Luka Doncic reminded NBA fans that he’s the same superstar who tormented Western Conference opponents en route to the NBA Finals last year. The Los Angeles Lakers’ newly acquired superstar had his best night in the purple and gold on Saturday. He scored 32 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and added seven assists and four steals.

 

Doncic had averaged 28.1 points per game, shooting 46.4% from the field across 22 games for the Dallas Mavericks, earlier this season. Since being sent to the Lakers in a mind-blowing blockbuster deal at the NBA trade deadline, he had averaged just 14.7 points per game while shooting 35.6% from the field across his first three games for the Lakers, who dropped two of those games to NBA bottom-feeders Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets.

 

Doncic then sat out the Lakers game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. His struggles ignited questions regarding Doncic’s overall fit with the Lakers, and more specifically, alongside fellow ball-dominant star LeBron James.

 

Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Greg Jennings discuss the Los Angeles Lakers losing to the Charlotte Hornets, and LeBron James talking the final shot instead of Luka Doncic. He says that Doncic was impacted by the trade from the Dallas Mavericks, and that his ability has been impacted.

 

Los Angeles’ 123-100 win over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena should help answer some of those concerns. James complemented Doncic’s performance, adding 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists. In 33 minutes, Doncic had a team-high plus-minus of 20.

 

Midway through the first quarter, Doncic had a stellar sequence. He pulled up for a 3-pointer five feet beyond the line, then blocked Nuggets guard Jamal Murray on a drive to the basket, spurring a fast break that ended in a Dorian Finney-Smith triple.

 

In the third quarter, Doncic hit a pair of step-back 3-pointers over the outstretched arm of Nuggets guard Christian Braun before jawing at the Denver crowd.

 

In a marquee matchup against the three-seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers showed the NBA their potential when both mega-stars are clicking.

 

Guard Austin Reaves scored 23 and forward Rui Hachimura had 21 when he left holding his left side with 10 minutes remaining — the Lakers didn’t miss him, going on a 12-2 run to stretch their lead to 19.

 

Aaron Gordon scored 24 points and Murray 19 for Denver, which lost for the first time this month. Nikola Jokic posted his 26th triple-double of the season, but he was just 2-of-7 from the floor with six turnovers.

 

The Lakers never trailed in winning in Denver for the first time since April 10, 2022. They had lost 13 of their previous 14 against the Nuggets.

 

The Lakers are 2-2 in games in which Doncic has played. They will host his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Tuesday night in Crypto.com Arena for the first time since the trade. That kicks off a season-high six-game homestand that includes matchups against other playoff hopefuls such as the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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The Los Angeles Lakers will be hoping that the addition of Luka Doncic (77) will help address their woeful record against the Denver Nuggets. The NBA Western Conference rivals face off on Feb 22.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be hoping that the addition of Luka Doncic (77) will help address their woeful record against the Denver Nuggets. The NBA Western Conference rivals face off on Feb

DENVER – The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets have forged a rivalry through their play-off matchups, but the National Basketball Association (NBA) showdowns have been one-sided.

 

Denver have won 13 of the last 14 meetings dating back to January 2023, including the last five in the regular season, and the Nuggets will try to extend that streak on Feb 22 (Feb 23, Singapore time) when they host Los Angeles.

 

The Lakers have a new weapon to try to stop their slide against Denver. Feb 21 likely will be Luka Doncic’s first game against the Nuggets since he was traded from Dallas on Feb 2. Doncic has played in three games since coming to Los Angeles but sat out a 110-102 win at the Portland Trail Blazers on Feb 20.

 

Doncic is expected to play in the second meeting between the teams this season. Denver won the first game 127-102 on Nov 23, but the Lakers are a different team now.

 

Since a home loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Jan 13, they have won 13 of 17 and moved within three games of the Nuggets, who currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and have won nine straight games.

 

Even with Doncic on the roster, LeBron James is the catalyst for Los Angeles. He scored 40 points in the win over the Trail Blazers, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 40 or more points twice after turning 40.

