Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Hood, Tskitishvili, Sterling, Rookies

October 11th, 2015 at 11:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Utah’s Rodney Hood impressed his coach with the way he reacted to a dose of NBA trash talking from the Lakers‘ Kobe Bryant, writes Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. In an exhibition game last week, Bryant reminded the second-year player that he was going up against one of the league’s all-time greats, listing a resume that includes 17 All-Star games and five NBA titles. Hood, on the other hand, is trying to carve out a role with the Jazz after averaging 8.7 points in 50 games during his rookie season, mostly as a backup. “I think Rodney just played like he was playing against another really, really good player,” said Quin Snyder. “The challenge that I like that I saw in that was that Kobe was really physical and that’s something that if you’ve haven’t (experienced), particularly in your second year, if you haven’t played against that toughness and that intensity, that it’s new.”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Nikoloz Tskitishvili has signed a deal to play in China, tweets international journalist David Pick. Tskitishvili, who was waived by the Clippers last week, scored 13 points in his audition for the Fujian team. He signed a 48-hour deal, but both sides share an option to extend it (Twitter link). At age 32, Tskitishvili had been hoping to return to the NBA after being out of the league since 2006.
Former Clippers owner Donald Sterling has filed an appeal of the probate court decision that gave his wife, Shelly, control of the family trust as well as the authority to sell the team, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. A hearing has been set for October 28th after Sterling’s legal team asked the court to expedite his appeal of the probate case (Twitter link).
This season should feature a wide-open race for the Rookie of the Year trophy, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The columnist names the Pistons‘ Stanley Johnson, the Nuggets‘ Emmanuel Mudiay and the Sixers‘ Jahlil Okafor as the early favorites, but says several other contenders could emerge.

Pacific Notes: Upshaw, Warren, Williams

October 9th, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers rookie center Robert Upshaw saw his first NBA preseason action during the team’s 105-97 loss to the Raptors on Thursday, and the young big man contributed six points, three rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one turnover in 25 minutes. When asked to assess Upshaw’s first showing for the team, coach Byron Scott said, “He was OK. He made a ton of mistakes on both ends of the floor. That’s probably to be expected in his first game,” Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News relays.

Scott was pleased with how Upshaw is physically rounding into shape, as well as the athleticism Upshaw displayed during Thursday’s contest, Medina adds. “That’s something we didn’t see in summer league,” Scott said. “In summer league, he was much heavier than he is right now. He’s in much better condition right now. He’s much lighter getting up and down the floor. He’s getting off his feet much better. We’re able to see some of the things we kept hearing about.”

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said that T.J. Warren‘s overall game has improved since last season, and it may make his decision regarding the team’s regular season starter at small forward difficult, writes Matt Petersen of NBA.com. “When we can get him the ball and get him opportunities, he makes the plays,” Hornacek said. “Defensively, he’s much better than he was last year. I like what he’s doing defensively on guys. He’s taking challenges. He’s got a great knack.” P.J. Tucker is Phoenix’s incumbent starter at the three.
Despite winning the 2014/15 Sixth Man of the Year award, the Raptors didn’t make an effort to re-sign Lou Williams this offseason, but according to Raptors coach Dwane Casey, “It wasn’t for the fact that we didn’t like Lou or want Lou,” Bill Oram of The Orange County Register tweets.
Williams, who signed a three-year, $21MM deal with the Lakers back in July, was allowed to depart because Toronto had more pressing roster concerns, and not because the Raptors didn’t think he was a valuable player, Oram writes in a full-length piece. “He has a huge value,” Casey said of Williams, “but it depends on the other needs that you have on the team. He won a lot of games last year for us with his scoring. We had nights where we had nothing going, and he would come in and change the game with his scoring. And there’s a value. There’s a huge value to that.”

Western Notes: Martin, Clippers, World Peace

October 9th, 2015 at 3:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Timberwolves are planning to start Zach LaVine at shooting guard instead of Kevin Martin, even though interim coach Sam Mitchell admits Martin is better than Lavine is at this point, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. The team is focused on player development, and Minnesota believes LaVine will move past his on-court rookie mistakes from last season, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe examines. Lowe also speculates about a variety of potential trade destinations for Martin, though it doesn’t appear there’s any movement on that front for now, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets. The Mavericks, who were reportedly among the teams interested in him around the trade deadline in February, have backed off, Wolfson adds (via Twitter link).

