Los Angeles Lakers

It appears LeBron James wants to play college football.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, 37, jokingly asked if he had college football eligibility in a Twitter post Saturday:

James, selected first overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, probably could have had a career in football if he wanted to.

The four-time NBA champion played football for two seasons in high school and was considered the No. 1 prospect in the sport out of Ohio. He was recruited to play wide receiver at Notre Dame, Ohio State, Alabama and Miami (Florida).

However, he never wavered in his interest in playing in the NBA. He's now one of the most successful and talented players in the history of the sport.

James continues to express his interest in football, though, rooting on the NFL's Cleveland Browns and the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, it's probably a little too late for him to suit up alongside players half his age.

The Los Angeles Lakers are retiring George Mikan's No. 99 jersey.

The event will take place Oct. 30 when the Lakers host the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena.

Mikan spent seven years with the Lakers, which all came when the franchise was stationed in Minneapolis. He averaged 23.1 points and 13.4 rebounds across his career.

The 6'10" big man was a four-time All-Star and led the NBA in scoring on three occasions. He also guided the Lakers to a title in five of his first six years.

Perhaps the biggest sign of Mikan's dominance was that the NBA instituted the "Mikan Rule" in 1951, when it doubled the size of the lane from six feet to 12 feet.

Mikan's influence lasted well after his retirement as well through the drill that bears his name.

Mikan, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, was named one of the NBA's 75 best players when the league celebrated its 75th anniversary last season.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers engaged in trade talks this week, but Indiana's asking price of two unprotected first-round picks was too high.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported that news during an appearance on Bally Sports on Wednesday.

Charania mentioned Indiana center Myles Turner and guard Buddy Hield, who have routinely been mentioned in Lakers-Pacers trade talks, speculation and rumors. He notably said the Lakers weren't willing to part with two unprotected first-rounders for the duo.

Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said on the Kevin & Query show (h/t Scott Horner of the Indianapolis Star) that Indiana expects to start the season with Turner, who averaged 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game last year before suffering a season-ending stress reaction in his left foot that capped his season at 42 games.

Hield averaged 18.2 points on 44.7 percent shooting in 26 games for the Pacers last year after being traded from the Sacramento Kings.

The Lakers have been involved in a litany of trade talks this offseason, with point guard Russell Westbrook notably connected in potential deals involving Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving.

The Pacers talks went nowhere as well, so the Lakers' moves this year revolved around changing the supporting cast around the Big Three of Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Notable additions include Patrick Beverley, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Thomas Bryant, Lonnie Walker IV and Troy Brown Jr. Former superstars and veterans Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony are gone, as are Kent Bazemore, Talen Horton-Tucker and others.

L.A. is only two years removed from an NBA title, but the Lakers fell flat last year en route to a 33-49 record and 11th-place finish in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are set to start the year with a road matchup against the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Oct. 18.

WWE is ready for Dwight Howard to start his professional wrestling career—provided he's willing to put in the work.

Paul "Triple H" Levesque, WWE's chief content officer, said the company is willing to help Howard start his post-NBA career when the timing is right.

“I think the ball’s in his court. It’s a funny thing, Dwight, in the conversations we had was like, ‘I really want to do this, I’m serious. I really want to do this," Levesque told Sporting News (58-second mark). "But we hear that a lot. And there’s a difference between saying, ‘I wanna do this,’ and putting the grind and doing the work to get there. Came by our tryouts in Nashville, was incredibly entertaining, jumping in promos by himself and then with others. Incredibly entertaining, really driven to want to do this. It’s just a matter for him of, he’s got a lot of things going on, right? So when he says, ‘Hey, I wanna give this a shot,’ he’s got my phone number. All he’s gotta do is call me, and we’ll see what can happen. If he’s willing to put in the grind and drive that guys like Logan Paul and Bad Bunny and Tyson Fury are willing to put in, then let’s go."

Howard made a surprise appearance at open tryouts held by WWE ahead of July's SummerSlam event. The video of Howard's on-stage promo went viral after the tryout, and he seems to have a serious interest in making it a career.

“I’m not coming into this thing as ‘I’m Dwight Howard, the basketball player,'" Howard said after the workout. "This is a whole new ball game for me. I want to be. I want to learn from all these guys and be the best wrestler I can be if it leads down to this path. Where I am wrestling and just enjoy it. I mean, you only get one life, you know."

