Smart

Welcome back to the Lakers newsletter, where we’re likely standing at an airport as you read this.

The NBA schedule is in full swing. The chaos JJ Redick mentioned at the beginning of the season has arrived. The Lakers played a game with seven standard contract players. Austin Reaves went on a heater for the ages, scoring 51 points in a game, 41 in the next, then hitting the game-winner in the one after that. Nick Smith Jr. threw up in the hallway at Moda Center then dropped 25 on the Portland Trail Blazers.

But through it all, the Lakers are crediting their 6-2 start to something that can’t be measured in the box score.

‘Play Laker basketball’

There seems to be an advanced statistic for everything now. As a math person, I wholeheartedly embrace the nerdification of sports. But the thing Redick preaches most to his team is something that can’t be quantified.

Just “playing hard.”

It sounds simple, but, in fact, there is a way to do it wrong.

“That’s what we call ‘fake hustle,’” guard Marcus Smart said. “It’s all for the cameras. It’s all just to look good so you don’t get in trouble in the film room. But when you’re playing hard, you can feel it. You can feel the way you’re playing, you can feel the way the energy. Your body can feel it. Your mind can feel it. And you’d be surprised how the game turns out because of that.”

The Lakers’ early season commitment to simply playing hard has helped them weather injury storms and roster uncertainty. They’ve gone 3-1 in games without Luka Doncic. One of those victories was without Doncic and Austin Reaves, and all have been on the road. LeBron James hasn’t even played a minute this season.

“There’s certain things that we are doing right now that we did not do until mid-to-late January of last year,” Redick said before the Lakers’ game against Memphis.

Naturally, only hours after praising his team’s consistent competitiveness, Redick was frustrated with the effort in the second quarter against the Grizzlies. He called his players “zombies” as they let Memphis score 19 unanswered points in the second quarter.

So, no, things aren’t perfect yet.

But in a long season, with pieces that are still finding their way together, any early glimpse at some of those intangible, championship team qualities are meaningful. Redick lauded his team’s confidence, belief and connectivity in the win over Portland without Doncic or Reaves. Getting any or all of their stars back will change the complexion of what this team will ultimately achieve in April, May or — they hope — June, but the Lakers don’t want to it to affect what they do any given night.

“I think it all started in training camp, really just going as hard as we can, JJ not giving the crap who’s out there,” center Deandre Ayton said. “He wants to play Laker basketball.”

After the Lakers beat the Grizzlies, Smart gave the team a B+ in how hard it’s playing. But after Monday’s win in Portland in which Smith scored 25 points off the bench, Smart upgraded the rating to a B++.

So there’s still room to grow on this report card.

A new boss in town

New Lakers majority owner Mark Walter.

(Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

The Lakers officially have a new majority owner.

Mark Walter’s acquisition of the Lakers was unanimously approved by the NBA board of governors last Thursday. It was a monumental week for the billionaire. One day after the sale went final, Walter hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy for the second time in as many years with the Dodgers, who won the World Series in epic Game 7 fashion. Then on Sunday, Walter was sitting courtside at Crypto.com Arena in a royal blue Dodgers jacket to watch the Lakers defeat the Heat. An arena employee shook Walter’s hand, presumably thanking him for bringing L.A. another championship and already dreaming about the next one that could come for the purple and gold.

Redick said he spoke briefly with Walter after the news and came away impressed with Walter’s enthusiasm to learn about a new league.

“Baseball is an individual sport masquerading as a team sport. It’s a different thing,” Redick said. “Daryl Morey said it best on a podcast a couple years ago. He said the NBA now is the equivalent of the Giants when Barry Bonds was in his prime, basically getting to bat every single time and not only that, getting to pick who pitches to him every single time. That’s what the NBA is. … The impact of star players, a guy like Luka, a guy like LeBron, a guy like AR, it’s just different than any other sport.”

Favorite thing I ate this week

Miso pork katsu sando from Tokyo Sando food cart in Portland.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

As my Uber driver dropped me off at my hotel in Portland, we drove by a collection of food trucks around the corner. He recommended that I make a stop for lunch. Little did he know, I had already scoped out the entire area, and I had my target locked.

The miso pork katsu sando from Tokyo Sando felt like culinary perfection after a chaotic back-to-back turnaround.

In case you missed it

No Big 3, no problem: Nick Smith Jr. helps lead Lakers to fourth consecutive win

Jake LaRavia won’t be unknown to Lakers fans much longer with games like this

Luka Doncic drops triple-double to power Lakers to victory over Heat

Luka Doncic returns and Lakers get a road win at Memphis

NBA approves Buss family sale of Lakers to Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter

Austin Reaves hits game-winner as Lakers hang on to defeat Timberwolves

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at [email protected], and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

A new report from the city controller’s office questions the effectiveness of the LAPD’s signature crisis response program, saying clinicians trained in de-escalation too often are forced to defer to armed patrol officers.

For years, Los Angeles Police Department officials have touted the success of the Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team, or SMART. But critics say the program, which pairs licensed specialists with officers in unmarked cars, is failing in the crucial initial minutes of encounters when multiple police shootings of mentally ill people have occurred.

Dinah M. Manning, chief of strategic initiatives and senior advisor in the controller’s office, said the report found an “inherent contradiction” in the SMART program.

Even though its purpose is to send in clinicians and tap their expertise to avoid killings, LAPD policy still requires armed patrol officers to clear a scene of any potential threats beforehand.

Traditional police units almost always take charge, even on calls in which no weapon is involved, such as a person threatening to commit suicide, Manning said.

Referring to SMART as a co-response program “is pretty much a misnomer in this case,” she said. “How is it that we’re ending up with so many fatalities?”

An LAPD spokesperson declined to comment in response to questions about the report.

LAPD officers have opened fire 35 times this year; in recent years, department statistics showed at least a third of all police shootings involved someone with obvious signs of emotional distress.

The report pointed to other shortcomings with the SMART program, which is housed within the department’s Mental Health Unit. Officers detailed to the units receive no specialized training, the report said, also finding that the department has failed to properly track uses of force on mental health-related calls.

The department’s existing use of force policy “falls short” of best practices for dealing with people in mental distress, the controller’s report said. The LAPD’s policy, it said, “only makes cursory mention of ‘vulnerable populations’ without expounding on the dynamic realities presented in encounters with people who have a mental health condition or appear to be in a mental health crisis.”

Too often in cases in which SMART responds, the report said, the outcome is that the person in crisis is placed on an involuntary 72-hour hold. Such scenarios do not involve an arrest or criminal charges; instead the person is held under state law that allows for detention if a person poses a threat to themselves or others.

The controller’s report comes amid a continued debate in L.A. and elsewhere about how officials should respond to emergencies involving mental health, homelessness, substance use or minor traffic incidents.

The city has expanded its alternative programs in recent years, but proponents warn that looming cuts in federal spending for social safety net programs under the Trump administration could hinder efforts to scale up and have more impact.

LAPD leaders in the past offered support of such programs, while cautioning that any call has the potential to quickly spiral into violence, necessitating the presence of officers.

