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[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Rumors: LeBron James Actually Was Notified Of Sale To Mark Walter

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are in a peculiar position as despite picking up his player option for the 2025-26 season, his future in the organization is currently uncertain.

James’ agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports put out a statement saying that the 40-year-old is looking to compete for championships at this stage of his career. The Lakers have not yet made the moves necessary to reach that level, prioritizing the future now that they have a 26-year-old superstar in Luka Doncic.

While James and Doncic remain close and share a mutual respect, it would be understandable if the former isn’t happy about the direction the Lakers are going. Some reports have indicated they are prioritizing 2027 as the time to go all-in with Doncic, which would obviously be after James career is over.

Additionally, a recent report by Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN indicated that Doncic was given a heads up about the team’s ownership sale to Mark Walter, while James was not:

When the Buss family agreed to sell a majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter on June 18, Doncic was given a heads-up and notably posted a congratulations on social media afterward. James was not given the same notice and did not post any public acknowledgement afterward.

It appears that was incorrect though as Shelburne and Windhorst updated their story to say that LeBron was indeed notified through his representation:

When the Buss family agreed to sell a majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter on June 18, Doncic was given a heads-up and notably posted a congratulations on social media afterward. After the publication of this article, sources said James was notified of the sale, via his representation. But he did not post any public acknowledgement.

James and the Lakers have always had a very cordial relationship, so even if they are prioritizing Doncic’s timeline, it makes sense that the 22-year veteran was at least notified about the monumental, record-breaking ownership sale.

ESPN also previously reported that both James and Doncic were excited about Walter taking over the Lakers, so this all seems like a bunch of nothing. Regardless though, LeBron’s future is still uncertain as it remains to be seen if he will be suiting up for the purple and gold or elsewhere in his 23rd season.

LeBron James attended Lakers Summer League game​

Despite whatever displeasure LeBron James currently has for the Lakers, he was in attendance for their Summer League game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night in Las Vegas. LeBron was, of course, supporting his son Bronny James, but was also seen talking with Lakers players and coaches during the game.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rumors-lebron-james-actually-was-notified-of-sale-to-mark-walter/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Rich Paul: LeBron James Never Asked Lakers For Contract Extension

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is entering the 2025-26 season in completely unfamiliar territory. For the first time in his career, he is entering a season as a true expiring contract, after he and his agent, Rich Paul, opted in to the final year of his two-year contract with the Lakers for about $52.6 million.

What followed was a statement from Paul that suggested LeBron might be looking to finish his career elsewhere and that his goals may no longer align with the Lakers. That was succeeded by a media frenzy surrounding possible James trades to various teams around the league that could have theoretical interest.

There have been many to suggest that LeBron’s statements and subsequent reactions like posting things related to the Cleveland Cavaliers on social media were because the Lakers reportedly did not offer him a contract extension. However, Dave McMenamin of ESPN had a rebuttal to that claim straight from Paul himself:

“Some have posited that the true cause of this situation was the Lakers not offering LeBron a contract beyond next season. But Rich Paul told me that they never asked for one.”

As always when statements like this are put out, there are multiple options of what could really be going on behind the scenes. The first is that Paul is telling the truth, and that they knew from the jump they would be picking up the player option for James and evaluating his options afterwards.

There is also a possibility that this is simply PR from Paul to make it look like the decision to not extend was completely mutual. Or to show that LeBron was the one who did not want to extend the same way the Lakers did not want to extend him.

Regardless of the truth, the Lakers and LeBron are where they are now. And they have to have some conversations to determine what the best path is for all sides moving forward.

LeBron James focused on enjoying offseason​

Despite LeBron James not going into the season with an extension in hand, there is no denying that he is still one of the most powerful players in league history. And if he truly wanted a trade or a chance to play for a new team, it’s unlikely the Lakers would deny him that opportunity given their history of star treatment.

