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Tag: Deandre Ayton

  • Lakers Expect Luka Dončić, LeBron James Healthy vs Clippers

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    The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be fully healthy against their game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 20, the first game after the break

    As the Los Angeles Lakers return from the All-Star break, the team expects to be fully healthy, which hasn’t been the case for most of the season. Guard Luka Dončić, Guard Austin Reaves and forward LeBron James have only played 10 games together this season.

    James missed the start of the season due to sciatica, but has played in most games since he returned Nov. 18, outside of three instances where he sat for the second game of a back-to-back. He is expected to play in the first game after the break.

    Dončić — the NBA’s leading scorer average 32.8 PPH and third-ranked in MVP rankings — has been out with a left hamstring strain since Feb. 5. Lakers Head Coach JJ Redick said he expects Dončić to be available. Dončić played for five minutes for Team World in the NBA All-Star game on Feb. 15.

    “I was on minutes restriction,” Dončić said. “It was definitely good to get up and down a little bit [at practice] after having a week off.”

    Reaves was out for five weeks from Dec. 25 through Feb. 3 with a calf injury. In the five games Reaves has played since being back, he’s been on a minute restriction, but Redick said he will no longer be a restriction after the break.

    Up until Reaves injured his calf, he was the ninth-leading scorer in the NBA average 27.8 PPG.

    “It’s funny, we were talking before the season about building continuity with those three guys, and we’ve had them available together for 10 games,” Redick said. “It’s just the situation we’re in. We’re not the only team that has had a bunch of health issues throughout the season and had to manage that, but my message to the players this morning was that this is going to be a sprint for these last 28 games.”

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    Center Deandre Ayton sat the final two games before the break with right knee soreness, but is expected to be back after the break.

    The Lakers are in fifth place in the Western Conference at 33-21, and their next game is tomorrow against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.

    “You can tell throughout the season, even with the unfortunate injuries, we’ve done a good job maintaining it,” Reaves said. “We’re on pace for a good record, and getting healthy is going to help that. It’ll be fun to see what that looks like.”

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    Tony Gleason

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  • Lakers Center Deandre Ayton Allegedly Arrested in the Bahamas – LAmag

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    The basketball star was detained for the possession of marijuana and released shortly after

    Los Angeles Lakers Center Deandre Ayton was allegedly arrested at the Lynden Pindling International Airport in the Bahamas on Tuesday for possession of a small amount of Marijuana, according to Reuters. The basketball star was reportedly detained for a short time before being released by authorities. 

    Ayton, a native of the Bahamas, was flying out of the country at the time of his arrest. Although the country is currently making moves to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, the drug currently remains illegal.

    “Our goal is to protect the health of the public while providing access to cannabis for those who truly need it,” a government website for the initiative states.

    Ayton moved from the Bahamas to San Diego to play high school basketball. He was considered one of the top prospects for recruitment in 2017, with ESPN ranking the center No. 3. Ayton went on to play for the University of Arizona, where he remained until being drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2018.

    On July 6, 2025, Ayton signed a two-year, $16.6 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, after a buyout negotiation with the Portland Trail Blazers.

    In December of last year, the Ayton was announced to be the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for November. He was recognized for his efforts in aiding Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa through his work with the Ayton Family Foundation. 

    Ayton missed his second consecutive game with the Lakers on Thursday due to knee soreness, according to ESPN.

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    The Lakers star’s current whereabouts are unknown.

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    Taylor Parise

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  • Lakers Stars Expected to Return in Game Against Mavericks – LAmag

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    Forward LeBron James, among other players, are expected to return in tonights game against the Dallas Mavericks after sitting for the Feb. 10 game against the San Antonio Spurs

    The Los Angeles Lakers are taking on the Dallas Mavericks tonight at Crypto.com Arena at 7 p.m. During the Lakers’ most recent game — their Feb. 10 136-108 loss against the San Antonio Spurs — Los Angeles sat their entire regular starting lineup.

    For tonight’s game, the only players on the injury report are center Deandre Ayton, who is questionable due to right knee soreness, and guard Luka Dončić, who has been out since Feb. 5 with a left hamstring strain.

    The Lakers have beaten the Mavericks twice this season. Their first victory was a 129-119 win on Nov. 28, and the second was a 116-110 win on Jan. 24.