PHOENIX — Marcus Smart estimated he’ll be limited to about 20 to 25 minutes in his Lakers preseason debut Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns as he returns from Achilles tendinopathy.

Speaking after the team’s shootaround Tuesday, the 31-year-old guard said the rash of Achilles injuries suffered by NBA stars recently — including three during the playoffs last season — made his initial diagnosis frightening, but he took a cautious approach with the Lakers staff to ensure he was ready for the season.

“It wasn’t scary in the fact of understanding that tendinopathy, we all kind of have it playing over the time,” said Smart, who is entering his 12th NBA season. “Just making sure you do everything you need to do, to make sure that you can get back out here, or to be able to say, ‘No, I can’t.’ So you got to test it, unfortunately, and you got to see where you’re at. So we’ve done all the tests on the court, off the court and we’re feeling fast, feeling good so we want to give it a shot.”

Guard Luka Doncic is also expected to make his preseason debut after he was on a modified training schedule following a busy summer spent with the Slovenian national team. Coach JJ Redick said Monday after practice that Doncic and the team’s training staff had yet to determine a minutes restriction on Doncic, but expects that the five-time All-Star will see an increased workload by the time he suits up again for his second preseason game.

The Lakers will follow Tuesday’s game in Phoenix with a game against Doncic’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Because of the back-to-back schedule, it’s likely Doncic will play again Friday at Crypto.com Arena against the Sacramento Kings.

Since they are playing four games in six days, the Lakers ruled out guard Gabe Vincent, forwards Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt and center Jaxson Hayes for Tuesday’s preseason game.

Rookie guard Adou Thiero [knee] has progressed to on-court activities, the team announced Tuesday, after the second-round draft pick was battling swelling in a knee. He will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks.

As you think about and plan for retirement, you may be wondering how to get to a nest egg of $1 million. (Note, though, that the precise amount you will need for retirement might be more or less than that.) Let’s see how you can grow your wealth — whether you start with $100,000 or $0 or some other sum.

There are multiple ways you can achieve your financial goals. I’ll review a few here. Even if you’re very late to retirement planning, you may be able to significantly improve your financial condition.

Image source: Getty Images.

I mentioned $100,000 because lots of people feel that they’re behind in saving for retirement, but many might have saved that much by now. If you have less than that, take heart — you’re not alone. Check out these numbers from the 2024 EBRI/Greenwald Research Retirement Confidence Survey.

Source: 2024 EBRI/Greenwald Research Retirement Confidence Survey. *Excluding the value of a primary home.

See? Fully 47% of workers had less than $100,000 socked away, and 29% had less than $25,000.

1. Index funds for the win!

For most of us, simple low-fee index funds that own shares in a variety of stocks can be all we need to amass significant wealth. An index fund tracks a particular index of securities, aiming to deliver roughly the same return (less fees) by owning roughly the same securities. So an S&P 500 index fund would aim to deliver roughly the same results as the index — which has averaged annual gains of close to 10% over many decades, though that includes up years and down years and isn’t guaranteed to be up when you need the money.

To do some math, here’s how your money would grow over time at 8%. The table below assumes you start with $0:

Calculations by author.

As long as you’re not retiring soon, you may be able to get to that $1 million goal. Remember, too, that you can speed up the process if you can sock away more money regularly, especially in your early years, giving those dollars more time to grow. And if you’re starting with $100,000, you’ve got a great head start!

Here are three index funds to consider:

• Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO): This fund has a very low annual fee and includes the shares of 500 of the biggest companies in America, which together make up around 80% of the entire U.S. market.
• Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI): This ETF has a wider scope, aiming to own shares of all U.S. stocks, including the small and medium-sized ones that don’t make it into the S&P 500.
• Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (NYSEMKT: VT): This ETF aims to encompass just about all the stocks in the world.

2. Dividend stocks

While index funds can be all you need, you may want to consider dividend-paying stocks for your portfolio, too, as they have beaten other types of stocks.

Data source: Ned Davis Research and Hartford Funds.

If you have, say, $300,000 invested in dividend payers with an overall dividend yield of 4%, that would generate $12,000 annually — about $1,000 per month. That’s very handy income in retirement, and it doesn’t require you to sell any shares, either. Better still, healthy and growing dividend payers tend to increase their payouts over time, which can help you keep up with inflation.

3. Growth stocks

If you want to aim for much higher average annual growth rates for your portfolio, you might add some growth stocks to it. Just know that this introduces more risk — because while many growth stocks will deliver phenomenal returns, others will flame out. Growth stocks tend to grow faster than other stocks, but when circumstances change, they can fall harder.

You might try to manage the risk by spreading your dollars across a bunch of them. The Motley Fool investing philosophy suggests buying into around 25 or more companies and aiming to hang on to your shares for at least five years. Investing is best used as a long-term money-making effort. 

Those are three approaches to building your wealth as you aim for a million dollars or more. You don’t have to choose just one of them, either. You might engage in them all, to some degree.

The Lakers’ first practice of the week gave them hope of what they can look like whole when Marcus Smart takes the court.

Smart has been dealing with Achilles tendinopathy most of training camp and has been limited in practice. But coach JJ Redick said after practice Tuesday that Smart “did most of practice, including some live play.”

Redick said LeBron James and Luka Doncic — along with Maxi Kleber (quad) and Gabe Vincent — did “modified, mostly individual work.”.

“Marcus participated in some live [practice] and then was out at the end,” Redick said. “Yeah he was awesome. He was awesome. He, I think given the workload of today, I was impressed that he was able to sustain his level of intensity for as long as he did.”

Redick said Doncic was out for “load management.” Then Redick laughed.

Smart has been one of the NBA’s better defenders over his career, winning defensive player of the year for the 2021-22 season while playing for the Boston Celtics and being named to the All-Defensive first team three times — 2019, 2020 and 2022.

That will be a big part of his role with the Lakers, and during practice they got a glimpse of his defensive tenacity.

“Yeah, he guarded me a little bit at the first of practice,” Austin Reaves said. “You still feel that pressure. You feel the intensity that he brings on the defensive end, and that’s going to be big for us. We need that. We need him to be the best version of himself. With that communication that he brings, especially defensively, he’s been in the league a while. He knows how to win at the highest level. So, very excited to have him.”

After the Washington Wizards bought out his contract, Smart received several calls from Doncic about joining the Lakers.

Smart eventually signed with the Lakers for two years and $11 million.

At practice Tuesday, Smart left an impression.

“He looked great. He was moving great,” Jarred Vanderbilt said. “But like I said, his main power is that he’s vocal. So being able to help the guys. Communicate, that’s a big part of defense also. Being physical is one of them, but also being vocal, being able to communicate. I think he does both at a very high level. So, he can definitely help us on that end of the floor.”

Vanderbilt is the Lakers’ other top defender, his versatility allowing him to guard multiple positions.

He was asked to envision what the Lakers’ defense will be like with himself and Smart together on the court.

