Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Brandon Bass Declines Player Option

June 22nd, 2016 at 3:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

JUNE 22: Bass has now officially opted out of his deal with the Lakers, making him a free agent on July 1st, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.

JUNE 16: Brandon Bass will turn down his $3.135MM player option for next season with the Lakers and become an unrestricted free agent, the player’s representatives have informed Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). The notion that the power forward would opt out and test the open market this offseason was first relayed by Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group back in April.

The 31-year-old saw his numbers decline as he assumed a bench role in L.A. this season after spending the previous four years primarily as a starter for the Celtics. His 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 20.3 minutes per game were his lowest in each category since the 2009/10 campaign. Still, Bass is a solid teammate who works hard and provides veteran leadership, all qualities the Lakers could benefit from by re-signing the big man this offseason. For what it’s worth, Bass noted that he hopes to remain with the franchise and that the feeling is mutual, Turner tweets.

Two strong possibilities for Bass next season if he doesn’t return to Lakers would be the Celtics and Clippers, though that is merely my speculation. Boston coach Brad Stevens said in December that he remained high on Bass, who said shortly before then that he’d planned to play out the rest of his career with Boston until the Celtics signed Amir Johnson instead last summer. The Tony Dutt client ended up with the Lakers, signing a two-year, $6.135MM contract in July. L.A. reportedly made Bass available for trades over the winter, but offers were said to be unappealing.

Draft Rumors: Lakers, Ingram, Celtics, Bembry

June 22nd, 2016 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

With Ben Simmons having reportedly received a promise from the Sixers at No. 1, the Lakers know who will be on the board for them at No. 2, and barring a last-minute blockbuster trade offer, Los Angeles intends to select Duke’s Brandon Ingram with that pick, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford and Ramona Shelburne. The decision, which comes as no surprise, comes after the Lakers spent three hours meeting with new head coach Luke Walton on Tuesday night, per the ESPN.com report. The team did its homework on other top prospects, but this year’s class has always been viewed as having a consensus top two, so it would have been a huge upset if the Lakers had landed on anyone but Ingram.

Let’s check in on a few more draft rumors, notes, and updates around the league…

ESPN’s Marc Stein wrote last night that the Celtics‘ preference at No. 3 – assuming they keep the pick – has “emerged as one of the bigger mysteries of draft week.” Bill Simmons of The Ringer agrees, tweeting that the Suns (Marquese Chriss), Timberwolves (Kris Dunn), Pelicans (Jamal Murray), and Kings (Buddy Hield) all appear to have preferred targets, but Boston could throw a wrench into the top eight by selecting one of those players. Meanwhile, Brett Dawson of The Advocate cautions (via Twitter) that it’s not yet clear whether Murray is New Orleans’ top target.
The Hawks, Sixers, and Spurs – all of whom have picks in the 20-30 range tomorrow night – have done the most extensive research on former St. Joseph’s wing DeAndre’ Bembry, a source tells Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
Rothstein adds (via Twitter) that two names he’s hearing on the Grizzlies‘ short list for the No. 17 pick are Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt) and Malachi Richardson (Syracuse).
The Pacers have narrowed down their list of realistic targets for the No. 20 overall pick to eight prospects, and prioritizing versatility, writes Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star.
ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider-only link) has revealed his final big board for the 2016 draft, which has Kris Dunn supplanting Jamal Murray at No. 3, and Marquese Chriss cracking the top five.
The NBA has announced 19 Green Room invitees for the 2016 draft, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv details. The list of prospects who will be in attendance on Thursday night includes the usual suspects, such as Simmons and Ingram, but also features a handful of names further down on draft boards, including Timothe Luwawu, Malik Beasley, and Denzel Valentine.

Magic, Pistons, Lakers To Pursue Al Horford

June 22nd, 2016 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks are viewed as the frontrunner to lock up free agent big man Al Horford this summer, since they can offer him the most money and years, and intend to put a max deal on the table. Still, Atlanta will face plenty of competition for Horford. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), the Magic, Pistons, and Lakers are among the other clubs planning to make a run for the four-time All-Star.

