Lakers Meeting With Larry Sanders
The Lakers are currently meeting with free agent center Larry Sanders, according to Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet (Twitter link). It’s not clear how serious the Lakers’ interest in Sanders is, or if L.A. was one of six teams reportedly in attendance at the big man’s workout in Miami last week.
Sanders’ agent, Joel Bell, expressed optimism over the weekend that his client would be on an NBA roster soon, telling Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times that a lot of teams had expressed interest in Sanders, and at least one of those clubs had made a contract offer. However, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) hears that Sanders “came in really under weight” to his workout last week, adding that there wasn’t much serious interest from teams.
Sanders hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2014/15 season, when he announced that he was leaving the game for personal reasons. The Bucks waived him under the stretch provision, and he remains on the team’s cap at about $1.866MM per season through 2021/22. That figure would be reduced by setoff if he signs with another organization.
Sanders, now 28, flashed promising upside during his initial stint in the NBA, so teams taking a look at him now will be interested to see if he still looks like that same player. In the 2012/13 season, the last time he was fully healthy, Sanders averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. Injuries and off-the-court problems limited him to 50 games over his last two seasons in the NBA.
If the Lakers get serious about signing Sanders, they’d have to waive or trade someone to clear a spot on their 15-man roster. L.A. is about $530K under the cap and still has its full $2.898MM room exception available, so the team could offer Sanders more than the minimum, if necessary.
Magic Johnson Wants To ‘Call The Shots’ For Lakers
After Magic Johnson officially rejoined the Lakers last week, the team was quick to downplay any potential tension it might cause in the front office, stressing that the Hall-of-Famer would be serving in an advisory role on basketball operations and business matters. However, Johnson revealed in a conversation with Josh Peter of USA Today that he may have larger aspirations.
“Working to call the shots, because it only works that way,” Johnson said when asked what he hopes his role with the team will be. “Right now I’m advising. I get that. But at the end of the day, then we all got to come together and somebody’s got to say, ‘I’m making the final call,’ all right? And who’s that going to be? … So, we’ll see what happens.”
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and executive VP of basketball operations Jim Buss have made the personnel decisions in Los Angeles for the last several years. However, at least one recent report has been critical of the job Kupchak has done in free agency, and Buss vowed during the 2013/14 season that he’d step down in three or four years if the Lakers hadn’t developed into a title contender by that point.
With Johnson now entering that mix, it remains to be seen whether all three men will still be involved in basketball decisions during the coming offseason, and which of them will have the final say on roster moves. In comments to Peter, Johnson suggested that the decision on his role rests with owner Jeanie Buss, adding that he expects that decision to be made by the end of the season. In the meantime, the former Lakers star is hitting the books to brush up on the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and salary cap.
“I’m going to school, for sure,” Johnson said. “Because I know talent. This part (evaluating players) comes easy, watching people play and seeing how they play, whose game hopefully can translate to the next level, those type of things. You’ll find out more as you get to interview them later on, the draft and workouts we have pre-draft. Then you’ll find out a lot more.
“The main part for me is really learning the other part that I didn’t know, and that is to understand the CBA, the salary cap, where we are in terms of the salary cap and who’s a free-agent-to-be. You’ve got a lot of young players so you’ve got to learn when are their contracts coming up, if you can give them the max deal, give them an extension, all those types of things you’ve got to learn. It’s a lot of things, but I’m excited.”
Los Angeles Rumors: Ingram, Williams, Griffin
Lakers coach Luke Walton believes rookie Brandon Ingram could morph into an all-around force like the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register reports. “That’s what we want Brandon to be,” Walton told Oram and other reporters. “We don’t want him to be just a scorer or just a playmaker. We want him to be one of those guys that literally, by being on the court, ends up with blocks, steals, rebounds, points and assists. Just being all over the floor. That’s our vision for what he’s going to be.” Ingram, who recently moved into the starting lineup at small forward, has doubts that he’d thrive in the role as a point guard or point forward on a regular basis. “That’s something I dealt with in high school, but it’s of course not my natural position,” Ingram said. “I think for me being in the starting lineup and me being in my natural position has been good for me.”
In other developments regarding the Lakers:
- Guard Lou Williams leads the Lakers in scoring despite coming off the bench, but it’s Williams’ dedication to other aspects of his game that pleases Walton, as he told the assembled media. Williams is averaging 18.3 PPG and 3.1 APG and the latter stat holds significance to Walton. “When I took over this team, obviously Lou’s a great scorer,” Walton said. “He’s been a great scorer since he’s been in this league. Our biggest thing with him is we wanted him to playmake and we wanted him to defend, because we knew what he’s capable of doing scoring the ball. We know that teams are going to try to take him out of that, whether it’s blitzing or double teaming or whatever it is. With him it’s always a fine line when we want him to come off those (screens) shooting and when we want him to come off as a playmaker and let that double team facilitate the rest of the possession. He’s done a good job of embracing that.”
