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[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Lakers End Road Trip With Easy Win Over Nets In Austin Reaves’ Return

After going 4-3 to start their longest road trip of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers looked to end it on a high note on Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets.

The Lakers got Austin Reaves back after missing a month and a half due to a calf injury, although he came off the bench and was on a minutes restriction. Regardless, the Lakers were able to easily take care of business, beating the Nets 125-109 to improve to 30-19 on the season.

L.A. got off to a nice start in this one as Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Jake LaRavia were all locked in front the jump, turning defense into easy offense. After a couple of step-back triples by Doncic, the Nets needed a timeout as the Lakers led 26-11.

Everything was going right for the Lakers in the first quarter as Doncic was unconscious and they were moving the ball well. Reaves then entered an immediately got fouled to end the quarter, giving the Lakers a 45-23 lead.

Not much changed in the second quarter as the Lakers continued to pour it on. After missing his first two shots, Reaves made two in a row as he began to regain his rhythm. He then threw an alley-oop off the backboard to James, who threw down another monster dunk in transition to get the crowd on their feet.

After leading by as many as 38 though, the Lakers let go of the rope a bit to end the half and went into the locker room with a 69-40 lead.

Reaves looked so good in the first half that JJ Redick put him out there with the starters to begin the third quarter in place of LaRavia. Considering Reaves was on a minutes restriction though, part of the reason for him joining the starting group was for him to get his minutes in before the fourth quarter since the game was a blowout from start to finish.

Similar to the second quarter, the Lakers had a poor close to the third but still took a 100-74 lead into the fourth.

L.A. quickly got the lead back to 30 at the start of the fourth quarter, allowing them to empty the bench and cruise to the easy win.

What’s next for the Lakers…​

After the conclusion of their long road trip, the Lakers will now return home for matchups with the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks leading up to the All-Star break.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-lakers-end-road-trip-with-easy-win-over-nets-in-austin-reaves-return/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Jaxson Hayes Suspended One Game For Pushing Wizards Mascot

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been suspended one game without pay for pushing a Washington Wizards mascot during pre-game introductions, it was announced on Wednesday by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations with the NBA.

The incident occurred during pregame introductions of the Lakers’ 142-111 win over the Wizards at Capital One Arena on Jan. 30.

Hayes will serve his one-game suspension when the Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.

Here is video of the incident that occurred to lead to the suspension:

Here is video of Jaxson Hayes shoving the Wizards mascot, which led to a one-game suspension.

(via @BleacherReport) pic.twitter.com/IMyBbic9Cj

— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 4, 2026

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the mascot was not injured during the incident:

Sources tell me, actually, that G-Wiz, the Wizards mascot, was not injured after the incident with Hayes that led to the suspension.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 4, 2026

While it’s good to see that the mascot was not injured and it’s unclear what led to the push, that type of behavior is not something the league is going to tolerate and now Hayes will be out for one game.

The suspension comes at an unfortunate time as the Lakers just got back to full strength with Austin Reaves returning in Tuesday night’s win over the Brooklyn Nets.

The Lakers have been dealing with guys in and out of the lineup all season, and the hope was for everyone to be available for an extended stretch to finally build some continuity.

Additionally, the NBA trade deadline is on Thursday, so depending on what moves the Lakers make, they could already be playing against the 76ers with a shorthanded roster, and now Hayes will be unavailable as well.

With Hayes out, the Lakers will likely turn to either Maxi Kleber or Drew Timme for backup center minutes, and they have also had some recent success going small with LeBron James, Rui Hachimura or Jarred Vanderbilt at center.

Luckily, it is only a one-game suspension for Hayes, who will be eligible to return for Saturday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors.

Jaxson Hayes to participate in NBA Slam Dunk Contest​

It was recently announced that Hayes will be one of the four participants in this year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

Hayes has thrown down a lot of crazy dunks throughout his career, most recently one he put through his legs late in the Lakers’ win over the Chicago Bulls.

Centers haven’t always fared well in the Dunk Contest, but Hayes could be the perfect mix of size and athleticism to pull off something unique to win the event.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-jaxson-hayes-suspended-one-game-for-pushing-wizards-mascot/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Giannis Antetokounmpo Rumors: Lakers Would Become ‘Viable Threat’ To Trade For Bucks Star This Summer

The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to do anything, but it has already been an exciting trade deadline across the NBA.

