Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Coaching Search, Offseason, Mailbag

May 30th, 2024 at 3:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link), Shams Charania of The Athletic said James Borrego‘s second interview for the job — which took place on Wednesday — included meeting the team’s ownership. A former head coach of the Hornets, Borrego is currently the Pelicans’ top assistant.

“At the end of the day, if there are any finalists, it’s likely going to be J.J. Redick and James Borrego,” Charania said. “James Borrego is someone Anthony Davis is fond of. And James Borrego is someone that understands that the Lakers have to continue to win with Anthony Davis at the helm.

“He’s 31 years old, he’s in the prime of his career. He’s gonna be a Laker — as long as all the stars align — longer than LeBron James is gonna be a Laker. LeBron has one, two more years left at the most in his career. Anthony Davis has a longer runway. So building an offense around AD, having a team of player development, those are things — from what I’m told — that James Borrego has stressed to the Lakers.”

Despite characterizing Borrego as a serious candidate and a potential finalist, Charania reiterated that Redick is widely viewed as the frontrunner for the job, saying the Lakers “have an infatuation level” with the former sharpshooter as a head coach.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

While Los Angeles plans to be “aggressive” in seeking upgrades this summer, it remains unclear if the team will pursue a third star to pair with James and Davis or upgrade the role players surrounding them, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Whichever route the Lakers take, they would prefer to retain Austin Reaves, whose strong showings in the playoffs the past two years “have affirmed his fit” with the team’s stars, sources tell Buha.
According to Buha, the Lakers are willing to offer James whatever he wants on his next contract, with picking up his $51.4MM player option still considered a possibility. Buha also confirms that James is expected to play one or two more seasons.
In a mailbag on his YouTube channel (video link), Buha said that the Lakers likely “aren’t actively shopping” Rui Hachimura but noted that his mid-sized contract is a logical salary-matching piece if they want to make roster upgrades. Buha added that Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent could be viewed in a similar way — Hachimura just makes more money.
Responding to another mailbag question, Buha said he isn’t sure, but he doesn’t think the Lakers would have interest in revisiting trade talks for Zach LaVine this summer. Buha views LaVine as a step down from some other maximum-salary players, particularly due to his injury history.

Lakers Notes: Borrego, Brooks, Rondo, St. Jean, Redick, Prince

May 29th, 2024 at 9:27pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Pelicans assistant James Borrego had an in-person meeting with the Lakers on Wednesday about their vacant head-coaching position, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. Anthony Davis thinks highly of Borrego, Woike writes.

The Lakers had previously met with Borrego, but according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), that was more of a “get-to-know-you” session. Today’s meeting was more in-depth and Wojnarowski says Los Angeles will look to bring in more candidates for second interviews in the coming days and weeks.

Borrego was a longtime NBA assistant before being hired by the Hornets in 2018. He coached Charlotte for four seasons, compiling a 138-163 record.

As Woike writes, other staffing candidates linked to the Lakers include the previously reported Sam Cassell and Jared Dudley, as well as former Thunder and Wizards head coach Scott Brooks. Cassell was interviewed by the Lakers for their head-coaching role while Dudley was reported to be under consideration for an assistant role, depending on who is hired as head coach. Woike points out that Cassell (Boston) and Dudley (Dallas) could receive promotions from their own organizations after the playoffs.

We have more from the Lakers:

Former Lakers guard Rajon Rondo and former Lakers assistant Greg St. Jean are among other names under consideration for staff roles, again pending the head coach hire, according to Woike. Rondo played with the Lakers from 2018-20, winning a ring with Los Angeles in 2020. He also played there briefly in ’21/22. St. Jean spent last season as an assistant under Frank Vogel with the Suns.
While the Lakers are doing their due diligence with a multitude of coaching prospects, J.J. Redick still seems to be the favorite for the position, according to TNT and Bleacher Report’s Chris B. Haynes (Twitter link). “I will be very surprised if their next head coach is anybody but J.J. Redick,” Haynes said. “Everything that I’m hearing is J.J. Redick. From what I know he’s doing some background, calling some assistant coaching candidates who might be able to join his staff.“
Taurean Prince was thrust into a significant role with the Lakers under former coach Darvin Ham and while he was relatively productive offensively (8.9 PPG, .396 3PT%), his defense took a step back until he moved back to the bench, Lakers Nation’s Matthew Valento writes. An unrestricted free agent this offseason, Prince expressed an interest in returning. “My family, the quality of life in Los Angeles is something that myself and my family haven’t had in probably three or four seasons,” Prince said. “So to stay here would be definitely number one. If not that, then I mean, wherever the dominoes fall and wherever it’s best, that’s where I’ll be. But I for sure want to be a Laker, 100%.“