 

“I still love the game, and I still got a lot to give to the game, to give to my teammates, to give to this league for while I’m here,” James said.

 

“I don’t have much time left. So while I’m here today in this time, I’m going to try to give what I got when I’m out on the floor.”

 

James leads the Lakers at 24.7 points a game, followed by Austin Reaves (19.1). Doncic is averaging 14.7 points in his three games with Los Angeles and 26.5 in 25 total games this season.

 

Doncic has bolstered the Los Angeles backcourt, but dealing Anthony Davis to the Mavericks leaves the Lakers vulnerable against big men, and Denver have the best in the league in Nikola Jokic.

 

Jokic leads the Nuggets in scoring (29.7 points), rebounding (12.7) and assists (10.2), which are all top three in the NBA.

 

Jamal Murray is second on the Nuggets in scoring at 21.3 points a game, Michael Porter Jr is third at 18.7 and Christian Braun is averaging 14.9.

 

Murray’s scoring is up over the last 10 games, after a career-high 55 points against Portland on Feb 12 and is averaging 27.8 in nine games since Jan 29. His strong play is one reason Denver are in search of their first 10-game winning streak in coach Michael Malone’s tenure.

 

The streak has catapulted the Nuggets to near the top of the Western Conference with 26 games remaining.

 

“No matter who you play in the West, man, it’s going to be a dogfight,” Malone said.

 

“Think about the teams that are outside the play-in right now. … There’s no, like, ‘Let’s get this seed so we can play this team.’ OK. Careful what you wish for.”

 

 

In NBA action on Feb 21, Donovan Mitchell scored 17 of his 27 points in the second quarter and Evan Mobley finished with 21 points, fuelling the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a dominant 142-105 victory over the New York Knicks in a clash of Eastern Conference rivals.

 

The NBA-best Cavaliers, who cruised to their sixth straight win and 10th in the last 11 games, shot a robust 60.9 per cent from the floor and dominated the interior with a 66-38 advantage in points in the paint. Cleveland led 41-29 after the first quarter and 77-50 at the half.

 

New York’s Jalen Brunson scored 16 of his 26 points in the first quarter, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points.

 

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points and Chet Holmgren had 20 as Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder returned from the All-Star break with a 130-107 victory over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.

 

In Sacramento, the Golden State Warriors moved ahead of the Kings into ninth spot in the West with a 132-108 road win, despite DeMar DeRozan 34 points for Sacramento. REUTERS

 

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LeBron James scores 40 as Lakers beat Trail Blazers 110-102, joining Michael Jordan with 2 40-point games after 40.

LeBron James recorded 40 points for the second time since turning 40, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 110-102 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday at Moda Center. James also grabbed eight rebounds as Los Angeles secured its sixth consecutive victory over Portland.

 

Austin Reaves contributed 32 points and seven assists, helping the Lakers recover from a 100-97 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets the night before. Dorian Finney-Smith added 10 points for Los Angeles.

 

Lakers guard Luka Dončić was rested due to a calf issue in the second game of a back-to-back set.

 

Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 28 points and five assists. Toumani Camara added 19 points, seven rebounds and five steals, while Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

 

Portland dropped its fourth consecutive game.

 

James, who matched his career-worst mark with 11 turnovers, became the second player in NBA history to record multiple 40-point games after turning 40.

 

Michael Jordan remains the only other player to accomplish the feat, scoring 43 for the Washington Wizards against the then-New Jersey Nets on Feb. 21, 2003. James previously scored 42 points against the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 6.

 

Lebron also surpassed NBA great Vince Carter for 3rd all-time appearances in the NBA regular season.

 

Los Angeles shot 47.6% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, making 9 of 32 (28.1%). Portland shot 44.2% overall and hit 12 of 37 (32.4%) from three-point range.

 

The Trail Blazers trimmed an 11-point deficit to two when Avdija went on a personal 9-0 run, making it 66-64 with 6:03 left in the third quarter. Portland closed within one at 78-77 after a Camara three-pointer in the final seconds of the period.

