Latest news with #NBARumors
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lakers rumors: Slovenian news site claims Luka Doncic already agreed to $229 million extension
The post Lakers rumors: Slovenian news site claims Luka Doncic already agreed to $229 million extension appeared first on ClutchPoints. A Slovenian news site made a surprising claim that Luka Doncic has already agreed to a $229 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. The star point guard who is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2027 is about to become eligible for a max extension. The Lakers shocked the NBA world when they were able to pull off a stunning trade for the five-time first-team All-Pro during the regular season. Los Angeles's entire trajectory changed with the addition of Doncic, who is still just 26 years old and is expected to have his best years ahead of him. And it's no surprise to anyone that the Lakers want to ensure Luka is in the City of Angels for the long run. While the Ljubljana, Slovenia native cannot sign anything until he becomes fully extension-eligible on August 2, Martin Pavcnik of the Slovenian athletic news site Sportklub recently reported that Doncic's long-term future is secure 'The American media speculated that Luka, who has been sculpting his body in recent weeks, losing several kilograms and reducing his body fat percentage, might be delaying signing a new contract since September. There were even hints that he might wait until next summer, when he would be a completely free player and available to all clubs. But it seems that the uncertainty will soon be over. Dončić is said to have agreed to a four-year extension worth 229 million US dollars.' The Lakers are at a crossroads as they attempt to balance winning now with preserving their future title chances. LeBron James is still one of the best players in the world, but he is now 40 years old. So far, the front office has attempted to strike a balance between prioritizing cap space for 2027 and addressing the precise needs of the current roster. Recently, the franchise signed former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton to a two-year deal. Ayton is still just 27 years old and, despite the up-and-downs in his career, should be a significant upgrade at center for a Lakers' team that struggled significantly at that position last season. Overall, if Pavcnik's report is correct, today is a great day for this franchise. Doncic is a generational talent who should consistently have Los Angeles in title contention for the foreseeable future. The front office must ultimately continue to work on providing its star point guard with the necessary supporting cast to compete with the elite of the Western Conference as he hopefully continues to improve. Because, in this era with this talent, a first-round playoff loss, like the one last season to the Minnesota Timberwolves, is not acceptable. Related: NBA rumors: Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe ponder Lakers-Heat LeBron James trade Related: Lakers rumors: What Brian Windhorst thinks LeBron James ultimately 'wants'
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers rumors: Luka Doncic pitched joining LA to Marcus Smart
The post Lakers rumors: Luka Doncic pitched joining LA to Marcus Smart appeared first on ClutchPoints. Marcus Smart reportedly intends to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers following his contract buyout with the Washington Wizards. Smart's expected decision surprised many fans, but the move did not come out of nowhere. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Luka Doncic played a role in recruiting Smart to LA. 'Lakers star Luka Dončić made a direct recruiting pitch to Marcus Smart this week that resonated with the veteran guard, league sources tell @TheSteinLine, after Smart's agent Jason Glushon was granted permission by the Wizards to explore potential post-buyout landing spots,' Stein wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Stein reports that Doncic's pitch 'resonated' with Smart. Now, barring unforeseen circumstances, he will likely sign a two-year, $11 million contract with the Lakers, as Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Los Angeles is in an interesting position at the moment. The Lakers are beginning to make the transition from one franchise star to another as LeBron James nears the end of his career. An extension has yet to come to fruition, but the Lakers are surely going to do everything they can to keep Doncic in LA. Adding a veteran guard such as Smart should prove to be quite impactful for the Lakers. Smart, known for his impressive defense, could become a veteran leader for a team with championship aspirations. The 31-year-old spent the 2024-25 season with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Wizards. He ultimately averaged 9.0 points, 3.2 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per outing. The former Defensive Player of the Year will give LA's all-around defense a pivotal boost. He is more than capable of contributing from an offensive standpoint as well. The Lakers have had a fairly quiet offseason for the most part, but the Smart addition could lead to more moves as LA attempts to build a true contender around Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Related: Grading Marcus Smart's $11 million Lakers contract Related: NBA fans can't believe Lakers likely landed Marcus Smart
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Celtics, Knicks, Suns, And Kings Are Reportedly Interested In Signing Ben Simmons During Free Agency
Celtics, Knicks, Suns, And Kings Are Reportedly Interested In Signing Ben Simmons During Free Agency originally appeared on Fadeaway World. 3x All-Star and former ROTY Ben Simmons has garnered a fair degree of attention from teams in the free agency market this offseason. With the guard looking for a new team this offseason, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that four teams have shown a keen interest in signing him. He wrote: "League sources say that the Suns have also had some recent dialogue with former All-Star Ben Simmons, who I'm told has drawn interest since free agency began from Boston, New York, and Sacramento.' This presents an interesting outlook for the guard, who played last season with the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers. Having played in only a handful of games over the past few seasons, with injuries sidelining him for the most part, Simmons' perceived value around the league has declined significantly. While most teams have strayed away from the 29-year-old because of his unavailability, it seems like the guard still has value to some teams as a rotational piece. Last season, Simmons averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. Considering that his scoring ability was never presented as his best asset, Simmons showcased solid averages