Clippers Sign Tyronn Lue To Long-Term Extension

May 29th, 2024 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

12:21pm: The Clippers have officially signed Lue to an extension, the team announced in a press release. In a statement, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank referred to Lue as a “brilliant tactician and a natural leader,” adding that he’s a “pillar of the organization” who will be with the team for a long time.

“This is where I want to be,” Lue said in a statement of his own. “I’ve loved coaching this team for the past four years and I’m excited to head into a new era at Intuit Dome. I’m grateful to (team owner) Steve (Ballmer), Lawrence, and the entire organization for the opportunity. With our ownership, front office, roster, staff, and arena, we have all the advantages we need to win in the present and the future, and I’m confident we will.”

According to Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Lue’s new deal is worth nearly $70MM over five years.

11:02am: The Clippers have reached an agreement with head coach Tyronn Lue on a contract extension, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Lue had been entering the final year of his current contract with the team.

While Wojnarowski doesn’t have specific details on exactly how many years the new contract will cover, he refers to it as a “long-term” extension, which suggests the Clippers have locked up their head coach for at least the next few years. Woj also states that it will make Lue one of the NBA’s highest-paid coaches. A number of coaches have signed deals worth more than $10MM per season in recent years, so it seems safe to assume Lue will earn an eight-figure annual salary on his new contract.

Signing Lue to an extension had been one of the Clippers’ top priorities entering a critical offseason. The head coach, who previously led the Cavaliers to a title and two additional NBA Finals appearances, was hired in 2020 and has posted a 184-134 (.579) regular season record across four seasons in Los Angeles, despite dealing with a plethora of injuries to his star players during that time. Lue has a 97-47 record in games that both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have played, notes Wojnarowski.

The Clippers haven’t won a playoff series since reaching the Western Conference finals in 2021, but Lue hasn’t received the blame for those early postseason exits and remains highly regarded by team ownership and management.

Lue’s extension with the Clippers officially takes him off the table as an option for the cross-town Lakers, who are conducting a head coaching search this spring and reportedly coveted Lue, who began his playing career with the Lakers and won two championships with the franchise.

With a new deal for Lue in place, the Clippers will be able to shift their focus to free agency, where George (player option), Russell Westbrook (player option), and James Harden (unrestricted free agent) could all reach the open market in a matter of weeks.

Bronny James To Remain In 2024 NBA Draft

May 29th, 2024 at 6:49am CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Bronny James, the son of longtime NBA superstar LeBron James, will keep his name in the 2024 NBA draft pool, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, agent Rich Paul confirmed to Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

The deadline for NCAA early entrants who are testing the draft waters to withdraw from the pool and retain their college eligibility is 11:59 pm Eastern on Wednesday. While several players have pulled out in recent days in order to return to school, Bronny won’t be among them after having improved his draft stock at this month’s combine and a recent pro day.

Bronny, who suffered cardiac arrest last July, was eventually cleared to return to the court and suited up in 25 games for USC as a freshman. However, he averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game, with a .366/.267/.676 shooting line.

That underwhelming performance in his first college season hurt Bronny’s draft stock, but it has rebounded as of late, with Givony suggesting that the 19-year-old has risen from fringe prospect to draftable prospect. The 6’2″ guard now ranks 54th overall on ESPN’s big board after displaying his explosiveness and an improved three-point shot during the pre-draft process.