 

The Lakers responded in the fourth. Anfernee Simons tied the game at 81 with a layup at the 10:40 mark, but Los Angeles answered with an 8-0 run, including two three-pointers from James.

 

Reaves extended the Lakers’ lead to nine with a steal and layup with 7:07 remaining. He later hit a three-pointer with 3:26 left, but Camara brought Portland back within 102-98 with 2:44 to go.

 

Gabe Vincent sealed the win with two free throws with 16.7 seconds left before Reaves forced a turnover on Jerami Grant. James added two free throws with 5.2 seconds remaining to secure his 40-point performance.

 

Reaves had 19 points in the first half, while James scored 16 as the Lakers led 55-47 at the break. Avdija had 10 first-half points for Portland.

 

Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James, the son of LeBron, had finally started to see some solid NBA action, playing in four straight games. However, his streak came to an end after the Lakers’ most recent win against the Golden State Warriors.

 

Amid the six-game road trip, Los Angeles pulled the trigger on a trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic, one of the most surprising trades in recent memory.

 

Doncic has been dealing with a left calf strain that has kept him out since Christmas Day. And the Lakers will have to wait a little longer for Doncic to make his debut, as the Slovenian has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.

 

Although the Lakers have been shorthanded over the past few days with Davis and Doncic, among others, Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane revealed that Bronny is with Los Angeles’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

 

Los Angeles may have assigned Bronny to South Bay for just a night or two, as it faces the Valley Suns on Friday and the San Diego Clippers on Saturday. He could very well be back with LA before their game on Saturday.

 

Bronny has appeared in 11 games for South Bay so far this season. He didn’t get off to the best start in his first two games, scoring only 10 points. Since then, he has only scored single digits just once. Overall, the former USC standout is averaging 16.3 points on 38% shooting, 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

 

bronny james

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Fortunately for Lakers fans, they won’t have to wait much longer after Saturday for Doncic to make his debut. In fact, he is expected to play on Monday against the Utah Jazz. Los Angeles (30-19) will look to make it five straight on Saturday before the highly anticipated Luka game.

 

 

It will be “special” to play alongside Luka Doncic, the newcomer to the LA Lakers, according to LeBron James. Anthony Davis, a 2020 NBA champion with the Lakers, moved in the opposite direction of the Slovenian last weekend when Doncic finalized a surprise deal to the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks.

The 25-year-old Doncic finished as the league’s leading scorer in 2024 and has been an NBA All-Star for the last five seasons. James remarked, “It’s going to be special,” “There will be a lot of people watching us.”

Luka is a major player, you see. Even though he is only 25 years old, he has already accomplished some incredible feats in our league. “I’m glad to have him, and LA is glad as well. To be honest, it’s still a little surreal.

James made this statement soon after the Lakers defeated the LA Clippers 122-97 on Tuesday night. James, who has won the NBA MVP award four times, led the Lakers to victory with 26 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Doncic, who has been sidelined by a calf ailment since December, observed from the sidelines with his new teammates. Doncic talked about his surprise at joining the Lakers prior to the game.

You can imagine how surprised I was,” he said.

“I had to check if it was April 1. I didn’t really believe it.”

The Lakers expect Doncic to make his debut later this month

 

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, sits next to forward LeBron James on the bench before an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, sits next to forward LeBron James on the bench before an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. Kevork

 

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James had 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and Luka Doncic watched approvingly from the bench while the Los Angeles Lakers thrashed the Los Angeles Clippers 122-97 Tuesday night.

 

Doncic clapped and occasionally fist-pumped during the Lakers’ outstanding performance in their first game since they made the seismic trade to acquire the All-NBA scoring champion in exchange for star big man Anthony Davis. James and Doncic, who is close to a return from a strained calf, sat next to each other and talked at times.

 

Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who finished a six-game trip with five victories despite losing Davis to injury even before the trade. The Lakers’ victory was their first at Intuit Dome, their crosstown rivals’ sparkling new arena.