Horford, who turned 30 earlier this month, was as effective as ever for the Hawks in 2015/16, starting all 82 games for the first time in his career. He averaged 17.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per 36 minutes, and shot over 50% from the field for the eighth straight season.

Because he has nine years of NBA experience, all with the Hawks, Horford is eligible for the second-tier max salary this offseason, so it will be interesting to see if that impacts his decision. If he were to sign a contract with an opt-out after the first year, he could potentially return to the market and land a long-term deal with a bigger starting salary in 2017. However, now that he’s in his thirties, he may be content to simply sign a long-term max contract this summer.

The Lakers only have about $23MM in guaranteed salary on their books for 2016/17 at the moment, while the Magic are carrying approximately $36MM in guaranteed money, so it should be no problem for either of those teams to offer Horford the max. The Pistons have a few more commitments — upwards of $65MM, not including their draft picks, non-guaranteed salaries, or free agents. Detroit would have to make a move or two to create the space necessary to sign Horford, unless the team intended to part ways with Andre Drummond, which seems unlikely.

In addition to the Hawks, Magic, Pistons, and Lakers, the Rockets are among the other clubs planning to make a pitch to Horford.

Luke Walton Excited To Join Team

June 21st, 2016 at 10:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

At his introductory press conference today, new Lakers coach Luke Walton says now that the NBA Finals are over he is completely focused on the task at hand and is ready to help restore the franchise to its former glory, The Los Angeles Daily News relays. Walton noted the franchise’s exciting young talent, the amount of money the team can afford to spend in free agency and the opportunity to turn things around for a franchise that is coming off some of its worst seasons ever as reasons the post interested and excited him. “The fact that [GM] Mitch [Kupchak] and [VP] Jimmy Buss trusted me to be part of this rebuilding, post-Kobe [Bryant] era means the world to me,” Walton said. “Everything excites me. We have young talented players, we have draft picks, we have $60-70 million in free agency, the greatest fans.”

Lakers Unlikely To Take Chriss Or Brown At No. 2

June 20th, 2016 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Although there has been some talk of the Lakers eyeing Marquese Chriss and Jaylen Brown at No. 2, Ford believes those prospects would only be in play for L.A. if the club acquired another lottery pick. Either Simmons or (more likely) Ingram figures to be the pick for the Lakers.

[SOURCE LINK]

Pacific Notes: Walton, Rondo, Cousins, Clippers

June 19th, 2016 at 7:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luke Walton has managed to stay focused on his duties as lead assistant with the Warriors, even as his head coaching job with the Lakers awaits, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Walton had his first interview on April 18th — more than two months ago — when he had a phone conversation with Knicks president Phil Jackson. “Luke is a real loyal guy,” said fellow Golden State assistant Ron Adams. “And he’s real loyal to the Golden State Warriors — has been since he was named coach of the Lakers. It might be hard for people to understand that. I would say he’s atypical in that regard. A lot of people, if a team would’ve allowed what the Lakers allowed, I think [the person] would’ve been more fixated on that team than this team. That’s not Luke. That’s not what Luke has been.” Walton will coach his final game with the Warriors tonight, then will likely be introduced as the Lakers’ new coach later this week.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kings point guard Rajon Rondo pronounced himself fully healthy as he prepares for his second straight year of free agency, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Rondo signed a one-year deal with Sacramento last summer, which gave him a first-hand view of the turmoil in the organization, especially between DeMarcus Cousins and former coach George Karl. “Obviously it didn’t go the way we wanted it as an exit [missing the playoffs], but I was able to bounce back, I believe,” Rondo said. “I am very healthy. I’ve been working extremely hard on my body and my game. I’m 30 years old and I feel great.” Rondo’s numbers had declined since tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in 2013, but he bounced back to average 11.9 points and 11.7 assists per game this season.
Cousins’ younger brother, Jaleel, worked out for the Kings on Saturday, according to James Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The 6-11, 250-pound center was a senior this season at South Florida.
Dee Brown and Pat Sullivan have emerged as assistant coaching candidates with the Clippers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Kevin Eastman, a longtime assistant to Doc Rivers, announced his retirement earlier this week.
The Clippers will hold two workouts Monday, tweets Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com. The morning session will feature Alabama’s Retin Obasohan, Miami’s Sheldon McClellan, Kentucky’s Alex Poythress, Maryland’s Jake Layman, Villanova’s Daniel Ochefu and UNLV’s Stephen Zimmerman. Working out in the afternoon will be Tulsa’s James Woodard, West Virginia’s Jaysean Page, UNLV’s Patrick McCaw, Louisiana’s Alex Hamilton, SMU’s Markus Kennedy and Iowa’s Jared Uthoff.

