The Los Angeles Lakers intend to sign Wenyen Gabriel to a Two-Way contract.

Gabriel has played for the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans this season.

Gabriel has showed flashes of athleticism and versatility at 6'9.

The Philadelphia 76ers have emerged as the frontrunners to sign DeAndre Jordan either as a waiver claim or a free agent signing. 

The Sixers have been aggressive in pursuing a backup center since trading Andre Drummond to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the James Harden trade.

Jordan, who signed a one-year, $2.6 million minimum deal to join the Lakers this season, would save the Sixers $2.3 million in luxury tax if he signed a free agent deal instead of getting claimed on waivers.

The 76ers have an open roster spot to sign Jordan. 

The Los Angeles Lakers will waive DeAndre Jordan to sign DJ Augustin.

The Lakers wanted to add a veteran point guard with shooting ability to back up Russell Westbrook.

The NBA has considered expansion for several years, but it has consistently said its horizon is not to do so in the short-term. The league may be getting closer to movement in this area, according to Bill Simmons of The Ringer.

"I have some intel," said Simmons on his podcast. "I think the league is going to expand to Vegas and to Seattle. And I think the leading contender to get that Vegas team is going to be the Fenway Sports Group. They have Liverpool. They bought the Penguins. They've been circling different NBA teams for a while. I think they looked at Minnesota. I think they're the leading contender to Vegas.

"If I had to bet on a LeBron scenario, it would be for him to be involved with whatever happens with that where he is the point man of that Vegas team. I haven't heard that mentioned. I don't care if that gets aggregated because I think I'm right. I think that is scenario A for LeBron. He wants to be an owner. I think he wants to run one of these teams.

"And I think conversely, I think the NBA is looking at this going 'We can add these huge expansion things.'

"I heard combined, we're talking $6.5 billion to $7 billion for the two teams."

While the existing 30 teams would lose out long-term over an additional split of media rights, they would receive cash up front in the form of the expansion fee.

"Ultimately, they want LeBron to be the point man of the team. They did this with [Michael] Jordan, we watched them do it. I think they want to do it with LeBron.

"How's that going to work with him playing basketball? I don't know. Could it be Fenway Sports Group buys Vegas and then LeBron plays them for two years and then eventually joins as the lead owners? I don't know. Can you see Adam Silver bending the rules making it so an owner could also play for the team? Would you put it past Adam Silver? He's bent over for the players in all these different ways."

Simmons added that expansion is getting closer.

"I think it is officially real," said Simmons. "In rich guy circles, there's a lot of people jockeying. I think that's why some people let the Minnesota thing go. Minnesota, everyone agrees, got a pretty good deal. But I think there's a feeling two more teams are coming. Wait for the two teams. I think they're going to be really, really, really, really focused on having minority representation with the two ownership groups. However that happens. LeBron is definitely going to be involved in that. I think that would be my prediction."

Simmons predicts Seattle and Las Vegas will each have a team within the next five or six years. 

Rich Paul met with the Los Angeles Lakers' front office Tuesday and had a positive, clear-the-air type of session to get the sides back in sync in the aftermath of LeBron James' public comments.

James openly praised Sam Presti, which was taken by some as passive aggressive criticism of Rob Pelinka.

Asked about the meeting, James said, "I think it's important that it always stays transparent between us and we don't really care about the outside noise. I mean, I think a lot of people are, to be honest, just jealous of the relationship that Rich has with the front office and with this team and with the relationship that I have, that I've grown over the last four years. I mean, that's what I think it boils down to."

James can sign a contract extension with the Lakers this offseason.

“I just don’t think (communicating indirectly) is the right way of doing business,” Paul told The Athletic. “And I don’t think that’s who we are, who LeBron is. We have a great partnership with the Lakers. The Klutch Sports Group and the Lakers don’t have an issue. Rich Paul and Rob Pelinka don’t have an issue. LeBron Jamesand Rob Pelinka don’t have an issue. And Jeanie Buss and LeBron and Rich Paul don’t have an issue. It’s very simple. Very simple. So, you know, whoever put that type of stuff out, and people run with it, I think it’s unfair to the Lakers.”