 

Norman Powell scored 20 points for the Clippers (28-22), who fell two games behind the fifth-place Lakers (29-19) in the West.

 

Behind the scenes with UConn women’s basketball’s male practice players

UConn women’s basketball team’s Paige Bueckers (5) during first day of practice at Werth Champions Center on UConn campus in Storrs, Conn., on Thursday October 3, 2024.

James Harden went 2 of 12 for seven points, and Kawhi Leonard scored just 11 before both stars took the fourth quarter off.

 

Bronny James hit his first NBA 3-pointer while playing the final six minutes.

 

Patty Mills and Drew Eubanks played the final seven minutes in their debuts with the Clippers, who acquired the veterans Saturday from Utah.

 

Takeaways

Clippers: A lifeless effort in their return from a four-game trip. Owner Steve Ballmer had little to cheer.

 

 

 

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Lakers: The results were brilliant, but the method was also impressive. They fought and worked on defense — something they’ll have to do every night without Davis.

 

Key moment

The Lakers put up 45 points in the first quarter — the most they’ve managed in any period this season.

 

Key stat

The Lakers didn’t make a turnover until midway through the second quarter.

 

 

 

 

___

 

Laker Austin Reaves drives past Clipper James Harden in the second quarter at the Intuit Dome Tuesday.

Laker Austin Reaves drives past Clipper James Harden in the second quarter at the Intuit Dome Tuesday.

 

Of course the Lakers were excited, a perennial MVP candidate now sitting on the end of their bench in Luka Doncic, a 25-year-old offensive maestro now on their roster.

 

Of course, the offensive possibilities of him playing with LeBron James and with Austin Reaves, of whipping passes to Dorian Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura for open corner threes have JJ Redick ready to get to work.

 

 

But no matter what happened during the Lakers’ 122-97 win over the Clippers on Tuesday, the team’s feelings after this trade are certainly more complex.

 

“Yeah, I ain’t never seen this one,” LeBron James said. “I have seen it all up until this one. I have never been a part of one transaction like that. That was different.”

 

For 47 games, the Lakers tried to solve the problems their roster presented, finding the best ways to cover up their flaws, accentuate their strengths and maximize their potential. And after a win last Saturday night against the Knicks, the Lakers could see it.

 

: General Manager Rob Pelinka, left, introduces new Lakers player Luka Doncic, right, at the Lakers training facility in El Segundo on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Lakers acquire Luka Doncic from Mavericks for Anthony Davis in blockbuster trade

 

“Guys are going to feel a certain way,” coach JJ Redick said pregame. “And there’s a grieving process. There’s an excitement and a rebirth process. There’s all of these things and those things take time. It’s not, we’re not going to wave a magic wand and say, ‘Ah, we’re good today.’ Like it takes time. The important thing is that the mission has not changed and how we go about doing that mission has not changed.”

 

But even without Anthony Davis, even without Max Christie and even without Doncic, who is still recovering from a calf injury, the Lakers looked like a team still intent on accomplishing that mission, melancholy or not.

 

 

“Basketball is an outlet for all of us,” Reaves said. “Any time you can come together as a group and kinda forget everything else that’s going on in the world and just compete as a group, one common goal to go win a basketball game, is, I think my favorite part about basketball and it being a team sport, is once you hit the court out there, nothing else matters in that moment. It all about, what you’re going to do to help your team be successful.

 

“And the way we came out with the energy, the effort defensively, we’re flying around, really paying attention to the details in the game plan. It was one of our best performances all year. “

 

Against the Clippers at Intuit Dome, the Lakers continued to play with the kind of intensity, the kind of focus and the kind of execution that had them believing they could win this season in the first place.

 

 

EL SEGUNDO, CA, FEBRUARY 4, 2025: New Lakers player Luka Doncic speaks to reporters at the Lakers training facility in El Segundo on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

‘Imagine how I felt’: Luka Doncic surprised he was traded to Lakers

 

James, like he was for most of the Lakers’ recent road trip, played with the kind of timeless energy on both ends of the court that shouldn’t be possible for a player in Season 22. He scored 26 points on eight-of-13 shooting after opening the game by making his first five shots. And without Davis or Christie on the floor, he was one of the Lakers’ most active defenders.