While star-level players like James Harden, Darius Garland and Jaren Jackson Jr. have already been dealt, the biggest name still on the board is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

With the Bucks struggling, it may finally be time to move Antetokounmpo to give him a chance to compete for titles before his best days are behind him.

There are a number of interested teams putting together packages to land the Greek star, but if the Bucks don’t get an offer to their liking then they could hold onto him for the rest of the season and revisit talks in the summer when teams have more to offer.

One of those teams is the Lakers, who only have one tradable first-round pick at their disposal now, but would have access to three in the summer. That’s not including pick swaps and second-rounders.

So with that being the case, NBA insider Marc Stein is reporting that the Lakers would become a viable option for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks if he is not traded before the deadline:

No one is talking about the Lakers as a factor in The Giannis Sweepstakes right now because they’re not a factor if a trade is going to happen by week’s end. They don’t have enough tradeable assets to join the in-season bidders.

But if the Bucks do ultimately decide to take this saga into that spring …

The Lakers, league sources say, would then indeed become a very viable threat to land No. 34.

There is little choice for the Lakers, heading into Thursday’s deadline, except to stay patient and avoid deals that involve any long-term salary to maintain maximum flexibility for the spring. The hope for the purple-and-gold would then be to use their considerable projected salary cap space to be able to take in a contract like Antetokounmpo’s via trade — or another expensive star if one shakes loose post-playoffs — to pair with backcourt cornerstones Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves (who returned to action Tuesday night in Brooklyn after a 19-game injury absence). And dealing with the Lakers in such a scenario would almost certainly spare the Bucks from getting saddled with unwanted contracts.

This isn’t the first time the Lakers have been linked to Giannis, and it’s no surprise as the organization is always looking to find its next star.

That is especially the case now that they have Luka Doncic signed long-term as he will need a true co-star in order to compete for a championship.

Perhaps Antetokounmpo is that star, but in order for it to be possible, he has to stay put in Milwaukee past Thursday’s deadline. If he does, then things could get interesting this summer when the Lakers have the cap space and draft capital to pull off something big.

Giannis Antetokoumpo looks up to LeBron James​

After the Lakers recently played the Bucks, Antetokounmpo spoke about his admiration for LeBron James and how he has paved the way for all of the league’s current stars.

“I think he is the blueprint for every athlete, not just basketball athletes, on how to be consistent. To be consistent for 23 years, to be available, to be a winner, to lead by example,” Giannis said of LeBron. “It is incredible for me to be around greatness and I will never take it for granted. I have the utmost respect for him and his family and the way he has carried himself for 22 years. I think he brings the best out of me as a player and he’s one of those guys that I definitely look up to.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/giannis-an...e-threat-to-trade-for-bucks-star-this-summer/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Acquire Luke Kennard From Hawks For Gabe Vincent, 2032 Second-Round Pick

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired sharpshooting guard Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft pick.

Kennard is one of the best shooters in NBA with a career 44.2% 3-point percentage. This season, he leads the league in 3-point percentage at 49.7% and has 14 games with at least three made 3-pointers. In 46 games with the Hawks, Kennard is averaging 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting a career-high 53.8% from the field and 91.4% from the free-throw line.

Kennard gives the Lakers the deadeye shooter this team has been lacking. The Lakers rank 22nd in the NBA in 3-point percentage and 23rd in 3-pointers made per game. Additionally, his presence on the court should help open up the floor for the Lakers’ trio of creators in Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James.

The consistency of Kennard has been outstanding throughout his career. In nine NBA seasons, he has never shot below 39.4% from deep and has knocked down at least 43% in each of the last six seasons.

The Lakers signed Vincent in the summer of 2023, but injuries marred his time with the franchise. He was limited to just 11 games in his first year with the team and has missed 20 games this season due to multiple different injuries.

When healthy, Vincent provided the Lakers with a solid, reliable point guard option who could defend well and provide some shooting and playmaking on offense. But the team feels it can benefit from one of the truly elite shooters this league has ever seen, a type of player that has typically thrived next to LeBron throughout his career, and there is no doubt that Kennard will see plenty of open looks playing next to the Lakers’ stars.

The Lakers will be the fifth stop of Kennard’s career as he previously spent time with the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies before signing with the Hawks this past offseason.

