Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Cousins, Davis, Suns, Clippers

June 21st, 2015 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Kings executive Vlade Divac insists the team has no plans to trade DeMarcus Cousins, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Divac, who is preparing for his first draft since being named vice president of basketball and franchise operations in March, said the team is looking for players who will complement Cousins’ skills. “That is not happening,” Divac said about the possibility of moving Cousins, “but I would love to do something, a smaller move, before the draft. We have a lot of changes to make. The league is much more up-tempo now, and we need more three-point shooting. If we don’t get that in the draft, we’ll be active in free agency and see about making trades later in the offseason.” Sacramento holds the sixth pick in Thursday’s draft.

There’s more from the Pacific Division as we count down toward draft day:

Ed Davis hopes to land a richer and longer contract with the Lakers by opting out of his current deal, but Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News isn’t sure if that will work. The 26-year-old Davis, who has a $1.1MM option for next season, posted a career high in scoring, rebounding and several other categories this year. An unidentified source told Medina that Davis wants a two- or three-year contract worth $7MM to $8MM annually or a one-year deal in the $9MM to $10MM range. Whether the Lakers will make that kind of offer depends on what the team can acquire through the draft and free agency.
After a non-playoff season, any Suns player can be traded or replaced through the draft, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. “We always need guys that will push our guys or even challenge them for a spot,” said Suns coach Jeff Hornacek. “… Where we’re picking at 13, you’re going to get a good, solid guy that can push our guys and maybe in a year or two take over their spots.” Coro writes that the 12 picks ahead of Phoenix are unpredictable, but he expects the Suns to use their pick to add size.
The Clippers will hold a workout today for Ryan Boatright, D.J. Newbill, Chris Walker, Royce O’Neale and Damontre Harris, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.

Pacific Notes: Stephenson, Kings, Towns

June 19th, 2015 at 7:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Clippers‘ newly acquired swingman Lance Stephenson is well aware of his negative locker room reputation around the league, and he intends to change that perception this season, Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes. “I’m going to work hard this season to get those rumors out,” Stephenson said. “That’s not the issue. I’m very good in the locker room. You can ask all the players that I’ve played with. You can ask the coaches. I’m very good in the locker room. When I’m on the court I got that type of energy where it looks like I’m yelling at somebody. But when I talk to my teammates it amps them and makes them work harder. I want to take that [negative] title off my name because that’s not me. I’m a good locker room guy.” Stephenson also indicated that he would be fine with coming off the bench, something that coach/executive Doc Rivers has suggested would be the case.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Kings will host workouts on Monday for Askia Booker (Colorado), Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin), T.J. McConnell (Arizona), and Brad Wadlow (St. Mary’s), the team announced. On Tuesday, the team will bring in Mike Caffey (Long Beach State), Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), Duje Dukan (Wisconsin), Rondae-Hollis Jefferson (Arizona), and Juwan Staten (West Virginia). Finally, Wednesday will see Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky) and Cameron Payne (Murray State) displaying their wares for Sacramento.
The Lakers have been unsuccessful thus far in getting Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns in for a workout, and the team is doubtful that will change prior to the draft, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News tweets. This resistance from Towns to meet with the Lakers could be due to a draft promise from the Timberwolves, though that is merely my speculation.
The Lakers brought in Michael Frazier (Florida) as part of a group workout held today, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops relays (Twitter link). Also part of today’s workout were Terry Rozier (Louisville), Andrew Harrison (Kentucky), Marcus Thornton (Georgia), Larry Nance Jr. (Wyoming), and Sir’Dominic Pointer (St. John’s), Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times notes.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Lakers, Stephenson

June 18th, 2015 at 7:06pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Clippers‘ roster could have been a markedly different one from today’s if not for former team owner Donald Sterling nixing a number of potential franchise-altering deals, James Herbert of CBSSports.com writes. “This is really only my third year but you can make a case this is our second year if you know what I’m saying,” coach/executive Doc Rivers told Beast 980’s Fred Roggin during a radio appearance. “If I someday wrote a book and told you a couple of the trades we had in the first year that we didn’t do because of other reasons, you would fall off your chair.” While Clippers fans ponder what might have been, here’s more from the NBA’s Pacific Division:

The Kings are bringing in Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona), Mike Caffey (Long Beach State), Duje Dukan (Wisconsin), and Juwan Staten (West Virginia) for a group workout this Sunday, the team announced.
The Lakers brought in Emmanuel Mudiay (Guangdong) today for a second workout, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News relays (Twitter link).
The Lakers also have second workouts scheduled for Jahlil Okafor (Duke) on Friday, and D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State) on Saturday, Chad Ford of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter).
Lance Stephenson‘s failure in Charlotte should make him hungry to rebuild his value while with the Clippers, and trading for Stephenson was a wise move for the team since its salary cap situation makes adding impact players extremely difficult, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report writes. Ding also notes that there is only one fully guaranteed year left on Stephenson’s deal, which will dampen any financial risk, as well as provide added motivation for the mercurial swingman to perform. Stephenson’s contract includes a team option worth $9.405MM for 2016/17.

Southeast Notes: Pierce, Hornets, Grant

June 18th, 2015 at 11:27am CST by Chuck Myron

Kemba Walker and Gerald Henderson benefit from Monday’s trade because Lance Stephenson isn’t there any more to take away touches and minutes and challenge the team’s chemistry, opines Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Henderson decided Wednesday to pick up his $6MM player option, though whether Stephenson’s departure played into that decision remains unclear. There’s more on the Hornets amid the latest from the Southeast Division:

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis affirmed the notion that the Wizards want to retain Paul Pierce, who faces a decision on a $5.544MM player option for next season as rumors connect him to the Clippers, as Leonsis said on the team website (video link; transcription via Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post). The owner said that the organization “loves” the 37-year-old who’d be “welcomed with open arms” if he decides to stay in Washington.
Hornets GM Rich Cho said he’d “love” to trade up in the draft, though whether that happens will depend on how much Charlotte would have to relinquish to do so, Cho added, as Bonnell relays (Twitter links). “We’ve been talking to a lot of teams about moving up, moving backward, moving the pick all-together,” Cho said.
Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant will work out for the Hawks, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Grant spoke recently with Zach Links of Hoops Rumors, and our Chris Crouse looked at what makes him an intriguing prospect.

Q&A With NBA Draft Prospect Ryan Boatright

June 18th, 2015 at 8:35am CST by Zachary Links

Leading up to the draft, Hoops Rumors will be talking with some of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s class. Today, the Hoops Rumors Draft Prospect Q&A series continues with UConn guard Ryan Boatright, who is ranked No. 84 in this year’s class by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and No. 96 by Chad Ford of ESPN.com.

At 5’11” and 170 pounds, UConn’s Ryan Boatright packs a lot of punch for his small size. Over the course of his four years in college, Boatright made a name for himself as a tenacious pick-and-roll point guard on offense and a pesky perimeter defender on the other side of the floor. In 2014, Boatright and backcourt mate Shabazz Napier helped lead UConn to a national championship. While there was some talk of Boatright going pro early, he opted to stay in school for his senior season to show that he can lead a team all by himself. Boatright, a client of Aaron Goodwin, spoke with Hoops Rumors last week about the workout trail, his draft stock, and much more.

Zach Links: At the draft combine this year, you clocked in with an eye-popping 41-inch vertical leap. Did you get a lot of extra attention from scouts and team executives after that?

Ryan Boatright: I spoke with my agent and he told me a lot of people were impressed. The funny thing is though, I normally do a 44-inch vertical. So, that 41-inch jump was good, but it wasn’t my best.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

ZL: Did you think about doing it again?

RB: They gave me the opportunity to do it again but I didn’t take it. I think 41 is impressive enough and that day I was dealing with a bit of a groin injury, so I felt like I should leave it alone.

ZL: Has your agent told you about specific teams that are especially interested in you?

RB: He said that the Clippers, Nets, and Trail Blazers are really interested in me.

ZL: Do you have an idea of where you might get drafted?

