Lakers

2022 - 5 - 10

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Sports Illustrated"

Lakers: NBA Insider Condemns Idea of LA Trading LeBron James ... (Sports Illustrated)

Brian Windhorst of ESPN thinks there's a good chance LeBron James is a Lakers for years to come.

The Lakers don't have a ton of options when it comes to seismically shifting their roster. what team could want to trade for LeBron? LeBron isn't getting traded to a team unless LeBron deems it so. "But I think there are two things that I have to say that are very important here.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Silver Screen and Roll"

Magic Johnson comments on LeBron James trade rumors, Lakers ... (Silver Screen and Roll)

In a video "interview" with TMZ as he rapidly tried to fast walk away in downtown Los Angeles, Magic Johnson discussed trade speculation about LeBron James, ...

Magic isn’t the only former Laker involved with the front office as they search for a head coach, either, with recent reports indicating Phil Jackson is also advising the team’s brain trust. Magic’s ambiguous role as an advisor to the Lakers perfectly fits the front office which is full of ambiguously powerful people, the Rambii chief among them. Officially, Magic has no role with the Lakers, but owner Jeanie Buss has leaned on him as recently as last season for advice on the team. You would be hard-pressed to find a more stereotypical TMZ interview than the one the outlet did with Lakers legend Magic Johnson over the weekend. The murmurs of trading LeBron, certainly a more radical approach to the situation, have been largely squashed through reports. Magic played a huge role, perhaps the biggest, in bringing LeBron to Los Angeles as it was him that met with LeBron in free agency to make the Lakers’ pitch.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "LakersNation.com"

Lakers Begin Pre-Draft Workouts On Tuesday With DeVante' Jones ... (LakersNation.com)

The Los Angeles Lakers announced that they will begin pre-draft workouts on Tuesday with six prospects including DeVante' Jones (Michigan), Jeriah Horne ...

The Lakers also did not have any draft picks in 2021 after trading their first-rounder in the Russell Westbrook deal. Who will be leading these pre-draft workouts remains to be seen after the Lakers let go of head coach Frank Vogel and have yet to sign a replacement. As things currently stand, the Lakers do not have any draft picks in 2022, although that can change with trades.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Lakers Outsiders"

Report: Lakers have interviewed Mark Jackson - Lakers Outsiders (Lakers Outsiders)

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly have interviewed Mark Jackson for their head coach opening as of last week.

As previously said, the Lakers will take this process as patiently as they can. Darvin Ham, Adrian Griffin, and Terry Stotts are all options and have interviewed for the Lakers. What’s interesting about Jackson is that he stands out, reportedly, as a name that LeBron James holds in regard, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick: The Lakers slow and methodical search trudges on as the playoff winds down to the NBA Finals and eventual end.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Lakers Daily"

Report: Lakers to hold workouts with a handful of draft prospects (Lakers Daily)

L.A.'s roster certainly needs some work, as it did not get the job done in the 2021-22 NBA season. One opportunity for the Lakers to improve their roster will ...

According to a report, the Lakers are holding workouts with a handful of prospects on Tuesday. There’s no doubt that L.A. would love to add some youth to its roster. One opportunity for the Lakers to improve their roster will come in June when the 2022 NBA Draft rolls around.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Sports Illustrated"

Lakers News: LA Announces Invitees For First Pre-Draft Workout (Sports Illustrated)

The Lakers released what players will work out for the team leading up to the NBA Draft.

2022 College Stats 2022 College Stats 2022 College Stats 2022 College Stats However, Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves are two recent examples of the Lakers being able to unearth undrafted players who can contribute at the NBA level. Which makes sense considering that the Lakers don't have a pick in this year's draft.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "The Rookie Wire"

Jamaree Bouyea among draft prospects to work out with Lakers (The Rookie Wire)

Bouyea will be among the prospects to participate in a pre-draft workout with the Lakers on Tuesday.

Despite having no draft picks, the Lakers will still do their due diligence on those fringe prospects that could go undrafted. The Lakers enter the pre-draft process with no picks in either round. Bouyea, who was named to the All-WCC first team, averaged 17.3 points, five rebounds, four assists and 1.8 steals.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Silver Screen and Roll"

2022 NBA Draft: Lakers to hold first prospect workout on Tuesday (Silver Screen and Roll)

The Lakers will bring in prospects DeVante' Jones, Jeriah Horne, Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, Jamaree Bouyea, Jordan Usher and Grant Golden for a workout ...

