RADIO
Luka Doncic Healthy Heading Into Training Camp
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (hamstring) is healthy heading into training camp after being cleared for full basketball activities in late May, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. A Grade 2 left hamstring strain suffered on April 2 cost him the Lakers' final 15 regular-season games and their entire playoff run, which ended in the second round. The 27-year-old skipped Slovenia's FIBA World Cup qualifiers to spend time with his daughters and later hosted Lakers teammates for an August minicamp. Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.6 steals across 64 games last season, winning the scoring title. With LeBron James now in Philadelphia, more of the offense should flow through Doncic, while Walker Kessler gives him a true lob threat. Availability is the only real fantasy concern on an otherwise elite profile.
Source: Dave McMenamin
Source: Dave McMenamin
Collin Sexton Cites Winning in Lakers Free-Agent Decision
Los Angeles Lakers guard Collin Sexton said the chance to win and make an impact on a big stage drove his free-agent decision, according to ESPN LA. "I feel like I just fit right in," the former No. 8 pick said. Sexton signed a two-year, $19 million deal with a player option after averaging 17.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 26 games with Chicago last season while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from three. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves still control the offense, leaving Sexton as a bench scorer whose fantasy value depends on minutes, efficiency, and whether his defensive stats hold.
Source: ESPN LA
Source: ESPN LA
Luka Doncic is Fully Healthy Again
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (hamstring) recently stated that he's fully healthy again, according to Dan Woike. Doncic suffered a hamstring strain at the beginning of April that forced him to miss the rest of the regular season and the postseason. After taking a break from basketball to rehab, Doncic is finally feeling fully healthy again. Doncic nearly earned the first MVP of his young career this past season. He averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds across 35.8 minutes per game in 64 contests. He could be asked to do more on the court this upcoming season with LeBron James departing for the Philadelphia 76ers. As long as Doncic can stay healthy, he figures to be one of the best players in the league.
Source: Dan Woike
Source: Dan Woike
Chris Manon Stays Hot in Lakers' Summer League Rout
Los Angeles Lakers guard Chris Manon tallied 16 points on 5-for-7 shooting in Thursday's 105-82 Summer League win over the Bulls, chipping in six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block over 19 minutes. The 24-year-old joined starters Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero in double figures as the Lakers stayed unbeaten in Las Vegas and clinched a spot in the tournament's playoff stage. Manon re-signed a two-way deal with Los Angeles earlier this month after logging just 46 minutes across nine NBA appearances as a rookie. His jumper has come around this summer, which had been the knock on a defense-first guard. The harder question is whether he can crack a contender's rotation, and that answer likely starts in South Bay.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Collin Sexton Finds New Backup Role With Los Angeles
Free-agent guard Collin Sexton has agreed to a two-year, $19 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The combo guard has mostly come off the bench for his last two teams, Charlotte and Chicago, and will be the first guard off the bench in Los Angeles as well. It's a role he's thrived in, averaging 15.4 points per game last season while shooting 40.1% from three-point land. The Sexton acquisition is one of a flurry of moves by the Lakers today. The team also traded for center Walker Kessler and signed forward Sandro Mamukelashvili and wing Quentin Grimes.
Source: Shams Charania - ESPN
Source: Shams Charania - ESPN
Marcus Smart Signs With Rockets to Reunite With Ime Udoka
Veteran guard Marcus Smart is joining the Houston Rockets on a two-year, $13 million deal with a player option, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. The move reunites him with Ime Udoka, who coached him to Defensive Player of the Year in Boston. Smart declined his Lakers option after a bounce-back year, starting 54 of 62 games and averaging 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Houston hands him runway, especially early as Fred VanVleet works back from a torn ACL. Smart's fantasy pull is in steals and assists, making him a category-league target more than a standard-league scorer.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Dennis Schroder Enters Cavaliers Trade Talks Amid LeBron James Push
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder has been part of ongoing trade conversations, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, as Cleveland looks to create flexibility for a possible LeBron James addition and Dean Wade return. Schroder averaged 10.8 points, 4.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 24.2 minutes last season while shooting just 32.9% from three. His fantasy value in Cleveland was capped by James Harden and Donovan Mitchell controlling the offense, but a trade could help if he lands somewhere with backup point guard minutes and clearer second-unit usage. His shooting still keeps the ceiling modest.
Source: Jake Fischer
Source: Jake Fischer
Luka Doncic Wants Lakers to Add High-Level Center
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic has made his preference clear for the franchise to add an A-list center, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Walker Kessler and Jalen Duren have been mentioned as restricted free-agent targets the Lakers have done due diligence on, while Los Angeles is expected to evaluate other trade and free-agent options. Kessler would give the Lakers a shot-blocking, low-usage finisher, while Duren would bring more scoring, rebounding, and physical roll-man production. Either move would clean up Doncic's playmaking environment, but the bigger fantasy swing may come for whichever center lands next to one of the league's best passers.
Source: Dave McMenamin
Source: Dave McMenamin
Austin Reaves Could Command $40M Per Year With New Contract
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is set to receive a major pay raise as a free agent this offseason. According to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic, because of a weak free-agent class, rival executives believe Reaves could secure a contract worth $40 million per season. The Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets have the salary cap space needed to sign Reaves, and both the Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks are said to be interested in his services. Reaves, who earned $13.9 million this season, averaged a career-high 23.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 2025-26, along with 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals. Year after year, his fantasy stock has grown, and it's expected to remain high whether Reaves stays with the Lakers or signs elsewhere.
Source: The Athletic
Source: The Athletic
Luka Doncic Admits He Wasn't Close to Returning Before Season Ended
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (hamstring) wasn't close to returning before the team's season ended on Monday night. "I know some people wanted me (to come) back, but obviously I wasn't close to clearing," Doncic said. "If I could be out there, I would be, 100%. Everybody in that room knows this is really tough. This is the best time to play basketball." Doncic missed the Lakers' entire postseason campaign after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2. He said he is running and shooting but hasn't progressed to contact work in practice. Losing Doncic for the playoffs was a massive blow to the Lakers. During his first full season in Los Angeles, Doncic averaged a league-high 33.5 points, along with 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.6 steals. Having turned only 27 earlier this year, he is set to remain a fantasy stalwart for the foreseeable future.
Source: Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Austin Reaves Nears Double-Double In Game 3 Loss
Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Austin Reaves posted 17 points, nine assists, and three rebounds in Saturday's 131-108 Game 3 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 27-year-old logged 39 minutes but had another uneven shooting night, going 5-for-13 from the field, 1-for-5 from three-point range, and committing five turnovers. Reaves has now scored eight, 31, and 17 points through three games in the series, with Oklahoma City taking a 3-0 lead after outscoring Los Angeles 74-49 in the second half. With Luka Doncic (hamstring) still sidelined, Reaves remains locked into heavy usage, even if the efficiency has been shaky.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