Rich Paul knows this, and that’s certainly part of why he wants James to sit back and enjoy the summer to the best of his ability. The outside noise is always going to be loud when it comes to the Lakers star.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/rich-paul-lebron-james-never-asked-lakers-for-contract-extension/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Bronny James Big Game Not Enough As Lakers Lose To Clippers In Las Vegas Summer League

The Los Angeles Lakers were back in action on Monday night, taking on the L.A. Clippers in their third game of the Las Vegas Summer League.

The Lakers split their first two games, including an easy victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. They looked to build off that momentum in this one, but they weren’t able to as the Clippers pulled away late to claim a 67-58 victory.

Plenty of Lakers players were in attendance, including LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes. With that being the case, Bronny James made sure to get off to a nice start in front of his Lakers teammates by making his first triple and then a layup.

Outside of Bronny though, the Lakers couldn’t get much going offensively early with the Clippers taking a 15-10 lead. Cole Swider got going with a triple, but the Lakers still trailed 22-13 at the end of the first.

James returned to start the second and got his team going again by getting to the free throw line and hitting another pair of 3-pointers. Dalton Knecht then got going offensively as well to get the Lakers within one at the end of the first half, 32-31.

The Lakers’ run continued into the second half with DJ Steward connecting from deep to give them the lead. Offense was scarce for both teams in the third quarter though with the defenses stiffing up inside. The Clippers were able to get out in transition to regain the lead and took a 48-43 advantage into the fourth quarter.

With the Lakers in dire need of offense, Swider got going with five straight points. James then buried another triple to complete an 8-0 run and tie the game.

James and Swider continued carrying the offense as the game remaining tied going into the final couple of minutes.

It wasn’t until the final minute that the Clippers pulled away as the Lakers got some good looks from deep but could not knock them down. Knecht had a chance to cut a five-point deficit to just two in the final minute and his miss essentially marked the end of the game.

Bronny had his best game of the summer, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists on 6-of-10 shooting.

What’s next for the Lakers​

The Lakers will next take the court on Thursday at 6 p.m. against the rival Boston Celtics. From there, it will be determined if they make the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs and if they don’t, they will play one final exhibition game on Saturday or Sunday. With now two losses on their record, it’s extremely unlikely that the Lakers will make the postseason.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-bron...-lose-to-clippers-in-las-vegas-summer-league/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Bronny James Feels Game Is Slowing Down For Him

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James has made massive strides over the last year. After being one of the most talked-about — and absurdly criticized — second-round picks in NBA history, he got off to a slow start. He struggled at Summer League in 2024, and did not perform much better when given NBA opportunities last season.

However, his time in the G League was extremely positive, as Bronny gained valuable experience as South Bay’s starting point guard. And that experience and development is showing itself in a big way at Las Vegas Summer League in 2025. On Monday night, James had his best game, posting 17 points with five rebounds and five assists on 6-for-10 from the field with three 3-pointers made.

He’s averaging 13.0 points and 3.3 assists per game in Las Vegas, and a part of his success comes from the fact that he feels the game might be slowing down entering his second professional campaign, via Dime Dropper Pod:

“Yeah, for sure. I mean, it helped that I was in the G League running point guard most of the time. Just getting those reps in, and in Summer League, is helping. I’m just getting more comfortable game by game.”

The Lakers guard could potentially earn a spot in the team’s the rotation in the 2025-26 season, and his development between the G League and Summer League shows why that might be the case.

His offense has taken real leaps — although he still has plenty of work to do with turnovers and consistent 3-point shooting — and even his defense has improved, when it was already his stronger side of the floor. And to see those types of strides so quickly shows that the Lakers made the right move selecting him at No. 55 overall in 2024.

And the way he has kept his head down and made those improvements in the face of constant criticism and national attention shows that he’s the kind of high-character player teams always love to have.

Bronny James discusses growth into leadership role​

While Bronny James continues to get back into basketball shape this summer, he’s already making an impact off the floor as one of the Summer League squad’s de facto leaders. Following his California Classic debut, James talked about his natural leadership status and how his teammates have responded to him.

