2026 NBA Season

[dwyane36]

He didn’t play much and LeBron left with an injury, so things could have gone better. Especially for Luka who didn’t shoot very well. I’m amazed how effortless they looked out there though. They cruised to a 20 point lead with smiles on their faces and barely breaking a sweat. They could be scary together.

I noticed that some of the Lakers players seemed to perform much better after Davis was traded. Maybe it's a coincidence, but for example, Reaves has been performing very well in recent games. Also, Rui has been more active on the court and scoring 20+ points more often, thus partially replacing Davis.

[danherbias07]

He didn’t play much and LeBron left with an injury, so things could have gone better. Especially for Luka who didn’t shoot very well. I’m amazed how effortless they looked out there though. They cruised to a 20 point lead with smiles on their faces and barely breaking a sweat. They could be scary together.

I noticed that some of the Lakers players seemed to perform much better after Davis was traded. Maybe it's a coincidence, but for example, Reaves has been performing very well in recent games. Also, Rui has been more active on the court and scoring 20+ points more often, thus partially replacing Davis.

It gave them more opportunity to receive the ball, I think that's the only explanation of that. Lebron mostly looks at AD whenever he is looking for help or trying to get an assist and without him, he will be forced to pass it on to other teammates who can also definitely score.

I am still not used to watching Luka in gold, I feel like it doesn't suit him but I guess it's just that we didn't see him in that kind of uniform being in Mavs in his early career.
24 minutes of playtime. He is just starting and we are going to see those stats go high as he creates more chemistry with his teammates. I hope they can make it as fast as possible to secure that safe spot for the playoffs.

[OgNasty]

He didn’t play much and LeBron left with an injury, so things could have gone better. Especially for Luka who didn’t shoot very well. I’m amazed how effortless they looked out there though. They cruised to a 20 point lead with smiles on their faces and barely breaking a sweat. They could be scary together.

I noticed that some of the Lakers players seemed to perform much better after Davis was traded. Maybe it's a coincidence, but for example, Reaves has been performing very well in recent games. Also, Rui has been more active on the court and scoring 20+ points more often, thus partially replacing Davis.

It gave them more opportunity to receive the ball, I think that's the only explanation of that. Lebron mostly looks at AD whenever he is looking for help or trying to get an assist and without him, he will be forced to pass it on to other teammates who can also definitely score.

I am still not used to watching Luka in gold, I feel like it doesn't suit him but I guess it's just that we didn't see him in that kind of uniform being in Mavs in his early career.
24 minutes of playtime. He is just starting and we are going to see those stats go high as he creates more chemistry with his teammates. I hope they can make it as fast as possible to secure that safe spot for the playoffs.

I don't think it's just more opportunity, although that is certainly part of it.  Their entire play style changed to be much more fast paced and I think that benefits players like Austin Reeves.  With Luka and LeBron both able to get their guys wide open shots, the other Lakers are going to have to step up and make shots when they get their opportunities.  There were moments last night when Luka and LeBron were passing the ball back and forth until someone got a wide open opportunity.  I think they might struggle against teams with a quality big man, at least for now.  Teams without a big guy in the middle though are going to have a hard time facing the Lakers.

[Yaunfitda]

He didn’t play much and LeBron left with an injury, so things could have gone better. Especially for Luka who didn’t shoot very well. I’m amazed how effortless they looked out there though. They cruised to a 20 point lead with smiles on their faces and barely breaking a sweat. They could be scary together.

I noticed that some of the Lakers players seemed to perform much better after Davis was traded. Maybe it's a coincidence, but for example, Reaves has been performing very well in recent games. Also, Rui has been more active on the court and scoring 20+ points more often, thus partially replacing Davis.

They got more touches now as compare when they have AD, as most of the times, their focus is on him getting the ball. So yeah, it could be a blessing for some of them, but I think the one that really benefited here is Hayes. He is the starting center now and you can see that he has been scoring lately with some good pass and now that they have Luka, you can see that he love to pass to his big guys and so I wouldn't be surprised that Hayes output will increased in the second half of the year. And talking about AD, it was reported that he will missed some weeks because of his injury. I guess karma is a bitch and now it is biting Nico for his bold move to trade Luka. Anyway, Luka has already played with the Lakers had a good outlet pass to Lebron and he seems to be enjoying as a Laker now.

