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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA executive believes one team is a threat to steal Luka Doncic from the Lakers
On Aug. 2, Luka Doncic will be eligible to sign a long-term contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. It may take him some time to actually sign one, as he is spending much of the summer representing his native Slovenia in the upcoming FIBA Eurobasket competition. There has been a bit of anxiety regarding whether Doncic will actually stay with the Lakers. He can opt out of his current contract next summer, and while they have a very good roster, they don't have a championship-caliber one and are coming off a five-game loss in the first round of the NBA playoffs. There have been reports that L.A. will be in a holding pattern for a year or two until it can go after Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokić as soon as next summer. One NBA executive said that such a plan could very well drive Doncic to join Jokic's Denver Nuggets. Via ClutchPoints: 'The Lakers have to be careful,' a West executive told ClutchPoints. 'Luka just got his butt kicked by a team he handled easily last year, and now they're telling him to wait another year before he can really compete. 'If Denver wins it all or comes close while Rob [Pelinka] makes it clear he doesn't believe in Luka and LeBron as a combo, they could be a real threat for him this next season or two.' The Nuggets won the NBA championship just two calendar years ago, and although they have lost in the second round of the playoffs during the last two seasons, they still have a very strong roster. They're considered one of the big winners of this offseason after trading forward Michael Porter Jr. for forward Cam Johnson and adding guards Bruce Brown Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr., as well as center Jonas Valanciunas, in free agency. Of course, Jokic remains, in the minds of most, the best basketball player on the planet, and he just became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double this past season. Los Angeles hasn't improved as much as Denver has, but it did address its big hole at the center position by snagging center Deandre Ayton, who could thrive next to Doncic since he's a big-time lob threat. There is always the chance that it makes another move this summer, especially given the fact that it reportedly wants to improve its point-of-attack defense. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: NBA executive believes one team is a threat to steal Luka Doncic
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NBA executive believes one team is a threat to steal Luka Doncic from the Lakers
On Aug. 2, Luka Doncic will be eligible to sign a long-term contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. It may take him some time to actually sign one, as he is spending much of the summer representing his native Slovenia in the upcoming FIBA Eurobasket competition. There has been a bit of anxiety regarding whether Doncic will actually stay with the Lakers. He can opt out of his current contract next summer, and while they have a very good roster, they don't have a championship-caliber one and are coming off a five-game loss in the first round of the NBA playoffs. There have been reports that L.A. will be in a holding pattern for a year or two until it can go after Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokić as soon as next summer. One NBA executive said that such a plan could very well drive Doncic to join Jokic's Denver Nuggets. Via ClutchPoints: 'The Lakers have to be careful,' a West executive told ClutchPoints. 'Luka just got his butt kicked by a team he handled easily last year, and now they're telling him to wait another year before he can really compete. 'If Denver wins it all or comes close while Rob [Pelinka] makes it clear he doesn't believe in Luka and LeBron as a combo, they could be a real threat for him this next season or two.' The Nuggets won the NBA championship just two calendar years ago, and although they have lost in the second round of the playoffs during the last two seasons, they still have a very strong roster. They're considered one of the big winners of this offseason after trading forward Michael Porter Jr. for forward Cam Johnson and adding guards Bruce Brown Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr., as well as center Jonas Valanciunas, in free agency. Of course, Jokic remains, in the minds of most, the best basketball player on the planet, and he just became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double this past season. Los Angeles hasn't improved as much as Denver has, but it did address its big hole at the center position by snagging center Deandre Ayton, who could thrive next to Doncic since he's a big-time lob threat. There is always the chance that it makes another move this summer, especially given the fact that it reportedly wants to improve its point-of-attack defense.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brian Windhorst reveals possible timeline for Luka Doncic extension
On Aug. 2, Luka Doncic will be eligible to sign a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. As it stands right now, he has two seasons left on his current contract, and he can opt out of it next summer. He will become eligible for an extension of up to $228 million over four years, however, it is thought that he may opt to sign a shorter extension so that he could then ink a supermax deal in 2028. There is no indication that Doncic is thinking of leaving the team — if anything, he has dropped at least one hint that he would like to stay put for a while. He has been preparing to represent his native Slovenia in the upcoming FIBA Eurobasket tournament, which will take place later this summer. Brian Windhorst of ESPN reminded people that because of that commitment, Doncic will likely not take care of his contract situation until very late in the summer. "He's playing for the Slovenian national team at the European Championships, frequently called Eurobasket, which is the most, one of the most valuable tournament for the Europeans outside the Olympics," Windhorst said. "And he won the Eurobasket for Slovenia earlier in his career, probably the greatest moment of his career. They play six exhibition games leading up to the start on Aug. 27th and that it could they could go as late as Sept. 14th, which means he may not be back into the U.S. if the Slovenians get all the way to the end until late September. And you know, [Tim] McMahon will tell you that in the past when he's been playing for the national team, he has not done NBA business, including NBA contracts. So, he could certainly pledge his intention to sign with the Lakers. But do not freak out if you do not hear from Luka contractually until September." McMahon added something that may make Lakers fans a little nervous. "This will be an indication of what kind of faith that Luka Doncic has in that Lakers front office," he said. "It's not about when it's signed — if he wants to wait until after Eurobasket, that's fine. But if it's not signed heading into the season, that will loom like a black cloud over the Lakers this season." Doncic is just 26 years of age, so there is the potential for him to be the Lakers' next generational player for roughly a decade. But although the Lakers may have improved a bit so far this offseason, they aren't a championship-caliber team yet. It remains to be seen how much faith he has in the team's front office to help him win his first NBA title, as McMahon alluded to. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Brian Windhorst reveals possible timeline for Luka Doncic extension
