Latest news with #LukaDoncic
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Two mock trades give Lakers a viable center and a 3-and-D wing
The Los Angeles Lakers not only need a viable starting center this offseason — they also need better guard and wing depth. An athletic 3-and-D player who can start in the backcourt alongside Luka Doncic and scale up to the 3 spot at times would be ideal for them. They have limited trade assets, so they will have to be prudent and creative with how they go about filling both needs. Siddhant Gupta of Fadeaway World proposed two separate trades that would address both deficiencies. In one trade, Los Angeles gives up forward Rui Hachimura, guard Gabe Vincent and their 2031 first-round draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Nic Claxton, a big man they have been linked to. Via Fadeaway World: "Claxton appears to fit the profile with regard to what the Lakers want from a big man as well," Gupta wrote. "At 6'11", the Nets center has shown a lot of upside on the defensive end of the floor. Although he isn't a physically imposing player, the 26-year-old is very capable of making use of his length on the rebounding glass while simultaneously showcasing his tremendous athleticism at his size. "Claxton notched an average of 10.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in the 2024-25 season with the Nets. As their primary defensive coordinator in the paint, he also notched an average of 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals per game. "As a young and mobile center, he poses an inherent lob threat. This makes him an ideal partner for Luka Doncic, who is known to exploit mismatches in the pick-and-roll with his big men. "Additionally, Claxton is quite capable of holding his own in the paint. The Lakers' lack of paint presence and rim protection was shown to be a glaring flaw in their playoff matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Although the Nets center can't transform their defensive rotation, he certainly shows enough upside to be able to plug the gap." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle In another trade, the Lakers would surrender forward Jarred Vanderbilt and their second-round pick this year for the Minnesota Timberwolves' Nickeil Alexander-Walker. "The 26-year-old is a young and reliable wing who could fit right into the Lakers' system," Gupta continued. "Alexander-Walker has shown tremendous upside as a perimeter threat. Having started his career in New Orleans, the guard has gradually shown improvement in his ability while embracing his role on the wings. "... The addition of the Wolves guard could help reinstate some semblance of balance in the roster. As a player who primarily moves without the ball, Alexander-Walker makes for a solid outlet passing option for Doncic or James on the perimeter. "The guard notched an average of 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on shooting splits of 42.8% from the field and 38.1% from three-point territory. The stat lines don't necessarily reflect the kind of impact the Wolves guard has had on the game. "At 6'5", his length could be of great value to the Lakers' defensive lineups as well. While additionally making considerations for other intangibles, he would prove to be a solid pick-up. "Alexander-Walker is going to be a free agent in the offseason. Considering the quality of his performance in the postseason, it is clear that he will demand a higher value going forward. "In such a case, the Lakers may be able to sign the 26-year-old off a sign-and-trade deal with the Timberwolves." The Lakers got a taste of Alexander-Walker's ability during the first round of this year's playoffs against Minnesota. His 6-foot-9.5 wingspan allows him to cover lots of ground defensively, and he can play up to three positions, which would make him very valuable. The downside to these two proposals — and it's a sizable one — is that it would leave L.A. thin in the frontcourt. It would then have to make good use of its mid-level exception and veteran's minimum signings in free agency to fill out the rest of the roster. Today's NBA is all about depth, and not about having top-heavy rosters, and the team would have to avoid the latter.
Newsweek
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Bulls Were Willing to Blow Up Roster for Lakers' Luka Doncic: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Los Angeles Lakers' acquisition of star guard Luka Doncic was one of the biggest surprises in sports history. Nobody saw the trade between Los Angeles and the Dallas Mavericks coming, leading to shock and drama throughout the entire NBA. But part of the reason why the trade went down was due to the secretive nature of the trade. No other teams knew that Dallas was looking to unload Doncic, otherwise, a bidding war likely would have erupted for his services. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Bulls were willing to offer everything on their team for the chance to land Doncic. But the Bulls were never given the chance to talk to the Mavericks due to the behind-the-scenes aspect of the Lakers trade. "A source told the Sun-Times that Karnisovas and his front office would have offered anyone and everyone on the roster had they been notified by the Mavericks that Luka Doncic was available in February, but even then, it wouldn't have been better than what the Lakers gave the Mavericks." Luka Doncic and the Lakers (3) are favored over the Timberwolves (6) in Game 1 of this highly anticipated Western Conference first-round matchup. Luka Doncic and the Lakers (3) are favored over the Timberwolves (6) in Game 1 of this highly anticipated Western Conference first-round article will be updated...