- Clippers forward Blake Griffin has taken over the role as primary playmaker with Chris Paul sidelined by a left thumb injury, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. Griffin had five assists in a victory over the Knicks on Wednesday. “I don’t think it’s really about getting the ball more,” Griffin told Turner. “I think it’s just about trusting the offense. I’m figuring out different ways we can score while CP is still out, figuring out how to better serve the offense, whether that’s with the ball or without the ball.” In seven games since returning to the lineup after knee surgery, Griffin has averaged 24.7 PPG, 8.4RPG and 4.9 APG.
- The Clippers need to make a bold move and should explore deals involving Griffin, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer opines. The Clippers require another long-range shooter and a defensive stopper, according to O’Connor, and they should try to swap Griffin for a player that fills those needs.
Why Kupchak Gave Mozgov $64MM
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak didn’t want Timofey Mozgov to be tempted by other offers and that contributed to the team handing him a four-year, $64MM deal, a source tells Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN.com. Shelbourne adds that Luol Deng, who signed a four-year, $72MM deal with Los Angeles this past offseason, had other offers for his services, but no team gave him more than a three-year deal. Both Mozgov and Deng were recently relegated to the bench.
- The Lakers would need to attach a young prospect, such as Ivica Zubac or Larry Nance Jr., to Deng or Mozgov if they want to move one of their free agent additions, Shelbourne writes in the same piece. She adds that the contracts of Deng and Mozgov are not problematic for Los Angeles right now, but they will be soon, as Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell will be eligible for extensions over the next couple offseasons.
GM Mitch Kupchak Has Cost The Lakers In Free Agency
Magic Johnson, who was recently hired as a special advisor to Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss, has heard from agents and executives around the league that GM Mitch Kupchak‘s management style is frustrating to deal with and it has cost the team in free agency, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. Shelburne names Isaiah Thomas, Kent Bazemore, Kyle Lowry and Pau Gasol among the players who have signed elsewhere because of the GM.
“He’s the only GM in the league who won’t engage at all before 9:01 p.m. [PT] on the first night of free agency. Then when he calls to express interest, there’s no stickiness to it,” an anonymous player agent said of dealing with Kupchak.
Of course, speaking with players before the opening of free agency technically qualifies as tampering, though Shelburne notes that there are ways of gathering information on free agents without breaking the rules, so that the team doesn’t begin the process behind the competition. The Lakers aren’t operating like other franchises and it has contributed to the lack of success in free agency. Kupchak’s decision to chase stars has also been problematic.
Thomas told ESPN’s Zach Lowe back in 2014 that he always envisioned himself playing for the Lakers, but the franchise was “waiting on Carmelo Anthony and other moves” when he was a free agent during the summer of 2014. In the same summer, the Lakers were interested in signing Lowry, but they told him they would prefer to wait until Anthony made a decision. Anthony never came to the Lakers and both players signed elsewhere.
During the 2015 offseason, Los Angeles told Bazemore to wait on an offer while it unsuccessfully chased LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Monroe, and DeAndre Jordan. Bazemore ended up becoming a free agent again after a successful 2015/16 campaign with Atlanta. This time, the Lakers went after him more aggressively, presenting him with an offer that was more lucrative than Atlanta’s. However, Bazemore decided to be loyal to the team that gave him an expanded role and re-signed with Atlanta.
According to Shelburne, Kupchak rarely communicates with Jeanie Buss because he believes that he only reports to her brother Jim, who handles the team’s basketball operations. She handles the business affairs and mostly stays away from transactions on the court. Buss has often said that she learns of the on-court decisions through the news or texts from her brother.
Johnson is keeping an open mind when evaluating whether or not Kupchak should stay on as GM. As an advisor, he doesn’t have decision-making power, but he is expected to help Jeanie Buss reassess the basketball operations side of the franchise. Kupchak has been in the organization since 1986 when Johnson was a player on the team.
After the All-Star break, Jim Buss, Johnson, and Kupchak will meet to discuss the team’s moves over the last several seasons.
“I’m taking Magic at face value, that he’s here to help,” Jim Buss said. “He’s one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Who wouldn’t value his opinion? I’m excited to work with Magic for years to come.”
Randle Returns; Veterans Make Way For Youth
- The Warriors may need to compete with the Lakers if they want to convince 78-year-old executive Jerry West to stay with the team after his contract expires in July, writes Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.
- The Lakers handed out significant contracts to veterans Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng over the offseason but lately the tandem has been coming off the bench, notes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. “I’m not going to say it’s permanent, but we’re going to see how it goes,” head coach Luke Walton said, citing the need to develop young players as the reason for the decision.
- Limited to just five minutes over the previous four games, Julius Randle has recovered from pneumonia and and returned to the lineup for the Lakers on Monday. The power forward is expected to be at full strength heading forward, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.
And-Ones: 2017 Draft, Trade Rumors, J. Anderson
With the NBA’s All-Star Game around the corner, the trade deadline nearing, and the home stretch of the 2016/17 season not far off, it may not be the time to focus on June’s draft. But don’t tell that to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link), who has published his newest 2017 mock draft, based on the current projected draft order.
