Lakers Finally Land a Big Man...But Not the One They Wanted

If at first you don’t succeed, pivot to a 7-footer who barely played this season!

The Los Angeles Lakers scrambled to sign Alex Len on Tuesday after their trade for Mark Williams completely fell apart. It was supposed to be a smooth transition, send Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and picks to Charlotte, get a young, athletic big to replace Anthony Davis, and call it a day.

Instead, Williams failed his Lakers physical and got shipped back to Charlotte like an Amazon return. The Hornets are furious and are literally calling the league to dispute the Lakers’ medical evaluation. That’s how desperate they are to get Williams off their books.

Meanwhile, LA had to pivot fast. Their solution? Waive Christian Wood and bring in Alex Len, a guy who was averaging 1.4 points per game before getting cut by the Wizards.

Not quite the lob threat Luka Dončić was hoping for, huh?

The Hornets Are NOT Happy

Charlotte had one job: move Mark Williams. And yet, here we are.

The Hornets thought they had a deal done. Williams was set to replace Anthony Davis in LA, and Charlotte was getting Knecht, Reddish, and a pick. But when the Lakers' doctors shut it down, the whole trade collapsed.

Now, the Hornets are scrambling to figure out their next move. They’ve reportedly contacted the NBA to challenge the Lakers’ decision, as if LA’s doctors are part of some grand conspiracy.

Williams has missed 60% of his career games due to injury. If the Lakers’ doctors saw red flags, it’s probably because there were red flags. Where does that leave Charlotte? Stuck with a center they very clearly don’t want anymore. Good luck spinning that one.

Trae Young & Kyrie Irving Are All-Stars After All

Turns out, Trae Young and Kyrie Irving will be in San Francisco for All-Star Weekend after all.

Both guards were initially snubbed, but injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf strain) and Anthony Davis (adductor strain) opened up two spots. Young will replace Giannis on Team Chuck (Barkley’s squad) while Kyrie takes AD’s place on Team Shaq.

This year’s All-Star Game format is straight-up wild. Instead of two teams, there are three All-Star squads plus the Rising Stars winners. Yeah, it’s a whole thing.

The three squads were drafted by Shaq, Barkley, and Kenny Smith, and let’s just say Barkley went very heavy on the big men. Adding Young gives his team at least one guy who can actually run an offense.

We’re in for the weirdest All-Star Game format in NBA history. Will this shake-up make the game actually competitive? We’ll find out.

Ben Simmons is a Clipper

The Los Angeles Clippers have officially signed Ben Simmons, adding another big body, elite passer, and defensive asset to their squad.

Simmons, who was technically still under contract with Brooklyn, negotiated a buyout and gave back $1.1 million to hit free agency. He wasted no time in picking his next destination, landing with a Clippers team that already has Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook.

Now, here’s the real question: Can a guy averaging 6.2 points per game actually make a difference for a title contender?

Simmons, at his best, is a defensive force and playmaker. But that’s the problem, we haven’t seen that version of him in years. Injuries and confidence issues have kept him from returning to his All-NBA form.

The Clippers clearly believe in him, and if they can unlock anything close to 2021 Ben Simmons, this could be a massive win.

Bulls Hit Rock Bottom in a Nightmare Loss

Losing in the NBA happens. But what the Chicago Bulls did against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night? That was something else entirely.

The final score read 132-92, but the real horror came in the first half. The Bulls couldn’t hit a shot to save their lives, finishing the first two quarters with one of the ugliest offensive performances in recent memory. By the time halftime rolled around, the arena had gone silent, and the scoreboard felt like a bad joke. A 71-29 deficit isn’t just losing, it’s a complete breakdown.

To their credit, Chicago technically “won” the second half by two points, but that was nothing more than empty calories.

Brandon Ingram Cashes In

Most players have to prove themselves before landing a massive contract extension. Brandon Ingram just did it without even stepping on the court.

Fresh off his trade to the Toronto Raptors, Ingram has agreed to a three-year, $120 million extension, locking him in as a cornerstone of the franchise for the foreseeable future. And yet, he hasn’t even played a game in a Raptors uniform.

It’s a bold move by Toronto, but one that signals their commitment to building around him. Alongside Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett, the Raptors are banking on this core to take them back to relevance. But will Ingram’s presence actually move the needle? Or is Toronto simply securing a future that might not have a real ceiling?

One thing’s for sure, the Raptors aren’t waiting around. They’re betting big on Ingram, and now it’s time to see if that gamble pays off.

The Luka Era Kicks Off in L.A.

For three hours, the crowd roared his name, and just like that, the Los Angeles Lakers became the Los Angeles Lukas.

It didn’t matter that Luka Dončić had only been a Laker for nine days or that he was still working his way back from injury. From the moment he stepped onto the Crypto.com Arena floor, the city embraced him like a long-lost superstar.

The Lakers’ 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz felt like a grand introduction. The energy was different. The atmosphere was electric. Even during player introductions, it was Luka, not LeBron, who was announced last, a symbolic passing of the torch.

Sure, Dončić’s numbers were modest, 14 points in 24 minutes, six missed threes, five rebounds, and four assists, but the impact was undeniable. The ball moved differently. The Lakers played freely. The weight of mediocrity that has loomed over this franchise for the last few years? Gone.

And if this is just the beginning, the rest of the league should be very, very concerned.

WNBA Free Agency Winds Down, But the Valkyries Make a Splash

The madness of WNBA free agency is finally slowing down, but that didn’t stop the Golden State Valkyries from making their first major move. The expansion team has signed former All-Star Tiffany Hayes, last season’s Sixth Player of the Year with the Las Vegas Aces.

Meanwhile, the biggest question still looms, where will Breanna Stewart land? The expectation is that she’ll re-sign with the Liberty, but nothing is official yet.

 Other names still floating around include Gabby Williams, Chennedy Carter, and WNBA legends Diana Taurasi and Elena Delle Donne.

Elsewhere, the Dream made moves to bring in Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, while the Fever continued to load up by locking in Kelsey Mitchell, DeWanna Bonner, and Natasha Howard.

The landscape is shifting, and we’re about to see which teams truly mean business in 2025.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading.

We’ll see you on Wednesday!

— The Players Unlimited Team