[jossiel]

I am still not used to watching Luka in gold, I feel like it doesn't suit him but I guess it's just that we didn't see him in that kind of uniform being in Mavs in his early career.
24 minutes of playtime. He is just starting and we are going to see those stats go high as he creates more chemistry with his teammates. I hope they can make it as fast as possible to secure that safe spot for the playoffs.

You not just used to it but soon you will. There is nothing we can do with these trades that have been formal already and Lakers fan and management liked him to be there.

That's a good start for him and with that 24 minutes, he's made double digits already for the team.

I am now back with the Lakers and I think they'll add a center soon.

[OgNasty]

I am now back with the Lakers and I think they'll add a center soon.

The Los Angeles Lakers just made their move and signed Alex Len. Alex last played for the Kings and was signed out of free agency. I didn’t watch him too much but he seemed like a guy that could get the job done and have flashes of great play. I would’ve rather seen them go with someone more athletic, but they only had so many options. Maybe they’ll get lucky with a buyout later in the season.

Lakers waived their injured center Christian Wood to make this deal.

[jossiel]

I am now back with the Lakers and I think they'll add a center soon.

The Los Angeles Lakers just made their move and signed Alex Len. Alex last played for the Kings and was signed out of free agency. I didn’t watch him too much but he seemed like a guy that could get the job done and have flashes of great play. I would’ve rather seen them go with someone more athletic, but they only had so many options. Maybe they’ll get lucky with a buyout later in the season.

Lakers waived their injured center Christian Wood to make this deal.

I was just talking about it and now it's there. I've also seen the news. Wood has been waived just so they can get Alex Len.

I am not also aware of him as I don't watch most of the matches that I am not a fan of but seems really a big man. So, this is what the big man is all about when Rob told that.

It's now problem solve for them and I guess they're ready to get into the playoffs and further.

[OgNasty]

An interesting report came out claiming that the Luka Doncic trade didn’t go down quite like they said. Anthony Davis was the Dallas Mavericks third choice. They originally contacted the Milwaukee Bucks about trading for Giannis and when that was declined they contacted the Minnesota Timberwolves about Anthony Edwards. After that was declined they contacted the Lakers.

[Dave1]

Interestingly for the Los Angeles Lakers, Rob Pelinka in a postgame interview said that the Lakers are going to address their need at the center position in the next few days. I also don’t understand how this is possible but apparently there is some path for them to acquire Miles Turner? That would be a massive move…

Yes, but from what I read, the Pacers wants Austin Reaves for that, so it's going to be a difficult decision for the Lakers to let go of AR although everyone is not safe on this trade specially if Lakers is keen on having a good center to compliment the team right now.

So we should wait for the decision of Rob here, for sure it's very difficult, but they have Luka already and both Reaves and Luka play almost the same position. Win-win situation if the trade will be just 1:1 and no more picks or other players involved.

[wheelz1200]

An interesting report came out claiming that the Luka Doncic trade didn’t go down quite like they said. Anthony Davis was the Dallas Mavericks third choice. They originally contacted the Milwaukee Bucks about trading for Giannis and when that was declined they contacted the Minnesota Timberwolves about Anthony Edwards. After that was declined they contacted the Lakers.

Thats an odd choice in edwards.  I can see why they wanted AD, size and defensive and offensive lost post presense.  Same type with giannis but edwardsis the same like type player as luka.  I wonder what else was goijg on if this is true.  I can see if ypu have one guy in mind but if ypu are shopping a 25 year old superstar for whoever it just doesnt add up

[Mr. Magkaisa]

An interesting report came out claiming that the Luka Doncic trade didn’t go down quite like they said. Anthony Davis was the Dallas Mavericks third choice. They originally contacted the Milwaukee Bucks about trading for Giannis and when that was declined they contacted the Minnesota Timberwolves about Anthony Edwards. After that was declined they contacted the Lakers.

