Seto is headed back to Lakers

The Lakers hired Judy Seto as their director of sports performance, the team announced Friday.

Seto worked for the Lakers from 2011 to 2016 as the team’s head physical therapist. She spent the last two years as director of sports performance for Select Physical Therapy.

The team’s news release said she “will oversee the medical care and optimize the health and performance of Lakers players.”

The L.A. native previously worked for the Dodgers as well as HealthSouth and the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Seto has bachelor’s degrees from UCLA in kinesiology and psychology, master’s degrees from Stanford in physical therapy and Troy State in business administration, and a doctorate from Temple in physical therapy.

Free agency period

The NBA free agency period will start at 3 p.m. Pacific time June 30 instead of 9 p.m., the league announced after reaching an agreement with the players’ union.

Teams can schedule meetings and negotiate with players after that time on June 30 but cannot sign contracts until 9 a.m. Pacific on July 6.

Extension for Stotts

The Portland Trail Blazers announced that coach Terry Stotts signed a contract extension through the 2021-22 season.

The team also announced that president of basketball operations Neil Olshey has signed to a contract extension through the 2023-24 season.

Stotts, Portland’s coach since 2012, led the team to its first appearance in the Western Conference finals in 19 years. The Trail Blazers were swept by the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors.

The Blazers finished the regular season 53-29 to secure the third seed and then got past Oklahoma City and Denver in the opening rounds of the playoffs.

Portland has made the postseason in six straight years under Stotts.

Durant weighs in

Golden State forward Kevin Durant said he is “doing better every day” but acknowledged he isn’t sure when he will be able to return as he continues to recover from a strained right calf.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since he suffered the injury May 8, Durant also addressed the idea that the team plays better without him — saying “that’s not facts.”

“It’s been that way since I got here,” he said. “I know what I bring to the team.”