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Xavier Cooks Report: Lakers sign Peter Suder to two-way deal
Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 5:38 PM
Michael Scotto
HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reports that the Lakers signed Peter Suder to a two-way contract.
Analysis: Suder spent two seasons at Bellarmine before transferring to Miami (OH) ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. His senior year was the best, with the 6-foot-4 guard averaging 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 three-pointers while shooting 54.6 percent from the field and 73.4 percent from the foul line. While Suder did shoot 42.1 percent from three, he made only 33.1 percent of his attempts over four seasons, so there will be questions about his consistency. |
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Xavier Cooks Report: LAL signs AK Okereke to two-way contract
Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 4:36 PM
Shams Charania
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Lakers signed AK Okereke to a two-way contract.
Analysis: The 6-foot-7, 245-pound Okereke played three seasons at Cornell before transferring to Vanderbilt for his final year of college basketball. In 36 games, he averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 three-pointers, shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 77.5 percent from the foul line. While on limited volume, Okereke shot 40 percent from beyond the arc last season. |
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JJ Redick Shams: Lakers acquire 56th pick from Chicago
Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 1:15 PM
Shams Charania
ESPN's Shams Charania reports the Lakers have acquired pick No. 56 in the NBA Draft from the Bulls in exchange for cash.
Analysis: The Lakers added a second pick in the draft after selecting Cameron Carr with the 24th pick on Tuesday. It's one of the last few picks in the draft, so it's unclear who they could be targeting at this point. Chicago still has pick No. 38 after making two top-15 picks on Tuesday. |
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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves to sign 4-year, $185M deal w/ Lakers
Wed, Jun 24, 2026, 7:21 AM
Shams Charania
ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million deal to return to the Lakers.
Analysis: With Reaves back in the fold, the Lakers have he and Luka Don?i? locked in as franchise cornerstones for the foreseeable future. The Lakers will have a busy offseason as they navigate LeBron James' potential return and decide what moves to make to get the team in a more competitive position. |
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Xavier Cooks Lakers acquire No. 24 pick, select Cameron Carr
Tue, Jun 23, 2026, 4:50 PM
Shams Charania
Lakers selected Cameron Carr with the No. 24 pick in the NBA Draft.
Analysis: After appearing in just 18 games over the course of one-plus season at Tennessee, the 6-foot-5 Carr transferred to Baylor during the 2024-25 campaign. After playing well in the 2025 World University Games, he took another step forward in his lone season with the Bears. A third-team All-Big 12 selection, Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.3 three-pointers per game, shooting 49.4 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from three and 80.1 percent from the foul line. A standout performance at the NBA Draft Combine helped Carr even more, essentially locking him into the middle of the first round. While the Knicks made the pick, he will be a Laker after Los Angeles moved up a spot in the draft order in exchange for cash considerations. With Dalton Knecht unable to earn consistent rotation minutes, Carr will have every opportunity to provide value as a rookie. |
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LeBron James Report: 'Legitimate chance' LeBron leaves Lakers
Fri, Jun 12, 2026, 10:38 AM
ESPN
ESPN's Tim Bontemps believes there is a âlegitimate chanceâ that LeBron James is not with the Lakers next season.
Analysis: James, who turns 42 in December, is an unrestricted free agent. And for the first time in his NBA career, he is not viewed as the priority signing going into free agency. The Lakers have prioritized building around Luka Don?i?, including a desire to re-sign free-agent guard Austin Reaves. Given what Reaves' price tag is expected to be, LeBron may have to take a significant pay cut to return to the Lakers. Agent Rich Paul said during a media appearance on Friday that â10-12 teamsâ have reached out to him regarding James, so he'll have options in free agency. While James can still be a highly effective option for fantasy managers, his age has lowered the ceiling for 2026-27. |
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Austin Reaves Report: Nets expected to offer max to Reaves
Fri, Jun 12, 2026, 10:06 AM
The Athletic
Dan Woike of The Athletic reports that the Nets are expected to offer Austin Reaves a max contract when he hits free agency later this month.
Analysis: The Lakers have long viewed re-signing Reaves as a priority this offseason, and the expectation was that the cost of doing business would be high. According to The Athletic, the Nets are willing to offer the shooting guard the highest deal they can, which comes to about $178.5 million over four years. Unlike other teams, the Lakers can offer Reaves a fifth year, but the question is how much they're willing to pay. And with other questions lingering, such as LeBron James' future and how they'll fill out the rest of the roster around Luka Don?i?, the Lakers could find themselves in a challenging spot regarding Reaves' deal. As for the Nets, adding Reaves would give them an undisputed building block on the perimeter. And with none of the guards selected in the first round of last summer's draft (Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf) truly standing out, this is an area of need for the rebuilding franchise. |
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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves has 27/7/6 line in loss to OKC
Mon, May 11, 2026, 8:18 PM
Austin Reaves logged 27 points (8-of-16 FGs, 8-of-9 FTs), seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks and three three-pointers in the loss to the Thunder on Monday.