RB: I don’t ask him for the details or whatever. I just go in there and focus on the workouts and do my best. I don’t ask him for the range I might go in because that can always change.

ZL: After winning the National Championship in 2014, did you give any thought to going pro?

RB: Yes, I was going to go pro right after we won. I knew my name was hot and I had a great tournament. However, after I spoke with everyone whose opinion I trusted, I felt like one more year would be good for me. The last day before the deadline, I decided to go back to school to show everyone that I could run the team and be a true point guard.

ZL: Are you glad that you stayed in school?

RB: Yeah, I’m glad I did that. A few wins and a few losses this year could have made my draft position a little bit different but I don’t have any regrets.

ZL: I’m sure that you enjoyed playing alongside Shabazz Napier, but did you also enjoy getting to take on more of a leadership role in your final year?

RB: I’ve always been a leader. I’ve never been a follower in my entire life and that role just came naturally to me. I shared it with Shabazz when he was here; we were co-captains. This year, though, it was just totally different. This year I had to lead a young and inexperienced team and that was exciting.

ZL: In your freshman year at UConn, you made headlines in the New York Times Op-Ed section after the NCAA held you out for several games due to what they felt were improper benefits. In actuality, it sounds to me like you didn’t really do anything wrong. What was that experience like?

RB: It was extremely tough. It was one of the hardest situations or things that I went through in my life. But, it made me stronger as a person and as a player and made me more hungry and determined to succeed. To have something snatched away from you for no reason, when you did nothing wrong, it was devastating. I couldn’t play basketball and that was the whole reason I went to UConn. Still, I got through it and persevered and made the best of it.

ZL: This year, you shot 41.6% from three-point range, the best showing of your collegiate career. What led to that major improvement?

RB: Teams were just more scared of me getting into the paint and creating havoc for myself and others. They really contained me to keep me out of the paint. I knew that in order to be efficient on the floor, I had to improve my three-point shot off the catch and dribble. I just focused on practicing hard and knocking it down.

ZL: What would you say to critics who fear that you’re too small for the NBA?

RB: Everyone is going to have their opinion. I’ve been doubted my whole life. No one thought I’d go to UConn, let alone start and win a national championship. The same people I’m playing in college, those are the same people I’m going to be playing in the NBA. Even if they’re bigger and stronger, I’m going to get bigger and stronger. I’ve held my own my whole life. I came up in Chicago playing against pros. If a team takes a chance on me, I’m going to hold it down for the guys that are 6’0″ and under.

ZL: Why did you choose Aaron Goodwin to represent you?

RB: Part of it was family ties, but he’s just a good guy. I trust him. I don’t think he’d do anything to steal from me or harm me in any way. He takes his job seriously. I believe that he’s going to work hard for me. Some agencies, they only want the guy who is going in the lottery or top 20. I feel like Aaron believed in me as much as I believe in myself. That sealed the deal for me.

And-Ones: Stephenson, Oubre, Asik

June 17th, 2015 at 10:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers didn’t acquire Lance Stephenson from the Hornets for the swingman to step into a starting role, Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes. Instead, Rivers envisions Stephenson as a role-player who can be utilized off the bench, and the team will look elsewhere to add a starting small forward this offseason, Markazi adds. “I like that [Stephenson] can play multiple positions — really 2, 3 and 1 — because he’s a terrific passer,” Rivers told The Beast 980. “I don’t know if I made the trade for him to be a starter, per se; I look at him really more to be a utility player that can come in and play literally three different positions for us. When you look at us, we needed toughness and more athleticism and we get that.”

