Dwight Howard To Sign With Lakers
Dwight Howard is returning to the Lakers. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Howard and the Grizzlies are finalizing a buyout and the center will latch on with Los Angeles once that it complete.
Howard had several meetings with the Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Howard came in after dropping 25 pounds and showcased his that back was healthy. Woj hears that the Lakers got the sense that Howard had hit “rock bottom” and it had humbled him. While the Lakers are signing the center, they are proceeding with caution, as the deal is non-guaranteed.
The team wants him to come in and serve in a rim protecting/rebounding role. Several Lakers players were involved in the decision to bring Howard to the club.
The Lakers considered several options to fill the void DeMarcus Cousins‘ injury created. Joakim Noah also worked out for L.A. and the franchise believes that Noah and Howard could each help the team.
Howard’s deal will pay him the veteran’s minimum, which will be worth approximately $2.6MM. Again, it’s non-guaranteed.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Terry Larrier Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Clippers
AUGUST 23: The signing is official, according to the Real GM transactions page.
AUGUST 17: The Clippers are bringing in Terry Larrier on an Exhibit 10 deal, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). Larrier is a long shot to make the roster for Los Angeles, though he’ll likely play for the club’s G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers.
Larrier was not selected during the 2018 draft. The 6’8″ guard made his collegiate debut at VCU before transfering to UConn and spending two season with the school.
He most recently was with the Spurs for this offseason’s Summer League. He played in the event for the Grizzlies in 2018.
Trevor Booker Working Out For Teams
Trevor Booker, who is among the notable players available on the free agent market, recently worked out for the Nuggets, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The big man has scheduled workouts with the Bucks and Clippers as well.
Booker last played in the NBA back in the 2017/18 season when he started the year with the Nets. He was dealt to the Sixers as part of the Jahlil Okafor trade early in the season and he was subsequently waived before catching on with the Pacers.
Booker was the No. 23 overall pick in the 2010 draft, originally drafted by Minnesota before the organization traded his rights to Washington. He spent four seasons with the Wizards before departing to Utah, where he played for two years. The eight-year veteran will turn 32 in November.
Kerr Hopes Livingston Returns To Warriors In Some Capacity
Shaun Livingston was among the many Warriors to depart this offseason. His release, while prudently planned, was not an easy decision for the franchise, as coach Steve Kerr tells LetsGoWarriors (h/t Josh Schrock of NBC Sports).
“It’s something we anticipated because of his age, his contract situation,” Kerr said. “I was prepared for that one, but it’s still a huge loss from a leadership standpoint. Shaun is one of those people that you just want to be with in any circumstance. He’s smart, funny and humble. He’s just a great human being. He also happens to be a hell of a basketball player and a good teammate. I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed my five years with Shaun.”
Livingston was a valued veteran in Golden State’s locker room. The point guard is currently a free agent and some have speculated that he will retire rather than play another season. Kerr hopes Livingston returns to the organization in some capacity.
“He’s somebody I’m hoping can be involved with our organization for many years to come,” Kerr said. “That would be the plan if we can pull it off, but he’s got to get away right now and get some freedom, enjoy his family before he figures out what’s next.”
WNBA Players Could Sit Out Next Season
The WNBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement will expire in October at the end of the league’s season and the players are concerned about the future of the league, as Kimberly Cataudella of Newsday relays.
Liberty’s Tina Charles said that “sitting out the season is always an option.” Other players have echoed that sentiment.
Both sides are optimistic that a deal will be done in time for next season. The WNBA negotiations will focus on the league’s vision for the future as well as pay structure and benefit concerns.
“The reality is that we have to make a living,” WNBA legend Sue Bird said. “We have categories that we have highlighted as a union, areas that we really want to see the change in, and salary is No. 1.”
According to Cataudella, the WNBA’s base salary is about $75,000 and average compensation is $116,000. Players also receive benefits such as insurance and housing.
Average attendance in the WNBA is down and the league lost $12MM in 2018. Last year, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that “on average, (the WNBA) has lost over $10MM every year” of existence.
Kings Notes: Fox, Offseason Work, Bagley
Migrating to bigger markets is nothing new for NBA players. This offseason, we saw Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis among the players to make their way to a bigger city. De’Aaron Fox notices the trend but doesn’t plan to participate.
“I don’t crave to be in a big market,” Fox said (via Corban Goble of ONE37pm). “After last season, there was a buzz in Sacramento. Everyone in Sacramento is a Kings fan. If we start making the playoffs, or if we become a championship contender, the entire city is going to go nuts. That’s the difference between a big market and a small one.”
Fox has two more seasons on his rookie deal and will be eligible for an extension next summer. Here’s more from Sacramento:
- Fox enjoys the process of becoming a better player, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. This offseason, he has focused on adding muscle and reshaping his body among other objectives. The point guard believes that the work in the weight room will help him absorb contact better.