LeBron James attempted to clear the air about how he sees the remainder of his career playing out with the Los Angeles Lakers following a number of comments during the All-Star break that suggested he's interested in leaving the franchise.

"This is a franchise I see myself being with. I'm here. I'm here," James said after the Lakers' 105-102 loss to the LA Clippers. "I see myself being with the purple and gold as long as I can play."

James is eligible for a two-year extension with the Lakers this offseason and has also suggested he would like to be teammates with his son, Bronny James, who is a junior in high school.

"I also have a goal that, if it's possible -- I don't even know if it's possible -- that if I can play with my son, I would love to do that," said James, 37. "Is that, like, something that any man shouldn't want that in life? That's like the coolest thing that could possibly happen. That doesn't mean I don't want to be with this franchise."

James also clarified that while Rob Pelinka might consult him on personnel decisions, the ultimate decision is made by Pelinka.

"I don't push the buttons," James said. "They ask for my opinion, and I voice my opinion and what I believe. But I don't press any buttons. That's what our front office is for, and that's what our leadership group is for.

"I don't press no buttons. So we can state that right now."

There have been reports of issues between LeBron James and Rob Pelinka as the Los Angeles Lakers in which his future with the franchise has come into question.

James was disappointed when the Lakers didn't make a move at the trade deadline. 

"I spoke to Rich Paul," said Shams Charania on the Pat McAfee Show. "Rich Paul told me there is no issues between him and the Lakers. There's no issues between Klutch Sports and Rob Pelinka. There is no issue between LeBron and the Lakers.

"Rich is an agent that has made a history of going on the record. If you feel a certain way, he's not afraid to hide it. For him to say that and he did go on the record today when I spoke with him. There's no friction. There is of course a level of frustration."

James will be eligible for a contract extension with the Lakers this offseason.

Rob Pelinka has insisted internally that there are no hard feelings between himself and LeBron James coming out of the trade deadline period, sources tell Bill Oram of The Athletic. 

One source, however, characterized the situation between James and the Los Angeles Lakers as being similar to "the early days of a war."

The Lakers have yet to show a particular willingness to engage in battle with James. James made several comments over All-Star weekend to suggest he is unhappy with his current situation with the Lakers.

James praised the job Sam Presti has done running the Oklahoma City Thunder while openly discussing the possibility of returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Pelinka clearly misspoke when he said there was "alignment" between the front office and James and Anthony Davis. James clearly wanted the Lakers to do something at the deadline. 

Sources inside the Lakers have said that even Kobe Bryant never had as much power within the franchise as James has now. James helped strong-arm the Lakers into a trade for Russell Westbrook, which has been a disaster. 

On a recent episode of The Lowe Post, Zach Lowe opened with a monologue of where the Los Angeles Lakers sit after the trade deadline. Lowe recapped the Lakers non-activity at the deadline, and LeBron James putting Los Angeles on notice with his recent comments at All-Star weekend.

With his opening segment, Lowe also added a new detail about the rumored Russell Westbrook for John Wall swap that the Lakers talked with the Houston Rockets. Previous reporting was that the Rockets were insistent on getting the Lakers 2027 first-round pick to take on Westbrook. Lowe reported that Houston's demands dropped to the right to swap first-round picks in 2027 with trading Wall for Westbrook.

The Lakers weren't interested in doing the deal, even with the lessened demands. That left Los Angeles with their roster as is, as they head into the stretch run of the season.

LeBron James All-Star Weekend was a homecoming, as he returned to Cleveland. Throughout the weekend, James made it known he still has affinity for the city, even saying he wouldn't close the door on returning to the Cavaliers at some point. James also said he has every intention of playing in the NBA with his son Bronny before he retires.

But what James really did was put the Los Angeles Lakers on notice that major changes are needed this offseason.

ESPN reports that James was upset the Lakers didn't make a deal leading up to the trade deadline. In addition, James was even more upset when Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said he was on board with keeping the roster whole. ESPN sources indicate James never agreed to that plan.

The belief is that James will push Los Angeles to make moves to surround him with veteran talent for another title run. And that he may make those roster-change demands before considering signing an extension this summer, when the Lakers can first offer him one.