As the Clippers prepare to make a final push for the playoffs, the team is expecting forwards Wilson Chandler (right quad strain) and Luc Mbah a Moute (sore left knee) to make their returns soon, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.
Both players are likely to practice in the near future, coach Doc Rivers said, with their eventual returns adding to an already deep Los Angeles team. Rivers did not give a specific timeline for either player.
“Being an eighth seed or seventh seed or sixth seed is not our goal in the long run,” Rivers said earlier this month, according to Greif. “We want to be champions.”
Several players have been linked to the Clippers in recent months, including the recently traded Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis added the Clippers to a handful of preferred trade destinations before being moved out of New York, Marc Stein of The New York Times reported.
The team could pursue the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins in free agency this summer, preaching a well-rounded, competitive roster that currently owns the eighth best record in the West at 32-27.
- The Lakers need to do their best to pair LeBron James with a superstar free agent talent this summer, Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes. Players such as Durant, Leonard, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson will reach free agency on July 1, while Pelicans star Anthony Davis is expected to become available via trade.
- The decision to trade DeMarcus Cousins back in 2017 has worked out perfectly for the Kings, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. Sacramento has one of the brightest young cores in the NBA behind De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley lll and others, seamlessly transitioning to a new era despite trading their cornerstone piece.
- The Lakers have several different free-agent talents to choose from in the coming weeks with their open roster spot, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report writes. Los Angeles has been linked to Carmelo Anthony, who last played on November 8, ever since LeBron James publicly approved of the idea to add him. “I think it would be great to have Carmelo Anthony be on the Lakers,” James told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols in December. “I believe Melo can still play the game.”
Why LA doesn’t have another superstar on the team baffles me. Does no one want to play for the biggest NBA market? Does no want to be in LA? Does no one want to work for the best player in the game?
Part of it is because the Lakers haven’t won in awhile. