FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Going into the draft, many felt Doncic was the best prospect as he had been dominating overseas, but he would fall to the third pick and be traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Young. Since that time, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar would prove many right as he immediately turned into one of the best players in the NBA.

One of the things that seems to drive Doncic is his trash-talking as he seems to take things to another level when jawing with opposing players or fans in the stands. His constant chirping has rubbed some the wrong way, but the Lakers star made it clear he is a very different person off the court than he is between those lines.

“Yeah, I would say I’m quiet off the court. It’s a little different. Basketball is what I do. It gets me hyped, it makes me happy. There’s an obvious change between me on the court and off it.”

The social media sensation of the sports weekend.

LOL. Scal putting down Geoge 11-zip.
Don’t disrespect the NBA.

Spent a year in NYC at NYU and saw some brutal street basketball at W. 4th Street way back in time. Played there in scrub games but pure street ball. Score on some guys and payback is you on your back. Better games at the W. Village Y.

Ideally, the Lakers would likely have to give up a young star like Dalton Knecht or even Austin Reaves to land Walker Kessler but he would be the ideal center of the future for the Lakers. Kessler and Hayes plus a stretch five would be the Lakers perfect center rotation.

Lakers could ditch Austin Reaves in free agency for Jazz's $13.3 million star center https://t.co/K1slAhgM7D— LakerTom (@LakerTom) March 17, 2025

FROM THE ABOVE ARTICLE:

Los Angeles Lakers
Cap level: Near the first apron

Key free agents: LeBron James (PO), Dorian Finney-Smith (PO), Jaxson Hayes
Primary trade bait: Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Jared Vanderbilt, Shake Milton

Potential targets: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Daniel Gafford, Walker Kessler

The Lakers already landed a dream target in Luka Dončić, but the franchise is greedy. If Antetokounmpo demands out, a combination of salaries, talent and picks could get him to Los Angeles. It’s a stretch, but it’d be remiss to leave him out if this is a team’s wish list.

Otherwise, LA is less likely to send out key players like Reaves, Hachimura, etc. Instead, look for the franchise to target a center with Knecht as bait—similar to the failed Mark Williams deal with the Charlotte Hornets (the Lakers didn’t clear Williams’ physical).

🪄 pic.twitter.com/o2XEBumf5X— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) March 16, 2025

AUSTIN REAVES TONIGHT 🌟 39 minutes 🌟 28 points 🌟 6 assists 🌟 4 rebounds 🌟 +14 +/-COLDEST WHITE BOY IN THE NBA 🥶 pic.twitter.com/oWMDbZycX2— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) March 16, 2025

Jaxson Hayes back from injury and he picked up right where he left off- 19pts, 6reb, 3ast, 1stl & blk in a Lakers victory🔥Listen to his walk-off interview with Lakers’ PxP John Ireland & Lakers legend Mychal Thompson! #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/3CIZ9tdr1a— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) March 16, 2025

Jaxson Hayes went from just another backup center to start the season to the Lakers X-FACTOR 💯SHOW OUR CENTER SOME LOVE 💛💜 pic.twitter.com/0fWNszHLpI— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) March 17, 2025

JAXSON HAYES TONIGHT 🔨 29 minutes 🔨 19 points 🔨 6 rebounds 🔨 8/10 FG🔨 +7 +/-WELCOME BACK JAX 😃 pic.twitter.com/ZjZRJgBLdd— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) March 16, 2025

LUKA DONCIC TODAY:33 PTS – 11 REB – 8 ASTAUSTIN REAVES TODAY:28 PTS – 6 AST – 4 REBTHIS DUO. 🍿🍿 (via @realapp_) pic.twitter.com/DgPDpY5BBL— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 16, 2025

JJ Redick has the Lakers SMOTHERING Kevin Durant when he has the ball on offenseLuka, Vando & Gabe Vincent are not letting him breathe making it really hard on himJarred Vanderbilt is trying his best to annoy him and so far its working as Lakers are up big on the Suns early pic.twitter.com/PYfuEXdvg3— LakeShow Highlights (@LSH_lakeshow) March 16, 2025

The Lakers stop the bleeding, beat the Suns 107-96 to improve to 41-25. Luka 33p 11r 8a 2s; Reaves 28p 6a 4r; Hayes 19p on 8-of-10 6r 3a; Finney-Smith 10p 7r 3a. LAL hosts PHX on Monday for Game No. 4 of their six games in eight days stretch.— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 16, 2025

The backcourt couldn't be stopped today! pic.twitter.com/YxRD159g0L— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 16, 2025

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

This trip was supposed to be a measuring stick for the Lakers, with matchups against three of the league’s elite teams in mid-March. Instead, it became a trip they’d rather forget.

