Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Ingram, Beverley, KCP

July 22nd, 2017 at 9:27am CST by marksuleymanov

The Lakers have been active and persistent this offseason, from drafting UCLA product Lonzo Ball, to shipping out former first round pick D’Angelo Russell to the Nets, to signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year deal. While trade talks persist, the team is adamantly against trading last year’s second overall pick Brandon Ingram, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes.

Ingram, soon-to-be 20 years old, did not post eye-popping numbers in his rookie season, averaging 9.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG and shot 40.2 % from the floor. However, his work ethic and potential is the reason why Lakers brass has been abruptly ending phone calls once opposing teams inquire about his availability. Team president Magic Johnson‘s endorsement is a glowing one for the Duke product.

“The guy only cares about winning and basketball,” Johnson said. “He’s quiet and doesn’t do anything else. He is a very intelligent young man and is our hardest worker.”

As the Lakers continue their drift toward youth, Ingram figures to crack the starting lineup next season. Alongside the hotshot prospect Ball, veteran acquisition Lopez, and other youngsters, Ingram’s development remains a crucial point and goal for the Lakers.

Below are additional notes surrounding the Lakers and the Pacific division:

The Lakers‘ signing of KCP is a risk for both sides but one that could pay dividends, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times writes. Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year, $18MM deal with Los Angeles and was introduced earlier this week. The Lakers’ hope is that the 24-year-old, who is technically considered a veteran as he enters his fifth NBA season, will be a leader for a young team.
Conversely, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press ponders whether KCP’s decision to reject a four-year, $80MM offer from the Pistons last season was a wise move. While KCP will do fine financially this season, injuries, poor performance, and a change in the market could harm his value after 2017/18. Caldwell-Pope’s hope will be to have a strong season and hit the market at 25 years old looking for security.
Mark Medina adds in a separate piece that the Lakers are looking to fill out their roster in the next few weeks.
One of the Clippers‘ many acquisitions in the Chris Paul sign-and-trade was defensive standout Patrick Beverley. USA Today highlighted Beverly and his desire to not be compared with Paul and rather let his game speak for itself. Many Clippers officials are also quoted in stating their longtime appreciation of Beverley’s talents.

Lakers Interested In Ian Clark

July 20th, 2017 at 7:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers have interest in adding Ian Clark to the roster, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). Turner cautions that no deal is imminent.

Clark spent the last two seasons in Golden State and his role expanded as time passed. The Warriors own Clark’s Early Bird rights, though the team is already in the luxury tax after re-signing most of its core. The franchise brought back Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston while adding Nick Young in free agency. After all the moves, there may not be enough minutes, let alone currency, for Clark to return.

The Lakers are looking for an experienced guard to mentor Lonzo Ball and Clark isn’t the only candidate for the job. Los Angeles is reportedly in on the Derrick Rose–sweepstakes and the team plans to pitch the former MVP on its ability to offer more playing time and a larger contract than rival suitors can.

Entering the free agency period, Clark was expected to receive a raise on his 2016/17 salary, which was slightly under $1.02MM. Some NBA executives envisioned the 26-year-old landing a deal worth more than the mid-level exception. Los Angeles wouldn’t be able to make that kind of offer — the team only has the $4.3MM room exception remaining for free agents.

Clark previously played under Lakers coach Luke Walton during the coach’s stint in Golden State. It’ll be interesting to see if the relationship helps to bring the shooting guard to Los Angeles.

Derrick Rose Meeting With Lakers, Decision Expected Soon

July 20th, 2017 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

2:07pm: Rose will likely make a decision this weekend, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. The Lakers and Cavs appear to be the favorites, but Amick notes that Rose’s agent – B.J. Armstrong – has also been talking with the Bulls.

The Bulls are an unexpected addition — they already have a handful of point guards and a reunion with Rose doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense for the team at this point, so we’ll see if there’s any follow-up on that front.

1:15pm: The Cavaliers are reportedly engaged in “serious” discussions with Derrick Rose, but Cleveland isn’t the only team pursuing the veteran point guard. According to Chris Haynes and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, the Lakers have a Thursday meeting lined up with Rose.

[RELATED: Available 2017 NBA Free Agents]

The Lakers have been in the market this summer for a veteran point guard to serve as a mentor for rookie – and Summer League MVP – Lonzo Ball. The club used its remaining cap room to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but still has the $4.328MM room exception available to offer free agents.

If Rose’s decision comes down to Cleveland vs. Los Angeles, he’ll have to weigh a handful of competing factors. ESPN’s report suggests that playing on a contender will be a consideration for Rose, and that would be a big check mark in the Cavs’ favor. Playing in Cleveland would also allow the former MVP to be closer to his family in Chicago.