“Aw, man, just causing havoc,” Vanderbilt said. “Not only physically but just vocally. He’s a vocal guy as well, so it’s being the anchor of the defense, flying around, setting that tone defensively. Like, I’m excited. I can’t wait to share the court together.”

LeBron James ad

At some point after practice, the Lakers were asked if any one texted them about James’ cryptic post about “#TheSecondDecision” on Monday.

It left many wondering if James was talking about retiring.

He was not. It was about an ad for Hennessy that was posted on social media Tuesday morning.

“You guys are idiots,” Redick said when asked, laughing as he spoke. “We all knew it was an ad, right? No, I think most people that text me are also aware that it’s probably an ad, so it wasn’t. … Nobody was freaking out.”

Still, James is entering his NBA-record 23rd season.

“I just got a couple calls, like, ‘what is this?’” Reaves said, laughing.

Rui Hachimura wanted to know what was going on.

So he contacted James just to be sure.

“I mean, [I got] a couple texts. But I texted him too,” Hachimura said. “But he was using a [weird] emoji. I don’t even know. I didn’t understand at all. But he loves to do that type of stuff. Surprises, right?”

On a night when Liverpool celebrated the goalscoring arrival of their record signing Alexander Isak, a moment of madness has proved costly for their other in-form forward.

Hugo Ekitike scored the winner in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory against Southampton to progress to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

But, caught up in the moment of his 85th-minute goal, striker Ekitike removed his shirt and held it up to the Liverpool fans in celebration.

He most likely knew he would get booked for that and was happy it was a price worth paying, but what he had seemingly forgotten is that he had already been shown a yellow card.

The sending-off means he will be suspended for Saturday’s Premier League game at Crystal Palace – not ideal when the player he is potentially in a battle for a starting spot with is returning to full fitness.

Ekitike went on social media on Tuesday night to apologise, saying: “I was so excited to help the team achieve another victory here in our home for my first Carabao Cup match.

“The emotion got the better of me. My apologies to all the Red family. Thanks to the fans who always support us and to my team-mates for this victory!”

But, speaking just after the game, his manager Arne Slot was left bemused by the incident.

“It is not [stupid] because it was his second [yellow] – it’s stupid even if you haven’t had a yellow card yet,” he said.

“Maybe I’m a bit old-fashioned but I did score a few goals – not at his level but I did – and if I went past three players and put it in the top corner then maybe you can say ‘this is all about me’.

“But if I scored a goal like he did tonight, I would turn to Chiesa and say ‘it’s about you Federico – great assist, great run and I didn’t have to do a lot’. Maybe that’s me being old-school.

“It was stupid, not smart in every sense. The good thing is that his team-mates helped him to get the win over the line, but the thing is he is now suspended for Saturday and that is far from ideal.”

META has launched a dizzying array of new hi-tech glasses – including a posh pair with a built-in screen for seeing apps.

The new specs were unveiled at today’s Meta Connect event by tech boss Mark Zuckerberg, alongside a genius AI that can create any video game that you dream up.

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Meta Connect is the company’s annual showcase for new gadgets and apps.

META RAY-BAN DISPLAY

This year, the headline product is the Meta Ray-Ban Display.

This is the company’s most advanced pair of smart specs to go on sale so far. The Sun’s Sean Keach has already tried them – read his Meta Ray-Ban Display hands-on impressions.

Regular Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses come with a built-in camera and microphone, and an AI assistant to answer questions – even about real-world objects that you’re looking at.

But the new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses go one step further and feature a built-in screen.

This display is invisible to the outside world, so no one can see what you’re looking at.

But it can show you apps – like WhatsApp text chains, Instagram Reels, or your camera viewfinder – that float in your field of view.

You can even use it to see live captions over the face of someone speaking to you.

It’s a full-colour display but you can still see what’s going on behind the overlays.

You can even use it to follow directions that float in front of your eyes – but only for walking, not for driving.

They come with a Meta Neural Band, which goes on your wrist and detects tiny movements that let you control what you’re seeing.

So tap your fingers together to select, or roll your thumb to scroll.

The glasses start at $799 and are available from September 13 at limited stores in the US, followed by a UK release in early 2026.

They come in two colours, Black and Sand, with colour-matched Meta Neural Bands to go with them.

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META RAY-BAN GEN 2 GLASSES

The regular Meta Ray-Ban glasses have also been upgraded.

There’s now a new Gen 2 version that Meta says serves up twice the battery life of the old model.

And you’ll get 3K Ultra HD video capture too.

They’ll still feature the AI assistant, offer real-time translation, and music playback too.

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But now they’ll last eight hours with “typical use”, according to Meta.

And you can charge them up to 50% in 20 minutes, with a charging case that gets you an extra 48 hours of use.

There’s also an upcoming Conversation Focus mode that amplifies the voice of the person that you’re talking to.

So you can hear them better when you’re somewhere with a lot of ambient noise, like a busy restaurant.

There are some new styles too, given that this is effectively a fashion accessory as well as a gadget.

The new glasses go on sale today and start at $379 – with the Gen 1 version priced at $299.

META OAKLEY VANGUARD GLASSES

Meta has also teamed up with Oakley for some proper sports-friendly smart-glasses.

There’s a new product category called Oakley Meta Vanguard, which are meant for high-intensity activities.

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So think: outdoor cycling, mountain biking, trail running.

They have an “action-ready camera” built in, and a three-point-fit system plus three replaceable nose pads so you get a secure fit.

After all, you don’t want your posh specs falling off a cliff.

They have Oakley PRIZMTM Lens tech to block out sun, wind, and dust – and feature built-in speakers too, plus a five-microphone array that reduces wind noise.

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You’ll get nine hours of battery life from a pair – or six hours with continuous music playback.

And the charging case gets you an extra 36 hours of charge, with 50% refuelling for the glasses in 20 minutes.

You can also pair the glasses with Garmin and Strava to query your performance, and even overlay your exercise metrics on the video you capture.

The glasses start at £499 in the UK and $499 in the US.

META AI TO CREATE YOUR OWN GAMES

Meta also showed off a special tool that makes it extremely easy to create your own video games.

The games live inside Meta’s Horizon metaverse, which is a series of digital worlds that you can share with pals.

And now Meta has developed its AI helper to let you create massive virtual worlds, game textures, audio, skyboxes, and characters all just by typing in some words.

You can even generate custom voices for characters, give them personalities, and they’ll spring to life in seconds.

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The AI lets you create game rules and systems, spawn objects, and change what you’ve magicked up on the fly.

Importantly, you don’t need any experience of coding.

You just chat to the AI in a conversational way to edit your game, and it’ll generate automatically in just a few seconds.

Then you can invite friends to play in a custom video game that would normally have taken thousands of hours to create.

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We now have our first full look at a modified 2,000-pound-class GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, optimized for use as an anti-ship munition as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Quicksink program. The Air Force has been pursuing Quicksink as a lower-cost means of bolstering its capacity to launch strikes on enemy ships.

