What Klay Thompson signing with Heat means for Lakers Melissa Rohlin Sat, August 22, 2026 at 3:06 PM UTC 0 Klay Thompson, who had been tied to the Lakers this summer, reached a buyout agreement with the Mavericks on Friday and plans to sign a twoyear, $13 million deal with the Heat. What does that mean for the PurpleandGold? Thompson was far from the perfect fit for the Lakers, even though the team very much needs to bolster its perimeter shooting and Thompson ranks fourth on the NBA’s alltime 3pointers made list. Klay Thompson will try for his fifth NBA ring with the Heat.

What Klay Thompson signing with Heat means for Lakers

Melissa Rohlin Sat, August 22, 2026 at 3:06 PM UTC

Klay Thompson, who had been tied to the Lakers this summer, reached a buyout agreement with the Mavericks on Friday and plans to sign a two-year, $13 million deal with the Heat.

What does that mean for the Purple-and-Gold?

Thompson was far from the perfect fit for the Lakers, even though the team very much needs to bolster its perimeter shooting and Thompson ranks fourth on the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers made list.

Klay Thompson will try for his fifth NBA ring with the Heat. NBAE via Getty Images

The Lakers need a young and athletic wing, such as Jonathan Kuminga, to pair with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler. The Western Conference is young, fast and deep — with the Thunder and Spurs seemingly having an endless army of fresh legs at their disposal.

The 36-year-old Thompson no longer fits that bill, even though he helped the Warriors win four championships in eight years with his legendary sharpshooting. Last season, Thompson averaged 11.7 points on 39.3% shooting from the field and 38.3% from beyond the arc for the Mavericks, who didn’t make the playoffs in Thompson’s two seasons with the team amid health issues.

The Lakers pursued Thompson in free agency in 2024 before he ultimately decided to join the Mavericks. Thompson and Luka Doncic played 21 games together in Dallas before the Mavericks stunningly traded the superstar to the Lakers in February 2025, a deal that was a great blow for Thompson’s title-winning hopes.

Thompson has deep ties to Los Angeles. His father, Mychal, won two championships with the Showtime Lakers in 1987 and 1988 and currently serves as the team’s radio color analyst. And Thompson attended Santa Margarita High and was a huge Kobe Bryant fan as a child.

Thompson was linked this summer to the Lakers, but he is signing with the Heat. NBAE via Getty Images

But Thompson will now compete for his fifth ring in Miami alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

As for the Lakers, they’ll continue their search for an athletic wing who could help them win their first title since 2020.

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Serena Williams will play mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in her return to the US Open By BRIAN MAHONEY Sat, August 22, 2026 at 3:03 PM UTC 0 NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams will team up with Carlos Alcaraz to create a powerhouse mixed doubles pair in her return to the U.S. Open. The U.S. Tennis Association announced Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz had been given a wild card into the tournament. The mixed doubles main draw begins Tuesday, with the winning team sharing $1 million. It will be Williams&x27; first time playing at the U.S. Open since 2022.

Serena Williams will play mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in her return to the US Open

By BRIAN MAHONEY Sat, August 22, 2026 at 3:03 PM UTC

NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams will team up with Carlos Alcaraz to create a powerhouse mixed doubles pair in her return to the U.S. Open.

The U.S. Tennis Association announced Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz had been given a wild card into the tournament. The mixed doubles main draw begins Tuesday, with the winning team sharing $1 million.

It will be Williams' first time playing at the U.S. Open since 2022. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion returned to tennis this summer.

“Let’s gooooo!” Alcaraz posted on X, with a fire emoji and tagging Williams.

Williams is not planning to play singles in New York. The USTA had been holding one women's wild card, presumably in case Williams wanted it. However, the tournament announced Saturday that it had been given to American Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion.

Williams played singles at Wimbledon but sustained a knee injury in her first-round loss. She played doubles with older sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open, and they could still opt to play together at the U.S. Open.

Alcaraz announced this week he would return to defend his U.S. Open singles title after being sidelined since April with a right wrist injury.

