Category: Sports News

One of the time-honored traditions of NBA free agency is finding some way to link the Lakers and DeMar DeRozan. No player has been connected more to the franchise without ever actually playing for them.

Between trade rumors and repeated free agent pushes, DeRozan has flirted with joining the Lakers time and time again. It should come with at least modest surprise, then, that the Lakers and DeRozan will not be connected this offseason.

On Monday morning, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that DeRozan and the Kings were working on an exit, which came after the two sides could not find a trade.

However, later on in the day, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that DeRozan would not be someone the Lakers considered signing once he hits the free agent market.

At 36 years old, DeRozan won’t have many more years left in the league. Last season, he averaged 18.4 points on 49.7% shooting from the field. But he shot 32% from three after shooting 32.8% the year prior.

In theory, he plays the four and is not a traditional big, so he could offer some spacing. But he’s also ball dominant, can’t shoot threes and isn’t a good defender.

This bucks the trend of years of him being linked to the Lakers. For old time’s sake, here’s an extensive list of all the times he talked about wanting to play for the franchise.

• Sep. 9, 2024 – DeRozan says the Lakers were a “legitimate” option in free agency before he signed with the Kings
• Sep. 29, 2022 – DeRozan says he thought it was a ‘done deal’ that he was going to be a Laker on the JJ Redick podcast.
• Nov. 15, 2021 – DeRozan says joining the Lakers “almost happened” during the offseason.
• Oct. 18, 2021 – In an interview with Draymond Green on Bleacher Report, DeRozan says he wanted to come home this summer.
• Oct. 9, 2021 — DeRozan tells Shams Charania of The Athletic it would have been a “hell of an opportunity” to play with the Lakers this season.
• July 31, 2021 – Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports that DeRozan had his “sights set” on joining the Lakers but he wouldn’t take a “significant” pay cut after the team traded for Westbrook.
• July 26, 2021 – DeRozan tells Shannon Sharpe of Fox Sports 1 that it would be a “great opportunity” to come to Los Angeles and play with Anthony Davis and James.
• July 23, 2021 – Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports that DeRozan is willing to take a pay cut to join the Lakers.
• Nov. 13, 2020 – On the “All The Smoke” podcast, DeRozan says he was honored to be linked in trade talks with the Lakers.
• Nov. 23, 2016 – DeRozan reveals that it was hard to say no to the Lakers during free agency before returning to the Raptors in an interview with Marc Spears of The Undefeated.
• July 23, 2016 – In an interview with Mark Medina, then of the Los Angeles Daily News, DeRozan says that joining the Lakers was something that would “cross your mind” as an L.A. native.
• June 30, 2016 – The Lakers were among the teams to meet with DeRozan in free agency, according to Haynes.
• May 29, 2016 – Per a report by Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, the Lakers are “aren’t that high” on DeRozan.

Theoretically, he could still talk about wanting to join the Lakers. Don’t be surprised if he pops onto Draymond Green’s podcast and tells everyone he wanted to come to LA and the Lakers didn’t want him. Watch this space when he does.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The Brooklyn Nets played their third contest in July this evening, though in many ways, it felt like the true start of Summer. Mikel Brown Jr., Brooklyn’s sixth overall pick and highest drafted player since 2010, logged his first minutes in a Nets uniform tonight after sitting out the first two.

What Brown Jr.’s Summer League debut lacked in punctuality was quickly made up for in thrill. Two days after the East River fireworks had faded, he kept the “oohs” and “ahs” echoing throughout Brooklyn.

The Nets came out against Golden State with Egor Dëmin handling the rock and Brown Jr. working off-ball. He assisted on Brooklyn’s first basket of the game nonetheless…

Brown Jr. told NetsDaily it was “amazing” that his first NBA bucket came off an assist from Demin who he said he’s developed a rapport.

The first quarter highlights for the Louisville product didn’t stop there. A few moments later, Brown Jr. hit a buttery triple after Dëmin came up with a steal in the Golden State backcourt. Soon after, he found Chaney Johnson for his third dime of the opening period. He hand’t seen one since February, but the Orlando kid looked more comfortable on the court than anyone early on.

Be that as it may, Brown Jr. wasn’t the only man out there for Brooklyn tonight. Johnson led all scorers in the first seven points while also coming up with two steals, two rebounds and a block. Bilodeau followed with six after splashing 2-4 threes. The Nets, however, trailed 28-24 entering the second, as the Warriors began the game shooting 6-13 from deep, leveraging the ball around Brooklyn’s aggressive ball pressure.