Kennard also spent two seasons at Duke University, the alma mater of head coach JJ Redick, and in his final season with the Blue Devils was a second team All-American.

Lakers could become ‘viable threat’ for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer​

While it has been a relatively quiet deadline for the Lakers, the team could be looking to make a major splash in the offseason. With Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to stay put at the deadline, the Lakers are a team that could be a ‘viable threat’ to land him in the summer.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-acq...awks-for-gabe-vincent-2032-second-round-pick/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Highlights: Austin Reaves Catches Fire In Second Half Against 76ers

After a long eight-game road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers finally returned home to Crypto.com Arena and hosted the
Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. The Lakers and 76ers entered the matchup with similar records, setting up an entertaining matchup between two playoff hopefuls.

The first home game after a road trip is often a trap game and it looked that way in the first half as Los Angeles’ offense struggled to find any consistency. Meanwhile, the Lakers had no answer for Joel Embiid who feasted on switches and jumpers to give the 76ers the lead.

To make matters worse, Luka Doncic was forced out of the game near the end of the second quarter due to lower leg soreness. Doncic didn’t quite look like himself when he was on the floor, but seeing him walk back to the locker room was concerning.

Without Doncic, Los Angeles needed a group effort to stage a comeback and the team responded with one of its best overall halves of the 2025-26 season. Although the game came down to the final minute, the Lakers held on for a thrilling 119-115 win.

Austin Reaves made his return from a calf injury on Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets, and came off the bench again against Philadelphia. The Lakers needed one of their stars to step up in Doncic’s absence and Reaves answered the call as he was highly efficient scoring from the field.

The 76ers struggled to contain Reaves from the perimeter, but the star guard also torched them with his jumper. Reaves dominated the fourth quarter, knocking down incredibly difficult 3-pointers to give the Lakers their first lead of the night.

Reaves looked 100 percent healthy in the win, scoring a team-high 35 points to go along with five rebounds and two assists in just 25 minutes.

Maxi Kleber earned a spot in the rotation with Jaxson Hayes serving a one-game suspension and the veteran big man made good on his minutes. Kleber didn’t do much offensively aside from a dunk in transition, but his contributions came outside of the box score as he scrapped to keep possessions alive. He was also solid defensively, actively rotating and challenging shots at the rim.

Kleber had a modest stat line of four points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals but his impact was felt on both ends of the floor.

What’s next for the Lakers​

The Lakers will continue their home stand on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors. They’ll then play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-highlights-austin-reaves-catches-fire-in-second-half-against-76ers/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Injury Report: Luka Doncic Ruled Out, Luke Kennard Questionable Vs. Warriors

The Los Angeles Lakers released their injury report for Saturday’s game against the Golden State Warriors and Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) has been ruled out while Luke Kennard (trade pending) is questionable.

Additionally, Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) remains out while Jaxson Hayes will return to the lineup after his one-game suspension.

Doncic suffered the injury in the second quarter of Thursday night’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers and he was not able to return.

After the game, JJ Redick did not know the severity of the injury and revealed that Doncic would be getting testing done to determine it.

“Yeah, he, felt some soreness in his hamstring. He didn’t feel like it was good enough to go back in [and] neither did medical. So we held him out,” Redick said. “He’ll get some imaging. I mean [it’s] too early to say if there’s an injury, but [he] just had a sore hamstring.”

It still remains to be seen exactly how much time Doncic will miss, but it makes sense for the Lakers to be cautious and hold him out against the Warriors to avoid it becoming a more serious injury. The Lakers only have four more games until the All-Star break and then would get eight days off, which would give Luka plenty of time to rest and get healthy.

With Doncic out though, that obviously puts more pressure on LeBron James and Austin Reaves to run the team’s offense. Reaves just got back from his own injury but looked phenomenal leading L.A. to victory over the 76ers after Doncic went down.

Meanwhile, Kennard has a chance to make his Lakers debut, although he said it will depend on getting his physical wrapped up beforehand.

Austin Reaves: Lakers need Luka Doncic​

It’s been a rough year for the Lakers due to injuries as LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic and others have all missed time. Reaves just got back this week to put the Lakers at full strength really for the first time, but now Doncic is dealing with this hamstring injury.