 

Reaves and Hachimura scored 20 each — the 40 points coming on only 27 combined shots. Reaves adding nine assists. And Jaxson Hayes, the Lakers’ likely starting center moving forward, played 24 minutes with six points, six rebounds, four assists — and only two fouls — giving the Lakers an athletic presence around the rim on both sides of the court.

 

The Lakers officially closed a stretch of six straight on the road for their Grammy trip with their fifth win. And their biggest piece isn’t even out there yet.

 

 

Doncic is scheduled to participate in a scrimmage on Wednesday and could debut for the Lakers as soon as Saturday.

 

The Clippers looked mostly lifeless in a game where they never led by more than a point. Kawhi Leonard, who carved up the Lakers’ defense in their last meeting, scored only 11 points in 23 minutes. Ivica Zubac, who dominated the interior so soundly that Davis publicly asked for the Lakers to add a center one day later, made just two shots to go with his 10 rebounds. And on the perimeter, Finney-Smith harassed James Harden into a two-for-12 night during which he scored only seven points, his second-worst scoring game of the season.

 

The Lakers held the Clippers to 37.8% shooting, their fifth-worst shooting game of the season. The Lakers ended up with five different players with at least six rebounds.

 

 

The end of James’ partnership with Davis undoubtedly will linger with the Lakers’ 40-year-old star. Postgame Tuesday, James spoke with plenty of sadness in his voice, choosing to keep a lengthy post-trade Facetime call with Davis private will saying their time as teammates was “special.”

 

“Just knowing that he was going to be gone, that was very, very difficult. Very challenging,” James said. “I could see how in shock he was, obviously. And he probably saw it from my face as well.”

 

James, though, said that the trade hasn’t changed his future plans with the Lakers at least as far as this season, saying that if he had an issue with the organization planning for its future with Doncic, he’d “waive my no-trade clause and get up out of here.”

 

Doncic smiled as he watched James bully the Clippers on both ends of the court, another top-tier performance for James on the heels of him winning the Western Conference player of the week Award on Monday.

 

Los Angeles, California January 23, 2025- Lakers LeBron James is introduced before a game.

Here’s why the Lakers believe LeBron James will not ask to be traded

 

“I thought he led us on both ends and said something that every few games, he’s raising his hand asking for a sub. He’s going full tilt on both ends of the floor,” Redick said after. “And it would be very easy for him given his resume and accomplishments and age and frankly bank account if he wanted to just save himself for offense. He’s playing both sides of the ball, giving everything he has. Another great game from him.”

 

Postgame, the players felt good about what they had just done, their defensive identity carrying over from their win in New York Saturday when everything changed. Their was some comfort in that, at least, staying the same.

 

 

But they know up and down the roster that this is no longer the same team. And it’ll never be again.

 

“You create real relationships with these guys, and that’s been the toughest part for me,” Reaves said. “After a couple games here recently, we’ve been on the bus and AD would bring his phone up to him and it would be his kid. And he would be telling AD, ‘I want to talk to Reaves.’ And I would always tell him to do the (three-point) celebration and he would start doing it.

 

“So it’s just little things like that are why it’s tough. It’s a business and you gotta, get past that. And look forward to what we got now.”

 

LeBron James remains on the Lakers’ injury report against the 76ers.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dunks the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center.

 

 

Gearing up for their Tuesday night matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers have been monitoring the availability of the star forward, LeBron James.

 

Throughout the year, LeBron has had frequent appearances on the injury report. According to the official NBA injury report, LeBron continues managing a left foot injury.

 

The Lakers don’t seem too worried about a potential absence for the former MVP, though. With their initial injury report submitted, the Lakers have LeBron listed as probable for the matchup.

 

The chances of him getting the nod to play against the Sixers seem high.