The Air Force released pictures of Quicksink GBU-31s yesterday. The image set also shows smaller 500-pound-class GBU-38 JDAMs, but it is not entirely clear if they are in the Quicksink configuration. All of the pictures were taken ahead of a recent test that saw a B-2 bomber “sink” an unspecified “maritime target” in the Norwegian Sea with at least one of the modified JDAMs.

TWZ had previously reached out to the Air Force for more information after a B-2 bomber was tracked online flying from Whiteman Air Force Base toward northern Europe last week.

B-2 stealth bomber reportedly on its way to Europe, potentially part of exercise that has been underway off northern Norway. https://t.co/8hYSDgPens

— Hans Kristensen (also on Bluesky) (@nukestrat) September 3, 2025

Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighters participated in the event, as well. A picture also shows a Norwegian P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane flying alongside the B-2 and the F-35s at one point, but it is unclear whether it directly took part in the test.

In addition to the 2,000 and 500-pound-class types, there are also 1,000-pound-class GBU-32 JDAMs. All JDAM kits consist of a tail section containing a GPS-assisted inertial navigation system (INS) guidance package and clamp-on aerodynamic strakes. It turns unguided bombs into ‘warheads’ for the resulting precision-guided munitions.

The pictures released yesterday show tail units marked “Quick Sink Only,” suggesting there might be a specialized configuration for use on these bombs. This could be in part due to a need to interface differently with the new imaging infrared seeker attached to the nose. The seeker gives the Quicksink bombs the ability to engage moving targets. Standard JDAMs can only be employed against a fixed set of target coordinates, though versions with add-on laser guidance capability (called Laser JDAMs or LJDAMs) that can be used against targets on the move exist, as well. Unlike the Quicksink configuration, LJDAMs are not fire-and-forget and require the target to be lased from a platform in relatively close proximity.

As shown in the video below, the Air Force has described Quicksink’s mode of operation as using GPS-assisted INS guidance to get to a designated target area before the seeker in the nose takes over. Though unpowered, standard JDAMs can glide out to targets around 15 miles away, depending on the weapon’s exact configuration and release envelope. Quicksink bombs then find and categorize their targets by checking their length against a detailed internal reference database. The seeker then feeds additional course correction data to the tail kit to put the weapon on a path to try to detonate right next to the target ship’s hull, just below the waterline. Initial cueing to the target, which could be provided to the launch platform from offboard sources, is necessary.

In addition, the image set released yesterday shows a Quicksink GBU-31 with a ‘warhead’ painted with large black-and-yellow bands. Large sections of the front and the back of the warhead on another one of the bombs are seen painted a red/pink color. That munition also has what looks to be a yellow band at the front.

In addition, as seen at the top of this story and below, the black-and-yellow-banded Quicksink bomb also has a cartoon bumblebee and the logo of the Autobots from the popular Transformers media franchise painted on the side. One of the more well-known Autobots is named Bumblebee.

What any of these markings might reflect is unknown. For munitions employed during tests, bright color choices could help make them more visible to assist with observing their performance. The markings might also just reflect nicknames or have other unofficial significance for the individuals working on the project.

The U.S. military does have standardized markings for ordnance to indicate their purpose and configuration, with yellow bands signifying live high-explosive contents. Black bands are often used to signify some type of purpose-designed armor-penetrating effect. Red markings on U.S. ordnance are often associated with incendiary effects, and to a more limited extent with tear gas and other so-called riot control agents. Globally, there have been instances of red markings on thermobaric munitions, as well. Thermobaric munitions are designed to create long-duration high-pressure blast waves, which then create vacuums resulting in reverse waves, leading to intense overpressure. In addition to the blast effect, this also produces very high heat.

However, there are no clear indications that anything besides standard ‘iron bombs’ were used to build the Quicksink munitions for the recent test.

TWZ has reached out to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), which has been managing the Quicksink effort, for more details. When reached separately for comment, the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, which has been involved in past Quicksink testing, told us that they could not provide any additional information about Quicksink at this time.

The recent test also highlights other aspects of the Quicksink effort that underscore its potential value, including pairing the bombs with the stealthy B-2 and the potential to employ them as part of future coalition operations with allies and partners.

“The B-2 played a central role, employing precision-guided QUICKSINK munitions to engage and sink the maritime target,” according to an Air Force press release on the test. “In addition to testing the munition’s capabilities, the mission also validated the aircraft’s enduring advantages, including its stealth, range, and payload flexibility, while reinforcing its evolving role in maritime strike.”

Not mentioned here are the magazine depth benefits that the B-2 offers. As TWZ has noted in the past, this could be especially valuable when with Quicksink munitions. Each one of the bombers has a maximum payload capacity of around 60,000 pounds and two especially cavernous bomb bays. The B-2 has a demonstrated ability to carry up to 80 500-pound-class JDAMs at once. This is so many bombs that during a separate test in the past, personnel at the sprawling Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) ran out of shipping containers to turn into targets for one of the bombers to hit during a single mock attack run. The crew of that aircraft had enough munitions to leave a smiley face made out of bomb craters, as you can read more about here. With all this in mind, a B-2 could also carry a substantial load of 500 and/or 2,000-pound class Quicksink-configured JDAMs in addition to other munitions.

Stealthy aircraft, in general, make good sense as launch platforms for Quicksink, given the need for the bombs to be released relatively close to potentially defended targeted ships, at least in their current form. Non-stealthy aircraft could still use Quicksink munitions, especially to help finish off damaged small surface combatants with already degraded defenses. They could also engage targets that are less-well-defended, or even essentially defenseless, to begin with, including vital, but typically more vulnerable sealift assets and civilian cargo vessels pressed into military service.

In general, Quicksink offers a valuable additional anti-ship tool for various aircraft, especially tactical jets, which may otherwise have limited, if any, options for munitions dedicated to this target set. Smaller aircraft could also carry more of the GBU-38-based versions per sortie compared to traditional anti-ship cruise missiles. Any Quicksink-armed aircraft could also be tasked with targeting ships at anchor, especially if their congested closely together, as well as engaging ones on the move.

The Air Force has been developing with low cost in mind, too. JDAM kits have historically cost between $20,000 and $30,000 apiece, with the unguided bombs that they are paired with adding a minimal increase to the total price point. AFRL has told TWZ in the past that the Quicksink seeker unit cost around $200,000, but that the goal was to get the unit price down to around $50,000 once production ramped up.

Quicksink reflects a broader trend within the Air Force, as well as other branches of the U.S. military, in the development of new, lower-cost precision bombs and missiles that can also be readily produced at scale. American officials see this as particularly important for bolstering munitions stocks ahead of any potential high-end fight with China in the Pacific, as well as being able to sustain inventories in any such campaign. More advanced anti-ship cruise missiles would be in particular high demand in a Pacific conflict.

