Five Key Offseason Questions: Los Angeles Lakers
It’s rare for a team that finished 41 games out of the top spot in its conference to have an air of optimism surrounding the organization. One of the league’s storied franchises has hit hard times lately but the Los Angeles Lakers headed into the offseason with some real hope for a turnaround.
They got lucky in the lottery, securing the No. 2 pick and putting off the first-round debt they owe to the Sixers for another season. They have a new front office direction, thanks to the in-season shakeup which saw Lakers legend Magic Johnson and former agent Rob Pelinka become the franchise’s top two executives. They already hired a coveted young coach prior to last season in Luke Walton.
There’s also a reasonable chance they can attract a top-level free agent or use some of their assets to trade for an All-Star level player.
Here’s a look at the major questions confronting the club this offseason:
1. Should the Lakers pursue a trade for Pacers star Paul George or wait until he becomes a unrestricted free agent?
George’s desire to play for the Lakers is an open secret. He would give Johnson the star he covets, and Magic has no bones that he’ll be shopping for a superstar.
Whether George fits that category is debatable but he’s undeniably one of the top forwards in the league. In a perfect world, the Lakers could sit back and wait for George to sign the dotted line next summer.
If the Lakers really want him, a preemptive strike might be necessary. They would probably have to move the No. 2 overall pick and a couple of young players to entice the Pacers to trade George prior to his walk year. Magic apparently views last June’s lottery pick, Brandon Ingram, as his only untouchable.
2. Assuming the Lakers don’t trade their lottery pick, is Lonzo Ball the right choice?
Western Rumors: Kerr, Parker, Ingles, Lakers
Warriors coach Steve Kerr says it’s unlikely that he’ll be on the bench for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, as he discussed with Anthony Slater of the San Jose Mercury News and the assembled media on Monday. Mike Brown has filled in for Kerr on the sidelines for much of the postseason, though Brown himself missed practice on Monday because of the flu. Kerr will travel to Cleveland when the series shifts there and says he’s been at practices and coaches meetings, but coaching during a game is still an issue because of back pain, Slater continues. The pain became severe during the opening-round series against the Trail Blazers. “You saw me in the fourth quarter of Game 2. I could not sit still in my chair,” Kerr said. “There was that much pain. I would say I’ve gotten a little bit better. That’s why I’m here talking to you right now. But you can probably tell, I’m not sitting here happy-go-lucky.”
In other news around the Western Conference:
- Spurs guard Tony Parker expects to return from his torn quad injury in January, as he told the French magazine L’Equipe and relayed by Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia. Parker required surgery earlier this month for the tear, which he suffered during the Western Conference semifinals against the Rockets. Parker will make $15.45MM in the final year of his contract next season.
- Gordon Hayward‘s decision in free agency won’t influence Jazz swingman Joe Ingles, according to Olgun Uluc of Foxsports.com. Ingles will be a restricted free agent once the Jazz extend him a qualifying offer of $2.687MM, which they almost assuredly will do. Ingles averaged 7.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.7 APG while shooting 44.1% from long range this past season. He would like to stay put, as he told Uluc. “I think we’ve got the team,” he said. “Obviously, Gordon is a big part of that, so his free agency — it’s not going to change what I’m going to do or where I want to go — but, we’re a different team depending on whether he’s there or not. I’m not gonna be sitting there calling Gordon every two minutes, but if everything works out in Utah and they want me, and it all comes together, that’s great.”
- California forward Ivan Rabb headlines a group of six players that will work out for the Lakers on Tuesday, which was posted on the team’s website. Rabb is currently ranked No. 25 overall by DraftExpress and Los Angeles owns the No. 28 selection, as well as the No. 2 overall pick. He’ll be joined by four potential second-rounders in Clemson forward Jaron Blossomgame (49th), Oregon guard Tyler Dorsey (46th), Nevada forward Cameron Oliver (59th) and SMU forward Sterling Brown (57th), as well as Florida State guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
Community Shootaround: Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin enters unrestricted free agency with some question marks but undoubtedly the Los Angeles Clippers star will wind up with a max contract. The big mystery is whether he’ll re-sign with the Clippers or seek a fresh start elsewhere.
