GILBERT ARENAS RIPS LAKERS AFTER "DISAPPOINTING" LUKE KENNARD TRADE DEADLINE MOVE
Gilbert Arenas slams the Lakers' trade for Luke Kennard as JJ Redick prepares to unleash the 50% shooter in a new 2026 rotation.
On Thursday, February 5, the Lakers made a move and brought in Luke Kennard. He’s known for his shooting, and honestly, they need the extra floor spacing in JJ Redick’s rotation.
Right after the news broke, Gilbert Arenas didn’t hold back on social media. He sounded off about the trade, almost like he’d had enough.
“At this point, I’m just going to take matters into my own hands. Every hooper that can still hoop, we’re going to go down to Crypto Centre and just try out because at this point they’re allowing anybody on the team,” Arenas said. “What happened to the names? The names made the Lakers… He was a Clipper before! “Fuck him!”
Arenas probably wanted a bigger, flashier move at the deadline—he’s not alone. A lot of Lakers fans felt the same. Even so, Kennard does make the team better. The Lakers have been struggling from deep all year, and Kennard’s shooting should help.
After 50 games, the Lakers rank 21st in three-point percentage, hitting 34.9% on nearly 34 attempts a night. Kennard isn’t just a shooter, either. He can handle the ball a bit, maybe open up the offence with some playmaking, which the Lakers could use when the first option breaks down.
Redick seemed genuinely excited after the Lakers’ 119-115 win over the Sixers. At the postgame press conference, he talked about what Kennard brings.
“I’m excited about Luke,” Redick said. “I’ve known him for about 12 years now, and I think he’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. I’m going to highly encourage him to shoot more and not turn down shots.”
He went on: “One of the underrated parts of his game is his ability to move and create second actions—move the basketball. You’ve seen that at different spots he’s been. You can start the offence with off-ball movement, and he’ll make the right play. He gets the offence moving.”
Kennard played 46 games with the Hawks this season, averaging 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He’s been lights out from three—almost 50% on 3.2 attempts per game. With Redick pushing him to shoot even more, expect that number to go up.
Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Lakers are looking at the buyout market. Haywood Highsmith’s name has come up as a possible target.
Edwin Garcia from Silver Screen and Roll sees Highsmith as a perfect fit. Highsmith had knee surgery after getting traded to the Nets last offseason, had a setback, and hasn’t played this year. The Nets just waived him Thursday morning, but he’s reportedly playing 5-on-5 again and drawing interest. Last season, he averaged 6.5 points and shot 38% from three with the Heat. Shooting like that doesn’t come around often in the buyout market, so if Highsmith’s healthy, he’s interesting.
Rob Pelinka will check out all the options, of course. But on paper, Highsmith could fill a lot of the three-and-d gaps the Lakers have right now.
MIKE BROWN BLASTS KNICKS AFTER EMBARRASSING FIRST HALF AGAINST BATTERED WARRIORS
Mike Brown rips into the New York Knicks after a sluggish 110-107 win over an undermanned Golden State Warriors squad.
The New York Knicks barely pulled off a comeback win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, edging them out 110-107. But honestly, looking at who the Warriors had available, it didn’t feel much like a win.
The Warriors were missing a tonne of key players: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Jimmy Butler were all out. The Knicks, playing at home and coming in as 14-point favourites, should’ve had an easy night. Instead, they found themselves down by 21 and had to scramble just to get the job done. Even their head coach, Mike Brown, made it clear he wasn’t impressed. He spent most of his postgame press conference tearing into his team for letting things get so out of hand.
“At this point of the year, it’s good to get a win. But I was not happy the way we started the game,” Brown told reporters after the game.
Brown said he isn’t planning any lineup changes, at least not yet. But he’s not ruling anything out as the regular season winds down.
It’s not like this slow-start problem is new. Over their last six games, the Knicks have the third-worst net rating in first quarters, sitting at minus-18. That's nowhere near good enough with the playoffs about a month away.
These were supposed to be easier games on the schedule, but New York keeps making them harder than they should be. The Knicks had to come back from down 18 against the Jazz, and before that, they actually blew a 17-point lead to an undermanned Pacers team, barely hanging on for that win, too.
Brown’s frustration shows. He’s been vocal about the team’s poor starts, and after this Warriors game, he even decided not to name a Defensive Player of the Game – the first time all season he left that honour blank after a win.
“This is a veteran team… I shouldn’t have to call two timeouts in the first six minutes of the ballgame,” Brown said afterward.
With the playoffs coming up fast, the Knicks have no choice; they need to start games with more energy and focus. Falling behind early won’t always be something they can come back from, especially against tougher teams.
WHY DILLON BROOKS IS THE SURPRISE CHOICE TO REPLACE LEBRON JAMES
LeBron James may leave the Lakers this summer, with rumours swirling about Dillon Brooks arriving as his defensive replacement.
The Lakers have some big decisions ahead this offseason, and if the whispers about LeBron James leaving become reality, wing depth jumps to the top of the to-do list.
Now, the idea of LeBron and Dillon Brooks, of all people, teaming up sounds wild, maybe even impossible. And yet, there’s buzz about LA making a move for Brooks, who’s been a LeBron nemesis for years. In this scenario, though, Brooks would actually slide in as LeBron’s replacement, not his teammate.
The timing almost feels right for Brooks. He’s putting together the best season of his career, finally living up to that 3-and-D role people have been waiting for. If the Lakers really are building around Luka Dončić (now, suddenly, the centrepiece) and Austin Reaves, then Brooks fits in perfectly.
So, what would it take? Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz floated an idea: the Lakers send Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, and a projected 2026 first-round pick (No. 25 overall) to the Suns for Brooks. That’s giving up some youth and a pick, but you get a proven scorer and one of the league’s top defenders. Honestly, for a team chasing championships, that’s not a steep price.
“If LeBron James leaves the Lakers in free agency, the team will need a new starting power forward,” Swartz wrote. “It would be hilarious for Brooks and LeBron to team up, but even without James, Brooks works; he’s a strong defender and can score. He’s averaging almost 21 points, nearly four rebounds, and a steal a game for the Suns this year. So, the numbers are there.
This isn’t the first time Brooks’ name has popped up with the Lakers, but before, that rivalry with LeBron always killed the idea. If LeBron’s gone, though, all bets are off. Brooks makes sense with Doncic, and that’s who the front office seems locked in on now.
Money-wise, Brooks will cost just under $20 million next season. For what he’s provided this year, that could actually be a bargain. If the Lakers want to shore up the wing, they need to think seriously about this.
Now, the LeBron era in LA feels like it’s finally winding down. In the past, the Lakers would’ve looped him into every big decision, but with Doncic getting a new extension, he’s the main guy now. LeBron, despite all he’s done, might just be an afterthought as he weighs his next move.
People have speculated about a LeBron exit for years, but it feels different now. Jovan Buha, who covers the Lakers closely, said on his show that it’s more real this time than ever before. “There’s always been a buzz he could head somewhere else, maybe finish his career in Cleveland again. But honestly, this is the closest it’s ever felt to actually happening.”
The Lakers plan to keep Reaves this summer and, surprisingly, have actually played better with LeBron off the floor. That’s another hint that a major shift is coming.
Bottom line: they need fresh wing talent to fill the void if LeBron walks. Plenty of names will pop up, but Dillon Brooks is one guy Pelinka and company can’t ignore as they chart a new direction.
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