Buss Says Lakers Want To Make ‘Splash’ In 2014
Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss told Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register the team has intentionally designed most of its contracts to end in 2014, when Kobe Bryant's deal is also up and LeBron James and other stars can become free agents. Ding's report adds further credence to Brian Windhorst's ESPN.com story that quotes a general manager from an unidentified team as saying "It's not a mistake" the Lakers' deals all end at the same time. The plan, Buss said, is to "make a big splash in the free agent market."
"We would basically, money-wise, be able to sign the top free agent – maybe even two," he said. "I don't know the numbers exactly, because we're not privy to what the cap is and how much room we have, but it's going to be close to two of the top free agents that year."
The only contract the Lakers have that extends past 2014 belongs to Steve Nash, who'll make $9.7MM in 2014/15. They envision having Dwight Howard around, too, as Ding points out, and if he's on a maximum deal he'd be making more than $22.5MM that season. That would mean a tight squeeze for two more maximum-salary players, but would certainly leave enough room for one.
Ding says if James opts in with the Heat for 2014/15, the Lakers could try to convince Bryant to play one more season and go after James again in 2015. There could also be other options in 2014 if James is unavailable, as Ding lists Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki and John Wall among the possibilties, though none seem quite as attractive as James. For a full list of 2014 free agents, check out our list here.
Getting the vast majority of the team's contracts off the books after 2014 could also save the Lakers plenty in luxury tax that they'd have to pay if they brought everyone back, especially since 2014 is when more dire penalties for taxpaying teams kick in under the new CBA. While it's conceivable the team could once more go over the tax threshold with a new group, they'd likely have to get under the cap to bring aboard James or another maximum-salary player, making it difficult to immediately become a taxpayer again.
Heat Rumors: LeBron, Lewis, Chalmers, Blatche
A report by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com suggesting the Lakers could go after LeBron James in 2014 went out like something of a hurricane watch for South Florida today, and Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com adds to Miami's anxiety, tweeting that the Bulls, too, would go after King James when he comes available. Of course, it makes sense that plenty of teams covet the three-time MVP, and Friedell believes the Bulls rank below the Heat and Lakers on LeBron's wishlist (Twitter link). While the threat that he might leave someday is indeed present, LeBron remains under contract with the Heat for at least two more seasons. As Miami focuses on the present, here are the latest Heat-related rumblings:
- James denied knowledge of Windhorst's story earlier today, responding, "What story? The Marvel Comics story?" when asked about it by reporters, including Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
- Winderman argues that, given Rashard Lewis' minimum-salary contract, any contribution the team gets from him this season should be seen as gravy for a team that already had a successful offseason with the signing of Ray Allen.
- In the same piece, Winderman also suggests Mario Chalmers could become a trade candidate if fellow point guards Norris Cole and Garrett Temple impress.
- The Heat kicked the tires on Andray Blatche this summer, but despite his emergence as the league's fourth leading scorer in the preseason at 17.0 points per game for the Nets, Winderman doesn't believe Miami is missing out, since Blatche would likely have been glued to the Heat bench.
- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Dwyane Wade is ahead of schedule as he recovers from offseason knee surgery, Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida reports (Sulia link). The last we heard, Wade was hoping to be ready for opening night.
NBA Execs Looking Ahead To Post-Kobe Lakers
While the Lakers' payroll hovers around the $100MM mark this season and could potentially be even higher next year, the team doesn't have much long-term salary on its books. Kobe Bryant's contract ends in the summer of 2014, along with many of the other major Lakers deals. At the moment, Steve Nash is the only player the Lakers have under contract for 2014/15, at $9.7MM. Considering Kobe has talked about retiring after his current contract expires, opposing executives looking to the summer of '14 believe L.A. has big plans in store, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
"It's not a mistake that all those deals end the same year Kobe's does. They have probably been planning for their next phase for a while," one general manager told Windhorst. "The Busses and [Lakers GM] Mitch [Kupchak] are always thinking about the next big deal."