The Clippers have the advantage of being able to offer him a five-year deal worth approximately $175MM. He would have to accept a maximum of four years and $130MM elsewhere but opt out clauses are often used by agents to circumvent those restrictions.
Griffin’s last two seasons have been sidetracked by injuries. He appeared in just 35 games in 2015/16 because of a quad injury. This past season, a knee injury limited him to 61 regular-season games. He missed the last four games of the opening-round playoff series against the Jazz with a toe injury that required surgery.
Griffin’s defense, and occasionally his character, has also been criticized. But there’s no denying his offensive talent. A power forward who can average 21.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG and 4.9 APG, as he did in his walk year, will have plenty of suitors on the market.
The Celtics, Wizards, Thunder and Heat are some of the teams expected to pursue him. Boston needs a big-time power forward to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference and Washington needs more balance to its backcourt-oriented attack. Griffin could return to his home state of Oklahoma and take some of the scoring and playmaking burden off Russell Westbrook. He could be “the man” for a club like Miami and even the Lakers could be an option, considering that he’d be surrounded with young talent and their No. 1 scoring option.
Of course, the Clippers will do everything they can to keep their core of Griffin, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan intact, despite the playoff flops in recent years.
That brings us to our question of the day: Which team do you think unrestricted free agent Blake Griffin will sign with and why?
Please take to the comments section and share your opinion on this topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
Joe Ingles Talks Utah, Free Agency Priorities
While Gordon Hayward and George Hill will be Utah’s top priorities in free agency this summer, the Jazz are also expected to do all they can to lock up forward Joe Ingles, who is eligible for restricted free agency.
Having expressed a desire during his exit interview to remain in Utah, Ingles reiterated to Olgun Uluc of FOX Sports Australia that his preference is to re-sign with the Jazz. “The priority is Utah,” Ingles said, adding that he has “loved” his time so far with the Jazz.
The 29-year-old, who enjoyed a breakout year in 2016/17, with 7.1 PPG and a .441 3PT%, expanded further on his thoughts about free agency, Utah, and his upcoming summer, so let’s round up a few of Ingles’ quotes from Uluc’s piece…
On how his family liked Utah and the Jazz:
“We really liked the city. What the team does for the families — which is obviously a little unknown to the outside world — looking after Renae, which they do with all of the wives and families and girlfriends, and all the significant others, is amazing. Obviously, I haven’t been with any other NBA teams, but the way they did that was probably second to none. It’s important for me, to know she’s looked after when we’re away for, say, 10 days.”
On whether the Jazz can be a title contender, and how Hayward’s decision affects that:
“I think we’ve got the team. Obviously, Gordon is a big part of that, so his free agency — it’s not going to change what I’m going to do or where I want to go — but, we’re a different team depending on whether he’s there or not. I’m not gonna be sitting there calling Gordon every two minutes, but if everything works out in Utah and they want me, and it all comes together, that’s great. Hopefully it’s a quick fix, and it’s done.”
On how the Hayward and Hill situations affect his own free agency:
“We haven’t sat down like, ‘I’ll re-sign if you re-sign’ or ‘You take less and I’ll come back’ or ‘Hey, let’s just split the money between the three of us.’ It’s just more of those general conversations that, we wanna see what we can do with a healthy lineup. Just that fact of, imagine what we could be if we were healthy. That was the main thing that would come up with our group.”
On the role money will play in his contract decision:
“The money is something that is going to work itself out. I’m not too stressed about that. I’m not going to make my decision on money, for sure. There’s no way that’s gonna happen.”
NBA Execs Skeptical About Chris Bosh Comeback
The Heat and Chris Bosh have reached a tentative agreement to part ways, and while that deal is not yet official, the players’ union has OK’d it, and it appears likely to be finalized in the coming weeks. When that happens, Bosh will reach free agency, and technically would be able to sign with another team. However, as TNT’s David Aldridge details in his latest NBA.com column, there’s skepticism around the NBA that Bosh’s health will allow him to return to the court for a new club.
Bosh’s history of blood clots, which is the reason the Heat are removing him from their books in the first place, will continue to be a concern as other teams explore the idea of signing him. As Aldridge writes, were it not for the health issues, teams around the NBA would be clamoring to sign Bosh. But, as one Western Conference executive observes to Aldridge, if Bosh was unable to play for the Heat, he’s unlikely to receive clearance to suit up for another team anytime soon.