Rivers believes that Stephenson’s defense will be a valuable asset to the team, Markazi adds. “I like what he can bring for us on the defensive end first,” Rivers said. “I like his body type. I think he’s a tough kid and a very competitive kid. And that has gotten him in trouble at times, but the one thing he has shown in major playoff games is that he can be a top-tier defender, so that’s where we start with him is on the defensive end.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Kansas swingman Kelly Oubre has turned down an invitation from the Bucks to work out for the team, Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times relays. Oubre is convinced that he’ll be off the board by the time the Bucks pick at No. 17, Woelfel notes.
The Lakers are expected to bring back Nebraska guard Terran Petteway for a second workout, Woelfel adds. Petteway could be in play for Los Angeles with the No. 27 overall selection.
Unless he is willing to accept a significant pay cut, the Pelicans would be best served to let center Omer Asik leave as a free agent this summer, Jimmy Smith of The Times Picayune opines. Smith cites Asik’s offensive limitations, spotty defense, and occasional lack of hustle on the break as reasons why New Orleans shouldn’t consider paying the big man a salary north of $10MM, which Asik will likely be seeking as an unrestricted free agent.

Western Notes: Tomic, Towns, Lakers

June 17th, 2015 at 8:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jazz draft-and-stash prospect Ante Tomic has inked a three year extension with FC Barcelona, Liga Endesa has announced (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Tomic’s deal runs through June of 2018, and it’s unclear if the arrangement contains an NBA out clause. According to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link), Tomic used the threat of leaving Barcelona for the NBA as leverage to secure a more lucrative contract overseas.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Potential No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns has a meeting scheduled with the Timberwolves this Friday, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear if this meeting will just be an interview, or if Towns intends to work out for the team as well, Charania adds.
Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers noted that if the team was to purchase a pick in this year’s NBA Draft, it would likely be a second-rounder so that the team could avoid having to sign the player to a guaranteed contract, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times tweets.
Manhattan forward Emmy Andujar has a workout scheduled with the Rockets, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays (on Twitter).
The Lakers will attempt to bring back Emmanuel Mudiay, D’Angelo Russell, and Jahlil Okafor for second looks prior to next week’s NBA Draft, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register tweets.
Texas big man Myles Turner has an individual workout scheduled with the Suns today, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops relays (via Twitter). In Hoops Rumors’ latest mock draft, Phoenix is tabbed to select Turner with the No. 13 overall pick.
Now that the franchise has secured the NBA Championship, the Warriors have numerous roster decisions that need to be made, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. The odds of the current roster remaining intact are slim because of the team’s challenging salary cap situation, Taylor notes. This sentiment is shared by pending restricted free agent Draymond Green, who said back in March, “This is a special group, a special bond, so let’s make the best of it, because this team will probably never be together again. That’s just the nature of this business. One addition, one subtraction, and the team isn’t together no more. So take advantage of it while you’ve got it because I’m sure this team will never be together again.”

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 6/16/15

June 16th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Some of the greatest joys of being a sports fan, besides your favorite team winning the championship, are the debates that arise between fellow sports nuts along the way. It’s with this in mind that we have begun providing a forum for basketball fanatics to voice their opinions, debate trending topics, and simply hang out with like-minded hoops aficionados. We’ve begun been posting a new topic for readers to discuss each weeknight, which we hope that this will become a regular part of your sports day. If you missed our previous discussions you can view them here, or simply head over to the sidebar and select “Hoops Rumors Community Shootarounds.”

Of course, there will be differing opinions from time to time. While we absolutely encourage lively discussion and debate, we do expect everyone to treat each other with respect. So, please refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults or attacks, as well as the other taboo types of discourse laid out in our site’s commenting policy. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Hoops Rumors. Just put in your name, email address, and comment and submit it; there is no need to become a registered user.

Now that the preamble has been handled, let’s get to the topic of the day: What are your thoughts on the trade that sent Lance Stephenson to the Clippers in exchange for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes? Can Stephenson regain his status as a nightly triple-double threat under coach Doc Rivers? Will Hawes effectively replace what Charlotte was missing last season thanks to the departure of Josh McRoberts? What does this mean for both franchises’ playoff hopes? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

And-Ones: Borrego, Draft, Crawford

June 16th, 2015 at 10:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Walter Pitchford, a center from Nebraska, and Gardner-Webb combo forward Jerome Hill are the two U.S. players who withdrew from the draft in advance of Monday’s deadline to do so, the league announced. The deadline to withdraw while still maintaining college eligibility was more than two months ago, so neither is able to return to NCAA ball. Neither had much chance to be drafted this year, so the outcome of their respective decisions Monday, at least as far as next season is concerned, is likely the same, with either the D-League or overseas play probably in the future for them. Still, both will have the chance to go through the draft process again next year, when they’ll be automatically draft-eligible.

