Lakers Rumors: D’Antoni, Gasol, Jackson
The latest out of Los Angeles..
- The Lakers lost 131-102 to the Thunder last night, but bigger problems are looming for L.A., writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Kobe Bryant reportedly isn’t wild about coach Mike D’Antoni, but the Lakers are reluctant to part ways for a number of reasons. First, they think he’s a capable coach and they don’t want to be known as a franchise without coach stability. Perhaps more importantly, the club doesn’t want to pay him $4MM to not coach them after making a similar move with Mike Brown. In another interesting wrinkle, many of the club’s younger players enjoy playing in D’Antoni’s offense because their inflated scoring totals give them more value as they look ahead to their next contract.
- Pau Gasol supports Kobe’s open criticism of the Lakers, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “I’m glad that he spoke his mind,” Gasol said. “He wants to win. He’s got two years under contract with the franchise. He wants to be in the best possible position to win. Whether you do that publicly or internally, that’s totally up to you. He spoke his mind and you have to respect him for that.” The big man reportedly isn’t a fan of D’Antoni’s either.
- On Wednesday, both Kobe and Magic Johnson made public pleas to Lakers management to hire Phil Jackson, but a Lakers source tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that team VP Jim Buss has little interest in bringing back the Hall of Fame coach.
Western Notes: Lakers, Faried, Butler, Ledo
After Kobe Bryant‘s news conference on Wednesday, the Lakers may have to abandon any strategy not aimed at an immediate turnaround, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. Pincus has an intricate plan in mind for the purple-and-gold that entails trading their 2014 first rounder for Kevin Love, waiving Steve Nash, re-signing Pau Gasol and much more, all designed at arming the aging Bryant with running mates capable of staging one last run at a title.
Let’s take a look at what is going on elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried is happy that the trade speculation is behind him, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Faried is having an impressive March, scoring 21.1 points per game and grabbing 10.1 rebounds on 64.5% shooting from the field. Teammate Ty Lawson also believes that the trade talk was hurting his play somewhat, noting that he has been more aggressive since the trade deadline came and went.
- Thunder trainer Joe Sharpe had a lot to do with Caron Butler‘s decision to sign with Oklahoma City this season, Jeff Caplan of NBA.com writes. Sharpe held a similar position at UConn when Butler was there.
- While we pointed out a pair of D-League success stories earlier tonight, Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram opines (via Twitter) that Ricky Ledo may have become a high lottery pick with the proper collegiate seasoning. Ledo, who has bounced between the Mavericks and the Texas Legends in his rookie season, attended Providence College though he never played for the Friars. He was selected 43rd overall by the Bucks last June.
Western Notes: Mavs, Lakers, Presti
It doesn’t matter whether the Mavericks go one-and-done, miss the playoffs or end up in the conference finals, the offseason game plan is the same, writes Eddie Sefko of Dallas Morning News. He says they are going to figure out a way to use the $34MM dollars of cap space they anticipate having to try and add a premier small forward and/or center. Sefko floats the possibility of Luol Deng and Marcin Gortat being their prime free-agent targets. The article also mentions that the deeper the team goes in the playoffs, the more appealing they will become to any free agent, including LeBron James, though Sefko admits that landing LeBron is a long shot at best.
Here’s some more from out west:
- With the news from earlier that Kobe Bryant wants Mike D’Antoni gone, it seems that he’s not the only Lakers player that would feel that way, tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. He mentions that Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill would also like to see a new coach next season.
- Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times supports Bryant calling out Lakers management. He hopes the star player’s comments bring about the needed changes in the organization. Plaschke also thinks that it’s a good thing for the team that Kobe is done for the year as it will help them secure a higher lottery pick. The article also questions the decision to re-sign Bryant when they did. Plaschke believes that Bryant would have signed for less now in order to free up cap space to help the team sign players to make a run during his final years.
- Thunder GM Sam Presti shared his thoughts on tanking with Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Presti said, “Oddly enough, I think it’s a narrative that was created to tweak the league office, and they are showing to be quite reflexive to it. I’m actually a bit surprised they have fed into it and devoted so much public energy to it given the lack of evidence. The records of the teams in the bottom four of the league are in line with those over the last 20 seasons. If anything, they are actually slightly above those averages. I’m missing the epidemic on this, really. I would hope we’d focus our attention on a lot of the great things our players are ding and that the league has in place now.“
Los Angeles Notes: Bazemore, Jackson, Gasol
Kent Bazemore played sparingly during his stint on the Warriors, averaging 4.4 MPG as a rookie in 2012/13 and 6.1 MPG in 44 games this season. After being dealt to the Lakers a few weeks ago, the 24-year-old guard is now seeing 29.8 MPG and has made quite an impression thus far. With 14.6 PPG on 45.9% shooting overall and 40.4% from long distance over his last 10 games, Bazemore may not only resemble a potential piece for L.A.’s future, but a possible free agency target for other teams as well.
