Lebron James Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Rumors: Ball, Russell, Randle, LeBron

June 19th, 2017 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN’s Chad Ford reported earlier today that sources believe the Lakers moved “closer and closer” over the weekend to making Lonzo Ball their pick at No. 2, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report shares a similar sentiment in his latest column. According to Ding, the Lakers are “nearing a final decision” to use the second overall pick on Ball.

Team sources tell Ding that there are still some additional discussions and final planning that will take place before the Lakers are on the clock on Thursday, but Ball’s second pre-draft meeting with the club on Friday was a productive one. An “appreciation for Ball’s all-around upside” has emerged within the Lakers in recent weeks, according to Ding.

Here are a few more Lakers-related notes and rumors:

There are ongoing questions within the Lakers’ organization about how D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle take criticism, team sources tell Ding within the article linked above. Neither player advanced as far in 2016/17 as Luke Walton had hoped, according to Ding, who says Russell was “inconsistent with his professionalism” while Randle “often lost messages given to him if they were delivered harshly.”
Trading Jordan Clarkson for a current or future draft pick would make “a ton of sense” for the Lakers, given their desire to continue stockpiling assets and maintaining cap flexibility, says Ding. Clarkson is rumored to be on the trade block.
Ding also touches on the LeBron James rumors that have surfaced within the last week or two, citing sources who say that James’ wife would like to live in Los Angeles full-time. Multiple recent reports have suggested that LeBron opting out and joining one of the L.A. teams in 2018 is a possibility.
League sources tell Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link) that the Lakers have expressed no interest in trading the No. 2 overall pick at this juncture. We heard last week that L.A. was “taking and making calls” related to that selection, but it seems those calls may not be happening anymore.
Mark Medina of The Orange County Reigster spoke to former Gonzaga big man Zach Collins following his Monday workout with the Lakers, suggesting that Collins will likely only be on L.A.’s radar if the team makes a trade. We heard this morning that the Lakers may be trying to acquire a second lottery pick.

Pacific Notes: James, Collison, Labissiere

June 17th, 2017 at 9:23am CST by marksuleymanov

After LeBron James and the Cavaliers lost to the Warriors in the NBA Finals, talk of Akron, Ohio, native leaving Cleveland for a second time in free agency after next season has grown. Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical has mentioned on his podcast that King James is interested in heading out west to join either the Lakers of Clippers.

Joining either team presents a unique set of obstacles and Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus examined which team makes for sense for the three-time NBA champion. Suiting up for the Lakers seems more viable financially as Pincus notes the team can make a series of moves to come up with James’ $35.7 million maximum salary. Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov — if there’s no trade interest — could be waived and have their combined $69.5 MM salary stretched out over five years at $13.9 million per season.

The Clippers, however, would have a tougher time financially, especially if the team retains Chris Paul and Blake Griffin this offseason. Paul, Griffin, James, and DeAndre Jordan represent a fierce group of talent but to make that foursome work financially, everyone involved would likely need to agree to reduced salaries. Either way, James possibly leaving Cleveland will involve a lot of hurdles that could stall or fully prevent a move out west.

Here are some additional tidbits out of the Pacific Division:

Darren Collison is a free agent this offseason and the Kings‘ decisions in the NBA Draft with fifth and 10th overall picks will determine his future, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has been on five teams and demonstrated his capabilities of being a productive player but the Kings — who are looking for point guard help in the draft — may head in a different direction.
In a separate Sacramento Bee piece, Jason Jones believes that the Kings should not take Skal Labissiere‘s strong numbers last season as a guarantee that the team is set at power forward. If an upgrade presents itself in the draft, Jones recommends that Sacramento pursue all available options.

Woj’s Latest: Celtics, Griffin, CP3, LeBron, Snell

June 14th, 2017 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are expected to be the Clippers‘ biggest threat for Blake Griffin this summer, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who discussed 2017 free agency on a podcast with Bobby Marks. Wojnarowski suggests that Griffin and Gordon Hayward are expected to be the Celtics’ top two targets next month, adding that if Hayward leaves the Jazz, it would be a “tortured” decision.

As for the Clippers, Wojnarowski doesn’t see a scenario in which the club is able to bring back Griffin, Chris Paul, and J.J. Redick. And while Redick is probably the most likely of the three to change teams, Woj thinks there’s a “real chance” the Clippers would move on from from Paul if the two sides can’t come to a quick agreement when free agency begins. Wojnarowski names the Spurs, Heat, Lakers, and Rockets as teams that could get involved in the CP3 sweepstakes if the veteran point guard seriously considers leaving the Clips.