    Ahead of the game against the Spurs, Dončić, forward LeBron James, guard Austin Reaves and guard Marcus Smart were listed as out on the injury report for various reasons. After James sat out Feb. 10, it is no longer possible for James to meet the 65-game minimum for him to be eligible for postseason awards, ending his 21-year long streak.

    After the Lakers lost, ESPN TV personality Stephen A. Smith was critical of the Lakers’ decision not to play their everyday starters.

    “Work it out,” Smith said. “If you got LeBron James off, make sure somebody else is playing. If you got Austin Reaves off, make sure somebody else is playing,” he continued. “But then everybody? That is disrespectful and insensitive and dismissive to the fans. And somebody needs to say it.”

    For tonight’s game, the Mavericks have a handful of players on the injury report, as star-rookie forward Cooper Flagg has a left midfoot sprain that will keep him out of action through the All-Star break, with three other players listed as doubtful and two more listed as questionable.

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    Tony Gleason

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  • Reaves 51-Point Performance Fuels Lakers Victory – LAmag

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    Hachimura and Ayton joined Reaves to help cover the loss of LeBron James

    The Lakers received bad news before the season even started.

    In early October, the Los Angeles team announced that star small forward and future Hall of Famer LeBron James would miss the season opener and the first three to four weeks of the season due to sciatica on his right side.

    When the Lakers’ star player went down, other playmakers had to rise to the occasion.

    And 27-year-old guard Austin Reaves responded emphatically, putting the team on his back Sunday night, scoring a career-high 51 points against the Sacramento Kings in a 127-120 victory at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 

    The 51-point performance gave the Lakers their second consecutive victory – after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves by 18 on Friday, in which Reaves added 25 points and 11 assists – and elevated the Los Angeles side to a 2-1 record.

    James’ absence from the hardwood has meant a heavily increased contribution from Reaves, with the 6-foot-five shooting guard getting ample opportunities with the ball in his hand.

    And the fifth-year player has yet to disappoint, averaging 34 points per game across the first three contests of the season. Reaves has also dipped his foot into other areas of the game outside of scoring. 

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    The shooting guard has fortified the backcourt alongside Luka Dončić, giving the Lakers not only a formidable ball handler but also a guard who can make plays for his teammates.

    Reaves is averaging 9.7 assists across the first three games of the 2025-2026 campaign and has yet to produce fewer than nine assists in a game. 

    “The biggest thing from tonight was our passing,” said Lakers head coach JJ Redick after the Lakers’ last preseason game. “The reality is we should have had about 35 assists, we got to figure out our lobs and we had a couple Harlem Globetrotter plays when the simple play was right there. We had multiple possessions where everyone touched it, we created multiple advantages, got good shots, some of which we didn’t make but I liked our offensive flow and execution for most of the game.”

    The former Oklahoma star’s ability to successfully facilitate the offense has allowed Lakers shooters to combine for an efficient 54.1% shooting percentage from the field. Reaves has also put in work on the offensive and defensive glass, as he is averaging 7.7 boards per game through three contests so far.

    Reaves is not the only contributor to take advantage of James’ absence, either.

    New Lakers center Deandre Ayton has seen his production steadily increase as he finds his footing in a new environment. The Bahamas local is averaging 15.7 points per game and has steadily increased his point total from 10 to 15 to 20 over the first three games of the season. 

    Ayton boasted a season-high 20 points in the Lakers’ most recent victory against the Kings and has excelled in the pick-and-roll game early in the season. 

    “When I’m setting screens it’s not only for the two guys in the screen its more for my shooters to get open,” Ayton said after the Lakers’ preseason game to the Kings. “Once I get those open, they hit one or two of them, my paint start to open up and the defense starts to be a little bit more honest. Me and Luka get pretty free to hit the pocket or finish the rolls.” 

    Ayton’s rebounding efforts have also steadily increased, which has been vital to the Lakers’ success as Ayton was brought to Los Angeles to fortify the Lakers’ front court, as many attributed last season’s struggles to a lack of a true center.

    The center is averaging 9.7 rebounds per game and logged a season high 15 boards against the Kings. Forward Rui Hachimura has also seen his contributions increase. He is currently averaging a career high 16.7 points on a 4.5% shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

    The revamped Laker lineup will continue its LeBron-less play Monday night at Crypto.com Arena against the Portland Trailblazers.

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    Connor Dullinger

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