With that being said, Bazemore wants to remain with the Lakers long-term, and his camp is confident that if he continues to play as he has so far for the team, L.A. will tender a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent this summer, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com.
Here’s more out of Los Angeles this evening:
- Phil Jackson has been recently linked to a few front office opportunities around the league, and despite his lack of experience as an executive, the Lakers – with a dire need for stability and direction – can ill afford to let him get away again, opines Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
- Though Pau Gasol‘s frustration for most of this season implies an infinitesimal chance that he re-ups with the purple and gold beyond this year, it could still be mutually beneficial for Gasol and the team if he were to return, explains Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. One idea involves re-signing the Spanish big man to a gargantuan one-year deal for next season, which would allow L.A. to eventually clear Gasol and Steve Nash‘s contracts at the same time and thus have ample cap space for 2015.
- In the above piece, Bucher also shares a list of players who Kobe Bryant said he envisions returning after this season, including Jordan Hill, Chris Kaman, Jordan Farmar, and Wesley Johnson.
- During a recent interview with Kustoo.com, Bryant admitted that he has been frustrated with the slow recovery process from his knee injury (hat tip to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times): “It’s progressing slowly. It really tests my patience…There’s only so much you can do, so I find myself relegated to riding the bike.”
- Former Clippers swingman Sasha Vujacic has signed on with basketball agency Interperformances, according to Sportando (Twitter link).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: Gasol, Bledsoe, Lakers, Gay
As expected, Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe tells Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic that he will likely return to the court this Wednesday (Twitter link). How well Bledsoe plays following a two month absence will impact both the Suns hopes for the playoffs as well as what kind of offers he will field during restricted free agency this summer. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Rudy Gay has been having the best stretch of his career with the Kings, but it’s a bittersweet accomplishment considering he’s doing it for a losing team in Sacramento. For the second season in a row, Gay has been traded from a playoff team to a non-contender, and he spoke with reporters including James Herbert of SB Nation about being moved from the Raptors, only to see them turn around and contend for the Eastern Conference’s third seed. “They’re a playoff team,” Gay said. “Of course I’d like to be a part of that. I’m in Sacramento now and I have to build this team. We don’t know if that would have happened if I were there, too. It happened early in the season. Nobody knows.”
- Prior to Thursday night’s games against the Clippers game on TNT, Kobe Bryant told Ric Bucher he believes there’s an 80% chance Pau Gasol will return to the Lakers next season, per a broadcast transcription from Matthew Moreno of Lakers Nation. (H/T Serena Winters)
- In a series of tweets, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com laments the fact that Phil Jackson is likely headed to the Knicks instead of becoming a more influential part of the Lakers. The legendary coach was spurned by the Lakers in favor of Mike D’Antoni early last season, and it appears the complicated relationship he has with the Buss family will ultimately prevent a front office reunion.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Draft, Farmar
The Lakers lost eight of their 12 contests in February, but they ended the month on a good note by beating the Kings in a close game last night. As the club looks to move forward and make progress in March, let’s round up the latest news out of Los Angeles:
- Pau Gasol writes on his personal blog that while he’s open to re-signing with the Lakers, loyalty and salary–two things in Los Angeles’s favor–will take a back seat to a chance to win as he seeks a team in free agency this summer. “My franchise has the chance of offering me more money and a longer contract, but that’s not all that’s going to matter as far as my decision,” writes Gasol. “Honestly I’m not ruling out renewing my contract, I’m just open to every option… I want to be in a team with a real chance of winning a ring and where I can help to compete for it. I would like to win another championship. The financial side comes second at this stage of my career.” (translation via HoopsHype.)
- Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times takes a look at the Lakers’ draft odds. If they finished with the fourth-worst record, for which they’re currently tied with the Celtics, they would have a reasonable shot at the first overall pick. But the storied franchise isn’t proud of losing so much this year, and team employees tell Bresnahan that the silver lining of a top draft pick would be tempered by worries of a bust. You can see how the Lakers’ odds are faring with our reverse standings.
