Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Batum, LeBron, Hachimura, Christie, Warriors

October 6th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Rumors that Nicolas Batum may be entering his final NBA season swirled in August following a series of tweets from his wife, Aurelie. She clarified in those tweets that her husband hasn’t formally decided to retire following the 2023/24 season and that his future beyond his current contract is still up in the air. This week at training camp, the Clippers forward confirmed that message, as Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes.

“I think I’ve done a lot in the NBA,” Batum said. “I’m trying to focus on this season. We’ll see what happens after this season. Maybe I’m going to stay, maybe not. I don’t know yet.

“… (I’m) thinking about what I’ve got left. All I’m thinking right now is I’m just ready for this year. … I’m really excited for this year and what’s ahead for this franchise, that’s for sure.”

Batum averaged 21.9 minutes per night in 78 appearances for the Clippers last season, his most games played in a season since 2013/14. The veteran anticipates having a rotation role again this season and indicated a willingness to play as much as head coach Tyronn Lue wants to use him, even though he’ll turn 35 in December.

“A bunch of guys want to get like minutes, and they don’t get it. I’m playing, so I’m not complaining about it,” Batum said. “You can’t be tired and complain because you play too much when guys only want opportunities to play.”

Here are a few more notes from around the Pacific:

No player was around LeBron James this offseason more than Rui Hachimura, according to LeBron, who has taken his Lakers teammate under his wing this offseason in the hopes of unlocking his full potential, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. James, the NBA’s oldest player, will sit out the team’s preseason opener on Saturday as the club manages his minutes, though he still plans to see plenty of action during the preseason, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Lakers guard Max Christie, who was expected to be given a chance to prove in training camp that he deserves a rotation spot, appears to be taking advantage of that opportunity, earning praise this week from coach Darvin Ham and his teammates, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “Max Christie is a dog! … His game surprised me a lot,” big man Jaxson Hayes said of Christie. “I already knew he was a good player, but he can really go.”
Warriors wing Klay Thompson said on Thursday that he’s up to the challenge of defending some power forwards this season and will do whatever’s asked of him (Twitter video link via Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area). Head coach Steve Kerr spoke about that plan earlier in the week.
Stephen Curry said he played a lot of pickup ball with new Warriors teammate Chris Paul this summer and believes the fit on offense will be “seamless” (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). The goal will be making sure the pairing works on defense as well.

Sixers Notes: Harden, Clippers, Embiid, Team USA

October 5th, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Tristan Tucker

One of the biggest league-wide storylines of the summer was James Harden‘s trade request following his opt-in with the Sixers. Drama ensued over the following months, with tensions becoming so volatile that Harden called president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a “liar” publicly in August.

However, after skipping Philadelphia’s media day on Monday, for which he was fined, and the first day of training camp on Tuesday, Harden showed up to Sixers training camp on Wednesday. As we relayed, there was no drama at training camp on Wednesday, nor was there any on Thursday, writes The Ringer’s Seerat Sohi.

Sohi details the summer of opposition between Harden and Morey, writing that Harden may have ended his holdout due to Philadelphia’s history of fining players for non-attendance, just as they did with Ben Simmons two years ago.

Exploring how the partnership got to this point, Sohi writes that Harden’s relationship with Morey began to deteriorate shortly before free agency, with Harden’s representatives wishing to engage in contract talk. But having been stripped of draft capital last offseason for tampering, Morey didn’t wish to have that happen again, and remained silent, according to Sohi. Harden spent the summer waiting to hear from Morey, Sohi writes, but didn’t.

Rumors swirled about Harden’s future well before free agency, with the 34-year-old guard tied to the Rockets, with whom he won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award in 2017/18. However, according to Sohi, new coach Ime Udoka “was not a fan” of Harden, leaving Harden feeling as though he was running out of options and thus, looking to the Clippers, where he ended up demanding a trade to.

Before Harden picked up to his player option, his camp felt as though the Sixers would short-change him on a possible contract, writes Sohi. Seeing as Houston wasn’t a viable option for the star guard, Sohi writes that Harden’s camp felt as though Morey wished to get Harden to agree to a short, team-friendly deal, just as he did last summer. For now, Harden’s request stands as the Sixers approach their first preseason game on October 8.