Even if he misses time, Reaves is hoping that Doncic will be back soon given his importance to the team.

“I talked to (Doncic) a little bit at halftime, asked if he was OK, and he kind of just looked at me,” Reaves said. “Hopefully it’s nothing major. We need him. He’s our best player and the engine of a lot of stuff that we do. Hopefully it’ll be good news tomorrow.”

The Lakers have a tough four-game stretch coming up against Western Conference teams before the All-Star break, and Doncic may not be on the court for some or all of those games.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-inj...ed-out-luke-kennard-questionable-vs-warriors/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Marcus Smart Excited To Reunite With Luke Kennard

The NBA trade deadline has officially passed and while the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t swing in major deals, they were able to trade for Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks, one of the most accurate 3-point shooters in NBA history.

Kennard should immediately be able to step in and give the Lakers an absolute sniper that will help space the floor for his teammates. He is also a former teammate of Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The deadline always brings about some anxious times for players as many aren’t sure whether they will be dealt away or not, and that can be difficult for some to deal with. Smart has been in the league 12 years and is no stranger to the seeing his name in the rumor mill around this time and he believes each player handles things differently.

“I think for everybody it affects them differently,” Smart said after the Lakers’ win over the Philadelphia 76ers. “Some people it is a sigh of relief and others it’s just another day for em. Just being able to understand whatever helps you get over it, whatever helps you cope with that. Understanding it and doing it day in and day out.”

And as for the addition of Kennard, Smart is excited to play with him again and see what he can bring to this Lakers team.

“It was a pleasure to play with Luke in Memphis,” Smart added. “One of the better shooters in this league. He comes to work every day and I’m excited to see him out here with us again, me and Jake, and kinda keep going what we had in Memphis.”

Kennard is a career 44.2% 3-point shooter and this year is leading the entire NBA with a career-high 49.7% mark from deep. Playing off of playmakers like Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James should only result in some great looks for him and he has shown he can knock them down at a high rate.

Smart has seen up close what kind of impact Kennard can have on a team and his addition could pay real dividends for the Lakers through the rest of the season.

Lakers coach JJ Redick plans to tell Luke Kennard to shoot more​

While Luke Kennard is one of the best shooters the league has ever seen, he has never been the most high-volume shooter averaging just 4.4 attempts from deep per game. But Lakers coach JJ Redick plans on pushing him to shoot even more.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-marcus-smart-excited-to-reunite-with-luke-kennard/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Rumors: Changes Expected To Model Front Office After Dodgers This Offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers have underwent some major changes over the last year with Jeanie and the Buss family selling their majority ownership stake to Mark Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Walter has had a lot of success with the Dodgers, winning three of the last six World Series’, and now will look to do the same with the Lakers.

In order for that to be possible though, some changes are needed. When Walter took over the Dodgers, he invested heavily in the infrastructure of the organization, building an exceptional front office with the brightest minds in the sport, led by Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, as well as other departments like scouting and analytics.

The Lakers, on the other hand, have had one of the smallest front office and scouting departments in recent years, which is part of why they have often been losing on the margins.

It appears that is set to change though as according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers are planning to add to their front office this offseason to model the organization after the Dodgers:

The summer presents an opportunity, armed with significant cap flexibility, to start building the necessary components of a modern front office and reap early benefits. League sources say that includes significant hires to a wide range of front-office positions this summer, with the Lakers expected to model their front office after the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It’s going to be scary,” one rival executive said when asked about the potential of the built-out front office the Lakers are expected to assemble.

It is worth noting that Walter has also invested a lot into the Dodgers’ roster over the years, signing numerous big-name free agents. MLB does not have a salary cap so that type of spending can’t be replicated for the Lakers, although they will be going into the offseason with a ton of assets and cap space to improve the roster.

How they use those assets and cap space will be vital though, which is why Walter wants to bring in more smart people to help Rob Pelinka run the front office. Who they target will be interesting to see, but it appears some big changes are on the horizon for the Lakers to get them back to a point where they are consistently competing for championships.

Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman outlines involvement with Lakers​

Friedman has done an incredible job building the Dodgers into a juggernaut, and now he is trying to help do the same with the Lakers. Both Friedman and Zaidi have been consulting for Pelinka and the Lakers, and the former recently detailed what that entails.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rum...el-front-office-after-dodgers-this-offseason/