Here are some of the other highlights from Wojnarowski’s conversation with Marks:

The Cavaliers aren’t necessarily assuming it’s a given that LeBron James will re-sign with them in 2018. A move out west – possibly to the Lakers or Clippers – a year from now is “very much in play” for LeBron, according to Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski suggests that Tony Snell may be a popular restricted free agent this summer, since teams may feel like they can put pressure on the Bucks, who won’t want to approach tax territory. An annual salary in the $11-13MM range is within range for Snell, says Wojnarowski.
During a discussion of possible Nets RFA targets, Wojnarowski mentions Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and notes that the Pistons don’t really want to max him out. However, the idea of losing KCP for nothing would likely be even less appealing to Detroit.
While the Lakers haven’t necessarily made any decisions yet, they’re “looking hard” at Josh Jackson with the No. 2 pick. Wojnarowski observes that there are a lot of voices in the team’s front office, so Jackson has support from some execs.
Wojnarowski and Marks dismiss the idea that the Kings would trade the fifth and 10th overall picks to move up to No. 3 to nab a top point guard. However, they acknowledge that Sacramento packaging the No. 5 pick with something a little less valuable in order to trade up wouldn’t be unrealistic.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Griffin, Luxury Tax, Lue

June 10th, 2017 at 5:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James had opposition within his family when he decided to return to the Cavaliers in 2014, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. James shares the information in an episode of “Uninterrupted,” his web-based production, which was taped during All-Star weekend and posted Friday. Gloria James remained angry about a derisive letter written by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert when LeBron left Cleveland for Miami. “Some people was on the fence,” James explains. “Even my wife was like, I ain’t, my mom and my wife was like I ain’t with that. … I had to finally just be like, you know mom it ain’t even really about [the Gilbert letter]. For me, going back is more of this. It’s more of a bigger picture. It’s more of all these kids, all these people, that need inspiration and need a way to get out. And I believe I am that way out.”

There’s more today out of Cleveland:

If the Cavs wind up losing in the Finals, it won’t be easy to improve for next year’s run at the Warriors, according to Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The first decision will involve whether to re-sign GM David Griffin, whose contract runs out at the end of the month. Griffin was sought after by Orlando and Atlanta before they hired other candidates, as well as Milwaukee, which trimmed its GM search to three finalists this week. McMenamin and Windhorst talked to several anonymous sources to get player personnel advice, with suggestions including trading away Kevin Love and trying to acquire Paul George from the Pacers. Cleveland’s biggest obstacle in making any roster moves is its cap situation. The franchise paid $24MM in taxes this year and because of the repeater tax would be looking at a $38MM bill if they keep the same payroll next season. The salary commitment could be even higher if the team brings back free agent Kyle Korver, who the authors say can expect a deal similar to the $14MM per year that Jamal Crawford received last summer.
Coach Tyronn Lue deserves credit for not changing the team’s rotation or style of play in Game 4, notes Bud Shaw of Cleveland.com. After hearing public outcry to slow down the tempo, the Cavs responded with 49 points in the first quarter and 86 in the first half of a 137-116 win. That meant only two minutes for Derrick Williams, who will be a free agent this summer, and no playing time for Channing Frye, who has one year left on his deal at about $7.4MM.

And-Ones: James, 2003 Draft, Wanamaker

June 8th, 2017 at 11:03pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Many have compared Kevin Durant‘s decision to join Golden State to LeBron James‘ move to Miami back in 2010, but LBJ doesn’t see it as the same situation, as Steven Ruiz of USA Today relays.

“I don’t think our careers are the same, as far as changing teams,” James said. “Their team was already kind of put together. And you just implement a guy who’s ready to sacrifice – a great talent, a guy who’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win. But that team, they already knew what they were all about, and he just had to come in and do what he had to do. And that’s what he’s been doing.

“For me, when I left [Cleveland] to go to Miami, we had to build something. We brought in eight or nine guys, and we had to build something. And when I came back [to Cleveland] we had to build something again.”

Ten players were already on the Warriors roster when Durant arrived in town compared to just two—Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem—on the Heat when James came to South Beach.

Here’s more from around the league:

Former Cavaliers GM Jim Paxson admits that he made moves during the 2002/03 season with the 2003 draft in mind, as he tells Sam Smith of NBA.com. “That season before [in 2002] we traded Andre Miller to the Clippers because he was up for that rookie extension for Darius Miles and some parts,” Paxson recalled. “I told ownership even though there is no guarantee [for the top pick], we need to take one more step back because this [2003] draft is going to be special [Paxson said their draft order was LeBron, Carmelo and then Bosh]. Andre was good enough to keep us in the 27 to 31-win range, which would take you out of that top three to four picks. We tied with Denver [for the most lottery balls] when we won the last game of the season. Then we got lucky to get the No. 1.”
Paxson added that he knew right away he had to surround James with shooting, Smith passes along in the same piece. The Cavaliers took Jason Kapono in the second-round of the 2003 draft.
Dan Fegan denies any ties to the new Dynasty Sports Group agency that was founded by former ISE agent Aylton Tesch, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Daily. Tesch left ISE shortly after the company fired Fegan.
CSKA Moscow plans to pursue Brad Wanamaker, who played collegiate ball at the University of Pittsburgh before flourishing in Europe, in the event that Milos Teodosic leaves for the NBA, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link).