Although LeBron has previously expressed a desire to play with his son, Paul has repeatedly stressed in recent weeks that the primary goal is to get Bronny into the best possible developmental situation, not on the same roster as his father. The veteran agent has also stated that the younger James won’t sign a two-way contract.

“The Lakers need to look at Bronny like everyone else,” Paul told ESPN. “If they value him enough and he’s there, that’s great. If it’s not the Lakers, that’s great. I won’t be mad if it’s not. It’s obvious that people hear the conversation around the dad and son playing together, but that’s not our focus. If it happens organically, great. I’m not building on that.

“I’m not putting unrealistic expectations on Bronny. He’s far from a finished product. But he has a hell of start. He’s positioned well. … I don’t see him not getting drafted, but if it got to a point where the situations didn’t make sense and we needed to go undrafted, that’s fine.”

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported last week that at least 10 teams have invited Bronny to participate in private pre-draft workouts, but Paul is expected to pass on a number of those invites — the Lakers and Suns are the only teams confirmed to have secured workouts with his client. Phoenix holds the No. 22 pick in next month’s draft, while L.A. will pick at No. 55 and possibly No. 17 as well, if the Pelicans opt to defer the Lakers’ first-rounder they control until 2025.

Paul told ESPN that he’s still in the process of figuring out whose interest is real and whose isn’t as he considers potential workouts for Bronny.

Windhorst: LeBron Likely To Re-Sign

May 27th, 2024 at 7:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James is very likely to re-sign with the Lakers, Brian Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up program (video link). “The Sixers are a threat, but I don’t think a serious threat,” Windhorst said of the contender with the most money to spend this summer. Windhorst added he expects Philadelphia to make a run at James, who can opt out of his contract this summer.

Stein’s Latest: Redick, Cavaliers’ Coaching Search, M. Brown, Kleber

May 27th, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Arthur Hill

J.J. Redick has several assistants in mind if he becomes the Lakers‘ next head coach, sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link). The ESPN broadcaster is believed to be the frontrunner to land the job, and Stein cites this latest rumor as more evidence that L.A. is leaning toward hiring Redick.

According to Stein, Redick hopes to add Celtics assistant Sam Cassell and Pelicans assistant James Borrego, who both interviewed for the head coaching job and were described by The Athletic as “the initial leading targets” along with Redick two weeks ago.

Redick would also like to land Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley, who finished his career with the Lakers in 2021, Stein’s sources say. Dudley reportedly built strong relationships with LeBron James and Anthony Davis during that time.

Stein offers more inside information from around the league:

Terry Stotts is among the head coaching candidates being considered by the Cavaliers, according to Stein’s sources. If Cleveland plans to keep Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland together, it could be beneficial to hire Stotts, who was successful in Portland with a similar small backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson is considered to be the leading candidate to replace J.B. Bickerstaff, but Stein confirms that Borrego, former Cavs coaching consultant Dave Joerger and Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant are among the other names under consideration. Bryant previously worked with Mitchell in Utah. Atkinson has reportedly received endorsements from Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, whom he coached in Brooklyn.
Mike Brown’s salary demands and the Kings‘ lack of postseason success have led to a stalemate in extension talks, Stein adds. Both sides recently agreed to table negotiations on a new deal, which means Brown could enter next season as a lame-duck coach. He has a four-year contract, but the final season is a mutual option, which means he and the team would both have to opt in.
Stein hears that the Mavericks remain optimistic about a potential Maxi Kleber return if they reach the NBA Finals. The versatile big man has been sidelined since separating his right shoulder May 3 in the final game of the first-round series against the Clippers.

Clippers Among Teams With Interest In Chris Paul

May 27th, 2024 at 7:57am CST by Arthur Hill

A return to the Clippers is possible for Chris Paul this summer, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column.

Sources tell Stein that L.A. is among several teams that would be interested in the 39-year-old point guard if he becomes a free agent. Paul spent six years with the franchise and was one of the stars of the “Lob City” era.

Stein previously cited the Lakers and Spurs as potential landing spots for the 12-time All-Star. Paul told reporters last month that he doesn’t plan to retire after Golden State lost in the play-in tournament, and coach Steve Kerr expressed a desire to keep him, saying, “He’s still got good years left.” Paul prefers to stay close to his family in Los Angeles, Stein adds.