Serena Williams won a mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open even before winning any of her six singles titles there. She teamed for the 1998 championship with Max Mirnyi, who now works with top-ranked woman Aryna Sabalenka.

The mixed doubles tournament is far different now, as the USTA revamped it last year to make it a two-day, 16-team event it hoped would draw top singles players.

Few are bigger than Williams and Alcaraz, the two-time U.S. Open men's champion who is ranked No. 2.

The USTA also announced a number of updates to the field after some players withdrew from the competition.

Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz will team up, after their previous partners, Jack Draper and Elena Rybakina, pulled out with injuries. The teams of Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, along with Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, were given the remaining two wild cards into the main draw.

Also, Diana Shnaider remains in the field and will be given a chance to find a new partner after Daniil Medvedev withdrew.

The current field:

Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, Pegula and Fritz, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien, two-time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev, Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, Williams and Alcaraz, Muchova and Mensik, and Navarro and Paul.

The remaining two spots will be determined through an eight-team qualifying tournament Monday. The USTA gave wild cards to the teams of Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, and Peyton Stearns and Christian Harrison, to be part of that field. It is otherwise largely made up of the traditional doubles specialists who lost out on the chance to play in the U.S. Open last year, with direct entry based on the players' combined singles ranking.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

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Serena Williams will play mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in her return to the US Open

Serena Williams will play mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in her return to the US Open By BRIAN MAHONEY Sat, August 22, 202...

Nets rank 21st in NBA future power rankings, get A+ in assets Sharif PhillipsKeaton, Nets WireSat, August 22, 2026 at 3:09 PM UTC 0 The Brooklyn Nets came into the 2026 NBA offseason with the goal of improving the roster as much as possible following a 202526 season in which they finished with a lowly 2062 record. Brooklyn is not only building for next season, but they&x27;re also building for the future, but there are some around the league who aren&x27;t too optimistic about where the Nets will be in a few years. "The Nets have one of the best asset situations in the league.

Nets rank 21st in NBA future power rankings, get A+ in assets

Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets WireSat, August 22, 2026 at 3:09 PM UTC

The Brooklyn Nets came into the 2026 NBA offseason with the goal of improving the roster as much as possible following a 2025-26 season in which they finished with a lowly 20-62 record. Brooklyn is not only building for next season, but they're also building for the future, but there are some around the league who aren't too optimistic about where the Nets will be in a few years.

"The Nets have one of the best asset situations in the league. They have five surplus first-round picks to work with, some of which have immense value," Stephen Noh wrote of the Nets for Sporting News. Noh put together his list of all 30 NBA teams in terms of where they will be three years from now and he ranked the Nets 21st despite gushing about their assets at the moment.

"That gives them the means to accelerate their rebuild if they want to. They will probably still be a few years away from pulling that lever," Noh continued. "They still won't be in contention by 2029, but they should be on their way up as a playoff hopeful and have at least one point guard in the future between Brown, Demin and Traore."

Heading into the 2026-27 season, the Nets have at least 12 first-round picks between the 2027 and 2033 NBA Drafts, meaning they can still add plenty of young talent to the roster moving forward. Brooklyn also has veterans like Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle in the fold while having promising players like Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. still in the early stages of their careers.

The present doesn't look bright as the Nets are once again expected to be one of the worst teams in the league while also having a 2025 NBA Draft class that is underwhelming in the eyes of many, except for Demin. Plenty of moves can take place between now and the 2029-30 season, but as of now, there are writers like Noh who aren't so optimistic about Brooklyn's future prospects, but acknowledge that the Nets have the necessary assets to change that reality.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets rank 21st in NBA future power rankings, get A+ in assets

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Nets rank 21st in NBA future power rankings, get A+ in assets

Nets rank 21st in NBA future power rankings, get A+ in assets Sharif PhillipsKeaton, Nets WireSat, August 22, 2026 at 3:09 PM UTC...

New Photo - 7 actors who lost roles for surprisingly odd reasons

Talent doesn’t always guarantee a gig in Tinseltown. 7 actors who lost roles for surprisingly odd reasons Talent doesn’t always guarantee a gig in Tinseltown. By Allison DeGrushe :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/allisondegrusheEWbiophotoe5f8e89253c84b7085a43c502a3051a4.jpg) Allison DeGrushe Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at . She has been working at since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify. EW's editorial guidelines on August 19, 2026 7:01 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/ActorsLostRoles0401263dad4861b36b47138e9b260d815bf0a3.

