NBA

Los Angeles Lakers legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson took to social media to sound off about the Lakers' quick playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In a post on X, Johnson congratulated superstar guard Anthony Edwards and the T-Wolves, while also criticizing the Lakers for playing "awful on defense" and getting "dominated" on the boards:

The sixth-seeded Timberwolves closed out the first-round series on the road Wednesday night, beating the Lakers 103-96 in Game 5 to emphatically win the series 4-1.

While the Lakers held the Timberwolves to 40.4 percent shooting in Game 5, Minnesota won the rebounding battle 54-37 thanks largely to four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert's game-high 24 boards.

In order to acquire Luka Dončić as LeBron James' running mate back in February, the Lakers had to part with their best interior player by far in likely future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis.

Los Angeles attempted to replace some of what he brought to the table by trading for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams at the deadline, but the deal was rescinded when Williams failed a physical, leaving the Lakers without a viable center.

That was likely the biggest difference against the Timberwolves, but Minnesota was also bolstered by its 23-year-old, three-time All-Star in Edwards.

Prior to the start of the series, Johnson was prophetic in expressing concern about whether the Lakers would be able to slow Edwards down:

Not surprisingly, Edwards led the T-Wolves with 26.8 points per game during the series to go along with 8.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.2 steals.

Edwards' performance was largely expected after what he did last season in leading Minnesota to the Western Conference Finals by virtue of his 27.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.

The Oklahoma City Thunder still stand out as the team to beat in the Western Conference after going an NBA-best 68-14, but the Timberwolves may be the team best equipped to take them down.

As for the Lakers, they are set to return a strong core next season provided James wants to keep playing, as he will be joined by Dončić, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.

That suggests they should be a playoff team and a potential championship contender once again, but the first-round exit against Minnesota made it clear that general manager Rob Pelinka needs to bring in some legitimate interior help.

After his 21st NBA season disappointingly ended with a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James still has fond memories of the 2024-25 campaign because he got to spend it alongside his son, Bronny James.

After Wednesday night's 103-96 loss in Game 5, James was asked where he would rank being teammates with his son in his list of career accomplishments, and he had a definitive answer.

"Number one, for sure, that's easy, it's not even close," James told reporters at the 7:19 mark. "To be able to play the game that I love and to be able to be along with my son this whole year has been one of the most gratifying, satisfying journeys I've ever been on."

Bronny James was selected with a second-round pick in the 2024 draft to fulfill the 40-year-old's longtime goal of sharing the floor with his son. The 20-year-old endured some early struggles and played sparingly while he was with the Lakers, but he still created some memorable moments, such as when he didn't back down against Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Bronny James had more of an opportunity to show his skills in the G League. In 11 appearances for the South Bay Lakers, he averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals. He had a 39-point performance in a win over the Santa Cruz Warriors in March.

The elder James is confident that his son has what it takes to be successful in the NBA, both because of his basketball skills and because of his positive attitude.

"He has a bright future, because not only can he play the game of basketball, he's just a great f--king kid. You can ask anybody, any one of his teammates, any one of the coaches, he's just a joy to be around. And I have to say, I had a lot to do with that," James said with a smile.

Austin Reaves placed the blame on himself Wednesday night for the Los Angeles Lakers' first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Following the Lakers' season-ending, 103-96 loss to the T-Wolves in Game 5 on Wednesday, Reaves told reporters that he didn't do enough to elevate L.A. during the postseason, saying:

"I didn't have the series that I wanted to have. You can point the finger at me. I wasn't good enough to help us be successful. I wish I could've done more. I didn't. I struggled. You live and you learn, and I guarantee that I'll get back to work this offseason and be better."

Reaves' playoff production paled in comparison to what he did during the regular season, as he averaged 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.0 three-pointers made per game, while shooting just 41.1 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from beyond the arc.

In 73 regular-season games, Reaves averaged career highs across the board with 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per contest.

Perhaps most importantly, Reaves was far more efficient during the regular season than he was in the playoffs, shooting 46.0 percent from the floor and 37.7 percent from deep.

Although LeBron James and Luka Dončić were viewed as the go-to guys who needed to largely carry the Lakers come playoff time, Reaves was one of three players on the roster who averaged over 20 points per game this season, so his contributions were needed as well.

Dončić and James largely did their part during the series against Minnesota with Dončić averaging 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, and LeBron putting up 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks per contest.

Reaves didn't pull his weight to the same degree he did during the regular season, but he was far from the Lakers' only issue against the Timberwolves.

Aside from Dončić, James, Reaves and Rui Hachimura (14.8 points per game), no other Lakers player averaged more than 6.2 points per contest during the series.

A lack of quality depth came back to haunt L.A., which suggests general manager Rob Pelinka may be hard at work during the offseason when it comes to adding role players around the core.

If an NBA head coach's job security is determined by what the team's star players think of them, JJ Redick is in a good spot with the Los Angeles Lakers after wrapping up his first season.

Following the Lakers' season-ending loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, LeBron James and Luka Dončić praised the job Redick did during their postgame press conferences.

