Lakers

Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, De'Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes combined for 91 points, Domantas Sabonis logged a triple-double and the Sacramento Kings ...

Sacramento outscored the visitors 51-33 from beyond the arc. Sabonis, the league leader in double-doubles, recorded just his second triple-double with 13 points and game-highs in rebounds with 21 and assists with 12. Murray (six), Huerter (three) and Barnes (three) combined for 12 3-pointers, one more than the entire Lakers team. Sacramento put up 41 points in the second quarter to take a 66-58 lead into the break, then left the visitors behind for good with a 40-point uprising in the third period, building a 106-86 lead. Huerter led the way with 26 points, followed by Murray with 23, Fox with 22 and Barnes with 20, helping the Kings beat the Lakers for the second straight time this season. Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes combined for 91 points, Domantas Sabonis logged a triple-double and the Sacramento Kings pulled away from the visiting Los Angeles Lakers in the middle two periods for a 134-120 victory Wednesday night.

The Lakers front office appears to have tweaked its window for making a deal...again.

Buha notes that every Laker not named LeBron James or Anthony Davis (and really, the injury-prone Davis only has two years left on his deal and should be considered movable) is seen as tradable by L.A. fans eager to see the team make changes and shore up its depth around James and Davis. will be looking to possibly make a deal to improve its roster later this month through till the middle of January.

LeBron James finished with 31 points and 11 assists, but it wasn't enough as the Lakers fell to the Kings 134-120 on Wednesday in Sacramento.

We’re still trying to see which course of action we should take, and you’ll know more in the coming days.” Without him, they’ve been blown out twice by playoff-bound teams in the Phoenix Suns and the Kings, giving up more than 130 points to each. That’s the biggest thing for us, just to get out in front of it.” Davis’ status, other than “out,” is still a mystery — at least as far as what the Lakers are saying publicly about his foot injury. “LeBron’s going to be LeBron, going to be there for us. Thomas Bryant, the Lakers’ replacement for Davis in the starting lineup, missed a layup and didn’t get back on defense, the Kings swinging the ball for an open three. “We’ll see,” Ham said. Wenyen Gabriel, the Lakers’ energy off the bench, exited in a blink with foul trouble. Ham said the point guard could be back Friday against Charlotte. He couldn’t solve all the problems that developed during the Lakers’ 18th loss of the season. Whenever he’s available, he’s going to be out there, trying to play winning basketball. “These guys got to be ready to step up and make plays, you know?

Spoiler alert: your Los Angeles Lakers without Anthony Davis just might not be very good. Tonight, with AD sidelined (that's going to be a common phrase for ...

Conversely, the victory lifts the Kings to a 17-13 record on the season. on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor (2-of-4 from deep). With the loss, Los Angeles falls to a miserable 13-18 record.

With Anthony Davis now out for a month, what should Lakers fans expect on the trade market and the court?

James could’ve initiated an action on the other side of the floor, and Davis arguably could’ve fought for better positioning after the reversal. [that have been attached to the Lakers](https://theathletic.com/4006849/2022/12/16/lakers-trade-rumors-westbrook-beverley/), some others to watch that are expected to be available are [Jae Crowder](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jae-crowder-0vLcUgtCxJK833Re/), [Eric Gordon](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/eric-gordon-Lj7fp7oMTPR6Thay/), [Alec Burks](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/alec-burks-fHiSXJkf0XG5iBPL/), [Terry Rozier](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/terry-rozier-iqNoOrWx6gc3T3mV/), [P.J. Their 120.2 defensive rating is worse than the Spurs’ 30th-ranked defense (117.8 defensive rating). Their scouting success in the later rounds continues to be one of their most valuable roster-building weapons. They are both barely over 6 feet and are at their best pressuring a ballhandler – but the Lakers only need one of those types unless a team has two point-guard-sized players on the floor (unlike the Lakers, most teams don’t start games that way). The Lakers have a 107.1 offensive rating with the pair on the floor, per NBA.com, which is worse than the Hornets’ 30th-ranked offense (107.9 offensive rating). On the season, Davis is on pace to become the first [Laker to average at least 25 points and 10 rebounds since Shaquille O’Neal last did so in the 2002-03 season](https://stathead.com/basketball/player-season-finder.cgi?request=1&match=player_season_count&order_by_asc=0&order_by=year_id&comp_type=reg&team_id=LAL&comp_id=NBA&display_type=totals&ccomp%5B1%5D=gt&cval%5B1%5D=25.0&cstat%5B1%5D=pts_per_g&ccomp%5B2%5D=gt&cval%5B2%5D=10.0&cstat%5B2%5D=trb_per_g&season_start=1&season_end=-1&locationMatch=is&as_selections_comp=gt). [Patrick Beverley](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/patrick-beverley-un2M7ixIUPcicY97/), [Kendrick Nunn](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kendrick-nunn-rjceJWYw6Ch2xsmM/) and either the 2027 or 2029 first-round pick (likely protected) for a 3-and-D wing or combo forward that fits well next Davis and James, those sources said. Among 369 players to appear in at least 50 games in the last two seasons, he is sixth in minutes per game. One of the Lakers’ biggest challenges is not relying too heavily on James, as they’ve often had to when Davis missed time with an injury in the past. As The Athletic’s Sam Amick [reported last week](https://theathletic.com/4004360/2022/12/15/lakers-russell-westbrook-celtics-clippers/), [Russell Westbrook](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook-6Eb0XPY16UzzJWbc/) is likely to stay with the Lakers past the trade deadline, unless the team can find a deal ahead of the Feb. [which will keep him out for a minimum of a month, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania](https://theathletic.com/4010428/2022/12/16/lakers-anthony-davis-foot-injury-nuggets/) – has cast a cloud over their season.

