Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly tried to land Kyrie Irving in a trade over the summer.

According to Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic: "Sources say the Lakers made multiple inquiries and submitted concepts to the Nets on potential Irving deals in July and August, but upon opting into his $36.9 million player option in late June, Irving had committed to Brooklyn for the upcoming season."

As for whether the team might pursue Irving as a free agent next summer to reunite him with former teammate LeBron James, The Athletic reported that he's "currently not a part of the Lakers' long-term plans."

There's little doubt Irving would have been a more seamless fit next to James than current point guard Russell Westbrook. The two won a title together with the Cleveland Cavaliers and made three straight NBA Finals appearances as teammates.

Whereas Russell Westbrook offers zero floor spacing (29.8 percent from three last season) and struggles in an off-the-ball role—an issue next to James, who is at his best initiating the offense with shooters around him—Irving is a career 39.3 percent shooter from three and had plenty of success playing alongside James, averaging 25.2 points per game in his final season in Cleveland in the 2016-17 campaign.

Reliability has been a concern for Irving in his post-Cavs days, highlighted by the 29 games he played last year, largely because he couldn't play home games in Brooklyn as an unvaccinated player. But the on-court fit between he, LeBron James and Anthony Davis always made sense and would have made the Lakers an offensive juggernaut.

There are still major questions whether Westbrook can be even a decent fit next to the team's two superstars after a disastrous first season together. To this point, however, the Lakers have abstained from dealing him, despite reportedly debating sending Westbrook and two unprotected first-round picks to the Indiana Pacers for rim-protecting center Myles Turner and sharpshooting wing Buddy Hield, per The Athletic.

Both players would make a lot of sense next to James and Davis.

But per The Athletic, "there was still some measure of optimism that Westbrook would find his way under [new head coach Darvin Ham] in ways that he never did under former coach Frank Vogel. Jeanie Buss, perhaps most of all, was of the belief that the combination of Ham's style and on-court plan could be the solution here."

Perhaps. It's undoubtedly a risk, however, especially with the 37-year-old James' window inevitably closing. Irving would have represented a tidy solution for the Lakers, but it's one that is off the table now.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James had younger generations in mind when he helped design the LeBron XX, the first low-top edition of his signature sneaker.

"This shoe was made for the next generation, and that was with Bronny and Bryce in mind," James said, per Swish Cultures (via Victoria Hernandez of USA Today). "... I listened to the athletes. I've got two of them in my household, so that was pretty easy. I listened to what they wanted to say. They actually sat in on some of the meetings with me. We all listened to them and we made it happen."

Nike first unveiled the LeBron XXs on Sept. 20.

The company has produced low-top sneakers under LeBron's signature line, but this was the first example of the 18-time All-Star bringing the style to his primary kicks.

Nike boasts how the shoe's "technical build was created to serve the next generation of players." Lead designer Jason Petrie echoed James' comments, explaining how he and his team wanted to build something that accommodated younger players as well as NBA stars.

Dennis Schröder is expected to join the Los Angeles Lakers this coming week after resolving a visa issue, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

The Lakers open their preseason Monday against the Sacramento Kings, but Schröder could get back in time for their matchup Wednesday with the Phoenix Suns or their clash with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.

The veteran point guard signed a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Lakers. His arrival added more intrigue to Los Angeles' backcourt after many already wondered how first-year coach Darvin Ham would balance the roles of Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley.

The Athletic's Jovan Buha and Sam Amick wrote on Sept. 16 how the onus is firmly on Westbrook:

At a minimum, it seems clear Westbrook will have to outplay new addition Patrick Beverley and Schröder if he’s going to retain his starting role. As with most lineup constructions ahead of training camp and the season, it remains a very fluid situation. But sources say first-year head coach Darvin Ham, with the full backing of the organization, is ready and willing to make whatever difficult rotation decisions might lie ahead in the interest of team success.