We have more from the Sixers:

In a separate story regarding the Harden and Morey fallout, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic corroborate Sohi’s piece, asserting that Harden joined the Sixers for camp to avoid fines. However, the pair also write that Harden is taking part because he believes a potential deal with the Clippers is still in the works. Los Angeles is “going to great lengths” to trade for Harden, according to Charania and Amick, attempting to move pick swaps for additional draft capital to strengthen their offer. Charania and Amick write that the Clippers offered an unprotected first-round pick, a pick swap and matching salaries for Harden in July, but the Sixers want more, particularly eyeing Terance Mann and multiple first-round picks.
For Joel Embiid‘s part in the Harden/Morey drama, Sohi writes that the franchise center is open to waiting to see what Morey can build and understands why it may take a while to build a contending team. Embiid has been through this before, Sohi writes, taking part in the “Process Era,” though that was well before his emergence as a superstar and league MVP.
Embiid committed to play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics on Thursday. Embiid was picking between the United States, France and Cameroon’s Olympic teams, and he explained his decision to play for the Americans to media on Thursday, as relayed by PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck (Twitter link). “It was tough,” Embiid said. “Obviously, I love all three options. … “My son is American, and you add that to the fact that I’ve been here for such a long time, I feel like for the past few years … every decision has been based off of family.”

Clippers Notes: Westbrook, George, Morris, Defense

October 4th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Media day was much different this year for Clippers guard Russell Westbrook than it was in 2022 when he was a virtual outcast on the Lakers, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Westbrook conducted a “jovial” 17-minute session with reporters, which Swanson notes is about 11 minutes longer than he talked to Lakers media last year. He expressed a desire to win a title, but added some philosophy about other things that can happen along the way.

“Every team comes into media day, training camp, we’re going to win a championship, and we understand that’s the goal,” Westbrook said. “But personally the championship-or-bust mentality to me is just not a real thing. It’s like a thing that people make up. Like winning a championship or bust. It’s not true. You can accomplish a lot more. You can create brotherhood. You can learn so much more about people. You can figure out ways how you can as a team, collectively. There’s just so many lessons that I’ve personally learned.”

Westbrook’s unhappy experience with the Lakers turned around after he was traded to Utah at the deadline and joined the Clippers following a buyout with the Jazz. He was the pure point guard the team had been needing, and he raised the level of play before injuries shut the door on L.A. in the postseason.

“Leadership is one of my biggest qualities,” he said Monday. “It’s something that I really embrace and enjoy.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

Paul George confirmed on Wednesday that he’s engaged in extension talks with the team, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. He told reporters that negotiations are “active but both sides have to be on the same page and that’s just what we’re trying to figure out.”
After 12 NBA seasons, Marcus Morris is used to hearing his name in trade talks, Greif adds (Twitter link). With a $17.1MM expiring contract, Morris was involved in rumors throughout the summer. “It’s part of the game. It’s part of being a veteran,” he said. “You go with the flow, if it happens it happens, if it don’t it don’t. I’m still a Clipper. I’m a Clipper until I’m not. I’m here to help the team in any capacity.”
At media day, coach Tyronn Lue emphasized the need to improve on defense and challenged his team to finish in the top five in that category this season, per Law Murray of The Athletic.

Sixers Notes: Harden, Colorado, Harrell, Harris

October 4th, 2023 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

Although James Harden may be in attendance this week for training camp, it’s unclear what the Sixers can expect from him, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who said in an NBA Today YouTube segment that the star guard may simply intend to put more pressure on the club in the hopes of forcing a change of scenery.

“James Harden wants a trade. He wants to make the 76ers uncomfortable, so uncomfortable, ultimately, that they don’t think that they’re going to get the best out of him, and that they’ll make a trade,” Wojnarowski said. “The Sixers, on the other hand, they want to wait this out and hope they get the best James Harden, the best version of him sooner than later.”

As Wojnarowski explains, the Sixers don’t believe there’s a deal for Harden out there that will maintain or improve their chances of contending for a championship, so hanging onto the former MVP and attempting to reconcile may be the path with the highest upside.

“The difference between the Harden situation and the Ben Simmons situation a couple years ago (is) there were a lot of possible deals out there for Ben Simmons,” Wojnarowski said. “So you would measure them, you would look at them, what they could get. Teams in both conferences had interest in Ben Simmons. This is different. There’s not widespread interest in James Harden.”