He adds that the only exception would be if the team can acquire a young star that it believes can succeed alongside Davis over the next few years. Even before ...

Washington](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/washipj01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr) and [Kelly Oubre Jr.](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/oubreke01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr) and the Spurs‘ [Josh Richardson](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/richajo01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr) and [Jakob Poeltl](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/poeltja01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr) as players to watch. [Retweet](http://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoopsrumors.com%2F2022%2F12%2Flakers-notes-davis-trade-market-lebron-bryant-christie.html&text=Lakers+Notes%3A+Davis%2C+Trade+Market%2C+LeBron%2C+Bryant%2C...)3 [Share](#)0 [Send via email](#)0 The 25-year-old center joined the Lakers during the offseason on a veteran’s minimum contract and will be a free agent again next summer. The second-round pick provides a much-needed 3-and-D option for coach Darvin Ham, and he’s one of the best rebounders among the team’s guards. Buha notes that James, who will turn 38 next week, ranks sixth in minutes per game among players with at least 50 total games over the past two seasons. [Dennis Schroder](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/schrode01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr)hasn’t performed well, and Buha wonders why Ham keeps playing them together. Buha states that Bryant was considered “almost unplayable” before Davis got hurt, but he’s averaging 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last three games while shooting 61.1% from the field and 55.6% from three-point range. He suggests that the most likely current scenario is a deal that would include some combination of He adds that the only exception would be if the team can acquire a young star that it believes can succeed alongside Davis over the next few years. He’s averaged 39.2 minutes over the past five games, and the Lakers need to be careful that they don’t rely too heavily on him. [Jae Crowder](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/crowdja01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr), the Rockets‘ [Eric Gordon](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gordoer01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr), the Pistons‘ [Alec Burks](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/burksal01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr), the Hornets‘ [Terry Rozier](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/roziete01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr), [P.J. [Patrick Beverley](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/beverpa01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr), [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nunnke01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2022-12-21_bbr) and a protected first-rounder in either 2027 or 2029 in exchange for a 3-and-D wing or a combo forward.

For LeBron, this season was always going to be largely defined by his pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record -- a mark, at this rate, he should surpass ...

To win games, single-handedly at times, night after night after night in the middle of the regular season, the way A.D. To be so special that it infuses the ordinary around him to play beyond themselves? there to help keep the team afloat, to do the heavy lifting, to save his co-star from extending too much of himself too soon, was always the preference. And now, for the 30 days or so that he's expected to miss, a Lakers team in chaos must again turn to an aging King. [Russell Westbrook](/nba/players/1622555/russell-westbrook/) the reborn sixth man, and LeBron in that secondary role that time was always going to make inevitable. That has become harder as the years have added up for him, and the margin for error will be very, very thin now. LeBron has to make sure the Lakers don't fall too far behind so that Davis, if you trust him to stay healthy and stay extraordinary, can take over that role once he's back. None of this is to suggest that LeBron planned to idly drift into the history books while giving up on this, his 20th season in the league. The He could not give way to another star, or the idea of taking a back seat to would-be stars, and the Lakers were mired in back-to-back seasons of misery. And there is precedent for an all-time great like LeBron taking a back seat on a team they could still internally dominate in order to win. For LeBron, this season was always going to be largely defined by his pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record -- a mark, at this rate, he should surpass around mid-February.

