-for-15 on 3-pointers and finished 10-for-40 from that range. That’s one area the Lakers need drastic improvement. Last season, Los Angeles was 22nd in 3-point percentage and 18th in 3-pointers made. LeBron James (31 points, 14 rebounds, eights assists) was 3-for-10 on 3s, Anthony Davis (27 points), Lonnie Walker IV and Juan Toscano-Anderson each 0-for-3, Russell Westbrook (19 points, 11 rebounds) 1-for-3 and Patrick Beverley 1-for-5.

Kendrick Nunn and James were able to end some of the outside shooting woes for the Lakers, but Klay Thompson scored a quick seven points to ensure the Warriors stayed in front. Golden State then went on the third quarter run they’ve become known for and soon ballooned their lead to 20.

Things snowballed from there as the Lakers committed a gaggle of turnovers and couldn’t hit anything from the field. James tried to will his team by taking over the offense but L.A. went into the fourth down 91-7 1.

Los Angeles managed to recoup some momentum as they earned several stops in a row, and consecutive baskets from James capped off a 13-2 run. The Lakers did a good job of hanging around, though they were still down by 15 midway through the quarter.

Westbrook detonated in the lane with a massive dunk, but Curry completely took over to keep the Lakers at bay. With L.A. trailing big, Darvin Ham emptied his bench and the Lakers would start the season with a loss.

Lakers will face the LA Clippers on Thursday on Lakers court in Crypto.com Arena.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers loss against the Golden State Warriors???

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Lakers #MediaDay 2022 Recap | Lakers Expectations Heading Into #TrainingCamp

After a disappointing 2021-22 season that ended without even a trip to the play-in round, the Los Angeles Lakers were expected to make massive changes before the 2022-23 campaign rolled around. On some level, they did just that. Only five players returned from last year's debacle, but with Russell Westbrook among them, the core problems of limited depth, defense and shooting that doomed the Lakers a season ago continue to plague the purple and gold. Expectations will therefore remain relatively low until the Lakers prove that they don't need to make another move.

On Monday, all of the team's key figures attempted to do just that. New head coach Darvin Ham, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and the entire roster (save Dennis Schroder, who is dealing with a visa issue) spoke on media day about the nightmare season they just endured, the one that's still to come and everything in between. Here are the biggest takeaways from media day as the Lakers attempt to work their way back into the championship picture.

The biggest question of the offseason was originally when the Lakers would trade Westbrook. As the months passed, it shifted to why Westbrook hadn't been traded. There were plenty of theories. Ham made it clear that he had a plan for Westbrook, so perhaps he wasn't as bullish on sending him out as others. There are obvious financial motivations for keeping Westbrook. And of course, there's the dreaded Lakers tax, a supposed premium teams charge the NBA's most prominent team in negotiations, especially when they're desperate.

But Occam's razor tells us that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one, and the simplest explanation here is that Westbrook is widely viewed as a negative asset and the Lakers do not want to give up assets just to remove him from the team. Getting anything of value back would mean giving up both of their available first-round picks. Pelinka made it clear that he is willing to give those picks up. So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers media day and what is your expectations in the Lakers heading into the upcoming season???

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Lakers Opening Season With Current #Roster | Lakers #TrainingCamp Plans

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly began their players-led minicamp on Friday in San Diego. Every player except Dennis Schroder reportedly is at the minicamp ahead of the official start of the team’s training camp on Monday.

Schroder is not in attendance as he is organizing his family’s move back to Los Angeles after a season away from the team where he played for the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets.

Lakers already getting together to prepare for the 2022-23 regular season, especially after all of the struggles last season.

The Lakers failed to make the playoffs in the 2021-22 campaign, but they have a bunch of new faces in the building for the 2022-23 season.

Los Angeles really improved its guard depth by trading for Patrick Beverley and signing Schroder and Lonnie Walker IV in free agency. Los Angeles is also hoping to have Kendrick Nunn in the lineup this season after he missed the entire 2021-22 season with a bone bruise in his knee.

Russell Westbrook is also on the roster. If he remains in Los Angeles, it will be crucial for him to bond with his new teammates as his role may change for the team in the 2022-23 season. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham will have his work cut out for him fitting all of these players into the rotation.

The guard position wasn’t the only area where the Lakers made moves, as they also signed forward Juan Toscano-Anderson and big man Thomas Bryant. Both players figure to factor into the rotation in some way, and Bryant should give Los Angeles a solid shot-blocking presence alongside Anthony Davis in the frontcourt.

At the end of the day, the Lakers’ success in the 2022-23 season is going to come down to the play and health of Davis and LeBron James.

Last season, both players were banged up for a significant period of time, and it hurt the Lakers’ chances at staying afloat in the Western Conference playoff race.

Hopefully, with a new supporting cast and a long offseason off, James and Davis can recapture the magic they had in the 2019-20 season when Los Angeles last won the NBA Finals.

So Z Nation, what’s your Lakers starting 5 and your expectations heading into training camp???

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Lakers Sign #DennisSchröder On One-Year $2.6 Million Deal | Lakers Roster Changes

The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to terms with Dennis Schröder on a one-year deal Friday.

According to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, Schroder will make $2.64 million during the 2022-23 season.

The 29-year-old ended last season with the Houston Rockets after being acquired from the Boston Celtics in February along with Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando in exchange for center Daniel Theis. Schröder played the 2021-22 season on a one-year, $5.9 million contract.

He was limited to just 15 games in Houston while dealing with a shoulder injury and was eventually ruled out for the year on March 29. In 64 combined games between the Celtics and the Rockets, he averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game last season.

A nine-year veteran out of Germany, he was drafted with the No. 17 overall pick in 2013 by the Atlanta Hawks and has also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Lakers. He has career averages of 14.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

Schröder performed well during his last stretch with the Lakers, averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game in 2020-21.

The guard will now reunite with LeBron James, giving the team a veteran who can run the offense and provide a spark off the bench. He could pair with Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook in the backcourt as the squad looks to return to playoff contention after a disappointing 2022-23.

So Z Nation, what do you think about the Lakers signing Dennis Schroder? And should Russell Westbrook come off the bench???

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Lakers Have Reached New ‘Conclusion’ On #RussellWestbrook #Trade | Russell Westbrook Won't Be Traded

It's looking increasingly like Russell Westbrook will open the season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the Lakers have not been satisfied with the offers they've received for the 2017 NBA MVP.

"Based on the executives I'm talking to, they believe that the Lakers have come to the conclusion that they are not going to trade Westbrook now because they don't like any of their offers and they're going to try to make the best of it and see what happens. That's what the executives think," he said on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective (59:15 mark).

The Lakers spent much of the offseason watching the Brooklyn Nets' drama unfold, hoping Kyrie Irving would become available at a discount. Their chances of landing Irving evaporated when Kevin Durant rescinded his trade request last month.

The Indiana Pacers have also long been viewed as a potential suitor for Westbrook, dangling a package of Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the Lakers have refused to include two future first-round picks to dump Westbrook's contract in a Pacers deal.

While it appeared Westbrook's poor on-court fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis would lead the Lakers to make any trade they could find, their front office seemingly remains bullish on the trio.

New head coach Darvin Ham has gone out of his way to praise Westbrook, and governor Jeanie Buss made waves with an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic where she called him the Lakers' "best player" last season, though she later clarified to Amick that she should've used the word "consistent":

"All I can say is that, from my point of view, (Westbrook) was our best player last year. He played pretty much every single game, showed up, worked hard. You know, I would have loved to have seen what this team would have looked like if they stayed healthy. It's really tough to win when Anthony Davis isn't on the court. LeBron was hurt a lot of the season. But Russ showed up every game and played hard every night. And, you know, I just really appreciate him for who he is and what he brings to the team."

Nearly everyone who watched the Lakers play last season would disagree with the "best player" categorization, but we're not the ones running the organization. All it takes is one team to believe Westbrook is still a star, and it's becoming increasingly apparent the Lakers are that team.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers trade Russell Westbrook before the start of the season??? Or move forward with Russell Westbrook at the start of the season and wait until the trade deadline for better offers???

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Lakers' 2027, 2029 1st-Round Picks 'Most Powerful' Draft Picks in League

The Los Angeles Lakers are still trying to move #RussellWestbrook, and to do that, they'll likely need to part with some of their future first-round draft picks, including their 2027 and 2029 selections.

Apparently, those picks are among the most coveted in the NBA, an executive told Heavy.com's Sean Deveney:

"The two Lakers’ picks are the most powerful thing as far as picks go in the league right now. Everyone expects them to be top picks and if you can get them unprotected, everybody wants those. The Lakers only want to give up one and now you have to be thinking, if you’re the Lakers, OK, (Malik) Beasley and Bogdanovic and Jarred Vanderbilt for one of these picks and Russ? Or, you know, Clarkson or Conley in there? You’re going to want three of those five players, give up Westbrook and only deal off one of the picks. Danny might get more picks if he sells those off individually but he is not going to get better picks, and that is the thing the Lakers have as an advantage."

It has been known for a while that the Lakers are willing to relinquish at least one of their first-round picks in an effort to bolster their roster. However, Deveney wrote that the Purple and Gold "have no interest in giving up both picks without a major return."

The Lakers have already acquired Patrick Beverley this summer, though that move alone won't help get them back into contention.

The franchise has been linked to Buddy Hield and Myles Turner throughout the summer, but it isn't keen on moving those aforementioned first-round picks to acquire the Indiana #Pacers tandem, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors).

In addition, the Lakers have expressed interest in Kyrie Irving, but all signs point toward the veteran point guard remaining alongside Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets to begin the 2022-23 campaign.

Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today also recently reported that the Lakers have "some interest" in Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic of the Utah #Jazz, who are reportedly available as Danny Ainge begins his rebuild after moving Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If the Lakers want to acquire a serviceable player before the season begins, it's clear they'll have to surrender their coveted first-round selections. As they get more desperate for help, it may be easier to persuade them.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers give up two future first round picks to the Pacers or Jazz??? Or should they keep the picks???

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Lakers Could Land Mike Conley, #JordanClarkson And #BojanBogdanovic In A Final Blockbuster Trade Around Russell Westbrook

The Los Angeles Lakers are interested in three Utah Jazz veterans who could be available for trade ahead of the 2022-23 season.

L.A. has "some interest" in #MikeConley, Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. However, the Purple and Gold "also want to preserve cap space for next summer and aren't that interested in taking contracts beyond 2022-23," Zillgitt added.

Of the three, Bogdanovic is the only player whose contract is up in 2023.

Mike Singer of the Denver Post added that "numerous" sources said the Lakers might have interest in Utah's veterans.

After dealing Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Jazz are still looking to offload other veterans in a trade to continue building for the future.

The Lakers could be an interesting trade partner for the Jazz as they are trying to deal veteran point guard Russell Westbrook.

Any deal for Westbrook is expected to have first-round picks attached to it, and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last month that the Purple and Gold are willing to attach their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in "the right deal."

Jazz CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge has been stockpiling first-round draft picks this offseason, and it's possible he could take on Westbrook's contract in order to add draft capital. He already has 15 first-round draft picks over the next seven drafts.

Conley should be among the most desirable players for the Lakers among Utah's available veterans. The point guard is coming off a solid 2021-22 campaign in which the 34-year-old averaged 13.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 72 games while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from deep.

The Purple and Gold have been searching for perimeter shooting, and he's the type of player who can provide outside scoring.

Clarkson would also provide the Lakers some solid perimeter shooting. The 30-year-old averaged 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 79 games last season while shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from deep. However, considering the Lakers don't want to take on a contract that runs past the 2022-23 season, Bogdanovic might be the team's most reasonable option.

The 6'7" forward averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 69 games last season while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 38.7 percent from deep. The 33-year-old has a $19.6 million cap hit for the 2022-23 season.

Clarkson has a player option for the 2023-24 campaign worth $14.3 million, and Conley is under contract through 2023-24.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers consider trading for Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic??? Or look back at the Pacers trade for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner??? Or go into this upcoming season with the roster we have now with Russell Westbrook???

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RussellWestbrook & #PatrickBeverley Playing Together?!?! | Darvin Ham Wants a Lineup With Both

Los Angeles #Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is considering lineups that would include both Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley in the backcourt, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein:

Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley have already been in contact since becoming Lakers teammates, league sources tell me, and new coach Darvin Ham has told them he has lineups in mind to play Russ and PatBev side-by-side.

Ham is entering his first season as L.A.'s head coach after the team parted ways with Frank Vogel. He is trying to turn around a 33-49 team that finished 11th in the Western Conference last year.

Beverley is among the new faces aboard after the Lakers acquired him from the Utah Jazz for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson on Aug. 25.

The Lakers acquired Westbrook from the Washington Wizards during the 2021 offseason. Westbrook had just averaged a triple-double en route to leading the Wizards to the playoffs.

However, Westbrook struggled in purple and gold last year, to the point where he posted career-low figures in player efficiency rating and win shares, per Basketball-Reference.

Trade rumors persisted this offseason, but Westbrook, who exercised his 2022-23 player option, still remains a Laker.

Now it appears the Lakers will try to run it back with Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis for at least one more season as the team shuffled the pieces around them.

Gone are veterans such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan. New faces include Beverley, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Troy Brown, Lonnie Walker IV and Thomas Bryant.

Beverley figures to play a key role for the Lakers, as he did with the Minnesota Timberwolves last year. He helped Minnesota earn its first playoff appearance in four years while averaging 9.2 points, 4.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game.

It's fair to wonder how the Westbrook-Beverley pairing could fair as an outside shooting tandem. Beverley is coming off a season in which he knocked down just 34.3 percent of three-pointers. Westbrook made just 29.8 percent of his shots beyond the arc last year.

But at least one analyst, ESPN's Kendrick Perkins, is encouraged by their defensive potential.

We'll soon find out how it all shakes out as the Lakers open the season on Oct. 18 at the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

So Z Nation, do you think Russ and Pat Bev can work together??? Or do you still think Russell Westbrook will be moved before the start of the regular???

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Lakers #TradeOptions After #PatrickBeverley Trade | Buddy Hield, Myles Turner Lakers Trade Rumors

A couple of months ago, a reunion between LeBron James and Kyrie Irving on the Los Angeles Lakers felt a lot more likely than it does today.

After Wednesday's news that the Los Angeles Lakers had sent Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Utah Jazz for Patrick Beverley, the Kyrie dream feels dead and buried.

Now that the aforementioned statement is out, the Kyrie-to-L.A. train is fully off the rails and Beverley is on his way to L.A., the next focus almost certainly has to be moving Russell Westbrook.

Running it back with Russ feels untenable. In 2021-22, the Lakers went 31-47 when the soon-to-be-34-year-old point guard was in the lineup. His inability to space the floor makes him incompatible with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

And perhaps most revealing, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said as recently as last week that L.A. is willing to part with both its 2027 and 2029 first-round picks if it could land them Kyrie.

Now that Irving is off the table, where else could the Lakers dangle the "Russ and two first-rounders" package? The three best and most easily foreseeable scenarios (all of which may return more stability than a Kyrie trade anyway) are as follows.

The Deal: Myles Turner and Buddy Hield for Russell Westbrook, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick and a second-round pick

In July, the Lakers reportedly engaged with the Indiana Pacers on a deal that almost certainly would've made them better than the rumored Kyrie deals.

Replace one of those second-rounders with a first, and the package no longer reeks of desperation, nor does it look so stupid.

It's easy to see why Hield and Turner are on the market. They're certainly not old (Hield is 29, while Turner is 26), but they're on a different timeline than 22-year-old Tyrese Haliburton.

And since a team led by that trio is far from likely to contend right now, trying to gain some assets for the veterans makes sense.

For the Lakers, this is actually the young package of the three detailed here. And if L.A. is thinking at all about life post-LeBron, this is the deal it should pursue.

Hield is one of the most prolific three-point shooters of all time (Stephen Curry and Duncan Robinson are the only players in history who exceed both of his marks for three-point attempts per game and three-point percentage). He'd represent a massive improvement on the spacing front.

Turner, meanwhile, isn't as accurate, but 34.9 percent from your center should be enough to pull bigs away from the paint. And a defense anchored by him and AD could come close to recapturing the grit of the title-winning 2019-20 team.

With both those players in the same age range as 29-year-old AD, you can start to envision the team remaining competitive after LeBron retires (or leaves).

So Z Nation, should the Lakers trade Westbrook and 2 first round picks for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner from Indiana Pacers?!?! Or look at other trade options like Utah and New York Knicks trade or maybe look back at the Charlotte Hornets trade?!?!

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Lakers To Retire Pau Gasol's No. 16 Jersey In March 2023

The Los Angeles #Lakers are retiring basketball legend Pau Gasol's number 16 jersey, the team announced Wednesday.

PauGasol will join a long line of legendary big men when his number is retired in the Lakers' rafters next season.

Gasol was traded from Memphis to L.A. in 2008 and teamed with Kobe Bryant to lead the Lakers to three straight NBA Finals appearances and two championships.

Gasol played in L.A. until 2014 when he signed with the Chicago Bulls as a free agent. He earned three of his six career All-Star appearances in his time with the franchise.

He retired from basketball last fall after a final season in his native Spain.

Gasol's jersey will hang alongside Hall of Fame centers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain as well as Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, James Worthy, Gail Goodrich and Jamaal Wilkes.

So Z Nation, what do you think about Pau Gasol’s jersey number retirement and his legacy as a Laker???

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LeBron James Signs 2-Year $97.1 Million Extension with #Lakers

Well, he did it. Minutes before the release of the 2022-23 #NBA schedule on Wednesday afternoon, LeBron James agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told various outlets.

The second year (2024-25) will be a player option, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, allowing LeBron to maintain a degree of flexibility and leverage. The contract includes a 15 percent trade kicker, as well.

As Wojnarowski noted, James was ineligible to include a no-trade clause because he signed an extension, not a fresh contract. However, his near-$50 million annual salary, trade kicker, and status will essentially cement him as a Laker, unless he seeks a change of scenery. James cannot be traded in 2022-23 because the second year of his extension exceeds a 5% raise, per Woj.

The deal makes LeBron the first player in NBA history to surpass half a billion dollars in career salary ($532 million, to be exact).

LeBron, entering the final season of his contract, became eligible to ink the extension on Aug. 4, and it would have sat on the table until June 30. Now, the Lakers can begin training camp and LeBron’s 20th season without the looming distraction of the superstar’s future commitment to the franchise. LeBron has repeatedly expressed a desire to retire with the Lakers but hinted at a possible return to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the All-Star break last February. And, as we all know, he’s determined to play with his son, Bronny, who will become draft-eligible in 2024.