Stein cautions that reaching free agency will be the first step for Paul, who has a non-guaranteed $30MM salary for next season. He has an early salary guarantee date of June 28, so the Warriors have a little more than a month to decide whether he’s worth that investment. Stein points out that Golden State’s options include guaranteeing Paul’s salary and trading him to another team. The guarantee date could be extended, but that would require Paul’s consent.

Paul appeared in 58 games and made 18 starts this season after being traded twice last summer. He averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 26.4 minutes per night while shooting 44.1% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range.

Stein’s sources say another possibility for the Clippers is Kyle Lowry, who turned 38 in March. Lowry will be an unrestricted free agent after finishing the season with the Sixers, who signed him in February following a buyout with Charlotte.

The Clippers’ summer moves will be affected by Russell Westbrook‘s decision on a $4MM player option, Stein adds. The 35-year-old point guard, who has spent the past season and a half with the team, has until June 29 to determine whether he wants to opt out and test free agency.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Paul, Lakers, Beal Trade, Kamagate

May 26th, 2024 at 2:39pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers superstar LeBron James holds a $51.4MM player option for ’24/25. If he declines the option, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Appearing on TNT Sports’ altcast on truTV (Twitter video link), James’ agent Rich Paul stated that his client was a free agent this summer. When Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT pointed out what Paul said and followed up by asking if James plans to decline the option, Paul attempted to walk back the comment.

“Chris, you know I don’t do my business over the airwaves, man,” Paul said. “ … I don’t know what he’s gonna do. We’re gonna do what we do every year. We’re gonna evaluate the situation and we’re gonna make the best decision.”

If James does opt out, it would come as no surprise. The oldest player in the league remained incredibly productive, extending his own NBA record by making his 20th consecutive All-NBA team in 2023/24. The 39-year-old also had an excellent playoff series despite losing to the defending-champion Nuggets in five games, averaging 27.8 PPG, 8.8 APG, 6.8 RPG, 2.4 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .566/.385/.739 shooting in 40.8 MPG.

For what it’s worth, a recent report stated there’s been no indication James plans to leave L.A. even if he does decline the option. Becoming a free agent would give him the option of negotiating a no-trade clause on a new deal with the Lakers.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

In a fresh piece, Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the Lakers‘ offseason. After finishing with a 47-35 record and snagging the West’s No. 7 seed thanks to a play-in game victory, Los Angeles fell in five games to the Nuggets. The club quickly responded by firing head coach Darvin Ham after just two seasons. In addition to finding a replacement for Ham, the team will await the decisions of starters D’Angelo Russell and James with regard to their player options for 2024/25.
Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports lists five reasons why it’s too early to label the Suns‘ Bradley Beal trade a mistake. The capped-out club finished as the sixth seed in the West this season and was swept out of the first round of the playoffs. Beal, a three-time All-Star, appeared in just 53 regular season contests this season, averaging 18.2 PPG on .513/.430/.813 shooting splits, along with 5.0 APG, 4.4 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 0.5 BPG.
French center Ismael Kamagate, whose NBA rights are controlled by the Clippers, will stay on loan with Tortona in 2024/25, according to Sportando.

Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this report.

Lakers Notes: Coaching Search, Redick, LeBron, Bronny, Russell

May 24th, 2024 at 11:22pm CST by Luke Adams

After conducting an initial round of meetings with several head coaching candidates, the Lakers are expected to move onto the next stage of their search process before the end of the month, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday (Twitter video link). According to Charania, the team is expected to dig deeper into basketball discussions during those second meetings after getting to know the candidates in the initial interviews.

“They’re finishing up their first round of interviews this week,” Charania said. “Next week, I believe, they’re going to start their second phase in this process, getting more conversations with candidates — more, maybe, basketball-centric conversations. I think a lot of it (up until) now was surface level.”