Analysis: Reaves found his rhythm again on Monday after an unspectacular Game 3. He shot efficiently both inside and outside the arc and repeatedly made his way to the free-throw line before finishing with a team-high in points. The fifth-year guard did struggle with turnovers against a tough Thunder defense. Still, his scoring and facilitating across his 43 minutes were important for the Lakers. Reaves missed a lot of time with injuries throughout the regular season, which hurt his fantasy value. When healthy, he was as productive as last season. He'll likely be one of the better guards in fantasy leagues next season if injuries aren't as big an issue. |
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Rui Hachimura Rui Hachimura scores 25 in season-ending loss
Mon, May 11, 2026, 8:08 PM
Rui Hachimura totaled 25 points (9-of-15 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs), five rebounds, two assists, one block and four three-pointers in the loss to the Thunder on Monday.
Analysis: Hachimura came alive in the third quarter following a four-point first half. He produced in the midrange and from beyond the arc before repeating the process in the fourth quarter. Hachimura made some big shots to keep the Lakers' hopes alive down the stretch. Yet, his season ends in a fourth straight victory. Hachimura's role fluctuated throughout the season, leading to one of his least productive seasons in several years. His fantasy value this season came from efficient scoring, which he didn't do enough of to really be a difference maker in leagues. |
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LeBron James LeBron James posts 24/12/3 line in loss to Thunder
Mon, May 11, 2026, 7:59 PM
LeBron James totaled 24 points (8-of-18 FGs, 6-of-8 FTs), 12 rebounds, three assists, one block and two three-pointers in Monday's loss to the Thunder.
Analysis: James' final game of the season was a solid one when simply glancing at the counting stats. He was one of the Lakers' three best scorers on the evening, and he led the team in rebounds along the way before finishing his 23rd season with a double-double. James missed the first chunk of the season due to injury but eventually returned to log 60 regular-season games. His numbers declined from the 2024-25 season, and the accomplished veteran also saw a drop in fantasy production. James enters the offseason as an NBA free agent. Where he ends up next season could determine his fantasy outlook. |
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LeBron James LeBron scores 19 points in Game 3 blowout defeat
Sat, May 9, 2026, 5:15 PM
LeBron James accounted for 19 points (7-of-19 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), six rebounds, eight assists, one steal and two three-pointers in Saturday's Game 3 loss to the Thunder.
Analysis: After scoring 27 and 23 points in the first two games of the series, James was limited to 19 on 19 shots in Game 3. He's managed to keep the turnovers in check, committing eight through three games, but the Lakers' overall struggles in that category have been costly. Oklahoma City scored 30 points off 16 Lakers turnovers in Game 3, turning a competitive game into a second-half blowout. James and the Lakers will look to avoid a sweep when they host Game 4 on Monday. |
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Austin Reaves Reaves records 17 points, nine assists vs. OKC
Sat, May 9, 2026, 5:13 PM
Austin Reaves tallied 17 points (5-of-13 FGs, 6-of-8 FTs), three rebounds, nine assists and one three-pointer in Saturday's Game 3 loss to the Thunder.
Analysis: Reaves got off to an excellent start regarding his playmaking, as he recorded eight first-half assists. Unfortunately for him and the Lakers, the well dried up in the second half. Oklahoma City ramped things up defensively, and the Lakers turned the ball over at a higher rate than they did in the first half. As for Reaves, he accounted for just five points and one assist after halftime. Simply put, that won't get the job done, especially with Luka Don?i? (hamstring) unavailable. The Lakers will need a win on Monday to avoid getting swept. |
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Rui Hachimura Hachimura scores team-high 21 points in Game 3
Sat, May 9, 2026, 5:13 PM
Rui Hachimura accumulated 21 points (7-of-14 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, four assists, one steal and five three-pointers in Saturday's Game 3 loss to the Thunder.
