Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Byron Scott Had Respect Of Roster

April 15th, 2016 at 10:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak wouldn’t elaborate on the job status of coach Byron Scott, but merely said that he was under contract for 2016/17, adding that he intends to meet with Scott informally in the coming days, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. “I know he’s hoping that he coaches here forever, but a lot of times what we do is we’re really preparing for the next GM or the next coach. That’s tough sometimes,” Kupchak said. “It does take time to develop young players. We’ll know in two or three years how effective Byron was as a parent to the young guys on this team.”

While the GM indicated it would take time to see if the players benefited from Scott’s tough approach, Kupchak did note that the coach has the full respect of the roster, Medina adds. “Byron runs a tight ship,” Kupchak said. “Byron makes sure players are where they need to be. They’re ready to practice. Practices are organized. You better be rested if you practice for the Lakers. You better be ready to work if you’re going to practice for the Lakers.”

Scott Admits He Could Have Handled Younger Players Better

April 15th, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers coach Byron Scott admitted that he could have done a better job developing the team’s younger players this season, a sentiment that was echoed by point guard D’Angelo Russell, who did admit that things improved between him and Scott as the season progressed, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
Russell noted that his Lakers teammates have been very supportive of him since the video he shot of Nick Young was made public, adding that Kobe Bryant was a source of support throughout the ordeal, Mike Trudell of Lakers.com tweets. The point guard also added that he never believed he had lost the trust of the rest of the team despite the incident, Serena Winters of Lakers Nation relays (Twitter link).
Center Roy Hibbert, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent, would like to return to the Lakers next season, but he understands the chances of a reunion are slim, Medina relays (via Twitter).

Scott Expects He'll Keep Job, Lashes Out At Critics

April 15th, 2016 at 1:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Lakers coach Byron Scott struck a defiant tone in his end-of-season interview with the media today, lashing out at his critics, defending his approach with the team’s young players and saying that he “absolutely” believes he’ll be back to coach the team next season, even though he conceded GM Mitch Kupchak hasn’t given him any assurances. Skepticism has surrounded his long-term job security much of the season, but reports in recent days indicate Scott has a strong chance to stick around. Primary owner Jeanie Buss is making the case for Scott behind the scenes, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com heard. Scott said he thinks the team’s young players responded well to his communication style, which was often blunt and drew the ire of fans and the media. “To be honest with you, I‘m much smarter than all of them when it comes to basketball,” Scott said of his detractors. Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register and Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News relayed Scott’s remarks (All four Twitter links).

The controversy surrounding D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young hurt the Lakers, Scott said, citing the trust issues it created, and while he said the two players have to work it out among themselves, he also expressed belief that the passage of time will help smooth out the situation, as Medina and Los Angeles Times scribe Eric Pincus relay (Twitter links). Still, Scott is high on Russell, Pincus tweets. “We love that kid,” Scott said.

Lakers Rumors: Bryant, Scott, Clarkson, Young

April 14th, 2016 at 7:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

After Kobe Bryant gave the NBA an unforgettable 60-point sendoff Wednesday, the Lakers faced the first day of the post-Kobe era, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. “Sometimes you cannot help but think about it,” coach Byron Scott said of his 17-65 team. “When you have the type of season that you have, changes will be made.” The changes may start with Scott, who has one year left on his contract, although Medina says the organization recognizes the difficult position he faced with trying to balance a young roster and Bryant’s retirement tour.

The Lakers will have an estimated $55MM in cap space this summer, with much of that being opened by the end of Bryant’s $25MM contract and the expiration of Roy Hibbert‘s $15.5MM deal. The only guaranteed contracts for next year belong to D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., Anthony Brown, Nick Young and Lou Williams. The Lakers would like to keep restricted free agent Jordan Clarkson, and Brandon Bass may be back with a $3.1MM player option. More difficult decisions surround Hibbert, Metta World Peace, Marcelo Huertas, Tarik Black, Ryan Kelly and Robert Sacre.

There’s more out of Los Angeles:

Clarkson believes he will be a Laker again next season, Medina tweets. Clarkson made $845,059 this year, and L.A. must make a $3.2MM qualifying offer to retain the right to match competing bids through the Gilbert Arenas Provision. “I feel confident I’ll be back here,” Clarkson said in today’s exit interview. “I want to be here.”
Two other free agents also prefer to remain Lakers, Medina relays on Twitter. “This is a great place for me and I love it here,” said Sacre, who made $981,348 this season in the final year of his contract (link). “I’d love to be a part of this process of flipping it around,” said Kelly, who earned more than $1.724MM this season. “But we’ll see (link).”
Young may not be brought back despite having two years and more than $11MM left on his contract, but he understands the need for changes, Medina writes in a separate story. “You never know what’s gonna happen, but you know something’s got to happen,” Young said. “I know the Lakers are gonna make decisions for the Lakers. We did win 17 games after all.” L.A. expected to try to deal Young in the offseason and may seek to negotiate a buyout if trade talks are unsuccessful.