- Jordan Farmar scored a career-high 30 points last night, which is quite the turnaround for the 27-year-old. After six productive seasons in the league, Farmar spent last year in Turkey and much of this campaign recovering from a torn hamstring. He’s finally back to playing NBA basketball, and tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he isn’t concerned whether he remains a bench player or receives an increased role: “I don’t care. I don’t care, man,” said Farmar. “It’s just trying to play good basketball when I’m in there, have fun with whoever is out there on the floor with me.”
Cray Allred contributed to this post
Odds & Ends: Nowitzki, Colangelo, Fredette
Rockets GM Daryl Morey said today that he asked Mark Cuban about acquiring Dirk Nowitzki this summer out of fears the Warriors would keep Dwight Howard from coming to Houston, according to ESPN (Twitter link). Cuban didn’t realize Howard hadn’t committed to the Rockets, and interpreted the proposal as a taunt over the Mavs‘ failed pursuit of Howard. Morey made his remarks at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and we’ve got more from that meeting of the minds as we pass along the latest from the NBA:
- Former Raptors and Suns GM Bryan Colangelo admitted that he attempted to tank a few seasons ago, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Presumably, that happened during his Raptors tenure.
- Jimmer Fredette piqued the interest of the Celtics, but it “wasn’t a good fit for either side,” as president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told reporters today, including Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
- The Timberwolves have no interest in Fredette for “myriad reasons,” according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- Some within the Lakers organization wanted to retain Pau Gasol through the trade deadline to keep his Bird Rights, but Gasol writes in his blog that L.A.’s financial advantage to re-sign him won’t play into his decision (translation via HoopsHype). The 7-footer says he wants to go where he can help a team win a title, but he’s not ruling out a return to the Lakers.
- Caron Butler‘s role on the Heat would have been similar to the one Mike Miller played in recent years, and part of his decision to instead join the Thunder centered on the chance for more playing time, notes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter links).
- The top half of the lottery picks in this year’s draft will be a star-studded bunch, but there are still other potential franchise-changing players in the mix, writes Zach Harper of CBSSports.com, who examines five potential steals.
Amico On Deng, Lakers, LeBron, Bosh
Will Luol Deng stay in Cleveland beyond this year? While there has been speculation that he’ll bolt this summer, execs tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio the Cavs can hang on to him if things change. That means getting hot to close out the season and possibly shaking up the roster/coaching staff. More from Amico’s column..
- Most execs feel LeBron James will either return to the Heat or shock everyone and aim for the ultimate redemption story by returning to the Cavs. The Heat, however, are believed to be way in front of everyone.
- One GM told Amico that it’s hard to know whether the Lakers are a real possibility for Carmelo Anthony or if it’s just wishful thinking from Lakers fans.
- It seems most GMs feel Chris Bosh, and not Anthony, is the second biggest potential prize on the upcoming market. But if James goes back to the Heat, Bosh will, too. If James flees Miami, the Lakers are secretly interested, sources tell Amico.
- Kobe Bryant is probably the only one who can convince Pau Gasol to stay with the Lakers. Gasol would love a return to Memphis, but the Grizzlies aren’t exactly big spenders.
- If Kevin Garnett retires, Amico gets the sense that fellow Nets vet Paul Pierce could wind up anywhere.
Lakers Rumors: Free Agents, Gasol, Deadline
Mike Bresnahan and Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times deem the notion of LeBron James joining the Lakers unlikely, note the Lakers’ lack of interest in Carmelo Anthony, and hear that the team isn’t high on Kyle Lowry, either. The Lakers do like Luol Deng, but they don’t want to overpay him, with the focus squarely on Kevin Love and Kevin Durant in the summers of 2015 and 2016, respectively.
“I don’t think that we’ll use our cap money to patch together a team for next year. We’re looking to bring something [big] to Los Angeles,” GM Mitch Kupchak said. “May take more than one year to build, I don’t know. But because we have a lot of money this summer doesn’t mean we’ll spend it all. We’ll spend it wisely.”
Here’s more from the purple-and-gold, who made a single deadline trade despite a multitude of rumors:
- Kupchak says the Lakers will “absolutely” consider re-signing Pau Gasol this summer, as Bresnahan and Pincus note in the same piece.
- The GM wouldn’t rule out negotiating an extension with Gasol that would keep him from free agency, but Kupchak calls it unlikely, since it would limit the team’s flexibility, tweets Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.
- The Lakers wound up remaining in tax territory through the deadline in spite of opportunities to escape. Kupchak says making a move purely to cut costs, without enhancing the roster in some way, is “not acceptable” for the Lakers franchise, as Oram also passes along (Twitter link).