However, the Lakers hope to pitch Rose on the fact that they can offer him a larger contract and more playing time, per ESPN. As Haynes tweets, sources say that Rose “just wants to play ball,” so if the Lakers can sell the free agent point guard on a significant, defined role, it’s possible they’ll gain the upper hand on the Cavs.

The Bucks have also met with Rose, though it’s not clear if they’re still in play as a potential landing spot.

Several Teams Were Interested In Russell

July 19th, 2017 at 11:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Several teams were interested in trading for D’Angelo Russell, according to Lakers team president Magic Johnson, which was something that gave the front office confidence in trade talks.

Despite his up-and-down stint with the Lakers, Nick Young said he may come back to the team to retire when it’s time to hang up his jersey, Mark Medina of the Orange County Register passes along. “I love LA. I might be back and retire here one day,” said Young. “I’ll come back with Kobe, MJ, and LeBron (James).”

Lonzo Ball Diagnosed With Mild Calf Strain

July 18th, 2017 at 9:20pm CST by marksuleymanov

Second overall pick and NBA Summer League Most Valuable Player, Lonzo Ball, underwent an MRI Tuesday that revealed a mild calf strain, the Lakers announced. There is no timetable for Ball’s full recovery but he is expected to begin workouts with teammates soon, per Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet (via Twitter).

Ball, 19, averaged 16.3 PPG, 9.3 APG, 7.7 RPG, and 2.5 SPG, during the Las Vegas Summer League — which included two triple-doubles — but sat out Monday’s championship game against Portland due to the injury. Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma ended up being named the Las Vegas Summer League Finals MVP.

“I’m feeling a little bit better, training staff has been with me but they ruled me out,” Ball said to ESPN Monday about his injury, noting that he did not think it was serious.

As noted by ESPN, Ball became the third top-two pick to win Summer League MVP honors, joining Blake Griffin (2009) and John Wall (2010).

The UCLA product will now prepare for his first NBA season as he attempts to live up to the hype produced by his outspoken father, LaVar Ball.

Tarik Black Signs With Rockets

July 17th, 2017 at 4:27pm CST by marksuleymanov

JULY 17th, 4:27pm: The signing is official, the team announced on its website.

JULY 14th, 4:46pm: The Rockets have agreed to a deal with free agent forward Tarik Black, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). Houston will use its biannual exception ($3.2MM) to sign Black, per Zach Lowe of ESPN (via Twitter).

Black was waived by the Lakers earlier this month before his deal for 2017/18 became guaranteed and hit unrestricted free agency after clearing waivers. Black becomes the second Laker from the 2016/17 team to find a new home today as David Nwaba was claimed off waivers by the Bulls.

Black, 25, is familiar with the Rockets’ organization as he was signed by the team after going undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft. After appearing in 25 games for Houston during the 2014/15 season, he was waived and eventually claimed by the Lakers. In parts of three seasons since joining the Lakers, Black posted totals of 5.4 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 144 games.

The 6’9″ center has been lauded for his defensive abilities and rebounding since entering the NBA. With an aging Nene and Clint Capela as the Rockets’ primary big men, Black should find more opportunities to play than in his first go-around with the team.

Pacific Notes: Rondo, Clark, Caldwell-Pope, Perry

July 16th, 2017 at 12:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers will have to find another option at point guard now that Rajon Rondo has signed with the Pelicans, writes Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. L.A. had talked to Rondo about serving as a mentor to a young roster and especially to rookie Lonzo Ball. Attention may now turn to re-signing 22-year-old Tyler Ennis, who was obtained from Houston in a February trade. Ennis averaged 7.7 points and shot 45% from the field in 22 games with the Lakers.

Other options include Rodney Stuckey and Ian Clark, although L.A. has only the $4.3MM room exception to offer apart from veterans minimum deals. The Lakers currently have 12 players under contract for the upcoming season, along with Alex Caruso signed to a two-way deal.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

After struggling to make a roster in the early part of his NBA career, Clark is in position for a big payday, writes Joe Rexrode of The USA Today Network. The Lakers and Bucks are among the teams that have expressed interest in the free agent shooting guard, whose chance to return to the Warriors likely ended when Golden State signed Nick Young. “I can’t worry about this, I just have to let it fall into place,” Clark said. “At some point you stop worrying about surviving in this league and get determined to make your mark in it.”
The one-year, $18MM deal that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed with the Lakers includes a 15% trade kicker and a 50% advance, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.com.
Marcelo Huertas, who spent parts of the past two seasons with the Lakers, has signed with EuroCup champions Unicaja Malaga in Spain, tweets international basketball writer David Pick.
Scott Perry had a strong influence on the Kings during his three months as vice president of basketball operations, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Perry left this week to become GM of the Knicks, with Sacramento receiving a 2019 second-round pick and cash considerations in return. During Perry’s time with the Kings, Voison says he pushed for the free agency additions of veterans Zach Randolph, Vince Carter and George Hill and was a “strong advocate” for drafting De’Aaron Fox with the No. 5 pick. “This is a great opportunity for Scott professionally,” said GM Vlade Divac, “and it gets him back east, closer to his daughter. I was not going to stop him. The only thing I feel bad about is that we had everything in place in our front office. Our front office is strong. Now I have to find someone who can come in and do the things Scott did for us.”
The injury that forced Kings center Georgios Papagiannis to leave Friday’s summer league game has been diagnosed as just a bruise, according to a post on the team’s website.

