Matthew Valento

Matthew Valento graduated from Boise State University with a major in integrated media and strategic communications and a minor in journalism. He grew up in Santa Clarita, California and played basketball at Saugus High School. Along with writing for LakersNation.com, Matthew also hosts a basketball podcast called, "The Basketball Maestros." Contact: MattV@MediumLargeLA.com Twitter: @matthewvalento Instagram: matthew.valento
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673 Articles

Lakers Acquire Dorian Finney-Smith & Shake Milton In Trade With Nets

The Los Angeles Lakers announced that they have acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets in a trade involving D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and second-round draft compensation. Finney-Smith is a much-needed 3-and-D wing who is shooting a…

Matthew Valento

Lakers News: Dalton Knecht Still Confident In Ability Despite Recent Shooting Slump

Bench production was an area of concern coming into the 2024-25 season for the Los Angeles Lakers. There have been improvements since the start of the year though as D'Angelo Russell and Dalton Knecht have been two players that have…

Matthew Valento

JJ Redick: Max Christie In Starting Lineup Presents Optionality Defensively For Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has spent the first portion of the season trying to find the right combination of starters to accompany LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves. Seeing how L.A. needs more two-way players, Max…

Matthew Valento

Lakers News: Dalton Knecht Surprised By LeBron James’ Commitment To Madden

As Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James nears his 40th birthday, somehow he is still maintaining a high level of play. Seeing how many miles are on his body throughout 22 seasons is unfathomable, but he continues to find ways…

Matthew Valento

Anthony Davis Discusses How Lakers Have Improved Defensively

Defense is something that the Los Angeles Lakers have typically taken pride in, but that script completely flipped to start the 2024-25 season. That came as a bit of a surprise considering Anthony Davis is manning the middle, but head…

Matthew Valento

Lakers News: LeBron James Commends Rui Hachimura For Doing Little Things

Something the Los Angeles Lakers have been searching for is a player who does the little things. That player is typically Jarred Vanderbilt, but he has yet to suit up this season so Rui Hachimura seems to be trying to…

Matthew Valento

Jayson Tatum’s Agent Sets Record Straight After Magic Johnson’s Comments About Lakers Pre-Draft Workout

The 2017 NBA Draft was important for the Los Angeles Lakers as they were in the midst of a youth movement. That class featured high-quality talent in Markelle Fultz, Jayson Tatum, De'Aaron Fox and Lonzo Ball, who L.A. would ultimately…

Matthew Valento

Carmelo Anthony Believes Window For Lakers To Trade LeBron James Has Closed

One could argue that the Los Angeles Lakers front office and specifically general manager Rob Pelinka have not given LeBron James and Anthony Davis ample opportunities to contend for championships in recent years. Obviously the duo won a title in…

Matthew Valento

Robert Horry, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony & Marc Gasol Headline 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame Candidates

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2025, featuring several high-profile first-time nominees like Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Dwight Howard, Doc Rivers, Billy Donovan, Sylvia Fowles, Chamique Holdsclaw, Mark…

Matthew Valento

Lakers Vs. Kings Preview: Looking To Win Back-To-Back Games In Sacramento

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in action on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Sacramento Kings for the second straight game at Golden 1 Center. These two teams faced off on Thursday and the result was a dominant win for…

Matthew Valento