Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Bryant, Rockets, Grizzlies

November 2nd, 2015 at 10:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers would be better off if Kobe Bryant retired, John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News opines. Bryant hasn’t been an impact player since the 2012/13 season and no longer serves a useful role on a rebuilding team, Smallwood continues. The veteran wing player doesn’t have the mentality to help develop the Lakers’ younger players and his burning desire to win actually hurts the team’s chances of holding onto its first-round pick, Smallwood adds. The Lakers must convey their 2016 pick to the Sixers unless it’s in the top three. Becoming a role player on a contending team via a trade or buyout doesn’t suit Bryant’s personality or ego, so there’s no point in Bryant continuing his career, Smallwood concludes.

In other news around the Western Conference:

Rockets coach Kevin McHale is unsure when he’ll feel comfortable playing center Dwight Howard in back-to-backs, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Howard missed most of the preseason with back tightness after sitting out a portion of last season with fluid buildup in his right knee, Feigen continues. “Dwight’s going to have to build his way up to being in NBA shape and being able to perform at the level he wants,” McHale told Feigen. “It’s not realistic to say you’re going to take that much time off and be able to come back and play.”
JaMychal Green is a strong rebounder and that’s the most compelling reason for him to be in the Grizzlies’ rotation, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal opines. Green, playing on a partially guaranteed deal, has been used as Memphis’ 10th man in the early going and has shown the foundation to be a useful role player, Herrington continues. If he continues to improve on catch-and-shoot opportunities, he’ll secure a rotation spot, Herrington adds.
Kings coach George Karl believes mental mistakes and faulty shot selection are the team’s biggest issues after the first three games, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reports. “I see a team that needs to get better and get smarter and get serious about those two things,” Karl said to Jones. “We’re not a connected team yet.”

Western Notes: Hayes, Perkins, Brown, Alexander

November 1st, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

A shortage of big men led to the Rockets signing Chuck Hayes earlier today, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. With Dwight Howard sitting out because of a back-to-back and forwards Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas out with injury, Houston needed emergency help in its frontcourt. The solution was Hayes, who received a non-guaranteed contract, an unidentified source told Feigen. “Sitting at home watching games is not a good feeling,” Hayes said. “I’m excited. I’m familiar with the organization, familiar with the coaching staff from meeting with them this summer. I’m looking forward to it.” During the summer, the Rockets were interested in having Hayes join their coaching staff, but he wanted to continue playing.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

The Pelicans‘ Kendrick Perkins will be sidelined indefinitely with a right pectoral injury, tweets John Reid of The Times-Picayune. He suffered the injury in the first quarter of Saturday night’s loss to the Warriors.
Jabari Brown, the last player waived by the Lakers during camp, is considering playing in China, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. A source told Spears that Brown won’t play for the Lakers’ D-League team.
Surgery is being considered for the Blazers‘ Cliff Alexander, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Tests showed Alexander suffered torn cartilage in his knee, but the team is hoping the injury will heal with rest. If swelling or pain emerges again, surgery will be an option. “As of now, I’m fine, I feel no pain,” the 19-year-old rookie said. “I can run and jump, do everything. But if the swelling and pain comes back, then I might need surgery.”
Warriors GM Bob Myers told Sam Amick of USA Today that even though an extension couldn’t be reached with Harrison Barnes, the discussions ended “in a very healthy place.” Barnes reportedly turned down a four-year, $64MM offer and will become a restricted free agent next summer. “The deal has to work for Harrison and the organization,” Myers said. “And I always — maybe it’s my background [as a player agent] — but I always respect the position that an athlete takes in these situations. And now, representing the organization, we’re going to make the decision the best decision for us.”

Lakers Rumors: World Peace, Russell, D-League

October 31st, 2015 at 10:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Metta World Peace was inactive for the second straight game Friday, but Lakers coach Byron Scott may eventually call on him for defensive help, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. The 35-year-old forward, who earned a roster spot in training camp after a season out of the league, will get a chance to play sometime. “Probably later on,” Scott said today about the prospect of using World Peace. “I’m not going to panic after two games and all of the sudden change everything that we’ve been doing.”