Nets, Pelicans Slow Pursuit Of Jordan Hill
1:51pm: Discussions surrounding Hill are either “dying or dead,” tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
1:01pm: Brooklyn has cooled on Hill because the Lakers were seeking a “decent” second-round pick for him, and because bonuses in his contract could have added another $1MM to the Nets’ already astronomical tax bill, according to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
12:47pm: The Nets appear ready to pass on Hill, tweets David Aldridge of TNT.
11:15am: The Lakers want a pick for Hill but, meanwhile, the Nets want a pick from the Lakers for saving them $7MM+, according to Stein (via Twitter).
9:37am: New Orleans is backing off its pursuit of Hill, Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link). That would appear to make the Nets the leading contender for him.
7:40am: The Lakers are looking for a second-rounder in return for Hill, Stein tweets. Atlanta’s interest is not as strong as that of the Nets and Pelicans, Stein adds in a second tweet.
THURSDAY, 7:14am: The Nets and Pelicans appear to be in the lead for Hill, according to Shelburne (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 10:12pm: There is a strong chance that Hill is moved, per Shelburne, who adds that the Lakers may want more than just cap relief now that they have (at least) the Nets, Bobcats and Pelicans involved. In light of the Steve Blake deal, moving Hill and Kaman would allow the Lakers to hang onto Gasol and his Bird Rights (Twitter links here). Ken Berger tweets that both New Orleans and the Nets hope to use their disabled player exceptions on Hill.
8:44pm: ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne adds the Hawks to the mix of teams in on Hill as well as center Chris Kaman, with the deals being discussed in parallel (Twitter links).
5:29pm: Sean Deveney of Sporting News contests the report that the Suns are no longer a player for Hill (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Eric Pincus from the L.A. Times reminds us that the Lakers wouldn’t move Hill if they had any hope or desire to re-sign him. Hill doesn’t have the stamina for a big minute role, per Pincus, and would therefore be better suited for an energy role off the bench (Twitter links here).
3:59pm: The Suns are no longer in talks for Hill, Wojnarowski tweets.
3:42pm: Stein casts it as a two-team race between the Cavs and Nets for Hill (Twitter link).
1:44pm: The Suns, as well as the Mavs, have engaged the Lakers in talks about Hill, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).
1:12pm: It’s unlikely the Nets will acquire Hill, tweets Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck
1:00pm: The Suns may get involved as a suitor for Hill, Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 12:43pm: The Nets have decided they’d like to go ahead and take Hill if the Lakers are willing to send him their way, but L.A. is talking to multiple teams about the power forward, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
TUESDAY, 10:30pm: Brooklyn values Hill as being worth a “second round pick and a trade exception,” according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
3:40pm: The Nets’ discussions with the Kings wouldn’t preclude the team from trading for Hill, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. That suggests the deal is a greater possibility than Medina’s source indicated.
TUESDAY, 12:50pm: The deal will probably not happen, a source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, who hears the Nets have cold feet about the hefty tax penalties that acquiring Hill without giving up a player would entail.
MONDAY, 10:31pm: It’s doubtful that the big man will want to re-sign with the Lakers if Mike D’Antoni is still the coach, sources tell Wojnarowski.
3:59pm: The Lakers and Nets have spoken about a deal that would send Jordan Hill to the Nets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Brooklyn would absorb Hill’s $3.5MM salary into its $5.15MM disabled player exception granted in compensation for Brook Lopez‘s injury, Wojnarowski notes. It’s unclear precisely what the Lakers would get in return. Meanwhile, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears that the talks are very preliminary.
Hill has been indentified as one of the Lakers’ prime trade candidates in the lead-up to the February 20th deadline, along with Steve Blake, Chris Kaman, and, of course, Pau Gasol. The former lottery pick obviously doesn’t offer the same kind of frontcourt boost that Gasol would, but he’ll cost a lot less in terms of both the trade and salary. Any team acquiring Hill would be on the hook for what remains on his $3.5MM salary for 2013/14. He’ll be eligible for free agency in the summer.
Unfortunately for the Nets, their tax situation means that acquiring Hill would cost them a small fortune – $17MM by the estimation of Wojnarowski (link). Even though the deadline is in a few days, the Nets have until March 10th to use their DPE.
Hill, 26, is averaging a career-highs in points (8.5 PPG) and rebounds (7.0 RPG) in 19.5 minutes per contest.