Lakers Notes: Gasol, Matthews, LeBron, Lowry
The Lakers got important contributions from two little-used veterans as they ended a three-game losing streak Monday night, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Marc Gasol, who has seen his playing time cut sharply since the addition of Andre Drummond, posted 10 points, seven rebounds and a plus-17 rating in 17 minutes. Wesley Matthews scored eight points while hitting all three of his shots from the field.
“I think we have to start thinking more as a team, instead of mentioning guys,” Gasol said. “It’s more who we are as a team and who we’re going to be. Everyone tied to one another regardless of your situation. You play zero minutes, you play 20 minutes, the team success is everyone’s success.”
Both players joined the Lakers as free agents in November, with Gasol getting a two-year deal and Matthews signing for one year. They both expected larger roles, but are trying to make the most of their opportunities as the playoffs near.
“Like I said, basketball, it’s just like life, it’s unpredictable,” Matthews said. “You don’t know what may or may not happen, but you got to be prepared for it. You got to continue to go on. You can either go on with it or it goes on without you.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- LeBron James sat out Monday’s game and is considered day-to-day after aggravating his right ankle injury, Turner tweets. L.A. doesn’t play again until Thursday, and James’ status for that game is uncertain.
- The Lakers may regret not making a greater effort to trade for Kyle Lowry at the deadline, contends Eric Koreen of The Athletic. L.A. was limited in what it could offer, but Koreen believes there was an opportunity to swoop in after the Sixers and Heat dropped out of the bidding. The Lakers reportedly weren’t willing to part with Talen Horton-Tucker, which left nothing else that the Raptors were interested in.
- This year’s struggles have shown the dangers of building a team around James, who is 36, and Davis, who has been injury-prone throughout his career, writes Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. He also notes that both players returned from their injuries to a different team, as the Lakers signed Drummond and Ben McLemore while they were out and made other changes to their rotation.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 5/4/2021
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Miles Bridges Out 10-To-14 Days Due To Protocols
The Hornets may have to finish the regular season without Miles Bridges, who is expected to miss 10-to-14 days after entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The 10- to 14-day timeline is normally associated with a positive COVID-19 test, although that hasn’t been confirmed. Bridges is currently in quarantine, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The third-year forward is having another productive season, averaging 12.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 29.0 minutes per night.
Charlotte is eighth in the East with a 31-33 record and trying to avoid slipping into the lower play-in game. The Hornets enter tonight one game ahead of the Pacers and a game-and-a-half in front of the Wizards.
In addition to being without Bridges, the Hornets are also missing Gordon Hayward (foot), Devonte’ Graham (knee), Cody Martin (ankle), and P.J. Washington (personal), per the team (Twitter link).
Magic Sign Sindarius Thornwell To Two-Way Contract
The Magic have signed free agent guard Sindarius Thornwell to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release. Devin Cannady has been waived in a corresponding roster move.
Thornwell, 26, spent his first two NBA seasons with the Clippers after being selected 48th overall in the 2017 draft. He later caught on with the Pelicans for the 2020 summer restart and spent much of the 2020/21 season with New Orleans as well, first on a non-guaranteed contract, then on a pair of 10-day deals. The Pels didn’t re-sign him after that, largely due to luxury tax concerns.
In 153 career games, Thornwell has averaged just 2.5 PPG and 1.3 RPG in 10.3 minutes per contest. However, his shooting percentages (.414 FG%, .348 3PT%) haven’t been too bad, and he’s considered a solid perimeter defender.
Cannady recently underwent season-ending ankle surgery and was on an expiring deal, so there was no real incentive for the Magic to keep him under contract for the rest of the 2020/21 season. I’d expect Orlando to consider him for either a new two-way deal or a spot on the team’s G League affiliate once he fully recovers from his ankle injury.
Cavs Officially Sign Anderson Varejão To 10-Day Deal
The Cavaliers have officially brought back longtime center Anderson Varejão, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed him to a 10-day contract. The move had been expected once Cleveland was granted a hardship exception, which allows the team to carry an extra player.
If it feels like it’s been a while since you’ve seen Varejão in the NBA, you’re not wrong — the 38-year-old big man played his last NBA game on February 2, 2017 before being waived by the Warriors a day later. He spent two years playing professionally in Brazil after that, but has been inactive since 2019.
The Cavaliers view their reunion with Varejão as a “celebratory contract” for a player who spent over a decade with the franchise, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com wrote last week. It’s probably safe to assume Varejão won’t be a regular rotation player for the Cavs during the next 10 days, but he’s expected to see a little action before he officially calls it a career.
“Andy embodies all that the city of Cleveland stands for and beyond, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring his experience, leadership and character back into this locker room,” Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman said in a statement. “His infectious work ethic and commitment to our community have earned him his rightful place in the fabric of this organization and all of Northeast Ohio, and have established a genuine admiration that resonates strongly throughout our passionate fan base.
