Latest news with #Lakers-Timberwolves
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans Don't Love Insider's Bold Lakers, Warriors Take For Next Season
The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors made blockbuster trades this season. The Lakers acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks, while the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. Los Angeles was the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs and had home-court advantage against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. However, the Lakers lost the series in five games. Advertisement Meanwhile, Golden State faced the Houston Rockets in the first round and won the series in seven games before losing to Minnesota in the second round in five games. Steph Curry suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1 against the Timberwolves and missed the rest of the series. LeBron James shoots over Steph Curry© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images The Lakers and Warriors are rivals. They play in the same division and Curry and LeBron James have had a rivalry since meeting in four straight NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018. With that said, some fans want to know who has the brighter future between the Lakers and Warriors. Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd answered that question, saying he believes Golden State's future is brighter than Los Angeles' Cowherd got roasted for his Lakers-Warriors take, as many fans replied to The Herd's post on X, bashing the sports pundit. Advertisement "How tf is this dude allowed to have his own show," one fan said. "Not a great take Colin. Have a feeling this will be reposted on Freezing Cold Takes in about a year," a second fan wrote. "No more bball talk Colin. Freal it's cool. It's very clear you don't watch the games. You talk to Jmac to sound smart I would stick to football and baseball," a third fan wrote. James is 40 years old. He's the oldest active player in the NBA and suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in Game 5 against the Timberwolves. While Doncic is only 26, his poor conditioning and lack of defensive skills were on full display in the Lakers-Timberwolves series. Mavericks GM Nico Harrison traded Doncic because he didn't feel he could win a championship with the five-time All-Star. Advertisement Curry is 37, while Butler and Draymond Green are 35. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has won four championships and coached in six NBA Finals. Meanwhile, Lakers head coach JJ Redick just finished his first year as a coach in the NBA. "The Warriors have no future lmfao the Lakers have 26-year-old Luka," one fan said. "Colin Cowherd hasn't been on point about an NBA teams future in his long? He's not good with predictions Lakers have Luka a guy who already willed a team to 2 conference finals and a NBA championship and is only 25 or 26 Warriors have a geriatric team Let's be serious," another fan said. Advertisement We still don't know if James will be on the Lakers next season. He has a player option for next season. The leading scorer in NBA history can pick up his player option, decline it and become a free agent or retire from the NBA. Only time will tell who will be better next season between the Lakers and Warriors, but Cowherd is in Golden State's corner. Related: NBA Trade Idea Pairs Steph Curry And Jimmy Butler With 2-Time All-Star
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Magic Johnson Sends Message to Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves on 'Beating My Lakers'
The Los Angeles Lakers just didn't have it in them to come out on top on Wednesday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves came to Arena with a clear mission in mind: to end their first-round series and book their spot in the West semis. The Wolves did just that by securing an impressive 103-96 victory on the road to clinch the series, 4-1. Advertisement Lakers legend Magic Johnson took to social media after the game to share his reaction to the season-ending defeat. The five-time NBA champ sent a message to Minnesota and their superstar Anthony Edwards, who has been nothing short of amazing throughout this series. "Congratulations to my good friend Minnesota Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez, superstar Anthony Edwards and the entire Minnesota Timberwolves team for beating my Lakers and advancing to the next round," Johnson posted on X. Edwards had an off night on Wednesday, going 5-of-19 from the field for 15 points. The three-time All-Star still flirted with a triple-double, though, with 11 rebounds and eight assists, to go along with three steals and zero turnovers in 43 minutes of action. Despite his relatively subdued performance in Game 5, there's no denying that Edwards has done an incredible job in leading his team against the Lakers. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards operates with the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura Johnson-Imagn Images Johnson also went on to express his thoughts on what he believes was the main factor in L.A.'s brutal loss. Advertisement "The reason the Lakers lost was because they played awful on defense, they were too small, and the Timberwolves dominated them in the paint," Johnson stated. It's back to the drawing board for the Lakers in what should be an intriguing offseason for this team. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, await the winner of the first-round matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. The Warriors are up in that series, 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled on Friday, 9:00 p.m. ET. Related: Magic Johnson Sends 'Sick' Message After Lakers Lose Game 4 to Timberwolves Related: NBA Makes Historic LeBron James Announcement During Lakers-Timberwolves
