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L.A. Notes: Nance, Ball, Gallinari, Jordan

November 26th, 2017 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. has beaten the timetable for recovering from a broken bone in his left hand and is expected to return to the court Monday, according to Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. Nance was originally projected to be out four to six weeks after the November 2 injury, which affected his second metacarpal. Coach Luke Walton plans to insert him in the starting lineup right away.

“I think our rebounding’s gone down,” Walton said. “Just the versatility at that four spot, the way we like to play, him being able to defend multiple positions. Obviously he’s got some years in the league. For a young team that’s pretty valuable. Larry’s great at doing all the little things that help teams win that don’t get a lot of credit. And he’s got the ability and the skill to do the fancy things too.”

There’s more today out of Los Angeles:

The Lakers remain committed to keeping Lonzo Ball as their starting point guard despite the ups and downs of his rookie season, Ganguli writes in a separate story. Ball has notched two triple-doubles, but he hasn’t solved his shooting problems. At 31.5% from the field, his shooting percentage is the lowest among rookies playing at least 10 minutes per game. “The benefit is he gets the game experience,” Walton said of his decision to keep Ball in the starting lineup. “Whether it’s close games, it’s blowouts, it’s playing against top elite point guards that do different things.”
Injuries have decimated the Clippers during the first six weeks of the season, but coach Doc Rivers refuses to let any of his players return to the court until they’re fully ready, relays Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Starting forward Danilo Gallinari missed his ninth straight game Saturday with a strained glute. He has been traveling with the team on its five-game road trip, but still is not able to play. “Gallo is not coming back until he’s right,” Rivers said. “We’re not going to rush anybody back. I don’t care what situation you’re in. Not only is it going to make it worse, because then he’ll come back and get injured, or any of our guys. That’s one thing we’ll never do.” Patrick Beverley is already lost for the season after knee surgery and Milos Teodosic is expected to be out until after Christmas with a plantar fascia injury in his left foot.
The Clippers shouldn’t consider a maximum offer for center DeAndre Jordan if he opts out of his nearly $24.12MM salary for next season, writes ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. Jordan, 29, will be in the 35% max category and will be eligible for a deal worth about $205MM over five years. The Clippers could be aided by the market as few teams will be in position to offer a max deal and not many of them need centers.

Central Notes: Dunn, Wade, Joseph

November 24th, 2017 at 6:07pm CST by Austin Kent

Without much of an opportunity to show what he was capable of as a rookie, Kris Dunn‘s production with the Bulls in his sophomore season has been particularly intriguing. As Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders writes, Dunn has been given a larger role than he saw with the Timberwolves and that’s paying off on both sides of the ball.

Not only has Dunn’s playing time increased with the Bulls, his role in the offense has too. The guard is averaging three-times the field-goal attempts that he put up last season and his percentage has climbed with increased usage.

Davies also notes that Dunn’s presence has had a drastic impact on the Bulls’ defensive success. While the team struggles in general with their defense, the club allows 6.9 fewer points per possession when Dunn is on the floor.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers would consider moving Tristan Thompson for DeAndre Jordan if such an opportunity presented itself, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes in a question-and-answer with readers but the Cavs wouldn’t likely seriously pursue the Clippers big man unless they were convinced he was the missing piece necessary to take down Golden State.
Bench anchor Dwyane Wade is enjoying his time with the Cavaliers‘ second-unit, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. The 35-year-old has embraced the role of guiding the team’s attack off the pine.
The Pacers had long envied Cory Joseph before acquiring him this past offseason, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. “We’re very pleased with Cory. He’s always been a guy I’ve liked since he was playing in San Antonio and couple of years ago he had a real good series against us, played really well and was a big factor in the playoffs against us,” head coach Nate McMillan said, as the guard made his first appearance in Toronto following the deal.

Los Angeles Notes: Lopez, Nance, Ball, Jordan

November 22nd, 2017 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

As we heard multiple times throughout the offseason, Southern California native Brook Lopez was thrilled to be acquired by the Lakers in June, and Robin Lopez says his brother continues to enjoy the experience of playing for his hometown team. As Bill Oram of The Orange County Register details, Robin said this week that the Lakers were the “definition of the NBA” for him and his brother growing up, adding that Brook still hasn’t gotten over the fact that he’s the Lakers’ starting center.

