The Miami Heat upgraded this summer, moving on from Kevin Love and Duncan Robinson but adding a borderline All-Star last season in Norman Powell. That's a positive for Miami, but how much does it move the needle for a 37-win team?
"It's a very good shake up for our team and now there's a different dynamic to it...
"I feel like Norman is one of those guys that floats under the radar. But as you saw this year, he's really shown that he can be an All-Star caliber player. You've seen what he's done and you've seen him grow in this league. And, obviously, he wants to take the next challenge. Obviously, the next challenge is being with the Miami Heat. So I'm happy to have him."
Miami has a chance to make some noise in what is projected to be a down Eastern Conference, but it needs to find some more consistent offense this season. Powell helps with that, but the Heat need more: Adebayo and Tyler Herro need to stay healthy and play 65+ games, Andrew Wiggins needs play at his All-Star form from Golden State, Kel'el Ware needs to take a step forward (likely with Erik Spoelstra prodding him), and Davion Mitchell needs to show that how he played in the 30 games after being traded to the Heat were not a fluke, when he averaged 10.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. The Heat bet on Mitchell, signing him to a two-year, $24 million contract.
"Davion being back, obviously, we've been missing somebody that can really play on-ball defense," Adebayo said. "And having him come in and be that guy and understand his role, I'm looking forward to him being here for a full year and all of us being together and getting to know one another and turning this into more of a brotherhood. We were kind of disconnected a little bit trying to figure out everybody's role and trying to figure out everybody's style of play. But now we're going to have a good training camp and then we go from there."
A return to the playoffs — and hopefully a better result than a 0-4 sweep exit in the first round (at the hands of the Cavaliers) — seems distinctly possible for the Heat, who should be improved over a season ago.
The 2025-26 Boston Celtics will face drastically diminished outside expectations compared to the championship-or-bust mentality that defined recent seasons. But that doesn’t mean individual members of the organization won’t face their own pressures during a so-called “gap year” ahead.
What’s more, the Celtics organization — particularly those in the brain trust — would be quick to remind us that pressure is just opportunity in disguise. While some tend to put a negative spin on that responsibility, the Celtics will encourage all levels of their organization to embrace the pressure that will come with new roles this season.
So, which members of the Celtics will face the most pressure — or embrace the most opportunity — during the 2025-26 season? Shoutout to our buddy Brian Robb, who recently posed this question to us on the “Still Poddable” podcast.
After some additional deliberation, we decided to power rank the top pressure/opportunity candidates based on Boston’s roster in early August.
1. Brad Stevens
We’re not sure Stevens ever feels pressure, but he certainly understands the obligation of being in charge of the Celtics’ roster. Those 18 banners are a constant reminder of the North Star you’re chasing. Even in a transitional year, Stevens’ challenge is to show the franchise is actively moving back toward that goal.
It’s an important season for Stevens’ draft picks. There should be more minutes and more ability to learn through the bumps for recent draftees.
Will first-round selections Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez show they can be rotational presences for Boston’s next contender? Can Jordan Walsh show more consistency in Year 3? Stevens hasn’t had the most glitzy spots to select from in the draft, but the second apron makes it basically imperative that any team with a roster featuring two max-salary players needs to hit on their picks.
Beyond that, Stevens has to plot the next step forward. And that might actually be a step backward.
If the Celtics fail to show signs of being even a sneaky contender early in the 2025-26 season, does Stevens embrace trying to get completely under the luxury tax with hopes of resetting prohibitive repeater penalties? Can he do that without mortgaging draft assets in order to get off additional salary? Is there a move that can add a low-risk, high-reward player who the team can embrace while waiting for Tatum to get healthy again?
Stevens doesn’t like to procrastinate. Even this past summer, he got his initial roster tinkering done early, moving off of the bulky salaries of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
This current Celtics puzzle feels far from finished, for this season and beyond, and Stevens will have plenty of opportunities to chart where things go from here.
2. Joe Mazzulla
We all know what Mazzulla is capable of with a talent-filled roster. The Celtics have a shiny Larry O’Brien Trophy that confirms his ability to push the right buttons with a championship squad. The question now is whether Mazzulla can mask some of the deficiencies of a team in transition.
Stevens had an uncanny ability to take teams perceived as having less talent than rivals and get them to far exceed expectations. Stevens did that at Butler with some magical NCAA tournament runs, and he did it in the infancy of his Boston tenure even before superstars started flocking here.
How much can Mazzulla mask the defensive drop-off after losing Jrue Holiday and an Al Horford? How does Mazzulla tinker with play style when Tatum is sidelined, and the team is lacking all the little ways he makes players around him better on the court?
The Celtics have plenty of question marks entering the season, particularly in a new-look frontcourt. Outside of Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, there are roles to fill and it’s going to be fascinating to see how Mazzulla chooses to deploy his available talent.