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LeBron James Predicted To Make $105 Million Lakers Decision This Summer
Four-time MVP LeBron James has a $52.6 million player option to return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season. The 40-year-old would become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he declined his 2025-26 player option. The Lakers were projected to compete for the championship this year after acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in February. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat Los Angeles in the first round of the playoffs in five games. Advertisement James, the oldest active player in the NBA, suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in Game 5. The four-time Finals MVP told reporters after Game 5 that he didn't know what his plans were for next season. "I don't know. I don't have an answer to that," James said. "Something I'll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens." James has a few options at his disposal. He can pick up his player option and return to the Lakers, decline his player option and either sign a new deal with Los Angeles or join another team or retire from the NBA. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James© Soobum Im-Imagn Images One NBA analyst predicts that James will return to the Lakers next season. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report predicted that James will decline his 2025-26 player option and sign a new contract with Los Angeles. Advertisement "Look for James to give himself a bit of wiggle room, then, by declining his option and re-signing with the Lakers on a two-year, roughly $105 million deal with a player option on the second season," Buckley wrote. James appeared in 70 games for the Lakers this season. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks. In the Lakers-Timberwolves postseason series, James averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks. It will be intriguing to see what James does this offseason. He has been with the Lakers since 2018. Related: LeBron James Doesn't Hold Back in Strong Message to Critics
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers Star LeBron James Provides Crucial Update On Knee Injury
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Had the Lakers won Game 5, James would have missed Game 6. A future Hall of Famer, James is 40 years old. He's the oldest active player in the NBA. The four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP is dealing with an MCL injury for the first time in his life, so he's being cautious with his recovery. Advertisement On the latest episode of "Mind the Game" with Steve Nash, James provided a crucial update on his left knee injury after Nash asked him how he's feeling. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James© Soobum Im-Imagn Images "Did you see me limp in here? Like I said last episode, it's been a helluva lot better, but it's getting better, though," James said. "Last time we spoke, I was, you know, but it's getting better." James will not require surgery for his knee injury. The four-time champion has never undergone surgery on his body. Arguably the greatest player in NBA history, James appeared in 70 games for the Lakers during the 2024-25 regular season. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks. Advertisement During the Lakers-Timberwolves series, James averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks. A 21-time All-Star, James has a player option to return to the Lakers next season. The NBA legend can become an unrestricted free agent this summer by declining his 2025-26 player option. James signed with the Lakers in the summer of 2018. He helped the franchise win the 2020 championship against the Miami Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble. Related: LeBron James' 2025 Free Agency Receives Major Update on Monday
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans Think JJ Redick Subtly Called Out Luka Doncic After Lakers' Playoff Exit
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of this year's playoffs in five games. It was a stunning exit for the Lakers, who were projected to compete for the championship after they acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in February. Lakers head coach JJ Redick and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka conducted their end-of-the-season press conference on Thursday with local reporters. Redick, who was hired last summer despite never coaching in the NBA, said some of his players need to be in better shape next season. Advertisement After Redick's quote went viral on X, fans started to wonder if the coach was subtly calling out Doncic, who was traded by the Mavericks due to conditioning and defensive issues. "Publicly sending shots to Luka?" one fan wrote. "Luka Doncic," another fan said. Doncic was targeted by Timberwolves players on defense during the five-game series. He routinely got blown by on defense and didn't show much effort in getting back on defense after missing shots near the basket. Even though Doncic averaged 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the Lakers-Timberwolves series, many Los Angeles fans want the All-Star to get in better shape this summer. Advertisement "Luka time to step up," one fan said. "Luka plays like he's moving a piano on his back," another fan wrote. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77)Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists this season with the Mavericks and Lakers. He shot 45.0% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 78.2% from the free-throw line. However, his defense wasn't pretty to watch. The Lakers can offer Doncic a four-year, $229 million contract in August. Doncic will make $46 million next season. He has a player option worth $48.9 million for the 2026-27 season. Related: Bryce James' 2026 Draft Eligibility Could Decide LeBron James' NBA Future