There’s more tonight from Los Angeles:

Rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell tells Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com that it’s not fair to compare him with other first-year players who are already making an impact. With the Wolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns posting two double-doubles and the Sixers’ Jahlil Okafor coming off a 26-point performance, some in L.A. are starting to grumble about Russell. He scored just four points against Minnesota in his NBA debut, and followed that with 13 and two assists in a lopsided loss to Sacramento. “You can’t worry about their opportunity and what they’re doing with it,” Russell said. “Everybody is in different positions. The rookies that are separating themselves are in great positions and are getting it quick. Some people just have a learning process. That’s what I’m doing.”
The Kings’ Rajon Rondo, a longtime friend of Russell’s, offered advice during their preseason meeting but wasn’t so charitable Friday night, Holmes writes in a separate story. Rondo and Russell both hail from Louisville, Kentucky, and they’ve developed a close relationship, with Rondo saying he would like to “mentor” the young guard. Friday’s lesson was hard, as Rondo had 21 points and eight assists in an 18-point win. “I’ve watched a lot of film on him growing up, just trying to study his pace,” Russell said. “That’s the biggest thing. As far as passing, some guys don’t see it, some guys do. If you see an open guy, you make the pass. But when you move at that pace, things are so much slower and you just see so much more develop. I kind of stole that from him, that pace.”
Robert Upshaw and Michael Frazier have both earned spots on the training camp roster of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, tweets Evan Barnes of The Los Angeles Daily News. Both players were with the Lakers in training camp.

The Beat: Mark Medina On The Lakers

October 29th, 2015 at 10:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mark Medina

Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.

We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun about the Raptors. Click here to see all the previous editions of this series.

Today, we gain insight on the Lakers from Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. You can follow Mark on Twitter at @MarkG_Medina, and check out his stories right here.

Hoops Rumors: Is the top priority for the Lakers this season to foster the development of D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and their other young players, or is it to make a run at a playoff spot after two non-competitive years?

Mark Medina: As of now, the Lakers hope they can do both. On paper, the Lakers’ young core of players (and Kobe) represent the team’s most talented players. Russell, Randle and Clarkson also represent the Lakers’ long-term future. But they are obviously bound to make some rookie mistakes. And it will be interesting to see how much Byron [Scott] prioritizes maximizing his wins versus giving them room to figure things out. My hunch is Byron will have a shorter leash to start on the season if mistakes continue. If it ever becomes clear the Lakers are not playoff-bound, Byron will change his priority on solely developing the team’s young talent.

Hoops Rumors: What’s Kobe Bryant‘s approach to this season been like so far? Does he appear willing to defer to others, or does he seem to want to put the team on his back and carry it the way he has in the past?

Mark Medina: So far, Kobe is doing the right things. But there are two unanswered questions. Can Kobe stay healthy? How much patience will Kobe have with the young players once they start making mistakes and the team starts losing? The Lakers will try to be conservative with Bryant’s minutes and workload, but that will not guarantee anything about his health. Kobe will look to take a less-is-more approach at the beginning. But Kobe will take matters into his own hands if he feels his teammates are taking too long to develop. For better and for worse, Kobe has not shown a lot of patience with that.

Hoops Rumors: The Lakers have a chance to essentially give Roy Hibbert a one-year audition, since he’s on an expiring contract. What does he need to accomplish this season to make a compelling case that he’s the long-term answer at center for the Lakers?

Mark Medina: Defense, defense, defense. That’s mainly all he was brought here for, since the Lakers were awful in that department last season. It will also help that Hibbert has a good attitude after things soured in Indiana. Roy has played well on defense, but he will need a stronger supporting cast around him. As for his attitude, Roy’s done the right things thus far with embracing his role and inviting teammates out for paintball as a bonding activity.

Hoops Rumors: Jordan Clarkson was a revelation last season, and Mitch Kupchak said he envisions Clarkson and Russell as the team’s backcourt for the next decade or more. What is it that has the Lakers so confident that a player who was only the 46th pick in the draft last year can keep it up?