In Ford’s latest mock, Markelle Fultz (Celtics), Lonzo Ball (Lakers), Josh Jackson (Suns), Malik Monk (Sixers), and Dennis Smith (Magic) are the first five players off the board. As ESPN’s draft guru explains, teams like the Celtics and Lakers don’t necessarily need another point guard, as their rosters feature bigger holes elsewhere. However, Ford thinks it will be hard for any team in the top two to pass up Fultz or Ball, based on their potential.
Here are a few more odds and ends from across the NBA:
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype spoke to a handful of current and former NBA players, including Caron Butler, Garrett Temple, and Rashard Lewis, about what it’s like to have one’s name mentioned in trade rumors, and how NBA players deal with those reports. “A lot of times, guys just want to be told the truth – no matter what that is,” Temple said. “What upsets guys the most is when the GM or personnel people are saying one thing to their face and doing something totally different behind the scenes.”
- James Anderson, who has appeared in 247 NBA games, including 51 for the Kings last season, is believed to be drawing NBA interest, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 6’6″ wing has spent the season with Turkish team Darussafaka Dogus, with whom he has a two-year deal. However, Carchia writes that the club may be willing to let him out of that pact in the event of an NBA offer.
- Former Mavericks center Bernard James has been cut by French club Limoges just two games into his contract with the team, a source tells international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). It’s not exactly an ideal birthday gift for James, who turns 32 today.
Johnson's Return Could Shake Up Lakers' Front Office
- The Lakers made the decision to bring Magic Johnson back into the executive fold and the move could have a significant impact on the franchise, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. The fact that Johnson will advise on both business and basketball decisions could eat into Jim Buss‘ role. Buss, the team’s vice president of basketball operations, once said that he would step aside from the position if the Lakers weren’t contending for titles by 2017.
- In addition to the uncertainty surrounding Jim Buss’ future role with the Lakers organization, general manager Mitch Kupchak‘s job is reported to be “on the line,” writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.
Lakers Notes: Magic, Jim Buss, Walton, Draft
Magic Johnson will have the freedom to do whatever he wants in his new role as an advisor to the Lakers, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. A news release issued by the team listed Johnson’s duties as “advising ownership on all business and basketball matters,” and Bontemps believes he will have a significant role in crafting the team’s future. That could include an ouster of executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss, whom Johnson has frequently criticized in the past. Johnson offered an olive branch to Buss on Thursday, saying, “Jim is calling the shots, and I want him to understand, I’m just here to lend advice,” but Bontemps says no one in the organization believes that.
There’s more news from Los Angeles:
- Johnson’s hiring signals a major shakeup and the likely end of Jim Buss’ time with the team, according to Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times. Plaschke predicts the Lakers will become more attractive to free agents as Johnson brings in someone new to run the organization. The writer also expects Luke Walton to be kept as head coach and Mitch Kupchak to be replaced as general manager, but remain with the team as an advisor.
- Walton hopes to build the Lakers in the image of a team that was once their greatest rival, relays Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. Growing up, the first-year head coach was greatly influenced by the 1985/86 champion Celtics that his father Bill was part of. “Everything that I’ve seen of basketball I thought should be played the way that Celtics team played,” Luke Walton said. “That was the standard of how basketball should be played — fast-paced, free-flowing, passing, high-scoring type of basketball. It was beautiful and historic.”
- The Lakers shouldn’t hesitate to take an elite point guard in this year’s draft even though they already have D’Angelo Russell, according to Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com [Insider account]. Ford sees either Washington’s Markelle Fultz or UCLA’s Lonzo Ball as an upgrade, while Pelton notes Russell’s ability as a shooter and suggests that he could be moved to the two guard position.
Magic Johnson Returns To Lakers In Advisory Role
Former Lakers player, minority owner, and vice president Magic Johnson has rejoined the franchise, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Lakers’ announcement, Johnson will serve as an advisor to team ownership consulting with the Buss family on basketball operations and business matters.
“Everyone knows my love for the Lakers,” Johnson said in a statement. “Over the years, I have considered other management opportunities, however my devotion to the game and Los Angeles make the Lakers my first and only choice. I will do everything in my power to help return the Lakers to their rightful place among the elite teams of the NBA.”
According to the team, Johnson will report directly to Lakers governor Jeanie Buss. His duties will include, but won’t be limited to, the following: “Advising ownership on all business and basketball matters, collaborating with coaches, evaluating and mentoring players, assessing future franchise needs, and helping ownership to determine the best path for growth and success.”
Johnson’s role with the Lakers will be interesting to monitor, since he has been critical in recent years of some of the team’s basketball operations decisions, led by Jim Buss. As Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet notes again today (via Twitter), Buss said in April 2014 that he’d step down from his position with the franchise if the Lakers weren’t contending for a title within “three or four” years.
Johnson was part of the Lakers’ ownership group for more than 15 years and served as a vice president for the team before selling his share of the organization in 2010.