Analysis: As has been the case for the Lakers throughout this series, Game 3 was a tale of two halves. Taking a lead into the intermission for the second consecutive game, the Lakers were outscored 74-49 in the second half. And after scoring 16 points in the first half, Hachimura was limited to five in the second half. With Luka Don?i? (hamstring) not close to a return, the Lakers need more consistent production from Hachimura if they're to extend the series. The Lakers will look to avoid getting swept with a Game 4 victory on Monday night. |
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Jarred Vanderbilt Vanderbilt (finger) upgraded to available
Sat, May 9, 2026, 12:53 PM
Law Murray
Jarred Vanderbilt (finger) is available for Saturday's Game 3 against the Thunder.
Analysis: Initially questionable, Vanderbilt is back after sitting out Thursday's Game 2 defeat. He'll provide added frontcourt depth off the bench but is unlikely to get the run needed to be an impact player for manager in playoff fantasy leagues. |
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Jarred Vanderbilt Jarred Vanderbilt (finger) questionable for Game 3
Fri, May 8, 2026, 2:03 PM
NBA Injury Report
Jarred Vanderbilt (finger) is questionable for Saturday's Game 3 against the Thunder.
Analysis: Vanderbilt, who dislocated his right pinky finger during Game 1, did not play in Thursday's Game 2 defeat. His absence factored into Adou Thiero playing six minutes off the bench, but that was not enough to affect the action on either end of the floor. |
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Marcus Smart Marcus Smart has 14/4/5 line Thursday in loss
Thu, May 7, 2026, 7:03 PM
Marcus Smart logged 14 points (4-of-13 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), four rebounds, five assists, one steal and one three-pointer in the loss to the Thunder on Thursday.
Analysis: Despite not shooting the basketball well, particularly from beyond the arc, Smart was the lone Lakers starter to conclude with a positive plus-minus. He was impactful as a passer on the evening and played his usual strong defense, even though he only tallied one steal. Smart eventually knocking down some three-pointers would help the Lakers' offense ??" he's currently shooting 3-of-15 from deep over the first two games of the series. Perhaps the home floor and familiarity with the rims will help the veteran guard find his touch in Game 3. |
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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves tallies 31 points in loss to Thunder
Thu, May 7, 2026, 6:57 PM
Austin Reaves amassed 31 points (10-of-16 FGs, 8-of-10 FTs), two rebounds, six assists and three three-pointers in the loss to the Thunder on Thursday.
Analysis: Reaves responded in a big way on Thursday to his eight-point Game 1 performance by finishing as the only Lakers player to reach the 30-point mark. He had success from deep, was efficient as a two-point scorer, and also got to the free-throw line to add to his scoring total. Turnovers were also an issue for Reaves in Game 2, as was the case in the series opener, but his contributions as a scorer and passer outweighed the negatives. A repeat performance in Game 3 would greatly benefit a Lakers team that'll be trying to avoid going down by three games. |
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LeBron James LeBron James has 23/2/6 line Thursday vs. Thunder
Thu, May 7, 2026, 6:52 PM
LeBron James finished Thursday's loss to the Thunder with 23 points (9-of-18 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), two rebounds, six assists, three steals and one three-pointer.
Analysis: James logged 38 minutes in Game 2 and produced similar numbers to Game 1. On the evening, he was his usual efficient self as a scorer while also making some impact as a facilitator. Arguably, the four-time champion's biggest moments came in the fourth quarter, when a series of James baskets helped the Lakers trim the Thunder's lead to as few as five points. But L.A. ultimately ran out of answers, as OKC pulled away and secured a 2-0 series lead. James will again be one of the Lakers' most important players in Game 3. |
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Jarred Vanderbilt Jarred Vanderbilt (finger) ruled out for Game 2
Thu, May 7, 2026, 1:57 PM
NBA Injury Report
Jarred Vanderbilt (finger) won't play against the Thunder on Thursday.
Analysis: Vanderbilt's dislocated finger, suffered early in Tuesday's series opener, will keep him on the sidelines for Game 2. His absence removes a versatile defender from the Lakers' rotation, leaving more minutes off the bench available for Jake LaRavia. Vanderbilt tallied just six minutes in the Game 1 loss. |
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Luke Kennard Luke Kennard (neck) available Thursday vs. OKC
Thu, May 7, 2026, 1:55 PM
NBA Injury Report
Luke Kennard (neck) is available to play on Thursday against the Thunder.
Analysis: Kennard's availability gives the Lakers another scoring option off the bench against a Thunder defense that has overwhelmed teams throughout its title defense. The three-point specialist hasn't had much success since the beginning of the Lakers' first-round series against the Rockets. He's shot 2-of-10 from deep and totaled only 18 points over the last four games. |
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