It’s also worth pointing out that wing kits capable of extending the maximum range of standard JDAMs from 15 miles up to 45 miles exist now, and could be paired with the Quicksink configuration. The JDAM-Extended Range (JDAM-ER), which can help reduce the vulnerability of the launch platform, as well as offer greater reach, is now a combat-proven capability thanks to their employment by Ukraine’s Air Force in recent years. JDAM’s prime contractor Boeing has also been working on a cruise missile derivative of the munition, or Powered JDAM (PJDAM), which you can learn more about here. The Air Force is itself known to be at least exploring pairing the Quicksink seeker with Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) low-cost cruise missiles now in development for Ukraine and potentially other customers.

Extended range could also put additional emphasis on the importance of offboard cueing for Quicksink munitions, which could come from assets belonging to various branches of the U.S. military, as well as allies and partners – like Norwegian F-35s and/or P-8s. So far, there is no indication that the Quicksink bombs have a datalink to allow them to receive additional targeting information after release.

“In addition to Norwegian F-35s and personnel who participated in the strike, support from Norway enabled U.S. forces to gain access to critical infrastructure and airspace, allowing the test to be conducted in a strategically relevant and operationally challenging environment,” the Air Force’s press release on the recent test notes. “The event advanced tactics, techniques, and procedures for long-range sensor-to-shooter operations. These included integrating beyond-line-of-sight communications and multi-domain targeting, both crucial capabilities in highly contested environments.”

U.S. allies and partners, not to mention the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, could just acquire Quicksink munitions for their own use, as well.

With the Air Force continuing to expand the scale and scope of Quicksink testing, more specific details about the bombs and their capabilities, as well as how they could be employed, look set to emerge.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Kilmar Abrego Garcia ’s request for asylum in the United States is a prudent legal strategy, experts say, because it gives his lawyers better options for fighting the Trump administration’s efforts to deport him.

But it’s also a gamble. Depending on how the courts rule, Abrego Garcia could end up back inside the notorious El Salvador prison where he says he was beaten and psychologically tortured.

“It’s a strategic move,” Memphis-based immigration attorney Andrew Rankin said of the asylum request. “And it can certainly backfire. But it’s something I would do as well if I were representing him.”

Abrego Garcia, 30, became a focus of President Trump’s immigration crackdown when he was wrongfully deported to his native country in March. The administration is trying to deport him again.

Here are some things to know about his case:

‘You can’t win every case’

The administration deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador because U.S. officials said he was an MS-13 gang member. It’s an allegation that Abrego Garcia denies and for which he wasn’t charged.

His removal to El Salvador violated a U.S. immigration judge’s ruling from 2019 that barred his deportation there. The judge found that Abrego Garcia faced credible threats from a local gang that had extorted from and terrorized his family.

Following a U.S. Supreme Court order, the administration returned him to the United States in June. But it was only to face human smuggling charges, which his lawyers have called preposterous and vindictive.

The administration has said it now intends to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda. Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and the main architect of Trump’s immigration policies, told reporters Friday that Garcia has “said he doesn’t want to go back to El Salvador.”

Miller said the administration is “honoring that request by providing him with an alternate place to live.”

In an effort to fight back, Abrego Garcia has notified the U.S. government that he fears being sent to Uganda, which has documented human rights abuses. He said he believes he could be persecuted, tortured or sent from there to El Salvador.

But even if he thwarts deportation to Uganda in immigration court, he probably will face attempts to remove him to another country and then another until the administration succeeds, Rankin said.

“By the law of averages, you can’t win every case,” the lawyer said. “The government has sunk its teeth far into what they’re doing with Kilmar and immigration in general, that it wouldn’t make any sense for them to just give up the fight.”

Taking a risk

Asylum, however, could end the fight.

The request would place the focus solely back on his native El Salvador, where Abrego Garcia has previously shown that he has a credible fear of gang persecution.

But he’s taking a risk by reopening his 2019 immigration case, Rankin said. If he loses the bid for asylum, an immigration judge could remove his protection from being returned to his native country.

That could place him back in the infamous Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECO, in El Salvador. It’s where, Abrego Garcia alleges in a lawsuit, he suffered severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation and psychological torture. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has denied those allegations.

Abrego Garcia had applied for asylum in 2019. The immigration judge denied his request because it came more than a year after Abrego Garcia had arrived in the U.S. He had fled to Maryland without documentation around 2011.

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers will probably argue that he has the right to request asylum now because he has been in the U.S. for less than a year after being wrongfully deported to El Salvador, Rankin said.

If approved, asylum could provide him with a green card and a path to citizenship.

‘Not going to let this go’

Abrego Garcia’s asylum petition would go through the U.S. immigration court system, which is not part of the judiciary but an arm of the Department of Justice and under the Trump administration’s authority.

That’s where the risk comes in.

Abrego Garcia has a team of lawyers fighting for him, unlike many people who are facing deportation. And a federal judge is monitoring his immigration case.

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys filed a federal lawsuit in Maryland to ensure he can exercise his constitutional rights to fight against deportation in immigration court.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis cannot rule on whether he gets asylum or is deported, but she said she will ensure his right to due process. His team says he is entitled to immigration court proceedings and appeals, including to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

“Even if he does manage to win asylum, the government is going to appeal,” Rankin said. “They’re not going to let this go. Why would they after they’ve invested months and months into this one guy?”

Rankin noted that if Abrego Garcia remains within the jurisdiction of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, that court’s laws would govern his asylum claim. He said that court has been generally positive toward asylum claims and likely would give Abrego Garcia a “fair shake.”

Finley writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Luena Rodriguez-Feo Vileira in Washington contributed to this report.

Palantir Technologies (PLTR +0.01%) has arguably been the biggest winner of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom over the past three years. Its AI-driven platforms offer incredible benefits for users, and it operates in a niche space with sticky business.

There’s no question that performance is strong and the runway is long. However, having climbed nearly 2,000% over the past three years, Palantir stock has become obscenely expensive. It trades at a price-to-sales ratio of 118 and a forward one-year P/E ratio of 256. Given the high opportunity but rich price, is Palantir stock a smart buy today?

Image source: Getty Images.

Why Wall Street is wild over Palantir

Given its niche area of operation, it’s somewhat surprising that Palantir has become one of the most popular stocks to follow. It’s not like AI giants Nvidia and Amazon, both of which play a central role in the general development of AI as a global phenomenon.

But it’s exactly the niche aspect of Palantir that makes it so enticing today. It offers a product that can manage pain points for large organizations, and the specialized platform means there isn’t a lot of competition in this space.

Palantir uses AI for data collection and organization, transforming how companies process their data and leading to quick and clear action. It brings disparate systems together, unifying data across one central control board and allowing managers to detect patterns that would otherwise have taken much more time and manpower.

The company has several products geared to different types of organizations, and its U.S. commercial business is its core product today, increasing 93% year over year in the second quarter.

Total revenue was up 68% over last year to $733 million, and government revenue increased 53%.

Today’s Change

(0.01%) $1.30

Current Price

$158.02

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$375B

Day’s Range

$153.09 – $158.23

52wk Range

$29.31 – $190.00

Volume

2.1M

Avg Vol

77M

Gross Margin

80.03%

Dividend Yield

N/A

The company closed $2.27 billion worth of contract value in the second quarter, up 140% from last year, with 42 contracts worth $10 million or more. Customer count was up 43%.