Talent doesn’t always guarantee a gig in Tinseltown.

7 actors who lost roles for surprisingly odd reasons

Talent doesn’t always guarantee a gig in Tinseltown.

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Allison DeGrushe headshot

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Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson attends the premiere of 'Splitsville' at AMC The Grove 14 on Aug. 19, 2025 in Los Angeles

Dakota Johnson attends the premiere of ‘Splitsville’ at AMC The Grove 14 on Aug. 19, 2025 in Los Angeles.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

In a March 2026 interview on Hits Radio, Dakota Johnson shared one of the most absurd ways she ever lost a role: being too polite.

“I had an audition once, and it was a callback, and I went into the room, and I shook everyone’s hand and introduced myself. Then I did the scene, and I left,” the *Fifty Shades *actress said. “The feedback I got was that, because I had gone and introduced myself and shook everyone’s hand, I was pompous. That I was schmoozing, and I was full of myself.”

Johnson couldn’t believe it. “I was like: ‘What?’ I didn’t get the job because they said that I was being cocky,” she explained. “But I just had manners… It was pretty crazy.”

Chris Pine attends the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards on March 11, 2024 in Austin

Chris Pine attends the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards on March 11, 2024 in Austin.

Rick Kern/Getty

Believe it or not, Chris Pine lost the role of Ryan Atwood on *The O.C. *because of his acne. Casting director Patrick Rush recalled the audition in the 2023 book *Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History*, saying Pine was “really good” — but in Rush’s words, the actor was “at the age where he was experiencing really bad skin problems. … it looked insurmountable.”

Pine opened up about it on the *Happy Sad Confused* podcast in May 2024. “I had awful skin as a teenager, and then … after college, my skin started breaking out again,” he said. “Look, I was going out for *The O.C.*, like a teenage melodrama. I can understand why they wanted to have pretty people doing pretty things. And bad acne is not a key to [success].”

The actor admitted losing the role hit him hard, and that he had “a little PTSD” from how brutal the audition process felt while dealing with his skin issues. “It’s no fun going to auditions when you have bad skin. It was one of the most traumatic points of my life, but it is my story.”

Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning attends the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood

Elle Fanning attends the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood.

Monica Schipper/Getty

In May 2023, Elle Fanning said she lost a role in a major franchise film simply for not having enough Instagram followers.

“I didn’t get a part once for something big — and it might not have just been this reason, but this was all the feedback that I heard — because I didn’t have enough Instagram followers at the time,” Fanning revealed on the *Happy Sad Confused* podcast. “And so, that was a little like, ‘OK.’ I firmly don’t believe in not getting a part [because of my Instagram followers].”

Maya Hawke shared a similar experience on the *Happy Sad Confused *podcast in February 2025, explaining just how obsessed some producers are with follower counts.

“I’m talking about deleting my Instagram and [some directors are] like, ‘Just so you know when I’m casting a movie with some producers, they hand me a sheet with the amount of collective followers I have to get from the cast,’” Hawke said. “‘So if you delete your Instagram and I lose those followers, understand these are the kinds of people I need to cast around you.’”

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on Jan. 05, 2025 in Beverly Hills

Mindy Kaling attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on Jan. 05, 2025 in Beverly Hills.

Amy Sussman/Getty

In 2014, Mindy Kaling told *The Guardian* she got rejected from a show that was literally *about her*. A network reached out and offered her her own sketch comedy series… then made her audition for the role of herself and ultimately rejected her.

“We were not considered attractive or funny enough to play ourselves,” Kaling said.

She called the whole thing “humiliating,” but hasn’t let it slow her down. “That network is no longer on the air, and *The Office* went on to be one of NBC’s most hit shows in years. I feel like karmically, I was vindicated, but at the time it felt terrible.”

See Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and more stars in their first onscreen roles

Actors' first roles

11 actors who went to extreme lengths to get into character

Daniel Day-Lewis in 'Gangs of New York;' Robert Pattinson in 'The Lighthouse'

James McAvoy

James McAvoy attends the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on Feb. 16, 2025 in London

James McAvoy attends the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards at The Royal Festival Hall on Feb. 16, 2025 in London.

In 2019, James McAvoy confessed that his height has cost him jobs in Hollywood.

“As a shorter man, I sometimes get told I’m too short for a role,” the *Split *actor told the *Telegraph*. “Or even when I get a role, I’m made to feel like, well, of course, we’re going to have to do something about that.”

He also mentioned how much looks come into play, saying, “Sometimes you’re made to feel like you’re not good-looking enough to get a role. I was told once by an actress that it was an interesting choice, my casting, because nobody would usually believe that I would be with somebody like her. That was a kick in the nuts!”

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon attends the 'You're Cordially Invited' screening at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Jan. 28, 2025 in New York City

Reese Witherspoon attends the ‘You’re Cordially Invited’ screening at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Jan. 28, 2025 in New York City.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Even award-winning actress and producer Reese Witherspoon has been turned down for roles over some pretty baffling reasons, including for reportedly being “too smart” for a part.

“Over the years, I lost as many parts as I got,” she wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post (per *Harper’s Bazaar*). “I was always considered TOO something. Too short. Too feisty. Too energetic. I once got told I seemed too smart to play a young female character. 😳”

The *Big Little Lies *star admitted rejection really got to her at the time, but she’s since changed her perspective. “Sometimes the universe is protecting you from a bad job or a toxic relationship. So remember next time you fail at something or someone leaves you heartbroken... let yourself be sad, grieve what didn’t happen for a minute but move ON. Better things are waiting for you.”

Robert Redford

Robert Redford attends the 'The Old Man & The Gun' premiere during 2018 Toronto International Film Festival at The Elgin

Robert Redford attends the ‘The Old Man & The Gun’ premiere during 2018 Toronto International Film Festival at The Elgin.

Michael Loccisano/Getty

The late Robert Redford actually auditioned to play Benjamin Braddock, Dustin Hoffman’s character in *The Graduate*, but he didn’t get the part because he reportedly never “struck out with a girl.”

Director Mike Nichols, who had just worked with Redford on *Barefoot in the Park* on Broadway, said Redford was “eager” to land the role. But in the end, Nichols told him he wasn’t a good fit.

“I interviewed hundreds, maybe thousands, of men,” Nichols said at a 2003 screening of *The Graduate*, per *Vanity Fair*. “I said, ‘You can’t play it. You can never play a loser.’ And Redford said, ‘What do you mean? Of course I can play a loser.’ And I said, ‘O.K., have you ever struck out with a girl?’ and he said, ‘What do you mean?’ And he wasn’t joking.”

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7 actors who lost roles for surprisingly odd reasons

Talent doesn’t always guarantee a gig in Tinseltown. 7 actors who lost roles for surprisingly odd reasons Talent doesn’t always gua...

New Photo - See Val Kilmer brought back to life by AI in extended clip from posthumous film

Kilmer was cast in the film before his death, but production was delayed due to the pandemic and his diagnosis with throat cancer. See Val Kilmer brought back to life by AI in extended clip from posthumous film Kilmer was cast in the film before his death, but production was delayed due to the pandemic and his diagnosis with throat cancer. By Marina Watts Marina Watts Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek. EW's editorial guidelines August 19, 2026 5:47 p.m.

Kilmer was cast in the film before his death, but production was delayed due to the pandemic and his diagnosis with throat cancer.

See Val Kilmer brought back to life by AI in extended clip from posthumous film

Kilmer was cast in the film before his death, but production was delayed due to the pandemic and his diagnosis with throat cancer.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

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An AI-generated Val Kilmer in 'As Deep as the Grave'

An AI-generated Val Kilmer in ‘As Deep as the Grave’. Credit:

FirstLineFilms/YouTube

- The first look of an AI-generated Val Kilmer is here, with the late actor starring in the posthumous film *As Deep as the Grave*.