Russell Westbrook has been better than last year but we can't mistake "better" with "good."

The Lakers could hope to get away with this with James and Davis playing at their optimal levels, but that won’t be the case for at least a month and probably longer. If saving this season is even remotely on the table, they do not have the luxury of time. And look, if Davis is indeed out for a longer stretch than this initial month (as honestly seems to be the case based on how everyone involved has handled the information), then there probably is no point in trying to save this season. If Westbrook, Nunn and Beverley are traded for someone whose contract extends beyond this season or who the Lakers are confident they can re-sign, then organizationally, they can achieve some forward momentum. With Anthony Davis out for the foreseeable future, if Rob Pelinka wants to save this season, he still needs to move Westbrook, and soon. Davis and LeBron James, at their best, widen margins for error on either side of the ball.

It is currently danger time for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they're expected to be without Anthony Davis for at least a month and are still under .500 on the ...

The Lakers defense had few answers for an explosive Kings offense on Wednesday night, falling to Sacramento 134-120 for their second straight double-digit ...

LeBron James did his part, but the Los Angeles Lakers weren't good enough as a team Wednesday to avoid a 134-120 loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Los Angeles fell to 13-18 with the latest loss, putting them 13th out of 15 Western Conference teams. Domantas Sabonis had 13, points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists with the Lakers unable to compete inside. The defense was especially an issue with Davis out with a foot injury.

Emmy Award winner Michael Chiklis ("The Shield") recently posted a picture to his Twitter account documenting some behind-the-scenes production happenings ...

season, the ailing health of his mother Jessie (Sally Field), and the aspirations of his ambitious daughter Jeanie (Hadley Robinson). He and reigning All-Star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) joined forces to lead the Lakers to the 1980 NBA title in a six-game defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers. Auerbach is a more peripheral figure in the show's 10-episode first season.

The Lakers would head into Sacramento with injuries to Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Austin Reaves, putting a hell of a workload on the shoulders of ...

Sacramento will now get a couple of days to rest and prepare for their upcoming bout against Bradley Beal and the Huerter would finish the game with a team-high 26 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Reliable for the Kings as of late, as he would finish the night with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Starting the second half, the Kings once again showed a bit of a slow start. De’Aaron Fox put together another solid night to add to his potential All-Star year, finishing the game with 22 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Their shots weren’t falling and everything started to look like a “here we go again” type of feel.

The Chicago Bulls were stampeding through the NBA last season, as they held the best record in the Eastern Conference at midseason before a slew of injuries ...

The Times contacted rival executives to get a sense of whether they thought Anthony Davis' injury would make the Lakers more aggressive on the trade market.

But two, in a few weeks, the Lakers could be struggling without their star big man — making a deal simultaneously more urgent and less necessary (because, maybe, the hole will be too deep). On the other, Davis is out — again — and the team’s clear needs that have pushed them to the perimeter of the playoff picture make team execs wonder whether or not the present is worth sacrificing the future for. He’s also a former lottery pick, the kind of reclamation project the Lakers have had some success with this year with a player like Lonnie Walker IV. On one hand, the Lakers are on the perimeter of the playoff picture and they have clear needs, especially with Davis out. Reddish isn’t currently in the Knicks rotation so the asking price is expected to eventually dip. And no song captures that feeling better than this wonderfully strange debut between my favorite French dance-rock group and the guy from “Scrooged.” Before this season started, The Times spoke with multiple NBA scouts and executives about the Lakers and their best plan of attack. And Anthony Davis’ recent foot injury, which is being handled with so much vague language that it’s tough to get anyone to confirm that he still has both a right and a left foot, muddies the waters for the team’s future even more. That, plus the early-season timing of any talks, has kept the asking price really high. Another rival said that if negotiated properly, he felt the Davis injury could actually help the Lakers’ position in trade talks. I’m Dan Woike, and I apologize for the brief hiatus as I wrapped up a big Darvin Ham profile. Hey everyone and welcome back the Lakers newsletter.

Some officials within the Los Angeles Lakers are "very intrigued" by New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish, according to.

Reddish was a top-10 pick in 2019 for a reason. But identifying a solution that makes the Lakers meaningfully better is easier said than done. Sooner or later, the front office will have to settle for whatever's on the table because getting a second-round pick is better than nothing.

Anthony Davis has been unavailable to play for your Los Angeles Lakers with a loosely defined "right foot injury" since the second half of L.A.'s most ...

