Tag: lakers news

WATCH: LeBron, Russell Westbrook work out together at Lakers practice facility

Watch Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Russell Westbrook practice together at the team’s facility.

The Los Angeles Lakers are inching closer to the first preseason game of the year, meaning players are preparing for the new season.

Los Angeles kicks off the preseason at home against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 3 at 12:30 p.m. PT, but with a few weeks remaining before that date, players are hitting the gym.

A few days after appearing in the music video for Nas’ new song “Brunch on Sundays”, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook have been getting shots up together.

It’s slated to be a big season for the two stars as they’ll need to prove they can make the on-court fit work. Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal believes in the two stars but said it’s “championship or bust” for L.A.

Watch James and Westbrook practice, courtesy of the Lakers’ official YouTube channel:

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WATCH: Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk train with Lakers’ Phil Handy

See new Los Angeles Lakers guards Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn work on their dribbling with assistant coach Phil Handy.

The Los Angeles Lakers will have two fresh young guards in the backcourt next season in Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk.

Nunn, 26, arrived in Los Angeles on a two-year deal worth the full taxpayer MLE, so he represents L.A.’s biggest signing from free agency who wasn’t a Laker previously; he broke out with the Miami Heat the last two seasons.

Monk, 23, came to L.A. on a one-year deal for the minimum after being the odd man out on the Charlotte Hornets roster.

Both have plenty of promise to boost Los Angeles’ offensive production next season, especially considering their abilities to hit 3-pointers in various ways to keep defenses honest.

As the two prepare for what should be a busy season, they’re already in the gym putting work in with Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy (h/t SHOWTIME FORUM):

Handy has been involved in workouts for other Lakers throughout the offseason. He worked out Talen Horton-Tucker and recording artist J. Cole earlier in the summer and Carmelo Anthony recently.

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Lakers’ Kent Bazemore lost a lot of sleep guarding LeBron James

New Los Angeles Lakers wing Kent Bazemore described his matchups against LeBron James.

When the Los Angeles Lakers landed Kent Bazemore on a one-year deal, they added a pesky 3-and-D archetype to the fold.

Throughout his nine-year career, including a short but promising stint in L.A. in the 2013-14 season, Bazemore has sharpened his 3-point shooting while hounding opponents on defense.

Despite being listed at 6 feet, 4 inches, he can guard bigger wings and forwards with a 7-foot wingspan, which is a nice blend with his career-high 40.8% 3-point rate from last season with the Golden State Warriors.

Bazemore’s return to L.A. gives it a steady option who could start or come off the bench, but it’s also Bazemore’s time to team with LeBron James, a player he’s had to guard often as an opponent.

During his introductory conference, Bazemore discussed the troubles James gave him on defense.

“Even when I was in college he was in the league, I’ve always wanted to play against him. I wanted to go against him,” Bazemore said. “I got my chance my first year in Atlanta, Eastern Conference finals, and I realized how different of a beast he was. I lost a lot of sleep having to guard him.”

But those intense moments pushed Bazemore to improve, especially when the going got tough.

“Even when we played them, it’d get chirpy,” Bazemore continued. “His team would put me on the floor a little bit, but I ain’t back down. I think that just kind of drove me to what to beat him.”

The 32-year-old wing will not have to worry about defending James outside of practice; instead, Bazemore will have to supply the 3-and-D production he bestowed the Warriors last season to help the Lakers, and himself, win a title.

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Malik Monk explains why he signed with Lakers in free agency

Newly signed guard Malik Monk detailed the factors that went into his decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Most of the signings in free agency by the Los Angeles Lakers revolved around long-time veterans agreeing to veteran minimum deals.

Players like Carmelo Anthony, Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore, who are all over the age of 30, signed one-year deals for the minimum to compete for a championship.

The Lakers were squeezed financially, so convincing players to sign on cheap deals was a necessary tactic, as team owner Jeanie Buss described.

But an outlier in the pack of minimum deals was Malik Monk, the 23-year-old guard from the Charlotte Hornets.

The 11th overall pick in 2017 broke out in his fourth season with the team, but it didn’t come fast enough as Charlotte had too many talented guards on the depth chart, forcing Monk as the odd man out.

Los Angeles picked up Monk on a one-year minimum deal, which could become the best value signing of the summer. Monk detailed the factors that led to his decision to sign with L.A.

“The environment, man,” Monk said. “And this organization, and all the knowledge that I’ll learn. How to be a pro, how to work, how to work smarter and just how to be a man too, as well.”