Notably, LeBron taking (well-deserved) maximum money through 2023-24 — and his and Anthony Davis’ player-options for 2024-25, when the salary cap is expected to spike considerably — means the Lakers could now be more willing to take on long-term salary to move Russell Westbrook’s $47 million expiring contract.

The soon-to-be-38-year-old put up 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 56 injury-plagued games in 2021-22. If he averages 25 points this season, he’ll be on pace to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time (regular season) points scored record in the weeks before the All-Star break.

So Z Nation, what do you think about King James signing the extension with Lakers???

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Lakers Willing To Trade 2 1st-Round Picks To Get #KyrieIrving | Kyrie Irving #TradeUpdate

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly now "willing to include" two first-round draft picks in a potential trade for Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving.

L.A.'s reluctance to add a second Round 1 selection has been a snag in talks throughout the offseason, but Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reported Wednesday the Lakers have decided to put both their 2027 and 2029 first-rounders on the table in trade talks.

It's the first sign of tangible progress toward a possible blockbuster deal that would reunite Irving with LeBron James after they captured an NBA championship together with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

There are still several hurdles to jump before a potential agreement, though.

First, the Nets haven't shown a willingness to take on the final season of Russell Westbrook's five-year, $206.8 million contract in the trade, which means the sides would need to find a third team willing to take Russ, likely in exchange for draft compensation.

Second, Brooklyn is still trying to handle a trade request from Kevin Durant, which is going to shape the franchise's direction based on whether the return is focused on established veterans or a package of younger players and draft picks.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported last week the Nets aren't likely to deal Irving "until there is clarity on Durant."

Finally, the Lakers' front office probably wants some clarity, too.

James and Irving are both entering the final year of their contracts, while Anthony Davis has two guaranteed seasons left on his deal with an early-termination option for 2024-25.

If L.A. is going to move two more of its limited number of future assets, it'd likely want some type of guarantee its championship window will be open for more than just next season.

An extension agreement with LeBron for at least two years in coordination with a Kyrie trade would soften the blow of including the 2027 and 2029 picks.

The Irving contract situation will be trickier. Fox Sports' Ric Bucher reported (via HoopsHype) the seven-time All-Star is seeking contractual guarantees where he'll play a maximum of 60 games per year while sitting out at least one contest in back-to-backs.

So there are still ample moving parts, and the limited progress on the Durant situation means the Lakers may have to wait awhile for a resolution.

Putting another first-round pick on the table ensures talks could move quicker if the Nets signal they're ready to move Irving before the 2022-23 campaign, though.

So Z Nation, is Kyrie Irving one step closer to landing in LA after this update???

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Lakers Free Agency Results | #KyrieIrving Update | Buddy Hield #LakersTradeTalks

On Tuesday, the five newest members of the Los Angeles Lakers — Lonnie Walker IV, Damian Jones, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Thomas Bryant — met with the media for the first time since inking their fresh contracts.

In general, the two themes of the day — reflecting the Lakers’ approach to free agency — were defensive versatility and playing whatever role is asked to win. After spending last summer signing prideful, past-their-prime veterans, the Lakers sought younger, athletic hoopers who can embrace supporting roles alongside stars and offer hustle, intensity, and grit.

In a perfect world—perfect for the Purple and Gold, at least—the Lakers would leave this summer having reunited LeBron James with his old championship running mate, Kyrie Irving.

Of course, things don't always go according to plan, so L.A. needs to have other options in case an Uncle Drew deal never goes down. The Lakers, apparently, already have some alternatives in mind.

"They've looked at other deals," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (via Silver Screen and Roll). "They continued, I know, to check in on Eric Gordon in Houston. That's certainly a player that interests them. Buddy Hield in Indiana ... The Lakers certainly are looking out at the marketplace, but there's no question Kyrie Irving is one of them."

Irving is the most talented of that trio by a wide margin, but he also would be the most costly in a trade and come with the most question marks given his many absences in recent years. The Lakers could probably flip a coin to determine the better fit between Gordon and Hield, as the former offers more defense and shot-creation while the latter ranks among the Association's top shooters.

Thomas Bryant was highly sought-after in free agency, as his combination of shooting and shot-blocking would be a boon for most frontcourts.

He ultimately landed on the Lakers—his first NBA employer—and chose them over the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz for one specific reason: He "will be given the opportunity to win the starting center position," per Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes.

While it has seemed Anthony Davis was positioned to spend most (if not all) of his floor time at the 5 spot, slotting Bryant there instead could have its benefits. The Lakers wouldn't necessarily have to sacrifice spacing—Bryant has shot better than 40 percent from three in two of his five seasons, and Davis used to hover around a league-average rate before cooling off lately—but they could have the kind of size and length that helped them win the 2020 championship.

Having said that, it could be asking a ton of Bryant, who has only played 37 games the past two seasons while navigating around an ACL tear. Still, he played at a starting-caliber level before, and if he gets that form back, he might be the best option to pair with Davis up front.

So Z Nation, what grade do you give the Lakers in free agency? And which player should the Lakers pursue Kyrie Irving, Buddy Hield or Eric Gordon???

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Lakers Select #MaxChristie With The 35th Pick | #NBADraft 2022

With the No. 35 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the LA Lakers selected Max Christie after acquired the pick earlier in the day when they sent out a future second-rounder and cash to the Magic.

Christie is a 6’5” shooting guard from Michigan State who averaged 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in his lone collegiate season. He is widely projected to become a sharpshooter from beyond the arc despite converting just 31.7 percent of his 3-pointers last season. He’s also been a decent defender of both guards and wings.

According to The Athletic’s 2022 draft guide written by Sam Vecenie, the 19-year-old isn’t likely to be an effective rookie from the get-go — something the Lakers say they aren’t concerned with. Vecenie’s scouting report of Christie also suggests that he needs to at least add 15 more pounds to his 190-pound frame and prove he can shoot reliably enough in order to see consistent minutes. However, it seems the Lakers are confident that he can eventually turn into an impactful two-way player with his clean shooting mechanics, high IQ, size, and commitment to playing defense.

Although he might not be able to do it right away, Christie’s projection as a 3-and-D wing could potentially patch over one of the Lakers’ most glaring organizational weaknesses. According to Draft Express’ scouting report from this past March, penned by Mike Schmitz, the Michigan State standout caught scouts’ attention with his surprisingly adept off-the-dribble shot creation, especially in the mid-range, which is something the Lakers say they think he can take with him into the NBA.

With Darvin Ham set to implement his 4-out-1-in offense with the Lakers this season, Christie’s ability to develop into an elite 3-point shooter might just make him an ideal fit for the perimeter-dependent system. Before he steps foot on the court with any of the superstar teammates he says he’s excited to join, Christie’s first task will be to impress his new employers at the Las Vegas Summer League, where he is expected to suit up from July 7-17.

The Lakers are using their one and only pick in this year’s draft on Christie, and seem to believe that he is capable of providing first-round value despite falling all the way to 35. And considering how successful the Lakers’ scouting department has been at finding undervalued talent, it’s going to be interesting to see if they can once again secure a steal in the second round (like another Michigan State alum seems to think they have).

So Z Nation, what do you think about the Lakers selection of Max Christie???

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Lakers NBA Free Agency Targets | #OttoPorterJr Lakers | #NBAFreeAgency 2022

After the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook during the summer of 2021, acquiring what was thought to be the third member of a new dominating Big-3 with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Purple and Gold put forth one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history as their Big-3 turned out to be mainly a Big-1, featuring LeBron James one-ing it up on the league to the tune of 30.3 PPG. Immediately after the Lakers disastrous 33-49 season concluded, they fired head coach Frank Vogel, and the consensus among fans and experts was the next clichéd domino to fall in the Purple and Gold’s offseason redo was a Russell Westbrook trade.

However, as the Lakers made their interview rounds with several coaching candidates, they repeatedly asked each potential hire how they would utilize Russell Westbrook, bucking all of our preconceived notions and implying they still value their brick-shooting-no-defense point guard and have no intention of trading him. There could be a few trickster reasons behind the Lakers’ unexpected interview question: The Lakers could be simply trying to build Russell Westbrook’s trade value by indicating they aren’t hell-bent on getting rid of him, or they could have been weeding out the qualified coaching candidates from the unqualified ones by asking them how they’d bring the most out of Brodie, perhaps the most challenging question in the basketball world, OR Rob Pelinka and company could actually want to keep Westbrook.

If the Lakers were to keep Russell Westbrook for one more season, they’d have nearly their entire cap sheet tied up in three players, Brodie, James, and Davis. They also have Talen Horton-Tucker signed for next season, while Kendrick Nunn has given every indication he will opt into his 2022-23 player option. The Lakers also have three players — Stanley Johnson, Austin Reaves, and Wenyen Gabriel — with team options for next year, which they’ll almost certainly exercise. In total, the Purple and Gold should have eight players on their roster heading into the offseason, which means they’ll need to fill out seven open spots to reach the league-required 15-man full roster.

The Lakers will have only three tools to sign their seven new free agents: the taxpayer mid-level exception (around $6 million), veteran minimum contracts, and minimum contracts.

So Z Nation, who should the Lakers target in free agency???

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Lakers Buying 2nd Round Pick In 2022 #NBADraft | #KaiSotto Lakers 2022

The Los Angeles Lakers currently don’t own a single draft pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft — but the franchise’s actions suggest that might change before the event takes place on June 23 in New York City.

The Lakers sent their 2022 draft picks to New Orleans as part of the Anthony Davis trade three years ago. However, L.A. has been holding pre-draft workouts for young prospects since the end of May. The Purple and Gold can buy their way into the second round, as they can use the $4.7 million they still have available for trade and purchase a pick.

Rob Pelinka Confirms Lakers Hopes To Acquire Second-Round Pick Ahead Of 2022 NBA Draft.

Lakers vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka has confirmed the Lakers are planning to appear on the clock at some point during draft night, per Spectrum SportsNet:

“So yeah, one of the intentional sort of philosophical, architectural visions for us is to get younger and Coach Ham has a passion for developing players. So it would be a goal for us to try to somehow get into the second round to get a young player that we can develop. We’ve had great success if you look at our draft history and the guys we’ve drafted and developed. We think we can do it again in 2022 if we can pull off a trade to get a pick.”

So Z Nation, who should the Lakers draft in the second round if they buy a 2nd round pick in this years draft???

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Lakers Hire Darvin Ham As Next Head Coach | Darvin Ham Lakers Head Coach.

The Los Angeles #Lakers hired Milwaukee Bucks assistant #DarvinHam as their new head coach on Friday to replace Frank Vogel, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Ham is being signed to a four-year contract, per The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Ham made a strong impression on Lakers in several areas, including his championship pedigree, his commanding presence, history of coaching stars and toughness. Ham will start assembling a staff expected to include head coaching experience.

Ham first became an assistant coach at the NBA level with the Lakers from 2011 to 2013 before stints with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. Ham played a role in the Bucks winning a championship at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season as well.

Going with someone who isn't firmly established as an #NBA head coach is a risk on the Lakers' part, but since Ham spent eight seasons as an NBA player and won a championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, it shouldn't take him long to earn the respect of James, Davis and Co.

So Z Nation, what do you think about the Lakers hiring Darvin Ham as the next head coach???

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Lakers Off Season Plans | #Lakers Coaching Search | #WestbrookTradeRumors | #LakersFreeAgency

The Lakers will now start their off-season rebuild with high expectations.

What changes would you like to see?

Well, here are the changes I would like to see this off-season for the Lakers 💜💛:

First, hire an HC that has the respect and control of the locker room like Mark Jackson, Juwan Howard, or Nick Nurse.

Second, moving on from Russell Westbrook. Trade Russ for key pieces that work with LeBron and AD.

Third, trying to bring back players that worked out for the Lakers despite a disappointing season like Malik Monk, and Carmelo Anthony because of the shooting and Dwight Howard because of the rebound and defense.

Fourth, go into free agency and sign key players that are young talent who can play with LeBron and AD and can shoot, score, and plays defense. Rob Pelinka needs to build this roster back to not just a playoff team but a championship-caliber team next season.

So Z Nation, what do you think about my changes this off-season for the Lakers, do you agree or disagree???

Please give me your changes to the Lakers this off-season.

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Lakers Signed DJ Augustin; Waived DeAndre Jordan | Lakers Signed Wenyen Gabriel To A Two-Way Deal

The Los Angeles Lakers didn't make any significant changes to their underperforming roster ahead of the trade deadline, but they will reportedly make a move to bolster their backcourt before the season's stretch run.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Monday the Purple and Gold "intend to waive DeAndre Jordan and sign free agent guard D.J. Augustin" to back up Russell Westbrook and provide additional shooting.

Charania also reported the Lakers plan to sign Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way NBA contract.

Gabriel played collegiately at Kentucky and has appeared in a combined 58 NBA games the past three seasons for the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.

He played seven games this season for the Nets and Clippers and averaged 2.0 points and 2.1 rebounds.

The Jordan and Augustin move is the one that will generate the most headlines considering their respective resumes.

After all, there was a time when Jordan was one of the most productive big men in the league during his prime on the Clippers. He was an All-Star in 2016-17 and is a three-time All-NBA selection, two-time All-Defensive selection and two-time rebounding champion.

Yet Jordan's days of skying above the rim for Chris Paul alley-oops and notching double-doubles on an almost nightly basis appear to be in the past. The 33-year-old played 32 games for the Lakers this season and averaged 4.1 points and 5.4 rebounds a night.

Jordan largely fell out of the team's rotation and hasn't played more than 20 minutes since Dec. 19.

The addition of Augustin will give the Lakers another ball-handler and veteran presence in the backcourt. The Texas product has been in the league since the 2008-09 campaign and has suited up for the Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets.

He appeared in 34 games this season for the Rockets and averaged 5.4 points, 2.2 assists and 1.2 rebounds while shooting an impressive 40.6 percent from three-point range.

It is that shooting that surely made Augustin attractive for Los Angeles considering Westbrook notoriously struggles from deep and there are plenty of outside looks available when playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

So Z Nation, what do you think about the Lakers signing DJ Augustin and waiving DeAndre Jordan???

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Lakers Embarrassed By #Pelicans 95-123, #LAKERSRANT!!!!

The Lakers looked like a team ready to give up on the season on Sunday, losing to the Pelicans with a completely listless effort at home.

The Lakers have pretty clearly given up on the season and Sunday was the glaring example of that as the Pelicans raced them off their home court, 123-95.

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook had 14 combined turnovers — seven apiece — in the first three quarters. While James did contribute 32 points, six rebounds and three assists, Russell Westbrook had 15 points and one assist. Carmelo Anthony tried to bring his Staples Melo best, scoring 13 points but it was never enough.

For a team that needed a strong start out of the gate of the All-Star break, the Lakers have done anything but through the first two games with back-to-back losses and now are teetering closer to falling out of the bottom of the play-in game than conceivably making a run to the sixth seed.

Neither team shot out of the gate with much venom. The Lakers struggled with some head-scratching turnovers early on that allowed New Orleans an early 12-9 lead. The turnovers continued throughout the quarter as the Lakers continued to struggle offensively.

Malik Monk tried to provide a spark defensively with a wild sequence akin to that of Ja Morant’s against the Lakers earlier this season.

Tried was the keyword, though, as they only continued turning the ball over offensively as the Pelicans continued building their lead, A 3-pointer by Talen Horton-Tucker offered some life and allowed the Lakers to trail by just four points after one quarter despite shooting 1/7 from the 3-point line and committing nine turnovers.

The Lakers promptly turned the ball over in the second quarter leading directly to a Pelicans 3-pointer, then extended the lead to nine points after a CJ McCollum jumper, forcing a timeout at 31-22 New Orleans. Carmelo Anthony would finally spark something of a run with a 3-pointer and a dunk as part of a 7-1 spurt to cut the lead to 34-31.

That spark was very short-lived as the Pelicans pieced together a 10-0 run late in the quarter to open up a 51-37 lead. James stopped the run with a banked-in 3-pointer but 16 first-half turnovers allowed New Orleans to lead by double digits at halftime.

Things escalated quickly in the second half as the turnovers problems did subside but the lack of good basketball players for the Lakers problem did not. New Orleans built up a 19-point lead after a McCollum 3-pointer. Jonas Valančiūnas pushed the lead to 22 points as the Crypto.com Arena crowd serenaded the Lakers with boos.

The Lakers continued to offer no resistance. DeAndre Jordan’s five-minute cameo did not solve matters as he had a plus-minus of -10 in that span in the third quarter. Brandon Ingram’s driving layup gave them a 30-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

So Z Nation, who’s to blame for the Lakers quitting tonight against New Orleans Pelicans???

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Lakers Lose Must-Win Game To #Clippers 102-105, Lakers In TROUBLE!!!

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 105-102 on Friday at #Crypto.comArena.

Seven Clippers scored in double digits, led by Terance Mann with 19. Mann also had 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Luke Kennard scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half.

Lakers forward LeBron James, who was listed as questionable with left knee soreness, suited up and posted 21 points and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony each scored 18, and Dwight Howard posted 14 points and 16 rebounds.

A game in which the Lakers erased a 16-point Clippers lead came down to the final minute.

Forward Marcus Morris Sr. hit a jumper to put the Clips up 103-102 with 39.4 seconds left.

Westbrook missed a two-pointer in response, but the Clippers then committed an eight-second turnover violation.

The Lakers called timeout to set up a final play. The Clippers double-teamed James, who then dished to Anthony. Melo fired a deep three for the lead, but it was short.

The Lakers fouled after a rebound by Clippers forward Robert Covington, and Reggie Jackson hit two free throws for a 105-102 lead. Having used their last timeout, the Lakers needed to go the full length of the court with 2.2 seconds left. They got a gift when the ball deflected off the Clippers in the Lakers' end of the court.

James then shot a turnaround three-point jumper, but it did not connect.

Both teams were playing their first game since the All-Star break.

Notable Performances

Lakers F LeBron James: 21 points, 11 rebounds

Lakers F Carmelo Anthony: 18 points, 5 rebounds

Lakers PG Russell Westbrook: 18 points, 1 steal

Lakers C Dwight Howard: 14 points, 16 rebounds, 3 Blocks

Clippers G Terance Mann: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals

Clippers F Luke Kennard: 18 points, 6 rebounds

Clippers G Reggie Jackson: 17 points, 6 assists

Lakers Climb All the Way Back But Can't Finish In Clutch Time Moments.

If not for James' 14 first-half points in concert with Howard's phenomenal performance, this game could have been over by halftime.

Alas, the Lakers got the chance, but they didn't take advantage.

In response to the Clippers' frigid third-quarter start, the Lakers cut their opponents' lead own to 61-58 after a Russell Westbrook layup.

Mann responded with two straight buckets to put the Clips back up seven.

