Latest news with #AnthonyDavis
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18 hours ago
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Brian Windhorst Reveals Only Way Lakers Can Win with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves
Brian Windhorst Reveals Only Way Lakers Can Win with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers fell far short of their championship aspirations than many likely expected in this spring's West playoffs. Advertisement L.A. flipped a package centered around a first round pick, 10-time All-Star big man Anthony Davis, and wing Max Christie, to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic and big men Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in a franchise-altering midseason blockbuster. But without Davis — and after scuttling a subsequent attempted trade for 23-year-old Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams, when Williams failed his team physical — the Lakers were without critical rim protection heading into the playoffs. Los Angeles Lakers guards Luka Doncic (77) and Austin Reaves (15).Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Lakers were briskly manhandled by the bigger, longer Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, with Jaxson Hayes (now a free agent, and seemingly unlikely to return to town) installed as the team's starting five to kick off that series. Advertisement Los Angeles' defense was patchy elsewhere. The team's three best players — Doncic, 21-time All-Star forward LeBron James, and guard Austin Reaves — are all great ball handlers and scorers but limited defenders, leading to a porous perimeter presence on that end. While appearing on a Thursday morning installment of ESPN's "Get Up" to discuss the Lakers' $10 billion team sale, longtime LeBron James insider Brian Windhorst explained how Los Angeles can survive if it opts to keep Doncic, 26, and Reaves, 27, together for the long-term. "If they're going to be committed to playing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves together, in other words they're going to keep those guys on the perimeter, they're just going to need more interior defense — because those guys are susceptible on the outside," Windhorst suggested. "So they need somebody who can defend, it doesn't have to be a blockbuster trade, but they need somebody who can defend at the rim with the players that they have." Advertisement The Lakers may not be able to find another Anthony Davis without, say, trading LeBron James, but the team could still grab an athletic rim protector like Onyeka Okongwu or Mitchell Robinson with the right trade chips. Related: Lakers Predicted to Make Major Offseason Roster Upgrade After $10 Billion Sale: Report This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
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19 hours ago
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Cooper Flagg Reveals Basketball Moment That Left Him 'Shell-Shocked' Ahead of NBA Draft
Cooper Flagg Reveals Basketball Moment That Left Him 'Shell-Shocked' Ahead of NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There's little doubt about who will be the first player to hear his name called next week in Brooklyn at the NBA draft. Advertisement All signs continue to point toward Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg as the consensus No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks. That selection would pair him with future Hall of Famers like Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and fellow Duke alum Kyrie Irving. But this won't be the first time Flagg shares the court with NBA legends. At just 17 years old—before even beginning his freshman season at Duke—he was selected to the USA Select Team, where he practiced with the Olympic Team USA squad ahead of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Flagg matched up against stars like his soon-to-be teammate Anthony Davis, as well as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, and others—and he held his own. In a recent interview with "Sports Illustrated," after being announced as the magazine's latest cover athlete, Flagg admitted that while he eventually settled in by the second day, he was initially 'shell-shocked' throughout the first day. Advertisement "I was shell-shocked," Flagg said. Now, just days away from being named the face of an NBA franchise, Cooper Flagg is poised to become one of the biggest draws in the sport—all at just 18 years old. That's a massive spotlight, but one he appears more than ready for. As a freshman, Flagg dominated the college basketball landscape and never shied away from the moment. He led Duke to both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles, and helped guide the Blue Devils to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. Cooper Flagg talks to the media at the NBA Draft CombineDavid Banks-Imagn Image He topped the roster in nearly every major statistical category, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. His standout season earned him numerous accolades, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Men's College Player of the Year, and both ACC Player and Rookie of the Year honors. Advertisement Related: Cooper Flagg Makes Big Decision with Mavericks Ahead of NBA Draft This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
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19 hours ago
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Intriguing Details Emerge from Cooper Flagg's Private Workout with Mavericks