Community Shootaround: LeBron James’ Future

June 8th, 2017 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers are one game away from being swept by the Warriors, and Chris Mannix of The Vertical makes the case that Cleveland won’t have a legit chance to knock off Golden State anytime soon. In fact, Mannix suggests that if they hadn’t won last year’s Finals, the Cavs would likely be headed for a Buffalo Bills-esque run — good enough to come out of their conference, but not to win the championship.

With that in mind, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer explores the idea that LeBron’s second stint in Cleveland may not be permanent. James came back to the Cavs with a goal of bringing a title to Cleveland, and did so last year, meaning there likely wouldn’t be as much animosity if elected to take his talents elsewhere for a second time.

According to O’Connor, there are rumblings around the NBA about the possibility of LeBron heading out west when he becomes eligible to opt out of his contract in 2018. Multiple league sources that spoke to O’Connor suggests that Los Angeles is a potential destination for the reigning Finals MVP, with both the Lakers or Clippers as viable possibilities.

O’Connor lays out both of those hypothetical scenarios, writing that LeBron could theoretically team with Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Paul George for the Lakers, or with his “Banana Boat” friends – Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony – for the Clippers.

At this point, both of those outcomes seem like long shots. Either L.A. team would have to complete a series of challenging roster moves to put together the groups O’Connor mentions, and there’s certainly no guarantee that LeBron will leave Cleveland anyway when he has the opportunity to reach free agency next summer. Heading west also wouldn’t necessarily improve his chances of toppling the Warriors, since he’d be in their division rather than in another conference.

Still, with the Cavs on the verge of defeat in this year’s Finals, it’s an interesting subject of speculation. What do you think? Will LeBron finish his career with the Cavaliers, or do you expect to see him eventually change teams again? If he heads elsewhere, are the Lakers and Clippers the most likely landing spots?

Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!

Community Shootaround: Media Obligations

June 4th, 2017 at 11:04pm CST by Austin Kent

Displeased with how the media scheduling has been set up in the NBA Finals, LeBron James opted out of speaking at the podium after Game 2, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. James also chose to bypass the podium after practice on Saturday.

Per Vardon, James wasn’t happy having to wait for the Warriors to finish their own interviews before he could give his own following the Game 1 loss last Thursday. Instead, on Sunday, James opted to speak to the media in the team’s locker room as soon as he was available to do so.

This begs the question of whether James’ response is appropriate given the situation. We’d like to hear what readers have to say about it in the comments section below.

Should athletes like James, paid handsomely to serve as professional athletes (a role that comes with inherent media obligations) speak whenever they’re scheduled by the league’s media department? Or does James have a point here?

In contrast, should the league’s media department be more sensitive to the fact that frustrated players aren’t likely to be enthused by the thought of sitting around waiting just to answer questions?

Ultimately the majority of fans acknowledge the media commitments that come with playing in the NBA but perhaps there’s a compromise that would appease all parties.

Weigh in below!

Eastern Notes: Lopez, Thompson, LeBron, Bucks

May 30th, 2017 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have a combined 41-123 record over the last two seasons, but Brook Lopez remains optimistic about the franchise’s direction, and doesn’t seem eager to go anywhere, despite the trade rumors that have consistently swirled around him as the club has struggled. As Randolph B. Leongson of Inquirer.net details, Lopez believes there’s “a lot of positivity” in Brooklyn as the team builds a new foundation.

“Moving forward, I’m just all-in, trying to do all I can to help my team be successful,” Lopez said. “We’ve got a great group of guys who really have that team-first attitude and we really believe that we can do something special as long as we put the effort out and we put the work in.”

