2024–25 Los Angeles Lakers season
78th season in franchise history, final under Buss majority ownership
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2024–25 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 78th season of the franchise, its 77th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), its 65th season in Los Angeles, and its 26th season playing home games at Crypto.com Arena. On May 3, 2024, the Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham and all of their assistant coaches, including Phil Handy, who had been with the team since their 2020 championship season.[2] On June 24, 2024, the Lakers hired JJ Redick as their new head coach. They entered the season as the defending NBA Cup champions; however, they failed to defend the tournament title or qualify for the 2024 NBA Cup knockout stage. They finished the group stage with a 2–2 record, placing third in West Group B.
President
- Jeanie Buss
- Rob Pelinka (vice)
OwnersJerry Buss family trust (majority)[1]
Jeanie Buss (controlling owner)
Mark Walter, Todd Boehly, Edward P. Roski, and Patrick Soon-Shiong (minority)
Jeanie Buss (controlling owner)
Mark Walter, Todd Boehly, Edward P. Roski, and Patrick Soon-Shiong (minority)
| 2024–25 Los Angeles Lakers season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | JJ Redick |
| President |
|
| General manager | Rob Pelinka |
| Owners | Jerry Buss family trust (majority)[1] Jeanie Buss (controlling owner) Mark Walter, Todd Boehly, Edward P. Roski, and Patrick Soon-Shiong (minority) |
| Arena | Crypto.com Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 50–32 (.610) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 3rd (Western) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Timberwolves 1–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Spectrum SportsNet |
| Radio | ESPN LA 710 (English) 1020 Radio AM (Spanish) |
Prior to the start of the season, the Lakers announced that jersey No. 21 would be retired in honor of Michael Cooper during their game against the San Antonio Spurs on January 13, 2025, after he was announced as a finalist for the 2024 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In their season-opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, LeBron James and his son Bronny made NBA history by becoming the first father-son duo to play together in the league. LeBron James would also become the first player in NBA history to play in the NBA both as a teenager and as a 40 year old on New Year's Eve.[3]
For the first time since 2016–17, the Lakers won on opening night and started 3–0 for the first time since 2010–11. With their victory over the Utah Jazz on November 19, 2024, the Lakers posted their first six game winning streak in five seasons. During this season, the Lakers would see two games of theirs postponed for later into the season due to the January 2025 Southern California wildfires, which also saw the loss of coach JJ Redick's home in the area of the Palisades Fire.[4][5]
On February 2, 2025, the Lakers were involved in a blockbuster three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, acquiring superstar Luka Dončić alongside Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris while trading Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 1st round pick to the Mavericks, and Jalen Hood-Schifino and two 2nd round picks to the Jazz. This trade is widely considered to be one of the most shocking in NBA history, with it being the first time ever that two reigning All-NBA players were traded for each other during the season.[6][7][8]
Very notable this season, on March 26, 2025, LeBron James scored a game winning, buzzer-beating tip-in to stun the Indiana Pacers on the road in a 120–119 victory. This was his first game-winning buzzer beater as a Laker, and his eighth such shot in his career. Only Michael Jordan has more, with nine. The very next day, the Lakers lost to the Chicago Bulls on Josh Giddey's game-winning, buzzer-beating half-court shot over LeBron James, making them the fifth team in NBA history to win and lose on a buzzer-beater on consecutive days.
On April 9, the Lakers clinched a playoff berth for a third consecutive year and the first berth since 2020 not to involve the play-in tournament following their win against the Dallas Mavericks. On April 11, the Lakers won their first Pacific Division title since 2020 following their victory over the Houston Rockets. Entering the playoffs as favorites, the Lakers were upset in the first round by the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in five games. This marks the first time since 2005–06 and 2006–07 the Lakers were eliminated in the first round in back-to-back seasons, and the third time in five seasons that the Lakers were eliminated in the first round. It was also the first time they were eliminated in the first round as the 3rd seed or higher.