“There are not many athletes who can impact the game of basketball the way Andy has over his career, and I feel that our players will benefit greatly from their daily interaction with him. We are thrilled to welcome Andy and family back to the Cavaliers.”
Varejão, who put out his own statement expressing gratitude to Altman and team owner Dan Gilbert for the opportunity, spent 13 seasons in the NBA, including over 11 with Cleveland. In 591 career regular season games with the franchise, he averaged 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest. He also played in 71 postseason games with the Cavs before finishing his career with the Warriors.
Because a contract signed using a hardship exception can only be a 10-day deal, Varejão’s contract – which will pay him $175,668 – will only run through May 13. Assuming the Cavs still meet the criteria for the hardship provision, they could sign him to a rest-of-season contract after that if they want to retain him for the last two games of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Franz Wagner Enters 2021 NBA Draft
Michigan sophomore wing Franz Wagner has decided to enter the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility. The program issued a press release announcing the decision, and Wagner also wrote a piece on The Players’ Tribune about it.
“I’ll be honest … I’m definitely feeling a lot of emotions about it,” Wagner wrote of his decision to go pro. “I’m hopeful, more than anything — as playing in the NBA has been a big dream of mine. It’s something I’ve been working extremely hard for. And after talking with my coaches and my family, I know it’s something I’m ready for. From a basketball perspective, this is the move for me to make right now. Plus, I mean, if Moe (older brother Moritz Wagner) can play in the league — obviously they’ll take anyone.”
Wagner, who played for Alba Berlin and SSV Lokomotive Bernau in Germany before his two years with the Wolverines, averaged 12.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 3.0 APG on .477/.343/.835 shooting in 28 games (31.7 MPG) in 2020/21.
As Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN notes, Wagner – who comes in at No. 9 on ESPN’s big board – was considered the highest-rated prospect who had yet to declare for the draft. Wagner was also the ninth pick in ESPN’s most recent mock draft (Insider link).
Over 110 college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are now expected to enter the draft, as our tracker shows. That number figures to keep growing in the next few weeks, before eventually decreasing when the withdrawal deadline approaches.
Poll: Lakers, Mavs, Or Blazers In Play-In Tournament?
The Lakers, Mavericks, and Trail Blazers all consider themselves solid playoff teams and potential contenders, but at least one of them will end up in the Western Conference’s play-in tournament in two weeks. With the Jazz, Suns, Clippers, and Nuggets in total control of the West’s top four seeds, the Lakers, Mavs, and Blazers find themselves vying for the fifth and sixth spots — the No. 7 finisher will host the first play-in game against the No. 8 seed.
After a bad loss at home vs. Toronto on Sunday, the Lakers (37-28) bounced back on Monday, pulling out a tight win over Denver and reclaiming the No. 5 seed for the time being. The Blazers (36-29), on the other hand, dropped into seventh place in the West with a loss in Atlanta, while the Mavs (36-28) had the night off.
With the three teams still separated by a single game, every night the rest of the way will have major postseason implications. Here are their remaining schedules:
- Lakers: at LAC, at POR, vs. PHX, vs. NYK, vs. HOU, at IND, at NOP (three back-to-backs)
- Mavs: at MIA, vs. BKN, vs. CLE, at CLE, at MEM, vs. NOP, vs. TOR, at MIN (two back-to-backs)
- Blazers: at CLE, vs. LAL, vs. SAS, vs. HOU, at UTA, at PHX, vs. DEN (two back-to-backs)
On paper, the Mavericks may have the cleanest path to a top-six seed. After their games against the Heat and Nets this week, they won’t face another team in the top eight of either conference. They also have the advantage of holding the tiebreaker if the three teams finished tied in the standings, since they’ll be the Southwest division winner. If they finish tied with just the Lakers, they’d hold that tiebreaker as well, having gone 2-1 vs. L.A. this season.
The Lakers, currently in control of the No. 5 seed, have a huge week coming up, with games on tap against the Clippers, Blazers, Suns, and Knicks. That contest in Portland, on the second night of a back-to-back, will be particularly important — if the Lakers lose that one, they won’t own the tiebreaker against either the Mavs or the Blazers. Still, if they can at least split their next four games, the Lakers should be in reasonably good shape, as they finish their season against three sub-.500 opponents.
The Blazers, meanwhile, have the opportunity to make a run over the next week, especially if they can beat the Lakers at home. They’ll likely need to win at least three of their next four games to have a decent chance to avoid the play-in, since their season ends with a brutal three-game stretch — in Utah, in Phoenix, and at home vs. Denver. Maybe Portland lucks out and faces a couple of those teams when they’re resting players in advance of the playoffs, but given how close the standings are in the upper half of the West, there’s definitely no guarantee that’ll happen.