However, in the Summer League, margins are thin. Strengths can crumble into weaknesses in an instant. Ben Saraf, who started the game 0-2 with two giveaways, led a defensive charge to do that for Brooklyn. He and the larger Net guards continued to get in Golden State’s grill, but sped up their rotations to kickstart a 12-0 run. Brown Jr., still posting a near even touch-to-highlight ratio, finished it with more help from Bilodeau…

That run boiled into a 20-2 jolt for the Nets, putting them in position to carry a 56-46 lead into halftime. There, Johnson led with 15 points on 7-9 shooting. Bilodeau followed with 12 while shooting 4-6 from three. Dëmin reached double figures as well with 10 points along with three assists. The team also shot a collective 9-18 from three.

The subsequent period offered little-to-no movement, as the Net lead continued to bob up and down around the 10-point mark. Both teams flashed their youth with a variety of offensive fouls that collectively slowed things down.

However, the final frame saw the Nets sprint to the finish.

Brooklyn held Golden State scoreless in the fourth period until the 7:38 mark. St. John’s product Aaron Scott pitched in a quick five points as the Nets were eager to convert their stops into fast break buckets at the other end. Johnson continued to leverage his physicality, rummaging his way to four more second half points as the Nets closed things out. He finished with 19/7/2.

Saraf found his playmaking groove down the stretch as well, methodically feeding Johnson and others for high-percentage looks after squeaking past the Warrior defense. By the end of it, he had completely turned things around at the offensive end, finishing with 15 points and seven assists while shooting 6-12 from the field and 3-6 from deep. He was a team-high +28.

Bilodeau’s sixth three of the game (yes, six) gave the Nets their largest lead of the ball game with 1:49 to go, cementing his team’s second Summer victory. Bilodeau tallied 18 for the game after going 6-9 from deep. A strong second half from Dëmin saw him lead his team with 23 points while shooting 7-12 from the field and 2-7 from deep. He snuck the very last two in, just beating the clock, and enduring foe gravity.

Dëmin also notched eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and three turnovers. His 23.0 scoring average over two games was second in the California Classic, following only Darius Acuff’s 23.5. Brown didn’t play beyond the 2:22 mark of the third. Dutch Gaitley confirmed to reporters post game that the 20-year-old was on a 20-minute pitch count, which would increase in upcoming games.

Gaitley said he challenged Brown Jr. to put the game out of question by the time he had to sit for good…

Challenge accepted, and challenge met. The Nets trotted calmly to a 100-79 victory. Brown Jr. finished with 10 points, four assists, a rebound, and two turnovers while shooting 4-11 from the field and 2-5 from deep.

Overall, Gaitley credited the team for winning two games with two different rotations. In Sunday’s win vs. the Kings, virtually no one who played Monday was available…

While it was no a statistical marvel, Brown Jr.’s displayed feel around the floor, vision, and shooting confidence tell an encouraging story. Plus he did it with a seeming nonchalance as if to say: don’t be surprised; this is what I do. It’s only getting started as well.

Next Up

This now concludes the California Classic for the Nets. The boys of summer, however, will play on. The Nets will next play the New York Knicks on July 10th in Las Vegas. The game will be streamable on ESPN. It tips off at 6:00 p.m. ET.

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 100, Golden State Warriors 79 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 100, Golden State Warriors 79 (Video) – NBA
• Mikel Brown Jr. shows playmaking touch in delayed Nets Summer League debut ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets California Classic player grades after 100-79 win over Warriors – Sharif Keaton-Phillips – USA TODAY

Darryn Peterson is such an obvious superstar.

As the Utah Jazz lined up a Salt Lake City matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah’s number-two draft pick, Darryn Peterson, and the Grizzlies number-three selection, Cameron Boozer, squared off for the first time since draft night. Carlos Boozer, Cam’s father and a scout for the Utah Jazz, warned teams would regret passing on his son, and this matchup marks an opportunity to make an early statement.

The pair of class foes wasted no time making their presence known in this battle, with Peterson Christening the scoreboard with a feathery floater on one end, and Boozer draining a top-of-the-key deposit for three at the opposite end.

Then Peterson got that look in his eye as he knocked through two free throws, a drifting turnaround three-pointer, and a graceful finger-roll lay-in over Boozer in succession — taking a break only to dish out for back-to-back Blake Hinson three-pointers. Peterson was so dangerous that the Grizzlies matched him up against Cedric Coward. In response, he would instigate a switch onto Boozer, whose footspeed simply couldn’t match that of the number-two selection, and he’d be forced to foul.

Peterson comfortably navigated the Grizzlies hyper-aggressive full-court press and revealed remarkable playmaking feel considering the fact that a lack of assists as a freshman was one of the drawbacks on his draft profile.