Mark Medina: Jordan proved that he was ready with the opportunity. And he is an endless grinder that embraces self improvement. Clarkson’s dropping draft stock stemmed from his decline of play at the end of his junior season [at Missouri]. But that coincided with Clarkson grieving over his dad possibly dying of cancer. His dad survived the ordeal, and Clarkson quickly proved that his struggles had nothing to do with his skills. Jordan has a long ways to go with his defense and passing. But he’s a natural scorer and never seems to get tired.

Hoops Rumors: The additions of Russell and Lou Williams and the return of Kobe appear to threaten Nick Young‘s playing time. What sort of role do the Lakers plan for him this season?

Mark Medina: It remains to be seen. As of now, Young will be a backup small forward. And he has said/done the right things in listening to Byron and complementing Lou well. But again, the chapter on this will be written based on Young’s play in games that count as well as how he handles negative circumstances that could possibly include lots of losing and Scott’s demands.

Hoops Rumors: Do the Lakers expect No. 27 overall pick Larry Nance Jr. to contribute in a meaningful way this season, or are they taking it slow with him?

Mark Medina: The Lakers love his energy. He will gradually get more and more minutes throughout the season. He brings a lot on defense and hustle plays, which is something that defines how Byron wants his teams to play.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Mudiay, Stone, Jazz

October 29th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Flip Saunders built this year’s Timberwolves in an unusual way, with a seasoned veteran for every position group, notes Lee Jenkins of SI.com. Big man tutor Kevin Garnett, mentor wing player Tayshaun Prince and experienced point guard Andre Miller all signed contracts during the offseason before the late Saunders had to leave the job because of his ailing health. Now, they’re serving as guides through a difficult time as the team mourns Saunders’ death. Minnesota opened the season Wednesday with a one-point win over the Lakers.

“Coach brought us all here for a reason,” coach Sam Mitchell said, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. “And he would expect nothing less than us coming out and being focused and doing the very best job.”

See more from around the Northwest Division:

New coach Michael Malone wants to win, but he acknowledges that so much of this season for the Nuggets is about the education of No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay, as Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post relays. “If we’re getting our butts kicked, I’m not going to just sit there and say: ‘Well, this is good for Emmanuel’s development,'” Malone said. “But, overall, I want to be able to say at the end of Year 1 that we gave Emmanuel every chance to succeed and learn going into Year 2, because that’s only going to accelerate the growth of this roster and this organization.”
Thunder camp cut Julyan Stone has signed with Gaziantep of Turkey, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).
The Jazz named Linda Luchetti the team’s vice president of basketball operations this week, a position that will have her reporting directly to GM Dennis Lindsey, the team announced. The move makes her one of the most highly ranking female basketball executives in the league, though her responsibilities will be focused on the business side of the team, according to The Associated Press.

Pacific Notes: Kerr, Frazier, Eddie, Lakers

October 28th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who is currently on a leave of absence while recovering from two offseason back surgeries, hopes to make his return to the bench prior to January, Janie McCauley of The Associated Press writes. “I am feeling better, so that’s the good news. The bad news is I’m not feeling well enough to coach yet,” Kerr said. “It’s hard because I don’t know when that will be. There’s no timetable. It’s not a sprained ankle, two-to-four weeks type thing. When I feel better, I’ll feel better. It’s very frustrating but I am improving. I’m able to physically work out now, which has helped quite a bit the last couple weeks. But I know I’m not healthy enough yet to do this. It’s a demanding job and it wouldn’t be fair to the team and it wouldn’t be smart for me. We’ll see.”

Here’s the latest from the Pacific Division:

Shooting guard Michael Frazier, who was waived by the Lakers last week, has signed with the team’s D-League affiliate, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter).
Jarell Eddie will rejoin the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s D-League affiliate, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest relays (Twitter link). Eddie was waived by the Warriors this past Friday.
Lakers coach Byron Scott said that it was an agonizing decision to choose between Jabari Brown and Metta World Peace for the team’s final roster spot, which ultimately went to World Peace, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. Scott called it a “very, very, very … difficult decision” to waive Brown and added that “It was probably the most difficult cut that I’ve ever had to make,” Holmes notes. But Scott added that with such a young roster, it was important to add a veteran who could mentor the team’s plethora of younger players, the ESPN scribe relays.