Howard remains an NBA free agent after spending last season with the Los Angeles Lakers. It's looking increasingly like his Hall of Fame NBA career is over, but we may need formal confirmation of that fact before Howard goes into WWE full-time.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

The Utah Jazz have been in a trading frenzy this offseason, pivoting to rebuild mode. They sent Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and dealt Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. And they may not be done yet.

In fact, the Los Angeles Lakers may be trying to work out a trade with the Jazz.

According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha and Sam Amick, Los Angeles has had "recent conversations" with Utah in which it has targeted Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley. Those may not have been the first discussions the two teams have had this offseason, either.

Buha and Amick also reported that the Lakers had conversations about a four-team trade that would have included the Jazz, New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets. In that rumored deal, Los Angeles would have gotten Bogdanovic from Utah and Terry Rozier from Charlotte.

So, it's clear the Lakers have interest in Bogdanovic and the Jazz may be willing to part with him. But Los Angeles potentially isn't the only team in pursuit of the 33-year-old forward, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

"It would not surprise me if the Suns get involved in the negotiations for Bojan Bogdanovic from the Utah Jazz, who is available on the market right now," he said during an appearance on ESPN's NBA Today. "Several teams are bidding for him."

Bogdanovic is entering his ninth year in the NBA. Over his first eight seasons, he's played for four teams, but he's spent the past three years with the Jazz.

During his time in Utah, he has been a key starter and was instrumental in helping to make the team one of the best in the Western Conference. Last season, he averaged 18.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 69 games while shooting 45.5 percent from the field.

The Lakers would benefit from adding a player like Bogdanovic, who has experience at both small forward and power forward. They need guys who complement their superstar trio (LeBron James/Anthony Davis/Russell Westbrook), although there's still a chance they end up trading Westbrook.

Would Los Angeles have to move Westbrook to bring in Bogdanovic? That remains unclear. And the Lakers may not want to pursue Bogdanovic too hard, as Westbrook could be in store for a bounce-back season.

If Los Angeles could somehow add Bogdanovic by parting with draft capital (and then make it work financially), he would be a great addition. But if the cost is Westbrook and too many first-round picks, then it likely shouldn't go for it.

But it would be surprising if Bogdanovic doesn't leave Utah either before or during the 2022-23 season. The Jazz are clearly committed to rebuilding and could get a decent return for him.

So if Bogdanovic doesn't end up in Los Angeles, expect him to head somewhere else and likely to a team that should be a playoff contender.

The start of Los Angeles Lakers training camp is only one week away. On Sept. 27, they'll begin preparing for the 2022-23 campaign, which they hope will end in better fashion after they missed the playoffs last season.

If the Lakers hope to fare better, they'll likely need improved play from Russell Westbrook. That is, if the 33-year-old point guard is on the team all season.

There have been trade rumors circulating about Westbrook all summer, and those haven't stopped even with training camp on the horizon. For now, Westbrook is still in Los Angeles. But will that still be the case by June?

According to L.J. Ellis of Spurs Talk, the Lakers are "telling teams that they will take a wait and see approach to trading Westbrook as training camp approaches," per a Western Conference scout. If Los Angeles decides to move Westbrook, there's at least one interested team.

"If the Lakers decide to trade Westbrook at some point down the line, the Spurs remain one of the few teams in the league open to such a deal," Ellis wrote.

But that doesn't mean anything is imminent. In fact, Ellis reported that the Lakers and Spurs are "no longer engaged in active talks," as Los Angeles was more interested in previous offers it received from the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz.

When Los Angeles and San Antonio were having discussions, the Lakers were going to send "multiple draft picks" to the Spurs, according to Ellis.

That's not a surprise, as Los Angeles would need to include draft capital in any potential Westbrook trade because of the size of his contract. He's set to make $47.06 million during the upcoming season before hitting free agency next summer.

Although neither Westbrook nor the Lakers performed quite as well as expected last season, there's reason to think they'll be better this year. Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn't get a ton of court time together due to injuries, so that trio never got a great opportunity to jell.

It may be worth it for Los Angeles to give that group another try. During training camp, it could become apparent whether this trio is in a better position to lead the team to success this season.

So the Lakers are likely making the right decision in waiting to see how things unfold a bit before heavily pursuing a potential Westbrook trade again. But it'd be best to either commit to Westbrook or deal him before the regular season arrives.

