Wed Jul 16 1:32pm ET
Field Level Media
Despite an offseason of rumors and speculation, LeBron James is expected to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025-26 season, The Athletic reported Wednesday.
The Lakers and James have not engaged in talks about a trade or buyout, and the NBA's all-time leading scorer is expected to report to camp with the Lakers this fall, per the report. There haven't been any signs, either, that James wants out.
James picked up his $52.6 million option last month to return for an eighth season with the Lakers.
He will be returning to a team this time around on which, for the first time in his career, he is the second option. Luka Doncic, acquired in a stunning trade from the Dallas Mavericks in February, is expected to be the centerpiece for Los Angeles in the upcoming season.
Apparently fueling the trade or buyout rumors is a statement made by James' longtime agent, Rich Paul, last month that included this line, "We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career."
Trading James, given his salary, would be difficult since NBA trades must be for players with contracts of similar value due to the salary cap.
The Lakers, according to The Athletic, also are reluctant to take on a player earning in the $50 million range if he has additional years on the contract. The Lakers will be free of James $52.6 million once his contract expires at the end of the upcoming season.
James, 40, is entering his record-setting 23rd NBA season. He has played in 1,562 regular-season games and is 50 shy of breaking Hall of Fame member Robert Parish's NBA record.
James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 70 games in 2024-25 to rank in the top 22 in each category.
He is a 21-time All-Star, four-time league MVP and four-time NBA champion. He has scored a record 42,184 regular-season points, and 50,473 in the regular season and playoffs combined.
James entered the NBA as an 18-year-old after being selected No. 1 in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He turns 41 in December.
Portland Trail Blazers guardRayan Rupert logged 24 points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist in 28 minutes during Tuesday's 93-87 Summer League victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Rupert posted a game-high in points and three-pointers, shooting 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Last season, the 21-year-old averaged 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 8.8 minutes per game across 52 contests. He posted some strong outings towards the end of last season, so he may get a bigger role in 2025-26. However, Rupert isn't someone worth looking at in fantasy leagues.
Memphis Grizzlies forwardGG Jackson II finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 26 minutes during a 96-84 Summer League loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday after sitting out Saturday's game due to an illness. The 20-year-old missed the first half of the 2024-25 campaign due to a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot and was limited to just 29 regular-season appearances. After several impressive Summer League outings, Jackson could see an uptick in minutes, providing the Grizzlies with an offensive threat off the bench during the upcoming 2025-26 season.
On Tuesday, Philadelphia 76ers center Johni Broome finished with a double-double in a 74-58 Summer League win over the Wizards. During the contest, Broome logged 14 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal in 29 minutes. He was selected by the 76ers with the 35th pick in the 2025 NBA draft after a standout season at Auburn, where he averaged 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 blocks across 36 appearances. Barring any injuries with a crowded 76ers frontcourt, Broome will likely find himself out of the rotation or in the G League to start the upcoming campaign.
Toronto Raptors shooting guard Ja'Kobe Walter made big plays at both ends in Tuesday's 101-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets in the Las Vegas Summer League, leading all scorers with 26 points and snagging a game-high seven steals. Following a couple of rough shooting performances in Vegas, Walter finished a solid 8-for-16 from the field. He was 4-for-11 with the three-ball and shot 6-for-7 at the line, wrapping up his day at the office with four rebounds and one block. The Raptors saw a few encouraging performances from Walter last season, but he needs to stay healthy to establish himself in the rotation. The 20-year-old missed the start of his rookie campaign due to a shoulder injury and made just 52 appearances in total.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell played a leading role in Tuesday's 92-75 Summer League victory over the Orlando Magic, recording a game-high 27 points with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block. Mitchell had a hot hand throughout the game, shooting 9-for-13 from the field, including 1-for-2 from outside, and 8-for-9 at the free-throw line. The 23-year-old looked promising during his debut campaign in the NBA, but a toe injury interrupted Mitchell's 2024-25 campaign. He's now making up for lost time in the Summer League, having already made six appearances. In Las Vegas, Mitchell has averaged 19.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard VJ Edgecombe made his Las Vegas Summer League debut in Tuesday's matchup against the Washington Wizards, filling the box score in a blowout win. He notched 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block in 30 minutes on the floor. Edgecombe missed Philadelphia's first two games in Las Vegas due to a left thumb sprain suffered during a Summer League contest in Salt Lake City on July 5. The 19-year-old Baylor product can be happy with his production on Tuesday, although Edgecombe was inefficient with his scoring, going 4-for-14 from the field, including 1-for-6 from downtown. All of his points came in the second half. Philadelphia faces the Dallas Mavericks in another Summer League contest on Wednesday, but it's uncertain if Edgecombe will play.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow has been shut down for the remainder of the Summer League, per Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com. After signing a two-way contract with the 76ers, Barlow suited up twice for the team in Las Vegas. He notched 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 22.1 minutes. In 96 career NBA games, Barlow has averaged 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 12.5 minutes. He's been trying to find his footing in the league with the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks. While his playing time in Philadelphia isn't guaranteed either, at just 22 years old, Barlow still has plenty of time to grow and improve his game.
Forward Oshae Brissett has signed a two-year deal with six-time EuroLeague champions Maccabi Tel Aviv. Brissett takes his talents across the pond after featuring in merely six NBA games last season. He was picked up late in the year by the Philadelphia 76ers, who gave Brissett a look amid an injury crisis. The 27-year-old averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 23.7 minutes during his time in Philadelphia. Brissett won the Larry O'Brien Trophy with the Boston Celtics in 2024 and has averaged 6.6 points with 3.9 rebounds in 233 career NBA games.