Atlantic Notes: Jackson, Joseph, Nets

October 28th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Talk about a scenario in which Knicks team president Phil Jackson would return to work for the Lakers and fiancee Jeanie Buss has resurfaced in NBA circles over recent weeks, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Jackson can reportedly opt out of his five-year deal with the Knicks after this season, Isola notes. Speculation emerged earlier this year that Jackson won’t finish out his contract, though he said in June that he wanted to stay around long enough to help the Knicks turn around their fortunes. While we wait to see what the Zen Master does, see more from around the Atlantic Division:

Raptors offseason signee Cory Joseph is planning to play a role for Toronto that’s similar in some ways to the one his former Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili has long embodied for San Antonio, as Sportsnet’s Donnovan Bennett details. “There was no big exchange when that first and second group switched off the court because of him,” Joseph said of Ginobili. “That’s what I want to do here. I want to bring energy with that second unit and uplift because that’s what we are going to need. Manu brought energy, but also a sense of calmness to the second group and managed time and score.”
Nets GM Billy King didn’t factor Andrea Bargnani‘s long history of injuries into his decision about whom to keep for the opening night roster, observes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Twitter links). Bargnani is healthy for now, as is shooting guard Markel Brown, so King didn’t feel the need to keep power forward Justin Harper and swingman Dahntay Jones, whom the Nets waived, as Bontemps explains.
Fellow Nets power forward Willie Reed‘s partial guarantee of $500K increased to a fully guaranteed $947,276 when he stuck on the Nets roster for opening night, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (Twitter link) and as our leaguewide schedule of salary guarantee dates shows. Reed is about two weeks into a six-to-eight-week timetable for recovery from thumb surgery.

Pacific Notes: Barnes, Chandler, Clark, Lakers

October 27th, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Warriors GM Bob Myers didn’t express trepidation as he told reporters today that Harrison Barnes has chosen to end extension talks, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group relays (Twitter link). Golden State will have the right to match offers for Barnes in restricted free agency next summer.

“We ended discussions in a very healthy place if that’s possible, and I say that in all sincerity,” Myers said.

See more on the Warriors amid the latest from the Pacific Division:

Tyson Chandler is hopeful that he can remain with the Suns for the duration of his four-year contract and finish his career with Phoenix, as he said in a response to a question from Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. “It’s been tough. I want to, honestly,” Chandler said. “I wanted to do it in Dallas. Now I want to do it in Phoenix. It’s a lot of stress on kids and the family, even myself. I would love to continue to grow with this franchise and try to elevate it, especially with these young players. I think I can be huge here as far as the impact I can make. That’s my goal.”
Ian Clark picked up a $473,636 partial guarantee that’s worth half his full-season salary Monday, when the Warriors made him part of their opening night roster. His contract had been non-guaranteed. He’d lock in the full amount on the leaguewide guarantee date in January. Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders first reported the terms of his deal.
The Lakers upgraded their roster over the summer, but co-owner and executive VP of basketball oeprations Jim Buss indicated to USA Today’s Sam Amick that improvement in the standings this season isn’t his goal. “[Jerry Buss] taught me for all these years, we’re always looking three to five years ahead,” Buss said, referring to his late father, the longtime Lakers owner. “Right now, I’m not looking at this season … I don’t care about making the playoffs and getting eliminated in the playoffs. What I care about is getting the core players, because we want to get to the top, and the only way we can get to the top is to have the core players, get the free agents, have flexibility in our [salary] cap, and we’ll be there within three years. Not a problem. Boom.”