If Los Angeles wants to trade Westbrook after the season begins, it'd likely be because he and the team are struggling and his value will have dropped further.

Plus, Westbrook may be less likely to succeed if he thinks there's a possibility of getting traded. He could feel more comfortable if the Lakers express that he's part of their season-long plan, so that may lead to better results all around.

For now, there's nothing wrong with keeping Westbrook around and trying to get more out of him and their superstar trio this upcoming season.

LeBron James is teasing that he has shaved his head.

The Los Angeles Lakers star posted a picture of himself in a barber chair, showing off a shiny dome:

There are some indications from the image that strongly suggest James used a filter to make himself appear completely bald.

The blurred edges on the top and sides of his head suggest he either used an Instagram filter or has a really low-res camera on his phone. Considering how much money James has earned and his new ad campaign with AT&T, the latter scenario seems unlikely.

James' hair has been the subject of speculation for years. There have been stories dedicated to his hairline and the possibility he's used transplants. None of these debates are relevant to anything, but they give people something to talk about when he's not playing.

Fortunately for the internet sleuths out there, James has given them something new to carefully examine in their quest to decide if this is real or fake.

A definitive answer will come soon, with the Lakers set to open training camp next week.

The Los Angeles Lakers added some point guard depth this offseason by trading for Patrick Beverley and signing Dennis Schröder. However, the new arrivals are not expected to unseat Russell Westbrook from his starting role.

"From what I understand now, they still see Russell Westbrook as a starter," ESPN's Ramona Shelburne said on Monday's episode of NBA Today. "He's a former MVP. He's given that respect."

The Lakers signed Schröder to a one-year deal reportedly worth $2.6 million on Friday. It's his second stint with the team after he played 61 games for Los Angeles during the 2020-21 season and averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists.

There's a chance Schröder gets to start at shooting guard alongside Westbrook, with the veteran Beverley coming off the bench. The Lakers are also expected to have 27-year-old Kendrick Nunn back after he missed the entire 2021-22 season with a knee injury.

Westbrook's role came into question after a disappointing first season in Los Angeles. In 78 games last year, he averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from three-point range.

There were obvious on-court chemistry issues with fellow Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as both of them missed significant chunks of the season and didn't have enough time to build a rapport with their new point guard.

Los Angeles finished with a 33-49 record and failed to even qualify for the play-in tournament. Head coach Frank Vogel was fired and replaced by former Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham.

While there had been some speculation that Westbrook would be traded this offseason, Ham has maintained that he is looking forward to coaching the 33-year-old.

"I want to help him get that championship ring. … I love him and I can't wait to coach him," Ham said of Westbrook this month.

The Lakers will begin their season on Oct. 18 against the Golden State Warriors.

The San Antonio Spurs previously held talks with the Los Angeles Lakers about a trade for Russell Westbrook, and they could reignite discussions in the future, according to L.J. Ellis of Spurs Talk.

"According to a Western Conference scout, the Lakers are telling teams that they will take a wait and see approach to trading Westbrook as training camp approaches," Ellis wrote. "If the Lakers decide to trade Westbrook at some point down the line, the Spurs remain one of the few teams in the league open to such a deal."

In the initial trade discussions, the Spurs would reportedly receive multiple draft picks in exchange for taking on Westbrook's contract of $47.1 million in 2022-23. The Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz are also reportedly interested in a deal.

For now, Westbrook is heading into his second year with the Lakers after averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game in 2021-22.

The nine-time All-Star struggled with efficiency, finishing with a career-low 1.7 win shares, per Basketball Reference. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis dealing with injuries throughout the season, the Lakers fell apart and finished just 33-49.

Los Angeles now has more options in the backcourt after adding veteran guards Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schröder this offseason.

The team is "strongly" considering bringing Westbrook off the bench, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, a role he hasn't had since his rookie season.

Another option could be to trade the superstar and use savings to add more impact talent to the rotation.

San Antonio is headed toward a rebuild after trading All-Star Dejounte Murray for three first-round picks. Even adding Westbrook likely won't get the team toward playoff contention after finishing 34-48 last season.

The Spurs still could benefit with a trade if they add more future draft picks to key the rebuild. Westbrook also won't hurt the organization's cap flexibility going forward with just one more season on his contract.

Considering the team has the second-most cap space in the NBA at $24.9 million, San Antonio could be a perfect trade partner for Los Angeles.