Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Ball LIkes To Take The Blame

October 30th, 2017 at 10:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Suns center Alex Len didn’t receive an offer sheet as a restricted free agent this summer but he’s pumping up his value during the early going, according to Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Len is averaging 10.2 PPG and 8.4 RPG and one scout told Bordow that Len could receive a four-year deal worth up to $15MM per season if he continues his strong play. Len signed his qualifying offer of $4.2MM in late September after his unsuccessful foray into restricted free agency.

In other news around the Western Conference:

Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball told reporters that as a floor leader he prefers “to take the blame when we lose,” Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays. Ball committed five turnovers in a loss to the Jazz on Saturday. Ball also believes he needs to push the ball more efficiently, Youngmisuk adds. “More pace, run on makes — I feel like we are kind of walking up the ball too much,” Ball said. “And that is obviously my fault because I am the point guard so just got to push the pace a little better.”
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle is considering lineup changes after his team got off to a 1-6 start, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports. “We’re looking at things all the time,” Carlisle told Sefko and other reporters.“If you’re asking about a change to the starting lineup or rotation, any and everything is in play at this point.”
Pelicans and Saints owner Tom Benson was hospitalized Sunday night but is expected to return to his office by the end of the week, according to a statement released by a Saints spokesman. Benson felt weakness while attending the Saints game on Sunday, Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Tyson Chandler shrugs off the rumors that the Suns are trying to deal him, Bordow reports. The team is reportedly trying to package him in any deal involving disgruntled point man Eric Bledsoe. “Just like everybody else, I hear the rumblings,” he said. “I hear my name being involved in things and trade rumors but I’m at the point where I couldn’t care less.”

Pelicans Notes: Smith, Davis, Cousins, Holiday

October 28th, 2017 at 6:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The veterans minimum contract for Josh Smith, who formally signed with the Pelicans this afternoon after several days of waiting, will cost the team $13,156 per day, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. With a team salary slightly more than $122.7MM, New Orleans was roughly $1MM below the luxury tax before adding Smith. He is the latest veteran signing for a team that added Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen over the offseason, then reached a deal with Jameer Nelson after he was waived by the Nuggets.

“Being able to get this call, I feel like it was a second chance and a breath of fresh air,” Smith told Christian Boutwell of The Advocate. “I thank the New Orleans Pelicans organization for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to continue to do what I love to do.”

There’s more today out of New Orleans:

The Pelicans’ complementary players have hampered the pairing of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Although both big men are able to initiate the offense from the perimeter, the talent around them don’t shoot well enough to provide spacing, O’Connor adds. Ian Clark is the team’s best career 3-point shooter at 37.2%, and E’Twaun Moore, Nelson and Jrue Holiday are the only others above 36%. Front office sources tell O’Connor they don’t expect any significant roster changes from the Pelicans for the rest of the season, unless they fall far out of playoff contention by the deadline. He notes that the chances of Cousins signing with the Lakers when he hits free agency next summer remain very real.
The Pelicans will need a playoff appearance to improve their chances of keeping Cousins, suggests Sam Amick of USA Today. Cousins has spent eight seasons in the league without reaching the postseason and will be more inclined to look elsewhere if he misses for a second straight year in New Orleans. Amick writes that Cousins is currently the star player most likely to change teams next summer.
Holiday had his best game of the season Thursday in sparking a comeback in Sacramento, boosting the team’s hopes that he can handle his new backcourt role, writes William Guillory of The Times-Picayune. New Orleans is counting on Holiday to take on more of the scoring load, and he delivered 20 points in the win over the Kings. “Jrue was incredible,” Cousins said. “We’ve been pushing him to just be an aggressive guard at all times. I feel like no guard in this league can guard him one-on-one. He came out and he was aggressive and made some huge plays for us.”

Brandon Ingram Wants To Be Closer; Luol Deng Out Of Rotation

October 27th, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Austin Kent

Could Brandon Ingram be the next great Lakers closer? Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register thinks so. On a roster filled with promising young player and role-playing veterans, Ingram could be uniquely qualified to step into the role that Kobe Bryant vacated in 2016.

“He definitely has the ability and confidence to make those kind of plays,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said of Ingram. “He definitely wants it. One hundred percent he wants it. Some people, they say they want it. But in their eyes you can tell they’re just saying it because they’re supposed to say it. Brandon, he truly wants those types of moments.”

Teaford cites Ingram’s role in the Lakers’ recent comeback victory against the Wizards, chipping in with 11 points in the fourth quarter and tapping in the game-tying bucket at the end of regulation.

In four games as a Lakers sophomore, Ingram has averaged 15.8 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Having seen just 13 minutes of action so far this season, it’s safe to say that Luol Deng is at the bottom of the Lakers‘ depth chart. An ESPN report states that the veteran will likely continue to draw DNP-CDs.

NBA Writers Believe Lakers Are Best Bet To Sign LeBron

October 26th, 2017 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Over at SI.com, Richard Deitsch takes an early look at James’ options, soliciting opinions from basketball writers like Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, Michael Lee of The Vertical, Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, and more. Asked to predict LeBron’s 2018 landing spot, Beck stresses that no one knows yet where the four-time MVP will play next season, but the group overwhelmingly votes in favor of the Lakers, with the Cavaliers as the runner-up.

Meanwhile, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) also explores the LeBron sweepstakes in a roundabout way, examining which clubs will have the cap flexibility next summer to make a run at a maximum-salary free agent. While teams like the Sixers, Mavericks, Hawks, and Bulls project to have significant cap room, no team will have more room than the Lakers, who could potentially open up two max-salary slots with a little help.

