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Jonathan Kuminga decided to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Lakers after months of speculation and rumors. Do you believe that there's now a legitimate opportunity for you to be a starter for Los Angeles right out of the gate? Ziaire Williams: “Yeah, I do, and I mean that's the GM's job, right to put the best pieces together to try to win a championship. I don't think it's altered whether or not Kuminga was here. I wish him the best of luck in Minnesota, but as a team, we’re focused on the guys we have and making a deep playoff run and winning an NBA championship and I think we have the tools to do so.”
But those close to the situation remain confident that the deal to bring Leonard to Toronto (and send Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick to Los Angeles) will go through sooner rather than later. Procedurally, the Clippers still need to appoint a team governor and top basketball executive to sign off on things, so that's considered to be the main reason the deal — first agreed to back on June 30 — remains in limbo.
The basic "homework" task was to completely repair all injuries, and then complete physical training. Anže Maček , now Luka's long-time personal trainer, who also supports him in the USA, first in Dallas and then in Los Angeles, had the main say again. The first star of the LA Lakers has not been so physically prepared for a long time. His weight is also within the desired range, unofficially even at 105 kilograms. But the real test of the solidity of the laid foundations will be the coming weeks and months. Dončić, who has now increasingly turned over the direction of his life to his agent Lara Beth , is expected to remain in Europe until September 20. He will then move to Los Angeles. The LA Lakers will officially start preparations for the 2026/27 season on September 29, with a traditional media day organized the day before.
The offseason has been a near overhaul for the Lakers’ roster, and former NBA player Matt Barnes is having fun analyzing it. In a video with TMZ Sports, Barnes called out the team’s roster and said it’s the “whitest Laker team since the Minneapolis Lakers.”
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In an interview with ESPN LA (Twitter video link), Sexton explains why he chose to come to Los Angeles. “I would say just opportunity to win, being on big stage and being in the situation where I can try to come in and impact winning,” he told the hosts. “I feel like I’ve been on different teams where it’s just been a lot tougher. Of course, the want to win, it’s always been there. But it’s definitely tough to win in the NBA. It’s a hard thing and each and every night we’re playing against the best of the best. So I think just being on this stage and being able to impact winning each and every day, and what I bring to the team and bring to the game. I feel like I just fit right in.”
Could Toronto try to turn the screws and ask LA to take less? Again, unlikely. NBA deals are made on trust, and word quickly spreads about those who try to squirm out of completed agreements. Additionally, the Raptors aren’t exactly operating from a position of strength either; the rest of the offseason is over, and they have no Plan B to pivot to for 2026-27 if they can’t complete the Leonard trade.
Shams Charania: The NBA's rulings are final -- there is no formal appeal or arbitration process available to the Clippers with the league. LA's only outlet to fight the punishment is in court.
The Los Angeles Lakers and BMO today announced a long-term partnership naming the latter as the exclusive official bank of the team. The partnership will bring BMO into some of the Lakers’ most visible moments, from training camp and courtside experiences to fan programs and community initiatives across Southern California. “Over decades, the Lakers have built passionate, generational fandom that starts in Los Angeles and extends everywhere, giving brands access to a star-studded platform of championships and glamour,” said Los Angeles Lakers President and Chief Business Officer Lon Rosen. “Today, we are proud to extend that access to BMO with an extensive, high-value partnership that names BMO the exclusive official bank of the Los Angeles Lakers. Importantly, this landmark partnership signals a paradigm shift for how the Lakers will partner with brands moving forward, building and curating impactful programs to engage fans and serve shared businesses.”
Winderman thinks that 2028 would be a perfect moment for the legendary coach to move to the front office like Brad Stevens did with the Boston Celtics: "When you talk about the Heat turnaround, after the 2028 Los Angeles games, to me, would be the natural time for Spo to maybe move to the front office to step back," Winderman said for SiriusXM. "Right now, I know he loved it. It would make sense. But who knows? Maybe he's one of those coaching lifers. Maybe he's Hubie, and he's going to come back, you know, in a different way and keep doing that, just like I think Pat Riley will never fade away," he concluded.
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Jeanie Buss has petitioned a Los Angeles Superior Court asking that a judge block her five siblings from selling the family’s remaining stake in the Los Angeles Lakers, while accusing them of secretly orchestrating a deal to try to remove her as the team’s governor. The petition, which was processed by the court on Wednesday, is the strongest sign yet that this feud won’t be ending anytime soon.
Joey Linn: When the Clippers made the Ivica Zubac trade, Lawrence Frank was pretty open that it was primarily about the picks. LA was happy to get Bennedict Mathurin, and he had some good moments, but there clearly wasn’t a huge urgency to keep him.
L.A.-based talent representation outfit Life Sports Agency has hired NBPA agent Josh Beauregard-Bell as a basketball agent, where he will manage NBA player contracts, recruit new talent, and work with NIL clients and their marketing deals. He will be based in L.A. and report directly to founder and CEO Todd Ramasar. L.A.-based talent representation outfit Life Sports Agency has hired NBPA agent Josh Beauregard-Bell as a basketball agent, where he will manage NBA player contracts, recruit new talent, and work with NIL clients and their marketing deals. He will be based in L.A. and report directly to founder and CEO Todd Ramasar. Beauregard-Bell started his career in 2016 at CAA and spent more than six years at Octagon before moving to Wasserman and The Team. As part of the move, Beauregard-Bell will continue representing a mix of NBA, international and collegiate talent including G League G Max Abmas, former NBAer turned Chinese Basketball Association F Marquese Chriss, Hapoel Jerusalem F David Roddy, California Golden Bears G Jovani Ruff and former NBAer Alan Williams, who now plays for the Japanese B.League. Beauregard-Bell will also represent Cavaliers C Ernest Udeh Jr., who went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, but recently signed a two-way contract with the franchise.