Magic take Banchero 1st; Holmgren, Smith next

The Los Angeles Lakers are planning to exercise its $4.7 million team option for Jarred Vanderbilt for next season, sources told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Vanderbilt averaged 7.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in 26 games with the Lakers.

Vanderbilt will be eligible for a four-year, $71 million max extension on September 7.

The San Antonio Spurs have a tremendous amount of optionality heading into the offseason as they continue to build around Victor Wembanyama.

“We all have opinions every day, coaches meet every day,” Popovich said on Tuesday. “We talk about that sort of thing along with everything else. So when the season ends, we’ll sit down with management and have that discussion. But whether it’s a young team or an older team, every team has that discussion. Changes are made every year. That just goes with the territory.”

The Spurs will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season while Wembanyama is the probable Rookie of the Year.

“I don’t pretend to know what we’re going to do,” said Popovich. “We have a lot of possibilities ahead of us, whether it’s money in the bank or draft picks or being creative trade-wise. All those things are on the table. But aren’t they for every team? I don’t know why we’re any different. We’re just younger.”

Popovich and Brian Wright don’t expect to feel any pressure from ownership.

“If your organization is unable to understand that rebuilding takes time, then you just never get there,” Popovich said. “We’re fortunate because we’ve always had under the leadership of the Holt family the ability to do what we think has been best. So we’re always grateful for that.”