But the Lakers went on a quarter-ending 20-7 run largely because of Anthony, Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Monk.

The Clippers got back on track in the fourth quarter, but the trio of Monk, Melo and THT kept doing the work.

Horton-Tucker had eight points in the final frame, including a three in response to a Coffey floater. Anthony then downed a pair of three-pointers.

However, the final four minutes went poorly for the Lakers, whose offense reverted back to its cold first-half form. Credit to L.A. for storming back after a bleak start, but they couldn't finish the job.

The Lakers are hosting the New Orleans Pelicans at 10 p.m. ET.

So Z Nation, who is to blame for the Lakers heartbreaking loss to the LA Clippers???

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KlutchSports Reportedly 'Not Happy' With #Lakers GM #RobPelinka , What Does That Mean For The Lakers

Klutch Sports Group, the agency associated with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, is reportedly unhappy with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report offered some insight into the matter.

"According to multiple NBA sources, Klutch is not happy with Pelinka," Pincus wrote. "The sentiment has long percolated, but it reached a boil when Pelinka refused to trade [Russell] Westbrook and a future first-round pick (likely 2027) for Houston Rockets guard and Klutch client John Wall."

Westbrook was acquired by the Lakers over the summer, with L.A. hoping that the move would bolster the team's chances at winning another title.

Instead, Westbrook's inability to establish a smooth chemistry with his teammates has contributed to what's been a brutal season for the Lakers.

At the All-Star break, the #Lakers have a record of 27-31. They are simply trying to reach the postseason at this point. The absence of superstar Anthony Davis due to injury will only make things tougher.

L.A.'s struggles could also impact James's future with the team. There has been a lot of speculation about what the superstar's next move will be. He recently spoke about wanting to conclude his career by playing on the same team as his son. There's obviously a solid chance that he'll have to leave L.A. in order to do so.

On the bright side, it seems like there's time for Pelinka and Klutch Sports to patch up any differences they may have with each other.

However, they need to fix things as quickly as possible. James' future with the team could depend on it.

So Z Nation, what should the Lakers and Rob Pelinka do about the drama between the organization, Klutch Sports and LeBron James???

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Anthony Davis Injury Timeline Revealed | Lakers News

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis will be reevaluated in four weeks after being diagnosed with a mid-foot sprain.

Davis is one of the NBA's most impactful players when healthy. He's an eight-time All-Star and a four-time All-NBA first-team selection who's averaging 23.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 blocks in 37 appearances during the 2021-22 season.

Injuries have been a consistent factor throughout his career, though. He's played more than 70 games only twice across 10 NBA seasons. That includes numerous absences since joining the Lakers ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, with mostly ailments of the minor variety.

He suffered an ankle injury in a Feb. 16 game against the Utah Jazz, the team's final contest before the All-Star break.

So Z Nation, what next for the Lakers after AD injury???

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Lakers Eyeing Dennis Schroder If Bought Out By The Houston Rockets | Lakers Buyout Targets

After failing to make a move before Thursday's trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers are holding out hope that roster upgrades will be available on the buyout market.

Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, the Lakers have interest in bringing back Dennis Schroder if he gets bought out by the Houston Rockets.

Schroder, Enes Kanter Freedom and Bruno Fernando were traded by the Boston Celtics to the Rockets for Daniel Theis on Thursday.

The Lakers tried to make a deal with Houston before the deadline, but Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported they rejected the Rockets' request to include their 2027 first-round draft pick as part of a package with Russell Westbrook for John Wall.

Per The Athletic's Bill Oram, Los Angeles "kicked the tires" on a deal with the Celtics for Schroder.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday evening, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said they were "aggressive in a lot of conversations" to make a deal.

"But ultimately we didn’t find a deal that had a net positive effect for the short term success of the team and the long term, and those are both things we consider," Pelinka explained.

Schroder knows the Lakers very well after playing for the team last season. He left as a free agent during the offseason, settling for a one-year, $5.9 million deal with Boston.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on The Hoop Collective Podcast (h/t CBS Sports' Brad Botkin) last June that Schroder turned down a four-year, $84 million extension from the Lakers during the 2020-21 season.

Schroder averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game in 61 starts with Los Angeles last year. The 28-year-old was putting up 14.4 points, 4.2 assists and shooting 44.0 percent from the field in 49 starts for the Celtics before being traded.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers bring back Dennis Schroder if bought out by the Houston Rockets???

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Lakers Make No Moves At Trade Deadline | Lakers Focus Buyout Markets | Lakers Future Moving Forward

Despite their recent struggles, the Los Angeles Lakers did not make any trades before Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers plan on exploring the buyout market following the deadline.

Despite having won a championship two years ago and being anchored by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are a disappointing 26-30 this season and stuck in ninth place in the Western Conference.

Some of the Lakers' issues can be attributed to James and AD missing significant time due to injury, but they haven't really found their stride with both players healthy in recent games either.

L.A. has lost two games in a row and six of its past eight, including an embarrassing 107-105 loss Wednesday to a Portland Trail Blazers team that traded CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington, and was without Damian Lillard due to injury.

While the Lakers conceivably would have liked to have improved on the trade market, they didn't have many enticing pieces to offer.

The only player on their roster besides James or Davis who is guaranteed to be under contract next season is Talen Horton-Tucker, who has struggled this season.

The Lakers would seemingly like to move on from Russell Westbrook as well amid his inefficiency and turnover issues, but no team would be willing to take on his $44 million salary and $47 million player option for next season.

While the Lakers are perhaps the biggest disappointment in the NBA since they have championship aspirations, the Knicks may not be too far behind.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported early Thursday morning that the Lakers, Knicks and Toronto Raptors had discussed a three-team trade that would have sent Reddish and Burks from the Knicks to the Lakers, Goran Dragic and draft picks from the Raptors to the Knicks, and Horton-Tucker and Nerlens Noel from the Lakers and Knicks, respectively, to the Raptors.

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly considered trading for several players ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline, including former Boston Celtics guard Dennis Schroder and New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish, according to The Athletic's Bill Oram.

A three-team deal for Reddish, which also would have included Raptors center Khem Birch, reportedly fell through because New York and Toronto couldn't agree on draft compensation.

A deal for Schroder, who played in L.A. last season, wasn't reached because "there was some pushback from some in the organization" about a reunion with the veteran guard, Oram notes. However, Boston's asking price for Schroder was reportedly the bigger factor in preventing a deal.

So now the Lakers will move on and focus on the buyout market to see who they can sign that will be a great fit on this Struggling Lakers team.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers not making a move at the trade deadline??? Was it smart? Or dumb???

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Russell Westbrook & Lakers Battle VS Hornets 114-117 With No LeBron And AD, Westbrook 35 Pts

Lakers have been struggling as of late, entering Friday with a 3-6 record in their last nine games. Given the team's struggles, and the absences of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it's not necessarily surprising Ball and Co. turned up the dial. Notable Stats

LaMelo Ball, PG, CHA: 20 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK

Russell Westbrook, PG, LAL: 35 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST

Miles Bridges, SF, CHA: 26 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK

Carmelo Anthony, PF, LAL: 19 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK

Terry Rozier, SG, CHA: 20 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST

Austin Reaves, SG, LAL: 16 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST

Russell Westbrook's Effort Not Enough.

With James and Davis sidelined, the Lakers lacked star power Friday night against the Hornets. Sure, Russell Westbrook had one of his better games of the season, finishing with 35 points to help give L.A. the chance to win. However, his efforts weren't enough as the rest of the starting lineup fell short.

Aside from Westbrook, the Lakers' most effective players were Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore and Austin Reaves. All three played off the bench.

It's somewhat of a good sign that the Lakers got a lot of punch from their bench, but the starters' struggles highlight the fact the team won't find much success when James and Davis aren't on the floor.

James, who leads the team in points, and Davis, who ranks second in points, are the two most effective players the Lakers have. Davis also ranks first in rebounds and third in assists, while James ranks third and second in those categories, respectively.

James missed Friday's game with left knee soreness, while Davis, who missed 17 games with a sprained MCL before returning Jan. 25, sat out with a sore right wrist.

When James and Davis return, it will be critical they try to develop some chemistry with Westbrook, because clearly he can still ball when called upon. Otherwise, it could be a long second half of the season as the trio has struggled when on the court together.

Lakers will travel to face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

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Lakers Blown Out By 76ers 87-105 With No LeBron, Anthony Davis Dominated With 31 Pts, 12 Rebs

The Lakers missed James, who sat with a sore left knee. Head coach Frank Vogel relayed the news to reporters pregame. Anthony Davis did all he could to keep the Lakers in this game, scoring 31 points on 14-of-21 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds. The rest of the team largely struggled, though, making 22-of-67 field goals.

The 29-19 76ers have now won four of their last five games. The 24-25 Lakers have alternated losses and wins over their past seven matchups.

Notable Performances:

Lakers F/C Anthony Davis: 31 points, 12 rebounds

Lakers G Russell Westbrook: 20 points

Lakers G Malik Monk: 11 points, 5 assists

76ers C Joel Embiid: 26 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists

76ers F Tobias Harris: 23 points, 5 rebounds

76ers G Tyrese Maxey: 14 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds

AD Does It All for Lakers.

The Lakers' lone silver lining is that Davis looked like his best self in his second game back after missing over a month with a sprained MCL.

The second half was largely a disaster for L.A., as the 76ers dominated on both ends. James' absence clearly played a part, and the Lakers' inability to produce much offense outside AD did as well.

Still, the Lakers could perhaps (finally) get on a consistent winning track if they have a healthy James and Davis together, especially with the latter looking great.

Having the two on the court together has been a luxury all season, but they could hit their stride if that pairing is finally realized on anything more than a sporadic basis this year.

The Lakers will visit the Charlotte Hornets on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

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Lakers Embarrassed In Denver 133-96, LeBron James 25 Pts, Lakers NO-SHOW

The Los Angeles Lakers' topsy-turvy season has taken another dip.

The Denver Nuggets handed L.A. its third straight loss Saturday night, absolutely smashing the Lakers 133-96 behind Nikola Jokic's eighth triple-double of the season and a Bones Hyland double-double.

Denver moved to 22-19 on the season with the win, while the Lakers dipped back under .500 (21-22) with the loss. One piece of good news for the Lakers in an otherwise disappointing season to date is that just six teams in the Western Conference have winning records to date.

The other piece of good news is that, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, there is "optimism" within the organization that superstar big man Anthony Davis "could return to game action sometime during L.A.'s long road trip at the end of the month."

The Lakers desperately need Davis. Since spraining his MCL in mid-December, they're just 5-8. And a Nuggets team dealing with its own injury issues this season hammered them Saturday, as Jokic added another bullet point to his MVP candidacy.

Key Stats:

Nikola Jokic, DEN: 17 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds

Bones Hyland, DEN: 27 points, 10 rebounds

Jeff Green, DEN: 26 points, four assists

LeBron James, LAL: 25 points, nine rebounds

Russell Westbrook, LAL: 19 points, five rebounds

Dwight Howard, LAL: 13 points

AD's Absence Is Killing the Lakers.

The Lakers are a mess, and while some of the problems seem to be issues of wonky roster construction, there's little doubt that Davis' injury absence is exposing some fundamental concerns, namely on the defensive end.

And that has to be at least part of why L.A.'s general vibe of late has just felt...off.

It would be easy to blame Westbrook's poor fit next to James, or the absence of AD, for the team's struggles. But the Lakers shouldn't go from good on the defensive end to downright dreadful without AD. There appear to be deeper issues with this team.

They now have half a season to resolve them.

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Lakers Outlast King 122-114, LeBron James 31 Pts, Westbrook ZERO Turnovers

LeBron James scored 14 of his 31 points in the final eight minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings 122-114 on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.

Sacramento led 96-89 with 8:11 left in the fourth after a Davion Mitchell floater capped an 11-0 run, but James took over down the stretch.

He hit two three-pointers and four layups and assisted on a pair of Malik Monk threes. The second Monk triple gave the Lakers the lead for good at 112-110 with 2:50 remaining in regulation.

James led all scorers. Monk scored 24 points and went 6-of-11 from three-point range. Dwight Howard dominated off the bench with a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double in 21 minutes.

De'Aaron Fox paced the Kings with 30 points, and Buddy Hield posted 26 points thanks in part to seven three-pointers.

The 20-19 Lakers have won three straight games. The Kings, who had won three of four entering Tuesday, dropped to 16-23.

Notable Performances:

Lakers F LeBron James: 31 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds

Lakers SG Malik Monk: 24 points

Lakers PG Russell Westbrook: 19 points, ZERO turnovers

Lakers SG Talen Horton Tucker: 19 points

Lakers C Dwight Howard: 14 points, 14 rebounds

Kings PG De'Aaron Fox: 30 points, 6 assists

Kings SG Buddy Hield: 26 points, 5 rebounds

LeBron, Monk Put on a Show in the 4th Quarter

The Kings went on an 11-0 run to take a 96-89 fourth-quarter lead. During that stretch, the Lakers went empty on five straight possessions thanks to two blocked shots, two turnovers and a missed three-pointer. Meanwhile, the Kings caught fire, causing the Lakers to call a timeout.

From that point forward, it was the LeBron James Show, with Monk acting as his sidekick.

James hit two quick buckets, but Hield responded with a pair of free throws.

Undeterred, Monk then nailed a three-pointer to cut the Kings' edge to 98-96. The Kings then scored four of the next six points, but Monk hit another three to slash the deficit to 102-101. The Lakers face numerous obstacles these days with their defense struggling (in part because of Anthony Davis being sidelined with an injury), forcing them to win some shootouts.

That happened Tuesday with two scorching-hot players continuing their torrid pace.

James has 34.9 points per game in his last nine. Monk has now averaged 20.7 points in his last six games. Together, they willed the Lakers over .500, perhaps for good.

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Lakers Beat Timberwolves 108-103 Despite Westbrook TURNOVERS, LeBron 26 Pts, Monk 22 Pts, 4-9 3PT

The Los Angeles Lakers got back to .500 with a 108-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

LeBron James led the way with 26 points as Los Angeles improved to 19-19. It ends his streak of seven straight 30-point games. Malik Monk added 22 points and Russell Westbrook had 20.

It was a revenge victory for the Lakers, as they lost the previous two meetings against the Timberwolves earlier this season. The two teams will meet one more time this year in March.

The Timberwolves fell to 16-20 after their third straight loss. Naz Reid had a season-high 23 points to go with 11 rebounds.

Minnesota was playing without star big man Karl-Anthony Towns and point guard D'Angelo Russell, who are both in the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Notable Stats

F LeBron James, LAL: 26 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals

G Malik Monk, LAL: 22 points, 4-9 3PT

G Russell Westbrook, LAL: 20 points, 9 turnovers

F Carmelo Anthony, LAL: 14 points, 3-7 3PT

C Naz Reid, MIN: 23 points, 11 rebounds

G Anthony Edwards, MIN: 18 points, 7 rebounds

G Jaylen Nowell, MIN: 17 points (off bench)

Lakers Win Despite Sloppy Game

Despite playing at home, Los Angeles looked uncomfortable all night and played with a lack of discipline. The team's messy play allowed Minnesota to keep the game competitive.

The Lakers had 11 turnovers in the first half with seven of them coming from Russell Westbrook alone. They also did a horrible job of finishing defensive possessions, allowing the Timberwolves to get offensive rebounds and dominate inside. Los Angeles entered the fourth quarter trailing by two against a team playing without two of its best players.

But the Lakers were able to get timely buckets and stops to put the game away. Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony combined for 17 points in the fourth quarter. Defensive specialist Avery Bradley did a solid job slowing down Minnesota's backcourt players.

It was a much-needed win to get the team back on track, but the Lakers should not be satisfied with it. Los Angeles was outrebounded 56-28, finished with 16 turnovers and surrendered 58 points in the paint and 20 second-chance points.

The Lakers will have to clean things up going forward to truly compete against the elite teams in the Western Conference.

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LeBron James got his second start at center after turning 37, and continued to dominate in that role as the Lakers routed the Trail Blazers to ring in the New Year.

The end of 2021 treated the Lakers a whole lot better than most of the year did. LeBron James got his second career start at center, Frank Vogel returned to the sidelines after several weeks away with COVID-19, and the team beat the brakes of the Portland Trail Blazers in a wire-to-wire, 139-106 victory on New Year’s Eve.

The Lakers led by as much as 20 points in the first half, as the Blazers had absolutely no answer for the team’s center-less lineups around James right from the jump. The amount of space that the 19-year veteran and the team’s other ballhandlers had to bulldoze their way to the rim for easy buckets or to set up 3-point shooters was almost staggering to behold.

Here’s to a better 2022, and happy new year to you all.

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Lakers Get Road Win Over Rockets 132-123, Lakers Snap 5 Game Losing Streak, LeBron and Westbrook Both Triple-Double

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the win column.

Finally.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 132-123 in Tuesday's Western Conference showdown at Toyota Center. LeBron James, Malik Monk, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook led the way in a balanced effort for the victors, who snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 17-18 on the campaign.

James and Westbrook finished with triple-doubles to help make up for the absence of Anthony Davis.

LeBron James Becomes 3rd Player All-Time With 36,000 Career Points.

He joins Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar atop the list.

The closest active player to James is his teammate Carmelo Anthony, who is No. 9 on the list with 27,844 points. In addition, James is the youngest player to reach every round number milestone in points, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

Jalen Green, Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. played well in defeat for Houston, which fell to 10-25 with a fifth consecutive loss.

Notable Player Stats:

LeBron James, F, LAL: 32 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST, 2 BLK, 1 STL

Russell Westbrook, G, LAL: 24 PTS, 12 REB, 10 AST, 2 STL, 7 TO

Malik Monk, G, LAL: 25 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST

Carmelo Anthony, F, LAL: 24 PTS, 9 REB, 2 BLK

Jalen Green, G, HOU: 24 PTS, 4 AST, 2 REB, 2 STL

Christian Wood, C, HOU: 22 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL

Kevin Porter Jr., G, HOU: 22 PTS, 9 AST, 5 REB

Offense Breaks Through for Slumping Lakers.

The Lakers came into the season with championship-or-bust expectations, but they have looked like a team with the ceiling of a play-in tournament of late as they tumble down the standings. Fortunately for Los Angeles fans, Anthony made a clutch three-pointer and James took over by attacking the lane and taking advantage of free-throw attempts after struggling on the line earlier in the game.

It took a night of offensive fireworks to overcome the defensive issues, but the Lakers managed to snap their losing streak against an overmatched opponent.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers win against the Houston Rockets??? And how do you like LeBron James becomes 3rd Player All-Time With 36,000 Career Points???