“To be honest, just trying to go out there and be myself,” Bronny said. “I’ve always been told that I have a leader kind of personality, so just trying to go out there and be the right example for my team and everything else will follow. And the guys…we have an amazing group of guys that are very coachable and very good people so there’s no problem whatsoever when it comes to that.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-bronny-james-feels-game-is-slowing-down-for-him/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Shaquille O’Neal Defends Kobe Bryant After Being Ranked 11th-Best NBA Player Ever

Ranking the top NBA players of all-time is a very difficult task. No matter how someone’s list turns out, there will be plenty of debate over where certain players are slotted. One thing that is for sure is that the top of any list will be full of Los Angeles Lakers legends with the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal almost guaranteed top 10 spots.

At least that would normally be the case for most lists, but in Bleacher Report’s recent top-100 all-time players list, Kobe was ranked 11th. And this did not sit well with his teammate who called them out for the perceived slight.

O’Neal responded to the list on X by defending his former co-star:

Kobe at 11 is criminal

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) July 14, 2025

Bleacher Report’s top 10 in order was Michael Jordan, James, Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Bill Russell, O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Stephen Curry. Bryant came in at 11, followed by Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Durant, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West.

Everyone ranked in their top 10 list is undoubtedly deserving to be there, but to leave Kobe out of it is a stretch, even for those who aren’t the biggest fans of the Lakers’ legend. Whether it is stats, accolades, championships or just the eye test, Bryant should be a lock in the top 10 greatest players list and Shaq calling them out for putting him 11th is valid as there are few who know better than the big man.

As time has gone on since Kobe retired from basketball, the rise in prevalence of advanced statistics has hurt his standing amongst many. His efficiency numbers weren’t great and certain metrics don’t view Bryant in the best light, which has led some to question whether he is really at that top of the top level. But anyone who teamed with, or played against Kobe, will put him in that realm without question.

Mark Cuban compares Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg development to Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant​

Perhaps the next big NBA star is 2025 top overall pick Cooper Flagg, who recently struggled in his Summer League debut. But former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban feels Flagg just needs time to grow, just as a young Kobe Bryant did when he first joined the Lakers.

“You kind of have to think of the Kobe [Bryant] arc,” Cuban said. “It took him some time to get it right. I don’t want to curse him by comparing him to Kobe because they’re not the same. But Kobe didn’t come in right away as a polished player. It took him two years to get it.”

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-new...after-being-ranked-11th-best-nba-player-ever/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers To Close Out Las Vegas Summer League On Friday Vs. Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers’ Summer League experience in 2025 has had its share of ups and downs, both on a team and individual level. The team looked good during the California Classic, but has struggled at the Las Vegas Summer League with a 1-2 record so far.

Bronny James, Cole Swider and Darius Bazley have all impressed, but last year’s first-round pick Dalton Knecht has had a rough showing in Las Vegas.

The Lakers still have one more regular game scheduled against the Boston Celtics on Thursday. But each team that doesn’t make the Summer League playoffs will also get one last game as well and with the Lakers having no chance of qualifying, they now know when that will be.

The NBA announced the schedule for Friday, July 18, when the Lakers will take on the Denver Nuggets in each team’s Summer League finale:

The NBA 2K26 Summer League schedule for Friday, July 18: pic.twitter.com/NjtsUoUNBE

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 16, 2025

It is fitting that the Lakers will take on he Nuggets, who have emerged as a rival over the past few seasons. Following games against the Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers, not to mention facing the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic, the Lakers have squared off against all of their biggest rivals this summer.

Bronny has been the biggest story for the Lakers during Summer League as he has impressed with just how much more comfortable he has looked. He is averaging 13 points and 3.3 assists in the first three games in Vegas and has overall had a positive impact on the Lakers’ success. The same can be said for Swider, who looks like a true NBA player, leading the Lakers in scoring in Vegas at 19.7 points on a ridiculous 48.3% shooting from 3-point range.

Bazley has also impressed with his overall activity and defensive ability as he looks to get his NBA career back on track while rookie DJ Steward has also been solid throughout. The struggles of Knecht were not ideal, however, as he has shot just 29% from the field in Vegas and has been unable to get going.

