Buss, Johnson Tweet Support For Luke Walton
Lakers majority owner Jeanie Buss and team president Magic Johnson offered public support to coach Luke Walton today for the first time since last week’s disparaging comments from LaVar Ball, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Buss went first, tweeting a photo of herself with GM Rob Pelinka and Walton, accompanied by the hashtag #InLukeWeTrust.
Johnson followed with a pair of tweets, reading “So proud of my @Lakers players and Coach Walton for winning their 4th game in a row against the Mavericks” (Twitter link) and “Coach Luke Walton has the @Lakers playing some of their best basketball of the season right now.” (Twitter link)
L.A. has won four straight games since Ball, the father of rookie point guard Lonzo Ball, claimed Walton has lost the team and that players no longer support him.
Rumors emerged Friday that the Lakers might have interest in former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale. Sources told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that Buss was concerned about the situation and wanted to make her support for Walton clear.
“Jeanie has always been great,” Walton said. “There is no doubt that they support me. I haven’t seen the tweet, but again, I don’t have Twitter. But I know they support [me and the coaching staff].”
The front office tried to ignore LaVar Ball’s comments so it wouldn’t be seen as responding to the parent of a player. A Lakers source recently told Shelburne there’s “not even a conversation” about replacing Walton, who still has three seasons left on a five-year contract reportedly worth $25MM.
Magic Johnson Offers To Pay Tampering Fine Out Of His Salary
The Lakers received a significant fine last week for violating the NBA’s anti-tampering policy, and team president Magic Johnson wants that penalty taken out of his salary. As he tells Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times, Johnson doesn’t want Lakers owner – and his good friend – Jeanie Buss to be on the hook for that $500K.
“We can’t say a lot but we will correct the situation,” Johnson said on Monday, per Ganguli. “It’s under my watch. I apologize to Jeanie, and that was the main thing. I told her she could take it out of my salary because I don’t want the Lakers to be paying that fine. … I don’t want her spending $500,000, because she didn’t do anything. That’s on me.”
Technically, Johnson wasn’t directly responsible for the Lakers receiving that $500K fine — although the rookie president discussed Paul George during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this year, the Lakers only received a warning from the NBA for those comments. The league levied a penalty on the team after an investigation revealed that GM Rob Pelinka had expressed interest in George to agent Aaron Mintz — that expression of interest directly to an agent is prohibited when a player is under contract with another club.
Nonetheless, Johnson takes responsibility for the misstep, noting that it happened under his watch. The Lakers president insists that the club won’t repeat that mistake in the future.
“We’re going to have meetings about it next week,” Johnson said. “I’m gonna always care about the Laker brand, the Laker fans, so I apologize to them as well. The main thing is we’re going to move forward. We got 95% everything’s going great. This is the one thing that went bad. … This is something we can correct. Adam [Silver] is a great friend of mine. I’m glad he was able to do his job. Now I’m gonna do my job.”
Lakers Under Investigation For Tampering
2:21 PM: The Pacers have filed paperwork with the league claiming that the Lakers are guilty of tampering, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com, and the league will investigate the possibility of impermissible contact between Johnson and George.
Wojnarowski adds that the Lakers are denying the allegations and they expect to be cleared of any wrongdoing.
9:25 AM: The Pacers are expected to pursue tampering charges against the Lakers regarding Paul George, Peter Vecsey reports on his new pay site, Patreon.
An investigator for the NBA has contacted Lakers President Magic Johnson, GM Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss, according to Vecsey, asking for “any correspondence pertaining to” George, his agent Aaron Mintz and George’s parents.
The Indianapolis Star has reached out to the Pacers and the NBA for confirmation of the report, but neither has responded so far.