Bulls Claim David Nwaba Off Waivers From Lakers

July 14th, 2017 at 4:29pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Bulls have claimed shooting guard David Nwaba off waivers from the Lakers, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). The Lakers waived Nwaba on Wednesday as a precursor to completing a deal with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

The 24-year-old Nwaba made his NBA debut with the Lakers in 2016/17 and earned himself a permanent roster spot after a strong showing following two 10-day contracts. While Los Angeles picked up Nwaba’s option for 2017/18, his salary remained non-guaranteed, giving the team the flexibility to create additional cap space.

Nwaba posted solid numbers in his 20-game cameo with the Lakers, averaging 6.0 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 19.8 minutes per game. The Lakers were intrigued by Nwaba’s development and defensive capabilities but understood he would likely be claimed off waivers, per Charania’s report.

Lakers Sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

July 13th, 2017 at 6:54pm CST by Luke Adams

July 13: The signing is official, according to the team’s website.

July 11: The Lakers have reached an agreement to sign free agent shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Windhorst reports that Caldwell-Pope will receive a one-year, $18MM deal from the club.

[RELATED: 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker]

It has been an unusual offseason for Caldwell-Pope, who entered the summer with aspirations of a long-term maximum salary contract, or at least something close to it. However, after they signed Langston Galloway and traded for Avery Bradley, the Pistons determined that Caldwell-Pope was no longer in their future plans, identifying Bradley as the franchise’s shooting guard of the future instead.

A report last week suggested that the Pistons were at one point willing to go up to $80MM over five years for Caldwell-Pope, which “wasn’t even close” to what he was seeking. Unable to find common ground with KCP, Detroit renounced his rights, putting the Lakers in play as a potential suitor. Los Angeles has been unwilling to offer more than one-year contracts this month, and while that wouldn’t have been enough to pry Caldwell-Pope away as a restricted free agent, he was apparently willing to settle for a one-year “balloon” deal as a UFA.

By accepting a one-year contract with the Lakers, Caldwell-Pope should have the opportunity to take on a key scoring role with the team in 2017/18, and will set himself up for a return to unrestricted free agency a year from now.

Although the Georgia native has shown promise as a two-way wing, his production hasn’t really increased since 2014/15. Last season, he averaged a modest 13.8 PPG and 3.3 RPG, with a .399/.350/.832 shooting line. At age 24, he’s a very solid defender, and if he can show an improved offensive game, he’d be in position for a much bigger payday in 2018.

As for the Lakers, they’ll add a promising young wing on something of a trial basis, maintaining their cap flexibility for next summer, when stars like LeBron James, Paul George, and others will reach free agency. While the Lakers figure to prioritize those All-Star free agents, Caldwell-Pope could be a nice Plan B for the team if he plays well in his first season in L.A.

The Lakers entered the day with about $17MM in cap room, so based on the terms of Caldwell-Pope’s deal, it’s possible the club will waive David Nwaba – who has a non-guaranteed contract – or another player to create a little more space. There has been no indication yet of a corresponding roster move, however.

Once they make the Caldwell-Pope signing official, the Lakers will have their $4.3MM room exception available for free agents. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), the team is still trying to land Rajon Rondo, though it’s not clear if that room exception would be enough for the veteran point guard.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers, Alex Caruso Agree To Two-Way Deal

July 13th, 2017 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are signing Summer League standout Alex Caruso to a deal, sources tell Sportando (Twitter link). Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com adds further details, reporting that Caruso will get a two-way, two-year contract from Los Angeles.

Caruso, a 6’4″ guard, went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2016. He caught in with the Thunder for training camp, but was cut and ultimately landed with the club’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. In 50 games for the Blue, Caruso averaged 11.9 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 2.2 SPG, with a .459/.401/.749 shooting line.

Caruso’s G League performance last season earned him a shot with the Lakers in Summer League play this summer, and he has looked good in limited minutes in Vegas, averaging 6.5 PPG, 3.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG in four games for L.A.

By securing him to a two-way contract, the Lakers will gain Caruso’s G League rights, so he’s on track to play primarily for the South Bay Lakers in 2017/18. For more details on how his two-way contract will work, be sure to check out our FAQ on the subject.