And after a handful of seasons with disrupted pre-draft workout schedules, this is also a return to normal of sorts for the Lakers and the NBA on that front as well. DraftExpress’ top 100 rankings feature only Bouyea (at No. 86) among this set of draftees. It’s pretty safe to assume, then, this general crop of recruits is likely going to be seen as undrafted free agents types, or players to potentially fill out the Lakers’ Summer League team.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "NetsDaily"

Did Lakers think about trading for Kyrie during vaccine layoff? (NetsDaily)

Were Kyrie Irving's recently expressed fears that he might be traded realistic? In days when Kevin Durant and James Harden were carrying the Nets and Irving ...

Beyond those three, the Lakers lacked the salary to match Irving’s in a deal, even if they did have assets that would have appealed to the Nets. “I was wondering at home what my future was going to look like, you know?,” he said on The ETCs podcast. Does he want to play at all?” Woj said.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Splice Today"

Will LeBron Leave the Lakers? (Splice Today)

The gamble paid dividends with a 2020 championship. Two years later, the trade looks different. Ex-Lakers like Brandon Ingram, Julius Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and ...

He’s primed himself for a successful post-NBA career with Los Angeles as the hub. LeBron is from Ohio, led the Cavaliers to their only championship and would love to bookend his career with the team that drafted him out of high school. LeBron’s not Kobe but he remains the biggest star in a city of stars. Departing the Lakers could tarnish his entertainment cache. Even though the Lakers are awful right now, they remain a powerful brand. The Lakers are distancing themselves from LeBron as well. The Lakers went through this with Kobe Bryant, who struggled with injuries over his final five seasons. The gamble paid dividends with a 2020 championship. Perhaps LeBron’s biggest battle is with the specter of Kobe. Kobe’s tragic death in 2020 elevated him to the status of myth. When the Lakers signed LeBron in 2018, they mortgaged their future. He spent four years in his second stint with Cleveland and left. If he leaves when his contract ends, the Lakers will get nothing.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Sporting News AU"

'Winning Time' Season 1: Separating NBA facts from fiction in HBO's ... (Sporting News AU)

Through one entertaining season, 'Winning Time' has been a compelling HBO series documenting the rise of the 'Showtime' Lakers in the 1980s, but what parts ...

Johnson's versatile and spectacular Game 6 performance with the Lakers up 3-2 and Abdul-Jabbar unable to play may be the best individual game in NBA history given the stakes. He finally got named Finals MVP with the Lakers and Magic in 1985. Oddly, the Lakers beat the Suns by a slightly different score of 108-105 on the road in Game 3. "Winning Time" did make it a point to foreshadow accurately, reminding us that Kareem did score 38 points in Game 5 of that second series. It gets to the point of the on-screen Abdul-Jabbar questioning the importance of basketball and whether he should leave the Lakers and the game at age 32. "Winning Time" doesn't show much of the playoff action during the Lakers' first title run with Magic, even though it was, as the NBA might have said later in the 1980s, "Fan-tastic." The Lakers did enjoy a first-round playoff bye before dispatching Phoenix, but oddly, there was a point to show the series-clinching victory had a final score of 108-106. Some of the events in "Winning Time" would make it seem like Kareem isn't there for the long haul with Magic, including some stretched hostility between them. Kareem dominated inside and the Lakers still won a tough game, 100-98, because of two late free throws from Nixon instead of winning 99-98 on a layup by Michael Cooper, per "Winning Time." Westhead is seen in "Winning Time" at first as a bumbling Shakespeare-quoting replacement who has trouble connecting with his players and putting his own successful spin on McKinney's fast-paced brand of basketball. "Winning Time" has gotten heat for pushing the envelope with West and portraying him more as a foul-mouthed hothead with the potential for violent outbursts. Although Johnson was a Lansing, Michigan native, he didn't really want to stay in the Midwest and play for Chicago. Because the Bulls were never an option, that was not a true consideration. There's no doubt that "Winning Time: The Rise of Lakers Dynasty" has been a surprise hit for HBO given its worthy critical acclaim and robust viewership numbers.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Cinema Blend"

After HBO's Winning Time Is Criticized By Magic Johnson And More ... (Cinema Blend)

Amid the backlash HBO's Winning Time has received, lead actor John C. Reilly revealed a pleasant exchange he had with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

Work on a second season of Winning Time is already in full swing and, when it eventually sees the light of day, it’s fair to assume that other Laker alums may choose to chime in. And Jerry West was so displeased with the show’s depiction of himself that he got lawyers involved in his complaint. A lot has been said about the portrayals in Winning Time, particularly those of Magic Johnson and Jerry West. John C. Reilly portrays Jerry Buss as a comical and business-minded man, who’s prone to fly by the seat of his pants when it comes to making big decisions. Magic Johnson asserted that he would not be tuning in, as he didn’t believe the series could accurately replicate Showtime. His former teammate, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, shared his thoughts, saying that the show presents “crude stick-figure representations” of the people involved in the actual events. If you ask me, his assessment was correct, as the Aviator alum has proven that he can hold his own in comedies like Guardians of the Galaxy and in dramas like The Sisters Brothers. I guess the age-old adage is true: game recognizes game. Amid the critiques though, it would seem that at least one of the show’s stars had a pleasant encounter with one of the NBA franchise’s bigwigs.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "SB Nation"

