As we enter the new year of 2025, the trade deadline for the NBA season is drawing closer. Prior to this deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers, a team under close scrutiny, are planning significant moves. Just a few days ago, the Lakers completed a trade that garnered attention across the league. They traded Russell and others to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for two exceptional role players, Finney-Smith and Milton. This trade marked the beginning of the Lakers' efforts to strengthen their roster this season. Following this, the Lakers will focus on trading for a center to address their last remaining weakness. The Lakers have been in discussions with the Wizards about a trade for center Valanciunas, with a deal framework already largely agreed upon. However, according to recent media reports, negotiations between the Lakers and the Wizards have been temporarily put on hold. The reason for this is that the Wizards are seeking at least a first-round draft pick from the Lakers, a proposal that the Lakers find difficult to accept, leading to a stalemate in negotiations. Despite this, the Lakers have not given up on the possibility of acquiring Valanciunas. A center like Valanciunas, who possesses height and excellent skills, could provide significant assistance to the team. Shortly after media reports revealed the temporary halt in trade talks between the Lakers and the Wizards, negotiations between the two sides were restarted within a day or two. Recently, Michael Scotto, a well-known journalist from Hoopshype, discussed the Lakers' latest developments in his column. "After securing a wing defender like…

Facing the Trail Blazers, who are third from the bottom in the West, the Lakers also found themselves in a tough battle, one reason being the absence of "Big Brow" Anthony Davis, their core frontcourt player. However, the Lakers managed to secure a victory without much trouble, with LeBron James showing his enduring prowess and Max Christie delivering the best performance of his career, giving the Lakers a good start to their back-to-back games. Winning the game, the Lakers could be said to have experienced three pieces of good fortune. Firstly, two frontcourt players performed outstandingly, making up for the absence of Davis. Jackson Hayes made his comeback debut, playing only 18 minutes but with very high efficiency, contributing 4 points and 6 rebounds. After the game, Jackson Hayes told the media that he had never been absent for so long in his career, but he was happy to return to the court and help the Lakers win a game while performing well himself. If Jackson Hayes is naturally impressive when healthy, Christian Kolok's performance in this game can be called a trump card. He scored 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. As a two-way contract player, Christian Kolok's original advantage lies in his strong defense, but in this game, he also made gains on the offensive end, grabbing as many as 6 offensive rebounds, giving the Lakers plenty of second-chance opportunities. Honestly, even if a typical benchwarmer occasionally performs like this, it's more than enough for the Lakers. Furthermore, after completing a collaboration with the Nets, the Lakers' overall…

Tonight, after defeating the Blazers, the Lakers have chased their Western Conference record to sixth place. Initially, without Davis, the Lakers faced a tough challenge on the offensive end. However, with James' outburst, the Lakers easily overcame the Blazers in just the second quarter. James recently celebrated his 40th birthday and remains a popular figure in the league. Despite being the Lakers' second-in-command and a box office draw, James trails in the first phase of All-Star voting, not appearing on the starting lineup alongside Curry. His teammate Davis is on the starting list, so James must continue to work hard, performing well in upcoming games to gain enough votes and support from other channels. The Lakers hosted the Blazers, a young team lacking the presence of Lillard, resulting in a lack of intimidation. They resemble a group of scattered soldiers, capable of winning if they play well but prone to losing if Simmons performs poorly, making them an unstable underachieving team. The Lakers' second-in-command, James, was excited and fully engaged in attack mode from the start, seemingly looking forward to Finney-Smith's contributions off the bench after Russell's trade. In this game, Smith scored only single digits, shooting 1 for 6 and 0 for 4 from three-point range. He needs to adapt to the Lakers' basket and improve his shooting percentage to help James enhance the team's record. Davis was unable to play, but Reeves has been outstanding in recent games, especially with his buzzer-beater against the Warriors during Christmas Day. Reeves has become Redick's most reliable ace, apart from Davis…