Mintz met with Pacers president Kevin Pritchard earlier this summer to inform him that George intended to opt out of his contract next year and planned to leave Indiana. A southern California native, George’s preference has long been rumored as signing with the Lakers. The Pacers found a soft trade market for George, with most of the league believing he is headed to L.A. next summer, and wound up dealing him to Oklahoma City in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
If the Pacers are alleging tampering, they must believe the Lakers had behind-the-scenes contact with the All-Star forward that influenced his plans. L.A. has been been focusing on short-term contracts and is clearly setting up its roster to maximize cap room for next summer, but the league would have have to find concrete evidence of improper contact with George or his representatives to impose any penalties against the team.
Lakers Notes: Johnson, Zubac, George
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss discussed the team’s roster with Magic Johnson prior to handing him the team president role. At the time, Johnson told her that he didn’t see a star on the roster, as she told Jesse Williams on the Open Run Podcast (h/t Anthony Irwin of SB Nation).
“I asked him who he would build the team around,” Buss said. “He thought about it for a second and he said, ‘I don’t know if you have the player yet… I would build the team around Luke.’”
Johnson joined Los Angeles’ front office back in February. Here’s more on his team:
- GM Rob Pelinka said that one of the Lakers‘ priorities this offseason will be to add a center who fits into today’s NBA, Serena Winters of Lakers Nation relays (Twitter links). Pelinka added that he views Ivica Zubac as “someone [the team] considers to be one of the pillars of the future.”
- Pelinka said character will be a major factor when evaluating possible additions this summer, Winters passes along on Twitter. “I think going forward we’re going to really put a lot of weight into the character of a player,” the GM said. “What kind of person is he?”
- Johnson will represent Los Angeles at next month’s lottery drawing, according to Mike Trudell of NBA.com. The Lakers have a 46.9% chance at landing a top-3 pick, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors details. They will owe the Sixers their first-round pick should it fall outside the top-3.
- It’s well known that Johnson is a fan of Paul George and the Lakers may pursue the small-forward either this summer or next. George reportedly hasn’t been quiet about his interest in the team.
Lakers Rumors: Young, World Peace, Kobe, Mozgov
Now that the Lakers have played their final regular season game of 2016/17, the first offseason in Rob Pelinka‘s tenure as general manager is underway. As Pelinka said earlier this week to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, it will be an interesting one in Los Angeles, since there are so many uncertainties surrounding the club, starting with whether or not it will keep its top-three-protected pick.
“There are a lot of uncertainties,” Pelinka said. “Do we have our draft pick in June, or do we not? What free agents do extensions? What free agents become true free agents? What players from other teams are teams going to think about trading? There are millions and millions of combinations. It’s almost like a Rubik’s Cube. If you’re trying to solve it, there are many different combinations and turns you could make to get to the end path. You have to really study that board hard and make all the right turns to get there, but there is likely more than one way to get to the end.”
As the Lakers mull their summer options, let’s round up a few more notes on the club…
- Although Nick Young remains undecided on his player option, he suggested today that he may prefer joining a playoff team rather than being one of the lone veterans on a young team, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. As Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News tweets, Young also joked that if the Lakers end up drafting Lonzo Ball, it might be too much for the team to have to deal with the “Ball family and Swaggy P talking crazy.”
- Speaking today to reporters, including Pincus (Twitter link), Metta World Peace said president of basketball operations Magic Johnson told him the Lakers probably won’t re-sign him this summer. World Peace said earlier this week that he hopes to play two more professional seasons, but he sounded less certain today about his plans going forward.
- After initially taking an inside look last month at the legal drama surrounding Jeanie Buss and her family, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com digs back into the story and updates her initial report with new information and quotes from Buss. Shelburne’s newest story on Lakers ownership includes a handful of interesting new tidbits, including one on how Jim Buss tried to offer Kobe Bryant shares in the franchise last year without realizing that the family trust didn’t allow for such a move.
- After being rested for several weeks to end the season, Timofey Mozgov isn’t yet sure what his role will look like next year, but he’s hopeful that he’ll start 2017/18 as L.A.’s starting center, per Medina.