- Kilmer was originally cast in the film before his death, but the shooting schedule was delayed due to the pandemic and his diagnosis with throat cancer.

- *As Deep as the Grave *has yet to announce a release date.

Val Kilmer has been resurrected in the upcoming film *As Deep as the Grave*.

The actor, who died in 2025 of pneumonia at 65, has returned to the silver screen, thanks to AI technology. The seven-minute footage released Wednesday shows a young Kilmer as a Catholic priest conflicted with the mission of founding a new church while respecting the Navajo people and their culture.

Per IndieWire, Kilmer is expected to appear in a third of the screen time for the film, which is currently set at a three-hour runtime. Kilmer was cast in the film prior to his death, though the shooting schedule was delayed due to the pandemic and his diagnosis with throat cancer.

An AI-generated Val Kilmer in 'As Deep as the Grave'

An AI-generated Val Kilmer in ‘As Deep as the Grave’.

FirstLineFilms/YouTube

The late actor’s estate granted writer-director Coerte Voorhees permission to use Kilmer’s likeness for the film. The production adhered to SAG guidelines and compensated Kilmer’s estate for the AI appearance.

To bring Kilmer back to life, old images from his family archive and later footage of the “Top Gun” star have been used, along with recordings of his voice from before he underwent a tracheotomy, which affected his vocal cords.

AI Kilmer’s appearance resembles his likeness during his 90s film run, with the director having studied *Batman Forever*, *Tombstone*, and *Heat*, according to IndieWire.

Val Kilmer's 10 best movies, ranked

Val Kilmer and Ashley Judd in HEAT; Val Kilmer in TOMBSTONE; Val Kilmer in TOP SECRET

Val Kilmer celebrates 'perfect' 'Top Gun: Maverick' cast for EW's 2022 Entertainers of the Year

Entertainers of the Year

Voorhees told *Variety* how passionate Kilmer was about the film. “He really thought it was an important story that he wanted his name on. It was that support that gave me the confidence to say, ‘Okay let’s do this.’ Despite the fact some people might call it controversial, this is what Val wanted.”

His daughter Mercedes also spoke out in favor of the film in a statement shared with *Variety** *in March. “My father was a deeply spiritual man and this story of discovery and enlightenment in the American Southwest and his unique role in it really resonated with him,” she said at the time.

“He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling,” Mercedes added. “This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part.”

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A month later, she appeared on *Today** *explaining that using the technology originally provided a way for Kilmer to “overcome the limitation of his illness” and “evolved into something that he really was like, ‘Oh, wait. I have a chance to actually set a precedent.’”

Mercedes noted that “people that maybe have a more precarious position in the industry and are worried and see AI as a threat — which is absolutely valid.”

Later, she argued that “we have to contend with this technology one way or the other. And avoiding it, it’s not necessarily the way. It’s much easier to structure the rights if you proactively license something.”

An AI-generated Val Kilmer in 'As Deep as the Grave'

An AI-generated Val Kilmer in ‘As Deep as the Grave’.

FirstLineFilms/YouTube

“We do love people from the past, and we want to stay connected to them,” the director’s brother and co-producer, John Voorhees, told *IndieWire*. “But it has to be done with consent and compensation. It has to be done right.”

Joining Kilmer in this film are Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton, Wes Studi, and Abigail Breslin.

*As Deep as the Grave *has yet to announce a release date. See the AI-generated Kilmer in in the clip above.

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See Val Kilmer brought back to life by AI in extended clip from posthumous film

Kilmer was cast in the film before his death, but production was delayed due to the pandemic and his diagnosis with throat cancer. See...

New Photo - Did David Harbour just drop a major Avengers: Doomsday spoiler?

The “Thunderbolts” star hinted at a potential revelation involving Robert Downey Jr.’s character. Did David Harbour just drop a major Avengers: Doomsday spoiler? The “Thunderbolts” star hinted at a potential revelation involving Robert Downey Jr.’s character. By Wesley Stenzel :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/WesleyStenzelauthorphoto32b61793a2784639af623f2ae091477e.jpg) Wesley Stenzel Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at . He began writing for EW in 2022. EW's editorial guidelines August 19, 2026 6:57 p.m.

