Lakers Rumors: Gasol, Bell, D’Antoni, Jackson
As I suggested in yesterday's round-up of Lakers links, a loss last night in New York wouldn't have been the end of the world, but a loss tonight in Washington? If that happens, sound the alarm bells. As L.A. looks to snap its four-game losing streak, let's browse a few Lakers rumors….
- Multiple sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that if Pau Gasol still struggles to find a fit with the Lakers once Steve Nash has returned, the team would be willing to explore dealing him for a younger, more athletic forward and bench help.
- With Wojnarowski's piece, the Yahoo! scribe also says the Lakers have put their pursuit of Raja Bell on held as they realize that point guard is a more pressing concern. The Bulls are willing to commit to Bell on a non-guaranteed deal, says Wojnarowski, but that hasn't motivated the veteran forward to finalize a buyout with the Jazz.
- Kobe Bryant doesn't blame the Lakers' struggles on new coach Mike D'Antoni, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes. "It’s not fair. He’s been thrown into a situation," Bryant said. "It’s been a huge adjustment for all of us. And we’ve been asked to figure it out with some key pieces that are out. When they come back we’ll get this thing locked and loaded."
- Lakers fans still holding out hope for Phil Jackson probably shouldn't hold their breath, as Jackson tells TMZ.com that he wouldn't take the job if it were offered to him.
Lakers Notes: Kobe, Gasol, World Peace
The Los Angeles Lakers have continued to struggle this week, losing 100-94 on Tuesday to the Cleveland Cavaliers to fall to 9-13 so far for the 2012/13 season. Here are the latest tidbits around the team:
- Lakers.com's Mike Trudell reports that Kobe Bryant defended the struggling Pau Gasol from recent criticism during an appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter. Bryant reiterated how important Gasol is to the team and should be viewed among the top big men in the game (Twitter links).
- Lakers forward Metta World Peace told the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan that the team should not use the injuries to Gasol and Steve Nash as an excuse for their struggles.
- Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com discuss the Lakers' playoff hopes in a new video segment.
Pacific Notes: Gortat, Curry, Gasol, Jamison
According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, Suns starting center Marcin Gortat might be becoming "restless" in Phoenix, noting that he has tallied a total of just 50 minutes over the last two games despite not being in foul trouble. While Robbins references a "Polish-language publication" that suggested Gortat would welcome a trade to the Celtics, Bulls, Mavericks, or even back to the Magic, he also mentions that Phoenix hasn't given the impression that they're willing to deal him at this point. With that aside, here's the rest of tonight's tidbits coming from the Pacific Division:
- Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles looks at the success and production of the Clippers' second unit, which has started to gain some popularity with the nickname "A Tribe Called Bench."
- Warriors coach Mark Jackson firmly believes that Stephen Curry is an All-Star based on his performance after 20 games this season. It's hard to disagree, as the 24-year-old Davidson product is averaging 19.7 PPG, 6.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, and nearly 4 RPG for the fifth-seeded team in the Western Conference. Jeff Zillgit of USA Today also mentions that Curry has been worry-free about the ankle problems that had sidelined him for all but 16 games last year.
- Mike D'Antoni hints that Pau Gasol could play on Tuesday if his pain has lessened enough (Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer tweets).
- Compared to his experiences in Cleveland and Washington, 15-year-veteran Antawn Jamison isn't rattled by the Lakers' slow start. As of late, he has been one of the team's most consistent performers, hitting double figure scoring in six of the last eight games: "I'm comfortable, not thinking at all, having fun, competing and doing the things I normally do. So it's a lot easier. I was getting frustrated, but now I'm just out there playing" (Schmitt Boyer reports).
- Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation revisits the 1996 trade that sent then Charlotte-draft pick Kobe Bryant to the Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac.
- In addition to the Rockets and Nuggets, the Lakers cracked HoopsWorld's list of most surprising teams this season from the Western Conference.
Odds & Ends: D-League, Odom, World Peace
- Lamar Odom is starting to get in shape and is displaying flashes of his old Sixth Man of the Year form, as Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News observes.
