Lakers Rumors: Nash, Scott, Ellington
Steve Nash‘s love of the game stood out above everything else, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. The Lakers guard formally announced his retirement today at age 41, ending a long career that included two MVP seasons. Ding praised Nash for persevering through pain and becoming one of just four point guards to play in the league at age 40.
There’s more from a historic day in Los Angeles:
- Nash started the NBA’s “golden age” of point guards, contends Amin Elhassan of ESPN Insider [subscription required]. Elhassan worked for the Suns for six seasons while Nash played there and writes that he gained a lot of his basketball knowledge by observing Nash on the court and watching how he prepared himself and teammates for games.
- Lakers coach Byron Scott told Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com he was optimistic about Nash after watching him in training camp. “I was really excited because I did see a lot of the Steve Nash that I had played against and coached against for so many years,” Scott said. However, recurring back pain prevented Nash from ever taking the floor in the regular season, and he has had little contact with the team.
- Free-agent-to-be Wayne Ellington is channeling the grief over his father’s death into basketball, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Ellington’s father was murdered November 9th in Philadelphia, and Ellington took a leave of absence that saw him miss six games. He said the experience has strengthened his bonds with the Lakers, regardless of how free agency turns out. “No matter what happens in the future, I will forever have a connection and love for the Lakers,” Ellington said. “The hardest part of my life was this year. The way I was treated means a whole lot to me.”
Steve Nash Announces Retirement
Veteran point guard Steve Nash has officially announced his retirement from basketball in an article he authored that was published at ThePlayersTribune.com. The 41-year-old didn’t specify if his retirement was effective immediately, though with the Lakers on the hook for the remainder of his $9,701,000 salary for 2014/15, he potentially meant that he would file the official paperwork with the league at the end of the season, though that is merely my speculation.
Writing about his love for the game, Nash said, “The greatest gift has been to be completely immersed in my passion and striving for something I loved so much — visualizing a ladder, climbing up to my heroes. The obsession became my best friend. I talked to her, cherished her, fought with her and got knocked on my [expletive] by her. And that is what I’m most thankful for in my career. In my entire life, in some ways. Obviously, I value my kids and my family more than the game, but in some ways having this friend — this ever-present pursuit — has made me who I am, taught me and tested me, and given me a mission that feels irreplaceable. I am so thankful. I’ve learned so many invaluable lessons about myself and about life. And of course I still have so much to learn. Another incredible gift.”
Nash’s playing career certainly didn’t end the way that he would have liked. The point guard only managed to appear in a total of 65 contests during his three seasons with the Lakers thanks to various injuries. He has missed the entire 2014/15 campaign due to back and neck woes. It was reported earlier this month that Nash held off on announcing his retirement at the Lakers’ request, so that the team could try and find a taker for his expiring contract on the trade market.
Discussing his time in Los Angeles, Nash wrote, “When I signed with the Lakers, I had big dreams of lifting the fans up and lighting this city on fire. I turned down more lucrative offers to come to L.A. because I wanted to be in the “fire,” and play for high risk and high reward in my last NBA chapter. In my second game here, I broke my leg and nothing was the same. Last spring, when I returned to the court, I was given a standing ovation at Staples Center. It was a dark time in my career and that gesture will be one of my best memories. There’s been a lot of negativity online, but in my nearly three years in L.A., I’ve never met anyone who didn’t show me anything but love and support for my efforts. There’s a lot of class in Lakerland, and the organization and staff have given me unwavering support.”
Selected with the No. 15 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, Nash is sure to be remembered as one of the greatest and most exciting point guards in the history of the league. In 1,217 career games spanning 18 NBA seasons, Nash has averaged 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 0.7 steals per contest. His career shooting numbers are .490/.428/.904. Over the course of his playing career Nash earned approximately $137,235,620 in salary according to Basketball Reference.com, though that figure doesn’t include this year’s income.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lakers Sign Jabari Brown To Second 10-Day
SATURDAY, 12:43pm: The signing is official, the Lakers have announced.
FRIDAY, 8:36am: The Lakers will re-sign Jabari Brown to a second 10-day contract on Saturday, reports Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Brown said he spoke with GM Mitch Kupchak and confirmed that’s the plan to reporters, including Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (Twitter link). Coach Byron Scott had said minutes earlier that he anticipated Brown would be back, according to Pincus (on Twitter). Scott expressed his desire on Thursday afternoon for the team to re-sign the shooting guard.
A second deal for Brown presumably means the NBA has granted the Lakers another 10-day hardship exception to carry a 16th man on the roster. That was the allowance the league provided when the Lakers inked Brown to his first 10-day contract even though they already had 15 players. Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Julius Randle are all out for the season and Ronnie Price is probably in the same situation, giving the Lakers enough injured players to qualify to apply for the extra roster spot. Nick Young also remains out with a small fracture in his left kneecap.
Brown’s initial contract expired after Thursday’s game. Waiting until Saturday to sign a second 10-day deal enables the Lakers to have him for their game on March 30th against the Sixers without having to sign him for the balance of the season. The rookie has played a prominent role, averaging 7.0 points in 20.0 minutes per contest over four games on his first 10-day contract.
Scott Wants Jabari Brown For Another 10 Days
Lakers coach Byron Scott wants the club to sign Jabari Brown to another 10-day contract, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. Brown’s first 10-day deal expires after the Lakers play the Jazz on Thursday. Scott plans to meet with GM Mitch Kupchak after the game to discuss Brown’s status. “Right now, I’d like to keep him for another 10 days and see how it goes,” Scott said to the team’s beat reporters. “I think he’s improved from what we had in the summer time to this time right now.”
Aiding Brown’s cause is that Nick Young remains sidelined for at least for another week because of a small fracture in his left knee. Brown, an undrafted rookie shooting guard out of Missouri, has averaged 7.0 points on 60% shooting from the field while playing in three games. Scott says Brown needs to be physical and attack the basket while improving his ballhandling and pick-and-roll defense to stay in the league, the story adds.
Brown was on the Lakers’ NBA roster during the preseason after signing a non-guaranteed training camp deal, but he played only nine minutes total during the preseason and failed to make it to opening night. Scott has given him a longer look since he signed the 10-day contract, as Brown has averaged 20.0 minutes per game. The Lakers retained his D-League rights after training camp and Brown earned his way into the NBA by averaging 24.4 points in 34.9 minutes per game for the L.A. D-Fenders.
And-Ones: Wiggins, Young, Turner, Nuggets
Despite chatter that Masai Ujiri might be gearing up for a pursuit of Andrew Wiggins, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders doesn’t think there’s much of a chance last summer’s No. 1 pick joins the Raptors any time soon. In order to choose his destination as an unrestricted free agent, Wiggins would have to accept his qualifying offer in 2018, which would likely mean turning down a long-term deal with the Wolves. There hasn’t been a big name player to do that outside of Greg Monroe, as Kennedy notes.
Let’s round up the latest from around the NBA:
- Nick Young has suffered a slight fracture in his knee, the Lakers announced. He’ll be evaluated on a week-to-week basis for the remainder of the year, but it’s unclear whether or not he’ll appear on the hardwood again this season.
- Myles Turner has had an inconsistent freshman season with the Longhorns, but it may not have hurt his stock as much as some think, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com reveals in a chat with readers that some scouts attribute Turner’s up and down production this year to Texas coach Rick Barnes.
- The Nuggets’ decision to rest key veterans has irritated Wilson Chandler, but interim head coach Melvin Hunt insists the choice is one the entire Denver organization is making together and not just an order from the front office like Chandler hinted at, tweets Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.
Southeast Notes: Ferry, Bazemore, Bosh, MKG
Kent Bazemore admits that Danny Ferry‘s name gets brought up in the Hawks‘ locker room quite a bit and the guard believes Ferry deserves credit for putting a championship contender together, as he tells Charles Bethea in an interview for Grantland.com.
“[Ferry is] definitely a huge part of this year’s success. It was unfortunate what happened, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about Mr. Ferry. I flew into Atlanta this summer and had lunch with him. And he’s a great guy,” Bazemore said. “We sat there, we laughed, we joked. He has a huge group of friends, believe it or not, in the NBA. So I look at it as a business. He’s trying to do his best for his organization, and he’s done a great job of getting the right guys in and creating a team that’s number one in the East and almost the best team in the NBA right now, recordwise. He could win the GM award.”
In our latest poll, about 30% of Hoops Rumors readers believe Ferry should win the Executive of the Year award. As we wait to see whether or not the summer controversy surrounding the Hawks prevents Ferry from taking home the trophy, we’ll round up more from the Southeast:
- Bazemore, before signing his two year, $4MM deal with the Hawks, played last season with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Some have suggested that free agents would be disinterested in signing with Los Angeles because of Bryant. Bazemore tells Bethea that that’s simply not the case and that it wasn’t difficult to play with the 17-time All-Star.
- Chris Bosh isn’t letting his season-ending injury prevent him from contributing to the Heat, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel observes (subscription only link). Bosh has been playing the role of an assistant coach, and Dwyane Wade is supportive of what the big man brings to the bench. “If he sees something, he’ll come to you and he’ll tell you,” said Wade. “He’s been exciting. He’s been into it. I think he’s just enjoying being around the game again. We feel his excitement. It’s just good just to look over there and see him.”
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford believes Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has the talent to become the best perimeter defender in this generation of NBA players, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Kidd-Gilchrist becomes extension-eligible this summer, and such strong words likely indicate the Hornets would prefer to keep the Kentucky product around going forward.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: Jordan, Price, Suns
Most people who saw Shaun Livingston‘s brutal left knee injury from eight years ago thought his playing days were over. Now, as Marcus Thompson II of Bay Area News Group writes, the Warriors guard is in his tenth season, making his highest salary, and playing his most important role. Here’s more from the Pacific Division..
- In the latest edition of their A to Z podcast (audio link), Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan told Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports that the incumbent team won’t necessarily have a head start on the rest of the field in free agency. “I mean I’ve obviously been here seven years, and the past two have been great,” he said. “[Coach Doc Rivers] has been my biggest supporter and the best coach I’ve ever had. The team is great. The guys are great. We have great camaraderie. But the free agency process is definitely going to be a fun one. I want to experience it and see what it’s like because before I was restricted so I just kind of had to wait it out. I definitely want to experience it, but I’m happy being a Clipper and I’ve been here for seven years, so this is definitely what I’m used to.”
- Ronnie Price wants to return with the Lakers next season and it sounds like the feeling is mutual, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. Coach Byron Scott said that he’s “definitely a guy [the Lakers] will consider” and that the guard has proven himself to be the “type of guy you want on a team.” The nine-year veteran has averaged just 5.1 PPG off of 34.5% shooting with 3.8 APG, but he’s become a favorite of Scott’s thanks to his toughness and locker room leadership.
- Suns owner Robert Sarver made it clear to Sam Amick of USA Today Sports (via Twitter links) that he is strongly in favor of playoff reform. “I am in favor of what’s best for the fans and players who do the competing. I am looking forward to seeing the analysis of the pros and cons of a change from the league office,” Sarver wrote to Amick via email.
Rival Execs Unsure Cavs Want Love On Max Deal
Kevin Love silenced many rumors when he said in January that he plans to opt in for next season with the Cavs, but rival executives have begun to question whether Cleveland would want to re-sign Love for the maximum salary if he were to opt out, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN (video link). Many executives think Love will leave the Cavs, perhaps to sign with the Lakers, Broussard also says, reiterating earlier reports that the power forward has denied amid continued insistence that he’d like to stay in Cleveland. The Cavs haven’t given any indication that their desire for Love has waned, Broussard cautioned.
Love has missed the last two games because of a minor back ailment, and when he has played, he’s often sat out during fourth quarters. He hinted of frustration earlier this month with a role that has him acting as more of a spot-up shooter than in the past, though he’s mostly remained upbeat even amid a downturn in his scoring and rebounding averages and shot attempts per game. The Cavs have taken off despite the failure of Love to once again become the dynamic force he had been in years past with the Timberwolves, with Cleveland having gone 24-6 over its last 30 games to climb comfortably into second place in the Eastern Conference.
The 26-year-old has a player option worth $16.744MM for next season, but he’d likely be in line for a higher salary on a maximum-salary contract if he were to opt out and if a team were to make such an offer. The Cavs have plenty of other concerns this offseason, when all but five of their players can hit free agency, making it a distinct possibility that the team will have to pay the luxury tax next season if it returns largely intact.
The Celtics are reportedly among the teams planning a run at Love if he opts out, and he’d reportedly be willing to at least take a meeting with the Lakers if he becomes a free agent. In spite of his insistence that he wants a long-term future in Cleveland, the majority of Hoops Rumors readers believe he won’t remain on the Cavs next season.
Pacific Notes: Karl, Cousins, Price, McAdoo
George Karl acknowledged that he and DeMarcus Cousins started their relationship under trying circumstances and that it will take a while for them to truly build camaraderie, asthe Kings coach detailed in an interview with TNT’s David Aldridge for his NBA.com Morning Tip column.
“I’ve had some really good, serious talks about him,” Karl said of Cousins. “I think it’s hard, because of the skepticism of his agent and all that. It’s a process right now. I’m not saying the trust is with capital letters yet. But I think it’s on the page. That’s all I can ask for. I hope he understands that the process is not going to work coming in the middle of the season, taking a team that was basically a possession, defensive-minded team, and turning it into a running team. I think we’re getting a good pace, but we’re not doing it that well.”
Karl arrived in Sacramento amid Cousins’ frustration with the team’s frequent coaching turnover, and a person familiar with Karl’s thinking apparently told Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck that the Kings are open to trading Cousins this summer. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Ronnie Price was a revelation for the Lakers this season, becoming a starter after signing a non-guaranteed deal for the minimum salary in the offseason, and he’d like to come back to the team even if he’d only be a third-stringer, as he told Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Price, who seems doubtful to play again this season because of a bone spur in his right elbow, will be a free agent this summer.
- The Warriors have recalled James Michael McAdoo from the D-League, the team announced. The rookie scored 25 points in 29 minutes for Golden State’s affiliate Sunday the day after the Warriors sent him on assignment.
- Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob shared his thoughts on Draymond Green, David Lee and more with Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group, as we passed along earlier today.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Scott, Lin
Lakers coach Byron Scott feels for Knicks coach Derek Fisher. While Scott isn’t a coaching neophyte like his New York counterpart, both men have to deal with rabid fans in a major media market. “I think the New York fans are just like our fans. They say they’re going to be patient but they’re really not,” Scott said, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. “They have to be patient. Phil’s going to be very patient with Derek. He knows the type of person that Derek is. It just doesn’t happen overnight.” Here’s more from the Pacific Division..
- With the season winding down, Scott plans put pending free agent Jeremy Lin in the Lakers starting lineup, Medina writes. Lin started the first 19 games of the season only to lose his starting spot in favor of veteran guard Ronnie Price because of Scott’s preference for his defense and floor leadership Now, it sounds like he’ll get more of an opportunity to showcase himself before the end of the year.
- Scott is heaping tons of praise on 10-day signee Jabari Brown, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. “He played extremely well for a guy who is on a 10-day contract,” the Lakers coach said. “He earned the right to play some more.” Brown inked his 10-day deal with Los Angeles on March 10th, so he still has some time left on this current pact.
- Phil Jackson losing out on coach Steve Kerr to the Warriors is well documented, but he’s happy for his success, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “The perfect job for him and perfect situation where he stepped into the right opportunity and made the most out of it,” Jackson said of Kerr. “I don’t give him advice. I’m there to congratulate him.’’