Peterson’s style of play is so potent, yet gentle. Immense, yet effortless. Every motion, every action, every shot is so smooth, it’s as if the wind learned how to play basketball. DP is the intersection of basketball and art, and I question if I’ll ever become fully accustomed to how Utah’s budding star plays the game.

Like water, he flows
Resistance is most futile
A snap of nylon
— “The Effortless Conqueror”, a haiku by Calvin Barrett, circa 2026

Needless to say, I feel rather satisfied about the Jazz’s first-round pick, and we’re just two games into Summer League. I’ll wrestle with myself to keep expectations low within the Summer League bubble. After all, we haven’t even seen what Peterson looks like against real NBA competition.

But I know I’m not alone in my elation. Peterson isn’t like the other prospects the Jazz have brought in over the years — his talent is so much more obvious than that of hidden gems Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, or Ace Bailey. I’m not accustomed to seeing players like him suiting up for the Jazz; Donovan Mitchell is the only name that compares in recent years, and he was the 13th overall pick.

Boozer’s impact was much more understated, as his court vision and rebounding were the highlights of his half. A different style of player than Peterson, Boozer’s first half won’t be posted on many highlight reels, but he’s helping his team win by doing his damage in the margins.

Boozer finished the half with 5 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal on 2-4 shooting splits.

Darryn posted a first-half stat line of 13 points, 7 assists (!!!), 1 board, and 2 steals on 3-of-6 shooting splits.

Peterson and Boozer continue their battle in the second half on ESPN and SEG+.

Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.

Luka Doncic and LeBron James are no longer Los Angeles Lakers teammates, after LeBron informed his former franchise that he intends to sign elsewhere in free agency this summer.

These two NBA greats had a solid relationship with each other, and there’s no reason to believe there’s any beef between them, both before and after LeBron’s decision. However, an answer Luka made regarding LeBron during a recent interview is sure to turn heads.

Instagram user Klemen Kopina interviewed Doncic on July 6, asking him which of many NBA icons he would choose as his “ultimate” teammate for a hypothetical 2-on-2 game.

Initially, Luka was asked to choose between Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. He selected Jokic, and continued choosing Jokic for several subsequent players, including former Lakers legends Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, and San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama.

Soon enough, Luka had to choose between Jokic and LeBron. He chose Jokic with no hesitation.

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Luka finally choose someone over Jokic when having to pick between him and Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird. Then, the interview ended with Doncic picked Michael Jordan over Bird.

For what it’s worth, asking who an ideal teammate would be isn’t the same as picking the better player, as Doncic has to consider whose skillset would best translate alongside his in a 2-on-2 setting, which is like a different game when compared to 5-on-5.

Still, the speed with which Luka dismissed LeBron is a big reason why this interview has already gone viral on social media.

Lakers second-year forward Adou Thiero missed the team’s California Classic summer league finale Monday with a right wrist injury.

The 22-year-old was listed in the starting lineup before the game against the San Antonio Spurs, but when the game tipped off in front of an empty arena, Thiero was still in the locker room. Guard Chris Mañon started in Thiero’s place and starred with 24 points and eight rebounds in the Lakers’ 88-84 win at Chase Center.

Thiero joined the Lakers’ bench about halfway through the first quarter, wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants. He kept a towel draped over his right hand for almost the entire game to cover the black brace covering his wrist.

Read more:Lakers lose Rui Hachimura, who signs two-year deal with the Clippers

Thiero, a second-round pick in 2025, scored 22 points in two summer league games, shooting 31.6% from the field. After saying he wanted to build up his confidence and consistency with his three-point shooting, Thiero missed all three of his three-point attempts and was just three for six from the free-throw line.

First-round pick Cameron Carr played only in the first half Monday, finishing with five points, one rebound, one assist, one steal, one block and three fouls in 12 minutes and 49 seconds.

The Lakers went 2-1 in the four-team California Classic tournament and will continue their offseason in the Las Vegas summer league beginning July 10.

Lakers add final two-way player

The Lakers signed former Vanderbilt forward AJ Okereke to a two-way contract on Sunday, filling their allotted three two-way deals. Okereke, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward, averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and two assists as a graduate transfer with Vanderbilt after beginning his college career at Cornell. He shot 40 for 100 from three-point range. During the Lakers’ first three summer league games, Okereke had 20 points and nine rebounds.

The Lakers have also signed Mañon and guard Peter Suder to two-way deals. Mañon, a second-year guard, split time in the NBA and in the G League last season, finishing second in G League defensive player of the year voting. Suder won the MAC player of the year award last season, averaging 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, four assists and 1.3 steals while leading Miami (Ohio) to a 31-0 regular-season record.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Lakers closed the California Classic with a narrow victory over the Spurs, 88-84.

