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New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
LeBron James supports Lakers courtside at NBA Summer League amid offseason uncertainty
LAS VEGAS — Their necks turned away from the court to the baseline opposite the Los Angeles Lakers bench toward LeBron James, the center of the attention Saturday night, as he has been since he opted in to the final year of his contract earlier this summer. Everyone was looking, searching for signs as to what James has planned for himself for his upcoming 23rd season or for what the Lakers have in store for him. Advertisement The relationship between the league's all-time leading scorer and the franchise set to pay him $52.6 million is in a rocky space. James, still incredibly productive far beyond any rational plan for a player this deep into his career, will be an unrestricted free agent after this year. Rival scouts and executives have pitched all kinds of scenarios that have James playing somewhere else this upcoming season, either via trade or maybe even buyout, a trend that has exploded this summer as teams struggle to build rosters under restrictive salary-cap rules. Saturday, if there was any hostility between the organization and James, it never showed up in any obvious ways. He arrived with his wife, Savannah, daughter, Zhuri, and a group of his closest friends. James arrived in Las Vegas on Saturday morning after attending a Bad Bunny concert in Puerto Rico on Friday night. James sat near Lakers assistant Greg St. Jean for most of the third quarter. Earlier, he spoke with other members of the coaching staff in attendance, a group that included assistants Nate McMillan and Bob Beyer, and teammate Dalton Knecht, who didn't dress after playing in four games with the summer league team over the past four weeks. James nodded encouragingly after 2019 first-round pick Darius Bazley attacked the basket and when rookie Arthur Kaluma had a tough finish in the paint. A team official gave James a printed box score between quarters, and the team's social media account posted a photo of him sitting courtside. LeBron courtside in Vegas to watch the Summer League squad! — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 13, 2025 And when Bronny James spotted up in the corner, LeBron shouted 'knock it down' before the second-year Lakers guard swished home the 3. Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick are expected in Las Vegas for the Lakers' next game on Monday. Kurt and Linda Rambis were at Saturday's game. Thursday, in the Lakers' summer league opener, Linda Rambis sat next to Savannah James courtside. Advertisement James left midway through the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 94-81 win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Cole Swider led the Lakers with 21 points. Bronny James scored 14 and helped harass Pelicans rookie guard Jeremiah Fears into a 5-for-21 shooting night. All of the questions about LeBron's future have come from a statement his agent, Rich Paul, gave after James decided to pick up his contract instead of entering free agency or renegotiating this summer. 'LeBron knows the Lakers are building for the future, and he also wants to compete for championships,' Paul told The Athletic after James opted in on June 29. 'We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.' Much of the tension appears to stem from the Lakers' desire to keep their salary-cap sheet as clear as possible starting next summer, allowing them to find Luka Dončić's future partner either in free agency or via trade, when they'll have access to use first-round picks in 2026, 2031 and 2033 for a single trade. The Lakers' commitment to that plan is set to collide with James' ability to still play All-NBA basketball deeper into his career than ever before in league history. This past season, James played in 70 games, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Luka Doncic Is Determined To Get Back At The Mavericks For Betraying Him After Blockbuster Trade
Luka Doncic Is Determined To Get Back At The Mavericks For Betraying Him After Blockbuster Trade originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Lakers star Luka Doncic is in the middle of a critical offseason as he nears the start of his first full season in Los Angeles. Months after the trade that paired him with LeBron James, Doncic is doing whatever it takes to keep himself in shape and is using the words from his former team to help him push through his most transformative summer yet. Advertisement 'Doncic remains motivated by how the Dallas Mavericks treated him in the aftermath of the trade and how the Lakers' season ended, and has committed to an offseason training and nutrition program," sources told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. In the aftermath of their shocking decision, the Mavericks were looking for any reason to justify the trade and called out his work ethic and conditioning as the primary reasons for his departure. According to the Mavericks, Doncic struggled to stay in shape and hold himself up to a higher standard. Now, Luka is using those words to help inspire him to greatness. Besides elite talent and a solid support system, Doncic will also have every resource available to help him reach new heights in his training and physical fitness journey. "Doncic will also have a direct conduit to the Lakers' coaching staff with him this summer. Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean will serve as an assistant coach with the Slovenian national team, sources told ESPN, as Doncic competes for his home country in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament." Advertisement Like the rest of us, Doncic was blindsided by his trade to the Lakers. He thought he'd be in Dallas for a long time, especially after leading them to the NBA Finals in 2024. So it's no surprise that he felt betrayed when the Mavs decided to send him to Los Angeles completely out of the blue. The betrayal increased tenfold when the Mavs blamed his character as part of the reason. To this day, Doncic's reputation has yet to recover, and it's something he's actively seeking to rectify. Sadly, even with averages of 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game last season, it wasn't enough for Doncic to silence the haters. The only way to prove them wrong and restore his reputation is to win it all with the Lakers while keeping himself in the best shape of his career. Thanks to the Mavericks' harsh betrayal of Luka, he's going to be playing with a chip on his shoulder and some added motivation to show that the Mavs made a huge mistake in letting him go. Already, fans have noticed Doncic looking exceptionally slimmer, and he hasn't even started playing in this year's EuroBasket tournament. If he continues this trajectory, Doncic could be in store for a career-high season, and the Lakers will need every bit of it to challenge NBA elites such as the Thunder, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Rockets. Advertisement As for the Mavericks, Nico Harrison doesn't yet have any regrets over making the trade, and he believes his team is primed for success in the years to come. But if Luka makes a run and proves that he's capable of being a champion, it will forever make them look foolish for giving him up so easily. Related: Former Mavericks Head Coach Says He Would Take Cooper Flagg Over Luka Doncic This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers, Mavericks Personnel Joining Luka Doncic on Slovenian Team
Lakers, Mavericks Personnel Joining Luka Doncic on Slovenian Team originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Five-time All-NBA first team Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic will be joined by two new familiar faces on the Slovenian national team. Advertisement The 6-foot-6 pro, 26, is gearing up for EuroBasket competition this summer. Doncic grappled with a calf injury for much of the 2024-25 season, and was limited to just 50 healthy games. A surprise midseason acquisition for the Lakers, Doncic played just 28 bouts in L.A. When healthy, he still put up numbers that would be the envy of pretty much anybody else. Doncic averaged 28.2 points while slashing .438/.379/.791, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals a night. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Game 3 of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Target Johnson-Imagn Images Ex-Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson, the man who traded for Doncic's draft rights in the 2018 NBA draft, will serve as the Slovenian team's special advisor, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Advertisement Stein notes that Nelson has previously logged significant team with the Lithuanian national team. Stein adds that a current Lakers assistant coach under JJ Redick, Greg St. Jean, will join the Slovenian team, too, for EuroBasket player. As Stein notes, this will enable Doncic to "have a daily Lakers presence alongside him" as he plays during the offseason. This summer, Doncic will be eligible to sign a long-term maximum extension with Los Angeles. The Lakers no doubt hope that Doncic will sign a four-season, $228.6 million contract extension to linger with the team long-term. If he doesn't, Doncic has a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season, meaning he could become an unrestricted free agent as soon as next summer. Advertisement Related: How Lakers Made Luka Dončić Feel Special in Debut With Team This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