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Got Mavericks questions? Submit to Christian Clark for the upcoming mailbag
The NBA Draft Lottery on May 12 yielded a pleasant surprise for a beaten-down Dallas Mavericks fan base. Dallas leaped up the board and claimed the No. 1 pick, something that had only 1.8 percent odds. That puts the Mavericks in a position to draft Cooper Flagg with the first selection in June's draft. All signs point toward the 18-year-old Flagg teaming up with 32-year-old Anthony Davis and 33-year-old Kyrie Irving in Dallas next season. The Mavericks, whose future was questioned after the Luka Dončić trade, have made it known that they are fans of Flagg's competitiveness and two-way ability. Assuming the Mavericks draft Flagg next month, there are still roster questions. Irving has a $44 million player option for next season. Will he opt in? Will he also extend his deal? And if so, for how many years? And even if Irving does re-up on a multiyear contract with Dallas, who's going to play point guard for the team next season until he's able to get back on the court? Also, how does all the frontcourt talent in Dallas fit together? Flagg, Davis and P.J. Washington all can play power forward. Davis also can see time at center, the position Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford both play. Have a Mavericks-related question? Let us know in the comment section below.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former NBA star says Luka Doncic's fitness isn't his main problem
Former NBA star says Luka Doncic's fitness isn't his main problem When people talk about Luka Doncic, the topic that inevitably comes up is his fitness and conditioning — or lack thereof. He has been criticized by many for being overweight and out of shape, although there are definite signs lately that he may be starting to take better care of his body. Another criticism of Doncic that is somewhat related is his shortcomings on the defensive end. He has trouble staying in front of his man when his man has the basketball, and it has led to opposing teams targeting him on defense. There is a school of thought that if Doncic gets in much better shape, he can become a much better defender, and by extension, the Los Angeles Lakers would become a better defensive team. But former NBA star Paul Pierce said on Fox Sports 1's "Speak" that he doesn't think it's as simple as that. "Defense is a mentality," Pierce said. "Rebounds and the effort stuff is hustle mentality. It has nothing to do with his weight because as far as his production, he's one of the most productive players. ... So just don't make this a weight thing and try to throw us off the subject. "He needs to learn how to play some damn defense and not get isolated and picked on." There is some truth to what Pierce said. However, one cannot be a great defensive player if one isn't in shape. Superstars such as Doncic do have to conserve some energy on the defensive end so that they can help their teams the best way they can — on the offensive end. But as "Speak" co-host Keyshawn Johnson pointed out, Doncic can become a serviceable defender as long as he simply puts in the effort. The Slovenian, however, has been a good team defender who can come up with the basketball in certain situations. He averaged a career-high 1.8 steals a game this season, which shows at least a trace of desire to contribute in a positive manner on that end of the floor.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Los Angeles Lakers allow Luka Doncic to play for Slovenia during offseason but on one condition
Image credit: Getty Images The Los Angeles Lakers made an early exit from the NBA playoffs after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but their new player Luka Doncic isn't in the mood to sit idle and gain weight. Doncic is already looking slimmer in his latest appearances, and it has now been revealed that he will be playing for his home team Slovenia in the EuroBasket tournament during the offseason. Luka Doncic allowed to play for home team in Slovenia Matej Erjavec, president of the Slovenian Basketball Federation, has confirmed that the Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to send Luka Doncic to play for Slovenia during the offseason, but on the condition that he will be accompanied by a coach from the Lakers. Which coach will accompany Doncic to Slovenia has not been revealed. The matches will begin in August, with Slovenia facing Poland in their first game. 'Within two minutes in a meeting with Rob Pelinka, he stressed, 'Well, you will get Luka and one coach, and that's it.' And with that, we were done. There was no debate at all,' Erjavec said via This is not the first time Doncic will be playing for his home team during the offseason. Even when he was a part of the Dallas Mavericks, there was a similar setup in place for him, and Dallas Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney had accompanied Doncic to the tournament. Slovenia had won the 2017 EuroBasket tournament when Doncic played for them for the first time. Former Los Angeles Lakers player Markieff Morris recently shared his views on what he thinks is behind Doncic's better fitness. He said on First Take chat show, "When you're eating hotel food, you're getting in at 3 o'clock in the morning in different cities, you have to eat at 4 o'clock in the morning with a back-to-back. All that stuff takes a toll on your body. The stress of being in a long season, the stress of being traded midseason, it's just the things he went through last year. ' Also Read: Luka Doncic steps out to watch a game in Spain; fans comment on his slimmer look: 'He loses weight in off-season then gains it back' Doncic was recently spotted at the Real Madrid basketball game, and fans couldn't stop talking about how he was looking much fitter. He moved from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in February this year in a shocking trade. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