3. Jaylen Brown
We feel like a broken record, but every time the Boston Celtics have asked for more from Brown, he’s given it to them. As Tatum recovers, Brown will slide into the 1A role that many have wondered whether he might eventually crave. He’ll get every chance to show he can maintain an All-NBA level output when he’s at the top of every opponent’s scouting report.
It will be perhaps the biggest storyline of the 2025-26 season. How does Brown fare in that harsher spotlight? Every time someone has attempted to put a ceiling on his potential, he’s rocketed through it. Brown has routinely fueled himself off those doubters, and will get every opportunity to do the same this season.
If Tatum’s absence allows Brown to elevate to new levels, then the Celtics would be extremely well positioned to contend again when Tatum is healthy.
4. Payton Pritchard
Some have wondered if Pritchard might remain in his bench role to start the 2025-26 season. We’d much rather see the Celtics thrust him into a high-minute starting spot and allow him to show even more than what we saw in his evolution to Sixth Man of the Year.
We’ve already seen Pritchard (and White) go for 40 points in a spot start last season. Pundits have long suggested that teams would take advantage of his size if Pritchard was a starter, but he’s routinely found ways to antagonize bigger opponents.
There’s common theme for every Celtics player this season: Let’s see what you’ve got. Maybe if Tatum was healthy, or more of the roster had returned, then the Celtics would have been content to let Pritchard stick in the reserve role. Now? Turn him loose.
Let’s see if Pritchard can answer the lingering questions of whether he could be a high-efficiency starter. Given the thrifty salary at which the team extended him, Pritchard emerging as a starting guard absolutely would aid roster building.
It’s still truly wild that it’s been less than two full years since the Sacramento Kings waived Queta. His glow-up — from two-way addition, to earning his roster spot on the parent team thanks to his efforts while Boston was dinged up at the start of the 2023-24 title season, to securing a longer-term deal with the Celtics in the aftermath — has been fun to watch.
Now, with the overhaul to Boston’s frontcourt after the departures of Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and, presumably soon, Al Horford, there is going to be every opportunity for 26-year-old Queta to take his next step.
Whether he’s starter or a big-minutes reserve, the Celtics need Queta to hold down the fort, particularly as a defender and a rebounder. Mazzulla routinely put Queta in tough spots early in his Boston tenure with hopes that he would learn on the fly. Now, he’s really going to get every chance to battle through any growing pains.
Queta saw how Kornet turned himself into a $41 million player. Few thought Kornet was capable of that when he first arrived in Boston. Can Queta be the next center whom Boston nurtures into a starter-level player?
6. Sam Hauser
Boston’s sweet-shooting forward is entering the first year of his four-year, $45 million extension. The Celtics have been able to keep him on the roster by making cuts elsewhere, but Hauser still has to prove he’s worth the splurge long term.
Even with some health-hindered shooting woes early last season, Hauser still shot 41.6 percent beyond the 3-point arc. He should get even more looks this season.
7. Jordan Walsh
On one hand, Walsh was the second-youngest player on Boston’s Summer League team at just 21. On the other, it’s Year 3 for the 2023 second-round pick and it’s time to show that he can more consistently make an impact.
Walsh has to play with the edge he displayed at this year’s Summer League and make the most of the minutes available as Tatum recovers.
8. Amari Williams
We feel guilty having a two-way player this high on the list, but here’s the reality: The Celtics need to develop reliable big men, and Williams has an obvious skill set with his passing and shot blocking.
Can he make strides with his finishing around the basket and show his long-term potential? The Celtics didn’t hesitate to cut bait with a second-round two-way player last season in Anton Watson.
9. Luka Garza
Garza hasn’t played more than 250 minutes since his rookie season. That’s about to change. The offensive talents are obvious. The Celtics need him to show he can learn and grow on the defensive end.
10. Baylor Scheierman
It’s only Year 2, but Scheierman will turn 25 before camp opens. The end of his rookie season hinted at great potential beyond just 3-point shooting with his flashy playmaking and high basketball IQ.
Like Walsh, Scheierman needs to take advantage of minutes at the wing spot while they’re available.
Damian Lillard has followed in the footsteps of Stephen Curry (Davidson), Trae Young (Oklahoma), Patty Mills (Hawaii) and Terance Mann (Florida State).
Lillard has become the general manager of his alma mater, the Weber State men's basketball program.
A legacy continues in Ogden. Wildcat legend Damian Lillard is officially joining Weber State Men’s Basketball as the new General Manager.
Dame is stepping into a leadership role that will help shape the future of Wildcat hoops.
— Weber State Men’s Basketball (@WeberStateMBB) August 3, 2025
While these GM roles for NBA players are often more ceremonial — the star can help with recruiting, swing by some practices and stay in touch with players, has valuable experience, but is not the one making decisions on NIL money or anything on the court — Lillard is hoping to do a little more, part of which is boosting the NIL resources for the program. Here's what he said at Weber State's annual basketball alumni game, according to Isaac Fisher of The Ogden Standard-Examiner (hat tip Hoop Rumors).