Having previously described J.J. Redick as the presumptive favorite for the job, Charania reiterates that “everyone around the league” believes the ESPN analyst and former NBA sharpshooter is the frontrunner. According to Charania, Redick was the first candidate to get a face-to-face meeting with the Lakers, who talked to him for “an extended period of time” at last week’s draft combine in Chicago.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Agent Rich Paul previously told Charania that LeBron James isn’t pushing for his podcasting partner Redick to become the Lakers’ head coach. Speaking to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, LeBron’s agent went into more detail on that subject. “This is a Lakers decision. I always advise LeBron or anybody for that matter not to really position yourself in a manner of which you have a hand so strong in a decision that could come back to bite you down the road,” Paul said. “… I think for him being so good for so long, people just think he controls the team. There’s no controlling of the team. And J.J. is a friend. We respect J.J. I know LeBron and J.J. have the podcast. I did J.J.’s podcast. Me and J.J. talk hoops all the time. He does know hoops. But just because they have a podcast—the Lakers have to make a decision for now and later. And whatever that decision is, that’ll be an organizational decision. It’s as simple as that.”
Paul also reiterated a point he made earlier in the spring, telling Haynes that steering Bronny James to the Lakers so that he can play with his father isn’t a goal. “LeBron said he wanted to play with his son. Bronny can’t do anything about that,” said Paul, who represents both players. “And that’s nothing we should push back on. If he wants to play with his son, that’s that. But again, I have a job to do representing Bronny and LeBron. … If it aligns where he can play with his dad, great. Am I necessarily focused on that? No, not at all. I’m focused on a team-plan investment and a seriousness as it pertains to fit and opportunity.”
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report breaks down the potential paths for D’Angelo Russell and the Lakers this offseason, examining five different ways the offseason could play out for the veteran guard. Russell could pick up his player option to either stay in Los Angeles or to accommodate a trade, or he could decline that option, which would set him up to re-sign with L.A., leave in a sign-and-trade deal, or leave outright. According to Pincus, many people in the industry believe the Lakers want to upgrade their roster around LeBron, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves, which could mean Russell ends up elsewhere, whether that happens via free agency or trade.

Draft Notes: Bronny, Hawks, Sheppard, Thomas, Felton

May 24th, 2024 at 6:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns will hold a workout with Bronny James at some point before next month’s draft, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, James has received workout invitations from over 10 teams but is expected to visit only a handful of clubs, including Phoenix and the Lakers.

The Suns hold just one pick in the 2024 draft and it’s a first-rounder, at No. 22. Charania suggests that James is among the players in consideration with that pick, but Doug Haller of The Athletic is skeptical that Phoenix will use its first-rounder on Bronny, given that the team probably needs to turn that pick into a player who has a better chance of contributing immediately, whether that’s in the draft or on the trade market. The former USC guard is ranked 54th on ESPN’s big board of 2024 prospects.

Speaking to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, James’ agent Rich Paul stressed that his client won’t sign a two-way contract and expressed a belief that Bronny going as high as No. 22 isn’t out of the question.

“Bronny’s range has been all over. Some teams think he goes 20 to 40, some say 30-50, and some teams think he’ll go undrafted,” Paul said. “It just takes one team. This is something I do every year during the draft process. This is not Bronny-centric. He’s a part of our draft class. I have to try to help find the right fit for all my guys as well as the right deal. So that’s how I’m looking at it.”

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have updated their list of the top 100 prospects for the 2024 draft and shared new intel (Insider link) on their top 25 players. Among the notable tidbits from their latest update: Givony and Woo say that Zaccharie Risacher, Alexandre Sarr, and Donovan Clingan are among the players on the Hawks‘ short list at the top of the draft, with Clingan believed to have some fans within Atlanta’s front office. Givony adds that it’s hard to see Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard falling further than No. 5 in the draft.
After testing the draft waters this spring, former Northern Colorado forward Saint Thomas will transfer to USC and continue playing college ball, a source tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Thomas had a breakout junior year that saw him average 19.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game for the Bears across 32 starts.
East Carolina guard RJ Felton has withdrawn from the NBA draft pool as well, tweets Rothstein. Felton, who has spent the last three seasons with the Pirates, will remain at East Carolina for his senior year.