The Los Angeles Lakers drew an average home attendance of 18,724, the 12th-highest of all NBA teams.[9]
Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College / team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17[a] | Dalton Knecht | SF |  United States |
Tennessee |
| 2 | 55 | Bronny James Jr. | PG | United States |
USC |
The Lakers entered this draft (which was two days long instead of one day long like it had been since 1989) with a first-round pick and a second-round pick.[11][12] On the first night of the draft, the Lakers selected small forward Dalton Knecht from the University of Tennessee with the first round pick that was conveyed to the Lakers after the New Orleans Pelicans decided to defer it back to the Lakers in exchange for the Lakers' 2025 first-round pick through a previous trade they made. Then, on the second day of the draft, the Lakers selected University of Southern California guard Bronny James, the son of current Lakers player LeBron James, with the 55th pick of the draft. It would famously become the first time in NBA history that a father-son duo would play together in the NBA.
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Standings
Division
| Pacific Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Los Angeles Lakers | 50 | 32 | .610 | – | 31–10 | 19–22 | 12–4 | 82 |
| x – Los Angeles Clippers | 50 | 32 | .610 | – | 30–11 | 20–21 | 9–7 | 82 |
| x – Golden State Warriors | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2.0 | 24–17 | 24–17 | 5–11 | 82 |
| pi – Sacramento Kings | 40 | 42 | .488 | 10.0 | 20–21 | 20–21 | 5–11 | 82 |
| Phoenix Suns | 36 | 46 | .439 | 14.0 | 24–17 | 12–29 | 9–7 | 82 |
Conference
| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | z – Oklahoma City Thunder * | 68 | 14 | .829 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – Houston Rockets * | 52 | 30 | .634 | 16.0 | 82 |
| 3 | y – Los Angeles Lakers * | 50 | 32 | .610 | 18.0 | 82 |
| 4 | x – Denver Nuggets | 50 | 32 | .610 | 18.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Los Angeles Clippers | 50 | 32 | .610 | 18.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Minnesota Timberwolves | 49 | 33 | .598 | 19.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – Golden State Warriors | 48 | 34 | .585 | 20.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Memphis Grizzlies | 48 | 34 | .585 | 20.0 | 82 |
| 9 | pi – Sacramento Kings | 40 | 42 | .488 | 28.0 | 82 |
| 10 | pi – Dallas Mavericks | 39 | 43 | .476 | 29.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Phoenix Suns | 36 | 46 | .439 | 32.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Portland Trail Blazers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 32.0 | 82 |
| 13 | San Antonio Spurs | 34 | 48 | .415 | 34.0 | 82 |
| 14 | New Orleans Pelicans | 21 | 61 | .256 | 47.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Utah Jazz | 17 | 65 | .207 | 51.0 | 82 |
Game log
Preseason
Due to renovations at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers did not play any preseason games at their regular home arena.
| 2024 preseason game log Total: 2–4 (Home: 0–3; Road: 2–1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 2–4 (home: 0–3; road: 2–1)
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| 2024–25 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
| 2024–25 game log Total: 50–32 (Home: 31–10; Road: 19–22) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 3–2 (home: 3–0; road: 0–2)
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November: 8–6 (home: 4–3; road: 4–3)
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December: 7–6 (home: 3–2; road: 4–4)
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January: 9–5 (home: 6–1; road: 3–4)
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February: 10–2 (home: 6–1; road: 4–1)
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March
: 9–8 (home: 7–2; road: 2–6)
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April: 4–3 (home: 2–1; road: 2–2)
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| 2024–25 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playoffs
| 2025 playoff game log Total: 1–4 (home: 1–2; road: 0–2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round: 1–4 (home: 1–2; road: 0–2)
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| 2025 playoff schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Cup
The groups were revealed during the tournament announcement on July 12, 2024.[15][16] The Lakers initially won their first two games of the NBA Cup and looked to continue their win streak in the mid-season tournament play that started last season back in the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament, but losses to the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder near the end of Group B play would eliminate the Lakers' run at repeating as champions of the renamed NBA Cup.
West Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 4 | 3 | 1 | 437 | 392 | +45 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Phoenix Suns | 4 | 3 | 1 | 434 | 404 | +30 | |
| 3 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4 | 2 | 2 | 437 | 461 | −24 | |
| 4 | San Antonio Spurs | 4 | 2 | 2 | 446 | 443 | +3 | |
| 5 | Utah Jazz | 4 | 0 | 4 | 451 | 505 | −54 |
Game log
| 2024–25 game log Total: 2–2 (Home: 1–1; Road: 1–1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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NBA Cup: 2–2 (home: 1–1; road: 1–1)
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| 2024–25 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Christie† | 46 | 25 | 25.1 | .444 | .368 | .851 | 2.7 | 1.4 | .8 | .5 | 8.5 |
| Anthony Davis† | 42 | 42 | 34.3 | .528 | .298 | .788 | 11.9 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 25.7 |
| Luka Dončić† | 28 | 28 | 35.1 | .438 | .379 | .791 | 8.1 | 7.5 | 1.6 | .4 | 28.2 |
| Dorian Finney-Smith† | 43 | 20 | 28.8 | .442 | .398 | .714 | 3.6 | 1.4 | .9 | .3 | 7.9 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 29 | 5 | 18.7 | .438 | .382 | .818 | 3.9 | 1.4 | 1.0 | .4 | 5.6 |
| Rui Hachimura | 59 | 57 | 31.7 | .509 | .413 | .770 | 5.0 | 1.4 | .8 | .4 | 13.1 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 56 | 35 | 19.5 | .722 | .000 | .622 | 4.8 | 1.0 | .6 | .9 | 6.8 |
| Jalen Hood-Schifino† | 2 | 0 | 7.0 | 1.000 | – | 1.000 | .5 | .5 | .0 | .5 | 2.0 |
| Bronny James | 27 | 1 | 6.7 | .313 | .281 | .786 | .7 | .8 | .3 | .1 | 2.3 |
| LeBron James | 70 | 70 | 34.9 | .513 | .376 | .782 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 1.0 | .6 | 24.4 |
| Trey Jemison III† | 22 | 0 | 10.3 | .619 | – | .417 | 2.8 | .3 | .1 | .4 | 2.6 |
| Dalton Knecht | 78 | 6 | 19.2 | .461 | .376 | .762 | 2.8 | .8 | .3 | .1 | 9.1 |
| Christian Koloko | 37 | 0 | 9.2 | .606 | .000 | .714 | 2.5 | .4 | .2 | .4 | 2.4 |
| Alex Len† | 10 | 4 | 12.2 | .455 | .333 | .250 | 3.1 | .8 | .1 | .3 | 2.2 |
| Maxwell Lewis† | 7 | 0 | 4.1 | .333 | – | – | .3 | .3 | .1 | .0 | .6 |
| Shake Milton† | 30 | 1 | 11.5 | .433 | .294 | .846 | 1.8 | 1.3 | .3 | .1 | 3.9 |
| Markieff Morris† | 8 | 2 | 15.5 | .333 | .304 | .833 | 1.9 | 2.1 | .1 | .3 | 5.5 |
| Quincy Olivari | 2 | 0 | 5.0 | .200 | .200 | – | .0 | .5 | .0 | .0 | 1.5 |
| Austin Reaves | 73 | 73 | 34.9 | .460 | .377 | .877 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 1.1 | .3 | 20.2 |
| Cam Reddish | 33 | 8 | 17.8 | .404 | .277 | .615 | 2.0 | .7 | 1.0 | .3 | 3.2 |
| D'Angelo Russell† | 29 | 10 | 26.3 | .415 | .333 | .849 | 2.8 | 4.7 | .8 | .1 | 12.4 |
| Armel Traoré | 9 | 0 | 7.4 | .316 | .000 | .286 | 1.7 | .1 | .4 | .2 | 1.6 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 36 | 2 | 16.1 | .488 | .281 | .556 | 5.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | .3 | 4.1 |
| Gabe Vincent | 72 | 11 | 21.2 | .400 | .353 | .714 | 1.3 | 1.4 | .7 | .2 | 6.4 |
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Dončić | 5 | 5 | 41.6 | .452 | .348 | .891 | 7.0 | 5.8 | 1.0 | .6 | 30.2 |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | 5 | 1 | 34.0 | .414 | .368 | – | 4.2 | 2.6 | .2 | .4 | 6.2 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 4 | 0 | 7.8 | .200 | .000 | .500 | 1.3 | .5 | .3 | .3 | .8 |