"It's something that, my relationship with coach [Eric] Duft and this program means a lot to me, and seeing the success of the program means a lot to me. I feel like I can do a lot to help the program be successful, to help the players even individually continue to grow their careers past college, that's something that I'm passionate about...
"All of the resources that I have, I've got an opportunity to be able to create for the program, while they're in the program and even after the program, it's something I'm excited about. I'm looking forward to doing that work, looking forward to continue to lift up the university, lift up the program. It's going to be fun."
Weber State went 12-22 last season, but has had 20+ wins in two of the past four seasons. It's been a decade since the Wildcats advanced out of the Big Sky to the NCAA Tournament.
Lillard was surprisingly waived-and-stretched by the Milwaukee Bucks this summer, then signed to return home to the Portland Trail Blazers. He will spend the coming season rehabbing from a torn Achilles suffered during last season's playoffs. Lillard will spend time this season mentoring the Trail Blazers' young stars such as Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara and Yang Hansen. Now, it will have a new group to help mentor in Utah, as well.
Lakers star Luka Doncic, right, sits next to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka after agreeing to terms on a three-year deal with the Lakers on Saturday. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Near the conclusion of the news conference to address his contract extension with the Lakers, Luka Doncic detailed the training program that contributed to his striking weight loss.
When he was finished talking about how he lifted weight and refrained from playing basketball for a month, general manager Rob Pelinka made it a point to offer some thoughts.
“Luka’s done all the work,” Pelinka said, “but it’s important to have a support system around you to help you do the great work.”
Pelinka went on to praise Doncic’s trainer, Anze Macek, and physiotherapist, Javier Barrio. He remarked how Macek and Barrio have “worked seamlessly” with the Lakers’ staff. He name-checked Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy, and business manager, Lara Beth Seager.
Shortly after Doncic was traded by the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers last season, stories emerged about tensions between his inner circle and former team.
Pelinka’s words contained an indirect message: We will support you the way Mavericks didn’t. This is your team.
The news conference ended with seven Lakers players and coach JJ Redick emerging from the back to take a picture with Doncic as he held up his jersey. A couple of the players, center Deandre Ayton and guard Marcus Smart, were personally recruited to the team by Doncic.
Doncic is now officially the center of the Lakers’ universe, and as inevitable as that seemed from the moment Pelinka acquired him, the dynamic intensifies a question that was initially raised last season: What does this mean for LeBron James?
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, left, and Luka Doncic hold up Doncic's jersey during a news conference in El Segundo on Saturday. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Too much shouldn’t be made of James’ absence from the news conference on Saturday, as Austin Reaves wasn’t there either. However, James is under contract for just one more season and Doncic for at least three more, and how will James deal with not being the focal point of his franchise? James is a player who is used to exercising boundless influence over teams that employ him, enough to where the 17-time NBA champion Lakers drafted his undersized son.
While the Lakers once had visions of Anthony Davis replacing James as the face of their franchise, the imaginary baton was never passed. The Lakers didn’t make as big a deal of Davis’ extension two years ago as they did with Doncic’s on Saturday, for which a Doncic-themed photo gallery was erected for the news conference.
There’s an uneasy feeling about the situation, in large part because James hasn’t clearly communicated his thoughts. When James exercised his player option for the upcoming season, his agent said that because James wanted to play for championships and the Lakers were “building for the future,” their camp wanted “to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career.”
The 40-year-old James will have a say in what happens, as his deal includes a no-trade provision.
Asked how James viewed the Lakers’ summer and whether he thought James would retire with the team, Pelinka replied, “So all the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp, [agent Rich Paul] in particular, have been positive and supportive. So very professional and Rich has been great. The dialogue with him has been open and constant.
“In terms of LeBron's career, I think the number one thing we have to do there is respect he and his family's decision in terms of how long he's going to play. I think that's first and foremost and we want to respect his ability to come up with his timetable on that. I think that's really important, but if he had a chance to retire as a Laker, that would be great."
In other words, there wasn’t enough clarity for Pelinka to be able to say with any degree of certainty, yes, he thought James would retire a Laker.
Doncic accepted an offer from the Lakers to be their next headliner. That was an important development for them. But for them to be able to properly showcase their next act, they will have to close their previous one, whether it’s by him accepting a supporting role or deciding to take his talents elsewhere.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — One year ago, Luka Doncic could not have envisioned this moment. He expected to follow in Dirk Nowitzki's footsteps as a lifelong Maverick. Instead, there he was Saturday in the Lakers' practice facility, wearing a suit and having just signed a contract extension, talking about chasing a ring in purple and gold . It may have taken a minute to get there after a shocking mid-season trade, but now Doncic is where he wants to be — in Los Angeles, with the Lakers.