Thats an odd choice in edwards.  I can see why they wanted AD, size and defensive and offensive lost post presense.  Same type with giannis but edwardsis the same like type player as luka.  I wonder what else was goijg on if this is true.  I can see if ypu have one guy in mind but if ypu are shopping a 25 year old superstar for whoever it just doesnt add up

I still don’t understand why they want Luka out of the Mavs. I mean, defense wins championships, sure, but they could surround Luka with four solid defensive players who can also shoot, and that could give the Mavs a competitive edge. If they did that, the Lakers  secured their future with Luka, while the Mavs are left hoping to manage the injury risk with Anthony Davis.

I do feel happy for Davis, though, since he'll get to play the 4 spot, which is really where he’s more suited. As a huge fan of LeBron since his rookie year, I respect everything he’s done for the game, but I do think the Lakers need to start thinking long-term. LeBron only has a few more years at his peak, but his trade value is still high enough to make a move that sets up the franchise for the future. If they’re smart, the Lakers should capitalize on that to build something sustainable.

[avp2306]

An interesting report came out claiming that the Luka Doncic trade didn’t go down quite like they said. Anthony Davis was the Dallas Mavericks third choice. They originally contacted the Milwaukee Bucks about trading for Giannis and when that was declined they contacted the Minnesota Timberwolves about Anthony Edwards. After that was declined they contacted the Lakers.

Wow that's really crazy and didn't know they come up with other option aside from contacting Lakers and got curious about why does Mavs would really think that Bucks will trade Giannis out of their team for sure their fans would not gonna love this to happen and also for sure the management doesn't want to let go their franchise player.

For context of this discussion other people could read this article https://www.si.com/nba/bucks/news/mavericks-attempted-to-trade-giannis-antetokounmpo-for-luka-doncic-bucks-refused-report

So this indicate that they are really afraid to give Luka a super max contract and they are desperate to get another player that can help their team. But to bad they land on their last option and they get another injury prone player.

[OgNasty]

The Luka and LeBron show continues tonight against the Utah Jazz. The Los Angeles Lakers are 8.5 point favorites at the moment with both stars listed as probable to play. I think we’ll see a much better outing from Luka this time as he gets back into game shape. I don’t think Len will be ready to play yet though.

[Baofeng]

It is reported that AD feels better now and he said that he just felt tightness and muscle spasm after his huge game against the Houston Rockets. At least fans of Dallas can breathe a sigh of relieved knowing that AD is good and that is nothing serious about his non-contact injury.

I thought the injury was serious because I read that he might be out indefinitely. Thankfully, that rumor turns out to be fake news. Dallas really can’t afford to lose Davis this season. They traded away their best player to the Lakers, so without him, their expectation will not happen. And this is what Dallas need, they needs Davis to stay healthy to help the Mavericks reach the championship again, and show the fans that the decision was spot on.

I'm wrong though, it looks like he will need to sit for many weeks because of his abdominal strain.

And so the Lakers swoop in Alex Len, a veteran NBA player as a back up center. I totally forget that they still have CWood, but he is down with injury as well so he was waived by the Lakers to give a spot to Alex. Not that bad although their first target was Williams from the Hornets.

The Luka and LeBron show continues tonight against the Utah Jazz. The Los Angeles Lakers are 8.5 point favorites at the moment with both stars listed as probable to play. I think we’ll see a much better outing from Luka this time as he gets back into game shape. I don’t think Len will be ready to play yet though.

Yes, I also check the sportbookies and Lakers are the favorite with -8.5 now. It seems that they are in the roll and with Luka slowly getting into the groove, I wouldn't be surprised if they will win by double digits here.

Another winner in the trade is the Warriors with Jimmy Butler 2-0 since he is acquired and it seems that Steph is getting his second win as he has been waxing hot in the last 2 wins.

[LogitechMouse]

I am still not used to watching Luka in gold, I feel like it doesn't suit him but I guess it's just that we didn't see him in that kind of uniform being in Mavs in his early career.
24 minutes of playtime. He is just starting and we are going to see those stats go high as he creates more chemistry with his teammates. I hope they can make it as fast as possible to secure that safe spot for the playoffs.