Considering the Lakers’ game against the Nuggets is the second day of a back-to-back, it’s possible and even likely that James, Knecht and others won’t suit up in the finale. That would give an opportunity for other players to showcase their skills with extended minutes, which is exactly how Quincy Olivari made an impression on the organization a year ago.

Lakers’ Bronny James feels game is beginning to slow down for him​

Lakers guard Bronny James looking as good as he has this summer has undoubtedly been a positive development. He quietly was very good when playing in the G League last season and he feels all of that development and reps he got down there are helping him get more comfortable overall.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-to-close-out-las-vegas-summer-league-on-friday-vs-nuggets/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Rumors: LeBron James Expected To Be With Team At Start Of Training Camp

The biggest question mark surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason has been the future of LeBron James. Despite picking up his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, it was still unclear if James intended to play for the Lakers.

His agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports put out a statement essentially saying that heading into his 23rd NBA season. LeBron’s goal is to compete for a championship. The Lakers are coming off a season in which they were the third seed in a loaded Western Conference, but many still feel they are a step below the true championship contenders, especially given their overall inactivity this offseason.

The Lakers have addressed the center position by adding Deandre Ayton but otherwise have not done much to improve the roster.

Despite the cryptic statement from Paul though, he made it clear that James has not requested a trade and that isn’t even a conversation that has been breached with the front office. Teams have inquired about the availability of LeBron, but he was recently seen at the team’s Summer League in Las Vegas being friendly with Lakers teammates and staff members.

With that being the case, the current expectation is that when the Lakers report for training camp for the 2025-26 season, James will be there, per Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic:

In the sections filled with employees from other teams, scouts and executives around the NBA buzzed with speculation about where else James might play, tossing around trade and buyout scenarios that, league and team sources told The Athletic, have never been discussed between James and the Lakers.

Amid the constant speculation recently about his future, both the Lakers and people close to the NBA’s all-time leading scorer expect that he will be with the organization for training camp once the season begins this fall, league sources told The Athletic.

Those same sources said the Lakers have received no indication from James or his representatives that he would request a trade or ask to be bought out of the final year of his contract, which will be his eighth season with the Lakers, the longest consecutive stretch spent with one organization in his career.

This doesn’t come as a huge surprise as despite their differences, James staying with the Lakers always remained the most likely outcome after he picked up his player option.

Finding a team that LeBron would want to play for that could also match his $52.6 million salary in a trade without gutting their roster is nearly impossible, and it appears both sides are aware of that and will be moving forward together.

James has a full no-trade clause in his contract so the Lakers cannot deal him with his approval, meaning he would need to ask out which he has not yet done.

Rich Paul: LeBron James focused on enjoying offseason​

While the entire NBA world awaits a resolution on LeBron James’ situation with the Lakers, his agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports recently said the 40-year-old is just focused on enjoying his summer.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rum...ed-to-be-with-team-at-start-of-training-camp/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers Rumors: Damian Lillard Signs With Trail Blazers

One of the most shocking moves in the NBA this offseason was the Milwaukee Bucks waiving and stretching the contract of Damian Lillard in order to open up enough cap space to sign Myles Turner.

Lillard was the Bucks’ blockbuster addition a couple of years ago to give Giannis Antetokounmpo a co-star to chase more championships with. Unfortunately, that pairing wasn’t exactly fruitful when they were on the court together, and then Lillard tore his Achilles in the postseason, meaning he will miss more if not all of the 2025-26 season.

With Lillard becoming a free agent for the first time in his career though, he was given the ability to choose his next destination. Since the Bucks waived him with two years left on his deal, he was not expected to command much on the open market, making him an intriguing option for a number of contending teams.

Unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Lakers were among the teams that expressed interest in Lillard. He will not be headed to L.A., however, instead returning to the Portland Trail Blazers, per Shams Charania of ESPN:

BREAKING: Nine-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard is finalizing a three-year, $42 million contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, sources tell ESPN. Deal is expected to include a player option in 2027-28 and a no-trade clause. A storybook reunion home for the 35-year-old. pic.twitter.com/mm1uUtMgO6

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2025

Lillard now will have a 2025-26 set salary of $70M between his Portland and Milwaukee deals, and a salary of $141M over the next two years ahead of an opt-out in 2027. Blazers officials and Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management are finalizing terms this week. https://t.co/m8JqsjzXVE

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2025

Adding a player of Lillard’s caliber would have been exciting for the Lakers, although considering he will miss most if not all of the 2025-26 season, it wouldn’t have made much sense to use resources to sign him.

The Lakers did not have the ability to offer what Portland did, and he wasn’t really a fit in L.A. even if he was healthy.

A torn Achilles is a very serious injury, especially for a 34 year old that relies on his quickness like Lillard. He is known to have a great work ethic though and is also a fantastic shooter, so there is hope he will be able to regain his All-Star form when he returns.

Lillard is coming off a season in which he averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 37.6% from 3-point range. It will be interesting to see how he fits with the young Trail Blazers core, but regardless, it will be cool to see him likely finish his career where it started.

Damian Lillard defends Lakers’ bubble championship​

A lot of people hate on the Lakers’ 2020 championship that was won inside the Orlando bubble, but not Damian Lillard. He defended how tough that championship was for L.A. and no one knows better than him as he excelled in the bubble despite losing to the Lakers in the first round as a member of the Trail Blazers.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rumors-damian-lillard-signs-with-trail-blazers/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Darius Bazley Injured In Lakers’ Las Vegas Summer League Loss To Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers continued Las Vegas Summer League play on Thursday night, taking on the rival Boston Celtics at Thomas & Mack Center.

The Lakers were looking to get back on track after going 1-2 in their first three games in Las Vegas, but they were unable to do so, suffering an 87-78 loss.

Bronny James found Christian Koloko to kick off the scoring, and also got the big man off to a nice start as he made his first three shots.

The Celtics jumped out to a 12-7 lead, but the Lakers settled in from there and ripped off six straight points to take their first advantage. James was looking comfortable running the offense while Cole Swider continued his impressive summer when it comes to shooting.

Darius Bazley came off the bench for L.A. and made an impact on both ends of the ball with two blocks and a pair of triples. The Lakers closed the first quarter on a quick 8-2 run to take a 26-21 lead.

L.A.’s energy dipped a bit to start the second quarter and they also struggled to take care of the ball. The Celtics took advantage by ripping off nine straight points to begin the quarter.

Unfortunately, midway through the second quarter, Bazley went down with what appeared to be a serious leg injury. He was carried off in a wheelchair and would not return.

The Lakers continued to struggle greatly offensively without him as the Celtics stretched their run to 16-0 before DJ Steward made a layup to end a long drought. He then hit a triple and another layup to salvage the second quarter and send the Lakers into the halftime locker room facing a 40-35 deficit.

Bronny and Dalton Knecht both got going offensively, and Koloko continued his stellar interior defense early in the third quarter to regain the lead.

That was short-lived, however, as the Celtics caught fire from deep. James tried to keep the Lakers within striking distance with a pair of three-point plays, but Boston opened up a 65-55 lead going into the fourth.

Bronny continued his stellar second half in the fourth quarter, but outside of him, the Lakers couldn’t get enough going offensive to mount a comeback.

What’s next for the Lakers…​

The Lakers did not qualify for the Las Vegas Summer League playoffs, so they will play one final exhibition game to close out the summer on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at 7 p.m. PT. Considering it is the second night of a back-to-back and Bazley already got injured, the Lakers may choose to sit some of their key guys in order to get more opportunities for other players that haven’t gotten many looks so far.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-dari...kers-las-vegas-summer-league-loss-to-celtics/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Lakers News: Jake LaRavia Believes JJ Redick Can Maximize Him As Shooter

The Los Angeles Lakers may have lost Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency, but they were able to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign both Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton.