Missing training camp to this point shouldn't be much of an issue for Schröder given both his experience in the league and his existing rapport with Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The 29-year-old was a member of the Lakers in 2020-21.

Still, the roster has experienced a ton of turnover since then, and everybody is getting used to a new coach with Ham. Schröder is likely to have an adjustment period early on as he works himself into the squad.

The Los Angeles Lakers are prioritizing an aggressive approach to the 2022-23 season in which the team's Big Three—LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook—should thrive.

While it often felt like the trio was stepping on each other's toes during the 2021-22 campaign, Davis told reporters Saturday that the team's new game plan under new head coach Darvin Ham will allow each player to do his thing with confidence.

"I think the biggest thing was everybody trying to be selfless, and now everybody is being aggressive," Davis said. "'Russ, you get it, go.' 'Bron, you get it, go.' I get it and go. Whoever. And that's been very helpful for all of us."

Davis added:

"Obviously we're unselfish teammates and we want to pass and do things [for our teammates], but at the same time we have to get going as well. And I think that's been the biggest change that we wanted to see from us three so far is, whoever gets it, let's be aggressive because it's going to open up the floor for everybody else.

"When we're all trying to be unselfish and share the wealth, the ball kind of ends up getting lost around the perimeter or we're going up against the shot clock. But when somebody is staying aggressive and Russ is getting downhill, Bron is getting downhill, it opens up the floor. Because they're aggressive where guys have to help out, they can kick it out to shooters."

Davis, James and Westbrook appeared in just 21 games together last season due to injuries and went just 11-10.

The Purple and Gold finished 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Westbrook struggled immensely in his first season with the team, averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 78 games while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from deep.

That led the Lakers to shop Westbrook during the offseason. There wasn't much interest in the veteran point guard, considering his $47.1 million 2022-23 salary and the fact that L.A. has been unwilling to attach their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to facilitate a trade.

If the Lakers want to improve this season, the team will have to find a way for Westbrook to be comfortable. However, it will also need to make sure both James and Davis remain healthy.

Ideally, Ham would like to start Westbrook alongside James and Davis to begin the year.

"We have a three-man package, actually a play call, that they're going thrive in, and it involves all three of them," Ham said. "I look forward to that being at a very, very high level. And there's different nuances in it that they can play around with. ... I trust all three of those guys."

Early indications show that Kendrick Nunn and Damian Jones will round out L.A.'s starting five.

The Lakers open the preseason on Monday against the Sacramento Kings, and the team's new strategy should be on full display.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is confident he can help Damian Jones expand his offensive repertoire.

Ham used Robin Lopez, whom he coached with the Milwaukee Bucks, to make his point.

"No disrespect Robin, but if I have Robin Lopez making threes, I’m sure I can make Damian Jones to make threes," he told reporters Sunday.

Before the 2019-20 campaign, Lopez was 11-of-51 from the perimeter across 11 seasons. In his one year with the Bucks, he attempted 105 threes and shot 33.3 percent.

Jones showed some range in 2021-22 with the Sacramento Kings, shooting 34.5 percent on 29 attempts. Getting him to match that same clip with a higher volume of tries would be a nice boost for a Lakers offense that struggled to stretch the floor last year.

Anthony Davis was a sub-20 percent (18.6) shooter on three-pointers, and neither Dwight Howard nor DeAndre Jordan offered any range.

Especially if Davis intends to deploy Davis at the 4, Jones is likely to have a big role. He could get a lot of run with the first unit.

"Damian is just a really young, athletic big," Ham said Friday of the veteran center. "He runs like a deer. He can jump to the ceiling. Really defensive-minded. Tries to protect the rim. Sets good screens. Rolls hard. Creating a constant threat at the rim. Again, being a presence in the paint defensively."

Regarding Jones as a stretch 5, expectations will obviously be tempered. But it could be night and day between him and what the Lakers were doing at center a season ago.

If opposing defenses at least have to respect Jones as a potential threat from deep, it will open the paint a bit more for Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.