Hield Makes Pitch For No. 2 Selection

June 19th, 2016 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Hield made his case to be taken second overall after his workout Saturday with the Lakers, writes Joey Ramirez of NBA.com. It was Hield’s second session for L.A. after a private workout earlier. “I’m just what the franchise needs,” he said. “The Lakers are losing Kobe [Bryant] and need a scorer. Why not? Why not come in and fill in the spot? I’m a confident player. That’s what I’ve been. I’ve been under pressure my whole life; just overcoming obstacles and I know L.A.’s in the market and everybody says about the Lakers how they expect to win. I’m a player coming in and expecting to win right away.”

Draft Updates: Lakers, Ingram, Grizzlies, Richardson

June 17th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com published his latest mock draft at The Vertical, and included a handful of interesting tidbits within his player blurbs. According to Givony, the Lakers would have targeted Brandon Ingram at No. 1 if they had won the draft lottery, so Los Angeles is perfectly happy to take him if the Sixers take Ben Simmons, as expected. Givony also suggests that the Grizzlies are “enamored with” Syracuse wing Malachi Richardson, urging him to stop working out for teams and promising to select him at No. 17.

As we wait to see if Richardson does indeed end up in Memphis next week, let’s round up a few Friday draft-related items from across the NBA…

Spanish forward Juan Hernangomez spoke to Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype about his draft outlook, and suggested that he’d be thrilled if a team picked him with the intention of bringing him stateside immediately. “Of course I would like to go to the NBA next year,” Hernangomez said. “If I have the slightest chance of making it happen, I’m going to take that opportunity. Teams know I want to go. Some teams want me for right away, others would rather have me stay in Europe for a year. I’m not sure yet what’s going to happen.”
The Celtics have scheduled a Saturday pre-draft workout for Yogi Ferrell (Indiana), Cat Barber (N.C. State), and Gary Payton II (Oregon State), according to Michael Scott of Sheridan Hoops (via Twitter).
Former Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis, who worked out for Detroit today, said he has one last workout lined up with the 76ers, per Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
ESPN’s Chad Ford spent more than an hour fielding and answering draft questions from the media on a conference call, and ESPN has provided the full transcript. If you can’t get enough draft discussion, be sure to check out the 14,000-word breakdown of that call.

Clarkson Excited To Play For Walton

June 16th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers combo guard Jordan Clarkson, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, reiterated his desire to remain in Los Angeles for the long-term and expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing for new head coach Luke Walton, Shahan Ahmed of NBCLosAngeles.com relays. “With the Warriors, the biggest thing is ball movement,” Clarkson said. “Those guys are making the ball pop. Everyone is getting open shots, setting good screens. They set a lot of guard to guard screens, take advantage of switches. That style of play, I think it fits us well. We got a lot of guys that can put the ball on the floor and make plays for each other, and at the same time being able to play in a system where ball movement is the emphasis.”

Bryn Forbes Worked Out For Lakers

June 15th, 2016 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

According to Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link), Michigan State guard Bryn Forbes has also been busy in recent weeks, having worked out for the Celtics, Magic, Hawks, Bulls, Wizards, and Lakers in addition to four more teams that were previously reported. Forbes still has workouts with the Pistons and Spurs on his schedule.