Brothers, we have to face this reality. According to the joint report by ESPN's authoritative journalists Shams and Brian Windhorst, Jimmy Butler has officially submitted a trade request to the Miami Heat, deciding to leave the place that once gave him countless memories and also made him feel sentimental. Changes in people's hearts often come with subtle signs. On the court, Butler scored only 9 points in two consecutive games against the Pacers and Pelicans, which triggered dissatisfaction from the team's management. On the sidelines, when the Heat's bench players stood up to cheer for the team, Butler sat alone in silence, as if out of tune with the surrounding enthusiasm. In a post-game interview, when asked if he could still find his past happiness on the court in Miami, he gave a profound answer: "Probably not." Do you remember the Heat's previous official denial? "We generally do not respond to rumors, but these speculations undoubtedly distract the team's attention, which is unfair to both the coaches and players. Therefore, we clearly state that we will not trade Jimmy Butler." However, the facts are quite different from their statement. The biggest disagreement lies in the issue of treatment, as Heat President Riley rejected Butler's request for a 2-year, $113 million contract extension during the offseason. It is said that the Heat owner Micky Arison, President Pat Riley, and Butler's agent met several times to try to resolve this potential crisis, but unfortunately, they failed to reach an agreement. Every day in Miami became increasingly painful for Butler. Even Shams further…

Just a few days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers completed a major trade, sending D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks (2027, 2030, 2031) to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Finney-Smith and Milton. This trade has earned widespread acclaim for the Lakers' management and general manager Pelinka, with many believing that the Lakers have achieved substantial reinforcement through this deal. Indeed, the Lakers did not pay a high price; Russell was an expendable player, while Lewis and several second-round draft picks were mere extras in the trade. In return, the Lakers acquired Finney-Smith and Milton, both of whom are strong rotation players with immediate impact, especially Finney-Smith, who can be considered an excellent 3D wing player, a relatively scarce resource in the NBA. This trade is widely regarded as a great bargain for the Lakers. However, in the past two days, media reports suggest that Finney-Smith may enter the free agent market early and is unlikely to stay with the Lakers long-term. According to HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto, although the Lakers hope to keep new recruit Dorian Finney-Smith long-term, early expectations are that Finney-Smith will opt out of his $15.38 million player option for the 2025-26 season to test the free agent market and become a free agent. This season, Finney-Smith's salary is $14.92 million. In his Lakers debut against the Cavaliers, he played 20 minutes, shooting 1 for 4 and 0 for 2 from three-point range, scoring 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. Judging from Smith's debut, he did not showcase his strengths. The Lakers are…

The NBA regular season is in full swing, and another game day has come to an end. On this game day, many teams in the West faced off against each other, but many popular teams ultimately lost, causing some subtle changes in the standings. With the current ranking situation showing some changes, let's take a look at the latest rankings in the NBA Western Conference. The Western Conference standings are as follows: Thunder in a league of their own, Lakers still in seventh, Suns on a losing streak at 12th. Ranks 11 to 15 in the standings are the Suns, Kings, Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Pelicans; the rankings and positions of these last five teams have not changed, but there have been some subtle changes. The last three teams can basically be ignored, while the Kings recently won a game with a record of 14 wins and 19 losses, placing them 12th in the standings. The Suns were originally ranked quite high, but they have recently suffered a losing streak. Earlier, they surprisingly lost to a weakened Grizzlies team upon Booker's return, suffering a three-game losing streak with just 15 wins and 17 losses. Currently, they can't even hold onto the 11th spot. In fact, the Suns' problems cannot be solved simply by changing coaches, and the same goes for the Kings. Ranks 5 to 10 in the standings are the Nuggets, Clippers, Lakers, Timberwolves, Spurs, and Warriors; there is a maximum difference of only 2.5 games between these teams. The Warriors have also been losing more than winning recently,…

In 2009, the Orlando Magic hosted a crucial game against the Los Angeles Lakers, with the series score at 3:1 in favor of the Lakers. Any mistake by the Magic could cost them the championship. That year, Kobe Bryant was unstoppable, scoring 30 points and dominating the court. The Magic suffered a crushing defeat at home, while the Lakers were crowned champions, with Kobe earning the MVP award. On the podium, the Lakers players were ecstatic, passionately kissing the trophy and showcasing their championship rings. However, one Chinese player remained silent and calm, seeming out of place among the jubilant champions. This player was Sun Yue, then a member of the Lakers. Ironically, as a new player on the Lakers, Sun Yue had won a championship ring in his first season, which many NBA veterans could only dream of. During that season, Sun Yue played only 10 games for the Lakers, averaging less than three minutes per game, and scored a total of six points throughout the season. He did not play at all during the playoffs but still received a championship ring. Two months after the game, Sun Yue was cut by the Lakers and eventually returned to the CBA. This marked the end of Sun Yue's brief NBA career, which was quiet yet incredibly lucky. Using the word "lucky" to describe Sun Yue is somewhat ironic, as his career should not have been so passive. Upon leaving the Lakers, Sun Yue reflected on what he had learned and acknowledged areas for improvement. His career was far from over;…