“I know he’s definitely enamored with that aspect of it,” Robin said. “I don’t think it will ever fade with him.”

Here’s more out of Los Angeles:

Lakers:

When Larry Nance Jr. was diagnosed with a fractured hand in early November, the Lakers indicated that he big man would likely miss four to six weeks. However, Nance is ahead of schedule in his recovery and could be back on the court as soon as this coming Monday, according to Oram.
With a showdown against fellow rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox on tap for Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee takes an in-depth look at the enormous expectations placed upon this year’s second overall pick.

Clippers:

DeAndre Jordan‘s name “has been coming up in trade conversations,” with “multiple teams” talking about possible deals, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Based on Bontemps’ wording, it’s not clear whether the Clippers are entertaining those discussions, or whether potential suitors are simply discussing trade scenarios internally. If the Clips continue their losing ways, the team will probably have to consider the possibility of moving Jordan, who can become a free agent in 2018.
With the Clippers looking to snap a nine-game losing streak, a handful of NBA.com scribes, including Shaun Powell and John Schuhmann, explore what the team can do to turn things around.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will have a lot to think about over Thanksgiving weekend, as Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times outlines.
Earlier today, we passed along word that Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley underwent a surgical procedure on his knee and will be sidelined for a while.

Clippers Notes: Offseason Moves, Jordan, Redick

October 30th, 2017 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

When Chris Paul was set to leave the Clippers this offseason, letting Blake Griffin walk as well and bottoming out as part of a rebuild would have been one option for the club, but it wasn’t one that management seriously considered, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN. Without all their future draft picks in hand, the Clippers weren’t well positioned for a rebuild, and the idea went against owner Steve Ballmer‘s philosophy for the franchise.

“You consider all your options,” Ballmer said. “But I don’t want to lose. I like winning. Winning is good. Losing is bad. We think we have a unique opportunity to be a free-agent destination. If you want that, you have to be doing your best every year.”

Lowe’s deep dive into the Clippers includes several more noteworthy tidbits and is worth reading in full. Here are a few of the highlights:

DeAndre Jordan‘s future looms large for the Clippers, since he’s eligible for free agency next summer. According to Lowe, Los Angeles has explored trading Jordan, but the only time the team “gained semiserious traction” on anything was at the 2017 deadline. That proposed deal would have sent Jordan to the Rockets in exchange for Clint Capela, players, and picks.
The Clippers have discussed a possible contract extension with Jordan, but those talks have stalled for now, says Lowe. Jordan, who is currently negotiating without an agent, remains extension-eligible all the way up until June 30, but would be eligible for a bigger payday if he becomes a free agent next July.
Although the Clippers weren’t looking to part ways with Paul this offseason, they embraced the opportunity for a “fresh start” when he decided to leave. Players say the culture wasn’t as toxic as it may have seemed, but Doc Rivers acknowledges – without referring specifically to CP3 – “don’t want to be coached by you anymore.”
Rivers suggests that J.J. Redick was “begging to come back” to the Clippers as a free agent, a claim that Redick disputes. “There was never any indication from my agent that I wanted to go back,” Redick said to Lowe. “I didn’t beg to come back. I didn’t want to come back.”
Rivers also disputed reports that the Clippers could have traded Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford for Carmelo Anthony earlier this year, calling that idea a “complete joke.” However, Lowe suggests that Rivers may be playing a “game of semantics,” noting that such a package could have been viable if Crawford was sent to a third team instead of New York.

Pacific Notes: Green, Kings, Clippers

October 19th, 2017 at 7:48pm CST by Austin Kent

The results from Draymond Green‘s MRI have come back negative, Chris Haynes of ESPN writes. The Warriors forward injured his knee in Tuesday’s season opener, missing the entire fourth quarter.

While it’s likely Green misses time as a result of the injury that had him limping in the team’s first game, the good news for the Warriors is that there was no structural damage that would necessitate a longer absence.

In 76 games for the Warriors last season, Green averaged 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists. If Golden State is going to survive an even stronger Western Conference than last year’s they’ll need to do it at full health.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Kings won’t be a playoff team in 2017/18 but that doesn’t mean they can’t still be successful, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. With so many new faces on the roster, the club will be happy to develop their young players and see a true culture shift.
The Clippers are finally (mostly) healthy and head coach Doc Rivers is eager to see how they perform together under the spotlight of the regular season, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes.
According to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, the Clippers view Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan as Clippers for life. The recently promoted executive spoke extensively about his role with Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register.