 

On Monday night, the Lakers fired up a back-to-back set, continuing a road trip. After picking up a double-digit victory on the road against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers paid a visit to the Charlotte Hornets.

 

LeBron James checked in for 36 minutes in the matchup. Although he struggled with his shot from three, going just 1-8 from beyond the arc, the veteran forward shot over 50 percent from the field to notch 22 points.

 

Along with his scoring, James accounted for seven rebounds and eight assists.

 

Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) passes against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena.

 

If the Lakers change course and give LeBron the night off, it would mark his first absence since December 28. LA doesn’t seem to have a possible absence in mind at this time.

 

Earlier this season, the Sixers visited the Lakers on their West Coast run. LeBron saw the court for 34 minutes in that game. He produced 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists.

 

At the time, the Lakers took advantage of a slow start for the Sixers, issuing them a 10-point loss.

 

The Sixers have a two-game win streak at the moment, but they remain shorthanded and outside of the NBA Play-In picture before their meeting with the Lakers.

 

As for LA, they have four wins in a row to show for, and hope to close out their current back-to-back set with five. At 26-18 on the season, the Lakers place fifth in the Western Conference. They trail the Denver Nuggets by one game.

 

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.

 

The Lakers target Walker Kessler to solve their center issues, but Utah’s high demands have stalled trade talks.

 

The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly been relentless in their pursuit of Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler ahead of the trade deadline, but the Jazz’s steep asking price remains a significant roadblock.

 

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Lakers have made multiple attempts to acquire Kessler, seeing him as the ideal solution to their need for a rim-protecting big man. However, despite their persistent efforts, they have yet to meet Utah’s demands.

 

“They’ve tried to get Walker Kessler many times. They have not been able to meet that steep price. I’m sure they’ll keep trying.”

 

Kessler’s appeal is clear. The 23-year-old center is currently averaging 11.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting a league-leading 73.0% from the field. He provides elite rim protection and is a force on the boards, making him one of the league’s most promising young big men.

 

Additionally, his rookie-scale contract, which pays him just $2.9 million this season, makes him an incredibly valuable asset for any team looking to bolster its roster without taking on significant salary cap implications.

 

For the Lakers, acquiring Kessler would address their ongoing need for a true center, allowing Anthony Davis to shift back to his preferred power forward position. Davis has been vocal about his desire to play alongside another big man, citing the success of the 2019-20 championship team that featured JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard as examples.

 

Having a player like Kessler alongside Davis would not only enhance the Lakers’ defense but also allow Davis to preserve his energy and extend his effectiveness throughout the season.

 

However, Utah’s high asking price has stalled negotiations. Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is known for his tough negotiating tactics, and it appears he’s holding firm on Kessler’s value. Given Kessler’s performance and potential, Utah is understandably reluctant to part ways with him unless they receive a package that includes significant draft compensation or promising young talent.

 

Reports suggest the Jazz are looking for multiple first-round picks or a package that could help accelerate their rebuild as they sit at 10-32 and out of playoff contention.

 

The Lakers, currently fifth in the Western Conference with a 25-18 record, are in a win-now mode. With LeBron James nearing the end of his career, the franchise is under pressure to make moves that can improve their chances of competing for a championship.

 

However, their limited draft capital—namely their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks—presents a challenge. While they are reportedly open to including these assets in a deal, they appear hesitant to part with both for a player who, while impactful, is not a superstar.

 

Adding to the complexity, Kessler’s fit alongside Davis is not without questions. Both players operate primarily near the basket, which could create spacing issues on offense. Despite this, the defensive upside of pairing them together is too enticing for the Lakers to ignore.

 

As the February 6 trade deadline approaches, the Lakers will likely continue their pursuit of Kessler, exploring ways to sweeten their offers without jeopardizing their long-term future. Whether Ainge ultimately decides to move Kessler will depend on how much the Lakers—and any other suitors—are willing to pay. For now, the standoff continues, with the Lakers hoping to secure the defensive anchor they believe can elevate them into true title contention.