Wojnarowski refers to the Clippers as the “most motivated” team to land Harden, given that they want to contend for a title this season and could use a play-making guard, but reiterates that they don’t want to bid against themselves. As for other potential suitors, Woj notes that the Knicks talked to the Sixers earlier in the process, but says New York isn’t particularly enthusiastic to pursue what might be a one-year rental of Harden.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirms that Harden arrived in Colorado on Tuesday night, as expected. However, the 34-year-old remains angry at Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and has “zero intentions of rejoining this group in earnest” even after reporting to camp, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Within the same Athletic story, Amick explores the team’s motivation for holding its training camp in Colorado, noting that practicing in altitude was one factor head coach Nick Nurse considered. Getting out from under the spotlight in Philadelphia was another. “Taking the team away, and the old (idea of), ‘Let’s get out and get away and bond and spend some time together,’ that’s still a real thing,” Nurse said. “It’s still a real thing. And as you mentioned, and if I’m being honest with you, yes, I thought that getting away from the media a little bit, and from all of this, could help us so we can focus on basketball.”
Injured big man Montrezl Harrell, who is recovering from surgery on the torn ACL in his right knee, isn’t with the Sixers in training camp and is expected to remain away from the team while going through the rehab process, tweets Pompey.
Veteran forward Tobias Harris spoke to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports about Harden’s situation, his early impressions of Nurse, and how several Sixers players on expiring contracts (including himself) will focus on team goals this season.
With the Harden saga still unresolved and the 76ers’ rivals in Boston and Milwaukee loading up ahead of the 2023/24 season, Pompey suggests in an article for The Philadelphia Inquirer that it’s fair to wonder if the club’s title window has closed.

James Harden Expected To Join Sixers For Training Camp

October 3rd, 2023 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard James Harden didn’t show up for the Sixers‘ media day on Monday in Camden, N.J. and wasn’t in attendance for the club’s first practice at Colorado State University on Tuesday.

However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), Harden is expected to arrive in Colorado and join the 76ers for training camp soon — perhaps even later today.

The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement states that a player is in violation of his contract and can be prevented from becoming a free agent if he withholds his services for more than 30 days during the final year of his deal.

It doesn’t appear Harden intends to test that CBA clause. According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, when he met with league officials during the NBA’s investigation into his public comments calling Morey a “liar” in August, Harden indicated that he planned to fulfill his contractual obligations to the Sixers if the team didn’t end up trading him.

Still, the fact that Harden intends to report to the team doesn’t mean that he’ll withdraw his trade request or that the standoff between him and the Sixers has been – or will be – resolved. While Wojnarowski’s latest report doesn’t include any additional details on Harden’s mindset, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters on Monday that the former MVP continues to seek a change of scenery, as Bontemps details.

Prior to Wojnarowski’s report on Tuesday, one person who knows Harden well told Yaron Weitzman of FOX Sports, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he returns and is destructive.”

Here’s more on Harden:

Although the Clippers are still Harden’s preferred destination, there has been no traction on a deal between Los Angeles and Philadelphia, according to Wojnarowski, who hears from sources that the Sixers’ asking price remains high and L.A. isn’t eager to bid against itself.
Harden has already received 50% of his $35.64MM salary for the 2023/24 season, sources tell Bontemps. The star guard received a 25% payment on July 1 and another 25% by October 1. If he were to hold out, the Sixers could withhold future payments or seek to recoup some of the money Harden has already been paid.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Morey responded to Harden’s assertion that he’s a “liar,” explaining why he hasn’t addressed those comments until this week. “I haven’t responded to that because I think it falls flat on its face,” he said, per Bontemps. “In 20 years of working in the league, always followed through on everything. Every top agent knows that. Everyone in the league knows. You can’t operate in this job without that. So, you know, privately I’ve appreciated all the key people in the league reaching out to me and knowing obviously that’s not true. But like I said before, obviously it was disappointing that he chose to handle it that way.”
Weitzman’s full story on the relationship between Harden and Morey and how they got to this point is packed with interesting tidbits and is worth checking out in full.

Clippers Notes: Leonard, Primo, Mann, Covington

October 2nd, 2023 at 6:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kawhi Leonard said he’s unaffected by the league’s new rules regarding load management, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN.

Leonard had his games limited during his lone season with Toronto and the Clippers have also employed the strategy with him and other players. He hasn’t played more than 60 regular-season games since the 2017/18 season.

“I’m not a guy that’s sitting down because I’m doing load management — well, when I was with the Raptors, it was different; like, I was coming [off] an injury,” he said. “And you have to know the details from the doctor. But if the league is seeing or trying to mock what I did with the Raptors, they should stop because I was injured during that whole year. But other than that, if I’m able to play, I’ll play basketball. I work out every day in the summertime to play the game. So, no league policy is helping me to play more games.”