NBA regular season, the Lakers defeated the Blazers 114-106. The Lakers trailed in the first quarter, but they turned the tide in the second quarter. However, there was a power outage in the fourth quarter when they had a big lead, fortunately, James returned to the court and managed to stabilize the score, eventually securing the victory. Three players had excellent performances throughout the game. James is crucial for the Lakers, as evidenced by the consecutive points they lost during his rest period in the fourth quarter, proving him to be the team's absolute pillar. James scored 38 points and provided 8 assists, displaying an aggressive performance. Rivers also played well, although his shooting percentage was a bit low, his penetration and distribution have become an indispensable part of the team. Moreover, each of his passes greatly motivated his teammates, and he impressed everyone in this game. Christie remained a focal point. Especially in the fourth quarter, he was able to capitalize on James and Rivers' passes, and Christie could also dribble and create damage, which allowed him to score 28 points in the entire game, becoming a key factor in securing the victory for the team in the decisive period. Hayes, Koloko, Smith, Reddish, and Milton all had passable performances. Hayes and Koloko held their ground under the basket. Since Davis did not play in this game, they combined to grab 14 rebounds and performed well defensively. At the same time, Smith's control of the defense was excellent, consistently maintaining perfect help defense, making him the most critical point…

Lakers and Nets Make a Big Trade! Could the Western Conference Landscape Change?‌ Wow! The Lakers and Nets Have Done Something Really Amazing On December 30th, Beijing time, the NBA arena was buzzing with excitement as the Lakers and Nets completed a trade. This was a huge deal, like a quiet pond suddenly being disturbed by a large stone thrown in, causing splashes everywhere. The Lakers acquired Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, while the Nets received D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks from the Lakers (2027, 2030, 2031). Why did these two teams go through such a hassle to swap players? There's a lot to unpack, so let's dive into it. Can "The Fan" Make the Lakers Great Again?‌ Let's start with Finney-Smith, who everyone calls "The Fan." This season, he averages 10.6 points per game, grabs 4.6 rebounds, and dishes out 1.6 assists, with a high three-point shooting percentage of 43.5%. Impressive stats, right? And his skills in perimeter defense and switching are top-notch. However, some experts initially worried that he might not be very useful for the Lakers. But upon closer inspection, this concern is unwarranted. Why? Because he's different from Westbrook, who needs the ball in his hands when playing. "The Fan" doesn't hog the ball, making him a good fit for the Lakers' style of play. He can both defend and open up space for three-point shots, which is like upgrading the wheels on a car, making it run smoother. Milton Isn't Here to Mess Around!‌ Now let's look at Shake Milton, who averages 7.4…

On January 3rd, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued as the Portland Trail Blazers visited the Los Angeles Lakers. The game started with both teams exchanging leads, with the score remaining close until the second quarter. The Blazers' offense stalled, allowing the Lakers to seize the opportunity and win the quarter by a margin of 13 points. At halftime, the Lakers had established a 9-point lead. In the second half, the Lakers continued their momentum, extending the lead to double digits. In the final quarter, the Blazers, led by Simmons, attempted a comeback, but the Lakers, under the leadership of LeBron James, maintained control of the game, denying the Blazers any chance of a reversal. Ultimately, the Lakers narrowly defeated the Blazers with a score of 114-106. This was the first back-to-back game for the Lakers, with Anthony Davis strategically resting due to injury. Hayes returned to save the day, and the Lakers played with speed and passion under the coordination of LeBron James and Reeves, far surpassing the Blazers in terms of overall performance. Throughout the game, the Lakers outscored the Blazers in fast-break points 26-12 and capitalized on the Blazers' 18 turnovers to score 24 points. In contrast, the Lakers only turned the ball over 12 times, allowing the Blazers to score just 14 points off turnovers. The Blazers fought individually, but the combined efforts of Simmons, Avdija, Kali, and Henderson were not enough to shake the Lakers. Without Davis, the Lakers won so easily, with LeBron James, Reeves, and Christie each playing their roles effectively, united…