There are vast opportunities for Palantir to change company processes in many categories, automating systems and accelerating the pace of business.

Beyond its high growth, Palantir has many features that stand out. One is its long-term contracts, creating a “sticky” environment and a recurring revenue stream. The high contract value means money will be flowing into Palantir’s coffers for years, and they’re lucrative: the company scored 157 new contracts of at least $1 million in the second quarter. With the increases in customer count, value will continue to increase, setting Palantir up for many years of growth.

It’s also extremely profitable, with $567 million in free cash flow at a 57% margin in the second quarter and operating income that more than doubled as well as a 27% margin.

Is Palantir stock a smart buy today?

It’s not just Palantir stock that’s expensive. The market looks frothy all over, and inflated valuations are a setup for some sort of correction. However, Palantir stock stands out for its sky-high valuation.

Palantir stock has been expensive for a while, and it keeps rising anyway. The opportunity is enormous, and the company has a strong moat in its exclusive technology and algorithms that have been developed over years. Plus, it has long-term contracts with established clients, including the U.S. defense industry. That’s why investors are paying a premium for this stock.

If you have some appetite for risk and a long time horizon, you might want to buy Palantir stock with a dollar-cost averaging strategy. That allows you to benefit from buying at different price points instead of investing at what could end up being a high. 

If history has taught us anything, it’s that no one is truly safe. That gathering dread fueled some great ’70s paranoid thrillers, such as “The Parallax View” and “The Conversation,” but it’s been difficult to replicate that eeriness in today’s extremely online world, when our devices explain and obfuscate with abandon, conspiracies are lifeblood and we feel persecuted one day, invincibly anonymous the next.

The nifty premise of “Relay,” a new white-knuckle ride from “Hell or High Water” director David Mackenzie, is that a certain type of tech-savvy hero can, if not completely ease your anxiety, at least navigate a secret truce with those out to get you. And Riz Ahmed’s solitary off-the-grid fixer, Ash, who hides in plain sight in bustling New York, can do it without ever meeting or talking to you: His preferred mode of traceless communication is the text-telephone service that hard-of-hearing people use in conjunction with message-relaying operators. Like a ready-made covert operation, it keeps identities, numbers and call logs secret.

For the simple fact that “Relay” is not about an assassin (the movies’ most over-romanticized independent contractor), screenwriter Justin Piasecki’s scenario deserves kudos. Rather, Ash’s broker helps potential whistleblowers escape the clutches of dangerously far-reaching entities — unless, of course, they want to settle for cash. It’s a fascinatingly cynical update: Should we make an uneasy peace with our tormentors? (Hello, today’s headlines.)

Before those questions get their due, however, “Relay” sets itself up with clockwork precision as a straightforward big-city nail-biter about staying one step ahead. Seeking protection from harassment and a return to normal life, rattled biotech scientist Sarah (Lily James) goes on the run with incriminating documents about her former employer. When she’s rebuffed by a high-powered law firm, she’s provided a mysterious number to call. Ash, armed with his elaborate vetting methods, puts Sarah through the paces with rules and instructions regarding burner phones, mailed packages and a detailed itinerary of seemingly random air travel. It doesn’t just test her commitment, though — it’s also a ploy to scope out the corporate goons on her trail: a dogged surveillance team led by Sam Worthington (who should maybe only play bad guys) and Willa Fitzgerald.

As the story careens through airports and post offices and New York’s hidey-holes, the cat-and-mouse chase is dizzyingly enjoyable, worthy of a Thomas Perry novel. We wait for the missteps that threaten everything, of course, and they begin with learning that Ash is a failed whistleblower himself, one who is beginning to question his chosen crusade. Another vulnerability, recognizable in the occasional cracks in Ahmed’s commanding stoicism, is the loneliness of the gig. So when a restive Sarah, on one of their protected calls, gently prods for a smidgen of personality from her mysterious unseen helper, one is inclined to shout, “No feelings! Too risky!”

But that, of course, is the slippery pleasure of “Relay,” which pits individuals against venal institutional might. Flaws are the beating hearts of these movies, triggering the peril that makes the blood pump faster. Some of that effectiveness is undercut by some off-putting music choices, but McKenzie’s command of the material is rock solid, Giles Nuttgens’ cinematography achieves a sleek, moody metallic chill and Matt Mayer’s editing is always fleet. In a year that’s already given us one superlative case of adult peekaboo — Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” — “Relay” proves there’s still more room for smart, punchy cloak-and-dagger options.

TEMPLEGATE takes on Tuesday’s racing confident of building the bank for next week’s Ebor meeting at York.

Back a horse by clicking their odds below.

SILENT CITY (4.07 Lingfield, nap)

Roger Varian’s filly looked potentially smart when bolting up by nearly four lengths at Windsor two starts ago. She had an inexperienced jockey in the plate when she allowed a useful rival too much rope at Hamilton last time, but she still pulled miles clear of the rest. With Silvestre De Sousa back on board, she can return to winning ways.

NOBLE HORIZON (7.10 Hamilton, nb)

Bumped into a useful horse at Newmarket two starts ago. He made no mistake in a weaker race at Leicester 26 days ago and he can go on a roll now for his top stable.

NOVAK (7.40 Hamilton, treble)

Came back to form with a good second at Musselburgh last time. He is a C&D winner and is still on a winning mark.

VALOR SPIRIT (2.15 Carlisle, Lucky 15)

He ran three nice races on maidens and goes handicapping off a fair mark with a top apprentice taking off 5lb.

Templegate’s tips

CARLISLE

2.15 Valor Spirit
2.45 One Of Our Own
3.15 Curran
3.50 Ice Sovereigns
4.25 Reenie’s Dream
5.00 Homeland

LINGFIELD

2.30 Semser
3.00 Al Joory
3.32 Perfect Panda
4.07 Silent City (nap)
4.42 Foinix
5.17 Dogged

HAMILTON

5.40 Happier
6.10 Star Noir
6.40 Golden Horse
7.10 Noble Horizon (nb)
7.40 Novak (treble)
8.10 Shabu Shabu
8.40 Temper Trap

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Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

SMART doorbells are everywhere, but Eufy’s latest model is one of the best out there.

In this Eufy E340 video doorbell review, I’ve put it to the test so you get the real insight into what it’s like to live with.

Eufy E340 Video Doorbell, £159.99 £109.99 at Amazon

I’ve tested plenty of smart home devices, and video doorbells have become some of the most popular.

But too many lock you into pricey subscriptions or offer poor video quality that feels like a glorified buzzer.

Thankfully, the Eufy E340 is one of the best video doorbells I’ve tried, packed with features that work, and no monthly fees for the pleasure.

Eufy launched back in 2016 as part of Chinese tech giant Anker, and has quickly built a solid reputation in home security.

The E340 arrived in 2024, adding to Eufy’s already impressive lineup of smart doorbells.