Jeanie Buss In Favor Of Keeping Byron Scott

April 14th, 2016 at 10:28am CST by Chuck Myron

A strong belief exists within the Lakers organization that the team will keep Byron Scott, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, nonetheless revealing that next season is a team option on Scott’s contract. Still, too much discord exists within Lakers ownership for a consensus to form on a coaching change, sources tell Wojnarowski. Primary owner Jeanie Buss is advocating for Scott behind the scenes, and Scott has a “major chance” to remain in his job, one source told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

Scott Admits He Could Have Handled Younger Players Better

April 7th, 2016 at 9:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Discussing the Lakers‘ regression this season despite having a talented crop of young players, coach Byron Scott pointed to the roster’s overall NBA inexperience as a major contributing factor, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. “You take away some of the veterans we had last year and plug in these young guys that haven’t played at this level, it’s a different story,” Scott said. “They’re learning and it’s hard. When we had the veteran guys, they know how to compete every single night. They’ve been in the league for a while. These young guys don’t know how to do that every night. That’s what they’re learning how to do in bringing that intensity earlier today. You have to bring that intensity level every single night. For the young guys right now, their attention to detail that they don’t have on a night-to-night basis is tough. But they’re learning. They’re getting a hard lesson this year for learning what not to do.”

Julius Randle Hopes To Turn Franchise Around

April 5th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers power forward Julius Randle is optimistic that he and young teammates Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell can help turn around the franchise’s fortunes next season, Joey Ramirez of NBA.com relays. “I definitely learned a lot, but there’s no greater teacher than experience,” Randle said. “We know there are steps we have to take to get better individually and collectively. I think we’re doing the necessary things to get there. From the beginning of the season to now, I feel like we’ve made a lot of progress.“

Nick Young Loses Focus, Rotation Spot

April 4th, 2016 at 8:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers shooting guard Nick Young has lost his mental focus and dropped out of the team’s rotation as a result, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Young has kept a low profile since a gossip site leaked the video of rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell secretly taping him talking about his personal life. “Right now he’s not here with us mentally and there’s no need for me to put him out there on the floor as well,” Lakers coach Byron Scott told Bresnahan and other media members. The team shopped Young this season and will continue to do so in the offseason, Bresnahan adds.

Lakers Notes: World Peace, Bryant, Scott, Draft

April 3rd, 2016 at 10:47am CST by Arthur Hill

He has only appeared in 31 games this season, but 36-year-old Metta World Peace believes his NBA career is far from over, according to Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. World Peace, who earned a roster spot with the Lakers last fall after a year out of the league, hopes to play another two to four more seasons. Although he spent parts of last season in China and Italy, he doesn’t want to take his talents overseas again. “I think I can still play in the league,” World Peace said. “I feel good. I feel like I was able to guard and able to post. I feel like I answered a lot of questions.” He is making nearly $1.5MM this season and is averaging 4.5 points and 16.6 minutes per game.

There’s more Lakers news this morning:

After two decades as part of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, Kobe Bryant will face Boston for the final time today, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Bryant says the loss to the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals changed the way he approaches the game. “In 2008 what I learned was that my leadership, I felt, was what failed us as a team,” Bryant recalled. “I had built our team to be a very strong, cohesive unit, but I hadn’t built our team to beat the toughness of the Celtics.”
The Lakers would like to revive that rivalry, but they understand they have a lot of work to do first, relays Jovan Buha of ESPN.com. L.A. is still early in its rebuilding process, stumbling to a 16-59 record while developing young players. The Celtics are much farther along, ranking among the East’s best teams at 44-32. “We have a lot of work, as far as that’s concerned,” said Lakers coach Byron Scott. “But I think a lot of these young guys, they don’t understand the rivalry. And the only way you can get that rivalry back is you have to have both teams be very competitive.”
The Lakers need a top two draft pick to be assured of getting an elite talent, contends Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times. Pincus tabs LSU’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram as the only sure things in this year’s draft. L.A is second in Hoops Rumors’ reverse standings, meaning its odds are 19.9% for the first pick, 18.8% for the second and 17.1% for the third. If the Lakers’ pick falls any farther in the May 17th lottery, it will be sent to Philadelphia.

Byron Scott Believes D'Angelo Russell, Nick Young Can Coexist

April 2nd, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Both Nick Young and D’Angelo Russell are under contract for the Lakers next season and coach Byron Scott noted that the pair coexisting for another year shouldn’t be an issue despite the current tension, Jovan Buha of ESPN.com relays. “At the end of the day, we’re all grown men in here,” Scott said. “People make mistakes and you have to understand that and you have to just kind of move on. Now, will they ever be buddy-buddy again? I don’t know. But they do have to coexist as long as they’re both here, and I think they can.“