on the rebounding and playmaking front. The aspect of Simmons' skillset that will be of particular interest to the teams taking an interest in him will be his defensive upside. At 6'10", the guard is uniquely athletic and agile. His length, paired with his mobility, makes him an incredibly versatile defender, allowing him to guard multiple positions, including centers when needed. When looking at the list of teams that have shown an interest in Simmons, it is quite clear that they would look to sign him on a cap-friendly deal. A veteran minimum contract seems like the more plausible outcome. For the Boston Celtics, the addition of Simmons would be helpful in staying competitive next season. Considering that the Celitcs' efforts to see them get under the second apron have seen them part ways with key roster pieces, Boston needs to add some depth to reinforce their bench. The 29-year-old simply brings versatility in this case. Meanwhile, the Knicks are looking to make a splash this offseason. Although Simmons' reputation has taken a hit in recent years, his addition would bolster the Knicks' overall defensive integrity while also adding another playmaker off the bench. The Suns prove to be an interesting spot if they successfully acquire him. While they don't necessarily have a shortage of wing defenders, Phoenix may value his size and playmaking ability off the bench, similar to the Knicks' interest. A move to the Kings could also be in Simmons' best interests. When considering their need for a backup playmaker and wing defender, the former ROTY could find himself in a more adaptable and less rigid system. If the Kings also commit to a fast-paced style of offense, Simmons could be an ideal fit to lead the bench. Much of Simmons' current challenges can be attributed to his lack of initiative and poor health. While he is undoubtedly a talented player, his limited sample size of success raises question marks about his ability to contribute to a winning effort. Given the kind of interest he is earning, the 29-year-old is likely to find himself playing for a team next season. Should he remain healthy and find the right fit, the guard could become a valuable story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What does LeBron's 'frustration' mean for his Lakers future?
Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst Dan Titus and senior NBA writer Dan Devine discuss Lebron James's reported "frustrations" with the Los Angeles Lakers and what it means for his immediate future with the franchise. Hear the full conversation on 'Good Word with Goodwill' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript Unsurprisingly, we saw LeBron make a couple of appearances at Summer League. A report came out from Anthony Irwin, a senior insider at the Lakers, saying that LeBron has become increasingly frustrated. And unhappy with the direction of the team since the Russell Westbrook trade. Is this just noise? What, what are your take on it? Yeah, well, first off, you forgot the main reason he was at Summer League. His son was playing, right? Oh you guys are watching, you gotta watch Bronnie of course last year too, exactly right. Um, and listen, Bronny has given him reason to be excited about watching him play this summer. That's good. It is funny that when you zoom out from all of it, the headline is more like, report, man who opted into contract will stay with team that is paying him. You were absolutely right to point to the notion that it is difficult to trade a $52 million contract. If LeBron James wanted to be anywhere else, he could have opted out. LeBron James isn't gonna go someplace else and sign for, you know, the biannual exception. LeBron James is going to get the, the top possible dollar. The questions moving forward are all about what does this mean like on the court next year? What does this mean when we get to next summer and we revisit this whole question about where does LeBron want to be for the balance of his career? Is he, does he decide that he's done? Does he decide that he wants to play 23 more years? He's gonna stay there to make as much money as he can possibly make right now, because he opted in and said that's what he wanted to do, doesn't seem like a super shock. And then the rest of it is kind of all noise. Yeah, now that the Lakers have new ownership, I'm curious to see where Rob Polinka's place in this standing is. Like, maybe he's bulletproof for a while because he acquired he traded for Luca. Like he got off of that, right? Yeah, yeah, I'm curious to see where this goes. I don't, I don't think this is gonna end up being a midseason trade or anything like that. I think LeBron's gonna play out the final year, and then we'll see what's next. Maybe it's retirement, maybe it's going somewhere else. Close
CNN
17-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
LeBron James reportedly expected to remain with Lakers
Despite an offseason of rumors and speculation, LeBron James is expected to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025-26 season, The Athletic reported Wednesday. The Lakers and James have not engaged in talks about a trade or buyout, and the NBA's all-time leading scorer is expected to report to camp with the Lakers this fall, per the report. There haven't been any signs, either, that James wants out. James picked up his $52.6 million option last month to return for an eighth season with the Lakers. He will be returning to a team this time around on which, for the first time in his career, he is the second option. Luka Dončić, acquired in a stunning trade from the Dallas Mavericks in February, is expected to be the centerpiece for Los Angeles in the upcoming season. Apparently fueling the trade or buyout rumors is a statement made by James' longtime agent, Rich Paul, last month that included this line, 'We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career.' Trading James, given his salary, would be difficult since NBA trades must be for players with contracts of similar value due to the salary cap. The Lakers, according to The Athletic, also are reluctant to take on a player earning in the $50 million range if he has additional years on the contract. The Lakers will be free of James' $52.6 million once his contract expires at the end of the upcoming season. James, 40, is entering his record-setting 23rd NBA season. He has played in 1,562 regular-season games and is 50 shy of breaking Hall of Fame member Robert Parish's NBA record. James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games in 2024-25 to rank in the top 22 in each category. He is a 21-time All-Star, four-time league MVP and four-time NBA champion. He has scored a record 42,184 regular-season points, and 50,473 in the regular season and playoffs combined. James entered the NBA as an 18-year-old after being selected No. 1 in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He turns 41 in December.