Metta World Peace says he turned down an offer from the Clippers in the summer of 2014 before he signed to play in China last season, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News relays. He reportedly worked out at the Clippers practice facility that summer, but Clips coach/executive Doc Rivers appeared to downplay the idea that his team was eyeing World Peace for a late-season deal. “In China, I had to get my game back,” World Peace said. “Doc asked me to come to the Clippers. I told him, ‘I’m going to China first. When I come back, I’ll come to the Clippers.’ I want to get my game back on.”
World Peace never did play with the Clippers, instead signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Lakers, who’ve allowed him to fulfill his wish for a reunion with Kobe Bryant, even if it’s only for training camp, Medina notes in the same piece. “Kobe is the main reason why I worked so hard in the last couple of years,” said World Peace, who, despite that work, admits he’s not in shape. “I always wanted to come back and play with Kobe. I remember playing with Kobe, the sacrifices he made, playing hard, making unbelievable shots and showing unbelievable fundamentals. People can say he’s selfish all they want. But in the game, he’s so fundamentally sound. That’s tough to be fundamentally sound under all that pressure.”

Pacific Notes: Kings, World Peace, Belinelli

October 8th, 2015 at 6:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kings coach George Karl sees a world of difference between the team’s culture today and when he first arrived in Sacramento, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. “The spirit in the locker room when I got here last year was, ‘Wow,’ ” Karl said. “I’ve been in a lot of locker rooms and ‘Wow,’ and that wow was not a good wow. It was ‘Wow.’ And now we’ve got a healthy NBA locker room. That’s the one thing I feel right now, and I think we’ve got a vastly improved basketball team.”

The improved team chemistry is a by-product of the veterans the team has added, Jones notes. “Without a doubt,” point guard Darren Collison said of Karl’s assessment. “You’ve got vets like CB [Caron Butler], Rajon Rondo, Kouf [Kosta Koufos], guys that have been on teams where it meant something to them. So they try to instill those same principles into the locker room. It’s been a difference.”

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers are hoping that Metta World Peace, who is in training camp on a non-guaranteed deal, can contribute beyond being a mentor to the younger players on the roster, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register writes. “I think he just needs to show us that he’s still Metta. … He’s been great in training camp with our young guys,” coach Byron Scott said. “But we want to know if he can play at a high level. That’s the big thing.”
Marco Belinelli was signed by the Kings this offseason for his outside shooting acumen, but he has impressed the team’s coaching staff with his ability to make his teammates around him better, Jones writes in a separate article. “[Belinelli] has a knack of making other people play the right way, which is an off-the-chart compliment even though you might not take it as a high compliment,” Karl said. “For a coach to say someone makes other people better is a high compliment.”

Western Notes: Kobe, Morris, Barnes, Davis

October 8th, 2015 at 3:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

The majority of the two dozen team executives, scouts, agents and other figures from around the NBA who spoke with Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com said the Lakers definitely shouldn’t re-sign Kobe Bryant if he decides to play beyond the expiration of his contract at season’s end. Another sizable chunk of respondents said it should depend on his health, while only one said the Lakers should definitely bring him back. Part of the issue involves repeated assertions from people around the league that free agents won’t want to sign with the Lakers and play with their longtime star, as Holmes relays. Bryant has said he won’t play for an NBA team aside from the Lakers, but if he did, few teams would have interest, Holmes hears. One executive mentioned the Knicks as a possibility, and another brought up the Clippers. See more from around the Western Conference:

Markieff Morris gave further indication Wednesday that he indeed wants to stick around Phoenix, telling reporters, including Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, that he intends to convince local fans he’s on board. “I’ll win them back,” Morris said. “That’s all I can say about that.” Morris last week backed off his trade demand from the summer, and the Suns apparently have no interest in sending him out, even though the Pistons are reportedly interested.
Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger and Matt Barnes sloughed off the notion that reports that Barnes physically attacked Knicks coach Derek Fisher will have any bearing on the team, and Joerger expressed full support for his player, notes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Barnes said that he hasn’t spoken with anyone from the league office, but the NBA is investigating, Tillery adds. Memphis traded for Barnes this summer, and he’s entering the final season of his contract.
Ed Davis prioritized the chance for minutes over money when he decided to sign a three-year, $20MM deal with the Blazers this summer, as Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com details. “I was playing well in Toronto my third year, then I got traded to Memphis,” Davis said. “I played behind [Zach Randolph] and Marc [Gasol] for a year and a half, didn’t really get the opportunity. I was playing 13, 14 minutes a game and there’s no way that’s you’re going to be successful in the NBA with those minutes. That set me back for a year and a half. I guess the media or whatever thought I couldn’t play, or whatever it was. Went to L.A. [Lakers] last year, had a decent year and everything turned. Now I’m in a great situation and I’m looking forward to it.”

Pacific Notes: Karl, Cousins, Bass, Russell, Clarkson

October 5th, 2015 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Weeks before reports surfaced that coach George Karl was trying to trade DeMarcus Cousins and, subsequently, that the Kings were thinking about firing Karl, the coach remarked that he never felt he had a player who was off-limits for a trade. That comment was a mistake, Karl admitted to Kayte Christensen of CSN Bay Area (video link), and the coach apologized to Cousins, as CSN Bay Area’s James Ham notes.

But it’s my responsibility to be smart enough to not say things like that,” Karl said to Christensen, in part. “So I did apologize because I thought that was the only thing, maybe some other things, but really the only thing that got us separated was that comment that then everybody wrote [that] we’re going to trade [Cousins].”

Time will tell if the relationship between Karl and Cousins will remain on solid footing, but winning would probably go a long way toward keeping both of them satisfied, as Akis Yerocostas of SB Nation’s Sactown Royalty recently suggested in a recent installment of our Top Bloggers series. See more from the Pacific Division:

Metta World Peace is with the Lakers during the preseason in large part to mentor Julius Randle, but if World Peace doesn’t stick for the regular season on his non-guaranteed deal, fellow offseason signee Brandon Bass will still be there for Randle, as Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times details. Fostering the development of the 2014 No. 7 overall pick part of the reason why Bass, too, is on the Lakers roster this season, Pincus writes.
Bass is also a fan of Lakers coach Byron Scott, for whom he also played at the beginning of his career with New Orleans, Pincus notes in the same piece. “Coach Scott was someone who inspired me to continue to work hard, to be the player I am today,” Bass said. “My first two years I didn’t play much, so he was very motivating to me, letting me know how hard I have to work to be a pro.”
D’Angelo Russell was skeptical when Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak told him before the draft that the Lakers thought he and Jordan Clarkson could co-exist in the backcourt, but all parties seem on board with the idea now, notes Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “We’re two totally different players,” Clarkson said. “He’s an excellent passer and I’m real aggressive and it just kind of comes together.” Clarkson is set to hit restricted free agency at season’s end.
The Clippers are so far struggling to incorporate the nine newcomers to the team, observes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.

Western Notes: Bryant, Clippers, Nuggets

October 4th, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Kobe Bryant has embraced his role as a mentor for a young Lakers team that is counting on D’Angelo Russell (who is 19), Julius Randle (20) and Jordan Clarkson (23) to step up, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. After practices, Holmes adds, several players have been gathering, whether back at the team hotel or elsewhere, just to talk with Bryant.

“The other day, we sat around and talked for about 2 1/2 hours,” Bryant said. “They just wanted to know some of the things that I’ve been through, some of the things that I’ve learned, some of the things that I can help them with. The game really connects us.”

Here’s more on the Western Conference:

Kevin Eastman is now an assistant coach for the Clippers after previously serving as assistant vice president of the franchise, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register tweets.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone has prioritized getting to know his players, learning about their lives, their likes and dislikes, their families and what in general makes them tick, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post relays in an entertaining read.
Eric Bledsoe, who is set to make $13.5MM next season in the second year of a five-year, $70MM deal, showed a commitment to the Suns this summer when he stayed in Phoenix and there are indications that his game could take another step forward this season, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes.
The Kings have multiple options at the starting power forward position as complements to All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. The team has looked for a power forward with shooting range, or one who can contribute defensively, Jones adds. Willie Cauley-Stein, Kosta Koufos, Quincy Acy, and small forward Rudy Gay are all in the mix, according to Jones.

L.A. Notes: Clippers’ Roster, Lakers’ Backcourt

October 4th, 2015 at 12:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

It appears Luc Mbah a Moute and Chuck Hayes will battle for the Clippers‘ last roster spot, Arash Markazi of ESPN.com notes (Twitter link). After waiving Nikoloz Tskitishvili on Saturday, the team only has 16 commitments and the duo’s pacts are the only contracts that are not fully guaranteed.

Here’s more from Los Angeles:

Despite the number of new pieces in Los Angeles, Clippers President of basketball operations/coach Doc Rivers is optimistic that the team can seamlessly fit together, Rowan Kavner of NBA.com writes. “Chemistry can grow,” Rivers said. “In 2010, we had no chemistry and people had given up on us and all of a sudden, the second half of the year things start clicking, guys start getting together and the next thing you know we found ourselves in the Finals again. So, it can happen a lot of ways.”
No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell and sophomore combo guard Jordan Clarkson seem to have chemistry early in camp, Baxter Holmes of ESPN writes. “We just relate to each other,” Russell said. “He’s not one of those real serious vets that you can’t crack a smile around. He’s a young dude, second year, still learning, still growing. Me, the same way. I’m a goofy guy, he’s a goofy guy. So we kind of complement each other.”

Pacific Notes: Bryant, Pierce, Green, Curry

October 3rd, 2015 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kobe Bryant, who will take the court Sunday for the first time since late January, enjoys playing beside a true point guard in D’Angelo Russell, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. Bryant, whose 2014/15 season was cut short by a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, said he is “definitely playing” in the Lakers‘ preseason opener. He is looking forward to a revised role with Russell on the roster. “I do not like setting up the offense,” Bryant said. “I hate it. [Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson] made me do it years ago, and I had to learn how to do it years ago, to set up the triangle [offense]. I haven’t played with point guards that are playmakers at heart, and D’Angelo is a ridiculous playmaker.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Paul Pierce has only been a Clipper since July, but he knows his new team pretty well, according to Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. Pierce, who signed a three-year, $10MM deal with L.A., is very familiar with coach Doc Rivers from their time together in Boston. Pierce also was a teammate of Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell with the Celtics and spent several summers training at L.A.’s practice facility. Pierce said he “already felt like I knew the guys” when he signed.
Draymond Green said Warriors players will hold one another accountable during coach Steve Kerr’s absence, writes Carl Steward of The Bay Area News Group. Kerr will be gone for an undetermined amount of time while recovering from back surgery. “It’s like if your boss leaves work, everyone relaxes,” Green said. “It’s like a weight off your shoulders. When you’re boss checks out, it’s like, ‘Oh man, what’s up, now we can chill.’ It’s just human nature.”
The Kings‘ Seth Curry won’t change his approach to the game, even though he has a guaranteed contract for the first time in his NBA career, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Curry signed a two-year deal worth $1.96MM with Sacramento this summer. Curry said he expected to go to New Orleans, but the Kings submitted their offer first. “I think it just gives me a sense of trying to fit in with the team and find my role instead of just trying to make the team,” Curry said of the guaranteed money. “But I still have the same sense of urgency that I’ve had in the past.”

Pacific Notes: Clarkson, Gudaitis, Iguodala

October 2nd, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson has chosen Jeff Austin and Chris Emens of Octagon Sports to represent him, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News reports. Clarkson was previously represented by Mike George of Excel Sports Management, which reportedly broke off its relationship with the young guard back in September. The young combo guard was reportedly frustrated with the agency’s communication and felt he received conflicting information about marketing opportunities, according to an earlier report by Medina. Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press first reported the split. Clarkson is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lithuanian big man Arturas Gudaitis, whose draft rights are held by the Kings, said that Sacramento has expressed interest in signing him for next season, according to a report by Donatas Urbonas of 15min.It (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Gudaitis, who is signed to a multi-year deal with the Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas, said his dream is to play in the NBA, and that he will travel to Sacramento to work out for the team after his season is completed, Urbonas notes.
The Warriors intend for veteran swingman Andre Iguodala to continue his role as a top reserve during the 2015/16 season, Diamond Leung of The Bay Area News Group writes. “Nothing is set in stone, but we won 67 games, so I don’t think we’ll change the starting lineup to start the season,” coach Steve Kerr had said prior to taking his leave of absence due to back related issues. “Why would we? Why would we change what we did last year when we had as much success as we did?“
Jamal Crawford has been the subject of numerous trade rumors throughout the offseason, but he says that his time spent in New York as a member of the Knicks prepared him for the daily barrage of questions from the media, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes. “That time [in New York] prepared me for this,” Crawford said. “It’s a business and in a day, you can only control what you can control and worry about how you can get better.” The veteran shooting guard also noted that he is extremely happy to still be a member of the Clippers, Carr adds. The franchise was reportedly exploring trades involving the two-time Sixth Man of the Year shortly before the draft, with other reports this summer indicating that the Heat, Cavs and Knicks have held interest, but Doc Rivers recently said that the team was unlikely to deal Crawford.