“Miami had about $50 million reasons for him to play and could not get a doctor to clear him,” that Western exec said. “Very unlikely the answer will be different at a team with $0 million reasons for him to play.”
While Bosh remains hopeful that he can find a treatment plan that will allow him to resume his NBA career, league execs aren’t sure the upside of signing Bosh would outweigh the risk. Although teams will have interest, it will be difficult to find a doctor willing to sign off on his return, per the execs who spoke to Aldridge.
“I don’t see how medical people will want to sign off and clear him,” another Western exec said of Bosh. “Unless something has changed with his health recently … I don’t know of a team that would want to take that type of a risk. If something were to tragically happen, it’s hard to recover from that. Very unfortunate.”
Draft Notes: Knicks, J. Jackson, Suns, Lakers
There are a number of potential player/team matches in the top 10 of this year’s draft that might make sense on paper, but should be avoided in reality, according to the staff at The Ringer. Danny Chau identifies De’Aaron Fox as a less than ideal fit for the Sixers, while Jonathan Tjarks makes the case for why the Knicks should steer clear of Dennis Smith Jr.
Other picks to be avoided, in the views of The Ringer’s NBA writers? The Mavericks and Lauri Markkanen; the Kings and Jayson Tatum; and the Magic and Jonathan Isaac.
Here are a few more draft-related items from around the basketball world:
- Former North Carolina swingman Justin Jackson is scheduled to work out for the Knicks on June 13, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York has the No. 8 pick, and most experts don’t expect Jackson to come off the board quite that early, but the ACC Player of the Year is viewed as a potential lottery pick.
- The Suns are kicking off their pre-draft workouts today by taking a look at a handful of intriguing prospects, including Kyle Kuzma (Utah), Johnathan Motley (Baylor), Kobi Simmons (Arizona), and Josh Hart (Villanova). Troy Caupain (Cincinnati) and Tidjan Keita (France) round out the team’s Monday workout group (Twitter link).
- Another Pacific team, the Lakers, is working out a handful of draft prospects on Memorial Day. According to a press release from the club, the Lakers are taking a closer look at Dwayne Bacon (Florida State), Jordan Bell (Oregon), Amida Brimah (Connecticut), Kennedy Meeks (UNC), Derrick Walton Jr. (Michigan), and local prospect Bryce Alford (UCLA).
2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks have been a perennial playoff team for most of the last two decades, but after posting their worst record (33-49) since 1998/99, they finally seem ready to retool — even as Dirk Nowitzki‘s career nears its end. While the Mavs don’t have any players eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, they have nine players on team options, on non-guaranteed contracts, or eligible for restricted free agency. That should create plenty of opportunity for roster turnover in Dallas in the coming weeks and months.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Mavericks financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:
Guaranteed Salary
- Harrison Barnes ($23,112,004)
- Wesley Matthews ($17,884,176)
- Dwight Powell ($9,003,125)
- J.J. Barea ($3,903,900)
- Seth Curry ($3,028,410)
- Devin Harris ($1,339,662) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.
- A.J. Hammons ($1,312,611)
- Gal Mekel ($315,758) — Waived via stretch provision.
- Total: $59,899,646
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Dirk Nowitzki ($25,000,000)
- DeAndre Liggins ($1,577,230)1
- Yogi Ferrell ($1,312,611)
- Total: $27,889,841
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Devin Harris ($3,062,884) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.
- Salah Mejri ($1,471,382)2
- Nicolas Brussino ($1,312,611)3
- Dorian Finney-Smith ($1,312,611)4
- Jarrod Uthoff ($1,312,611)5
- Total: $8,472,099
Restricted Free Agents
- Nerlens Noel ($4,187,598 qualifying offer / $10,961,225 cap hold)
- Total: $10,961,225
Cap Holds
- No. 9 overall pick ($2,681,900)
- Total: $2,681,900
Trade Exceptions
- Andrew Bogut TPE ($6,642,537) — Expires 2/23/18
- Justin Anderson TPE ($1,514,160) — Expires 2/23/18
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Maximum Cap Room: $34,340,379
- The Mavericks have six fully guaranteed contracts on their books. Adding cap charges for their first-round pick and five empty roster spots brings their total team salary to $66,659,621. That would create enough flexibility to pursue a maximum salary player, but it also doesn’t account for players like Noel or Nowitzki, who will almost certainly be back. So, barring cost-cutting trades, Dallas figures to have less cap room than that when July begins.