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Lakers Fall To The Nets On Christmas Day Despite Comeback Effort, LeBron 39 Pts, Monk 20 Pts

In their first game in a week, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 122-115 on Christmas Day. The Nets had their previous three games postponed because of the recent COVID-19 outbreak in the NBA.

The Nets were without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who are among seven players on the team in health and safety protocols.

The Lakers fell to 16-18 and have now lost a season-high five consecutive games. LeBron James led Los Angeles with 39 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Notable Player Stats:

G James Harden, BKN: 36 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists

G Patty Mills, BKN: 34 points (8-of-13 3-pt FG), 7 assists

F LeBron James, LAL: 39 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists

G Malik Monk, LAL: 20 points (off bench)

F Carmelo Anthony, LAL: 17 points, 11 rebounds (off bench)

G Russell Westbrook, LAL: 13 points (4-of-20 FG), 12 rebounds, 11 assists

Lakers' Pair of Comebacks Fall Short.

There's no sugarcoating this one. The Lakers should have won Saturday's game. Yes, Los Angeles is without star big man Anthony Davis. But the Nets were playing without an MVP candidate in Durant and another All-Star in Irving. On paper, this game was set up perfectly for the Lakers to end their losing skid.

But they couldn't.

Los Angeles allowed the Nets to open up a 17-point lead in the first half. Instead of focusing in on stopping Brooklyn's top two scoring options Harden and Mills, the Lakers allowed them to get into a rhythm early.

The Lakers managed to claw their way back into the game and trailed by just four at halftime. They even managed to take the lead in the third quarter, but it quickly vanished because of the team's lack of discipline.

Defensive lapses have plagued the Los Angeles throughout the season, and Saturday night was no different. Brooklyn shot 61.9 percent from the field in the third quarter to build a 20-point lead. It's the third consecutive game that the Lakers have trailed by 20 points or more.

Not going down without a fight, James and company had another comeback in them. Los Angeles went on a 22-3 run and eventually tied the game. But it just wasn't enough as Brooklyn was able to get stops when it counted most.

Saturday's loss will be hard for the Lakers to get over. The team showed fight to comeback from double-digit deficits twice in the same game, but there are no consolation prizes in the NBA.

Los Angeles is a flawed team that has multiple issues to address on both ends of the floor if it hopes to be in contention for a title this year.

The Lakers will look to end their skid on Tuesday against the Houston Rockets.

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Lakers Suffer Embarrassing Loss To The Spurs 138-110, LeBron and Westbrook Combined For 66 Pts

LeBron James did all he could to propel the short-handed Lakers to victory, scoring a game-high 36 points alongside nine rebounds and six assists. However, the rest of the Lakers largely struggled on both ends en route to the 28-point loss.

Seven players were listed on the Lakers' injury report before the game.

Lakers big man Anthony Davis (sprained left MCL) and Kendrick Nunn (bone bruise: right knee) continued to be out with injuries. Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Avery Bradley, Malik Monk and Austin Reaves were out because of the NBA's health and safety protocols.

This game also marked the last contest in Staples Center, which will go by Crypto.com Arena moving forward.

The 13-18 Spurs have won two straight games. The 16-17 Lakers have lost four consecutive contests.

Notable Performances:

Spurs F Keita Bates-Diop: 30 points, 7 rebounds

Spurs F Keldon Johnson: 16 points, 10 rebounds

Spurs G Derrick White: 23 points, 7 assists

Spurs G Lonnie Walker IV: 21 points

Lakers F LeBron James: 36 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists

Lakers PG Russell Westbrook: 30 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

Struggling Lakers Close Staples Center With a Whimper.

It was an ugly first half for any Laker not named James, who had 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting (2-of-4 three-point range) at halftime.

The rest of the team had 32 points on 12-of-29 shooting (1-of-10 on three-pointers).

James also co-led the team in rebounds (six, with Dwight Howard) and paced the Lakers with four assists.

This play more or less symbolized the Lakers' first half, with James doing everything in his willpower just to score a bucket.

He took care of business himself here by spinning around White to the baseline and tossing a reverse layup over Jakob Poeltl as he hung in midair. The other player referenced there was Howard, who did work on the glass (nine rebounds) and added a pair of blocks. L.A. ended up outscoring San Antonio 68-50 in the paint.

Russell Westbrook got going in the third quarter, scoring 17 of his 30 points. However, the Lakers' defense had no answer for San Antonio, who scored 33 points in the first, second and fourth quarters and 39 in the third.

By that point, the damage was done.

The Lakers' worst defensive effort of the season, coupled with an imbalanced offense for much of the game, closed the Staples Center era with a lopsided defeat for the home side.

The Lakers are scheduled to host the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Crypto.com Arena's debut.

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Lakers HC Frank Vogel Enters COVID Protocols; David Fizdale to Coach vs. Bulls

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without head coach Frank Vogel for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bulls.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Vogel was placed in the league's health and safety protocols ahead of the contest. That means David Fizdale will be the acting head coach.

Fizdale has head coaching experience from his time with the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks.

Sunday's game between the Lakers and the Bulls pits two of the teams that have made many of the league's headlines of late when it comes to the health and safety protocols against each other.

L.A. has also missed assistant coach Phil Handy the last two games because of the health and safety protocols.

In addition to Vogel, 48, Lakers swingman Kent Bazemore also entered the protocols Sunday. Bazemore joins teammates Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves in the league's health and safety protocols.

The Lakers are also without Anthony Davis, who will miss about four weeks with an MCL sprain in his left knee.

Russell Westbrook was in protocols but was ruled clear and available prior to Friday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

LeBron James was also in protocols earlier this month, but Charania reported the initial positive test was inconclusive and he was cleared with multiple negative ones.

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Lakers Lose Westbrook & Bradley Due To Health and Safety Protocols, Lakers Sign Isaiah Thomas

Veteran point guard Isaiah Thomas had 42 points in his G League debut on Wednesday, and that performance reportedly was enough to impress the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Thomas signed a 10-day contract with Los Angeles on Thursday.

Thomas was last in the NBA near the end of last season, playing three games for the New Orleans Pelicans in the month of April. After he was unable to land with another team through the first two months of this season, Thomas signed a G League deal with the Grand Rapids Gold, the affiliate of the Denver Nuggets.

Thomas has played for eight teams during his 11-year career. This will be his second run with the Lakers after he was traded to Los Angeles midway through the 2017-18 season. Thomas was limited to 17 games during his first stint with the team because of hip surgery.

Los Angeles Lakers guards Russell Westbrook and Avery Bradley have entered the NBA's COVID-19 protocols, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin.

Westbrook and Bradley reportedly become the latest Laker to enter protocols this week. Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard and Malik Monk were all placed in protocols earlier this week.

Of note, Los Angeles bolstered its backcourt depth by signing two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract on Thursday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

The Lakers currently sit sixth in the Western Conference at 16-13.

This latest development involving Westbrook is particularly important because of how much time LeBron James missed because of an abdominal strain. Head coach Frank Vogel hasn't had his three best players all healthy for very much of the season, which is tough when one of the three hasn't built on-court chemistry with the other two.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers signing IT and how to you feel about the Lakers chances moving forward without Westbrook, Avery, Dwight, THT, and Monk due to COVID????

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Austin Reaves To Sign 2-year Contract With Lakers, Reaves Will Be LA's 14th Roster Spot

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly filled out their 14th roster spot Sunday.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Purple and Gold will sign guard Austin Reaves to a two-year contract. The plan is to convert his deal to a standard NBA one after he was previously on a two-way contract with the G League.

So Z Nation, how do you like the Lakers sign Austin Reeves for the 14th roster spot???

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DeAndre Jordan to Sign 1-Year, $2.6M Lakers Contract After Clearing Waivers

DeAndre Jordan will sign a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after clearing waivers, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

Charania and Wojnarowski both reported that the Pistons intended to waive Jordan following a buyout, making him a free agent if he clears waivers.

Charania and James Edwards III of The Athletic also added that Jordan intends to give back $4 million of the remaining $20 million on his deal as part of the buyout agreement with Detroit.

Wojnarowski reported earlier Friday that the Lakers were a "serious contender" for Jordan if the Pistons bought him out. With that appearing to be the case, Jordan will join a Lakers team that has a bevy of veterans 30 years or older playing on one-year deals surrounding a big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.

Jordan is entering his 14th NBA season, and this is his second stint in L.A. The first one was with the Clippers, who selected the ex-Texas A&M big man with the 35th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft.

Jordan averaged 9.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game during his 10 seasons with the L.A. Clippers, which included a pair of rebounding titles and a 2017 All-Star Game appearance.

Jordan signed as a free agent with the Dallas Mavericks in the summer of 2018. Since then, he's also played for the New York Knicks and Nets.

So Z Nation, how do you like DeAndre Jordan Signing with the Lakers???

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Lakers Frontrunners To Sign Rajon Rondo Following Grizzlies Buyout | Rajon Rondo Lakers 2021

Rajon Rondo is set to don the purple and gold once again. After being bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Los Angeles Lakers are the most likely team to sign the 15-year veteran.

Rondo will clear waivers on Monday and will likely be signed to fill the final available roster spot with the Lakers, sources tell ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

Rajon Rondo has bounced around the league quite a bit in the last 12 months. After winning a title with the Lakers in the bubble in 2020, he signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks. From there, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Lou Williams, two second-round picks and cash considerations.

After an underwhelming performance in the 2021 postseason with the Clippers, Rondo was sent to Memphis alongside Patrick Beverley and Daniel Oturu in exchange for Eric Bledsoe.

Rondo thrived as a member of the Lakers just a season ago, hitting 40 percent of his three-point attempts in the postseason and looking like their third-best player at times. The Lakers will need Rondo to reach these numbers again next season, as they are already low on floor-spacing after acquiring a shaky shooter in Russell Westbrook.

The veteran guard will be in competition for the backup point guard role with Kendrick Nunn, whom the Lakers acquired earlier this offseason. Nunn is significantly younger than Rondo (age 26 as opposed to 35), and could provide more of a scoring punch off the bench. Even if he doesn’t see much playing time this season, Rondo offers a veteran presence in the locker room that LeBron James and Frank Vogel both value.

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Lakers Potential Starting Lineup 2021-2022 Season | Who Should The Lakers Start?!?!

The Los Angeles Lakers have undergone extreme roster turnover over the past two seasons in the wake of winning a championship in 2020 and a first-round playoff exit in 2021. Heading into 2021-22, only LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Talen Horton-Tucker remain from the 2020 title team, though they recently brought back Dwight Howard, who spent last season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Newcomers Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Wayne Ellington, Kendrick Nunn, Trevor Ariza, Malik Monk and Kent Bazemore will all play key roles for the Lakers.

Getting more talent is step one. Putting it all together is step two.

Now, coach Frank Vogel must build lineups that maximize everyone's talents. The first question: Assuming good health for everyone, how should the Lakers start games this season?

So Z Nation, who should the Lakers start alongside the Big 3???

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Lakers Free Agency So Far | Carmelo Anthony Lands In LA | Malik Monk And Kendrick Nunn Taking Less

There is little doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as one of the biggest winners following what was a frenzied Day 1 of free agency. LeBron James is well aware of his team’s epic haul over the past 24 hours and The King has taken to social media to share his reaction to the same.

All LeBron did was post an image of each of the Lakers’ eight new acquisitions. This was more than enough to indicate how pumped he is about LA’s squad heading into the new season.

Prior to free agency officially opening, the Lakers already struck a deal with the Washington Wizards to acquire Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster deal. This was the start of a flurry of moves from LA, which included the additions of Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, Malik Monk, Carmelo Anthony, and Kendrick Nunn. Needless to say, the Lakers have been busy and they have wasted no time in bolstering their lineup for what should be a bounce-back campaign for them in 2021-22. It is worth noting, however, that LA also lost a number of key players already. Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are heading to Washington as part of the Westbrook deal, while Alex Caruso is now a Chicago Bull. Andre Drummond has signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, while Dennis Schroder is also expected to part ways with the Lakers.

LA will be fielding an entirely new squad for the upcoming season, but by the looks of it, The King is more than happy with how things have shaped up.

So Z Nation, how are you loving this Lakers team so far? And Who should the Lakers sign next in free agency???

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Carmelo Anthony Signs With The Los Angeles Lakers | Melo Lakers 2021 | NBA Free Agency

Carmelo Anthony and the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a contract on Tuesday, his manager Bay Frazier told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

This comes after NBA insider Marc Stein reported Monday night that Anthony was "weighing interest" from both the Lakers and the New York Knicks, where he previously spent six-plus seasons.

Anthony, 37, has spent the last two seasons in Portland. He transitioned to a reserve role in 2020-21, averaging 13.4 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting a career-high 40.9 percent from three-point range.

Anthony is no longer at his Hall of Fame-level heights, but he's seemingly carved out a niche. If he can play 20-25 minutes per night and occasionally drop 20-plus points, this is a low-cost, decent-reward signing.

The Lakers are armed to the brim with Hall of Famers. The question will be fit. Anthony should slot in as a 20-minute guy on the edge of the rotation come playoff time.

So Z Nation, how do you feel about the Lakers signing Melo??? And how do you like the Lakers also signing Malik Monk???

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Lakers Agree To Deals With Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington In Lakers Reunion | NBA Free Agency 2021

The Los Angeles Lakers opened their free agency period by signing three familiar faces: Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza, and Wayne Ellington.

Ariza won a championship with L.A. in 2008-09, while Howard helped the Lakers to a title in 2019-20. He also spent one ill-fated season with the franchise alongside Kobe Bryant in 2012-13. Ellington, a sharpshooter, played for the Lakers in 2014-15.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the Ariza move. It had been all quiet on the LakeShow front almost two hours into 2021 NBA free agency, prior to the slew of signings.

Minutes later, Yahoo’s Chris Haynes broke the Ellington news.

Next, Los Angeles completed the trifecta with the Howard deal. They gave this scoop to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

In 12 minutes, three veterans were back in purple-and-gold.

None of the deals should come as a surprise. In fact, all three players were reported to have an interest in a return to L.A. Ariza — like Andre Drummond, Buddy Hield, and many others — is a former client of Pelinka’s.

On the court, all three make a ton of sense. The Lakers need long wing defenders, shooting, and rim protection/running, and each player checks one of those boxes, respectively. Ariza, at 36, can still knock down open threes, while Ellington, 33, is coming off the most productive three-point shooting season of his career with the Detroit Pistons (42.2%).

Howard, 35, was a vital ingredient to the 2019-20 team, and enthusiastically embraced a diminished role with limited responsibilities. He averaged 7.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game for the Philadelphia 76ers last season.

The big unknown, at the moment, is the details of the contracts, which could be essential to the Lakers’ flexibility going forward. Because of their clogged cap sheet following the Russell Westbrook trade, Los Angeles needs to fill out their roster with re-signings, the $5.9 taxpayer mid-level, and veteran minimums.

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Lakers Nearing Deal To Acquire Russell Westbrook | Russell Westbrook Lakers | Lakers Trade Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers are nearing a deal with the Washington Wizards to acquire Russell Westbrook for Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a 2021 draft pick, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Harrell has opted into his $9.7 million player option for next season, paving the way for the potential deal.

There's no agreement in place and work still to do on the Westbrook trade. Discussions toward a completed deal are largely centered on the draft compensation that would return to the Wizards in the trade -- whether it includes the Lakers' 22nd overall pick on Thursday night (8 ET on ABC, ESPN and the ESPN App) or perhaps second-rounders, sources told ESPN.

Lakers' talks with the Sacramento Kings on a possible Buddy Hield deal had also been ongoing between the two teams, sources told Wojnarowski.

If the trade goes down, Westbrook will join LeBron James, Anthony Davis & Co. in Los Angeles, giving the team a nine-time All-Star point guard. Westbrook, who turns 33 in November, has averaged a triple-double in a season four times in his career, including this past season. He would give the Lakers two of the top five players in career triple-doubles (Westbrook has 184, James 99).

One area where he could help L.A. would be his playmaking. The Lakers ranked 18th in points per game created off assists in 2020-21. Westbrook has led the NBA in that category three of the past four seasons, with the lone exception being the year he spent with James Harden in Houston.

Dennis Schroder ran the point for the Lakers this past season, but he turned down the maximum extension the Lakers were eligible to offer him during the regular season to pursue a more lucrative deal as a free agent this summer.

Westbrook, who is from Southern California and played at UCLA, is intrigued by the idea of returning to his Los Angeles roots, sources said.

As for Washington, the potential deal would be made with Bradley Beal in mind; it creates some salary-cap flexibility for the future to add talent around the star guard, sources told Wojnarowski. Beal is entering the last year of his contract and is poised to be a free agent next offseason.

The proposed trade would open up north of $25 million in room for Washington in 2022-23.

News of the deal had an immediate impact at sportsbooks. Per Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill, the Lakers moved from 4-1 to +350 to win the NBA title. The Brooklyn Nets are +225 favorites.

Westbrook, meanwhile, is the +110 favorite to be the NBA assist leader.

So Z Nation, what do you think about this Woj bomb breaking news about the Lakers nearing a deal for Westbrook?!?!

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Buddy Hield Lakers Trade Updates, Lakers Trade Rumors

Rumors are running rampant ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft and the Los Angeles Lakers are at the center of quite a few of them.

One rumor that has been discussed in recent days is the possibility of a Buddy Hield trade with the Sacramento Kings.

The Lakers and the Kings have reportedly spoken about a trade involving Kuzma — and more — for Hield. Given the team’s need for more outside shooting, Hield is a prime trade candidate for Los Angeles.

The next week is going to shape the short-term and long-term future of the Los Angeles Lakers as the draft and free agency gives them the opportunity to improve the roster in hopes of getting back into championship contention.

One of the biggest question marks surrounding the Lakers is the future of Montrezl Harrell as the big man has a $9.7 million player option for the 2021-22 season and has until July 31 to decide if he wants to pick it up or test free agency.

Harrell’s first season with the Lakers was filled with ups and downs as at times he was a key offensive force while others he was relegated to the bench due to concerns with his defense.

It was recently reported Harrell was leaning towards opting into the final year of his contract, which would make some sense for both sides. After the season Harrell had, it’s uncertain if he would get more than $9.7 million on the open market, and for the Lakers, they would have no means of replacing his salary if he opts out since they are already over the salary cap.

Even if Harrell opts in, that doesn’t mean that he would stay with the Lakers though as they would then be able to use him in trade packages. It appears that is what’s happening although Harrell is still not sure what he’s going to do, per Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype: Montrezl Harrell’s decision on his $9.7 million player option is considered a genuine “50-50” either way at this stage, multiple league sources told HoopsHype.