James is optimistic because Redick "had a hell of a rookie campaign" as a first-time head coach:

"I think JJ's going to continue to grow. Thought he had a hell of a rookie campaign for a rookie coach. And it's a lot different being a rookie coach. It's already hard being a rookie coach in the NBA. And it's a hell of a lot harder being a rookie head coach coaching the Lakers. It's a whole nother ballgame. And I thought he handled it extremely well. I thought he just learned every single day, held us accountable. He pushed us."

Dončić echoed James' sentiments: "I think he's a hell of a coach. I'm really glad I got coached by him these couple of months. It feels sometimes like I'm back in Europe a little bit. So I love it. We have a great bond. It's been nothing but amazing with him as a coach."

The Lakers' coaching search last summer took a winding path before eventually landing on Redick. They made a push for Tyronn Lue that was unsuccessful because he considered their proposal to be a "slap in the face" given his resume, so he signed a new deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley turned down a reported offer of six years and $70 million from the Lakers to remain in college. Redick, who had been rumored for the job very early on, was officially hired on June 24.

It seemed like an odd move for a franchise like the Lakers to turn to someone who had no coaching experience at any level, but Redick seemed to do just fine steering the ship.

Redick became the ninth head coach in franchise history to win at least 50 games in their first season. Their 50 victories this season were their most since 2019-20. He did that while helping the organization navigate through the franchise-altering move at midseason to acquire Dončić that completely reshaped how this roster plays.

Even though this season ended with a disappointing first-round playoff loss for the Lakers, Redick more than acclimated himself well to a coaching job that is one of the most pressure-filled in all of sports.

One year after being on the wrong side of an all-time highlight moment for Luka Dončić, Rudy Gobert got his revenge with arguably the best game of his career to help the Minnesota Timberwolves end the Los Angeles Lakers' season on Wednesday night.

Following the Timberwolves' 103-96 victory (starts at 1:35 mark), Anthony Edwards praised Gobert by calling him "a dragon" for his 27-point, 24-rebound performance against a Lakers team that has who he called the "best player ever" in LeBron James.

Edwards did clarify that Gobert wasn't a dragon from the Arctic, but rather one from the Game of Thrones universe on this particular night.

It speaks to how well the Timberwolves have assembled their roster and depth that they won a playoff games in which Edwards wasn't effective shooting the ball. He finished with just 15 points and missed all 11 of his three-point attempts, but contributed 11 rebounds and eight assists in Game 5.

Gobert's playoff shortcomings have been well-documented. Dončić even admitted after his return game to Dallas on April 9 that the clip from the tribute video that made him most emotional was his game-winning shot over the Minnesota center in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals last season.

Minnesota was winning in this series prior to Wednesday night with very minimal contributions from Gobert. He had a total of 14 points and 25 rebounds in the first four games against the Lakers' small-ball lineups.

Game 5 saw Gobert and the Timberwolves take advantage of the huge size discrepancy in the paint. He set playoff career-highs in both points and rebounds. It was his first 20-point game in the postseason since June 2, 2021.

Minnesota has advanced to the Western Conference semifinals for the second consecutive year. It will await the winner of the Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets series.

After helping the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers from the playoffs in the first round, star guard Anthony Edwards added a new moniker to his list of aliases.

Following the Timberwolves' 103-96 win in Wednesday's Game 5, Adidas dubbed Edwards "The King Slayer" for sending star forward LeBron James and the rest of the Lakers home:

Edwards had 15 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in Wednesday's win. He averaged 26.8 points in the series against the Lakers, which included a 43-point performance in a Game 4 victory.

Edwards is one of the fastest-rising young stars in the NBA today, and taking down James in the playoffs will undoubtedly be a key moment in his growing legacy. In last year's playoffs, he led Minnesota past star forward Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns before upsetting star center Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

The 23-year-old will look to increase his star power even further when the Timberwolves meet the winner of the Golden State Warriors vs. the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Semifinals.

After another early playoff exit following Wednesday's Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James candidly spoke about not living up to his own standards.

"For me, since my first NBA Finals appearance in 2007, the moment I got an opportunity to be a part of that and taste that feeling, from there on, every season that I did not make it to the Finals or did not win the championship has been a disappointment," he told reporters (0:18 mark). "So, it'll be the same for me, it will be the same offseason of disappointment and unfulfillment."

The four-time NBA champion hasn't made it back to the NBA Finals since he led the Lakers to the title in 2020. Since then, Los Angeles has been eliminated in the first round three times, and the team missed the playoffs entirely in 2022. A run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals was the last bit of postseason success since the 2020 championship.

At 40 years old, James is still performing at a high level, but showed signs of fatigue against the Timberwolves after shouldering a hefty workload. He played 40 minutes on Wednesday and had 22 points while shooting 9-of-21 from the field.

James admitted after the loss that he's uncertain about whether he will be back for a 22nd NBA season.

"Just continuing to play, I don't know where I'm at," James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "That's what that is. Not coming back to play here. Just playing, period."

Even though Luka Dončić isn't happy to start his offseason this soon, it will probably be good for him to catch his breath after a whirlwind couple of months that completely changed his career going forward.