Intriguing Details Emerge from Cooper Flagg's Private Workout with Mavericks originally appeared on Athlon Sports. While there's little to no doubt that Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg will be selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Mavericks next week in Brooklyn at the NBA Draft, the projected top pick still traveled to Dallas this week for a private meeting and workout with the organization. Advertisement Though everything appeared to go according to plan, some intriguing details have since emerged from the workout—as Flagg prepares to become the new face of the franchise, just months after the Mavericks made the stunning decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers midseason. According to Mavericks reporter Noah Weber, Flagg was reportedly 'unreal' during Wednesday's workout. One league source told Weber that Flagg shot the ball 'insanely well' and added, 'He was even better than I expected him to be.' If everything continues to fall into place and Cooper Flagg is selected by the Dallas Mavericks, he would be joining a star-studded roster featuring three potential future Hall of Famers in Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and former Duke standout Kyrie Irving. He'd also reunite with another former Blue Devil in Dereck Lively II, who was drafted by the Mavericks two seasons ago. Advertisement During his freshman season at Duke, Flagg led the team to 35 wins, capturing both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles. He also helped guide the Blue Devils to the Final Four before they were upset by the Houston Cougars following a late second-half collapse. Former Duke forward Cooper Flagg at the 2025 NBA Draft Combine.© David Banks-Imagn Images Flagg finished the season averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting an impressive 38.5% from three-point range. He led the entire Duke roster in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and minutes played. The Newport, Maine native capped off his dominant season by winning the Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, and earning both ACC Player and Rookie of the Year honors. Advertisement Related: Cooper Flagg Reveals Basketball Moment That Left Him 'Shell-Shocked' Ahead of NBA Draft This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
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20 hours ago
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Potential Celtics-Mavericks Trade Emerges After Cooper Flagg News
Potential Celtics-Mavericks Trade Emerges After Cooper Flagg News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After getting the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, it would be the twist of the century if the Dallas Mavericks don't end up with Cooper Flagg. Based on the Mavericks' most recent meeting with Flagg, as reported by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, it doesn't appear as though they'll make any surprises. Advertisement "Flagg had dinner Tuesday night... with several Mavericks officials," they wrote. "General manager Nico Harrison and coach Jason Kidd essentially served as co-chairs of a welcoming committee that also included new team CEO Rick Welts and former Mavericks All-Star-turned-assistant GM Michael Finley... By this time next week, Flagg will officially be a Maverick." Flagg will be added to a team that will have Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis at full strength. That alone restores hope that the Mavericks will be a contender again after the Luka Doncic trade. However, Flagg may not only help form a contender in Dallas, but also might form a defensive juggernaut with the Mavericks. Just one day after the news of Flagg's meeting in Dallas, The Athletic's Christian Clark and Jay King reported on the Boston Celtics potentially trading Jrue Holiday to the Mavericks. Advertisement "As I have dug into the trade market for Holiday, league sources have pointed to the Mavericks as one potential fit," King began. He added, "Even at Holiday's age, I'm not sure any guard has more defensive versatility," King wrote. "Good luck scoring against lineups with Anthony Davis, Flagg and Holiday. (Yes, I'm putting Flagg in that group already. He will walk into the NBA as a top-shelf defender)." Former Duke forward Cooper Flagg at the 2025 NBA Draft Banks-Imagn Image The last piece of a potential trade will be what the Mavericks trade for Holiday. Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington are candidates, but the Celtics want to save money, so they may have to re-route one of them elsewhere. Advertisement For now, it's clear Flagg is Dallas-bound. The question remaining, is who will meet him there? Related: Celtics Had Two Words for Jaylen Brown Amid Trade Rumors Related: Celtics Make Unexpected Luka Doncic, LeBron James Post on Wednesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
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a day ago
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Warriors NBA Champion Emerges as Potential Lakers Target
Warriors NBA Champion Emerges as Potential Lakers Target originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers improved their backcourt for the foreseeable future when they acquired five-time first-team All-NBA honoree Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks for star big man Anthony Davis in February. However, the deal compromised the frontcourt, which they learned the hard way in the playoffs. Advertisement Starting center Jaxson Hayes got played off the floor in their first-round series vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he logged just four minutes in Game 4 and didn't appear in Game 5. The seven-footer tallied just seven points against eight fouls in the series, which Los Angeles lost in five games. Hayes' struggles forced the Lakers to start the 6-foot-7-inch Dorian Finney-Smith at center, which helped Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert record 27 points (12-15 FG) with 24 rebounds in Game 5. The 32-year-old only scored in double digits two other times across Minnesota's Western Conference Finals run. Los Angeles is looking to upgrade the position through the free agent and/or trade markets, and a three-time NBA champion is among its targets, via ClutchPoints' Anthony Irwin. Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney (5).Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images "The Lakers could also target Kevon Looney using their taxpayer mid-level exception, but if he was going to accept that contract, he'd likely get it from the Golden State Warriors, sources say," he reported. "Al Horford had a really good season given his age, and the Boston Celtics are going to be looking to shed salary, so he could also be an option if the Lakers want to double the number of 40+ year-olds on the roster." Advertisement Irwin also mentioned Clint Capela and Steven Adams as free agent options. Looney has spent each season with the Warriors since debuting in 2015-16. The 6-foot-9-inch, 222-pounder averaged 4.5 points on 51.4 percent shooting with 6.1 rebounds across 15 minutes this season. Looney's three-year, $22.5 million deal with Golden State expired this summer. Related: La La Anthony Gets Real About Kiyan Anthony Following In Carmelo Anthony's Footsteps Related: NBA Legend Dwight Howard Was in Tears After Major Personal News This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