Western Rumors: World Peace, Clippers, McGee

October 26th, 2015 at 8:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Metta World Peace not only made the Lakers‘ opening-day roster, but the club also plans to make him an assistant coach after his playing career, league sources told Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania. The veteran small forward, who beat out Jabari Brown for the final roster spot, has been mentoring several young Lakers players, including 2014 lottery pick and power forward Julius Randle, Charania adds. World Peace is excited about the possibility of being a coach, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes tweets. “It would be fun,” World Peace said. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a coach? It’s a great life.”

In other news around the Western Conference:

Luc Mbah a Moute secured the Clippers’ final roster spot over veteran forward Chuck Hayes because of his defensive prowess, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reports. Clippers coach Doc Rivers told Woike that he views Mbah a Moute as a defensive specialist. “He’s one of those guys that can be a great team defender,” Rivers said. The small forward wound up with the Clippers after the Kings voided Mbah a Moute’s free agent deal with the team this summer, claiming he failed his physical because of a shoulder injury, Woike adds.
Center JaVale McGee is still “weeks away” from being cleared to play but Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is encouraged by his progress, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tweets. McGee is rehabbing from a left tibial stress fracture. Salah Mejri appears to be the main backup to Zaza Pachulia until McGee returns.
Al-Farouq Aminu has made a strong impression on his Trail Blazers teammates with his defensive versatility, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Aminu was signed as a free agent to a four-year, $30MM deal to be their defensive stopper, Freeman continues. “He’s a jack-of-all-trades, a guy who can do everything,” shooting guard C.J. McCollum said to Freeman. “I think he’s really, really talented defensively. He’s a guy who can guard multiple positions, can guard a point guard, he can get switched on the four or five and hold his own, rebound, block shots, run the floor.” However, he may miss the season opener because of a left hamstring strain, Casey Holdahl of Trailblazers.com reports.
Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley is ready for the season opener after a hand injury that required surgery prevented him from playing during the team’s postseason run, Jenny Creech of the Houston Chronicle writes. Beverley missed one preseason game with groin soreness, but averaged 7.7 points and 3.7 assists in seven other preseason outings.

Lakers To Waive Jabari Brown, Retain World Peace

October 26th, 2015 at 12:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:52pm: The release of Brown is official, the team announced. The Lakers didn’t mention World Peace in its statement, but presumably he’s sticking around.

12:24pm: The Lakers will waive Jabari Brown and keep Metta World Peace for the opening night roster, reports Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). One of them had to go, since the Lakers have been carrying 16 players, one over the regular season limit, and the deadline to cut to 15 is today. Neither have any guaranteed money on their contracts, but since the Lakers failed to make their final cut by Saturday’s deadline to waive non-guaranteed players without them counting against the cap, they’ll be stuck with two days’ worth of salary to Brown, assuming he clears waivers. That’s minus $8K in training camp compensation that Brown already earned, as former Nets executive Bobby Marks notes (All Twitter links), so the Lakers are poised to be out a mere $1,972 because they waited an extra two days.

Brown, 22, is a holdover from last season, when the Lakers signed him to multiyear deal after a pair of 10-day contracts ran to term. The shooting guard averaged 6.0 points in 14.3 minutes per game across six preseason appearances this fall, and while World Peace put up only 3.7 points in 14.1 minutes per contest in the same number of preseason games, the 35-year-old’s mentorship ability loomed large. The move isn’t a shock, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times suggested last week that World Peace had a slight edge over Brown in the competition for the final regular season roster spot.

The Lakers also cut Brown at the end of the preseason a year ago, and they claimed his D-League rights, making him an affiliate player. The team still has those rights, and the Lakers would like to have him with their D-League affiliate again this year, according to Bresnahan (Twitter link). However, if he clears waivers and doesn’t have another NBA offer, the Lakers would have to convince him to sign with the D-League rather than overseas, where he would probably make more money. Brown’s priority is to sign overseas, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

World Peace isn’t assured of much beyond opening night, since his contract wouldn’t become guaranteed until the leaguewide guarantee date in January. Still, it’s an intriguing comeback story for the veteran combo forward who spent last season playing overseas and whom the Lakers waived via the amnesty provision in 2013.

Did the Lakers make the right choice in keeping Metta World Peace over Brown? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.