Speaking to reporters after the Los Angeles Lakers' 103-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 on Wednesday, the 26-year-old said he hasn't thought about potentially signing a contract extension this summer.

"I didn't think about it yet," Dončić said. "I've been focused on basketball. So obviously this is the time now to think about everything."

Dončić also noted the back injury he suffered during the game is "not good at all" right now. The injury occurred on a hard foul by Donte DiVincenzo late in the second quarter.

It wasn't apparent in Dončić's performance that he was hobbled. The five-time All-Star led all players with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting and had five assists in 20 minutes during the second half.

Contract talks between Dončić and the Lakers will be a key storyline this summer. His midseason trade from the Dallas Mavericks made him ineligible for the supermax that would have been worth $345 million over five years.

Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, there are two extension options Dončić has available this summer.

The biggest one would be a four-year, $228.6 million extension that Dončić can sign as soon as Aug. 2. The two-plus-one deal would allow him to maximize his potential earnings because he would become eligible for a five-year, $418 million contract that would start with the 2028-29 season.

Under his current deal, the five-time All-Star will earn just under $46 million in 2025-26. He could become a free agent after next season by opting out of his deal.

Dončić is one of several major contract decisions the Lakers have to figure out this summer. LeBron James has a $52.6 million player option for next season that must be decided on by June 29. Dorian Finney-Smith has a $14.9 million player option in his current deal.

Austin Reaves could sign a four-year extension worth up to $89.2 million. If he waits until next summer to sign, the max value of his deal would increase to $98 million.

Dončić is going to be the long-term face of the franchise for the Lakers, as long as he wants to stay in Los Angeles. He has adjusted well to his new surroundings, especially considering how shocking the trade was and he was still recovering from a hamstring injury when it went down.

In 28 games after the trade, Dončić averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per contest. The Lakers went 18-10 when he was in the starting lineup.

LeBron James is once again thinking about how much time he has left in the NBA after his 22nd season came to an end on Wednesday night.

Speaking to reporters after the Los Angeles Lakers' 103-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs (starts at 1:10 mark), James admitted he's undecided about how much longer he will keep playing:

"I don't know. I don't have an answer to that. Something I'll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. I don't know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So we'll see"

Later in the press conference (starts at 4:50 mark), James explained it's hard to predict what the roster will look like next season except for the players locked into deals and he's "got a lot to think about myself" thinking about the offseason.

This could be another summer in which James goes through a contract negotiation. He has a $52.6 million player option that must be picked up by June 29.

James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin afterward that his comments weren't necessarily about him looking to play for any team besides the Lakers, but about his contract status and how much he wants to keep playing.

"Just continuing to play, I don't know where I'm at," James said. "That's what that is. Not coming back to play here. Just playing period."

It will be interesting to see how James approaches a contract negotiation this summer if he does opt out. There were reports last year he would consider taking less than the max if the Lakers were able to bring in free agents to boost the roster.

Even though the Lakers weren't able to make a big splash in free agency, James did ultimately take slightly less than max money on his two-year, $101.4 million deal.

Dorian Finney-Smith is probably the most notable impending free agent on Los Angeles' roster, assuming James either opts in or will re-sign. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are both eligible for extensions this summer.

Dončić's status will be another key storyline because he's ineligible to sign the supermax after being traded during the season. The most he could get from the Lakers this summer is $228.6 million over four years, but a short-term deal would allow him to eventually sign a five-year, $418 million contract starting with the 2028-29 season.

Despite being 40 years old, James certainly doesn't look like a player who is nearing the end of his career. He averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game in 70 starts this season.

The Lakers earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record. It was their most wins in a regular season since 2019-20 when they won the NBA championship.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has enough sway to voice his opinions on roster changes, but he's hoping to avoid the same fate as one of his former teammates.

After the Lakers' season came to an end with a 103-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Wednesday's Game 5, James was asked about how tough playing without a center was after Anthony Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic, and he had a hilarious answer.

"No comment, I'll never say that, because my guy AD said what he needed, and he was gone the following week. I got no comment, I put that uniform on every night, I gave everything that I had, and that's all that matters," James said with a laugh (6:50 mark).

The 40-year-old was referring to Davis' comments from earlier this season that he wanted the Lakers to acquire a center.

"I think we need another big. I feel like I've always been at my best when I've been the 4, having a big out there," Davis told ESPN's Shams Charania in January. He went on to add, "We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale [McGee] and Dwight [Howard] at the 5 and I'm at the 4."

Instead of fulfilling Davis' wish, Los Angeles shipped him away as part of the package that acquired Doncic. Sam Amick of The Athletic later reported that Davis' comments "caused serious frustration all the way to the top of the Lakers franchise."

Ironically, the lack of a productive center was one of the primary reasons for the team's downfall on Wednesday night. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert dominated the paint and dropped 27 points and 24 rebounds to spearhead the victory.

One of the top priorities for the Lakers this offseason will be to fill the hole at the center position, which would certainly help matters if James decides to return for his 22nd season in the NBA.