"I was kind of thinking, obviously not at the moment when I got traded, but later on when I started playing, I wanted to be here," Doncic said. "Like I said, this is an amazing organization. We have a trust in each other, so honestly, I decided pretty quick."
After he made that mental decision there was not much drama leading up to Saturday, when Doncic chose the Lakers, putting his signature on a three-year contract max contract extension that could be worth up to $165 million (but more likely ends up around $160.8 million, based on the NBA's salary cap projections).
"Six months ago to the day, the Los Angeles Lakers chose Luka Doncic through a trade where he came to our franchise," Lakers GM Rob Pelinka said. "Today, Luka Doncic chose the Los Angeles Lakers."
“Skinny” Luka
The talk of the Lakers' offseason has not been Doncic's contract extension, but his post-trade revenge body — Doncic looks noticeably thinner and conditioned, even when wearing a suit.
Our digital cover star, Luka Doncic, ready to take his game (and the Lakers) to new levels of dominance. And this summer shred has been years in the making.https://t.co/aB19DY7rrLpic.twitter.com/bjVsf1ampI
"For the first month, I didn't play basketball at all," Doncic said of his conditioning plan, echoing what he told Men's Health magazine. "We were more focused on other things. So I think that kind of sparked, the first five days was really hard without basketball. I actually didn't know what to do, but after it was easier. But physically, weightlifting, balancing, those stuff, and then after one month we started playing basketball, too."
As for the trade sparking a "revenge body" transformation, Doncic tried to sidestep the idea.
"I would just say, it was like a fresh start for me," Doncic said. "Obviously, I was on my way of doing it [already], but it was just kind of a fresh start. I had a little more time to get my mind on basketball, just doing other things. So, I would just say, like, a fresh start for me."
Doncic talks titles
It's hard to escape the history in the Lakers' practice facility. The banners from the team's 17 NBA titles hang over the courts, while the walls are lined with the retired names and numbers of Hall of Fame Lakers legends — Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and many more.
Doncic doesn't shy away from that, he leans into it, saying multiple times he wants to add to the banners and see his name on the wall of this facility someday.
He also thinks this Lakers roster has a chance to be special.
"Honestly, I think we have a great team," Doncic said. "We have what we need to compete for the championship. I'll bring whatever I can... We got some new great guys being on the team. We're going to go for it."
The Lakers, who had for years tried to build a roster to maximize LeBron James' skill set, shifted to building around Doncic after the trade. That meant bringing in a rim-running center this summer and trying to add 3&D wings who can knock down shots and space the floor, taking advantage of Doncic's pick-and-roll mastery.
"In conversations with Luka, it was really important for us to get a rim, lob-catching center," Pelinka said. "And we feel like getting Deandre Ayton was huge. It's going to unlock so much in Luka's game. As you can tell in the pick-and-roll reads, he's the best in the world, and I think Deandre is going to really help.
"And then, our thesis for our roster was to get younger. And I think getting some 3&D players like Jake LaRavia that we could add at his age [23], 42% shooter [from 3], having wings that can shoot and play on both sides of the ball, I think is also really important. And then being able to add Marcus Smart, Defensive Player of the Year a couple years ago. I think there's a chip on his shoulder to be back at that level and put the league on notice.
"I think having players like that surrounding both Luka and LeBron, guys that can defend multiple positions is really important. So we like the upgrades we were able to make to the roster." Whether those upgrades are enough in a stacked Western Conference will play out when the NBA season opens in 80 days.
In the short term, after a night celebrating this new contract (saying it was a "surprise" what was planned for him), Doncic is off to Slovenia to compete with his national team at EuroBasket. Doncic's love for his country and his passion for representing it should never be questioned.
Now, neither should his desire to be a Laker — he has now chosen them.
Luka Doncic is where he wants to be — and now he is locked in.
As had been expected, Doncic has signed a max contract extension with the Lakers on Saturday, the first day the team was eligible to make him an offer. This is a three-year max deal — two guaranteed years plus a third-year player option — that can be worth up to $165 million (but more likely is about $160.8 million based on the NBA's projected salary cap raises).
I just signed my extension with the Lakers. Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all the fans who’ve shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning. pic.twitter.com/PrTfTxxlpU
"Today is a monumental moment for our franchise. Luka Doncic's future is with the Los Angeles Lakers," Lakers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. "Luka is one of the game's most transcendent players, and his on-court dominance and passion is without compare. From the moment Luka became a Laker, there was an immediate connection and admiration between Luka and our fanbase. You can feel it in your spirit when you attend a Lakers game."
Despite some takes early on both online and in the media, there was no drama with this extension — the Lakers were always going to offer the max and Doncic always planned to sign it. The Lakers could have offered (and likely did) a four-year, $229 million max extension to Doncic, but the smart move for him was always signing for three years. That's because after those three seasons, Doncic will be at 10 years in the league, at which point he is eligible for 35% of the salary cap (up from the 30% that he receives in this contract). After these three years, Doncic can sign a five-year max contract with the Lakers or a four-year one with another team.