It features dual cameras, colour night vision, smart motion detection, and built-in local storage; genuinely smart tech that delivers on its promises.

While it’s not the first doorbell I’ve tested with these features — the Ezviz EP3x Pro I reviewed comes close and even adds solar power —the E340 still manages to stand out.

Read on for my full thoughts on how the E340 performs in real life.

How I tested

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Eufy E340 Video Doorbell, £159.99 £109.99 at Amazon

I’ve tested my fair share of smart doorbells, from Ring and Tapo to budget buys, so I’ve got a pretty good feel for what’s worth your money.

For the past couple of months, the Eufy E340 has been stationed on my front porch, which sees a steady stream of parcels and visitors.

It’s had to brave typical UK weather, deal with delivery drivers, and keep up with the comings and goings of a busy family home.

I tried it in all sorts of conditions, day and night, rain and shine, using the Eufy app for alerts to see how well it performs.

After having it watch over my front door for a while, I have to say I’m impressed.

The Nitty-Gritty

First impressions

6

Eufy E340 Video Doorbell, £159.99 £109.99 at Amazon

I expected a solid smart doorbell, but the Eufy E340 felt more like a mini security system.

It’s bigger than most doorbells I’ve tried, thanks to having two cameras stacked vertically.

In the box, you get the E340 unit itself, a mounting kit, a charging cable, and some straightforward setup instructions.

The build feels premium and sturdy. It inspires confidence, unlike some others that just come off cheap and plasticky.

Setting it up was fairly easy. You start by mounting the bracket, then the doorbell just snaps right into place.

It comes with a small security key to remove the unit to charge, which is smart, but you’ll want to keep that key safe; it’s tiny and easy to lose.

Once I downloaded the Eufy app, the rest was a breeze. Just follow the on-screen steps, and you’re up and running in no time.

If you’re going fully wired, there’s a bit more faff involved, but with my battery-powered setup, things were a lot simpler.

Does it deliver?

6

Eufy E340 Video Doorbell, £159.99 £109.99 at Amazon

The Eufy E340 was smarter than I expected right out of the box, thanks to the 8GB of onboard storage built into the doorbell.

That’s enough to keep about a month’s worth of footage, depending on how busy your front door is.

You can add a HomeBase later if you want more storage, but I like that it’s an optional add-on, so there’s no extra gadgets to worry about right away.

That said, if you want the HomeBase, be ready to splash out another £159, though it’s really aimed at people who already have a wider ecosystem of Eufy gadgets.

If you just want the doorbell, it’s not a must-have, so you can skip it without missing out.

One feature I like having on hand is Delivery Guard. It doesn’t just notify you when a parcel arrives, it’ll also give you a heads-up if someone’s hanging around your doorstep so you can react.

Thankfully, I’ve not had to experience it in action, but it’s nice knowing it’s got your back.

Plus, with that second camera pointing down, I could always take a quick peek at the doorstep whenever I wanted.

6

Eufy E340 Video Doorbell, £159.99 £109.99 at Amazon

For night vision, you get two choices: a subtle but effective black-and-white IR mode, and a full-colour spotlight mode that lights up faces near your door.

The colour mode does lose a bit of clarity around the edges, but honestly, I’d much rather see who’s there in colour than grey shadows.

The Eufy app ties everything together nicely, and it’s simple to use, quick to pull up live views, and makes it easy to filter clips by date or device.

There wasn’t the two-way talk lag that I’ve experienced on other doorbells like this, so speaking through it felt a lot more natural.

6

I also liked the quick-reply messages, perfect for those times when you’re busy and can’t have a proper chat but still want to get a message across.

Battery life is solid too, with its 6,500 mAh battery; Eufy says it can last up to six months.

I’ve been using mine for just under two, and I’m nowhere near needing to recharge yet, with about 70% still in the tank.

If you don’t want to worry about charging at all, you can wire it up and forget it. Sadly, I don’t have existing wiring, so that wasn’t an option for me.

It’s true, the E340 isn’t the smallest doorbell around, but it’s definitely one of the sleekest.

It packs a bunch of smart features and sharp video quality without slapping you with subscription fees, just be ready for the upfront cost.

If you want a doorbell that bolsters your home security without any sneaky costs, this one’s a strong contender.

How much is the Eufy E340?

The E340 usually costs £159.99, but right now it’s on sale for £109.99, which feels like a bargain for what you get.

You’re paying mid-to-high-end prices, but with 2K dual cameras, night vision, and local storage included, it’s great value.

Add the HomeBase S380 for another £160 if you want more storage, and the upfront cost does jump quite a bit.

That said, compared to Ring’s ongoing subscription fees for cloud storage, the Eufy starts to look like the smarter long-term deal.

Where to buy the Eufy E340

You can pick up the Eufy E340 as a standalone unit, and right now it’s on sale.

It’s available from most major UK retailers, including:

Eufy E340 alternatives

6

If the Eufy E340 isn’t quite what you’re after, there are a few solid alternatives worth considering.

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus offers a sleeker design and sharp video, but just be ready for those subscription fees if you want full access to storage and extra features.

Then there’s the Ezviz EP3x Pro, which packs similar smart features and video quality, plus it throws in solar power for easy, hassle-free charging.

For those on a budget, the Tapo D235 is a decent option with good video and handy features, though it doesn’t have the same level of polish as the Eufy.

A call came from Luka Doncic a couple of times, at first making Marcus Smart think it wasn’t true and then eventually making him believe that Doncic was a Lakers salesman and that he wanted Smart to be a part of what they were building here in Los Angeles.

It wasn’t like they had a strong “relationship,” but Smart said he and Doncic have “a mutual understanding and respect for each other” from meeting on the court in past seasons.

So, when the calls came while Smart was training while trying to figure out his next move after he had agreed to a contract buyout from the Washington Wizards, he was swayed by Doncic to join the Lakers after clearing waivers.

Smart, who signed a two-year deal for $11 million with the Lakers, with a player option for the second season, smiled as he told the stories during his introductory news conference Tuesday about talking to Doncic and being persuaded to join him and LeBron James.

“It first came, my agent, I’m working out, and I get a call from my agent saying, you know, ‘Hey Luka reached out.’ And I’m like ‘yeah whatever’ you know?’ Like all right,” Smart said at the Lakers’ practice facility. “And then another day, same thing — Luka reached out again and now it’s real. It’s no longer what-ifs. It’s real and it’s something we need to talk about. And that was a great feeling, like I said, and that’s kind of what kind of got things going for me to be here and I’m excited to be here.”

The Lakers were in need of a point-of-attack perimeter defender such as Smart, especially with Dorian Finney-Smith going to Houston.

Smart was the NBA’s defensive player of the year in 2022 when he played for the Boston Celtics and has been on the NBA’s All-Defensive first team three times.

Knowing that Doncic and James are “two greats with [the] greatest basketball IQs that I’ve ever seen in this era” made it easy for Smart to become their teammates.