Monk mentioned how he’s still young and could absorb what the veterans know on and off the court.

“I’m still learning, I’m still going through life, too,” Monk said. “I’m 23. So these guys have been doing it a long longer, and so I can ask lot of questions and I can learn. Not just about being on the basketball court but off the court as well. That was the biggest thing.”

Monk made noise last season by averaging 11.7 points, converting on 43.4 percent of his shots on 9.5 attempts and shooting 40.1 percent from deep on 5.0 attempts; all numbers are career-highs.

A one-year deal for Monk is essentially a chance for him to prove last season wasn’t a fluke and land a better payday next offseason. Playing alongside LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis should give Monk numerous opportunities to leave his imprint.

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Report: Lakers worked out point guard Darren Collison

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly worked out guard Darren Collison with three roster spots still open.

With three roster spots left to finalize, the Los Angeles Lakers are working out more players to figure out who to sign.

Los Angeles could profit from adding more pure point guards who don’t have a score-first mentality, as is the case with current point guards Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn.

Of course, whoever the Lakers sign would be for depth, as Westbrook and Nunn are slated to receive the heavy dosage of minutes at the one.

One of the guards linked multiple times to L.A. is Isaiah Thomas, who worked out with LeBron James and Russell Westbrook Tuesday, according to a report.

Another name is Darren Collison, the 10-year veteran, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports:

“The Los Angeles Lakers are actively surveying the landscape to eventually fill out the roster with more depth, and have done so in recently working out Isaiah Thomas, Darren Collison and Mike James, league sources told Yahoo Sports.”

Collison, who turns 34 soon, last played for the Indiana Pacers in 2018-19 and hasn’t played in the NBA since.

He shot 39.4% from deep throughout his career, despite low volume, and could facilitate an offense without looking to find his own shot.

Collison technically retired after his last season but there were rumors of his interest to return and play for one of the L.A. teams in the 2019-20 campaign, though he ultimately stayed retired. It’ll be interesting to see how Collison’s workout influenced the Lakers’ decision-making process on who to sign.

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Lakers to play Warriors in fifth Las Vegas Summer League game

The Los Angeles Lakers will face off against the Golden State Warriors in the Las Vegas Summer League finale.

The 2021 Las Vegas Summer League is about to wrap up as teams prepare for their final games.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who have a 2-2 record, didn’t qualify for the championship game, which will be played by the Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics since both teams went undefeated and had the best point differentials.

Los Angeles defeated the Phoenix Suns and L.A. Clippers but lost to the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons.

But all teams will play one more contest to finish the Summer League schedule, even if they didn’t make the final.

The NBA announced the Lakers would play the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 4 p.m. PDT on ESPNEWS:

The Warriors, also 2-2 through four games, are led by rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

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LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are already practicing together

Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are in the lab preparing for next season.

Following a disappointing conclusion to the 2020-21 campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers prioritized adding a third star to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Lakers envisioned Dennis Schroder — now with the Boston Celtics — to fill that role when they traded for him at the start of last season, but Schroder’s disappearance in the playoffs, combined with his desire for a big payday, turned L.A. the other direction.

Los Angeles was reportedly linked to star point guards like Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul while shooting guard Buddy Hield also emerged as a potential candidate to help solve L.A.’s 3-point shooting woes.

However, the Washington Wizards swooped in and offered L.A. Russell Westbrook for the package the Lakers would have likely sent to Sacramento for Hield.

In the end, Westbrook and three second-round picks came to Los Angeles for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and L.A.’s 2021 first-round pick.

Westbrook, James and Davis may not seem like the ideal fit on paper because of Westbrook’s shooting history, but he undoubtedly checks the box of the third star L.A. needs because of his other areas of expertise.

To prepare for the new season, James and Westbrook are already working together on the court, via James’ Instagram:

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James jokes in the caption “I agree I don’t think this will work”, which is a prevalent concern among the NBA world in analyzing the potential fit between the two ball-dominant players.

Westbrook commented, “You already know what we on Brodie!!!”

James also shouts out Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy in the caption, who was working out with the star duo.

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Blake Griffin on Lakers: ‘I’ve been in situations where a team stacks up and it doesn’t work out.’

Brooklyn Nets big man Blake Griffin isn’t vibing with how the Los Angeles Lakers and other teams have added more talent to their rosters.

Next season in the NBA is set to be captivating with multiple teams getting their star players back to full health, including teams who have added more talent.