Here’s more from around the league:

Also withdrawing from the draft were Spanish small forward Alberto Abalde and Oriol Pauli, Ukrainian centers Vladislav Korenyuk and Sergiy Zagreba, Lebanese point guard Wael Arakji, Greek shooting guard Eleftherios Bochoridis, Georgian forward Beka Burjanadze, Senegalese center Moussa Diagne, Croatian shooting guard Ognjen Dobric, Spanish shooting guard Marc Garcia, Spanish forward Juan Alberto Hernangomez, Slovenian point guard Aleksej Nikolic and Kazakhstani power forward Alexandr Zhigulin, the league announced in the same press release. Several other overseas prospects also withdrew, according to Monday reports that the league confirmed.
Former University of Washington center Robert Upshaw has been cleared to resume workouts after his heart issue scare, Reid Forgrave of FOXSports.com relays (Twitter link). Upshaw has already worked out for the Mavericks, and will show his wares for the Rockets on Wednesday, Forgrave adds.
Clippers guard Jamal Crawford has hired Wasserman Media Group to represent him, Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). Crawford was previously with Andy Miller of ASM Sports.
Former Magic interim coach James Borrego is finalizing a deal with the Spurs to join coach Gregg Popovich‘s staff as an assistant, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (via Twitter).
The Hornets held workouts today for Treveon Graham (VCU), Alan Williams (Santa Barbara), Trevor Lacey (NC State), Sir’Dominic Pointer (St. John’s), Shannon Scott (Ohio State), and Seth Tuttle (Northern Iowa), the team announced (Twitter links).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

2015/16 Roster Counts: Los Angeles Clippers

June 16th, 2015 at 9:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

During the offseason it’s OK for teams to carry as many as 20 players, but clubs must trim their rosters down to a maximum of 15 by opening night. In the meantime, some teams will hang around that 15-man line, while others will max out their roster counts. Some clubs may actually have more than 15 contracts that are at least partially guaranteed on the books. That means they’ll end up paying players who won’t be on the regular season roster, unless they can find trade partners.

With plenty more movement still to come, here’s the latest look at the Clippers’ roster size, the contract guarantee status of each player, and how each player came to be on Los Angeles’ roster.

(Last Updated 3-16-16, 3:00pm)

Fully Guaranteed (15)

Cole Aldrich (C) — 6’11″/26 years old. Free agent signing.
Jeff Ayres (F) — 6’9″/28 years old. Free agent signing.
Jamal Crawford (G) — 6’5″/35 years old. Free agent signing.
Branden Dawson (F) — 6’7″/22 years old. Drafted with No. 56 overall pick in 2015.
Jeff Green (F) — 6’9″/28 years old. Acquired via trade with Grizzlies.
Blake Griffin (F) — 6’10″/26 years old. Drafted with No. 1 overall pick in 2009.
Wesley Johnson (G/F) — 6’7″/27 years old. Free agent signing.
DeAndre Jordan (C) — 6’11″/26 years old. Drafted with No. 35 overall pick in 2008.
Luc Mbah a Moute (F) — 6’8″/29 years old. Free agent signing.
Chris Paul (G) — 6’0″/30 years old. Acquired via trade with Pelicans.
Paul Pierce (F) — 6’7″/37 years old. Free agent signing.
Pablo Prigioni (G) — 6’3″/38 years old. Free agent signing.
J.J. Redick (G) — 6’4″/30 years old. Acquired via sign-and-trade from Bucks.
Austin Rivers (G) — 6’4″/22 years old. Acquired via trade from Celtics.
C.J. Wilcox (G) — 6’5″/24 years old. Drafted with No. 28 overall pick in 2014.

10-Day Contracts (0)

None

TOTAL ROSTER COUNT (15)