At the time Ham spoke on the issue yesterday, Davis had been through five days' worth of tests, without a definitive answer as to what was ailing. In the intervening few days, the team has gone 1-2 in its games without Davis, despite the solid play of backup big man Thomas Bryant in AD's absence. We know he's going to miss at least the next month's worth of games.

'Where am I going?': Why alarm bells are ringing loudly as Lakers face glaring LeBron truth.

Now we’re going to ruin the end of the 2020s? We’re not going to win the title with the team we have. “The moment he (James) gets hurt, your season is over. That in itself is enough of a blow. “And where am I going anyway? “If I was a consultant of the Lakers, I would be like: ‘The New Orleans pick is a sub cost. Because with feet especially, it always seems like it’s six weeks, eight weeks, for bigs (especially),” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. “I just think you have to be really careful with these big, a little bit injury-prone guys. The Pelicans pick is gone, we’re not getting it back. “It’s going to be like a month? And that’s not factoring in the unknown of what version of Davis returns – whenever that is – and how long it takes him to ramp up. The Lakers are now precariously placed – sitting 13th in the West with a 13-18 record – three and a half games behind the eight seed with a third of the season gone.

NBA trade history shows that trades don't happen until January on the early side. Most happen within the final week of the trade deadline. There are exceptions, ...

[Russell Westbrook](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/lakers-news-nba-pundit-predicts-russell-westbrook-wins-major-award-this-season) has been playing better, but packaging him up with some first round picks might be the best option rather than waiting for him to walk for nothing at the end of the season. Alongside the injury issues, [LeBron James](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/lebron-james-tristan-thompson-ty-lue-and-more-celebrate-rich-pauls-birthday-in-west-hollywood-ak1987) only continues to get older and is still playing out of his mind. Options continue to remain open but insiders suggest the team is looking to wait longer (via

The two-time All Star might want out of Chicago.

LaVine (who is 27) is younger than Davis, so that is an advantage but at full health, Davis (29) is a much, much better player.” “The problem on LaVine is from the Lakers’ side, there is nothing they could trade to Chicago short of Anthony Davis,” the executive said. Which they seem to be doing.”

Lakers' targets to 'watch' and 'likely' trade plan; next NBA star who may want out: Rumour Mill.

Young is in the first of a five-year, $207 million rookie maximum extension with the Hawks that he signed last August. The coach later told reporters that Young did not play due to a “miscommunication.” But so far it has only added up to a .500 record with trade rumours now swirling. The Hawks have struggled with chemistry since reaching the Eastern Conference finals two years ago. The Hawks have lost six of their last 10 games. Young led the Hawks with 34 points, adding six rebounds and six assists. [a report from ](https://theathletic.com/4021985/2022/12/20/chicago-bulls-zach-lavine-demar-derozan/) [The Athletic](https://theathletic.com/4021985/2022/12/20/chicago-bulls-zach-lavine-demar-derozan/)earlier this week that claimed DeRozan and Chicago’s other big name, Zach LaVine, are dealing with a disconnect on the court. [according to ](https://www.latimes.com/sports/newsletter/2022-12-22/big-question-lakers?utm_id=80682&sfmc_id=1400882) [The L.A. Elsewhere, one of the more interesting teams to follow ahead of the deadline is the Chicago Bulls. As it stands both teams have underachieved and while they are still in the playoff picture, they also need to be mindful of capitalising on trade assets that may not be always be this valuable. Buha reported that the “most likely trade outcome” for the Lakers is “some form of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and either the 2027 or 2029 first-round pick (likely protected) for a 3-and-D wing or combo forward that fits well next Davis and James” according to sources. [writing that the Davis injury has “increased” the chances the Lakers are more likely to make a “smaller trade”](https://theathletic.com/4020263/2022/12/21/lakers-trade-rumors-anthony-davis-injury/?source=nbatw) which would involve giving up a first-round pick “at most”.

Given that your Los Angeles Lakers are frequently featured on the NBA's marquee Christmas day scheduling, it may come as no surprise that a certain Laker ...

A terrific two-way perimeter force in his prime, Bryant was a 15-time All-NBA selection and a 12-time All-Defensive Teamer. He scored 33,643 career regular season points, good for fourth-most ever, only behind three other Hall of Fame luminaries who spent at least part of their careers in the purple and gold (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Karl Malone). Bryant's Lakers appeared in 18 Christmas day games over the course of his 20-season career, and he was healthy for 16 of the contests.