“And when you get a guy like Luka, calling, referencing, checking on you, trying to see where you at to see if you want to come and join something special that he’s trying to cook up over here,” Smart said. “And for him to say that he can really use my help, that meant a lot. Played against Luka a lot. Been on a lot of opposing ends of Luka magic. And to be able to come out and be on his side at this time, it means a lot.”

Doncic has a decision to make with the Lakers.

On Aug. 2, Doncic and the Lakers can talk about a contract extension.

He can sign a four-year deal for $224 million or a three-year deal for $161 million with a player option in 2028, which would then allow Doncic to sign a max deal in 2028 that would give him 35% of the salary cap for that season.

Meanwhile, Smart was asked what kind of recruiter is Doncic.

“It’s the same. He’s a competitor. He’s just the same way. He has that competitive nature when he’s talking,” Smart said. “He’s intrigued and that’s it. He didn’t really have to say much. Luka, his name, his ability, what he has done, [speaks] for himself. And for me, like I said, I’ve been on the other end of Luka magic. So to be able to come and join and see it and witness it on the other side is something that I was like, ‘why not give it a shot?’”

Wizards guard Marcus Smart (36) drives against Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio during a game last season.

(Duane Burleson / Associated Press)

Smart, 31, played in only 54 games the last two seasons, injuries costing him time that he spent both with the Memphis Grizzlies and Wizards. In the 34 games he played between both teams, Smart averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and shot 34.8% from three-point range.

“Yeah, I’m very motivated. You know, the last two years, for me, was in my eyes, a disappointment,” Smart said. “Injuries kind of stopped me and held me back. But like I told my wife and my family, you know, everything happens for a reason. And it’s funny that 12 years ago, I could have been here [with the Lakers] and now it’s full circle and I’m here. And like I said, everything happens for a reason. And I just look at those reasons was for me to be here, to not play for people to look at me and say, ‘you know what, maybe he isn’t the same?’ And now that allows me to be in a place where I’m supposed to be.”

Smart was at his best with the Celtics, where he spent nine years and reached the playoffs every year, including reaching the NBA Finals in 2022.

Over the course of his 11 seasons in the NBA, Smart averaged 10.6 points per game, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

The Lakers were 50-32 last season, but lost in the first round of the playoffs.

But he knows the Lakers are about winning championships and the chance to play with Doncic and James in high-stakes basketball games played a part in his decision as well.

“It’s at the top,” Smart said. “I mean, the main goal, the reason you go out and you compete the way you compete is to try to win championships and what better place to be able to do that than here, where the show starts and where the show ends. So, that was definitely a big part of it, being able to get back on that stage, being able to get to a team that definitely could use me and I know I can make an impact and I can help as well and that was a perfect fit here.”

The Lakers have found their point-of-attack, defensive-mind wing defender in guard Marcus Smart, who has agreed to a buyout with the Washington Wizards and plans to sign a two-year, $11-million deal with Los Angeles, people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed to The Times on Saturday.

Smart, the 2022 defensive player of the year when he played for the Boston Celtics, will sign his deal contract after when he clears waivers. He has a player option after the 2025-26 season, meaning he can become a free agent next summer.

The Lakers were in need of a defensive wing after defensive ace Dorian Finney-Smith signed with the Houston Rockets.

Smart played in only 34 games last season, splitting time between Memphis and Washington. He dealt with a finger injury on his shooting hand last season. He averaged 9.0 points, 3.2 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 39.3% from the field.

Smart, 31, played in only 20 games during the 2023-24 season with the Grizzlies, his time limited by a finger injury and left foot sprain. During his time on the court, Smart averaged 14.4 points per game and shot 43% from the field, 31.3% from three-point range.

Smart was at his best during his nine seasons with the Boston Celtics, making the playoffs each year. He missed the playoffs the last two seasons in Memphis and Washington.

He started a career-high 71 games during the 2021-22 season, when he averaged 32.3 minutes per game, 12.1 points and shot 41.8% from the field, 33.1% from three-point range.

That was the same season Smart was the defensive player of the year. He’s also a three-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive first team.

With a starting backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, two players not known for their defense, the Lakers really needed a defensive-minded player like Smart.

The 6-foot-3 Smart has the size, strength (220 pounds) and athleticism to defend three positions — point guards, shooting guards and small forwards.

His soon-to-be addition, along with that of center Deandre Ayton and forward Jake LaRavia, gives the Lakers depth and talent to hopefully contend in the uber-tough Western Conference.

Smart was the sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Celtics.

He has been a starter and reserve over his career, having started 387 out of 635 games in an 11-year career.

During that time, Smart averaged 10.6 points, 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds, a sign of his all-around talents. He shot 38.8% from the field, 32.4% from three-point range and 77.6% from the free-throw line in his career.

But Smart is at his best on defense. His career defensive rating is 107.9.

He has the ability to move his feet and stay in front of his man. He’s a very good one-on-one defender, and that’s exactly what the Lakers need.

A LITTLE-known car brand is preparing to launch an AI-powered luxury saloon to rival the mighty Porsche Taycan.

Chinese EV manufacturer Xpeng has unveiled the latest iteration of its P7 sports saloon that they’ve branded “more than a car”.

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Said to be Xpeng’s answer to “the AI [artificial intelligence] era in form and function”, the company has identified itself as an “AI-driven mobility company”.

Indeed, they’re positioning the new flagship P7 as a showcase for how AI can redefine the luxury car experience.

Details at this stage are scarce, but the previous P7 was described as “the world’s first AI-defined vehicle” and included highly advanced autonomous driving functions, as well as a ‘smart cockpit’ that included a Knight Rider-style voice assistant.

The next-gen model is expected to build on this, as well as introduce even more advanced capabilities.

Their ultimate aim is to stand out in China‘s increasingly crowded luxury saloon market – with the likes of the Avatr 12, Nio ET9 and Luxeed S7 all hoping to be big sellers.

Regarding the upcoming P7’s new styling, Xpeng’s Exterior Design Director Rafik Ferrag told Autocar: “With this new generation, we set out to design a pure-electric sports sedan that could amaze at every angle.

“This car is our dream – refined through countless iterations.

“In my eyes, the all-new Xpeng P7 is a work of art, shaped with emotion and purpose.”

It’s currently unknown if the P7 will be sold outside of China – with more details to follow.

For now, the Porsche Taycan remains the industry leader when it comes to luxury, performance all-electric saloons.

While sales have dipped in recent times, the Taycan remains a highly sought-after electric sports car ahead of the likes of the Lucid Air, Tesla Model S, BMW i4, and Audi e-tron GT.

One other Chinese brand that’s got Porsche in its sights is Denza – headed by motoring giant BYD.

The ever-expanding car brand is one of the largest private companies in China and has already started to make waves globally – including in the UK.

But for those seeking something with more speed and luxury, their sister brand Denza and their first car in its line-up – the stunning Z9 GT – might appeal.

Clearly borrowing design cues from the Taycan and Panamera, the grand tourer – with its shooting brake estate styling – was unveiled at the recent Milan Design Week ahead of its European market release later this year.