Harrell could exercise his player option and be traded. The Lakers and Kings have discussed a deal centered on Kyle Kuzma and Buddy Hield, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported. Multiple league sources told HoopsHype that Harrell and the Lakers’ 22nd overall pick were also discussed in variations of the trade talks centered around Kuzma and Hield.

The Buddy Hield trade involving Kyle Kuzma going to the Sacramento Kings is something that was reported within the last week. Harrell’s inclusion would help match salaries and give the Kings a big man to replace Richaun Holmes, who could walk in free agency.

If Harrell has no desire to play in Sacramento though, then it’s possible he chooses to opt out. So his course of action could determine a lot of the moves the Lakers make this summer.

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DeMar DeRozan says it would be a ‘great opportunity’ to play for hometown Lakers

Almost all professional athletes envision playing for their hometown team at some point during their careers. And when that hometown is Los Angeles and the team is the Lakers, those feelings are often amplified. Or at least, that certainly seems to be the case for veteran San Antonio Spurs guard and 2021 unrestricted free agent DeMar DeRozan.

Born and raised in Southern California, DeRozan attended Compton High School before playing one season at USC in 2008-09. The stars have never aligned for DeRozan to return to Los Angeles throughout his career, with his best years in Toronto coinciding with the Lakers' rebuilding years.

However, the veteran guard is a free agent this offseason and, with the Lakers having a possible opening for him, DeRozan sounds eager to come back home. Appearing on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast with Shannon Sharpe, DeRozan spoke about the possibility of playing for the Lakers next season:

“You can’t ask a kid if they want to play at home (and think) they’ll say no. At some point, you will definitely want to have that opportunity, and especially if they want you. Why not? It’s a great opportunity.”

DeRozan is coming off a productive season in San Antonio where he averaged 21.6 points, 6.9 assists and shot 49.5% from the field. He was the main offensive weapon for a Spurs side that made the play-in game, averaging the most shots per game and leading the team in usage rate at 26.1%.

Sharpe mentioned the need to share the ball and sacrifice shots if DeRozan were to return to Los Angeles and play with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In response, DeRozan brought up one of the league’s super teams in the Nets as an example of how things could work:

“You take Brooklyn as an example. Three of the greatest scorers this league has ever seen, and they balanced it out well. It sucks that they couldn’t be healthy through the whole (playoffs), because I think they would have been in the Finals. Those three guys, come on. And they figured it out, they worked it out and they had a great rhythm when they played together. It’s definitely possible to work and it’s all about just coming together. We’re all great basketball players.”

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Lakers, Kings Discussed Buddy Hield Deal, Kyle Kuzma Linked To Trades | Buddy Hield Lakers Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings have reportedly discussed a trade that would send Buddy Hield to Los Angeles.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Kyle Kuzma would be part of the package, which has "gained some traction."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said the Lakers have been offering a package of Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to several teams during the Woj & Lowe special Sunday. A package of Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope would work under the salary cap in a deal for Hield.

Adding Hield would not solve the Lakers' need for a primary ball-handler to take some of the load off LeBron James, but he would add a potential third 20-point scorer. Hield is two years removed from averaging 20.7 points per game, and he remains one of the NBA's better high-volume three-point shooters. Only 3.8 of Hield's 14.0 shots per game came from inside the three-point arc last season.

The fact of the matter may be Hield is arguably the best player the Lakers could get in exchange for Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope. It stands to reason whether they should even make a move in that case, given the solid play Kuzma and KCP have provided defensively. While neither is quite the lockdown shooter that Hield is, it's hard to say he would be a demonstrative upgrade over two solid role players.

The Lakers' most obvious path of improvement this offseason is finding a sign-and-trade for Dennis Schroder, which would either net them the type of player they're looking for or create a trade exception that would allow them to make a separate deal.

Either way, it's pretty clear James and Davis are the only untouchables on the roster.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers trade for Buddy Hield? And if not who should the Lakers trade for?!?!

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Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan interested in joining LeBron James, Anthony Davis on the Lakers

Let the rumors begin! For the Los Angeles Lakers, they should be plenty active and garner a ton of interest from the high-profile names with NBA free agency right around the corner. With a star duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who wouldn’t want to team up and have a legitimate shot to walk away with an NBA title?

Well, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry both have interest in joining the Lakers, according to Broderick Turner of the LA Times.

“DeRozan, who starred at Compton High and USC, has interest in returning home to play for the Lakers, even if it is for less than the $27.7 million he earned last season in San Antonio, according to people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.”

Adding DeRozan is a rumor that has floated around for some time and could finally be a reality. The San Antonio Spurs star played at USC and could have a shot at a title with the purple and gold.

At this past NBA trade deadline, the Lakers floated around with the idea of acquiring Lowry from the Toronto Raptors, although nothing came to fruition, and there’s a chance he joins the Lakers in the summer as well.

“Though the Lakers didn’t acquire Lowry at the trade deadline, he remains interested in joining them, according to people with knowledge of his situation.” Either way, after a first-round exit to the hands of the Phoenix Suns, expect the Lakers to be active on the market and walk away with somebody in their hopes of recapturing another NBA title.

Buckle up, this will be one wild offseason in the NBA.

So Z Nation, who do you think is the best fit on the Lakers? DeMar DeRozan? Or Kyle Lowry?? Or should they consider CP3? Or Other???

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Lakers Eyeing Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook In Trades | Chris Paul Lakers | Lakers Trade Rumors

Chris Paul's future is uncertain, as the Phoenix Suns point guard has a massive $44.2 million player option for the 2021-22 season.

If he goes the free agency or sign-and-trade route, keep an eye on the Los Angeles Lakers. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reported Wednesday that, "According to sources, LeBron James and the Lakers have been on the hunt for veteran point guard, and Paul is on the list."

Spears added that "For Paul to join forces with James for the first time in their careers, it would likely take a sign-and-trade with the Suns," though he noted that if the veteran point guard does opt out, he'll likely sign a longer deal in Phoenix.

Spears wrote that the Lakers also reportedly were considering Washington Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook as a "potential candidate" for a complicated sign-and-trade that would send point guard Dennis Schroder, forward Kyle Kuzma and guard Talen Horton-Tucker the other way.

Such a deal would likely be the framework to get Paul to Los Angeles, too, though Schroder—who is set to become an unrestricted free agent—and impending restricted free agent Horton-Tucker would have to agree to join either the Wizards or Suns.

Paul was excellent for Phoenix in his first season with the team, averaging 16.4 points and 8.9 assists per game while ending the franchise's 10-year playoff drought. Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and the young Suns helped Paul do something he'd never done in his future Hall of Fame career, meanwhile: reach the NBA Finals.

A James, Davis and Paul trio would be tough to beat. But Paul didn't exactly sound like a man clamoring to leave Phoenix after Tuesday's Game 6 defeat.

So Z Nation, who should the Lakers consider trading for Chris Paul or Russell Westbrook???

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Lakers Expected To Search For ‘Potential Pathways’ To Reacquiring Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball’s days in New Orleans are ticking closer and closer to an end as more and more reports surface. On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the Pelicans were not expected to match a significant offer sheet to Ball as he enters restricted free agency and also noted the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers will have interest in him.

However, a different, far more intriguing team could insert itself into the equation in the coming weeks. Long-time NBA reporter Marc Stein’s latest newsletter on Tuesday morning noted the Los Angeles Lakers were in search of a playmaker that could allow LeBron James and Anthony Davis to play in the frontcourt. One very interesting name was mentioned:

“Word is that the Lakers, on top of their well-chronicled need for more shooting, covet one more difference-making playmaker who would allow James and Davis to spend more time at power forward and center.

Expect to eventually hear of them searching for potential pathways, however obstacle-strewn they would be, to reacquiring restricted free agent-to-be Lonzo Ball for that reason.”

Stein is certainly not offering much in the way of reporting on the matter, but even if it’s informed speculation, it’s a link that would be a fascinating plot to the offseason.

The Lakers would have to do some extreme jumping through hoops to reacquire Ball. As a team well over the salary cap, signing him outright would not be an option. A sign-and-trade would be their only avenue to acquire him.

Los Angeles has its own free-agent-to-be, Dennis Schroder, who is set to sign a contract in the same neighborhood of Ball’s, which would make a trade easier to facilitate. However, it’s unlikely the Pelicans would have interest in Schroder outright, meaning a third team would have to be brought into a deal.

Would a team like the Bulls or Knicks, both of whom have a need for a point guard, have interest in acquiring Schroder while sending assets to the Pelicans who would, in turn, send Ball to Los Angeles? Both Chicago and New York would likely need the pot sweetened in some regard to take part in a sign-and-trade when both franchises could simply outright sign Schroder.

It all adds complications to Ball returning to the purple and gold, but that it’s even an option provides intrigue to the offseason.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers bring back Lonzo Ball in Free Agency???

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Lakers NBA Draft Prospects 2021 | Lakers Workout Trey Murphy III | Chris Duarte Lakers 2021

At their second public workout prior to the 2021 NBA Draft, the Lakers brought in a player they conceivably could be drafting with the No. 22 pick on July 29: Virginia guard Trey Murphy III, who is projected by several mock drafts as in Los Angeles’ range in the first round and is a prospect the team already interviewed at the predraft combine last month.

Murphy, a 6’8 wing who hit 43.3% of his threes during his final college season, is projected as exactly the type of three-and-D player every team could use at the next level. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic projected him to go 23rd overall in his latest mock draft, and Jonathan Givony of ESPN projects him as the 18th-best prospect in the 2021 class.

The Lakers will be on the lookout for ready-made contributors … if they decide to keep this pick, with much of their backcourt group about to enter free agency. With that in mind, an experienced player such as Duarte could make a lot of sense. He is one of the oldest players projected to be drafted and looks like a plug-and-play fit thanks to his strong perimeter shooting, passing and defensive playmaking instincts.

Duarte is a proficient outside shooter as he attempted 5.5 threes per game on 42.4 percent shooting. In his final season with Oregon, Duarte averaged 17.1 points per game and showed a knack for the defensive end as evidenced by his 1.9 steals.

According to The Ringer’s latest mock draft by Kevin O’Conner, the Lakers will select Louisiana State University guard Cameron Thomas:

“Too often last season, the Lakers watched their offense stall out. Thomas is the type of scorer who can jump-start a team. He’s a throwback who can thrive from midrange. Coming off the Lakers bench could provide him with a surplus of easy scoring opportunities as he develops to take on a bigger role in the future.”

Thomas, 19, is entering the NBA draft after playing at LSU for one season. He made the SEC All-Freshman Team and first-team All-SEC after averaging 23.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 40.6 percent from the field on 17.2 attempts and 32.5 percent from 3-point range on 7.2 attempts. He also converted 88.2 percent of his free throws on 7.6 attempts.

So Z Nation, who do you think the Lakers should select with the 22nd overall pick in this years draft if they keep the pick???

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Lakers Targeting DeMar DeRozan In Free Agency | DeMar DeRozan Lakers 2021

According to a report, the Lakers are targeting San Antonio Spurs free agent DeMar DeRozan this offseason.

According to Evan Massey, The Lakers do have interest in pursuing DeMar DeRozan this offseason in free agency, source tells Hoop Analysis Net. A sign-and-trade for him would be necessary and very doable for L.A.

DeRozan will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason but as the report states, a sign and trade would be best for the Spurs without having to lose him for nothing as well as the Lakers since they have no cap space to offer him a deal.

Last season he averaged 21.6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds and led the team with 6.9 assists per game which was his career-high.

He came to the Spurs (along with Jakob Poeltl and a draft pick) after a deal with Toronto for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green in 2017.

According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the Spurs currently have an exclusive window to negotiate a new contract extension with him. San Antonio can add an additional four seasons and up to $149.1 million in new money with a starting salary of $33.3 million in 2021-22. If there is no agreement by Aug. 1, DeRozan would enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers pursue DeMar DeRozan in a sign and trade deal??? Or trade for someone else???

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Lakers Hire David Fizdale As Assistant Coach To Replace Jason Kidd | David Fizdale Lakers 2021

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly "finalizing a deal" to hire former Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale as an assistant to Frank Vogel.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that Fizdale was pursued by "several" teams as a potential lead assistant before agreeing to join the Lakers' staff.

Fizdale rose to prominence as an assistant under Erik Spoelstra with the Miami Heat from 2008 through 2016, a stretch that included back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 led by current Lakers cornerstone LeBron James.

The 47-year-old L.A. native enjoyed some initial success in Memphis, guiding the team to a 43-39 record and a playoff appearance in his first season, but he compiled a lackluster 71-134 mark across parts of four seasons as head coach of the Grizzlies and Knicks.

His coaching career dates back to 1998 and includes other stops at both the collegiate and pro levels, including stints as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks.

Fizdale told Jesse Washington of The Undefeated earlier this month he went through some difficult days after getting let go by the Knicks in December 2019.

"I really was at the lowest place I've ever been from a mental health standpoint," he said. "I thought the lowest point was during the losses. But it was after, when you go through the whole part of, 'What could I have done different? Did I even deserve this job?' You think like you were an impostor. You felt like you got over on these people. You're a fraud."

Fizdale explained the result of that self-reflection was coming to understand a "deeper purpose"—the goal of helping players reach their own potential without any long-term personal goals in mind, something he described to Washington as "service without means to an end."

"Now that I'm aware of it, I'm going back knowing that I can recognize it when I'm doing it, and I can stop it. It ain't about me no more," he said. "I'm coaching to help this kid get better, and I don't care if I get credit or not. It's about my time with this kid and providing the space he needs to improve as a man, and as a player. And that's it."

He'll restart his coaching career with a Lakers squad that endured an injury-riddled season en route to a first-round playoff exit to the Phoenix Suns, falling well short of defending their 2020 NBA title.

James and Anthony Davis remain under contract for next season, so Los Angeles will spend the summer getting healthy and should return to the upper echelon of championship contenders heading into next season.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers hiring David Fizdale as assistant coach to replace Jason Kidd???

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Jason Kidd Hired as Dallas Mavericks Head Coach | Terry Stotts Replacing Jason Kidd On Lakers Staff

The Dallas Mavericks reportedly agreed to make Jason Kidd their new head coach Friday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Rick Carlisle served as the Mavs' head coach for 13 seasons from 2008-21, but he made the surprising decision to step down at the end of the 2020-21 campaign despite having two years left on his contract.

Carlisle, who subsequently took the Indiana Pacers' head coaching job, endorsed Kidd for the Mavs' position Thursday, telling ESPN's Tim MacMahon

Kidd has deep roots within the Mavericks organization, as he spent eight seasons with them as a player from 1994-97 and again from 2007-12. He was a big part of the Mavs team that won a championship under Carlisle in 2011 as well.

As an NBA head coach, Kidd has five seasons of experience with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, going 183-190 with three playoff appearances and one playoff series win.

Kidd was an assistant under Frank Vogel with the Los Angeles for the past two campaigns, helping L.A. win a championship last season in that role.

Terry Stotts is an accomplished head coach, and as such, he's a candidate for multiple remaining jobs around the NBA. If he doesn't get one, he's proven willing in the past to take a job as an assistant under a top head coach as a sort of resume builder. After getting fired by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007, Stotts became Rick Carlisle's offensive coordinator in Dallas. He won a championship there and parlayed that success into the Portland job.

He went on to lose that job primarily because of his team's defensive weaknesses. That wouldn't be a problem for the Lakers, who just had the No. 1 ranked defense in basketball. Stotts would be joining the team for his offensive expertise. The Blazers have finished third or better on offense in each of the past three seasons. Portland had very different personnel, and Stotts would need to adjust from two high-usage guards in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to a bigger offense built around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

They should suit his principles just fine. High pick-and-roll is fairly universal, and the Lakers could certainly use more of the movement he brought to Portland. The Blazers ranked second in the NBA in 3-point attempts last season, and the Lakers need to place a great emphasis on spacing moving forward. There's a reason Stotts lasted nine years with the Blazers. He's a well-respected coach and offensive mind, and he'd slide easily into Kidd's slot on the bench if the Lakers pursued him.

So Z Nation, who do you think the Lakers should hire to replace Jason Kidd on the Lakers coaching staff?Terry Stotts? David Fizdale?? Or Other???

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Spencer Dinwiddie Prefers Lakers or Clippers In Free Agency | Spencer Dinwiddie Lakers 2021

The free-agent rumors season is upon us, and one of the most targeted free agents will be Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie. Despite Dinwiddie suiting up for just three games with Brooklyn this past season, he has been cleared for basketball activities, and a ton of teams will be kicking the tires for his services.

According to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, Dinwiddie wants to get paid, but also wants to return home to LA, leaving the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers as the preferred destinations.

“Home is the preferred destination. But he wants to secure his financial future, too.”

As Winfield reports, the only way for Dinwiddie to go to LA is via sign-and-trade, and that might work for either LA team, with both looking to be active once again in the offseason.

When healthy, Dinwiddie is one of the better scoring guards in the game and a dangerous player to bring off the bench, especially against second-units around the league.

So, if Dinwiddie wants to go home and ultimately leave the Nets, he can theoretically decide between the pairing of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, or LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Both teams will have questions to answer in the offseason, and Dennis Schroder is a possible sign-and-trade option for the Lakers, with Kyle Kuzma being another reported trade option.

Dinwiddie to LA makes sense for either team and clearly, that is where he wants to be. All in all, Dinwiddie’s days with the Nets appear close to an end.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers target Spencer Dinwiddie in the off season???

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Lakers Expected To Pursue Carmelo Anthony This Offseason | Carmelo Anthony Lakers 2021 | Lakers Free Agency

According to a recent report, the Los Angeles Lakers could pursue 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony in free agency this offseason.

“NBA Analysis Network spoke to a source that stated that the Lakers are expected to pursue Anthony in free agency,” wrote Evan Massey.

With rumors swirling of a potential Kyle Kuzma trade, the Lakers could add Anthony to augment their frontcourt rotation.

Beyond that, Anthony has a very close relationship with Lakers superstar LeBron James. The two have been close for decades.

Anthony had a resurgent 2020-21 season with the Portland Trail Blazers.

He was a key ingredient to the team’s success and averaged 13.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from deep. That marked the best 3-point shooting percentage of his career.

Anthony isn’t the player he used to be, but he still brings a lot to the table. Over the course of his legendary career, Anthony has averaged 23.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

While he may ideally be a part of the second unit, the addition of Anthony would make the Lakers better suited for a title run in the 2021-22 season. It will be interesting to see what the market is like for the 37-year-old.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers pursue Carmelo Anthony in free agency???

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Ben Simmons’ trade value might never be lower than it is right now. Should the Lakers get involved in trade talks?

Philadelphia 76ers “guard” Ben Simmons is represented by Klutch Sports. As are Los Angeles Lakers’ stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. So are Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Talen Horton-Tucker, Andre Drummond, and Ben McLemore, for that matter.