Here are a few more items from around the Eastern Conference:

Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson is by no means a prolific scorer, but he has developed into a key rotation piece for the club due to his ability to rebounding and defensive ability, as well as his high motor. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com takes a closer look at Thompson, providing a handful of interesting tidbits on the big man’s history with the Cavs, who considered taking Jonas Valanciunas over him in 2011.
LeBron James will be the subject of countless Michael Jordan comparisons by the time he retires, and those comparisons may eventually extend to endeavors beyond his playing career. As Ken Berger of Bleacher Report writes, the Cavaliers star has interested in being part of an NBA team ownership group down the road. Jordan, of course, is currently the principal owner of the Hornets.
Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder, who played professional ball in Germany before arriving in Atlanta, believes current Brose Bamberg big man Daniel Theis is capable of making the leap to the NBA — preferably to Atlanta. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando has the details, providing an English translation of a German report.
Jabari Parker is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, but it would make sense for the Bucks to table contract talks until the summer of 2018, after the former No. 2 pick has recovered from his latest ACL injury, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Durant, Lue, Blatt

May 28th, 2017 at 10:48pm CST by marksuleymanov

Kevin Durant, much like any other young player, sought out LeBron James for advice in the early part of his career. Now, both men will now face each for a second time in the NBA Finals starting next week when the Cavaliers and Warriors begin their series. Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that James is fully prepared to take on Durant and company.

Recalling his past days and workouts with Durant, James understands that the former NBA Most Valuable Player is one of the elite talents in the game.

“I think it reaches a point where that guy thinks he’s good enough where he doesn’t want to talk to me,” James said to reporters, including Ridneour after practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts on Saturday. “I always have an open-door policy. When those guys get comfortable and they feel like they got enough of the blueprint, they’re like, ‘OK, I got enough, I’m done with you.’ ”

Durant made headlines this past offseason when he departed Oklahoma City to create a super team in Golden State. Durant joined Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, forming a foursome of talent that is four wins away from capturing a championship.

“He’s one of the most dangerous guys we have in the world already,” James said. “So it makes it even more dangerous when you equip that talent, that skill, with those guys.”

The series kicks off on Thursday evening in Oakland as the Warriors host the Cavaliers for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Cavaliers are also just four wins away from a title, which would mean back-to-back championships for Cleveland. George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that coach Tyronn Lue‘s demeanor has helped the team in its chase for gold.“I just think it’s just his level of calmness no matter what’s going on,” James said. “He always talks about, at the end of the day, he’s already won in life so whatever else happens after this is extra credit.”
Former Cavaliers coach David Blatt has reportedly left his role as head coach of Darussafaka Dogus in Turkey but is drawing interest from other EuroLeague teams, according to Sportando. Maccabi Tel Aviv — where Blatt has already coached — and Barcelona were reportedly in Istanbul to discuss their coaching vacancies. Blatt led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2014/15 but was fired midway through last season in favor of Lue.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Korver, Williams, Love

May 27th, 2017 at 10:48am CST by marksuleymanov

While returning to the NBA Finals is a thrill for LeBron James, the Cavaliers superstar is thrilled Kyle Korver and Deron Williams will get to experience the big stage for the first time, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes.

The Cavaliers wrapped up the Eastern Conference Finals with a 135-102 blowout win over the Celtics on Thursday, setting the stage for a third consecutive Cavaliers vs. Warriors NBA Finals matchup. This third installment will feature new faces as Warriors’ All-Star Kevin Durant tries to secure his first title. However, it’s the decade-plus veterans in Cleveland who are getting their first crack at the gold — which excites James.

“I think the first thing for me was seeing the excitement on Kyle [Korver’s] and Deron [Williams’] face,” James, who will appear in his seventh consecutive NBA Finals, said. “You’ve got one guy with 12 years, first Finals appearance, and another guy 14 [years]. So that’s the first thing I picked. And just to see the excitement around my teammates — I do it for them, and they give it back to me as well.”

The Cavaliers struggled after acquiring Korver in January and issues with their backup point guards forced the team to acquire Williams. Now, the team and its reinforcements are four wins from bringing a second consecutive NBA title to Cleveland.

Here are some additional tidbits surrounding the Cavaliers:

In a separate piece, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reveals that Cavaliers forward Kevin Love refused to join James for a dual media session after the team’s Game 5. Despite the duo appearing simultaneously after previous contests, Love explained that James deserved to have the spotlight on just him after the team secured its third straight Finals appearance.”I just told [communications director] Tad [Carper] I wouldn’t share a podium with him because tonight is a night where he deserves to be on his own,” Love said.
Former NBA champion and Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer appeared on The Rematch Podcast with Etan Thomas recently and explained why he prefers James over Michael Jordan. While Laimbeer and the Pistons engaged in several wars with the Jordan-led Bulls decades ago, he feels James’ skills supersede the Chicago legend. “LeBron can do anything. Michael couldn’t get all the rebounds. He couldn’t be the assist man like LeBron James can,” Laimbeer said (via USA Today). “He was very focused on scoring, a deadly assassin, but the rest of the part of his game, LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan.”