- The Lakers' decision not to amnesty Metta World Peace before last season is paying off, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, who adds that this summer's discovery and treatment of a nerve issue that had been bothering World Peace for four years has reinvigorated his play.
- Nuggets guard Ty Lawson admits he can do better than his slumping performance this season, and Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post outlines what the point guard must do to return to the form that netted him a four-year, $48MM extension in October.
- Despite GM David Kahn's denial of Pau Gasol trade rumors, the Timberwolves "would love" to acquire the big man and play him at center, according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.
- Finnan also hears from sources within the ranks of media, agents, assistant coaches, GMs and scouts who tell him they are convinced LeBron James will opt out of his contract in 2014.
- Center Solomon Alabi is close to a deal with a Chinese club, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The 7'1" Alabi was let go by the Hornets at the end of training camp. He spent the last two seasons with the Raptors, but saw little playing time, averaging 1.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 7.0 minutes a game over 26 total contests.
Latest On Nash, Gasol
ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin has a few updates via Twitter regarding the Lakers' injured starters. He tweets the news from Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni that there is a chance Steve Nash will play for the team on their upcoming road trip.
D'Antoni said it was not definite that the 38-year-old point guard would return in the near future, but that he was far enough along in his recovery that it was a possibility. Nash has not played for the Lakers since their second game of the season, when he suffered a broken leg.
McMenamin also reports (link to tweet) that Pau Gasol will remain the starter at power forward when he returns from his current bout with knee tendinitis. This news comes in spite of the rocky start Gasol is off to with D'Antoni as coach, and the perceived notion that the two were not on the same page. The team was previously considering bringing Gasol off the bench when he returned. It would also point to the recent statements from the team that they do not intend to trade Gasol.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Nash, Paul
Kobe Bryant had 35 points and seven assists last night, but it wasn’t enough to power the Lakers past the Thunder last night. Here’s a look at the latest on the Lakers as they get set take on the Jazz tomorrow night..
- The Lakers are debating whether to bring Pau Gasol off the bench when he returns from knee tendinitis, a person familiar with the team’s thinking told Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The team is trying to weigh how a demotion would affect Gasol and will keep him if the starting lineup if they feel that it would hurt his play. Last night, Steve Nash confirmed that he asked the Lakers not to trade Gasol as a prerequisite for him joining the team.
- There’s panic in L.A. over the Lakers’ 9-10 record, but their poor results have been driven by luck as much as they have by skill, argues John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d). The Lakers are just 1-9 in games decided by ten points or fewer, and have gone 8-1 in the others.
- Brian Geltzeiler of Sheridan Hoops looked back at the vetoed blockbuster that would have sent Chris Paul to the other Los Angeles team. The proposed deal would have put Paul alongside Kobe Bryant and shipped Gasol to the Rockets.
Nash Asked Lakers To Keep Gasol Before Signing
On Wednesday, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game heard from a source that the Lakers landed Steve Nash this summer by promising him that he would get to play with Pau Gasol. Earlier tonight, the guard confirmed the story in an interview with ESPN’s Doris Burke, tweets Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Nash says that he told Lakers brass “If Pau is staying, I want to come.” In essence, Nash turned down offers from the Knicks and passed on the opportunity to return to Canada with the Raptors because he was promised that Gasol would be in Los Angeles. One has to imagine that the Lakers would be reluctant to trade the forward months after promising Nash that he would stay put.
Speaking to the media today, Wolves GM David Kahn told reporters that he hasn’t had any trade talks with the Lakers. Meanwhile, buzz around the league suggests that teams aren’t eager to trade for Gasol and his $19MM salary.