Tickets for the Oct. 18 season-opening game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center are selling as the second-most expensive regular-season ticket in NBA history.

Arash Markazi of The Sporting Tribune reported Saturday the average TickPick sale price is $897, which trails only the final game of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant's career in April 2016 ($1,137).

It's a game with no shortage of interest from either fanbase.

Golden State is expected to raise its banner and unveil its championship rings celebrating the team's triumph over the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals, marking the organization's seventh title and its fourth since 2015.

The Warriors return almost all of the key contributors from last season's squad, including the longtime core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and they once again figure to rank among the league's top title contenders.

Meanwhile, Lakers fans are hoping for a massive bounce-back campaign after missing the playoffs with a 33-49 record in 2021-22.

L.A.'s foundation has also remained the same, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook leading the roster, but the franchise is hoping new head coach Darvin Ham can lead them back toward championship form.

So there will likely be plenty of Lakers supporters who make either the six-hour trek up I-5 or the 90-minute flight to San Francisco to see the opener in person.

For those who can't make it inside the Chase Center, the marquee matchup between Golden State and Los Angeles will be televised on TNT starting at 10 p.m. ET on Oct. 18.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been eyeing a move for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner this offseason, and it appears the Indiana Pacers would be willing to move both players—on one condition.

If the Lakers traded two unprotected first-round picks to the Pacers, Indiana would "probably do that deal," ESPN's Zach Lowe said on The Lowe Post podcast:

"The one I've said I would lose sleep over if I were a Buss or Mr. Pelinka is trading both picks to the Pacers for Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. ... My best intel right now is if the Lakers called Indiana and said 'Both picks unprotected,' the Pacers would do that deal, would probably do that deal."

However, the Lakers have nothing in the works with the Pacers on a deal for Hield and Turner, Lowe added.

"I don't think the Lakers are there," Lowe said. "For whatever reason, they don't appear to think that the Pacers' package puts them really in the championship inner circle and they're holding onto those picks unless they find a deal that they think gets them into that inner circle."

The Lakers had been pursuing Hield and Turner for much of the offseason. However, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors) reported in August that the Purple and Gold weren't interested in moving both of their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in exchange for the duo.

Wojnarowski added that the Lakers would be open to moving those picks for the right player, such as Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, who is now very much off the table with the return of Kevin Durant.

It's understandable that the Lakers don't want to sacrifice their future. However, Hield and Turner would be solid additions to a team that struggled during the 2021-22 campaign.

The Purple and Gold were interested in acquiring perimeter shooting depth this offseason, and Hield would undoubtedly provide a boost in that department. During the 2021-22 season, he shot 36.6 percent from deep and is averaging 39.8 shooting from beyond the arc across six seasons.

In addition, Hield averaged 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 40.6 percent from the floor last season.

Turner, meanwhile, would be a nice upgrade at center, and playing him at the position would allow Anthony Davis to move back to power forward. He averaged 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 2.8 blocks last season while shooting 50.9 percent from the floor.

Turner is entering the final year of his contract in 2022-23, so it's possible the Lakers and Pacers could revisit negotiations around the trade deadline. The same goes for Hield, who is under contract through 2023-24.

That said, it seems like the Pacers aren't interested in making a deal unless it includes both of L.A.'s first-round picks. So, the Purple and Gold might need to consider other options moving forward.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James talked about the significance of wearing No. 6, which the NBA and NBPA have since retired to honor civil rights activist and basketball legend Bill Russell, in a chat with reporters Friday.

Russell, an 11-time NBA champion and five-time NBA MVP, passed away July 31. Eleven days later, the NBA and NBPA announced that his No. 6 would never be issued again. Players who sported the number pre-retirement, such as James, are allowed to continue to wear it.

The former Boston Celtics star's impact went far beyond the basketball court as he fought against racial inequality. President Barack Obama honored Russell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, in Feb. 2011.