- In the same piece, Fox added that he believes he can improve his consistency next season in an effort to get the Kings to the playoffs. “Some of the down games that I had, you can’t really have if you’re trying to make it to the playoffs, trying to have a deep run. Just trying to remain consistent throughout the entire season,” Fox said.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN.com believes the Kings are the most underrated team heading into the 2019/20 season. Marks can envision the team winning 45-46 games if Fox emerges into an All-Star candidate, Buddy Hield remains as consistent as he was last season, and Marvin Bagley continues to develop.
Jazz Sign Trevon Bluiett, Juwan Morgan To Exhibit 10 Deals
The Jazz have added Trevon Bluiett and Juwan Morgan to their training camp roster, as the team announced on its Twitter feed. Both players will participate under Exhibit 10 deals.
Bluiett spent last season with the Pelicans on a two-way contract before finding himself on the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate. The scoring wing played his collegiate ball at Xavier.
It was previously reported that Morgan had agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal. The forward was not selected in the 2019 NBA draft after spending four seasons at Indiana.
Neither player is expected to make the NBA roster, instead each will likely find their way to the Stars after training camp. The Jazz currently have 20 players under contract, which is the maximum allowed.
Lakers Notes: Howard, Faried, Bynum
Dwight Howard remains a double-double machine and the center seems motivated to have another quality season, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes in a piece that breaks down free agent possibilities for Lakers as they look to replace DeMarcus Cousins.
Signing Howard, who previously played for the Lakers, would come with risk. The 33-year-old has been jettisoned by several teams since he was in Los Angeles playing alongside Kobe Bryant. The big man had tiffs with Bryant and he clashed with James Harden in Houston. The Hawks traded him a year after inking him to a $70MM+ deal and the Hornets felt comfortable cutting ties with him after just one season as well.
Howard remains under contract with the Grizzlies, where he landed after the Wizards traded him away this offseason. Memphis is allowing the center to participate in workouts with Los Angeles.
The former defensive player of the year still has the talent to contribute to what LeBron James & Co. hope is their first of many championship runs in Los Angeles. Here’s more from the Lakers and their pursuit of big man:
- One rival executive tells Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report that he wouldn’t take the risk with Howard if he was running the Lakers. “He brings drama,” the executive said. ‘Why risk anything this year?”
- Pincus (in the same piece) wonders if Kenneth Faried would be a good option for the Lakers. The scribe cautions that Faried’s height (6’8″) may be problematic for Los Angeles, as the team will be battling the likes of Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic.
- Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times argues that Howard isn’t the villain that fans are making him out to be. Lakers fans, in particular, may remember Howard’s tenure with the team as a disappointment. However, Andrew Bynum—the main asset they surrendered in the 2012 Howard trade—failed to live up to any expectations after being traded and acquiring Howard prevented the franchise from offering Bynum a long-term deal.
Thunder Expected To Take Patient Approach To Trading Chris Paul
From the moment Chris Paul was traded to the Thunder, the expectation was that OKC would trade him elsewhere. That may be what ultimately happen, though some around the league envision the Thunder being patient as they navigate the trade waters.
Several executives, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explains on The Jump, believe the Thunder will “put out the message” that they are not looking to trade CP3, talking up his veteran presence and all the positives about having him on the squad.
The franchise will attempt to regain some leverage in negotiations with other teams, as OKC doesn’t want to attach assets such as a first-round pick in order to move Paul’s $38.5MM salary. Paul’s contract is what makes a trade tricky; not his talent, as, even at age 34, he’s a good starting point guard.
It’s previously been reported that GM Sam Presti would be happy to have Paul on the roster all season and that the point guard views the team as a playoff contender in the Western Conference.
Latest On Bradley Beal
Bradley Beal hasn’t yet made a decision on his long-term future. He’s two years away from hitting the open market and even if he is leaning one way now, two seasons is a lot of time for a player to change his mind.
With all that said, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears from a source that if Beal decides to leave Washington in 2021, Miami is expected to receive “serious consideration.” The source wouldn’t call the Heat or any team the favorite for Beal’s services.
Miami’s interest in Beal is no secret. Miami will surely target Beal in the 2021 offseason if he makes it to the open market. There were rumblings that Miami was looking to deal for him this summer and that there were talks within the franchise about a willingness to take back John Wall and his contract in a trade for Beal. There has been no indication that Washington is looking to make any sort of trade.
Beal remains open to signing long-term with the Wizards. While he’s not inking the extension he’s currently eligible for, that has more to do with the financial incentives than his commitment to the team. Beal can sign a three-year deal worth approximately $112MM as soon as he wants — or he could wait until next summer and sign a more lucrative max extension. By waiting, Beal can sign a deal that comes in at four years and $154.6MM if he doesn’t make an All-NBA team and five years and up to $253.8MM if he does.
Washington has undergone a makeover in the front office, adding top executive talent to coincide with the promotion of GM Tommy Sheppard as the organization shifts to a data-driven, collaborative structure. It’s been reported that Beal has had questions about the future of the franchise, though all indicators since the team announced those changes this summer have been positive.