“We went 0-4, so it’s a pretty bad trip,” Austin Reaves said. “But s—, JJ said a week ago, ‘Everybody’s, like, Lakers in five.’ We just don’t listen to any of it. We know when we’re fully healthy and got everybody on the team that we have a really good chance to beat anybody. I just see this group coming together, locking in on one common goal, and that’s to win.

“I think (Friday was) the biggest testament to that. Very shorthanded and went and played a really good basketball team with, probably, the best player in the world and went toe-to-toe and had an opportunity to win it and just didn’t execute the last 50 seconds. I guess that’s what you take positive.”

Before the loss to the Bucks, the Lakers sent James, Hachimura, Hayes and Maxi Kleber back to Los Angeles to rest and recover. Redick called James, Hachimura and Hayes “day-to-day,” though he also noted that they could return within the next three days to a week, “if not a little bit longer than that for one guy.” That player appears to be James, though Redick did not specify.

Three days from Friday would knock out the trio from Sunday’s game against Phoenix and potentially Monday’s game against San Antonio — two games that are suddenly must-wins for the Lakers if they want to avoid No. 6 Golden State and No. 7 Minnesota nipping at their heels.

One of the silver linings of Friday’s performance was the opportunity it gave to several players, including Reaves (37 points, eight rebounds, 13 assists and four steals) and Dalton Knecht (32 points, his second-highest total of the season). Those two carried the offense, but they also had help from Shake Milton (16 points), Jarred Vanderbilt (nine points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals), Jordan Goodwin (10 points and six rebounds) and Christian Koloko (eight points and seven rebounds). Bronny James played a season-high 16 minutes and looked confident and comfortable with the group.

“I think if you’re looking to make a long playoff run, that’s like another third of the season, and (with) the intensity of playoff games, every possession is significant,” Redick said pregame. “You may have guys banged up in the playoffs and someone who may not be in a playoff rotation may need to come in and help you win a basketball game. That’s nights like (Friday). I did it, you know, my first three years. You’re not in the rotation every night, but when your number’s called, you gotta play well. You gotta play hard and, hopefully, you earn some trust.”

After the game, Redick confirmed that multiple players earned increased trust with the coaching staff.

“It certainly is a reference point,” he said of Friday. “Again, the trust is maintained and sustained when it’s consistent. I thought a lot of guys played at a really high level of energy and fight. When they are able to do that consistently, that trust is going to be there long-term.”

At the same time, there are no moral victories for the Lakers this late in the season. They have proven the post-January group can compete with just about anyone and belongs in the contention conversation once you get past Boston, Oklahoma City and Cleveland. Their standards are higher; they expect to beat the Nets, Bucks and Nuggets without James — or anyone else — no matter how delusional it seems from the outside looking in.

The Lakers return to Los Angeles for a five-game homestand, though it’s not as pleasant as it sounds considering they play two sets of back-to-backs — the first of which starts at 12:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, roughly 36 hours after they get back from their nine-day road trip. The Lakers host the Suns and Spurs in a back-to-back, then the Nuggets and Bucks in a back-to-back, before closing out the homestand with a game against the Chicago Bulls. Then, it’s back on the road for a four-game trip to Orlando, Indiana, Chicago and Memphis.

James’ absence looms large, especially with the Nuggets and Bucks on the slate again. The Lakers have the sixth-hardest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon, and every game James misses is one they can theoretically lose. Potentially getting Hachimura and Hayes back should help bolster their depleted frontcourt, adding size, length and athleticism. The Lakers have sorely missed both.

In the meanwhile, the Lakers are just trying to remain above water in the perilous West. Redick rejected the premise of aiming for home-court advantage and said the goal is to simply advance to the postseason.

“We gotta figure out a way to get in the playoffs, and that’s my focus,” Redick said. “We need to get some more wins to be in the playoffs.”