Pacific Notes: Pelinka, Buss, Ulis, Bender
Rob Pelinka’s deal with the Lakers is for five years and it’s worth over $20MM, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (h/t RealGM). Los Angeles hired Pelinka to be the team’s GM last month. Windhorst adds that lucrative deals are becoming typical for high-ranking members of teams’ front offices.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- A judge ruled that Jeanie Buss will retain controlling ownership of the Lakers, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (ESPN Now Link). It was previously reported that Jim and Johnny Buss would try to take over control of the team.
- Tyler Ulis continues to impress in a starting role for the Suns, Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic writes. “I knew Tyler was pretty special quickly,” coach Earl Watson said. The rookie is averaging 14.8 points, 9.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest since becoming the starter in mid-March.
- Dragan Bender is back on the court after recovering ankle surgery and while his minutes are limited, the Suns like what they see, Bordow adds in the same piece. “He’s just a straight basketball player,” Watson said. “He goes out there, he just plays the game. He takes what the defense gives him.”
Lakers Notes: Silver, Buss Fallout, Upcoming Draft
NBA commissioner Adam Silver echoed the sentiments of Lakers fans, telling Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that he is “pleased that this matter [Buss family struggle for ownership] has been resolved.” Earlier today, Jeanie Buss and her brothers, Jim and Johnny, agreed that Jeanie would serve as controlling owner, and on the team’s board of directors as long as the family owns the franchise.
Silver continued, lauding Jeanie as a logical choice to lead the team.
“Jeanie is as knowledgeable and experienced as any owner in sports and the Lakers are in great hands,” said Silver (Twitter link).
More from the Lakers…
- Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times discussed the Lakers’ strategy now that Jeanie Buss has been confirmed as the team’s head of operations. “This is also where Jeanie Buss will first show her basketball grit,” Plaschke writes. “Is she willing to sign off on the trading of some of the recent high draft picks who everyone thought would be saviors? It’s clear that D’Angelo Russell would be better off elsewhere, and Julius Randle may have more value in a trade, and maybe even Brandon Ingram should not be safe.” Plaschke also wonders if Jeanie would pass on Lonzo Ball in the draft; an “obvious and popular choice,” in favor of Josh Jackson, Markelle Fultz, or De’Aaron Fox.
- Mark Heisler of the O.C. Register reflected on Shaquille O’Neal’s legacy- Shaq’s statue was unveiled last week- before musing on the Lakers’ future. While Magic Johnson seems to think highly of Lonzo Ball- attending his Sweet 16 loss over Shaq’s ceremony- Heisler wonders if Ball’s stock has been diminished in the tournament. Josh Jackson of Kansas, Heisler writes, may have become the consensus No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft with his March Madness performance. “Ball is hard to project, even aside from his defense, which everyone knows is a problem,” Heisler writes. “Gifted young playmaker that he is, a UCLA insider told me he had been trying to figure out how much of what made him great at that level would apply in the pros.”
Latest On Lakers’ Buss Family Legal Battle
Less than a month after reports indicated that Jeanie Buss had thwarted an attempt by her brothers to take over control of the Lakers, the team’s controlling owner won another victory that will ensure he holds her position atop the franchise’s hierarchy.
As Nathan Fenno of The Los Angeles Times reports, Jeanie Buss and her brothers, Jim and Johnny, have agreed for Jeanie to serve as the club’s controlling owner and head of the board of directors as long as the family owns the Lakers. As part of a legal agreement, Jim Buss – who had been involved in Lakers roster decisions up until he was displaced from that role last month – has agreed to resign as a co-trustee for the four trusts through which the Buss family owns 66% of the franchise.
[RELATED: Rob Pelinka discusses Lakers, GM role, free agency]
Jim Buss will continue to serve as one of the Lakers’ co-owners, but did not receive any sort of financial settlement in exchange for resigning as a co-trustee. Another Buss sibling, Janie, has replaced Jim in that role, joining Jeanie and Johnny Buss as co-trustees, per Fenno.
