2 HRS AGO - Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images There’s no better way for the slumping Lakers to boost their confidence and team spirit than by beating a Hawks squad that’s rolling right now The Lakers look to snap their current two-game losing streak in the last stop of their road trip in Atlanta where they will face the Hawks. L.A. stumbles upon a streaking Atlanta team that’s won five games in a row. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Atlanta Hawks When: 4:30 p.m. PT, Dec 6 Where: State Farm Arena Watch: Spectrum SportsNet The last two losses by the Lakers, where they were outscored by a total of a combined 70 points, is considered the worst two-game stretch in franchise history. This alone perfectly sums up where the purple and gold are: In a dry spell that they have to get out of as soon as possible before their season slips away again. One thing about those two brutal losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat is that JJ Redick and the team’s Collapse

1 DAY AGO - Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images A 41-point loss against the Heat on Wednesday was the Lakers’ eighth-largest deficit of defeat since the NBA/ABA merger. Losing is bad, but making history while doing it is even worse. That's exactly what the Lakers did on Wednesday, losing to the Heat 134-93. The team collectively gave a woeful performance, but losing by 41 put them in the record books for all the wrong reasons. This loss was the eighth-largest margin of defeat for the franchise since the ABA/NBA merger. They also allowed the Heat to score 24 3-pointers, setting a new franchise record in made baskets from beyond the arc. Tonight was the 8th worst loss in the last 47 years (since the ABA/NBA merger) by the Lakers. (Via @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/OQtOqer21b— Jorge Sedano (@Sedano) December 5, 2024 When you play for a team like the Lakers that's participated in thousands of games since the merger, the last thing you want to do is have a loss that puts you in the Collapse

1 DAY AGO - Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images In a different timeline, the Lakers would have selected Bub Carrington with the No. 17 pick in the NBA Draft, but with him off the board, L.A. went with Dalton Knecht. There are so many what-if scenarios in each NBA draft, and the 2024 class is no exception. We will undoubtedly hear more stories as the years pass, but we already know of one tale from the night surrounding the Lakers. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported, Los Angeles considered Bub Carrington with the No. 17 pick before he was taken off the board. “Around the time Pitt’s Bub Carrington — a player the Lakers had coveted, sources told ESPN — went No. 14 to the Portland Trail Blazers, Knecht started to look like a real possibility.” The news that the Lakers would have taken Carrington is new information, but it comes as no surprise. Multiple mock drafts labeled Carrington as a player the Lakers could take in the first round. He is a guard with tremendous upside and Collapse

1 DAY AGO - Photo by David Berding/Getty Images Do LeBron James’ recent struggles signal a real decline or is this just a more pronounced slump than what we’re used to seeing from him? It is not an exaggeration to state that LeBron James is going through one of the worst stretches of basketball he’s played since coming to the Lakers, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. James has missed his last 19 attempts from behind the arc over a four-game span, has gone six games without shooting over 50% from the field, has cracked 20 points just once in those same six contests and has committed at least four turnovers in 10 of his last 11 games. His 27-point, 14-assist outburst in Sunday’s win over the Jazz feels like an aberration in the face of his recent play rather than the hope it was signaling a return to the form that he’s exhibited in many games this season. If that feels too generous to his overall play this year, it’s not. This year, LeBron’s per-game averages of 22 points, 8 Collapse

2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Anthony Davis has yet to receive the Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Lakers star has made peace with the possibility that it will never be on his resume. Anthony Davis has been an elite defender for the Lakers for years now. Whether you do the eye test and watch how he protects the rim and can switch onto even the best guards, or you look at him leading the team in blocks last season. His defensive dominance has helped him earn All-Star appearances, NBA championships and even an Olympic Gold Medal, but one thing he hasn’t earned is the Defensive Player of the Year Award. During an exclusive interview with Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports, AD discussed his defensive prowess and how he’s moved on from wanting to win the award. “There’s nothing that I can’t do defensively. I can switch one-through-five. I’m one of the best at guarding pick-and-rolls, an elite rim protector. Whatever you need me to do defensively, I can do. I Collapse

2 DAYS AGO - Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images In what is becoming an annual tradition, the Lakers have once again been linked to a possible trade for Kyle Kuzma. There are few things the Lakers have enjoyed more during Rob Pelinka’s tenure in the front office than reacquiring former Lakers. From Wayne Ellington to Dwight Howard to Trevor Ariza, the list is long and gets bigger yearly. Kyle Kuzma is one of the names to be rumored most throughout the year to make the jump back to SoCal. After being dealt in the Russell Westbrook trade, the interest has seemingly been mutual for a reunion. It’s also been fairly persistent. And so, it’s about time we get the annual link between the Lakers and Kuzma. On Monday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Lakers are monitoring Kuzma. “Teams around the league believe the 29-year-old forward is worth monitoring as a trade candidate due to his skillset and declining salary over the next two years while in his prime years. Executives around Collapse

3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images With the Lakers searching for an answer to their backup center position, Nets big man Day’ron Sharpe might be the big they need. Even before players like Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes were dealing with injuries, the Lakers had been looking for a quality big to add to this roster. With the Brooklyn Nets reportedly “open for business” regarding trade talks, center Day’Ron Sharpe is a player Los Angeles is keeping an eye on, according to the most recent piece by Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype. “Teams gauging the trade market for a backup center are monitoring Day’Ron Sharpe, who’s expected to return soon from a hamstring injury for the Nets. With Noah Clowney out for at least a couple of weeks with a sprained ankle, it’s an opportunity for the 23-year-old Sharpe to jump back into the rotation immediately. Sharpe, who’s eligible for restricted free agency this summer, is being monitored by the Grizzlies, Clippers, Pelicans, Lakers, and Raptors, Collapse

3 DAYS AGO - Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Following the announcement of a Pat Riley statue, the Lakers are reportedly expected to do the same with another coaching great in Phil Jackson. Recently, the Lakers anounced that Pat Riley will receive a statue outside Crypto.com Arena. Riley will be the first Lakers coach with a statue, and based on his accolades, this is absolutely deserved. The only other Lakers coach to have a resume that can rival Riley’s is Phil Jackson. Both coaches won five titles for the franchise and won at least 67% of their games while in charge of the purple and gold. Riley did it with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jackson was the passing of the torch running the Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal era along with winning the back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. Due to Jacksons accolades being on par with Riley’s, it is no surprise that he is reportedly getting the same honor as the Showtime coach. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, a Jackson statue Collapse

4 DAYS AGO - Photo by Jamie Sabau/NBAE via Getty Images With a whole host of injuries, the shorthanded Lakers picked up a big win on the road against the Jazz behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Down three rotation guards, the Lakers rode big games from Anthony Davis and LeBron James to pick up a big road win on Sunday, knocking off the Jazz by a final of 105-104. Anthony Davis ended with 33 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and a block. LeBron James scored 27 points with 14 assists, five rebounds and two blocks. Gabe Vincent slipped into the starting five with D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves out and took full advantage of it to have his best game as a Laker, ending with 10 points. Max Christie pitched in with 12 points. Dalton Knecht had six points and seven rebounds. Rui Hachimura ended with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Jalen Hood-Schifino chipped in four points, a rebound, an assist and a block in his 13 minutes of action. Walker Kessler started with an and-one Collapse