"This is an amazing organization, and I truly believe in what we're building together," Doncic said in a statement. "I'm going to keep working as hard as I can to bring another championship to Los Angeles and to make Laker Nation proud. This is just the beginning. I'm excited for what's ahead and to keep building something special with this team."
Doncic was traded to the Lakers at the February deadline in a deal that shocked the league, and from that moment the Lakers have started to change their focus to building around him, and tweak their roster to fit his style of play. While that created some drama around LeBron James — who had been the face of the franchise but at age 40 and entering his 23rd season is not the future in Los Angeles — the reality is that with those two stars, the Lakers are a threat in the West. In 28 games after the trade last season, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic walks out of the tunnel in his warmups before a game at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Luka Doncic has provided the Lakers and their fans with good news for the future by signing a contract extension with the team on Saturday.
Doncic signed a three-year, $165-million deal with a player option in 2028 on Saturday morning, his agent, Bill Duffy, confirmed to The Times. Signing that contract allows Doncic to eventually sign a maximum deal in 2028 that would give him 35% of the salary camp for five seasons, which would pay him about $369 million because of his 10 years of NBA experience.
Doncic, who will earn $45.9 million this season, will hold a news conference with his representatives later Saturday at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo.
“I just signed my extension with the Lakers,” Doncic said in a release after he signed. “Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all the fans who’ve shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning.”
At the end of the statement, Doncic posted two hearts in purple and gold.
Doncic signing his deal with the Lakers couldn’t have come at a better time. Doncic was in Los Angeles on Saturday for his Jordan Brand event, which he also held earlier this week in New York and Chicago.
“Today is a monumental moment for our franchise. Luka Doncic’s future is with the Los Angeles Lakers,” Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “Luke is one of the game’s most transcendent players, and his on-court dominance and passion is without comparison.”
During his short time with the Lakers, Doncic has linked up with LeBron James to make them a worthy team that posted a 50-32 record last season and gave them the third seed in the rugged Western Conference.
In 28 games with the Lakers after the shocking and blockbuster trade that saw Los Angeles get Doncic from Dallas in exchange for Anthony Davis on Feb. 4, he averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 35.1 minutes per game. Doncic shot 43.8% from the field and 37.9% from three-point range.
In five playoff games, a first-round series the Lakers lost 4-1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Doncic averaged 30.2 points per game, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He shot 45.2% from the field and 34.8% from three-point range.
At 26, Doncic is the superstar that the Lakers always seem to have on their roster as the face of the future.
While playing for the Mavericks, there were reports that said Doncic was heavily criticized because of poor conditioning and diet issues.
This summer, Doncic has worked to change that narrative.
In photos that accompanied in a Men's Health magazine feature, Doncic appears to be a changed man.
He is toned and slimmed down in the photos from the magazine.
“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” Doncic said in the story that was published Monday.
Doncic was quoted in the article as having been at home in Croatia when his workouts began, and in subsequent interviews said he did not play basketball for a month.
It was a variety of things that got Doncic looking so much more defined than in past years, from weightlifting, sprints and a change of his eating habits in committing to a better diet.
Doncic told the magazine that he wants to maintain his dedication to his body throughout the season.
“This year, with my [training] team, I think we did a huge step,” Doncic said in the article. “But this is just the start, you know. I need to keep going. Can’t stop … if I stop now, it was all for nothing.”
Doncic will once again play for the Slovenian national basketball team this month in the EuroBasketball 2025. His Slovenian team will face Poland on Aug. 28, which will give Doncic a chance to show off his body and conditioning in a basketball game setting.
Doncic also played a role in the Lakers getting two much-needed free agents this summer by helping recruit the players.
Doncic reached out to center Deandre Ayton, who signed with the Lakers for two years and $16.2 million, giving the 6-6 guard and Los Angeles the big man they absolutely had to have for this upcoming season.
Doncic also called guard Marcus Smart, who signed a two-year contract worth $11 million, giving the Lakers a much-needed wing defender after they lost Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency.
Smart said Doncic called him twice to sell him on playing for the Lakers.
The Lakers acquired Luka Dončić, above, in a February blockbuster that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas, one of the most seismic trades in recent NBA history.Photograph: Mark J Terrill/AP
Luka Dončić is staying in Los Angeles. The five-time All-NBA guard has agreed to a three-year, $165m maximum contract extension with the Lakers, ESPN reported Saturday. The deal includes a player option for the 2028–29 season and replaces his prior contract, which featured a player option for 2026–27.
Dončić, 26, now avoids free agency next summer and positions himself for an even larger deal in 2028, when he would be eligible for a projected five-year, $417m contract worth 35% of the salary cap.
“This is just the beginning,” Dončić said in a team statement. “I’m excited for what’s ahead and to keep building something special with this team.”