What do you think? Which team do you expect to end up with the seventh seed, taking part in the play-in? And do you think that team will be in any danger of losing two consecutive games against the likes of the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Spurs, or should they take care of business relatively quickly?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your predictions!
Which team will have to participate in the play-in tournament?
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Portland Trail Blazers 46% (463)
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Los Angeles Lakers 38% (389)
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Dallas Mavericks 16% (162)
Total votes: 1,014
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Kupchak Was Surprised To Get Hayward
Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak didn’t think the team had much of a chance at landing Gordon Hayward in free agency last offseason, Chris Sheridan of Basketball News reports.
While the team had the means to create enough cap room for Hayward, the Hornets were surprised that he opted out of his contract with Boston, let alone wanted to go to Charlotte. Hayward signed a four-year, $120MM contract and officially came to Charlotte via a sign-and-trade.
“I didn’t think he would opt out of that and want to leave Boston,” Kupchak said. “That doesn’t happen very often so when that was happening, even at the very end, even though we tried and we did everything we could do — and it was a good feeling that he was going to come to Charlotte — there was a big part of me that said, ‘This just doesn’t happen very often, that a player of this caliber will go to a small market.’ So I wasn’t really sure until we got his signature that he was going to come… That just kind of happened.”
A similar scenario unfolded a year earlier when the Hornets agreed with Terry Rozier on a three-year, $58MM contract and worked out a sign-and-trade with the Celtics after Kemba Walker chose Boston in free agency.
Kupchak has taken heat for overpaying for Hayward and Rozier, but he shrugs it off.
“It’s kind of hard to shake me up, you know? There might have been some criticism; I didn’t follow it that closely at the time,” Kupchak said. “But you’ve got to weigh everything: the draft, free-agent signings, trades. You really have to wait four or five years to look back on it and that’s when you know really whether you made a mistake or you didn’t make a mistake.”
Hayward was enjoying an All-Star level season (19.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 4.1 APG) before suffering a foot injury in early April. Rozier is averaging 20.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 4.1 APG this season.
Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Doncic, Ball, Wood
Thursday is the first day the Pelicans can sign another player to fill their 15th roster spot and avoid the luxury tax, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger crunched the numbers after the Pelicans signed Didi Louzada, whose $123,056 salary as a draft rookie counts $98,940 less than a veteran signed to the same spot. On Thursday, New Orleans could sign a veteran to a rest-of-the-season deal for $122,097 and stay under the tax by $8,651.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Mavericks star point man Luka Doncic is in danger of being assessed a mandatory one-game league suspension, Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes. Doncic has 14 technical fouls this season after getting ejected from Dallas’ 111-99 loss to the Kings on Sunday. If he gets another technical, he’ll reach the league’s threshold of 15 technicals, which triggers a suspension. Doncic promises to avoid that scenario. “I won’t get another one,” he said.
- Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball will head into free agency this summer and wherever he lands next season, he plans to prove he’s one of the top point guards in the league, as he told Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Being an All-Star is definitely my next goal on the list and I think that should be coming up pretty soon,” he said. The Pelicans must extend a $14.36MM qualifying offer to make Ball a restricted free agent.
- The status of Rockets big man Christian Wood this week and the remainder of the season is in doubt. Wood said he’ll likely to need to sit out at least a couple of games, Mark Berman of FOX26 tweets. “Right now with my ankle and my quad, I’m not sure about (playing) the next couple games,” he said.
Southeast Notes: Wagner, Reddish, Hawks, Dragic
Moritz Wagner has made an immediate impact with the Magic, Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel notes. Wagner signed a rest-of-the-season deal with Orlando last week and scored 24 points in a comeback win over Memphis on Saturday. Wagner was traded by Washington to Boston and then was waived before the Magic came calling.
“Getting waived isn’t fun, I’ll be honest with you,” Wagner said. “That’s totally different than getting traded. Emotionally and mentally, that’s something you’ve got to deal with and show resiliency and move on from that. So I take a lot of pride in the fact that I’m doing that, and kind of take it day by day.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Forward Cam Reddish might not realize his true potential with the Hawks, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic opines. Reddish could be part of a package to acquire a star player as the franchise aims to become a true title contender. Injuries have limited Reddish to 26 games in his second season and he didn’t shoot well prior to being sidelined in February. Reddish was the 10th overall pick in the 2019 draft.
- The Hawks have been given approval to increase attendance for postseason games to 7,625 fans, approximately 45% of State Farm Arena’s full capacity, according to a team press release. The Hawks opened the season with no fans in attendance before increasing capacity to 1,300 fans on January 26 and 3,000 fans on March 13.
- Goran Dragic appears to be peaking at the right time again for the Heat, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. Dragic, who shined in the postseason last summer, has scored 18 points in two of his past three games. “I’m getting there, I’m getting there,” he said. “You know, still working on my confidence and everything. But the last few games, I feel awesome, my legs were there, I was running the ball more.”