The Charlotte Hornets have waived guard/forward Josh Okogie. Okogie had a $7.7 million contract for next season, which would have become guaranteed if he had remained with the Hornets past Tuesday. The 26-year-old moved to Charlotte in January as part of a trade that sent Nick Richards to Phoenix. He averaged 8.9 points and 1.8 steals per game with the team. Okogie had a decent stint with the Hornets, but unfortunately for him, the team did not see a role for him next season. Over 416 career games, Okogie has averaged 8.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 19.1 minutes. He is expected to attract decent interest from teams as a free agent.
Utah Jazz guardIsaiah Collier collected 12 points, 12 assists, three rebounds and one block across 33 minutes in a 93-91 Summer League loss to the Spurs on Monday. Despite a solid outing, Collier has struggled with his jump shot, shooting 38.3 percent from the field across six Summer League outings. The 29th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft will look to battle for an expanded role on a young Jazz team after averaging 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists across 71 games last season.
Sacramento Kings guardDevin Carter scored 17 points (7-for-12 on field goals, 3-for-5 from three-point land, 0-for-2 on free throws), three assists, three steals, two rebounds and one block in 21 minutes during Monday's 94-76 Summer League win over the Suns. The 2024 first-round pickis hoping to make his mark in Sacramento after his rookie campaign was limited due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. When Carter was available, the 23-year-old averaged 3.8 points across 11.0 minutes per game in 36 regular-season appearances.
Los Angeles Lakers guardBronny James Jr.collected 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists across 24 minutes in a 67-58 Summer League loss to the Clippers on Monday. James knocked down 6-of-10 field goal attempts and shot 3-for-6 from three-point land, leading the Lakers in scoring. In the last two games, the 20-year-old is shooting 52.4 percent from the field. Last season, James averaged 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists across 6.7 minutes per game in 27 contests. If he continues to impress the Lakers' coaching staff, he could possibly see an expanded role during the 2025-26 campaign.
Utah Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski toyed with the San Antonio Spurs in the Summer League on Monday, posting a big 35-point, 11-rebound double-double in a 93-91 overtime loss. He added one assist and one steal to his tally, shooting 11-for-19 from the field and 8-for-12 at the free-throw line with a 5-for-8 record from downtown. Filipowski has been one of the stars of the tournament in Las Vegas, averaging 29.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in 28.6 minutes. The 21-year-old finished his rookie campaign as a starter in Utah and is looking to keep his spot with strong summer showings.
Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware was a major two-way force in Monday's 100-96 victory against the Boston Celtics in the Las Vegas Summer League, finishing with 21 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in 33 minutes. He shot 8-for-15 from the field and an impressive 3-for-3 from behind the arc. Ware is getting a lot of burn in the Summer League, having already made five appearances across tournaments in San Francisco and Las Vegas. Last week, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra called out Ware for lacking "professionalism," and the 21-year-old has responded strongly, averaging 21.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks over the last two games.
Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Kon Knueppel produced a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double in Monday's 87-69 Summer League win over the Dallas Mavericks. Knueppel had a rough debut in Las Vegas against the Utah Jazz on Friday, shooting 1-for-8 from he field, but he felt much more comfortable in Monday's game. The fourth pick of this year's draft finished 5-for-10 from the floor, including 3-for-5 from three-point range. Across 26 minutes of action, Knueppel also bagged four assists, one steal, and one block. Charlotte's roster is looking weak ahead of the new campaign, which will give Knueppel a chance to get significant playing time. However, as an inexperienced player, he's likely to face consistency issues.
Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis led the way with 28 points on 8-for-14 shooting in Monday's 114-105 victory in the Summer League against the Indiana Pacers. He was the leading scorer in the game, finishing 2-for-4 from outside and 10-for-13 at the line. In 32 minutes on the floor, Buzelis also collected five rebounds and had one steal with one block. The 20-year-old has enjoyed a fine opening to the Summer League, averaging 22.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks. Buzelis already made some noise during his debut campaign, earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and he's expected to take on an even larger role next season.
Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard will sit out the rest of the summer action. According to The Athletic's Kelly Iko, the Rockets have decided to shut down Sheppard for the remainder of the Summer League. Sheppard made two appearances in Las Vegas, averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals. The Kentucky product also played well in the Summer League a year ago, but his role with the team was limited during his rookie campaign. Sheppard made only 51 appearances, averaging 4.5 points in 12.5 minutes. In 2025-26, we can expect to see more of Reed Sheppard after Houston lost some depth with the Kevin Durant trade.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Monday to treat an injury sustained during a recent workout, the team announced. George hurt his left knee and will be re-evaluated before the start of training camp. Last season, George played only 41 games due to various health issues, and his 2025-26 season has now suffered an early setback as well. However, it appears he could recover in time for the start of the regular season. George is entering the second year of a four-year, $212 million contract. His debut season with Philadelphia was disappointing, as the nine-time All-Star averaged only 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Philadelphia 76ers centerJoel Embiid(knee) has resumed partial basketball activities. However, the big man hasn't yet transitioned to full-court basketball activities. Embiid is recovering from arthroscopic left knee surgery but could potentially be ready for training camp in the fall. Suppose the 31-year-old is still sidelined or available on a limited basis to start the season. In that case, the 76ers frontcourt will have to rely on Andre Drummond, Trendon Watford, and Adem Bona to take on expanded roles until Embiid makes his return.
Michael C. Wright of ESPN reports that San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama announced he has recovered from deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder that limited him to just 46 contests last season. Wembanyama told French newspaper L'quipe, "I'm officially cleared to return." He also mentioned to L'quipe, "I got the green light from the Spurs' medical staff just on Friday. Phew, I'll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again." The 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year led the league in blocks last season with 176 despite only playing in 46 games. Now healthy, the 21-year-old big man will continue to be a fantasy force during the 2025-26 campaign, as he was in his first two seasons in the NBA.
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