The 76ers will explore trading Ben Simmons this summer. Daryl Morey has to at least gauge the market. The Lakers, who faltered all season without James on the court — are in search of a third star to form a Big Three with LeBron and AD. Ideally, that star can then become a championship-caliber second-banana when James’ contract expires in 2023.

Back in 2019, James trained with Simmons and he heaped praise on his fellow Klutch client’s ethic and potential.

“He worked his tail off,” James says. “The sky’s the limit for Ben. His size, his strength, his vision, his IQ … he carries himself as someone who believes he’s the best, as you should…As long as he doesn’t care about what other people say, he’ll be fine. Nine times out of 10, people who criticize you have never done anything in their life. Either that or they’re jealous ’cause you’re better than them.”

Whether James still believes those words two years later is impossible to know.

For Simmons, it’s easy to imagine him and Paul seeing the appeal of taking the third lead for the LakeShow as he rebuilds his star status, like Vinny Chase in “Smoke Jumpers”.

Financially, there are few pathways to matching the $33 million Simmons is owed for 2021-22 — the second of a four-year, $177 million deal. Los Angeles could package their offensive scapegoat, 25-year old Kyle Kuzma ($13 million in 2021-22), along with Caldwell-Pope ($12 million), and Montrezl Harrell (should he pick up his $9.7 million player option and agree to the trade), plus the no. 22 overall pick in the upcoming draft (roughly $2.4 million).

They could explore trickier but doable sign-and-trade scenarios involving Dennis Schroder (likely to earn around $20-$25 million this summer) or Horton-Tucker, their 20-year restricted free agent that could receive a “poison-pill” contract under the Gilbert Arenas provision that pays him $9 million in 2021-22, then hefty sums in later years. Because both players are free agents, they would need to approve a sign-and-trade.

Morey and the 76ers know Simmons’ value is at an all-time low, and you can already see the organization working to change that. Less than 24 hours after further depleting Simmons’ trade value by questioning whether he can be a point guard for a title team, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said he’s expecting major development this summer (eye roll emoji).

As for Paul’s leverage, I would never be so foolish as to underestimate his power broking ability. But, unlike with Anthony Davis and the Pelicans, Simmons’ extension just kicked in, and he’s coming off a historically awful postseason performance. Paul can’t pressure Morey to deal Simmons to his preferred destination as he did to David Griffin.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers consider trading for Ben Simmons???

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Lakers Off-Season Trade Scenarios | Russell Westbrook Lakers | Kyle Lowry Lakers

After the Los Angeles Lakers were bounced from the NBA playoffs in the first round, it became apparent the team needed more talent to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Lakers’ woes resulted in many wondering who L.A. could target in a potential trade to improve the squad. Los Angeles doesn’t have as much financial flexibility as other teams, so making a trade for a quality player might be a viable route.

One player mentioned is Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook. Bleacher Report proposed a hypothetical scenario in which the nine-time All-Star comes to Los Angeles.

In this scenario, the Lakers would send back Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick.

Here’s Bleacher Report’s analysis for why L.A. should consider it:

“With little to trade in terms of draft picks and young talent, the Lakers need to be eyeing overpaid stars on teams looking for salary relief instead.

Westbrook is still one of the league’s most devastating forces, especially when he’s taking smart shots and limiting his turnovers. He led the NBA with 11.7 assists per game this season, pulling down a career-high 11.5 rebounds and scoring 22.2 points a night.

A healthy LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook together should firmly be back in the hunt for the 2022 title and trading for the 2017 MVP would mean not having to pay Dennis Schroder this summer.”

Bringing a player with a strong Hall-of-Fame resume seems palatable for Los Angeles’ title aspirations, but it’s difficult to pull off.

With Kuzma’s extension set to kick in next season, the salaries of all players involved work out. But Westbrook is owed north of $44 million next season and over $47 million in 2022-23.

Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings is an interesting name to watch this offseason, even after he inked a four-year, $94 million extension with the organization before the 2019-2020 campaign. Dating back to his collegiate days at Oklahoma, Hield has been a marksman from beyond the arc. Despite being selected in the 2017 NBA Draft, Hield is already 28 years old, which shouldn’t matter to a win-now team like the Lakers.

In his first five seasons in the NBA, Hield has converted 40.6 percent of his three-point shots, shooting an average of 7.4 three-pointers a game in that span. Hield isn’t afraid to spam shots from outside and in recent years, he’s become an improved scorer on different spots of the floor. It’s worth noting that Hield’s agent coming into the NBA was none other than Pelinka

the Los Angeles Lakers pursuing Kyle Lowry this summer, per The Athletic’s Eric Koreen:

Expect all three teams that kicked the tires on Lowry at the trade deadline to explore his availability once more. The Heat have the clearest path to acquiring him, while the Lakers’ contracts that they could move in a sign-and-trade are not overly desirable, although there is likely a deal to work out if both Lowry and the Lakers are deeply interested.

So Z nation, which trade scenario is a perfect fit for the Lakers?

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Lakers Off-Season Plans 2021 | Lakers Free Agency Goals | Lakers Trade Rumors

It’s going to be a very interesting offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers.

There’s no denying that this was an utterly disappointing campaign for the Lakers, and at this point, everyone expects them to make some big moves in the coming weeks.

The Lakers will be look at all of there options this off season to make sure the Lakers are playoff or championship contenders next season.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has spoken out about his team’s plans over the next few months. While he did not provide a detailed roadmap of the Lakers’ offseason plans, the high-ranking team executive did hint at the direction they intend to move towards:

“In terms of free agency, we feel we have a core group of players that can do special things … the goal is to try and keep that core group together,” Pelinka said, according to Mike Trudell of Spectrum SN.

Pelinka’s message was cryptic, but it doesn’t take a genius to make out what he’s saying here. It looks like the Lakers will stick to its “core group” of players, which presumably revolves around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. You could argue that there are maybe two or three more guys on the squad that could be considered as part of this core group, but at this point, it feels like anyone not named LeBron or AD is going to be dispensable.

Whatever the case may be, Pelinka made it abundantly clear that the Lakers remain steadfast in terms of its ultimate objectives:

“We have an insatiable desire to bring banner No. 18 here,” he added.

The same can be said for the Lakers faithful, who are now still ruing what was nothing short of a catastrophic season for their Purple & Gold.

So Z Nation, what do you think is the Lakers next move in free agency? And what’s trade should the Lakers make??? And who should the Lakers bring back???

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Lakers Will Look To Trade Kyle Kuzma During NBA Offseason | Lakers Trade Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Phoenix Suns after what was a tough, grueling, and disappointing 2020-21 NBA season. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both missed major time with injury, but the worst part was that the rest of the roster did not step up around them. One of the biggest disappointments was the play of young forward Kyle Kuzma.

Over the last few years, the Lakers have been willing to bet on Kuzma’s pure talent. There is no question that he has the skill and ability to become a very good NBA player, especially on the offensive end of the court. Unfortunately, that skill and potential has yet to materialize consistently.

Now, it appears that the Lakers could be ready to move on from Kuzma. An NBA agent spoke to NBA Analysis Network about the Lakers’ plans with Kuzma and it sounds like a trade could be on the horizon.

“The Lakers have grown frustrated with (Kyle) Kuzma’s inconsistency and are going to look at trading him this offseason. Rob Pelinka won’t move him for cheap, but if he can be packaged to add better talent around LeBron and AD, they will do that. Kuzma will be on the trade block this offseason and quite a few teams are expected to show interest.”

During the 2020-21 NBA season with the Lakers, Kuzma ended up averaging 12.9 points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He shot 44.3 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 36.1 percent of his three-point attempts. Those numbers showed some promise and improvement from the 2019-20 season.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers trade Kyle Kuzma? And if yes, who should the Lakers trade for???

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Dennis Schroder Wants To Stay With Lakers | Dennis Schroder Lakers 2021 | Lakers Top Priorities

Dennis Schroder Says Staying With Lakers Next Season 'Not Even a Question'

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder, an impending unrestricted free agent this offseason, said he expects to return despite the team's first-round playoff elimination at the hands of the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.

"They've got the top two players in the league. I want to be here and win a championship," Schroder told reporters. "That's not even a question. It's not about money. If everything is good, we're going to come back and win a championship next year."

The Lakers grabbed a 2-1 series lead on the Suns before Anthony Davis suffered a groin injury that limited him to 19 minutes in Game 4 and forced him to miss Game 5. He tried to return for Game 6 but lasted just five minutes before getting taken out of the contest for good.

His absence left L.A. without enough offensive firepower to keep pace with Phoenix.

Schroder's struggles were part of the problem, lowlighted by his 0-for-9 shooting performance in Game 5. He averaged 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting just 40.3 percent from the field in the series.

Schroder is one of seven unrestricted free agents on Los Angeles' roster. Andre Drummond, Markieff Morris, Wesley Matthews, Alex Caruso, Jared Dudley and Ben McLemore are the other six. In addition, Montrezl Harrell holds a player option and Talen Horton-Tucker is a restricted free agent.

So the Lakers' front office faces a lot of questions about how it wants to surround the superstar tandem of Davis and LeBron James heading into next season, and Schroder tops the list in terms of players they must decide whether to retain or move in a new direction.

The 27-year-old German averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds across 61 regular-season appearances during his first year with L.A., but his lack of offensive efficiency (43.7 percent shooting, 33.5 percent on threes) is a concern on a team that needs a more reliable third scoring option.

Schroder is a solid two-way player—he ranked 26th among point guards in ESPN's Real-Plus Minus—but whether he's the right fit for the Lakers is a tough question to answer, especially since he didn't rise to the occasion with Davis ailing in the playoffs.

He should have no trouble generating interest as a free agent if L.A. decides to move on.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers consider bring back Dennis Schroder??? Or move on and see who’s available in free agency???

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Lakers Fall to Suns As Injury-Plagued Season, Lakers Eliminated From Playoffs, WHATS NEXTS?!?!

https://youtu.be/XnVqlp4KRHA

Lakers Eliminated from Playoffs With Game 6 Loss to Suns

The Los Angeles Lakers, the defending N.B.A. champions led by LeBron James, struggled with injuries all season.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ brief reign is over.

The Phoenix Suns eliminated the Lakers from the N.B.A. playoffs on Thursday night with a 113-100 victory in Game 6 of their first-round series, ending LeBron James’s hopes of hauling the Lakers to back-to-back championships.

It is the first time that James, 36, has exited the playoffs in the first round — and it was a young, up-and-coming team that hastened his departure.

The Lakers, who were hindered by injuries throughout the regular season, seemed to come unglued against the Suns after Anthony Davis, their All-Star power forward, strained his groin before halftime of Game 4. The Suns went on to win that game and then crushed the Lakers on Tuesday in Game 5 to seize momentum.

Frank Vogel, the Lakers’ coach, said before Thursday’s game that Davis “very much” wanted to play. Davis tried: He was in the starting lineup but was running gingerly from the tip and appeared to aggravate his injury while trying to block one of Booker’s layups early in the first quarter. Davis promptly went to the bench and never returned to the game.

The Suns, meanwhile, were volcanic, shooting 10 of 13 from beyond the 3-point line in the first quarter en route to a 22-point lead heading into the second. Booker finished with 47 points and shot 8 of 10 from 3-point range.

Since joining the Lakers before the start of the 2018-19 season, James has experienced highs and lows. His first season with the team unraveled when he injured his groin on Christmas Day, and the Lakers missed the playoffs. Last season, he engineered a resurgence, joining Davis to lead the Lakers to their 17th championship. For James, the run was a crowning achievement: his first title with the Lakers, and his fourth overall with three teams.

As expected, the Lakers entered this season with big goals but struggled. After a strong start that seemed to position him as a candidate to win his fifth N.B.A. Most Valuable Player Award (and his first since 2013), James missed a total of 26 games after he sprained his ankle in March. And Davis, who has been hobbled by injuries throughout his career, was sidelined for about two months with a calf strain.

The result was that the Lakers, who had been considered among the preseason favorites to win another title, were seldom whole, and they limped into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the West.

Still, the Lakers were not an ideal first-round matchup for the Suns — and the task became even more challenging for Phoenix when Chris Paul, the team’s starting point guard and veteran leader, injured his right shoulder in the first game of the series. Paul played through the pain, though, and was terrific in Phoenix’s Game 4 win, a turning point for a franchise on the rise.

So Z nation, what did you think about the Lakers elimination in the first round??? And what’s nexts for the Lakers???

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Lakers Blown Out By Suns In Game 5 115-85, Lakers No-Show, LeBron 24 Pts, Kuzma 15 Pts

https://youtu.be/sRnvf9wCdM4

Lakers Overwhelmed Without Anthony Davis

"These shoulders are built for a reason," LeBron told reporters prior to Game 5 when asked about playing without Davis. "If there is going to be some more put on them, so be it. Win, lose or draw, I'm ready for the challenge."

And what a challenge it was.

The Lakers looked absolutely lost on offense without Davis in the first half as James struggled from the field and the supporting cast appeared overwhelmed for stretches. They managed an abysmal 10 points in the second quarter alone as Phoenix swarmed the King and rotated quickly enough to bother outside shooters.

That a Los Angeles squad that finished the season just 24th in the league in offensive rating, per NBA.com, had issues on that end of the floor wasn't particularly surprising, but the level of ineffectiveness was disarming.

The Lakers needed a Superman performance from James to have a chance, and that never came. He did what he could be catching fire from three-point range in the third quarter, but it was an uphill battle from the start.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was also ruled out with a left knee contusion in the second half, which is the same injury that kept him sidelined for Game 4.

Los Angeles still has the championship experience and talent to win two more games in this series, but it will need a much better effort than Tuesday's contest.

What's Next?

The series shifts back to Los Angeles for Thursday's Game 6. Its a must win for Lakers if they want to avoid elimination in game 6.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers no-show performance in game 6??? And can the Lakers bounce back from this???

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Andre Drummond Is 'Part of the Future Moving Forward' with Lakers | Andre Drummond Lakers 2021

https://youtu.be/Xzl2XhNA6kQ

Though he will be eligible for free agency this summer, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly hoping to bring back Andre Drummond.

On the The Lowe Post podcast (h/t Brad Sullivan of Lakers Daily) on Monday, ESPN's Dave McMenamin said the Lakers "have signaled to everyone listening" that Drummond is "part of the future moving forward with this franchise."

After receiving a buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Drummond signed with the Lakers on March 28 to provide depth in their frontcourt.

Los Angeles doesn't have a lot of options at center for next season. Marc Gasol is the only player at the position under contract for 2021-22. His $2.7 million salary is certainly affordable, but he is 36 years old and best suited to be a part-time role player.

There are other key roster decisions the Lakers will have to make during the offseason. Dennis Schroder is eligible for unrestricted free agency, and Montrezl Harrell has a $9.7 million player option for next season.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst (h/t Dan Feldman of NBC Sports) reported in March that Schroder had turned down a four-year, $84 million extension from the Lakers.

Drummond has been solid for the Lakers. The two-time All-Star averaged 11.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 21 regular-season starts for the defending NBA champions.

Head coach Frank Vogel has continued to use Drummond in the starting lineup for the Lakers' first four playoff games against the Phoenix Suns. The UConn product had 15 points and 12 rebounds in Los Angeles' Game 2 win.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers bring back Andre Drummond? Or consider somebody else in free agency???

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Lakers Lose to Suns in Game 4 100-92, Anthony Davis Suffered Left Groin Strain Injury

LeBron Has Little Help to Lead the Lakers The Lakers, who were in the bottom tier of NBA teams when it came to three-point shooting in the regular season (hitting 35.4 percent from deep to rank 21st), were saved by their action from deep in the first half.

After hitting nine threes in the first halves of Games 1-3 combined, the Lakers hit nine of their 24 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half of Sunday's game, entering the break down by four points.

LeBron James was the Lakers' leading scorer with 11 points, but every Lakers player scored, and all but Andre Drummond (who scored three) were good for at least five points entering the break.

Anthony Davis was among the supporting cast in the first half, scoring six points, but the star—who suffered a left knee sprain during Game 3—didn't make it back onto the court for the second half. He was ruled out with a left groin strain.

Kyle Kuzma got the start in his place in the second half but only had nine points in 20 minutes by the time the fourth quarter got going. Montrezl Harrell made his first appearance at the start of the fourth, but for all of the extra effort, there wasn't enough power to keep the Lakers in it.

James ended the night with 25 points, while Marc Gasol only had 12 as the second-leading scorer for the defending champions.

AD INJURY UPDATE: Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Davis is ruled day-to-day in the aftermath of the game. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN added Davis' status for Tuesday's Game 5 is "unclear."

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers loss against the Phoenix Suns??? And can the Lakers still beat the Suns in this series without AD???

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Anthony Davis, LeBron James Power Lakers to 2-1 Series Lead over Chris Paul, Suns

https://youtu.be/EcVYrY9_qKY

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Phoenix Suns 109-95 in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Thursday in Staples Center.

Lakers forwards Anthony Davis and LeBron James and point guard Dennis Schroder combined to score 75 points. They were at their best in the third quarter, when L.A. outscored Phoenix 33-23 to take a 76-63 lead into the fourth.

The Suns were largely ice cold outside Deandre Ayton (22 points on 11-of-15 shooting) and Cameron Payne (15 points on 6-of-11 shooting). Outside that duo, Phoenix shot just 18-of-56.

L.A. has now taken a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven matchup.

Lakers F Anthony Davis: 34 points, 11 rebounds

Lakers F LeBron James: 21 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds

Lakers G Dennis Schroder: 20 points, 4 assists

Suns C Deandre Ayton: 22 points, 11 rebounds

Suns G Devin Booker: 19 points, 6 assists

Suns G Cameron Payne: 15 points, 6 assists, 4 steals

Davis, James Carry Lakers To Victory

On a low-scoring night that brought back memories of late-1990s playoff basketball, James and Davis did more than enough offensively to put L.A. over the top.

James got things going early with a three-pointer

AD got up for a Kyle Kuzma lob late in the first half that ended with L.A. up 43-40

Ultimately, James and Davis led a Lakers team that outscored the Suns 58-38 in the paint and held Phoenix to just 35 points over the second and third quarters.

L.A. got a brief scare late when Phoenix whittled a 21-point lead down to eight following a Jae Crowder three-pointer with 2:47 remaining, but Davis and James had already given the Lakers enough breathing room to survive the rally.

The Lakers and Suns have only had one day off between games in this series but will now have two days of rest before Game 4. Perhaps that helps Paul a bit as the Suns look to tie the series at two games apiece.

If Paul looks more like his old self, then that would go a long way toward Phoenix getting back in this series.