And-Ones: Trade Predictions, Perkins, Extensions

October 15th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Austin Kent

In his latest predictions feature, Zach Lowe of ESPN speculates that a number of players will be put on the block this season if not officially traded. Since we already know that there’s at least some truth to the oddly specific guess that the Timberwolves would trade Cole Aldrich for Jared Dudley, perhaps we should take a closer look at some of the rest.

Among the other trade predictions that Lowe makes is one that has the Raptors seeking to shop big man Jonas Valanciunas. Considering that the traditional Lithuanian center has been the subject of speculation over the course of the past few seasons, this one seems like rather low hanging fruit.

Similarly, Lowe makes the thoroughly uncrazy prediction that Eric Bledsoe will be on the move. What bonus points Lowe doesn’t earn for predicting a Bledsoe trade, however, he does earn for earmarking the Nuggets and Clippers as possible interested suitors. Alas Denver, it’s worth noting, is already rather backloaded at the guard positions.

Other players that come up in Lowe’s column include the likes Dennis Schroder, DeAndre Jordan and Tobias Harris.

There’s more from around the league:

The NBA will name Michelle Johnson their new Senior Vice President and Head of Referee Operations, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. Johnson is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General.
The NBA coaching community could soon have another recent league veteran join its ranks. As Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype writes, Kendrick Perkins – who played 11 seasons in the NBA – believes he would have plenty of options to accept a role on the sidelines.
Only a few players from the 2014 NBA Draft class have landed sizable pay days and that’s for good reason, Mitch Lawrence of Forbes writes. Beyond players like Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, few have earned substantial rookie contract extensions. Only Marcus Smart, he writes, has been a notable contributor to an elite playoff team.

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Mason, Warren

October 6th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Austin Kent

The Clippers will rely more heavily on DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin than usual this season, the long-tenured frontcourt pairing will assume extra leadership duties in the wake of the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Rockets, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes.

“The roles absolutely changed out of necessity,” Griffin, who has already logged eight seasons with the Clippers, said. “Anytime you lose somebody like CP, everybody has to step up. I know DJ and I have talked about it all summer and we’re excited about that challenge.”

The forthcoming 2017/18 campaign will be a particularly important one for Jordan. This season, the center will become the longest tenured players in Clippers franchise history, having suited up in blue and red for 10 seasons. Jordan slides past former Clips guard Eric Piatkowski who played for the team from 1994-2003.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

He may not be the most talked about Kings rookie at the point guard position but Frank Mason is ready to produce in his first season in the NBA, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes. The 23-year-old played four seasons at Kansas and is ready to bring his fast, aggressive style of play to the next level.
According to Basketball Insiders, the base value of T.J. Warren‘s four-year contract extension with the Suns is worth $47MM (as opposed to the $50MM that was initially reported). The difference could be comprised of contract incentives, although that’s merely our speculation.
The Warriors‘ new arena in San Francisco is schedule to open in time for the 2019/20 season. The franchise has recently submitted a bid to hold an All-Star Game there, Chris Haynes and Marc Spears of ESPN write. Sources tell them that the earliest the bid could be for is the 2021 All-Star Game.

Clippers Discussing Extension With DeAndre Jordan

September 30th, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

DeAndre Jordan‘s extension talks with the Clippers haven’t reached the point of discussing numbers yet, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

The 29-year-old center will make $22.6MM this year, then has a player option for 2018/19 worth $24.1MM. Jordan is heading into his 10th NBA season, which makes him eligible for 8% annual raises next summer if he stays with the Clippers.

If he decides to opt out and re-sign with L.A., he could get more than $207MM over five years. If he goes to another team, he would be limited to four seasons with 5% annual increases.

“That’s what they’ve got to do, is talk about how we can get it done,” Jordan said. “If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be doing what’s for their best interest. But they know I’m looking for what’s best for me and my family. It’s cool. We’ve talked about it, but obviously nothing has happened yet. We’ll see where it goes.”