According to Windhorst, many executives around the NBA think LeBron James could be the Lakers' top target in 2014 if Bryant is really ready to retire. James is under contract through 2016, but has an opt-out clause that he's expected to exercise in 2014, even if he wants to remain with the Heat.
"LeBron is the best player in the league and he's making less than the max, so unless he's seriously hurt he's going to opt out in 2014, if only because I would assume he wants and deserves to get a true max," said one league executive. "Even if the Heat win the next two titles there's a feeling that LeBron is going to become a free agent in two years no matter what."
We're still nearly two years away from 2014's free agency period, so it's far too early to start seriously speculating about which players will land with which teams. However, as Windhorst writes, rival executives looking at long-term plans for their respective franchises are expecting the Lakers to be a significant threat in the summer of '14.
Odds & Ends: James, Pacers, Odom, Evans
Here's some general news and notes from around the league.
- Despite switching to an agent who holds an office in Cleveland, LeBron James recently told the media that the move does not mean anything significant regarding his opt-out clause after the 2014 season, writes the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman.
- IndyStar.com's Bob Kravitz writes that Pacers head coach Frank Vogel has already established himself as one of the most respected coaches in the league.
- The Kings are now saying they never placed Tyreke Evans on the trading block, writes the Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones.
- Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy wonders if Lamar Odom can revitalize his career now that he's with the Clippers.
- SherdianHoops.com's Tommy Dee takes a look at some training camp invites who could realistically make their respective teams.
- Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune believes that young players on the Jazz have taken care of their respective weaknesses in the offseason, and that the team's core should be greatly improved heading into the months ahead.
- Blake Griffin is using last season's playoff loss as extra motivation, writes Hoopsworld.com's Lang Greene.
- David Mayo of MLive.com writes that the Pistons are hoping their young pieces can soon grow together into a special unit.
Odds & Ends: Tolliver, Rubio, Knicks
Anthony Tolliver has been working out with several Timberwolves players, namely Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) looks at it as a sign that Tolliver "badly" wants to remain in Minnesota next year. In another tweet, Zgoda caught Nikola Pekovic's thoughts regarding Ricky Rubio, saying that while the Spanish point guard looks good and hopes to be running again next week, he is still aiming for a return in December. We've had quite a bit of updates tonight, so be sure to check out the newest tidbits from around the league here..
- Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets that Trail Blazers guard Elliot Williams is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a ruptured achilles tendon.
- Justin Verrier of ESPN talks about Chris Bosh's willingness to continue playing center after contributing to a successful title run at that position with the Heat.
- Free agent Maurice Evans remains confident in the leadership ability he can bring to a team, says Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Although a source suggested that the Wizards offered him a position in their front office, Evans says that he believes he still has value as a player.
- ESPN's Chris Broussard writes that Hakeem Olajuwon is slated to visit with the Knicks for several days next week to continue working out with Amare Stoudemire in addition to helping Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Marcus Camby. On another matter, Tracy McGrady's health looked "good" during his workout with the team (Ian Begley of ESPN New York tweets).
- According to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, Dwight Howard's rehab is going well, although he won't be ready for the start of training camp or the start of pre-season. Earlier, Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register reported (via Twitter) that the Lakers were expected to make an announcement today regarding an update of Howard's recovery from back surgery.
Latest On LeBron’s Agency Change
As we passed along last night, LeBron James has decided to leave the Creative Artists Agency and join a newly-formed agency led by childhood friend Rich Paul. Eric Freeman of Yahoo! Sports' Ball Don't Lie blog rightly points out that the move won't have a huge effect on LeBron's next contract — he'll get maximum-salary offers no matter who is representing him. However, as Freeman notes, James had been CAA's most prominent NBA client, and if other players follow him away from the agency, the agency's considerable power in the Association could begin to dwindle.
A handful of reporters have added a few more details to the story, so let's round up a few notes from Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com….
- Paul's new agency will be called the Klutch Sports Group, and he is expected to take some of his clients with him to the new Cleveland-based firm. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Tristan Thompson, Eric Bledsoe, and Cory Joseph are among Paul's clients.