The Lakers acquired Dončić in a February blockbuster that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas, one of the most seismic trades in recent NBA history. Since then, team officials led by governor Jeanie Buss and head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka have forged a close relationship with Dončić’s camp, including agent Bill Duffy and longtime business manager Lara Beth Seager.
“Luka is one of the game’s most transcendent players,” Pelinka said. “He’s a fierce competitor and a leader who’s committed to winning. We believe he can bring championship basketball back to Los Angeles.”
Despite playing a career-low 50 games last season, Dončić led the Lakers in points, rebounds, assists, steals and made threes after debuting on 10 February. He also became just the fifth player in franchise history to average at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in a playoff series, though the Lakers fell to the Timberwolves in the first round.
Off the court, Dončić has already shaped the Lakers’ offseason. He helped recruit Marcus Smart and shares a long-standing friendship with Deandre Ayton, both of whom signed with LA this summer.
Dončić also addressed long-standing concerns about his conditioning in a recent Men’s Health feature. Head coach JJ Redick emphasized that title contention will require the entire roster to get into “championship shape”.
For the Lakers, locking in Dončić is the clearest sign yet that a new era has arrived.
Anyone wondering why NBA owners seem to be pushing harder for starting an NBA league in Europe than expanding domestically, we have some answers for you.
The NBA is pursuing franchise fees of more than $500M from teams looking to join the prospective NBA Europe, with multiple sources maintaining the league's preferred number is somewhere between half a billion and $1B....
Franchise valuations are also said to be part of ancillary discussions with banks and private equity conglomerates, as part of an effort to settle on a dollar figure. An official from one EuroLeague franchise had earlier scoffed at a proposed $500M figure, and -- considering the template for NBA Europe includes existing EuroLeague clubs -- it seemed unclear whether teams will be priced out of joining.
See why NBA owners like this idea? They could secure a share of these massive franchise fees — at least 10 teams at half a billion each is $5 billion at minimum, about what the expansion fee would be for a team in Seattle or Las Vegas — without having to give up any of their new national television revenue or equity in the league.
What the NBA envisions is a few current big-name European teams — "A" license-holding, stakeholding teams from the existing EuroLeague — jumping ship to the new NBA league, with Real Madrid seen as the most willing team to make a move (Tony Parker-owned ASVEL Basket also is one to watch). Then the NBA could tap into sovereign wealth funds and private equity — groups limited in how much of a stateside NBA team they can own — to put together expansion teams or prop up smaller existing teams, something Varden details at The Athletic.
The United Kingdom is home to soccer's mighty Premier League and is also another place where the NBA could attract big soccer dollars from Middle Eastern sovereign funds. The British Basketball League's reigning champion, London Lions, is owned by tech giant Tesonet...
Additionally, Silver and his associates met in London this week with representatives from four private equity firms (CVC, RedBird, Bridgepoint and KKR), as well as officials from the Turkish basketball and soccer club Galatasaray.
The NBA believes there is money left on the table in Europe, in areas such as broadcast rights and getting new, larger arenas built. What the NBA touts is its brand name and its business acumen — the ability to squeeze every dollar out of the business of basketball. What Real Madrid and teams such as FC Barcelona or Fenerbahçe Istanbul bring is history and a built-in fan base for the league.
We're still a few years away from an NBA league in Europe, but it has become a growing focus for the league. From an existing NBA owner's perspective, it's easy to see why this is attractive. We'll see if the European clubs (and fan bases) feel the same way.
By Oct. 1, we will know where Jonathan Kuminga is playing basketball next season.
That's the date Kuminga would have to pick up the $7.9 million qualifying offer and play next season with the Warriors. That is a "nuclear option" (as Sam Amick of The Athletic put it) that neither side wants, but Kuminga's social media post that he is willing to bet on himself suggests he's considering it.
Jonathan Kuminga’s latest Instagram story: “I’ll bet on myself all day” with his agent tagged and pictured next to him pic.twitter.com/AHmpNaIgZE
There has been a lot of sound and fury around Kuminga's restricted free agency, so far signifying nothing. Here is where things stand right now, according to multiple reports.
• Kuminga rejects Warriors' offer. The Golden State Warriors offered Kuminga a two-year, $45 million contract. While Kuminga would like a larger payday — his agent reportedly countered with three years, $82 million — the bigger reasons he rejected the offer was because Golden State is insisting on a team option for the second season, and that Kuminga waive the built-in no-trade clause would come with a two-year deal, reports Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN.
• The money is similar everywhere. Kuminga reportedly was seeking something close to $30 million a season, but the market is not offering more than the low $20 million a year range. The Warriors' offer was two years, $45 million ($22.5 million per year average). The Kings offered three years, $63 million ($21 million average), Amick reported. Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, spoke with Phoenix, which reportedly offered him four years, $90 million — exactly what the Warriors offered per year, just with more years.