There’s no hurry to get a deal done, as the extension deadline isn’t until June 30, the day before free agency begins. Because he doesn’t have an agent, Jordan is handling his side of the negotiations.

“Obviously we want DJ and we want DJ to finish his career with the Clippers,” said president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “But there’s no news to report. That’s kind of where it’s at right now.”

Pacific Notes: Kings, Ball, Warriors, Jordan

August 14th, 2017 at 9:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The decision to remove DeMarcus Cousins from the equation has brought a sense of happiness and hope around the moribund Kings franchise, Nick Zappulla of RealGM opines. The pieces are now in place for a quick turnaround via the acquisition of Buddy Hield in the trade with the Pelicans along with four promising rookies taken in the draft, particularly floor leader De’Aaron Fox and forward Harry Giles, Zappulla continues. Big men Skal Labissiere and Willie Cauley-Stein showed progress once Cousins was removed from the picture and the club also brought in three veteran free agents to facilitate the development of the young players, Zappulla adds.

In other items regarding the Pacific Division:

The league’s television partners certainly have Lonzo Ball fever, as evidenced by the Lakers’ 35 nationally-televised games next season, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register notes. That’s the fifth-most national broadcasts among all teams despite the franchise coming off a 26-win season. Much of it can be attributed to lottery pick Ball, both for his passing skills and the hype-man routine of his father LaVar, Oram adds.
The Warriors’ center rotation is unlikely to change next season despite the presence of some promising young players at the back end, Anthony Slater of The Athletic opines. Zaza Pachulia will continue to start with JaVale McGee backing him up and David West getting minutes there at the start of second quarters, according to Slater. Damian Jones, who was inconsistent in summer-league play, or rookie Jordan Bell could force their way into the rotation at some point, Slater adds.
Center DeAndre Jordan realizes the Clippers won’t be the same team without Chris Paul, but expects point guard additions Patrick Beverley and Milos Teodosic to keep the franchise among the best in the West, Jovan Buha of ESPN.com reports. “Those guys are going to come in and play their style of basketball, and it’s going to be fun,” Jordan told Buha.

Los Angeles Notes: Rivers, Jordan, Lopez, Simon

June 28th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers is denying a report that an ongoing feud between his son, Austin, and Chris Paul led to Paul’s trade to Houston today, according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. In a series of tweets, Doc Rivers thanked Paul for his years of service and called his departure a “big loss” for the team. He also said there have been rumors floating around that Paul was clashing with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan as well as Austin Rivers.

“We’ve heard all the stories about Blake and DJ and Austin,” Doc Rivers said (Twitter link). “I can’t comment just on Austin because it’s just not right. We’ve heard he left because of all three today (Twitter link). There is a lot of speculation on why he left. The one thing I know is he didn’t leave because of any of those three guys (Twitter link). He left because he felt like he would have a better chance to win somewhere else.” (Twitter link)

There’s more today out of Los Angeles:

The Clippers may re-examine the idea of trading Jordan now that Paul is gone, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Jordan and Griffin are something of an awkward pairing with both preferring to play near the basket, and Lowe suggests that the problem will worsen without an elite point guard on the floor. L.A.’s front office took several calls about Jordan last week and may decide to move him if the organization is headed toward a rebuilding project. Jordan has a player option worth a little more than $24MM for 2018/19.
The Lakers‘ trade for Brook Lopez last week was about more than just cap relief, relays Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Lopez, who grew up in North Hollywood, was acquired from the Nets along with the 27th pick in the draft in exchange for D’Angelo Russell and the three years and $48MM left on Timofey Mozgov‘s contract. “A lot of those emotions turned into general excitement with this opportunity to come back home and chance to lead the franchise back to success,” Lopez said today as he met the L.A. media. “I want to be out there teaching the young guys and being a guy that [coach] Luke [Walton] can rely on and do whatever he asks.”
Despite talk that the Lakers will save their big free agency moves for next summer, new GM Rob Pelinka told Medina that he wants to contend right away (Twitter link). “We don’t see next year at all as a rebuilding year,” Pelinka said. “We see next year as a Lakers year.”
Miles Simon has been added to the Lakers‘ coaching staff, the team announced on its website. The Most Outstanding Player of the 1997 NCAA Tournament, Simon has recent coaching experience with USA Basketball, capturing gold medals at several junior levels.