Latest On Pau Gasol
As we noted in our round-up of Timberwolves rumors earlier today, president David Kahn spoke to reporters at the team's shootaround today, something that doesn't happen often. Kahn wanted to clear the air on recent trade rumors, telling the media that he hasn't spoken to the Lakers about a deal since the summer, and that he was concerned about the players whose names had been involved — Kahn intends to speak to Derrick Williams and Nikola Pekovic, tweets Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Whether Kahn's comments were made for the sake of P.R. or whether he was telling the truth, Gasol rumors involving Minnesota and other clubs continue to circulate. Here's the latest:
- The buzz around the NBA suggests that teams aren't eager to trade for Gasol and his $19MM annual salary, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter). One team exec tells Amico that the Heat are the only team that would trade for Gasol, while Amico adds that clubs may be more willing to give something up for Andrea Bargnani. This strikes me as a little odd, since it's not clear what Miami could give up for Gasol beyond one of its Big Three, and as ineffective as Pau has been so far, Bargnani has been even worse for the Raptors.
- In his latest mailbag, Sam Smith of Bulls.com addresses a few questions on Gasol, writing that he thinks it's "inevitable" that the Lakers trade the big man.
- Following up on his report about Gasol drawing interest from the T-Wolves and Raptors, ESPN.com's Marc Stein discusses potential suitors for Pau on TrueHoop TV. According to Stein, the Lakers seem committed to making things work with the Spaniard, so they'll take their time assessing how the lineup looks when Steve Nash returns before making any decisions.
Wolves Rumors: Williams, Gasol, Roy, Pekovic
Although Ricky Rubio had been angling to make his return to the court for the Timberwolves tonight, the team has announced that he won't play against the Cavs (Twitter link). Still, even though Rubio's debut won't happen today, it seems it's getting close, which is good news for the T-Wolves. Here are a few more items out of Minnesota:
- Speaking to the media today, David Kahn said there was no truth to any trade rumors involving the Lakers and that he hasn't spoken to them since the summer (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- Rob Pelinka, Derrick Williams' agent, has "voiced his displeasure" about his client's lack of playing time, reports Wolfson. According to Wolfson, Pelinka hasn't requested a trade, but has asked about the likelihood of a deal, and was told the Wolves want to see Williams on the court with Rubio first, since the two worked well together last season.
- David Kahn has spoken to other general managers, but there's nothing serious in the works yet, says Wolfson. A team source tells ESPN 1500 that the Wolves are interested in Pau Gasol, but that a deal would likely have to include a third team.
- The T-Wolves are open to going into luxury-tax territory next season if it's necessary, according to Wolfson.
- The doctor who performed Brandon Roy's latest knee procedure would be surprised if the former Blazer retired, though it's been "loosely discussed."
- A team source hints to Wolfson that there's a "healthy internal debate" about whether the Wolves want to commit a big, long-term deal to Nikola Pekovic.
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune explores the Pau rumors, and writes that the T-Wolves figure to be interested in Gasol right up until he's traded somewhere. Zgoda also outlines a few reasons why Minnesota would have interest in acquiring the Spaniard.
Raptors, Wolves Interested In Pau Gasol
10:51pm: The report connecting Gasol and the Timberwolves is news to the T-Wolves, tweets Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
8:07am: The Raptors and Timberwolves recently attempted to initiate trade discussions with the Lakers about Pau Gasol, but Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has convinced the club to continue to take a pass on offers until Steve Nash returns, as Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne report for ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Linas Kleiza are among those the Raptors are talking about including in a Gasol deal, according to Stein and Shelburne. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who's told by rival executives that the Raptors are the most likely destination for Gasol, hears that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo is currently unwilling to include Bargnani in a deal. That could change, however, if Colangelo starts to feel pressure to win now.
It's an "open secret" that Wolves GM David Kahn has been after Gasol since last season in attempts to put together a core of Kevin Love and Spaniards Gasol and Ricky Rubio, Stein and Shelburne write. Kahn's trade offers have been built around Derrick Williams and Nikola Pekovic, packages that continually meet with rejection from the Lakers.
Hornets power forward Ryan Anderson, reportedly L.A.'s No. 1 target in a Gasol deal, is a "virtual untouchable" as far as New Orleans is concerned, according to the ESPNLosAngeles.com story. The Hawks, Rockets and Nuggets have no interest in obtaining Gasol, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
The 32-year-old Gasol is making $19MM this year and is due $19.286MM next season in the final year of his deal. He's averaging 12.6 points per game on 42% shooting, both career lows, and has missed the last two games because of tendinitis in both knees.