• Suns, Kings trade offers not impressing Warriors. The hope for both Kuminga and the Warriors at the start of free agency was to find a sign-and-trade that landed Kuminga in a new home and brought players and picks back to the Bay Area that the Warriors wanted. Sacramento and Phoenix have talked sign-and-trade with the Warriors, but no offer has come close to being accepted.
Sacramento offered a package based around Dario Saric, Devin Carter and a lottery-protected first-round pick, but the Warriors rejected it, reports Jason Alexander at the Sacramento Bee. The Warriors want the pick to be unprotected. They would also like Keon Ellis included in the deal, but he is off-limits according to the report (as is Keegan Murray, but that should go without saying).
Phoenix's trade offer is rumored to be something along the lines of Royce O'Neale, Nick Richards and three second-round picks, but Amick reports the Warriors have shown "zero interest" in that offer, adding: "Per team sources, the talks between the Suns and Warriors have never progressed in any serious manner."
Does Kuminga take the qualifying offer? We are a long way from that needing to happen, and there is good reason for both sides to find a middle ground before then. For the Warriors, that qualifying offer comes with a no-trade clause, meaning they might not be able to trade him and next summer Kuminga walks out the door for nothing. For Kuminga, playing a season at $7.9 million leaves a lot of money on the table. In a career where your window to earn top dollar is not very long, and that doesn't even mention the risk of serious injury or something that could hurt future earnings.
Kuminga, 22, averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 47 games last season (he missed time with an ankle injury).
Right now, more than six weeks away from training camp even opening and a couple of months out from the Oct. 1 deadline, everyone can do their public posturing. There is some pressure on the Warriors to resolve the Kuminga situation so they can formally sign Al Horford and finalize their roster, but they can afford to wait a while. Eventually, the sides will likely find a middle ground.
For now, Kuminga is the biggest offseason drama still on the board, and that's drawing a lot of interest.
Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett reported on Thursday that he heard from a scout who saw Tatum partake as an instructor in the Elite Camp, a basketball camp featuring top college and high school prospects, in Las Vegas this week. And the scout came away impressed with how the Boston Celtics star was moving around the gym without a walking boot, according to Bulpett.
“He was moving really well,” the scout told Bulpett. “There might have been a slight limp or something, but the surprising thing to me is that he didn’t have a boot for any of it.
“I’m no doctor, but I’ve seen guys coming back from Achilles’ tears, and he looked way ahead. I was kind of shocked to see how well he was moving. I have no idea for what any of this means for when he can come back. I’m sure him and the Celtics’ medical people have their program set up, and they’ll make sure that he’s where he needs to be when he does get back. But he looks great right now.”
The scout added that while Tatum wasn’t jogging or running, he looked to be “in great shape” and “had no trouble doing his part at the camp.”
Luka Doncic went on NBC's Today show Thursday and played dumb. Host Craig Melvin asked, "Big decision on Saturday... whether you sign that contract extension. Any message for fans?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Doncic responded with a smile. "I can't discuss anything yet."
Saturday, Aug. 2, six months from the day they traded for him in a deal that shook the league, the Lakers can offer a contract extension to Doncic. Los Angeles' offer cannot come close to the five-year, $346 million supermax contract (35% of the salary cap) that Dallas could have offered, but Nico Harrison and Dallas ownership balked at paying that number (because of doubts about Doncic's conditioning, which appear to have motivated Doncic). The max the Lakers can offer is 30% of the salary cap under the terms of the CBA.
Doncic is going to sign the contract. The Lakers have clearly started to build around him as the future (leaving LeBron James in a spot he has not been in before in his career). Doncic has seen what L.A. is doing, and not only has he spoken highly of the Lakers organization since the trade, but also this summer he helped recruit Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to join him.
The only question is the form of the extension he signs. There are a few options.
Four-year max
The Lakers' biggest offer is four years, $224.9 million and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka will put that on the table Saturday. (Note: That number is lower than the $229 million often reported as the max because the NBA salary cap is projected to rise just 7% next season and not the previously projected 10%, lowering the total.)
This new deal includes the $49.9 million Doncic is guaranteed to make next season (that is locked in no matter what he chooses), then he would opt out of the final year of his current contract and sign a four-year extension, which likely would be structured as three guaranteed seasons plus a player option. There have been some reports out of Europe that Doncic has agreed to this four-year max contract. While it is possible, that seems unlikely, unless there are player options after two years.
Three-year max
This is more likely the deal Doncic signs: three years, $160.8 million (two years plus a player option in the final year, and this is lower than the previously reported $165 million because of the smaller expected rise in the salary cap).
The reason to sign for the three years is money — after playing three more seasons, Doncic will have reached 10 years of service in the league, at which point he is eligible for 35% of the salary cap (up from the 30% L.A. can offer now). With the three-year deal, when that ends he can sign a five-year max contract with the Lakers or a four-year one with another team, depending on how he feels about his situation at the time. This is the option that gets him the most money and flexibility.