I'm not as well, but it seems like he's a perfect for the purple and gold team, eh?
We've seen him for most of his career in a Mavs uniform, and it will take time.

His last game prior to that game against the Jazz was in December, and he just came back from an injury so it's understandable, I guess. Chemistry will be built overtime, and he will make his teammates improve in terms of offense because of how good he is at playmaking. Imagine having Lebron which is a good passer as well is hard for opposing teams already. What more if they have 2 playmakers on the court.

The Lakers now has Big 3 of Lebron, Luka, and Austin Reaves. Other role players will have a better game play especially Hayes which be the receiver for most of the lobs coming from both Luka and Lebron.

[Wapfika]

The Luka and LeBron show continues tonight against the Utah Jazz. The Los Angeles Lakers are 8.5 point favorites at the moment with both stars listed as probable to play. I think we’ll see a much better outing from Luka this time as he gets back into game shape. I don’t think Len will be ready to play yet though.

I think the odds are based on the previous match. Jazz has no good center while their roster is same with Lakers that is pure offense with no big man that’s why Lakers can all out against them.

However, I’m interested how they will play against team with strong center that can dominate the paint like Nuggets, Spurs and Kings. They might crumble in case their 3 points potential will be guarded by heavy defense while they can defend against attack on paint.

[dwyane36]

Another winner in the trade is the Warriors with Jimmy Butler 2-0 since he is acquired and it seems that Steph is getting his second win as he has been waxing hot in the last 2 wins.

I think it's premature to say that the Warriors are the winner after that deal with the Heat to trade Butler.
Yes, in his first two games in a Warriors uniform, he's done well, scoring 20 and 25 points. That's noticeably better than his last performances for the Heat. But what if Butler suddenly doesn't like the Warriors and has another falling out with management?

[SquallLeonhart]

The really fun thing to see is that Lebron seems to come alive ever since he started to play with Luka. He loved AD, there is no doubt that Lebron loved AD, he didn't see AD just as a teammate but like a very close friend as well, which is why he actually wanted him to join Lakers to begin with, and won a title with him as well on the bubble season.

However, it looked like he realized the team isn't good enough to win anything anymore, all they do is play 82 games a season, and then at playoffs get knocked out by some team, probably Denver, but could be someone else too. However, with the way things are going right now, we could say that Luka made Lebron realize maybe they could potentially have a chance to win again.

Even if they do not end up winning this season, Luka is only 25 years old, and Lebron might be 40, and he could be growing old, but he doesn't need to really do what he normally does, he could take a step back, let Luka take the wheel, and he could play for another 5 seasons if we are talking about just talent. He was never really a great defender, he would focus a bit more on defense, he is shooting better threes, and he could probably pass better than anyone else in the league. So, we are seeing Lebron having hope again.

[OgNasty]

That Los Angeles Lakers trade with the Charlotte Hornets keeps getting messier and messier. Now they’re saying Mark Williams is refusing to return to the Hornets locker room and wants to be bought out of his contract. That would leave him a free agent and the Lakers could sign him for nothing. They’d have to release another player, but it’s a possibility. In the end Charlotte might end up with nothing and the Lakers get everything. Dumb luck or 3D chess?

[stadus]

That Los Angeles Lakers trade with the Charlotte Hornets keeps getting messier and messier. Now they’re saying Mark Williams is refusing to return to the Hornets locker room and wants to be bought out of his contract. That would leave him a free agent and the Lakers could sign him for nothing. They’d have to release another player, but it’s a possibility. In the end Charlotte might end up with nothing and the Lakers get everything. Dumb luck or 3D chess?

Does that mean they'll keep Dalton while picking up Williams soon? That's a big win for the Lakers, I think. But I've read a few articles saying Dalton isn't happy anymore because things just aren't the same. Even though he's back with the team, he hasn't played yet. So now that Luka's in the lineup, will the Lakers still give Dalton the minutes he used to get?