We have more on the Clippers:

Newcomer Joshua Primo said he’ll let his actions speak for him as he tries to clean up his image, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Primo will serve a four-game league suspension for indecent exposure. Primo signed a two-way contract with the Clippers late last month. “Talking’s cheap, guys,” he said. “Obviously it’s going to be my actions each and every day that proves my character.”
Apparently, the possibility of starting Leonard at power forward and inserting Terance Mann in the backcourt alongside Russell Westbrook is in play. Coach Tyronn Lue acknowledged he’s been thinking about, Greif tweets. “You’re a smart man,” Lue responded when asked about it during media day.
The Clippers were uninterested all summer in putting Mann in potential trade packages for Philadelphia’s James Harden, according to Greif.
Lue hinted he plans to give Robert Covington more playing time this season, Greif added in another tweet. He said Covington deserved to play “a little bit more last year, and that’s my fault.” The veteran forward appeared in only 48 games off the bench last season, averaging 16.2 minutes per night, his fewest since his rookie season.

Durant, Curry, LeBron, Other U.S. Stars Express Olympic Interest

October 2nd, 2023 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2024 Olympics in Paris were a popular topic of discussion on media days around the NBA in Monday, with many of the league’s biggest American stars expressing interest in representing Team USA next summer.

Suns forward Kevin Durant, who won Olympic gold medals in 2012, 2016, and 2020, was adamant in addressing his 2024 plans, telling reporters, “I will play in the Olympics next year,” according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Durant’s Suns teammate Devin Booker also indicated that he would accept an invite from USA Basketball, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes, while KD’s former Warriors teammate Stephen Curry told reporters, “(I) definitely want to be on the team,” per Reynolds.

Lakers forward LeBron James, who was rumored last month to be recruiting his fellow U.S. stars to play at next year’s Olympics, confirmed his interest, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. His teammate Anthony Davis wasn’t prepared to commit yet, telling reporters that it’s too early to say whether he’ll play (Twitter link via Buha).

Of course, one of the biggest question marks for Team USA is Joel Embiid, who has yet to take part in an international competition and has citizenship in France and the U.S. in addition to his native Cameroon.

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays (via Twitter), Embiid said today that he’d like to play in the Olympics but is still weighing his options. While the U.S. and France have already qualified, Cameroon will compete in a qualifying tournament next summer in the hopes of earning a spot in the 12-team Olympic field. Embiid, who was reportedly given an October 10 deadline by the French team, said he hopes to make his decision “in the next few days.”

“I love all three options,” Embiid said, per ESPN. “Cameroon, I’m born there, I’m from there and I always want to represent my country. But the goal is also to play in the Olympics. If we had a chance, or if we would qualify for the Olympics, that will be an easy decision. But that’s still up in the air. And I really do want to play in the Olympics.”

Here’s more on the potential Team USA roster, which can only accommodate 12 players:

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum intends to play for the U.S. in Paris, tweets Jeff Goodman of The Messenger. His teammate Jaylen Brown also expressed interest, telling reporters that there’s “no greater honor” than representing his country and adding that it would be “great” to play in next year’s Olympics (Twitter link via Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe).
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard said he would consider playing for Team USA in the Paris Olympics, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
Bucks forward Khris Middleton and center Brook Lopez (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic), Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files), Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (Twitter link via Chris Mannix of SI.com), Bulls guard Zach LaVine (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago), and Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (Twitter link via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports) are among the players who indicated they’d accept invites from Team USA if they received them. Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Suns guard Bradley Beal, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, and Knicks forward Julius Randle also fall into that group, per a report from ESPN.
Clippers forward Paul George, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma expressed some interest in playing for Team USA, while Heat wing Jimmy Butler didn’t rule out the possibility, according to ESPN.

And-Ones: Holiday, N. Young, J. Parker, 2024 Draft, More

October 2nd, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat and Clippers are believed to be the other teams that were seriously in the mix for Jrue Holiday before the Trail Blazers accepted the Celtics’ offer for the All-Defensive guard, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast.

“I’m not sure exactly where are the offers were at the end for the Blazers before they decided on the Celtics’ offer, but based on my conversations, my feel was there was at least three teams who were making significant bids.” Windhorst said, according to RealGM. “… The teams I really think were there in the end were the Celtics, Heat and the Clippers.