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kristaps Porziņģis dealt with 'post-viral syndrome' during NBA playoffs, said Celtics president Brad Stevens
The Boston Celtics' attempt to repeat as NBA champions was hurt in part by Kristaps Porziņģis' inability to stay on the floor and make a meaningful contribution this postseason. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens addressed Porziņģis' illness and what that might portend for the offseason and next season. "I don't think anyone was more frustrated than him," Stevens explained. "And I felt for him because the way it was described to me was just post-viral syndrome, which is just lingering effects of a long illness." The Celtics described Porziņģis' condition as an upper respiratory and non-COVID illness during the Eastern Conference semifinals series with the New York Knicks. The veteran center played 13 minutes in Game 1 and 12 minutes in Game 5, with coach Joe Mazzulla saying afterward that Porziņģis didn't play in the second half because "he couldn't breathe." In the six-game playoff loss to the Knicks, Porziņģis averaged 4.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks while playing 15.5 minutes per game. He was able to contribute more in Boston's first-round series versus the Orlando Magic, averaging 12 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 27.4 minutes. Those numbers were far below the 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks Porziņģis averaged during the regular season with 41% shooting on 250 3-point attempts. However, he appeared in only 42 games while recovering from ankle surgery, then struggling with his illness that sidelined him for eight games in late February through early March. Brad Stevens on Kristaps Porzingis's illness:'The way it was described to me was just post viral syndrome.''He's going to play for Latvia. I think thats's a good thing.'WATCH LIVE: — Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) May 19, 2025 Stevens said he thought Porziņģis had "turned a corner" in his recovery and cited his 34-point performance against the Knicks in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Yet the demanding playoff schedule likely prevented him from being able to rest and recover further, which also applied to Jaylen Brown and the torn meniscus he was playing through. Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon would likely agree with that point, expressing the same concern after Sunday's Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. "A travel day and a recovery day, just two days, I think the product of the game would be a lot better," Gordon said. "Just to give all these professional athletes just one more day of rest, and you would see a higher level of basketball. Probably less blowouts." However, the Celtics don't appear to be worried about Porziņģis making a full recovery during the offseason. Stevens said during his presser that the 7-footer is expected to play for Latvia in the FIBA Eurobasket tournament, scheduled from Aug. 27 to Sept. 14. Porziņģis is under contract for one more season at $30.7 million, finishing off the two-year, $60 million extension he signed after the Celtics acquired him before the 2023-24 season.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kristaps Porzingis dealt with 'post-viral syndrome' during NBA playoffs, said Celtics president Brad Stevens
The Boston Celtics' attempt to repeat as NBA champions was hurt in part by Kristaps Porziņģis' inability to stay on the floor and make a meaningful contribution during this postseason. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens addressed Porzingis' illness and what that might portend for the offseason and next season. Advertisement "I don't think anyone was more frustrated than him," Stevens explained. "And I felt for him because the way it was described to me was just post-viral syndrome, which is just lingering effects of a long illness." The Celtics described Porzingis' condition as an upper respiratory and non-COVID illness during the Eastern Conference semifinals series with the New York Knicks. The veteran center played 13 minutes in Game 1 and 12 minutes in Game 5, with coach Joe Mazzulla saying afterward that Porzingis didn't play in the second half because "he couldn't breathe." In the six-game playoff loss to the Knicks, Porzingis averaged 4.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks while playing 15.5 minutes per game. He was able to contribute more in Boston's first-round series versus the Orlando Magic, averaging 12 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 27.4 minutes. Advertisement Those numbers were far below the 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks Porzingis averaged during the regular season with 41% shooting on 250 3-point attempts. However, he appeared in only 42 games while recovering from ankle surgery, then struggling with his illness that sidelined him for eight games in late February through early March. Stevens said he thought Porzingis had "turned a corner" in his recovery and cited his 34-point performance against the Knicks in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Yet the demanding playoff schedule likely prevented him from being able to rest and recover further, which also applied to Jaylen Brown and the torn meniscus he was playing through. Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon would likely agree with that point, expressing the same concern after Sunday's Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. "A travel day and a recovery day, just two days, I think the product of the game would be a lot better," Gordon said. "Just to give all these professional athletes just one more day of rest, and you would see a higher level of basketball. Probably less blowouts." Advertisement However, the Celtics don't appear to be worried about Porzingis making a full recovery during the offseason. Stevens said during his presser that the 7-footer is expected to play for Latvia in the FIBA Eurobasket tournament, scheduled from Aug. 27 to Sept. 14. Porzingis is under contract for one more season at $30.7 million, finishing off the two-year, $60 million extension he signed after the Celtics acquired him before the 2023-24 season.