The Los Angeles Lakers will have a fresh look on the court when Russell Westbrook dons the purple and gold alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Miami Heat are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2020-21 campaign, and the addition of Kyle Lowry via sign-and-trade should help Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson thrive.

The Chicago Bulls hope to be competitive again by pairing Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.

Plenty of teams are going all-in for a championship.

But Brooklyn Nets big man Blake Griffin is remaining cautious on how the season will pan out for these teams, via Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News:

Griffin, who plays with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Joe Harris, four of the most lethal shooters and pure scorers in the league, knows a thing or two about how so-called super teams can have their seasons derailed by unforeseen circumstances.

Harden and Irving suffered injuries in the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks and lost their lead in that series, paving the way for Milwaukee’s road to the 2020-21 title.

The Lakers, who had multiple injuries to James, Davis and more, must also be careful next season. Los Angeles isn’t the youngest roster by any means, so keeping legs fresh and rested will be important for a possible title run.

Los Angeles is going all-in with the acquisition of Westbrook and cannot afford for injuries to cause their season to go awry.

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Kyle Kuzma explains how LeBron James influenced his development

Kyle Kuzma detailed how Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James helped him evolve as a basketball player.

After being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 27 in the 2017 NBA draft, forward Kyle Kuzma has carved out a solid career.

He initially made a mark with his scoring ability, mostly off the bench, in his rookie season before being inserted into the starting lineup during his sophomore year.

Kuzma averaged a career-high 18.7 points per game, though on low efficiency, in his second season, but the flashes of his game were apparent.

Then he found himself polishing other areas of his game besides attempting shots, which the additions of LeBron James and Anthony Davis helped.

This past season, Kuzma primarily came off the bench but could supply production wherever needed since L.A. dealt with several injuries. He could take control of the ball to create a play, knock down catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, rebound efficiently and more.

He also improved drastically on the defensive end, using his unique frame to guard players his size or smaller opponents.

But after disappearing in the playoffs when L.A. needed him most, he was reportedly a prominent name the Lakers were seeking to trade during the early stages of the summer.

The trade came when the Lakers included him in a deal to land Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards, ending Kuzma’s time as the longest-tenured Laker.

Before he starts a new chapter in the Eastern Conference, Kuzma detailed in The Players’ Tribune how watching and playing with LeBron James helped him develop his game and learn more about his abilities:

“I know that being around LeBron has reshaped my thinking in all of these important ways. Like, just the idea of thinking about a game as being about more than the score. I think in my first couple of years here, I was kind of a slave to the scoreboard. But now, I’ve had multiple games this year, where I’ve pushed myself so far beyond that. Or the idea of fully committing to doing it all — and just watching a guy like LeBron play defense, score, playmake, and also rebound, basically go all out, every single night. I never thought I would ever even come close to triple doubles….. but I understand how that kind of game is possible now.”

Kuzma will be involved in a crowded forward battle with who the Wizards already have on the roster, plus new signings and draftees.

But if Kuzma can extract his championship-caliber expertise and what he learned these last few seasons from players like James, he could play a vital role alongside Bradley Beal, Spencer Dinwiddie and company.

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Report: Lakers have considered signing Isaiah Thomas

An Isaiah Thomas reunion with the Los Angeles Lakers could be an option, according to a report.

The Los Angeles Lakers are nearing completion of the 15-man roster for the season.

Los Angeles stood firm at 12 players for a few days while gauging the remaining players available in free agency but have added two more players this week.

Mac McClung and Chaundee Brown signed main-roster deals with the Lakers on Tuesday after being picked up on training camp deals after the 2021 NBA draft.

McClung and Brown have both impressed in their respective ways so far in the summer league games; bringing both players in helps balance the age differences on the roster.

As for who could fill in the 15th spot, the Lakers have considered a reunion with Isaiah Thomas, according to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein:

The Lakers are considering other options to strengthen the wing depth, but adding another ball-handling guard makes sense.

Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn are the only pure point guards, though Nunn is more of a scorer.

Despite not playing much meaningful basketball since the 2019-20 season, Thomas is a career 36.3% 3-point shooter. While with the Washington Wizards in 2019-20, he shot 41.3% from deep on 4.7 attempts and can play both on and off the ball.

Thomas, 32, played 17 games for the Lakers in 2017-18. He was an All-Star and a legit MVP candidate with the Boston Celtics in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, but injuries have derailed the prime years of his career.

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