“The reason I think those three teams were there because I think those were the three teams Jrue Holiday was really focused on at some point being able to sign a longer-term contract (with). And that message kind of went out in recent days. Other teams made offers but it was sort of a three-team, aggressive race at the end. Only the Blazers know exactly what the offers were.”

The Clippers came close to acquiring Malcolm Brogdon back in June, so it will be interesting to see if they make any effort to re-engage the Trail Blazers in talks for Brogdon after missing out on Holiday.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Nick Young is resuming his playing career overseas, having signed with the Macau Black Bears of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), according to the team (Instagram link; hat tip to Sportando). A former first-round pick, Young has appeared in 720 regular season NBA games, but has been out of the league since being waived by Denver in 2018.
Speaking to Alex Molina of Eurohoops following his move to FC Barcelona, former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker said he believes the NBA is getting “watered down” because so many teams are trying to tank for draft picks each season, and expressed dismay that players like Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, and John Wall can’t find NBA homes.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) has updated his mock draft for 2024, moving USC guard Isaiah Collier up to No. 2 and Perth Wildcats big man Alexandre Sarr up to No. 4. While Ron Holland of the G League Ignite is still considered the early favorite to be next year’s No. 1 pick, Givony says Sarr has done enough to join the small group of prospects with a legitimate case for the top spot in the 2024 draft.
With a series of holes in its programming schedule this winter due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, ABC will air NBA games on every Wednesday night in January, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. That slate of games will includes matchups between the Pelicans and Warriors, Mavericks and Lakers, and Suns and Nets, among others.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports believes that Jason Kidd (Mavericks), Steve Clifford (Hornets), and Billy Donovan (Bulls) are three head coaches who will be on the hot seat this season.

Bryson Williams Joins Clippers On Exhibit 10 Deal

October 2nd, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:00pm: The signing is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.

7:56am: Bryson Williams is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Clippers and join the team for training camp, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

The 25-year-old power forward played for L.A.’s G League affiliate in Ontario last season after being signed and waived by the Clippers last October. He averaged 7.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 23 games while shooting 48% from the field and 36% from three-point range. Williams also spent time with JL Bourg in France after signing with the team in May.

Williams’ college career consisted of two years at two years at Fresno State, two years at UTEP and one year at Fresno State. He went undrafted in 2022.

The Exhibit 10 deal means Williams can earn a bonus of up to $75K if he joins the Ontario team again and stays there for at least 60 days.

James Harden Skips Sixers’ Media Day

October 2nd, 2023 at 8:55am CST by Arthur Hill

James Harden has decided to skip the Sixers‘ media day to protest the team’s failure to meet his trade request, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Harden could be fined for missing the event, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link). After the session with the media wraps up, the Sixers will depart for training camp at Colorado State University, and it’s not clear whether Harden intends to accompany them.

The Clippers remain Harden’s preferred destination, but sources tell Wojnarowski that although the teams engaged in recent trade discussions, there’s no traction on a Harden deal to Los Angeles or anywhere else.

Bobby Marks of ESPN points out that Harden could be found in violation of his contract under the CBA’s “withholding services” clause if he stays away from the team for more than 30 days, which could endanger his free agency for next summer (Twitter link). The fine for not appearing at media day could be added to fines for missing practice as well as 1/91.6 of his salary ($389,083) for each preseason or regular season game he sits out.

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey opened media day with a statement about Harden (Twitter link from Tim Bontemps of ESPN), telling reporters, “He continues to seek a trade and we are continuing to work with his representation to find the best solution for the 76ers and all parties. In terms of a trade, I will continue to work on those fronts and, if he’s here, then coach will work with him on the court. I think it’s pretty straightforward.”

Asked about potential fines, Morey said Harden will be treated “like every other player under the rules of the CBA” (Twitter link).

New head coach Nick Nurse said he has a “Plan A” and “Plan B,” depending on whether Harden eventually decides to be part of the team. Nurse’s immediate concern is getting a foundation in place to start the season.

Harden has been feuding with the Sixers, and Morey in particular, over what he believes are promises that weren’t lived up to. Harden expected to sign a lucrative long-term deal with the team after giving up money last summer, but he didn’t get the offer he was expecting. He made a surprising choice in late June to pick up his option for next season and ask for a trade, but hasn’t been gotten dealt as he’d hoped. He has indicated that he will continue to be disruptive as long as he remains in Philadelphia.