'Winning Time' review: HBO Lakers show is flawed but fun (SB Nation)

Magic hoisted the trophy, Kareem pondered if the Lakers were still his, and Jerry Buss was ready to do it all again. Sunday night marked the season finale ...

Quincy Isaiah shines as Magic Johnson, Solomon Hughes is brilliant as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Adrian Brody steals almost every scene he’s in as Pat Riley. However, in watching it’s helpful to take the subject matter with a big grain of salt and understand you’re seeing a hyper-dramatized version of what took place, while also appreciating that a lot of people who were on the Lakers at the time vehemently deny a lot of the subject matter. It rarely feels like we’re laughing along with the characters in its moments of comedy, and instead laughing at them. We had a funny montage of Magic doing his rookie duty of bringing Kareem his morning orange juice and newspaper, only to get rejected each time by the mercurial superstar, for instance. The issue is that the majority of comedic moments come at a character’s expense, which is normally fine, but comes off as cruel knowing these were real people. So it’s something where we’re making choices and trying to tell the story of a decade in what will hopefully be a few seasons of television.” Jerry West has been incensed by his portrayal in the show, going so far as to threaten legal action against the series, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has denied scenes from the show — including a moment during his filming of Airplane! in which he told a young fan to “go f*** himself,” after he was asked for an autograph.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "LeBron Wire"

Lakers will reportedly work out several draft prospects (LeBron Wire)

The Los Angeles Lakers have a lack of draft picks in the coming years, and it has come mostly as a result of trading for Anthony Davis back in 2019.

L.A. is in serious need of some young players, one way or another. He went for 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.” “During his time at Coastal Carolina, he averaged 17.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game on pretty efficient shooting.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "CalBearsMaven"

Will Solomon Hughes Be Part of Season 2 of HBO Series on the ... (CalBearsMaven)

Former Cal star got good reviews on his portrayal of Kareem Addul-Jabbar in Season 1's final episode of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”

The best guess is that Season 2 would debut sometime in 2023. And so this is the hint that he’s more than just the villain, that there’s an internal presence there, and that he’s every bit as competitive and driven as Magic Johnson. Hopefully we have an opportunity to get to that place where we get to explore the beginnings of their friendship and get into Larry’s POV, which is certainly part of our ambition eventually. The Winning Time season 2 cast should be filled with many of the cast members from season 1. [Indiewire]: The Larry Bird (Sean Small) that exists in this series is filtered through Magic’s perception in this season. Season 1 has only chronicled the 1979-80 campaign, which ended with the Lakers defeating the 76ers in the NBA Finals, so the series certainly isn't lacking material for additional seasons. The prevailing theory is that Season 2 will simply take up where Season 1 left off.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "NBA Analysis Network"

How The Lakers Could Bring Back Julius Randle Via Trade (NBA Analysis Network)

New York Knicks star Julius Randle could emerge as an intriguing trade candidate in the NBA offseason. Could the Lakers make a deal?

Julius Randle’s fit on the Lakers is a bit clunky, but they could make it work. Westbrook is a future Hall of Famer and would certainly draw spectators to Madison Square Garden on a nightly basis. The thing that should be at the top of the Lakers’ to-do list this summer is finding a trade partner for Russell Westbrook. It’s clear he does not fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and his contract leaves LA with minimal cap flexibility.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Fadeaway World"

NBA Fan Suggests A Blockbuster 3-Team Trade: Anthony Davis To ... (Fadeaway World)

The Los Angeles Lakers have some tough decisions to make this offseason. It feels like something drastic has to happen if the Lakers are to get back to.

While a deal of this magnitude is unlikely to occur this offseason, it cannot be written off either, and this does look like a transaction that would benefit every team involved in it. Davis has played less than 80 games in the last 2 seasons, prompting suggestions that the Lakers could move on from him. The Los Angeles Lakers have some tough decisions to make this offseason. Davis is one of the best players in the league when he's healthy, a behemoth on the defensive and offensive end of the floor. It feels like something drastic has to happen if the Lakers are to get back to contending status immediately, and a change in coaching is just one of those things. "Haha why would the Lakers do this?"

Explore the last week