While all the headlines concerned Ayton and how he filled the Lakers’ biggest need in the middle of the paint, LaRavia shouldn’t go overlooked either. LaRavia split time between the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings during the 2024-25 season, but showed enough promise to warrant a two-year deal from Los Angeles.

At 23 years old, LaRavia’s got plenty of upside and development left as a player, but one of the skills that should translate early on is his outside shooting. While the forward didn’t attempt many 3-pointers last season, he did shoot over 40 percent on his limited attempts which lends some optimism that he can continue to grow as a shooter.

Head coach JJ Redick recruited LaRavia in free agency and the latter explained how he thinks his coach can help him grow more as a shooter.

“When we were on the phone and he had first called me, I told him, ‘Dude, I used to watch you.’ It’s so cool for that to happen in any way. Even with players it’s like I grew up watching you and now I get to play alongside you or I grew up watching you and now I’m guarding you. And now it’s like I grew up watching you and now you’re my coach,” LaRavia told Lakers Nation.

“And even from watching him back then being a movement shooter and you don’t even really see that kind of archetype anymore where it’s just like the constant movement, off ball, sharpshooter. So I think in that way because I haven’t really fully developed into that kind of shooter yet where I’m lower volume right now, I think he can maximize my game into where I’m taking more attempts per game, maintaining that 40 percent 3-point shooting average and then just becoming an elite shooter at a high volume.”

Redick knows better than almost anyone how to be an effective long-range shooter in the NBA, so LaRavia has got an excellent resource in his head coach. LaRavia already seems to understand that he’ll be asked to be an all-around type of player but his outside shooting will go a long way in making him a permanent member of the rotation.

Rob Pelinka describes Jake LaRavia as high IQ, two-way player​

Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka did well to sign Jake LaRavia in free agency and went on to call him a high IQ two-way player that fits the team’s system.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-jake-laravia-believes-jj-redick-can-maximize-him-as-shooter/

 

[Los Angeles Lakers]

Recap: Lakers End Las Vegas Summer League With Loss To Nuggets

This has been a disappointing Summer League for the Los Angeles Lakers as they have gone 3-4 in their seven games between Las Vegas and the California Classic.

They looked to end it on a high note on Friday when they took on the Denver Nuggets to close things out, but they were unable to do so, suffering a 106-84 loss to Thomas & Mack Center.

Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Darius Bazley, Arthur Kaluma and Trey Jemison were all out of the lineup for the Lakers, giving others an opportunity to make an impression in the final game of the summer.

With so many key guys out though, the Lakers predictably struggled offensively. Cole Swider got it going early though with L.A.’s first nine points to keep his team in it.

Christian Koloko had a nice block on the defensive end leading to another triple for Swider, giving the Lakers their first lead. Swider wound up having 14 points in the first quarter, but the Lakers still faced a slim 25-24 deficit.

RJ Davis was running the Lakers’ offense well to begin the second with eight quick points and an assist. L.A. went cold from there, however, and the Nuggets ended the half on an 8-0 run to take a 47-43 lead into the locker room.

Ethan Taylor hasn’t played much for the Lakers this summer but got a chance in the third quarter and drilled back-to-back triples. DaJuan Gordon then made one as well to regain the lead.

The Lakers’ transition left much to be desired though, and so did their rebounding. Swider also cooled off after his hot first half and the Nuggets took advantage to grab a 76-69 lead going into the fourth.

Taylor and Davis were doing what they could to keep the Lakers afloat offensively, but the Nuggets stayed hot from deep and in transition to build their lead to double digits. Being undermanned, the Lakers were not able to mount a comeback and ended Summer League with another loss.

What’s next for the Lakers…​

Now that Summer League is over, all of the Lakers players can take some time off and then get back in the gym to work on aspects of their game that need improvement.

A lot of these players could be back with the Lakers for training camp, so they will want to showcase their skills to the coaching staff in hopes of earning a roster spot with the parent team or South Bay Lakers.

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Source: https://lakersnation.com/recap-lakers-end-las-vegas-summer-league-with-loss-to-nuggets/