Russell is also the namesake for the NBA's MVP award, which James has won four times.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham revealed Friday the first unit he's been working with at training camp thus far, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

That starting five notably includes guard Russell Westbrook, who struggled in his first season in purple and gold last year. Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported Sept. 16 that "the prospect of Westbrook coming off the bench is being strongly considered."

It appears that Westbrook will still remain with the starters, however, as the Lakers look to bounce back from a 33-49 campaign that saw the team finish outside of the playoffs and 11th in the Western Conference.

Trade rumors surrounding Westbrook, who exercised his 2022-23 player option to remain with the team for one more year, persisted throughout the summer. Nothing came to fruition, however, and Westbrook is still with the team.

The Lakers made wholesale changes around Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, however, bringing in several players, including Patrick Beverley, Dennis Schroder, Lonnie Walker IV, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Troy Brown Jr. and Thomas Bryant.

L.A. also returns Kendrick Nunn, who signed with the team last year but missed the entire campaign because of a bone bruise in his right knee.

Adding Schroder and Beverley notably led to a more crowded backcourt situation, and Amick and Buha noted that Westbrook will have to outplay both to keep his starting job:

"At a minimum, it seems clear Westbrook will have to outplay new addition Patrick Beverley and Schröder if he’s going to retain his starting role. As with most lineup constructions ahead of training camp and the season, it remains a very fluid situation. But sources say first-year head coach Darvin Ham, with the full backing of the organization, is ready and willing to make whatever difficult rotation decisions might lie ahead in the interest of team success."

That would be a seismic change for Westbrook, who hasn't come off the bench since his rookie year in 2008-09, and he only did so for 17 games during that campaign. Still, it's certainly possible that Westbrook, who is two years removed from averaging a triple-double with the Washington Wizards, can turn it around.

A full offseason with a healthy James and Davis and more consistency with the rotations throughout the campaign could lead to far more success.

The Lakers open the season Oct. 18 on the road against the Golden State Warriors.

When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Anthony Davis, the long-term plan was for him to serve as the heir apparent to LeBron James as the franchise face.

Because of a series of injuries, Davis has failed at proving himself ready for that task. That said, Davis told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that LeBron has been "in his ear about taking over the reins of the team" heading into the 2022-23 season.

"All I can do is lead by my actions,” Davis said. “I’m excited for this challenge and what’s ahead. I think we have a great group of guys to get the job done. It’s now about putting in the work."

Davis has missed more games (88) than he's played (76) over the last two seasons. He failed to make the All-Star team for the first time since his rookie season in 2021-22, finishing with just 40 games played as the Lakers slogged their way through a miserable 33-49 campaign.

“I went into this summer focusing on strengthening my body,” Davis said. “I have to be on the court and at my best to put us in position to be our best. I’m ready to do that.”

Even when Davis managed to stay on the floor, he didn't perform at his typical All-NBA caliber. He shot a dreadful 18.6 percent from three-point range, looking like a completely different shooter than the one who knocked down 38.3 percent in the postseason during the Lakers' 2020 championship run.

While the Lakers owe a large chunk of their disappointing 2021-22 to LeBron James' absences, that's kind of expected from a 37-year-old with more than 60,000 NBA minutes on his odometer. Father Time is undefeated, no matter how much LeBron continues to defy logic with his brilliance.

Davis is 29 years old. This is when his body should be at its performance apex. But Davis has never really been able to stay healthy for an extended period during his entire career. He's never played more than 75 games and has missed at least 14 games in seven of his 10 NBA seasons.

Human bodies do not typically get healthier after age 30—particularly ones of the near-7-foot variety. There is a good chance Davis never emerges as the next great Lakers cornerstone, instead settling in as a star who needs a better star next to him to prop up his team.

These Lakers will once again rely on an aging LeBron to handle that task. Once James' body breaks down and he can't handle the night-to-night load anymore, it's anyone's guess where this franchise is headed.