Footnotes:
- Merji’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 12.
- Liggins’ salary becomes partially guaranteed ($26,773) after June 24 if team option is exercised.
- Brussino’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 6.
- Finney-Smith’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($100,000) after July 6.
- Uthoff’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($200,000) after July 30.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.
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Clippers Remain ‘Overwhelming Favorite’ To Re-Sign Chris Paul
There is reportedly “mutual interest” between the Spurs and Chris Paul, and the Clippers are said to view San Antonio as a legit threat in the CP3 sweepstakes. However, that doesn’t mean the Spurs are the frontrunners to land the All-Star point guard. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Clippers remain the “overwhelming favorite” to re-sign Paul.
Appearing on CBS Sports Radio with Gary Parrish on Sunday, Wojnarowski said he has a hard time imagining Paul leaving Los Angeles. Not only can the Clippers offer more years and dollars than any other team, but CP3 also still has significant marketing opportunities in the L.A. area, Wojnarowski observes. By comparison, the Spurs appear to be more of a long shot to sign Paul.
“I’ve spent a lot of time around the Spurs this spring,” Wojnarowski said. “They would have to just tear up that entire payroll. It’s almost unlike anything the Spurs would’ve done or would do to even have a chance at him. I mean, they’d have to really gut the roster. And to do that for a 30-plus-year-old point guard, who has a couple great years left, there’s no question — I think there’s more pressure on the Clippers to have to re-sign him than for the Spurs to turn their whole franchise over to make a run at him.”
As Wojnarowski alludes to, the Spurs don’t currently have the cap room to make a run at Paul, so if they were to seriously pursue him, they’d have to move some salary, which would likely mean surrendering key pieces.
Even if San Antonio had the space to make a max offer to CP3, the team’s proposal would still fall $50MM+ short of what the Clippers could put on the table — L.A. can go up to five years (instead of four) with 8% raises (instead of 5%) for Paul. Based on a $101MM cap projection, Paul could land up to about $205MM over five years with the Clips.
Cavaliers Notes: James, Durant, Lue, Blatt
Kevin Durant, much like any other young player, sought out LeBron James for advice in the early part of his career. Now, both men will now face each for a second time in the NBA Finals starting next week when the Cavaliers and Warriors begin their series. Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that James is fully prepared to take on Durant and company.
Recalling his past days and workouts with Durant, James understands that the former NBA Most Valuable Player is one of the elite talents in the game.
“I think it reaches a point where that guy thinks he’s good enough where he doesn’t want to talk to me,” James said to reporters, including Ridneour after practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts on Saturday. “I always have an open-door policy. When those guys get comfortable and they feel like they got enough of the blueprint, they’re like, ‘OK, I got enough, I’m done with you.’ ”
Durant made headlines this past offseason when he departed Oklahoma City to create a super team in Golden State. Durant joined Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, forming a foursome of talent that is four wins away from capturing a championship.
“He’s one of the most dangerous guys we have in the world already,” James said. “So it makes it even more dangerous when you equip that talent, that skill, with those guys.”
The series kicks off on Thursday evening in Oakland as the Warriors host the Cavaliers for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
- The Cavaliers are also just four wins away from a title, which would mean back-to-back championships for Cleveland. George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that coach Tyronn Lue‘s demeanor has helped the team in its chase for gold.“I just think it’s just his level of calmness no matter what’s going on,” James said. “He always talks about, at the end of the day, he’s already won in life so whatever else happens after this is extra credit.”
- Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt has reportedly left his role as head coach of Darussafaka Dogus in Turkey but is drawing interest from other EuroLeague teams, according to Sportando. Maccabi Tel Aviv — where Blatt has already coached — and Barcelona were reportedly in Istanbul to discuss their coaching vacancies. Blatt led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2014/15 but was fired midway through last season in favor of Lue.