Adou Thiero was a late scratch while Cameron Carr only played in the first half. Chris Mañon stepped into the starting lineup in place of Thiero, who was out with a wrist injury.

The young Lakers had a rough start to the game, missing shots and turning the ball over. Cameron Carr was the first to score on a layup. A familiar face, R.J. Davis, had five points for the Spurs.

LA had six turnovers. With 4:11 left in the quarter, Los Angeles had only put up four points. 

Arthur Kaluma had productive minutes off the bench for the Lakers with four points. Mañon drained a triple, which was only the third shot LA converted in 12 attempts. Los Angeles was down six after one. 

The Lakers started the second period with a stronger defensive scheme. Luke Goode drained a 3-pointer for LA early. Los Angeles had gotten to within two until the Spurs scored five in a row. Scoring had been a struggle in the first quarter, but well into this period, every single Laker who played was on the board.

Mañon scored four in a row, giving himself seven points in the half. Kaluma was close behind with six and Carr had five. After just shooting 25% in the first quarter, the Lakers ended the half shooting 36%. They were down by eight at halftime. 

Carr did not play in the second half, likely getting rest after playing the first two games.

Both teams started the third period exchanging 3-pointers. AK Okereke now had seven points after scoring five early in the quarter. It was a four-point deficit for LA at the 7:56 mark. Mañon continued his strong play, ending the quarter as one of only two Lakers in double figures with 13 points. 

Goode nailed two more triples, making him a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc. At the end of the third, the purple and gold were now up by three. Los Angeles outscored the Spurs 27 to 16. 

The Lakers went up by seven early in the final frame. They continued to get production from everyone they put on the floor. Mañon now had 16 points. Kaluma was the other Laker in double figures with 15. Los Angeles led the entire fourth quarter, despite San Antonio’s efforts to take over. 

With 13 seconds left, LA called a timeout leading by three. Mañon put the team up by four with a freebie as he put the team on his back alongside Kaluma. The Spurs called a timeout with nine seconds left, hoping to pull off a miracle that did not come.

Key Player Stats: 

Mañon finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks. Kaluma had 16 points in 27 minutes off the bench. Carr ended with five points, going 2-7 from the field. Okereke pitched in with seven points and four rebounds. LA’s bench had 45 points. 

Las Vegas Summer League begins Friday, July 10th, against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

Right before NBA free agency ended on July 6, forward Rui Hachimura has signed a two-year, $28 million deal by way of the mid-level exception with a new NBA franchise. The contract has a team option in the second season.

The former Los Angeles Laker won’t have to move his whole life to a new city, as he will be joining the Los Angeles Clippers in Inglewood, California.

This is a value pickup for the Clippers and coach Tyronn Lue as Hachimira’s agent Darren Matsubara of THE•TEAM waited for the Lakers to complete their offseason business to pursue a sign-and-trade, but couldn’t come upon an agreement. Southern California was always the desired destination for the native of Toyama, Japan.

Hachimura’s historic three-point shooting performance throughout the 2026 NBA Playoffs helped prompt this deal. He now holds the all-time NBA record for the highest career three-point shooting percentage in playoff history at 51.6 percent.

In the 2025-26 season, Hachimura added 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds in 68 games played for coach JJ Redick.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

In a recent news break by Sarah Todd, the Utah Jazz plan to sit Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Cody Williams on Tuesday’s Salt Lake Summer League matchup against Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ace Bailey has been sidelined with back spasms and is currently listed as day-to-day, though Todd insists the team plans to keep him active for the Las Vegas leg of the Summer League slate, beginning on July 9th. Cody Williams and Darryn Peterson will likewise participate in Vegas, as the team’s star trio hopes to build on an early foundation of on-court chemistry.

Peterson was absurd in his first appearance in SLC, notching a head-spinning 28 points in the Jazz’s first Summer League game. Matching up against one of the best-defending guards in the draft class of 2026, Kingston Flemings out of Kelvin Sampson’s Houston house of horrors (I mean that in the best possible way), the second-overall pick confirmed exactly why the Jazz believe he could be the star to lead their franchise to basketball’s pantheon.

Ace Bailey and Cody Williams are participating not out of necessity — their roster spots are secure — but in an effort to show their young teammate the ropes and help him establish a solid foundation for his impending rookie season. Bailey racked up 10 points in 20 minutes, and Williams gathered an efficient 17 points plus six rebounds in his starting role.

The Summer League serves as a launch pad for young stars like Darryn Peterson — a player who may someday contend for MVP votes — and a showcase for offseason growth that had gone unseen in the public eye.

The Jazz will take their foot off the gas in SLC on Tuesday, but they’ll be back in Las Vegas. Here’s to hoping they stick to this original plan and keep their finger away from the bright red “abort” switch in fear of injury.

Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.