Frank Vogel named Avery Bradley as the breakout star of Los Angeles Lakers training camp, praising the guard's defensive effort.

"We've got two of the best players in the world competing together and all anybody's talking about is Avery Bradley's tenaciousness...It's become very clear that coaching against him, [we'd] say, 'Don't dribble the ball. If Avery's on you, pass the ball. Just give it up.' Because you're not going anywhere with a bounce with Avery Bradley on you," said Vogel.

Bradley said he lost 40 points over the offseason.

Vogel also praised Bradley's 3-point shooting ability.

"He's shooting the ball well offensively, too. Talk about his tenaciousness, he's really shooting -- not just corner 3, the arc 3."

Frank Vogel emphasized defense and physicality for the upcoming Los Angeles Lakers season.

"You're coming to play [the] L.A. Lakers -- you're going to get hit. You're going to get smashed in the mouth," said Vogel following their first practice of training camp.

The Lakers spent an hour dedicated to on-ball defensive drills, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Anthony Davis added that the Lakers will focus their mentality to getting defensive stops.

"He's a defensive coach and wants to have a defensive mindset. We're going to be a defensive team," added Davis. 

Kyle Kuzma will sign a sneaker deal with Puma Basketball, league sources told Marc Stein of The New York Times.

Kuzma was previously a Nike athlete.

Kuzma, currently rehabbing a foot injury, has not been cleared to participate in practice.

LeBron James praised Anthony Davis for having a "beautiful young mind" and he expects the Los Angeles Lakers to lean on him heavily this season.

“If we are not playing through Anthony Davis while he is on the floor, there’s no sense to have him on the floor,” James said. “He’s that great. It doesn’t mean every time down, we throw it to him, we throw it to him, we throw it to him. But we have the ability of doing it.”

James was asked whether he believes his dynamic with Davis will impact the free agency decision in 2020 of his new teammate.

“I’m a guy who lives right now. I live in the present,” James said. “If it’s happened in the past, there’s nothing you can do about that. And you have no idea what the future holds. If you start thinking about the future, then you will miss out on a great opportunity right in front of your face. And I think that’s even more selfish. So for me, having AD here right now and having the ballclub, we are not even going to address that during the season. AD will talk about it (eventually). Our goal is to get better every day. Coach (Frank) Vogel and the coaching staff will put us in the best possible chance to win every night.”

The Los Angeles Lakers traded the majority of their future to acquire Anthony Davis, but he will be a free agent next offseason.

Davis also wanted to join the Lakers and many presume he is all but certain to re-sign in 2020.

“I just want to focus on this year,” Davis said. “Coming here, the Lakers definitely welcomed me with open arms and made me feel like this was home. But at the same time, it’s about what we can do this year. We have a special team, special unit, special coaching staff and we’re going to do whatever we can to focus on this year and try to come out victorious.”

Davis went from a small media market in New Orleans to one of the biggest in Los Angeles.

“What I’m interested in is the stuff we do on the floor,” Davis said. “Obviously it’s a bigger city, bigger media coverage, but I knew that when I got traded here, so I’m prepared for that. I think it can be a fun year.”

Kyle Kuzma is progressing with his rehabilitation from an injury (stress reaction, left foot) that occurred while he was with USA Basketball.

Kuzma has not been cleared for full practice or game participation. He is scheduled for an MRI when the team returns from China, and a status update will be given at that time.

Kyle Kuzma will miss the start of Los Angeles Lakers training camp due to a stress injury in his lower left leg, league sources told Marc Stein of The New York Times.

The Lakers are expected to issue a team update later this week.

Kuzma, who suffered the ankle injury during Team USA training camp, withdrew from the team after sitting out their exhibition games against Australia last month. 

Frank Vogel discussed his expectations for the upcoming Los Angeles Lakers season, highlighting the team's three-point shooting as a key to a potentially high-powered offense.

"I think Rondo has shot the heck out of the basketball from the 3-point line...[Troy] Daniels, the shooting. And what I love, more than individual speaking, is the shooting that we have. At every position. Aside from our two rolling centers, everybody has the ability to carry a threat from the 3-point line. I think when you have that type of supporting cast around elite offensive players, you’re going to be a good team," Vogel told Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.

Vogel added that he will adapt the Lakers defense to defend a three-point heavy league.

"The offensive evolution has changed that whole mindset of camping out a rim protector for 48 minutes...Most teams play at least half the game with five 3-point shooters out there. Sometimes the whole game. The Raptors, for all the credit they got with (Pascal) Siakim and Kawhi (Leonard) and the ‘size’ they play with … Serge (Ibaka) and Marc Gasol are 3-point shooting 5’s, so they played 48 minutes with five 3-point shooters out there. So it’s difficult to guard and it’s difficult to take a McGee or a Howard and say, ‘OK now we’re going to take care of everything at the rim,’ because they’re guarding strong side corner, they’re guarding the top of the key, they’re not just in the dunker all the time," said Vogel.

Vogel also addressed load-management issues, saying that he would take each player on a case-by-case situation.

"It doesn’t mean Player X on a lottery team should be sitting out (when healthy), or Player X on a top team should be sitting out, a healthy guy, a random game in December. You have to follow the recommendation of your medical team. That’s what it comes down to."

The Los Angeles Lakers have been granted a disabled player exception from the NBA worth $1.75 million.

The exception stems from the season-ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins.

The exception expires on March 10, 2020.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied Lebron James' attempt to trademark the "Taco Tuesday" term. 

"The applied-for mark is a commonplace term, message, or expression widely used by a variety of sources that merely conveys an ordinary, familiar, well-recognized concept or sentiment message," explained the USPTO.

James, who uses the term on social media, applied for the trademark through his LBJ Trademarks company.

James wanted to monetize his social media videos featuring the "Taco Tuesday" term.

A spokesman for James' company said that ruling was their intended outcome as it prevents James - or any business - from getting sued for continuing to use the term.