Los Angeles Lakers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (calf) will be sidelined for at least one week after sustaining a left calf contusion during a team workout, the Dallas Mavericks announced on Wednesday. The injury, however, is not expected to impact his readiness for the start of the upcoming NBA season. Doncic will be re-evaluated in a week, with the Mavericks' preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies set for October 7. During the 2023-2024 season, Doncic was a standout performer, averaging 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He also earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team and played a pivotal role in leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is feeling great ahead of his 22nd NBA campaign and is ready to still make an impact at a high level. Speaking to the media on Monday, James noted he feels "really good physically," "real sharp, very fresh mentally," and that he still has "a lot in the tank." James will turn 40 on Dec. 30, but it looks like fantasy managers can count on getting another very productive campaign out of him. The four-time MVP notched 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists with a career-high 41 percent three-point shooting last term.

Free-agent center/forward Harry Giles III agreed to a training camp deal with the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, he'll compete for a roster spot on a very bare-bones roster that suffered a lot of injuries last season. Giles didn't play at all in the NBA during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, then came back to play for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers last year. Through 23 total appearances last season, Giles averaged 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds across 4.3 minutes per game. Knee injuries have been his biggest issue since being drafted 20th overall in 2017, but he may find a depth spot if he can stay healthy and compete through the preseason.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) may not be ready to participate in training camp and preseason. The 25-year-old suffered a foot injury in February, and according to Spectrum's Mike Bresnahan, Vanderbilt continues to be troubled by it. "Vando is gonna be interesting," Bresnahan said on the Lakeshow podcast. "I'm not sure he'll be ready for training camp or even for the preseason games. It's a foot injury. He opted not to have a procedure in-season when he got hurt in February." Vanderbilt suited up for only 29 games last season, averaging 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 20.0 minutes.

Free-agent forward Markieff Morris agreed to a new deal with the Mavericks. The veteran has been in Dallas since the Kyrie Irving in 2022-23. However, he hasn't done much from a production standpoint, most recently averaging 2.5 points during the 2023-24 campaign. Outside a leadership presence, Morris likely won't add much value to the Mavericks this season, keeping him irrelevant for fantasy purposes.