There are other options. In theory, Doncic could sign a two-year deal (one guaranteed plus a player option) to keep some leverage over the Lakers, but the more likely option is to lock in max money until he gets to 10 years of service, then go from there.
One way or another, Doncic will sign with the Lakers. He is currently in the United States on a Jordan Brand shoe tour and is expected to sign the deal this weekend. By Aug. 4 he is expected to be in Slovenia, preparing for the EuroBasket with his national team. If he doesn't sign the deal before heading back to Europe, it likely is into September before the deal is formally inked. But it will be.
Former UCLA star Johnny Juzang developed into a respectable wing rotation player in Utah who averaged 8.9 points a game last season, but with the addition of Ace Bailey to the Jazz, Juzang was the odd man out.
He is now headed to Minnesota on a one-year contract, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. This is going to be a minimum contract and it is not guaranteed, reports Chris Hine of the Star Tribune, meaning Juzang is going to need to earn a roster spot (or a two-way spot) in training camp. The Timberwolves currently have 13 guaranteed contracts on the books, so there are a couple of open roster spots, but Juzang is going to have to work to prove he should fill that role.
Juzang spent two seasons in Utah on a two-way contract, developing his game. The man could always shoot the rock, 37.6% on 3-pointers last season, and create a shot for himself with the ball in his hands. However, he needed to work to become a better off-ball player and scorer, something he did well enough to earn a regular contract with the team and become part of the rotation in Utah, playing almost 20 minutes a night for the Jazz.
However, Juzang is not good on the defensive end and that could be a challenge on a deep Timberwolves team that has reached the Western Conference Finals in consecutive years. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels are expected to be the starters on the wings for the Timberwolves next season, with Donte DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark in the rotation (plus Joe Ingles). In the best of circumstances, Juzang is going to be lightly used in the rotation, but Chris Finch may like the idea of a scorer off the bench he can turn to in certain spots.
The Kings included one of their top playmakers and a first-round NBA draft pick in a recently reported Jonathan Kuminga trade package to the Warriors.
Golden State and Kuminga have been at a stalemate in contract discussions this offseason, and the franchise has been fielding plenty of trade offers from teams around the NBA.
“As for the Kings, which last spoke with the Warriors earlier this week, team sources say they’ve offered a three-year, $63 million deal for Kuminga in a proposal that would send veteran guard Malik Monk and their 2030 first-round pick (lottery protected) to the Warriors,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote.
“If that pick didn’t convey, then the Warriors would get the least favorable of the Kings or San Antonio’s first-round pick in 2031. Those protections have been the primary sticking point, team sources said, as the Warriors have insisted that the first-rounder be unprotected. Thus, the stalemate.”
Sacramento is in a significant retooling under first-year general manager Scott Perry, and the 22-year-old’s blend of length and athleticism would be an enticing addition to the Kings’ lineup.
The Warriors selected Kuminga with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft with the expectation that he would mature into a versatile two-way player and be the centerpiece of Golden State’s “two timelines” approach.
However, the 22-year-old fell out of the regular rotation last season after the Jimmy Butler trade. It appears a breakup is likely as Kuminga and the Warriors have made little progress in contract negotiations this offseason.
While both sides are ready to move on from each other, finding a situation that satisfies everyone is going to be a big challenge with the start of the 2025-26 NBA season quickly approaching.
Mikal Bridges' first season reunited with his Villanova crew in New York didn't live up to the steep five first-round picks price paid for him, although Bridges started to find his footing and had some critical defensive moments in the playoffs.
That, along with his potential fit in new coach Mike Brown's system, had the Knicks and Bridges agreeing to a four-year, $150 million contract extension, something first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania and since confirmed by multiple other reports.
That is slightly less than the $156 million max he could have gotten this summer, Charania notes. While it may not seem like much, the giveback should give the Knicks more financial flexibility and help them avoid the dreaded second luxury tax apron in future seasons. Bridges also could have waited a year, become a free agent and gotten a larger five-year contract but took this deal instead.
This deal locks up the Knicks' core — Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Bridges — for two more seasons, which becomes three years if KAT and Hart pick up their player options. Bridges' $37.5 million average salary on this contract is the fourth highest on the team (behind Towns, Anunoby and Brunson). That the Knicks were willing to pay Bridges that much now suggests they think Giannis Antetokounmpo is not going to be available this coming season.
Bridges had an up-and-down first season in New York, averaging 17.6 points a game and shooting 35.4% from 3, his lowest percentage since his rookie season. However, he seemed more comfortable in Tom Thibodeau's system as the season went on and had some critical defensive plays in the playoffs, helping the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. Bridges is considered one of the players most likely to benefit from the up-tempo, more ball movement system new coach Mike Brown is expected to bring to Madison Square Garden next season.