- LeBron leaves CAA on good terms, with no hard feelings — the move isn't seen as a breakup, but more as a partnership with Paul, who is already involved in LeBron's marketing through the LRMR marketing group.
- Chris Paul is a CAA client, but is good friends with LeBron and Rich Paul. It's not clear whether he'll consider joining the Klutch group with his free agency a year away.
- LeBron's change of agents wasn't influenced by his 2014 opt-out clause, and shouldn't be interpreted as an indication that he plans to opt out.
LeBron James Leaving CAA
LeBron James is reportedly leaving his agency, CAA, according to a tweet from sportsbusinessjournal.com's Liz Mullen. James will now be represented by childhood friend Rich Paul. He began his career with Aaron Goodwin before signing with Leon Rose in 2005. Rose's agency was purchased by CAA in 2007, and James has been with them ever since.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman notes that James is capable of opting out of his current deal in the 2014 offseason, and a new agency would only collect money if new deal is agreed upon. (Sulia link)
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Charles Oakley, Drew Viney
Today will forever be remembered for Dwight Howard breaking his self-imposed Twitter ban after 127 days. Howard didn't have anything groundbreaking to offer in his first tweet as he merely reminded the rest of the world why living in Los Angeles is hardly a bad thing. Let's take a look at the latest news and stories making headlines from around the league…
- Before Howard made his return to Twitter this morning, LeBron James was up early conducting an impromptu question-and-answer session with his fans, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Topics ranged from James' receding hairline to his love for Ohio State and Florida State football. Winderman believes James hasn't yet adjusted to being back in the United States after spending time in London as well as China.
- Retired big man Charles Oakley says the Magic failed to put Howard in "time-out" and let the young superstar dictate his own future, according to Matt Moore of Pro Basketball Talk. "A lot of guys cry in this league these days. I try not to get caught up in that. The management in Orlando let him get away with it. Most times, they put kids in timeout. They never put him in timeout. He just kept crying and got his way. Now he’s in LA with Kobe so they got a chance to win a couple championships in the next two or three years."
- Heat summer league prospect Drew Viney has signed with Asseco Prokom in Poland according to Euroleague.net, tweets Winderman. The former Loyola Marymount star enjoyed a strong summer with Miami as he averaged 9.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG in four contests.
Odds & Ends: Harden, Hornets, James, Olympics
Sad news today as former NBA Deputy Commissioner and Players Association executive director Simon Gourdine passed away at the age of 72. As deputy commissioner in 1976, Gourdine was instrumental in helping to facilitate the merger of the NBA and ABA, which brought the Nets, Pacers, Spurs, and Nuggets over to the Association. Here's more from around the league on this Sunday evening..
- If Eric Gordon is a max player, and Brook Lopez is a max player, reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden is certainly a max player, opines Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops. After signing Serge Ibaka to a four-year, $48MM contract extension, the Thunder will have to get creative if they hope to hang on to Harden. Of course, Oklahoma City may opt to trade the super sub to avoid the possibility of having to match a lucrative backloaded offer sheet down the line.
- The Hornets have gone to great lengths to revamp their club this summer and Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com runs down the newest additions to the hive. Eichenhofer notes that the recently-acquired Hakim Warrick may have to shift from power forward to small forward in order to see time in New Orleans.
- It may be four years away, but LeBron James already says that he hopes to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, according to the Associated Press. James joked that he has "done the math" and is well aware that he will be 31-years-old during those games. Of course, James could only play if there isn't an under-23 age limit applied for USA Basketball starting in 2016.
Schmitt Boyer On Cavs’ Payroll, Picks
The Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer has a new mailbag column, touching on several issues relating to the Cavs.
- Schmitt Boyer looks at the Cavs' payroll in the last four years of the LeBron James era, examining the validity of Dan Gilbert's willingness to spend money.
- She does not know whether the Cavs will delay their option to swap first-round picks with the Miami Heat. This right was acquired in the trade for James in 2010.