Ball The Next Jason Kidd?

October 25th, 2017 at 7:27pm CST by clarkcrum

The Lakers see a lot of similarities between rookie Lonzo Ball and former Nets point guard and Bucks head coach Jason Kidd, as detailed in a story by Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. In addition to their comparable styles, ability to run, and passing skills, both were born in California and selected second in their respective drafts. However, the Lakers are also quick to admit that Ball still has a long way to go to reach Kidd’s level, and no one expects it to happen overnight.

Lakers Assign, Recall Thomas Bryant

October 25th, 2017 at 5:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Bryant’s stint with the South Bay Lakers (noted below) was a brief one. He has already been recalled by the Lakers (Twitter link).
The Lakers have assigned rookie big man Thomas Bryant to the G League, according to the team. Bryant, who will join the South Bay Lakers, has yet to make his regular season NBA debut after being drafted 42nd overall this year.

Lakers Exercise 2018/19 Options On Ingram, Nance

October 24th, 2017 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

One week ahead of the October 31 deadline, the Lakers have picked up their 2018/19 team options on forwards Brandon Ingram and Larry Nance Jr., the team announced today in a press release. The moves will fully guarantee the two players’ salaries through the ’18/19 season.

Although Ingram has struggled to make a consistent impact on the court for the Lakers since being selected with the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, the decision to pick up his 2018/19 option was a no-brainer for the club. It will count against L.A.’s cap for $5,757,120 next season.

As for Nance, he has impressed Lakers decision-makers with his play this fall and usurped Julius Randle as the team’s starting power forward. It’s a small sample, but through three games this season, Nance’s per-minute numbers have soared — he’s averaging 18.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per 36 minutes, compared to 11.2 and 9.2 last year. His fourth-year option for 2018/19 will count for $2,272,391 against the Lakers’ cap.

Nance will be eligible for a contract extension next offseason, and if he’s not extended, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2019. Ingram is under team control for one additional year, so the Lakers will have to decide on his 2019/20 team option a year from now.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Ignites Lakers

October 23rd, 2017 at 8:57pm CST by Jeff Kasler

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made an immediate impact on the Lakers during his debut against the Pelicans. As Bill Oram of The Orange County Register details, Caldwell-Pope nailed a three less than 30 seconds into the game and gives coach Luke Walton a legitimate “3-and-D” option.

Lakers’ G League Team Hires Metta World Peace As Assistant Coach

October 23rd, 2017 at 7:36pm CST by Jeff Kasler

The South Bay Lakers have hired Metta World Peace as an assistant coach, according to the team’s website. World Peace had recently expressed an interest in coaching, and this opportunity lands him in a player development role for the Lakers’ G League affiliate.

World Peace spent six seasons with the Lakers and won an NBA championship with the club in 2010. Known for his defensive prowess and for his role in the 2004 brawl between the Pacers and the Pistons, World Peace can impart 17 seasons worth of accrued wisdom on the South Bay roster.

The South Bay Lakers – formerly known as the Los Angeles D-Fenders – are the G League’s defending Pacific Division champions and are led by head coach Coby Karl, son of the former longtime NBA coach, George Karl. The club’s 16-man roster includes two-way players Vander Blue and Alex Caruso, as well as L.A. camp invitees V.J. Beachem and Stephen Zimmerman.

L.A. Notes: Teodosic, Gallinari, Randle, Deng

October 22nd, 2017 at 9:11am CST by Arthur Hill

Milos Teodosic, the Clippers‘ 30-year-old rookie out of Serbia, will have an MRI on his left foot today after injuring it Saturday night, according to ESPN.com. X-rays on the foot were negative after Teodosic had to be carried off the court, but he was on crutches after the game. “I just saw him laying down,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I didn’t see what happened. He said that he felt something in his foot. So it’s definitely a foot injury. But we don’t know what it is.” Rookie guard Jawun Evans will be activated while Teodosic is out, and Austin Rivers is expected to take his place in the starting lineup.

There’s more this morning out of Los Angeles:

Free agent addition Danilo Gallinari is still trying to get used to his new Clippers teammates after an injury wiped out most of his preseason, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Gallinari, who spent the past six and a half years with the Nuggets, strained his left foot in the second exhibition game and wasn’t able to practice until last Sunday. That didn’t keep him from earning a starting role, and now he has to adapt to playing alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in the frontcourt. “I think we did a pretty good job as far as chemistry with us three,” Gallinari said. “But everybody is trying to learn how to play with each other. Everybody is new so it’s going to take a while. It’s going to be a learning process the whole season.”
The Lakers are concerned about Julius Randle‘s reaction to the loss of his starting job, reports Bill Oram of the Orange County Register. Coach Luke Walton said he decided to make Larry Nance Jr. the starting power forward because he was playing better with the first team, while Randle fit in well with the reserves. But Walton didn’t like Randle’s effort in the season opener and quickly pulled him from the game. “When he stepped on the court for whatever reason he wasn’t ready to go,” Walton said, “like he has been for the past week [of practices]. So I pulled him out to tell him about it. I know he wasn’t happy with me but that’s my job.” Adding to Randle’s frustrations is the team’s decision not to offer him a rookie scale contract extension this week. He will be a restricted free agent next summer and may be nearing the end of his time with the Lakers.
After starting Thursday’s game, Lakers forward Luol Deng was inactive Friday as Corey Brewer took his place, notes Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. Deng still has two more seasons and $36.81MM left on his contract.