| Rui Hachimura | 5 | 5 | 36.4 | .491 | .484 | 1.000 | 4.6 | 1.0 | .6 | .6 | 14.8 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 4 | 4 | 7.8 | .375 | – | .500 | 2.0 | .3 | .0 | .3 | 1.8 |
| Bronny James | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | – | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| LeBron James | 5 | 5 | 40.8 | .489 | .357 | .775 | 9.0 | 5.6 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 25.4 |
| Maxi Kleber | 1 | 0 | 5.0 | .000 | .000 | 1.000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
| Dalton Knecht | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | .400 | .250 | – | 1.5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 2.5 |
| Alex Len | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | – | – | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Shake Milton | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | – | – | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Austin Reaves | 5 | 5 | 39.2 | .411 | .319 | .857 | 5.4 | 3.6 | .2 | .6 | 16.2 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 5 | 0 | 12.0 | .333 | .000 | .750 | 3.8 | 1.0 | .6 | .2 | 1.4 |
| Gabe Vincent | 5 | 0 | 19.8 | .357 | .308 | – | 1.0 | 1.0 | .2 | .4 | 2.8 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Lakers only.
Transactions
Trades
| December 29, 2024 | To Brooklyn Nets
|
To Los Angeles Lakers |
[17][18] |
| February 2, 2025 | Three-team trade | [19] | |
To Dallas Mavericks
|
To Los Angeles Lakers
| ||
To Utah Jazz
| |||
Free agency
Re-signed
| Date | Player | Contract terms | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 6, 2024 | Max Christie | 4-year $32M contract | [20] |
| July 6, 2024 | LeBron James | 2-year $101M contract | [21] |
Additions
| Date | Player | Contract terms | Former team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 5, 2024 | Armel Traoré | Two-way contract |  ADA Blois |
[22] |
| August 14, 2024 | Quincy Olivari | Two-way contract | Xavier Musketeers | [23] |
| September 16, 2024 | Christian Koloko | Two-way contract | Toronto Raptors | [24] |
| December 29, 2024 | Dorian Finney-Smith | Traded | Brooklyn Nets | [25] |
| December 29, 2024 | Shake Milton | Traded | Brooklyn Nets | [26] |
| February 1, 2025 | Luka Dončić | Trade | Dallas Mavericks | [27] |
| February 1, 2025 | Maxi Kleber | Trade | Dallas Mavericks | [27] |
| February 1, 2025 | Markieff Morris | Trade | Dallas Mavericks | [27] |
| February 11, 2025 | Alex Len | Free Agent | Sacramento Kings | [28] |
Subtractions
| Date | Player | Reason | New team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2024 | Taurean Prince | Free Agent | Milwaukee Bucks | [29] |
| August 3, 2024 | Spencer Dinwiddie | Free Agent | Dallas Mavericks | [30] |
| September 25, 2024 | Skylar Mays | Two-way contract | Minnesota Timberwolves | [31] |
| September 28, 2024 | Harry Giles III | Two-way contract | Charlotte Hornets | [32] |
| December 29, 2024 | D'Angelo Russell | Trade | Brooklyn Nets | [25] |
| December 29, 2024 | Maxwell Lewis | Trade | Brooklyn Nets | [26] |
| February 1, 2025 | Max Christie | Trade | Dallas Mavericks | [27] |
| February 1, 2025 | Anthony Davis | Trade | Dallas Mavericks | [27] |
| February 1, 2025 | Jalen Hood-Schifino | Trade | Utah Jazz | [27] |
Notes
- If the Lakers' pick is at No. 1–4 during that year, their second-round pick will go to Utah instead.