Los Angeles will host Phoenix for Game 4 on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers win against the Phoenix Suns??? And how did you like AD and LeBron’s performance tonight???

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Anthony Davis Drops 34 Pts as LeBron James, Lakers Beat Suns in Game 2 to Even Series 1-1

The 2020 NBA champions have picked up their first postseason victory of 2021.

With a 109-102 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals at Phoenix Suns Arena, knotting the best-of-seven series at one apiece.

The win temporarily steals home-court advantage from the No. 2 seed in the West as the series shifts to Staples Center for Games 3 and 4.

After falling 99-90 in Game 1, the Lakers rallied back with strong performances by Dennis Schroder and Andre Drummond alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. After taking a six-point halftime lead, L.A. was able to clamp down in the second half for a bounce-back victory before flying home.

LAKERS TIE THE SERIES AT 1-1

LakeShow  109

WeAreTheValley  102

Anthony Davis: 34pts, 10rebs, 7asts, 3blks Dennis Schroder: 24pts, 3rebs, 3asts LeBron James: 23pts, 4rebs, 9asts, 2stls Andre Drummond: 15pts, 12rebs, 2stls

Lakers Find Chemistry in Win

The differences from Game 1 to Game 2 weren't that hard to spot on the Lakers, and it had little to do with LeBron James or Anthony Davis. Though Davis slogged through a lackluster performance (13 points, seven rebounds) in Game 1, it was hard to pin the loss on the big man, even if he attempted to do so himself.

Instead, Tuesday's win came down to the contributions of the guys around Davis and James—both in the starting lineup and on the bench.

The prime example was center Andre Drummond, who finished Game 1 with 12 points and nine rebounds only to put up 11 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone in Game 2. It wasn't just on offense where the Lakers stepped up, either.

Point guard Dennis Schroder was noticeably more active on defense, jumping into passing lanes and playing through contact in the paint when forced to rotate. Los Angeles forced at least 13 turnovers for the second straight game and handily won the rebounding battle 39-31 after getting particularly exploited there in Game 1 when the Suns took a 47-33 edge on the boards.

It certainly helped, too, that every Lakers starter except Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (no points, four rebounds) scored at least 15 points. That starting unit was heavily relied on for scoring Tuesday with the bench combining for just 13 points in the win.

Rarely will the Lakers pull off a victory with that type of outing from their depth players, but it showed how much of a rhythm the starting unit was in after a lackluster Game 1.

Los Angeles had 24 assists on 36 made field goals in Game 2. If that's the type of chemistry the Lakers can expect for the rest of the postseason, the defending champions may end up as the repeating champions.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers win against the Phoenix Suns??? And how did you like AD’s performance???

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Lakers Fall To Suns in Game 1, Anthony Davis Takes Blame For Lakers' Game 1 Loss to Suns

The Lakers Need More from Anthony Davis

The Lakers have a center conundrum. Playing with Davis at the 5 is clearly L.A.'s best option, though the team justifiably doesn't want him getting beaten up constantly in the post.

Fair enough. But the Lakers are generally clunkier with Andre Drummond on the floor and worse on defense with Montrezl Harrell. Marc Gasol has become the forgotten man.

Granted, Davis was just poor no matter where he played Sunday, finishing 5-of-16 from the floor. Whether at the 4 or 5, he needs to be better, especially when it continues to appear as though James just isn't quite fully back up to speed after missing 26 games with a high ankle sprain this year.

The Lakers need more from Davis. They need him to play like a superstar. They need him to outplay Ayton. Phoenix is too good for the Lakers to overcome mediocre performances from their stars.

Anthony Davis had a rough go of it in the Los Angeles Lakers' 99-90 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, scoring just 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting from the field.

After the game Davis held himself accountable, saying he was primarily to blame for the Game 1 loss, AD explains that 'This One Is On Me'.

LeBron James came to his defense after the game, telling reporters "it's never just one guy, but I love when AD puts that pressure on himself. We're a better team when he's aggressive... But we've all got to be better as well."

"He always responds," James added. "And when AD is AD, we're the Lakers."

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers performance against the Phoenix Suns??? And who is to blame for the Lakers bad game in game 1???

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LeBron’s Clutch 3 Seals Win VS Warriors 103-100 in Play-In Tournament, LeBron Triple Double

LeBron James Leads Charge for Lakers in Dramatic Play-in Victory Over Warriors

James hit a deep go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute as Los Angeles edged out the Warriors to secure the No. 7 seed.

The NBA could not have asked for a better play-in game. The Lakers and Warriors absolutely delivered on the hype surrounding their matchup with an instant classic Wednesday, as Los Angeles advanced to the playoffs by virtue of a 103–100 win. Golden State will remain in the play-in bracket and play the Grizzlies for the eighth seed. The Lakers will now play the Suns in the first round. Here are three thoughts on LA’s exciting win.

LeBron was not 100%. It didn’t matter.

LeBron James didn’t look like himself for most of Wednesday’s win, and yet he delivered a classic performance, recording 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, including the game-winning three over the outstretched arms of Stephen Curry. (The image of LeBron hitting a three over Curry, something we’ve seen the other way around numerous times, was instantly iconic.) Still, it’s fair to show a little concern for James headed into the playoffs.

He looked more ground-bound than usual on offense, and his signature freight-train attacks on the rim were few and far between. LeBron, because he’s LeBron, was able to compensate. His passing was masterful, and of course he found enough scoring through other means to have a massive impact. The ankle watch on LeBron is far from over, but if he’s actually gaining strength as the playoffs continue, that’s a scary thought for the West.

The Suns’ reward for finally ending their playoff drought is a matchup with a Lakers team that will be favorites as long as LeBron and AD are healthy. It should be a fun series, particularly with James going up against his buddy Chris Paul for the first time in the postseason. LA will have the experience and talent advantage, but Phoenix is going to be the much fresher team. One early quirk to keep an eye on—how much will Frank Vogel rely on Andre Drummond moving forward? The Lakers looked their best Wednesday with Davis as the long big, which has not been uncommon the last two seasons.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers win against the Golden State Warriors? And are the Lakers ready for Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns???

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A win over the New Orleans Pelicans won't be enough for the Los Angeles Lakers to avoid the NBA's play-in tournament.

The Portland Trail Blazers, who went 2-1 against the Lakers to claim the head-to-head advantage, cruised past the Denver Nuggets in their regular-season finale against the Denver Nuggets. As a result, the Blazers secured the sixth seed in the Western Conference and doomed Los Angeles to the No. 7 seed.

The Lakers will face off with the Golden State Warriors in their first play-in game.

The reigning champions haven't been in serious danger of missing out on the postseason at any point, but injuries to Anthony Davis and LeBron James have raised questions of whether they can make a successful title defense.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel confirmed in February that Davis was dealing with a calf strain and Achilles tendinosis and would be out for four weeks. While obviously a setback, Los Angeles still had James, who has played at an MVP level. So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers regular season? And what do you think about the Lakers match-up vs Warriors in the play-in???

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Lakers Earn Win VS Pacers in LeBron’s Return, AD 28 Pts,10 Reb | Kobe Bryant Hall of Fame Induction

LeBron James returned to the court Saturday just in time to help the Los Angeles Lakers win their fourth in a row as the regular season nears its close.

James scored 24 points in 28 minutes to help Los Angeles earn a 122-115 road win over the Indiana Pacers. It was the superstar's first game back after missing six with a right ankle injury.

The Pacers appeared poised to complete a massive comeback with an 11-0 fourth-quarter run to cut their deficit to three, but LeBron came through with seven points in the next minute as the Lakers built their lead back to eight.

His three-pointer with 2:43 to play touched off the run and helped Los Angeles regain momentum and close out the win.

Anthony Davis added 28 points, and the Lakers (41-30) tied the Portland Trail Blazers for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference to create an opening to avoid the play-in tournament.

The Pacers (33-38) were shorthanded with Domantas Sabonis out with a left quad injury as they jockey for seeding in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers win against Indiana Pacers and the induction of Kobe Bryant into the Hall Of Fame???

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Kyle Kuzma Helps Lakers Hold Off Rockets Without LeBron James, Anthony Davis

Turns out, the Los Angeles Lakers don't need LeBron James and Anthony Davis to beat the NBA's worst team.

They just needed Kyle Kuzma to play the role of hero with a game-winning layup with 6.9 seconds remaining.

The Purple and Gold extended their winning streak to three with a 124-122 victory over the Houston Rockets in Wednesday's Western Conference showdown at Staples Center. Talen Horton-Tucker, Andre Drummond and Kuzma led the way for the shorthanded Lakers, who improved to 40-30 overall as they fight to avoid the play-in tournament.

Notable Player Stats

Talen Horton-Tucker, G, LAL: 23 PTS, 10 AST, 2 STL Kyle Kuzma, F, LAL: 19 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST Andre Drummond, C, LAL: 20 PTS, 10 REB

Balanced Attack Helps Lakers Hold Off Houston's Charge

Injuries are never ideal, but the timing for the Lakers could not have been much worse.

They entered play one game behind the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers in the race to avoid the Western Conference play-in tournament. Not only were they without James and Davis as they attempted to make up that ground, Dennis Schroder and Alex Caruso were also sidelined.

Fortunately for the defending champions, converting on the offensive end wasn't a problem against Houston's 27th-ranked defense.

Horton-Tucker, fresh off his game-winning shot against the New York Knicks, picked up where he left off and spearheaded the early effort by attacking the basket, throwing down a dunk and facilitating when defenders collapsed. Drummond dominated the paint in the third quarter, and the combination of Kuzma, Markieff Morris and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope provided secondary scoring.

Still, the Lakers failed to create any meaningful separation because of their defensive woes with the Rockets pouring in 43 points in the third quarter alone.

Frankly, Los Angeles needed a spark alongside Horton-Tucker if it was going to hold off the undermanned Rockets, and Montrezl Harrell and Kuzma provided just that. The pair scored 15 straight points for the home team in the fourth quarter, the last two of which ended Houston's 9-0 run and gave the Lakers the lead back for good.

The defensive effort was ugly at times, but seven players in double figures was just what the Purple and Gold needed without their two stars.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers win against the Houston Rockets???

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Talen Horton-Tucker Drills Game-Winning Triple For Lakers to Beat Knicks in OT 101-99

Don't pencil the Los Angeles Lakers into the Western Conference play-in tournament just yet.

Los Angeles won its second in a row with a 101-99 overtime victory over the New York Knicks in Tuesday's showdown at Staples Center. Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma and Andre Drummond led the way in LeBron James' absence for the Purple and Gold, who improved to 39-30 and moved within one game of the sixth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers.

While that trio spearheaded the effort, Talen Horton-Tucker drilled the winning three in the final seconds of overtime.

Solid showings from Julius Randle and Derrick Rose were not enough for the Knicks, who fell to 38-31 overall and 1-3 in their last four games. RJ Barrett had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his deep three didn't fall.

Notable Player Stats

Anthony Davis, F, LAL: 20 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST

Kyle Kuzma, F, LAL: 23 PTS, 3 REB

Andre Drummond, C, LAL: 16 PTS, 18 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK

Talen Horton Tucker, G, LAL: 13 PTS, 5 REB, 10 AST

Derrick Rose, G, NYK: 27 PTS, 6 AST, 6 REB, 3 STL

Julius Randle, F, NYK: 31 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST

Defense, Horton-Tucker's Heroics Save Day for Lakers

The Lakers still have their work cut out for them to avoid the play-in tournament, but there is still plenty of reason for optimism.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported James plans on returning for Wednesday's contest, and Davis has looked like the prime version of himself of late. The eight-time All-Star, who scored 36 points Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers and 42 points Sunday against the Phoenix Suns, figured to lead the way again against the Knicks.

While Davis was effective, it was Kuzma who provided an immediate spark off the bench with 18 first-half points with an array of three-pointers and drives into the lane.

His production helped keep the Lakers well within striking distance even though Alex Caruso was ruled out for the remainder of the game in the first half with right foot soreness. That left Los Angeles without three of its primary ball-handlers in James, Caruso and Dennis Schroder.

Someone needed to fill the void alongside Davis and Kuzma, and Drummond did just that in the third quarter by getting to the rim, controlling the glass and even swatting Nerlens Noel's dunk attempt.

It was a fitting play, as the Lakers relied on their top-rated defense to overcome their lack of firepower throughout the contest. In fact, the Knicks scored 20 points in the third quarter and just 15 in the fourth, which allowed Los Angeles to overcome the double-digit deficit it faced with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation and force overtime.

That is when Horton-Tucker shined with a three-pointer to kick off the scoring in the extra period, assist on a Davis basket, two key free throws and the winning three.

The Lakers remain at home to face the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, while the Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers surprising win in OT against the New York Knicks?

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Anthony Davis Dominates with 42 Pts, 12 Rebs as Lakers Defeat Devin Booker, Suns 123-110

The Los Angeles Lakers took an important step toward avoiding the play-in tournament.

Los Angeles defeated the Phoenix Suns 123-110 in Sunday's potential Western Conference playoff preview at Staples Center. Anthony Davis led the way in LeBron James' absence for the Purple and Gold, who improved to 38-30 and snapped their two-game losing skid in the process.

Lakers Big Win!!! 💜💛 #LakeShow

Anthony Davis, F, LAL: 42 PTS, 12 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL, 3 BLK

Alex Caruso, G, LAL: 17 PTS, 8 AST, 3 STL

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G, LAL: 17 PTS, 3 STL, 4-of-9 3PT

Andre Drummond, C, LAL: 6 PTS, 12 REB

Ben McLemore, G, LAL: 12 PTS, 4-7 3PT

Montrezl Harrell, C, LAL: 12 PTS, 3 REB, 4-6 FG

AD Sets the Tone as LeBron-Less Lakers Roll

It would be easy to casually dismiss the Lakers' issues and assume things will be fine come playoff time based on last season's championship, but their 2020-21 struggles are not a new development.

They were 15-23 in their previous 38 games and 1.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers in the race to avoid the play-in tournament. Throw in the absences of James and Dennis Schroder, and it was starting to look like the Purple and Gold will have their backs against the wall in must-win situations in the play-in tournament just to make the traditional eight-team field.

Although Kyle Kuzma (lower back tightness) was also out, Los Angeles came out with the urgency one would expect given its situation and jumped out to a commanding 12-point halftime lead.

Davis was unstoppable, extending his game to the outside and scoring on the blocks against an overmatched Phoenix frontcourt. That drew additional defenders in, which opened up outside shots for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and lanes for Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker as the Lakers played one of their best halves in weeks.

Phoenix tried a zone at times to throw doubles Davis' way, but even that didn't work as he dropped in fadeaways with feathery soft touch, established position down low and helped set up more looks for Caldwell-Pope and Ben McLemore.

McLemore in particular caught fire off the bench as the Lakers pulled away in the third, and he fittingly drilled a three in the final seconds of the quarter off a Davis double team to extend the advantage to 21 and all but put it away even though Phoenix cut into the lead down the stretch.

While there are still questions about James' status, AD looks healthy and ready to roll. If the Lakers get the version of the eight-time All-Star who took the floor Sunday, they might avoid the play-in tournament after all.

So Z Nation, what did you think about AD Monsteras performance against the Phoenix Suns???

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Lakers Lose To The Portland Trailblazers 101-106 | Lakers Fall To Play-In Tournament | AD 36 Pts

https://youtu.be/pDAoWqpEylU

Anthony Davis, Lakers Fall to No. 7 Seed as Damian Lillard Shines in Blazers Win

Faced with arguably their biggest game of the season, the Portland Trail Blazers muscled past the Los Angeles Lakers 106-101, breaking a tie for the sixth seed in the Western Conference, clinching a season-series victory over the defending champions and retaining control of their play-in tournament destiny.

Only the top six seeds in each conference will advance to the first round of the postseason automatically. Teams that finish seventh through tenth place will participate in a single-elimination play-in tournament beginning May 18.

One night after getting blown out by the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center—a game that saw Anthony Davis exit after nine minutes with back spasms—a shorthanded Lakers team suffered its eighth loss in its last 10 games.

Without LeBron James and Dennis Schroder available, L.A. couldn't get enough production from Davis and Alex Caruso to get past Damian Lillard and a Blazers team playing in front of fans at Moda Center for the first time all season.

Notable Performers

Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers: 38 points, 7 assists, five three-pointers

C.J. McCollum, SG, Portland Trail Blazers: 21 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds

Anthony Davis, PF, Los Angeles Lakers: 36 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists

Alex Caruso, SG, Los Angeles Lakers: 18 points (season high), 6 rebounds, 2 assists

Lakers' Slide Reaches New Low

This season was always going to be a challenge for Los Angeles.

After fighting through one of the most emotional seasons in recent memory to win the championship, the Lakers were rewarded with the shortest offseason in NBA history made even more difficult by a compressed schedule.

Still, it's jarring to see how far the defending champs have fallen after spending what offseason time they had adding depth to their roster. But not even Marc Gasol, Ben McLemore, Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder or Andre Drummond can make up for what LeBron James adds to the team night in and night out. And while he's out, the Lakers look about as incomplete as they were before he arrived in L.A.

That Davis seemed to find his offensive rhythm in his ninth game back from an Achilles and calf injury may be the lone bright spot on Saturday.

The forward's 36 points, 12 rebounds and five assists were the most he recorded in each category since February 12. Yet on Friday that only equalled Lillard's total. It wasn't enough to overcome it.

Now Los Angeles is squarely in the play-in tournament and no longer in control of its own destiny. It'll need plenty of help to ensure a first round berth. A healthy James taking the floor again would be a start, but that might not be enough at this point.

After running through an unprecedented postseason last Summer, the 2021 playoffs may prove an even bigger challenge for one of the league's marquee franchises—not to mention its biggest star.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers falling in the Play-In tournament??

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Anthony Davis Suffers Back Injury As Lakers Loss To The LA Clippers 94-118, Kyle Kuzma 25 PTS

It won't mean much without playoff success, but the L.A. Clippers earned temporary bragging rights in their own city by completing the season sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Clippers won Thursday's showdown at Staples Center 118-94 and improved to 45-22 on the season with their second successive victory. Paul George led the way in a balanced effort for the team's third win in as many tries over the Lakers in 2020-21.

A solid showing by Kyle Kuzma in LeBron James' absence was not enough for the Purple and Gold, who are 37-29 overall and an ugly 2-7 in their past nine games.

They also lost Anthony Davis to a back injury in the first quarter and are now tied with the Portland Trail Blazers in the race to avoid the play-in tournament.