The “Thunderbolts” star hinted at a potential revelation involving Robert Downey Jr.’s character.

Did David Harbour just drop a major Avengers: Doomsday spoiler?

The “Thunderbolts” star hinted at a potential revelation involving Robert Downey Jr.’s character.

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Luka Doncic Spent Nearly $500K to Fly Lakers Teammates on Private Jet to Slovenia: Report OK! Staff Fri, August 21, 2026 at 7:09 PM UTC 0 Luka Doncic reportedly spent nearly $500,000 to fly his Lakers teammates to Slovenia on a private jet.MEGA Luka Doncic reportedly spent nearly $500,000 to fly his Los Angeles Lakers teammates to Slovenia on a private jet this summer. Doncic invited the entire roster to his home country as the team prepared to spend several days together away from the basketball court, per Slovenian outlet Zurnal24.si.

Luka Doncic Spent Nearly $500K to Fly Lakers Teammates on Private Jet to Slovenia: Report

OK! Staff Fri, August 21, 2026 at 7:09 PM UTC

Luka Doncic reportedly spent nearly $500,000 to fly his Lakers teammates to Slovenia on a private jet.MEGA

Luka Doncic reportedly spent nearly $500,000 to fly his Los Angeles Lakers teammates to Slovenia on a private jet this summer.

Doncic invited the entire roster to his home country as the team prepared to spend several days together away from the basketball court, per Slovenian outlet Zurnal24.si.

Luka Doncic covered the cost of a luxurious private jet that flew his Lakers teammates from Los Angeles to Slovenia.MEGA

"Doncic covered all the costs of a several-day trip, during which basketball players from the most famous NBA franchise will get to know some of the beauties of Slovenia," the statement said.

"For transportation from the United States, Doncic rented a private jet of a prestigious brand. The aircraft is a Global 8000 from the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier… The Bombardier Global 8000 accommodates 20 passengers in its luxurious interior," it continued.

The report also provided an estimate of what the charter could have cost for the trip.

"The plane costs around $75 million, and renting it isn't cheap either. The cheapest rental rate is $18,000 per hour, but that's only for those who book at least 25 hours of flight time per year," the statement added.

"If we take into account the length of the flight from Los Angeles to Slovenia, we can conclude that Doncic paid around a quarter of a million dollars for the one-way air transportation of his teammates," it concluded.

Lakers Players Arrived in Slovenia for Team Bonding

Luka Doncic's Slovenia trip brought much of the Lakers roster together for several days of team activities.MEGA

The Lakers' Slovenia trip brought much of the roster together ahead of the upcoming season, with the team scheduled to remain there from August 20 through August 24.

Based on videos circulating via X, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, and Bronny Jameswere among the Lakers players seen arriving at Ljubljana airport, where fans gathered to welcome the team.

The trip was expected to center largely on activities designed to help the players get to know one another away from the court. Golfing, touring, and a visit to Lake Bled were among the activities reportedly planned during the stay.

Luka Doncic Prioritized Lakers Chemistry

Luka Doncic hosted his Lakers teammates in Slovenia, giving the revamped roster a chance to bond away from the basketball court.MEGA

Doncic's decision to host his teammates came as the Lakers continued shaping a revamped roster around their superstar.

Cameron Carr was the only Lakers player expected to miss the trip because of rookie orientation commitments.

Luka Doncic's Lakers teammates took part in their first practice in Slovenia on August 21, completing a two-hour workout at Stozice Arena led by assistant coach Greg St. Jean.MEGA

Doncic's offseason minicamp with the Los Angeles Lakers shifted from team bonding to basketball on Friday, August 21.

According to BasketNews, after spending their first day in Ljubljana settling into their hotel, getting acquainted with new teammates, and attending a team dinner, the players took the court for a two-hour workout at Stozice Arena.

Per Ekipa, Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean led the session.

St. Jean, one of head coach JJ Redick's assistants, also had ties to Slovenian basketball after working with the country's national team at FIBA EuroBasket 2025.

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Did David Harbour just drop a major Avengers: Doomsday spoiler?

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