Latest news with #LukaDoncic
USA Today
3 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Adou Thiero on two NBA players he's trying to learn from
As the Los Angeles Lakers look to restock their roster with more complementary talent nearly five months after the Luka Doncic trade, they're hoping that incoming rookie Adou Thiero will be part of their core for years to come. They acquired his rights on Thursday after he was the No. 36 pick in the draft, and he seems to have the natural tools to become a legitimate rotation player, if not a starter, someday. While he cannot shoot straight from the perimeter, he's very athletic and attacks the basket relentlessly, and he has the ability to disrupt things on the defensive end. If he pans out, the 6-foot-8 forward could be the type of two-way wing the Lakers need more of. He joined Los Angeles-based Spectrum SportsNet for an interview and said he's studying two of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA to model his game after them. 'I watch a lot of defenders, trying to pick up on what they do in the league, that's a different level. It's a lot of different stuff offensive players do in the league, so just trying to pick up off of OG Anunoby, Jrue Holiday, he's a great defender. Just picking up on what they do, watching how they play defense.' Anunoby, who plays for the New York Knicks and helped transform them into contenders when they traded for him midway through last season, is an excellent perimeter defender who also averaged 18.0 points a game this season and is a dependable 3-point shooter. Holiday is one of the best defenders at the point guard position, and he absolutely covers opponents like a straitjacket. He helped the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics win the NBA championship in 2021 and 2024, respectively. The Lakers are hoping for similar results as Thiero gets acclimated to his new surroundings.
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why NBA Free Agents Should Consider Signing Shorter Contracts For Now
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 6: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to ... More the basket around Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Paycom Center on April 6, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) From a financial perspective, there's never been a better time to be an NBA player. Just ask Naz Reid, who plans to re-sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a five-year, $125 million contract, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The free-agent market projects to be bleak for players hoping to change teams this offseason because the Brooklyn Nets are the only team expected to have significant salary-cap space. But the cap itself has skyrocketed over the past decade, bringing player salaries right along with it, as Reid can newly attest. In 2015-16, the salary cap was $70 million flat. The non-taxpayer mid-level exception was roughly $5.5 million, while the taxpayer MLE was not even $3.4 million. The 2025-26 cap is expected to land at roughly $154.6 million, which would put the non-taxpayer MLE at $14.1 million and the taxpayer MLE at $5.7 million. Yes, you read that right. The taxpayer mid-level exception in 2025-26 is expected to be roughly $200,000 higher than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception was a decade ago. That stratospheric growth isn't expected to stop anytime soon, either. Thanks to the NBA's new 11-year, $75 billion national TV contracts and the cap-smoothing proposal that the league office and the players' union agreed to as part of the new collective bargaining agreement, the salary cap will likely rise by the full 10% that it's allowed to increase year-over-year for at least the next few seasons. Although it may be hard for NBA players to turn down nine-figure contract offers, they should think twice before locking in long-term deals this offseason. No matter what contract they sign, the salary cap projects to increase at a faster pace than their new deals will. The Compounding Problem Any NBA player looking to maximize their earning potential over the next half-decade needs to familiarize themselves with the concept of compounding. When a player re-signs with his own team, he's eligible for as much as 8% annual raises. However, that's a fixed rate after the first season. However much his salary increases year-over-year from the first season to the second is exactly how much it will rise in the ensuing years, too. For instance, say a player's new contract begins at $30.0 million and has 8% annual raises. It would jump to $32.4 million in the second year of the deal, but it would not increase by another 8% the following season. Instead, it would again rise by $2.4 million. It's even worse for players who sign with other teams in free agency. Those players are only eligible for four-year deals and have only 5% annual raises at most. Theirs work the same way as the 8% group, namely that the increase between the first and second seasons is equivalent to how much their salary will rise in future years. The NBA salary cap itself has no such issue. Not only is it projected to rise by 10% each year for the foreseeable future, but unlike the annual increase in contracts, those raises compound. As a result, long-term contracts will take up a slightly smaller portion of the cap each year, even if players get the full 8% max annual raise by re-signing with their own teams. If a player signed a five-year, $313.9 million max deal this summer, his salary would start at $54.1 million, increase to nearly $58.5 million in 2026-27 and then rise by another roughly $4.3 million over the remaining years of the deal. But if the cap does go up a full 10% annually over the lifespan of that contract, said deal would go from being 35% of the cap this coming season to only 31.6% in 2029-30. A contract starting at 35% of the salary cap will take up a smaller percentage of the cap each year. Granted, those smaller-than-the-cap-increase raises could ultimately benefit both players and teams. Given the new CBA's harsh team-building restrictions for the league's most expensive rosters, teams must be more cautious than ever while building around players on max contracts, particularly if they have two or more players on 35% max deals. Having those players take up an increasingly smaller portion of the salary cap each year could give teams extra wiggle room under the aprons to build out a championship-caliber supporting cast. Contracts are growing so massive that not every player will care about milking their respective teams for every dollar possible. For instance, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension last summer rather than testing free agency in 2025, when he could have been eligible for a five-year, $269.1 million contract. Knicks wing Mikal Bridges, Brunson's college teammate, could potentially follow suit this offseason. Thus far, Brunson has been the exception to the rule. Jimmy Butler forced his way off the Miami Heat after they refused to give him the two-year, $110-plus million extension that he received upon landing on the Golden State Warriors. Anthony Davis signed a three-year, $175.4 million max extension in August 2023 that runs through the 2027-28 campaign (player option). Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Franz Wagner and Scottie Barnes all received max deals fresh off their rookie-scale contracts last year, too. As Reid just demonstrated, some players might prefer to lock in long-term financial security over fully maximizing their earning potential. After all, one major injury could threaten their ability to secure another nine-figure payday. Look no further than Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins, both of whom were in line for massive contracts within the past decade before a hip injury (Thomas) and Achilles tear (Cousins) derailed their careers. However, players who want to earn the most money possible during their NBA careers should be open to taking shorter-term contracts given the salary-cap outlook over the next few years. In fact, they should try to line up their deals to coincide with when they become eligible for a new earning tier. (Players with 7-9 years of NBA experience can receive up to 30% of the cap as their starting salary, while players with at least 10 years can receive up to 35%.) That approach comes with clear injury risk, but it also features more financial upside. Unless otherwise noted, all stats via PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Follow Bryan on Bluesky.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers Fans Excited After Chris Paul News
Lakers Fans Excited After Chris Paul News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers became a guard-driven team after flipping Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic in February, and it could stay that way for years to come. The latter star averaged a team-high 28.2 points per game in the regular season and 30.2 in the playoffs, while fellow guard Austin Reaves was third with 16.2 points in the postseason. Advertisement Meanwhile, future Hall of Famer Chris Paul was at home during the playoffs for the second straight season. The 40-year-old has made the postseason 15 times, but missed out with the Golden State Warriors in 2024 and the San Antonio Spurs this year. However, a new report suggests that Paul could attempt one more run at his first championship out west, via NBA insider Marc Stein. San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3)© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images 'Chris Paul would be another [Dallas] Mavericks target at $5.7 million, but there is a growing belief that Paul — after starting all 82 games last season in San Antonio as a 39-year-old newcomer to the Spurs — is determined to play closer to his home base in Los Angeles if he indeed comes back for a 21st season,' he wrote on Friday. Advertisement The Wake Forest alum is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Lakers fans on social media want to see him play for their team. "Luka, Reaves, DFS, Bron, Clax, CP3, NAW, Wiggins, Capela, Omggggggggggg," one said. "CP3 finally end up in LA? I think he will help more than hurt, so why not?" another asked. "Takes some more ball handling pressure from Bron and Luka. Especially if it's on a cheap deal." "Lakers Backup PG bye Gabe," another said. "I will love to see him playing alongside LeBron. That will be nice to watch," another said. "We bouta finally see Lebron & CP3 play together," another said. Advertisement Related: Lakers Turn Heads With Move Immediately After NBA Draft Related: NBA Fans React to Lakers-Timberwolves Trade This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Perfect Lakers Trade Scenario To Land Young Player And Two FRPs For Austin Reaves After $246M Max Deal Rumors
Perfect Lakers Trade Scenario To Land Young Player And Two FRPs For Austin Reaves After $246M Max Deal Rumors originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Los Angeles Lakers' offseason continues with more troublesome news as their star, Austin Reaves, has declined the four-year, max extension offered to him. While this was expected, considering he is worth a lot more in the market, this decision puts the Lakers in a very complicated position. Advertisement Reaves' contract is undervalued, currently set to earn under $14 million next season. When factoring last season's averages of 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game, all while shooting 46.0% from the field, he is a bona fide star. The 27-year-old's decision to decline the max extension sets him up to be a free agent in the summer. Reaves expressed his desire to remain with the Purple and Gold. This will allow the team to sign him on a new contract in the 2026 offseason. The Lakers can potentially offer him a five-year deal worth $246 million. This has major implications for the team, particularly due to Luka Doncic's pending contract extension and LeBron James' future outlook with the team. James is currently expected to opt in to the final year of his contract, rendering him a free agent next summer. If the Lakers' superstar comes off the books, re-signing Reaves at this value doesn't become as much of a challenge, especially with the additional spending power that the team will have thanks to their new owners. Advertisement In the unfortunate situation that the Lakers cannot do so, we take a look at a potential trade the Purple and Gold can try to swing to get the most out of his contract. Potential Trade Details Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Devin Vassell, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick San Antonio Spurs Receive: Austin Reaves This trade is beneficial for both teams involved. For the Lakers, this deal sees the arrival of a talented young player in Devin Vassell, along with two essential first-round picks. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs continue to build upon their extensive backcourt rotation by adding another star-caliber player. Advertisement The addition of Devin Vassell could bring major changes to the Lakers' overall starting rotation. The 24-year-old had seen a relative decline in productivity after falling out of the Spurs' main rotation and receiving fewer minutes. Regardless, he recorded an average of 16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. He was impressive on the offensive front as well, shooting 44.3% from the field while knocking down 36.8% of his shots from beyond the arc. Vassell's creativity as an offensive player may not be on par with Reaves, but his ability to finish on plays may make him a better outlet option in this case. At 24 years old, he is also three years younger than the Lakers star, and with four years left on his contract, the Lakers will have some flexibility with managing their cap space after acquiring him. Meanwhile, the Lakers will also add two draft picks to their depleted reserves. Given the number of picks the Purple and Gold have used in trades, it would be a fortunate sight to see the team get some back in return. Although these only become relevant two years from now, the possession of draft capital is always a positive sight. Advertisement For the Spurs, acquiring Reaves could effectively transform the team from a playoff contender into a title contender. San Antonio features some incredibly talented players in the backcourt. From De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle to their rookie Dylan Harper, the Spurs are stacked in the guard position. While the addition of Reaves could theoretically pose problems for the development of players like Castle and Harper, it could also be invaluable to have him aid their development. The competition for the starting spot could see the two grow at a much faster rate, a positive sight for a young team. Reaves' versatility on offense would pair well with Fox, who often operates in the midrange. While the Lakers' star is also known to do the same, he has shown himself to be a capable three-point shooter even while playing off-ball. Reaves' ability to distribute and function in the pick-and-roll also makes him a solid partner for Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. The one-two punch of Reaves and Wembanyama could have opposing defenses confused due to Reaves' ability to create shots for himself and the big man's ability to shoot the long ball. Advertisement San Antonio's roster since drafting Harper has looked interesting. With title aspirations in the future, adding Reaves would become a part of the overall picture, lending to the need of fortifying their frontcourt. While this trade wouldn't necessarily help the Lakers become title contenders, the Spurs could very well become a genuine threat as favorites in the West. Related: The Lakers' Dream Starting Five For The 2025-26 Season This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Associated Press
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Cooper Flagg looks comfortable in new home as No. 1 pick gets introduced in Dallas
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg didn't wait for Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison to break the silence with an opening statement as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft was introduced to a packed Dallas news conference. 'Hello,' Flagg said about the time the clock struck noon Friday. The 18-year-old former Duke star only grew more comfortable from there, two days after walking across the stage in Brooklyn to be greeted by Commissioner Adam Silver. Flagg was deferential to the history of European stars Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic — the latter being the generational talent traded in February, before the Mavs magically landed the potential of their next face of the franchise despite just a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery. The Associated Press men's college player of the year quickly declared his love for Mexican food and barbecue — the same question all the Texas newcomers get — and easily rattled off Mount Rushmores for the NBA, and the WNBA. For those wondering, Flagg's NBA picks were Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and he appropriately skipped the last names of the last two. The WNBA choices were Candace Parker, Brittney Griner, A'ja Wilson and, after a brief pause to think, Caitlin Clark, 'because she's changed the game so much.' Of course, Flagg is about to join quite a collection of names in Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson, all three with NBA titles on their resumes. Although fellow Duke alum Irving won't join Flagg on the court until possibly January as the nine-time All-Star recovers from a torn ACL, the Mavs are expecting a return to the playoffs after falling short in 2025, a year after Irving and Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals, where the Mavs lost to Boston in five games. Throw in third-year player Dereck Lively II — another ex-Duke player, and one who visited Flagg going into his only season with the Blue Devils last fall — and there are plenty of reasons to believe Flagg gets a softer landing than many top picks who end up in rebuilding situations. 'He's very lucky to have veterans, future Hall of Famers,' said coach Jason Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard who was the second overall choice by the Mavericks 31 years ago. 'When you talk about Kai and Klay and then AD, just understanding the vets are going to protect him and help him, and they're going to push him.' Flagg flew to Dallas with Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont and both of their families. Among those at the team's practice facility near American Airlines Center was Mark Cuban, the high-profile former owner who sold a majority stake a year and a half ago to the Las Vegas-based Adelson and Dumont families and is now alternate governor. So was Mark Aguirre, the other No. 1 overall pick by Dallas in 1981. The 65-year-old was just a few seats from Shawn Marion, who played with Nowitzki on the franchise's only championship team in 2011. That row also included Rolando Blackman, a former player who represented the Mavs when they won the draft lottery. It was the first time in franchise history that Dallas had moved up in the lottery. Nearly the entire history of the 45-year-old franchise was represented when Flagg was asked about following Nowitzki, who has a statue outside the arena, and Doncic, whose departure was a heartbreaker for countless Mavs fans who no doubt got a boost with the arrival of the third one-and-done Duke player on the Dallas roster. 'I'm coming in just trying to learn and trying to get better every single day,' Flagg said. 'And I think if I can do that to the best of my ability, I think expectations and pressures that other people will put on me and our team, that will kind of work itself out. So I'm just trying come in and be the best that I can be and just win at the highest level.' The 6-foot-9 Flagg's position is one of the more intriguing questions on the court, and the Mavs will have a void at point guard until Irving returns. 'I want to put him at the point guard,' said Kidd, who sat to Flagg's left on a stage, with Harrison on his right. 'I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts.' There wasn't anything that made Flagg look uncomfortable on his first day in Dallas as a Mav. ___ AP NBA:
