Pau Gasol On Future Beyond This Season
After enduring years of trade rumors and constant change in Los Angeles, Pau Gasol finds himself on the final year of his deal with the Lakers. After earning more than $156MM over the course of his career, the forward told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo that he’ll be looking for more than money in his next contract.
“In the last years of my career I want to enjoy, I want to have the chance of winning, aside from being financially compensated,” Gasol said. “If you have to choose, best thing is to be in a situation where you can win another ring. [This]team there’s a lot of ifs with our team: We don’t know how Kobe will be. There’s a lot of things we don’t know about this team,” said Gasol (translation courtesy of HoopsWorld’s Steve Kyler).
Gasol is earning $19.2MM in his walk year and whlle the Lakers have said repeatedly that they won’t be trading him, one has to wonder if they might consider moving him if they can get something of value for the pending free agent. Through 18 games this season, the Spaniard is averaging 14.3 PPG and 9.9 RPG.
L.A. Notes: Nash, Luxury Tax, Frank
The two New York teams are making plenty of headlines lately, thanks in large measure to their poor play. There’s lots of drama going on in Los Angeles, too, where the Clippers are mulling a Lamar Odom signing and the Lakers await the returns of Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. Here’s the latest on both teams, including an update on Nash:
- The Lakers had reportedly planned to gauge Nash’s progress in practice this week before deciding whether to pursue another point guard, but Nash said he isn’t rushing his recovery in light of Jordan Farmar‘s injury, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Nash doubts he’ll return in time for the team’s next game on Friday.
- The Clippers are set to pay the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history, and Mark Deeks of ShamSports explains why now might be the right time, as part of a piece for SB Nation that juxtaposes L.A.’s tax quandary with that of the Thunder. There’s a risk the expenditure could go for naught, as in the case of the Bulls, but it could help the Clippers re-sign Blake Griffin in a few years.
- Doc Rivers tried to recruit Lawrence Frank to join the Clippers coaching staff this summer, but the Nets wooed Rivers’ former Celtics assistant with a six-year deal worth more than $1MM per year, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Frank and Nets head coach Jason Kidd appear to be at loggerheads.
Odds & Ends: Booker, Kobe, Wade, Exum
After receiving eight DNP-Coach’s Decisions this year, Trevor Booker is none too pleased with the Wizards. A source close to the power forward said recently that if the Wizards don’t extend him a qualifying offer and let him become an unrestricted free agent, he would look elsewhere for employment based on how the season has gone, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. It’s been a strange quarter-season for Booker, who started the first three games of the season but has seen little burn since. More from around the Association..
- Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com looks at how Kobe Bryant‘s lucrative two-year extension could affect the Heat and Dwyane Wade.
- In today’s column, David Aldridge of NBA.com looks at how Kobe’s deal will affect the Lakers over the next couple of years.
- Dante Exum is a mortal lock to go top five in the 2014 Draft, but he says that he hasn’t decided whether to go pro, writes Joe Pierik of the Sydney Morning Herald. ”To be honest, I haven’t been thinking about it too much,’‘ Exum said. ”I am back home but my mum is still in Singapore, so she is going to head back soon. After that I will make my decision with my whole family. I want to get it done by February. It shouldn’t be too hard [a decision] to make. But I just want to make sure I use my time right so I make the right decision.’‘
- The Bulls might be thinking about rebuilding or retooling in the wake of Derrick Rose‘s injury, but Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com isn’t sure if coach Tom Thibodeau would be on board for that.
- Guard Jose Calderon is going out of his way to assist rookie point guards Gal Mekel and Shane Larkin with their transition to the NBA, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. While coach Rick Carlisle appreciates Calderon passing along his veteran wisdom, he says he’s more concerned with seeing him back on the hardwood. Calderon is currently dealing with a bone bruise on his right ankle.
- The Lakers announced that they have recalled Ryan Kelly back from their D-League affiliate, the L.A. D-Fenders. To keep track of all of this year’s D-Leage assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Nash, Blake, Suns
The Lakers are off until Friday night, but when they return to action, they could be with the services of Kobe Bryant. At this point, it’s possible that Bryant will be playing with a limit on his minutes, though coach Mike D’Antoni isn’t certain of that yet. Here’s more on the Lakers and other notes out of the Pacific..
- The Lakers are going to wait and see what Steve Nash has to offer in practice this week before deciding on what to do, if anything, for a backup to Steve Blake, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. Ex-Lakers Darius Morris and Chris Duhon may not be sexy options, but Pincus notes that they are both free agents and could probably be inked to non-guaranteed deals (link).
- The Suns are off to a hot start despite starting the year with nine new faces, but they’re not satisfied with their 9-8 mark, writes NBA.com’s Matt Petersen.
- Nick Young has been thriving with the Lakers this season, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Young had a reputation as a chucker when he was with Washington, but he has grown up and adjusted his game to meet L.A.’s needs.
Western Notes: Farmar, Lakers, Pelicans, Spurs
Let’s round up a few afternoon updates from around the Western Conference….
- Jordan Farmar was diagnosed with a torn left hamstring today and is expected to be sidelined for about four weeks, according to the Lakers. Steve Nash is on the mend, but if Nash misses more time, the Lakers will be very shorthanded at the point, perhaps necessitating a roster move.
- Another team that finds itself shorthanded is the Pelicans, who will be without Anthony Davis for the next few weeks. As Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes, New Orleans is in trouble and almost certainly headed for the lottery if Davis misses significant time. With a full 15-man roster and no obvious help available via free agency or trades, the Pelicans may have to make do with their current roster while Davis recovers.
- A day after assigning them to the Austin Toros, the Spurs have recalled Aron Baynes and Nando De Colo from the D-League, the team announced today. The duo combined for 53 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists in the Toros’ win over the Delaware 87ers last night.
- Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman passes along a handful of interesting quotes from Thunder GM Sam Presti on the evolving identity of the Oklahoma City franchise.
L.A. Notes: Kobe, Clippers, Wayns, Pau
Following last night’s loss to Portland, the Lakers aren’t in action again until Friday night, and by the time the team returns to the court, Kobe Bryant could be in the lineup. However, even if he makes his comeback on Friday, Kobe may see limited minutes, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times observes.
“That would come from inside [the medical department] and him and whatever they tell me,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “If that’s a restriction, then they’ll tell me.”
Here’s more out of Los Angeles, where both teams are dealing with injury woes:
- The Clippers’ wing depth was considered perhaps the team’s greatest strength heading into the season, but the team will likely be without Matt Barnes for another two weeks and J.J. Redick for up to eight weeks, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). With Jamal Crawford, Jared Dudley, Reggie Bullock, and Willie Green still in the mix, the Clips shouldn’t need to add any reinforcements. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on, since the club has an open roster spot.
- Speaking of injured Clippers, Maalik Wayns remains on the team’s roster, which means his 2013/14 salary has become fully guaranteed. As I noted on Friday, the injured Wayns would be assured of his full $788,872 salary if the Clips didn’t waive him on or before December 1st.
- Meanwhile, Bryant and Steve Nash are on the comeback trail for the Lakers, but Pau Gasol is slated to undergo an MRI on his sprained right ankle, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA. As McMenamin writes in a separate story, while help is on the way for the Lakers, Gasol’s health, Jordan Farmar‘s hamstring strain, and the possibility of Chris Kaman rocking the boat loom as potential concerns.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com wonders if either Jodie Meeks or Nick Young could find himself out of the rotation and/or on the trade block when Kobe returns.
Odds & Ends: Beasley, Wilkins, Claver, Lakers
If it looks like Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is only now starting to formulate a plan for offseason pickup Michael Beasley, you’re not far off, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “With Michael,” Spoelstra said, “it was more about, initially, we felt he was part of our family. We drafted him. We spent a lot of time with him, not only during those two regular seasons, but during the offseasons and we just wanted to open up our arms back into our family,” the coach said. Here’s more from around the Association..
- Damien Wilkins, who was in training camp with the Hawks over the summer, has reached agreement on a deal with Beijing in China, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.
- Victor Claver spoke with El Mundo after the rumors about his future published by Spanish media and Emiliano Carchia of Sportando provides the translation. “Portland is the team where I want to play. But at the same time I want to play more and here I don’t have chances to. The season is very long, let’s see if something will change. Right now I am not thinking about returning to Europe. I have no idea if there is a chance to be traded. But if it happened, I hope it is for the better,” said the Spanish forward.
- Nick Young has jokingly touted himself as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate at times this season, but coach Mike D’Antoni believes the swingman has a legitimate shot at the award, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- D’Antoni is overseeing a locker room with ten players on expiring contracts, but he appears much more effective at building camaraderie with this Lakers team than with last year’s, as Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times observes.
- In this week’s mailbag, Mary Schmitt-Boyer of the Plain Dealer fields questions on the possibility of the Cavs trading for Luol Deng and more.
Western Rumors: Lakers, Claver, Casspi
The majority of Hoops Rumors readers who voted today think at least one New York team will make the playoffs this season, in spite of a combined 7-24 record for the Knicks and Nets. That might not be the case if those clubs were in the much tougher Western Conference. The Hawks are in third place in the East with a 9-8 record, while the Lakers have the same mark and sit in 10th place in the West. The imbalance figures to soften to some degree as the season wears on, but it’s still troubling for Western teams competing for a postseason berth. Here’s more from the West:
- Wesley Johnson could have signed for more money and years to play with that Atlanta team and its much easier road to the playoffs, and the Bucks also offered a better deal than the Lakers, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Coach Mike D’Antoni‘s system prompted Johnson to instead choose the L.A. and a one-year contract for the minimum salary.
- César Nanclares of TuBasket.com hears that Victor Claver is strongly considering a return to Europe amid disappointment over a reduced role this season with the Blazers (translation via HoopsHype). Nanclares points out the Spanish native’s contract runs through this season and next and that Portland isn’t likely to let him engineer a buyout this season, though the scribe wonders if the Blazers might be willing to cut ties this summer.
- Rockets forward Omri Casspi is leaving agent Steven Heumann of the Creative Artists Agency and will sign with Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports, as Fegan tells Sportando contributor David Pick.
- Former second-round draft pick Chukwudiebere Maduabum has signed with Tin Kalev Tallin of Estonia, Sportando’s Enea Trapani reports. The Nuggets hold the rights to Maduabum, the 56th overall pick in 2011.
Odds & Ends: Tanking, DeRozan, Vucevic
While ownership, team executives, and coaches may sometimes choose to tank games (usually referred to by some as “focusing on the future”), Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld writes that players aren’t in on it, especially if they’re trying to prove themselves or avoiding the possibility that their potential replacement gets drafted.
Here’s more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes:
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter) wonders if the Raptors should look to move DeMar DeRozan while his value is high, especially if they can’t find a taker for Rudy Gay.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the Magic are trying to figure out center Nikola Vucevic‘s worth and thinks that the potential numbers on an extension could be between what Larry Sanders and Nikola Pekovic got from their respective teams this past summer.
- Looking back at how his tenure as the Trail Blazers’ head coach came to an end, Pacers assistant Nate McMillan tells Joe Freeman of the Oregonian that his one regret was trying to fit Gerald Wallace into the starting lineup (to keep the veteran from becoming disgruntled) despite Nicolas Batum needing the development.
- ESPN looked to 5 of its writers to give their thoughts on how much hope that Knicks, Nets, Cavaliers, Bulls, and Lakers fans should have moving forward this season.
- Hoopsworld’s Moke Hamilton discusses what he calls the “Derrick Rose dilemma” for Chicago – deciding whether or not to stay the course or start tear down the current team in order to build for the future.
- Although it’s possible that the Bulls will make a move or two to address the team’s current situation, Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times points out that the return of Jimmy Butler to the lineup will help and how Chicago already proved they can at least stay competitive during the regular season without Rose.
Pacific Notes: Williams, Kings, Lakers
Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee characterizes the Kings’ move for Derrick Williams as “playing a hunch” – a hope that a new situation will help the former second-overall pick tap into his potential. With the franchise in rebuilding mode, Voisin writes that outside of DeMarcus Cousins, Ben McLemore, and Isaiah Thomas, pretty much everyone else is up for grabs on the trading block. Here’s more out of the Pacific Division tonight:
- Mark Deeks of the Score evaluates the Williams-Luc Mbah a Moute swap for both Sacramento and Minnesota. Keeping Williams’ potential in mind, Deeks writes that the Kings took a gamble that was nearly “impossible to pass up,” whereas the Timberwolves appeared to have created a logjam at the wing with Dante Cunningham‘s minutes to account for as well as the eventual return of Chase Budinger.
- According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni “hated” that Elias Harris had to be cut today. Both Bresnahan and Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News report that the team isn’t expected to fill in their 15th roster spot anytime soon (Twitter links).
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel says the Lakers dropped the ball in sacrificing future financial flexibility in order to reward Kobe Bryant with a generous extension. The Los Angeles Times relayed a handful of fan reactions this afternoon regarding the deal, and most didn’t seem to be enthused either.