“Jeanie is captain of the ship,” Janie Buss told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “My sister is the one who finally played her aces. I’m just behind her. I’ve always been behind her. Now she can focus on where the Lakers need to go. … This is a new beginning for us as a team. Now we don’t need to worry about this family stuff. We can focus on the Lakers now.”
Jeanie Buss’s attorney, Adam Streisand, spoke to Fenno and conveyed a similar message regarding the Lakers’ controlling owner: “The message is clear here: Do not underestimate Jeanie Buss. There is not going to be a palace coup. Not now. Not ever.”
A court date had been set for May 15 when it appeared that the family would wage a legal battle, but now that an agreement has been reached, that court date has been scrapped.
Pacific Notes: Walton, Buss, Crawford
When Luke Walton shifted from his role as an assistant coach with the Warriors to head coach of the Lakers, an adjustment period was expected. ESPN’s Baxter Holmes recently profiled the transition that Walton has undergone in California, adjusting not only to a new routine and staff but an entirely new culture.
“Really, it shifts your entire life because your daily routine is so much different from the stress and the grind and the everything,” Walton told him as the Lakers look back on a 20-49 record, “I do my best to stay in the right frame of mind.”
Walton adds that there have been plenty of sleepless nights but remains optimistic about the young Lakers roster and about coaching in general.
“The job itself is still the same,” he says now amid the ongoing Lakers rebuild. “It’s rewarding. It’s exciting. Now we’re competing for different things there and here, but the competition level is right there from the daily practices to the games.”
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- In an effort to open up communication across all levels of the organization Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and new general manager Rob Pelinka have been meeting with players at practice. “It’s good for us being able to talk to them and pick their brains as well and having that open-door presence,” Jordan Clarkson told Mark Media of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- Current franchise president Jeanie Buss has asked her brothers for permanent assurances that they’ll vote for her to remain the controlling owner of the Lakers, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, as well as to remain on the board of directors.
- Veteran guard Jamal Crawford recently spoke with Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype about the trade rumors that popped up with his name in them prior to the trade deadline. “It was a little bit frustrating. You hate to hear it, and this time was a little bit different since I had just re-signed [with the Clippers on a three-year contract] this past summer. […] For me, I’m just glad it’s over with and we’re just moving forward.“
- The Warriors were left with a lack of depth after signing Kevin Durant in the offseason and Marcus Thompson II of the Mercury News speculates that Omri Casspi, Mario Chalmers and Jimmer Fredette could be options to help bolster the roster as the playoffs near. That, of course, begs the question of who the team would need to cut if they made an addition.
Lakers Notes: Walton, Old Trades, Draft Picks
There are a few areas that the Lakers will need to address as Rob Pelinka tackles his new role as general manager of the franchise, but head coach isn’t one of them. In fact, the presence of Luke Walton on the payroll could be an asset for the organization, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
“Everyone loves you,” Pelinka said to the Lakers coach at the press conference when his hiring was formally announced. “You have this genuine honesty and coolness about you that just makes every player in the league want you to be their coach.”
Walton spoke about his new boss’ support at practice, mentioning the benefits of knowing that the front office supports him. “It gives you the confidence to make the decisions you feel are best for the team,” Walton said.
There’s more from the Lakers:
- When Jeanie Buss opted to hand the keys to the Lakers over to Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka rather than her own brother Jim Buss and long-time general manager Mitch Kupchak, it showed that loyalty matters more than family, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report writes.
- Though reluctant to commit to a timeline, newly hired general manager Rob Pelinka insisted that the Lakers need to be aggressive in their rebuild and “get better talent for Luke Walton to coach,” Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News wrote in a separate piece.
- In a column published Friday, Mark Heisler of the Orange Country Register wonders if the Lakers forgot to tank. Heisler reminds readers that if the Lakers pick falls out of the top three this year, they lose it (on account of the Steve Nash trade) — otherwise they lose next year’s pick. Should they lose this year’s pick and retain next year’s pick, they would lose their 2019 first-round pick due to the Dwight Howard trade and the Ted Stepien rule. Check out the column for more details.