Paul George, G, LAC: 24 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST Ivica Zubac, C, LAC: 14 PTS, 8 REB Kawhi Leonard, F, LAC: 15 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST Kyle Kuzma, F, LAL: 25 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL Montrezl Harrell, C, LAL: 14 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST

AD's Injury Adds Yet Another Concern for Struggling Lakers

When the NBA decided there would be a play-in tournament for the Nos. 7-10 seeds in each conference this season, surely nobody thought the Lakers might be in it. After all, they are the defending champions with LeBron and Davis.

Yet it's a real possibility that became more likely when head coach Frank Vogel told reporters Talen Horton-Tucker (calf) would join James (ankle) and Dennis Schroder (health and safety protocols) on the list of players sidelined for critical back-to-back games against the Clippers and Trail Blazers.

That figured to put the pressure firmly on the shoulders of Davis, but things got much worse when he exited in the first quarter and was ruled out with back spasms.

Without the eight-time All-Star on the floor, the Lakers couldn't keep pace and fell behind by 23 points by halftime. They looked completely lost on the defensive side, and Kuzma was the only one who found anything of a rhythm on the offensive end until the game was out of hand in the early going.

Kuzma continued to play well for stretches, but the second half was essentially playing out the string on another inevitable loss.

The loss, coupled with the Dallas Mavericks' win over the Brooklyn Nets, means the Lakers are one game back of Luka Doncic's squad and tied with Portland. To make matters worse, they play the Trail Blazers on Friday and may not have Davis, James, Schroder and Horton-Tucker. It is difficult to see them winning that one, which would give Portland the season tiebreaker.

The defending champions just might be heading for the pressure-packed play-in tournament.

So Z Nation, should the Lakers start to worry about there circumstances there in???

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Lakers Pick Up Massive Win Over Denver Nuggets 93-89, Anthony Davis Led LA With 25 PTS In LeBron’s Absence

https://youtu.be/zkluhNMoYCc

The play-in tournament still lingers, but the Los Angeles Lakers at least stopped their downward tumble with a much-needed win.

Los Angeles defeated the Denver Nuggets 93-89 in Monday's Western Conference showdown at Staples Center. Anthony Davis led the way in LeBron James' absence for the victors, who improved to 37-28 and bounced back from their three-game losing streak and 1-6 mark in the previous seven.

A solid showing from Nikola Jokic was not enough for the Nuggets, who fell to 43-22 as their five-game winning streak came to an end.

Lakers WIN🔥🔥🔥 #LakeShow

AD - 25 PTS | 7 REBS | 3 BLKS

Gasol - 10 PTS | 7 REBS | +17

THT - 10 PTS | 3 ASTS

KCP - 10 PTS | 7 REBS | 2 ASTS

Caruso - 11 PTS

AD, Lakers Avoid Brutal Collapse

Everything looked to be coming up perfectly for the Lakers on Monday outside of the fact that LeBron (ankle) and Dennis Schroder (health and safety protocols) were not on the floor.

The Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Atlanta Hawks, bolstering Los Angeles' chances in the race to avoid the play-in tournament. Davis also looked as smooth as he has since returning from his calf and Achilles injury that kept him out for more than two months while staking the Lakers to a halftime lead.

Denver had no answer for him on the blocks, and he also protected the rim on the defensive side.

Throw in a notable performance from the league's top-rated defense and Marc Gasol going into takeover mode for a stretch when Andre Drummond dealt with foul trouble with multiple threes and impressive outlet passes, and the Lakers were on cruise control with a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

And then the Nuggets came storming back with Jokic hitting mid-range shots and floaters and even had a chance to take the lead on a Michael Porter Jr. three that rimmed out with just more than a minute remaining.

The Lakers also benefited from a questionable offensive foul on Facundo Campazzo that wiped out a Porter three, and Davis made a clutch shot in the lane with 41 seconds left to push the lead back to four.

Fittingly, he also blocked Campazzo's three to clinch the win and end the Lakers' losing streak in dramatic fashion.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers Win against the Denver Nuggets tonight???

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Lakers Loss To The Toronto Raptors In a Must-Needed Win 121-114, Kyle Kuzma 24 Pts 6-11 3PT

https://youtu.be/RhsLbKPmHYs

Raptors hand Lakers third straight loss, There’s trouble in Tinseltown. After losing to the No. 12 seed Sacramento Kings on Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers were outclassed by the No. 12 Toronto Raptors on Friday. The Lakers have now lost their last three games and seven of their last 10.

LeBron James, F, LAL: 19 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST

Andre Drummond, C, LAL: 19 PTS, 11 REB

Kyle Kuzma, F, LAL: 24 PTS, 3 REB, 2 BLK, 6-of-11 3PT

Anthony Davis, PF, LAL: 12 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST

THT, G, LAL: 14 PTS, 7 AST

This is usually the part where we talk about what happened in the game — good and bad — but honestly, it was all bad. Even the little run they went on in the fourth quarter didn’t feel meaningful. And if the Lakers don’t have to try, we don’t either.

In all seriousness, this is a team that has lost their way. Most people assumed that LeBron James and Anthony Davis returning would fix all of their problems, but they look just as lost and the NBA Playoffs start in three weeks.

Will everything be fine eventually? Maybe. Would I bet against a James-led team making the NBA Finals? Probably not, but right now — at this moment — the Lakers are a bad team and their place in the standings reflects that.

The Lakers will try and bounce back against the Denver Nuggets on Monday.

So Z Nation, are the Lakers in trouble now with this loss???

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The Denver Broncos 2021 NFL Draft Results | Patrick Surtain ll Future On The Broncos Defense

The Denver Broncos made plenty of picks and trades during the 2021 NFL Draft. They found impact players early and quality depth late.

BroncosDraft #BroncosCountry

9 Patrick Surtain II - CB

35 Javonte Williams - RB

98 Quinn Meinerz - IOL

105 Baron Browning - LB

152 Caden Sterns - S

164 Jamar Johnson - S

219 Seth Williams - WR

237 Kary Vincent Jr. - DB

239 Jonathan Cooper - ED

253 Marquiss Spencer - DL

Earlier this year, the Broncos released defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and running back Phillip Lindsay left for the Houston Texans. Denver re-signed defensive end Shelby Harris and safeties Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons. Cornerback Ronald Darby agreed to a three-year deal with the Broncos while the team also signed cornerback Kyle Fuller and running back Mike Boone. With the Darby and Fuller signings, the Broncos “don’t have to reach” for a cornerback in this year’s draft.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Denver Broncos selection in the 2021 NFL Draft???

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Lakers Loss to the Sacramento Kings 106-110 in LeBron’s Return, AD Leads LA with 22 Pts, 11 Rebs

Lakers drop winnable game against Kings as LeBron James returns

The return of LeBron James after he missed nearly six weeks with a high ankle sprain wasn't enough to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to victory Friday night.

The defending champions fell to the Sacramento Kings 110-106 at Staples Center as James posted 16 points in 32 minutes during his first game since March 20. He was not on a minutes restriction.

L.A. (36-27) continued to get closer to full strength with James and Anthony Davis back in the lineup. With nine games left in Los Angeles' regular season, its focus will turn to getting James, Davis, Andre Drummond and Dennis Schroder into the type of rhythm that can carry the defending champions back to the NBA Finals.

It's clear that may take some time, as the 26-37 Kings picked up their second win over the Lakers this season.

LeBron James, SF, Los Angeles Lakers: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists

Anthony Davis, PF, Los Angeles Lakers: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks

Andre Drummond, C, Los Angeles Lakers: 17 points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Blocks

Ben McLemore, G, Los Angeles Lakers: 12 points, 4-7 3pt

Return of The King

The question of how long it would take James, Davis and Drummond to find a rhythm after finally getting back on the floor together was answered rather quickly:

Just one quarter.

After a sluggish start on Friday night saw Los Angeles trailing 30-23 following the opening frame, the Lakers' new-look starting lineup won the next two quarters with ease, and it didn't even take an epic performance from James. Instead, the small forward seemed to focus on the basics of his game: dishing out early assists, driving the lane for easy layups and crashing the boards without hesitation.

James even had a chance to win it at the buzzer but couldn't get a 32-foot three-pointer to fall.

He finished the night 6-of-12 from the field (1-of-5 from three) while cashing in on three of his five attempts at the line.

James got things started with an assist to Drummond, then kept feeding his newest big man for easy looks at the rim, not to mention a few spectacular dunks. That's not to say there weren't hiccups. A few of James' no-look passes missed the mark entirely, leading to five turnovers.

After missing 20 consecutive games for the first time in his career, those mistakes are less a reason for concern than a product of rust.

Friday night provided a rare perfect opportunity for James to knock it off. Six of the Lakers' remaining nine games come against surefire playoff teams. As he continues to ramp up, so too will the competition.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers disappointing loss against the Sacramento Kings? And how did you like LeBron James’ return???

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Broncos Select CB Patrick Surtain ll with No. 9th Overall Pick in the 2021 NFL Draft | NFL Draft 2021

The Denver Broncos jumped at the chance to add the SEC's best defensive player and selected Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II with the No. 9 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday.

Surtain was a consensus All-American and won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year during the 2020 campaign while helping lead the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The 21-year-old finished the season with 37 tackles, nine passes defended and an interception that he returned for a touchdown during a victory over Mississippi State.

Those individual stats surely would have been better, but opposing quarterbacks rarely even dared to throw toward his side of the field throughout the season. Even guarding No. 1 options, Surtain rarely let pass-catchers find comfortable openings for quarterbacks to exploit.

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department ranked Surtain as the best and most versatile cornerback in the draft. That versatility should help him immediately adjust to the NFL level with an ability to line up in man coverage, occupy the correct space in zones and perhaps even play some safety if needed.

He has enough size to play with physicality and press at the line of scrimmage against bigger wide receivers but is also fast enough to stay with speedsters downfield and break on routes.

While he may not be the best tackler in this draft, Surtain fits every other box as a potential No. 1 cornerback as soon as his rookie season.

If he can live up to that potential, this will be one of the most important picks of the entire 2021 NFL draft for a team that could use the help in the secondary.

Denver was a middling 16th in the league in passing yards allowed per game in 2020 and has to deal with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert in the AFC West every season. It needs elite-level cornerbacks to have a chance to compete in the division.

Surtain certainly fits the bill. #Broncos #BroncosDraft #NFLDraft

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Denver Broncos selection with Patrick Surtain ll with 9th overall pick???

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Lakers Loss Badly To The Washington Wizards 107-116 | Anthony Davis Leads LA with 26 Pts

The Washington Wizards may have lost their eight-game winning streak at the hands of the Spurs on Monday, but they got back on track with a 116-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

Russell Westbrook logged his 30th triple-double of the year for the Wizards, who improved to 28-34 to further themselves into contention for a play-in tournament spot.

For the 36-26 Lakers, who are the fifth seed in the Western Conference, Andre Drummond scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Notable Performers

Russell Westbrook, Wizards: 18 PTS, 18 REB, 14 AST Bradley Beal, Wizards: 27 PTS

Anthony Davis, Lakers: 26 PTS, 5 REB Andre Drummond, Lakers: 17 PTS, 11 REB Ben McLemore, Lakers: 16 PTS, 4-12 3PT

Lakers Can't Out-Defend Slow Offense

The Lakers went into the second quarter with a four-point lead, but the distance between themselves and the Wizards could have been greater had Los Angeles been more productive at the line. They shot nine times from the foul line in the first quarter and only hit four of those shots.

Still, their 60 percent shooting from the field was enough for them to pull ahead of Washington after 12 minutes, but it wasn't a runaway.

Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond each scored eight points, and Dennis Schroder logged six after one.

In the second quarter, the Lakers struggled to keep an advance from Washington at bay, and they struggled on their shots outside of the paint yet again. They ended the half shooting a miserable 3-of-13 from three, though they improved their shooting from the line ever so slightly, heading into the break with 62.5 percent shooting at that point.

The misses put the Lakers at a deficit heading into the break, even as Montrezl Harrell logged 12 points to lead the team.

Heading into the final frame, Drummond emerged as the leader for the Lakers with a total of 17 points.

With a quieter than usual offense, the Lakers lacked the defense to back it up and keep things from getting out of hand. They allowed the Wizards, who entered the night averaging 47.1 percent shooting from the field, to end with 52.2 percent shooting, and they got out-rebounded defensively 40-28.

At the end of a road trip, perhaps the Lakers simply ran out of steam. But with LeBron James reportedly nearing a return, there's no reason to worry as the defending champions work to close out the season.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers loss against the Washington Wizards???

Also stay tune tomorrow for my Denver Broncos NFL draft selection 2021 headline, see you then👍🏼

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Lakers Get Much-Needed Win Vs Orlando Magic 114-103 | Dennis Schroder Leads LA 21 Pts, AD 18 Pts

The Lakers beat the Magic for their first win since Anthony Davis returned with a little help from Dennis Schröder and Montrezl Harrell.

Monday night looked like it was going to be easy for the Los Angeles Lakers: the Orlando Magic were missing multiple key players, Anthony Davis was hitting shots and the defense looked as sharp as it’s looked all season. However, as we’ve come to learn, nothing is going to be easy while LeBron James is sidelined.

After leading by as much as 16 points in the first quarter, the Lakers let the Magic outscore them 40-22 in the second quarter. From then on, it was a real fight to the finish. Fortunately, the Lakers were able to separate themselves again, this time in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, and they won 114-103.

Dennis Schröder was at the center of everything the Lakers did in the fourth quarter, making shots from seemingly everywhere on the floor and creating plays for his teammates. He ended the game with a team-high 21 points on 10-18 shooting from the field and 10 assists. He now has five double-doubles on the season.

Monday was also a bounce-back game for The Brow and the Penguin, as they tallied a combined 31 points, 19 rebounds and 4 blocks for the starters. Add Montrezl Harrell’s 18 points off of the bench, and you have three solid performances from players that can all spend time at the center position in the postseason. When you consider that Marc Gasol watched the entirety of the game from the bench, that’s wild.

Granted, it was against a team that had no business being in the game, but every win counts for the Lakers right now both in the standings and from a team morale standpoint.

With a win on Monday, the Lakers increased the gap between them and the Dallas Mavericks back to two games, however, the Mavericks played the Sacramento Kings later tonight. The Lakers will be hoping for a Mavericks loss on Monday and a win for themselves against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

LAKERS WIN!! #LakeShow

AD - 18 PTS | 8 REBS | 3 ASTS

Schröder - 21 PTS | 10 ASTS

Trezz - 18 PTS | 5 REBS

Kuz - 14 PTS | 7 REBS

Drummond - 13 PTS | 11 REBS

KCP - 10 PTS | 5 REBS | 3 ASTS

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers much needed win against the Orlando Magic???

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Lakers Drop Second Game in a Row Against Mavericks 93-108 | Ben McLemore Leads LA with 20 Pts

The Lakers started better against the Mavericks in this game, but it wasn’t enough to change the result.

Saturday’s rematch between the Lakers and Mavericks was the opposite from their first game against each other this week. This time it was the Lakers who looked like they had all the energy to start before the Mavericks made a late comeback, but in the end, the result was the same: An even more lopsided, 108-93 loss that saw the Lakers go scoreless in the final five minutes as Dallas nips at their heels in the Western Conference standings.

In a notable shift, Frank Vogel even changed up the rotation for this game, and it appeared to work well to start. In addition to Anthony Davis having his minutes restriction upped to 25 and being allowed to play in the second half, Vogel also inserted Marc Gasol over Montrezl Harrell for a little more size after Harrell’s lack of rim protection left something to desired in Thursday’s matchup. In the first half, the strategy worked, as the Lakers ran out to a 12-point lead by halftime.

And with Davis and Andre Drummond quickly shuffling their feet, the Lakers had some success early trapping Luka Doncic out of the pick and roll, but by the third quarter the Mavericks were moving off the ball more, hitting shots and generally using the Lakers’ aggressiveness against them to outscore L.A. by 12 in the frame, making up their entire halftime deficit over those 12 minutes.

The fourth quarter was more of the same, with Dwight Powell (25 points on 11-12 shooting) endlessly cutting to the rim to take advantage of all the attention the Lakers were sending at Doncic. Some less than stellar Lakers defensive communication on one end that led to threes and dunks in conjunction with Davis still looking a little rusty as he clanked shot after shot down the stretch was enough to put the final nail in the coffin as the Lakers dropped another winnable game to fall to 35-25, just 1.5 games ahead of Dallas for the No. 5 seed.

The Lakers will now have Sunday off before continuing their road trip with a matchup against the Orlando Magic on Monday. The only silver lining from this one, though, is that at least they don’t have to play Dallas again.

So Z Nation, what did you think about the Lakers Loss Against the Dallas Maverick???

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Anthony Davis Returns But Lakers Come Up Short VS Dallas Maverick 110-115 | KCP 29 Pts

Not even Anthony Davis' return was enough to stop the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 115-110 in Thursday's showdown between Western Conference contenders at American Airlines Center. Luka Doncic led the way for the victors, who have now won two in a row and sit at 32-26 on the season.

Solid showings from Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were not enough for the Lakers in Davis' first game since Feb. 14, as the Purple and Gold fell to 35-24 overall with their second successive loss.

Notable Player Stats:

Luka Doncic, G, DAL: 30 PTS, 9 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL Kristaps Porzingis, DAL: 19 PTS, 6 REB

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G, LAL: 29 PTS, 6-of-12 3PT Dennis Schroder, G, LAL: 25 PTS, 13 AST Andre Drummond, C, LAL: 14 PTS, 19 REB, 3 AST, 3 BLK

Lakers Fall Short in AD's Return:

The biggest news Thursday came before tip-off when Lakers head coach Frank Vogel told reporters Davis "feels great" and would play 15 minutes in the first half as he works his way back to full strength.

Los Angeles largely treaded water without the big man and went 14-16, although the fact his absence overlapped with LeBron James' made things even more difficult for the supporting cast. Still, health is far more important than seeding and home-court advantage for the defending champions who won last year's title at a neutral site.

That is what made Davis' return such a welcome development, although the rust was apparent as he shot 2-of-10 from the field and struggled to create quality looks against Dallas' interior defense. He did flash with a couple of jump shots, but it wasn't the vintage Davis the Lakers surely hope to see come playoff time.

It would have been easy for the visitors to fold once they fell behind by double digits and knew they wouldn't have the eight-time All-Star for the rest of the game, but they battled back and took the lead in the third quarter.

Caldwell-Pope caught fire from three, while Schroder darted in and out of the defense and created looks for himself while willingly facilitating when the Mavericks collapsed on his penetration.

While Drummond posted a double-double and Montrezl Harrell provided a spark off the bench at times, the two guards ultimately did not have enough help. Kyle Kuzma was in foul trouble for much of the game, and nobody outside of Caldwell-Pope and Schroder finished with more than 14 points.

So Z Nation, what did you think about Anthony Davis return and the Lakers Loss Against the Mavs???

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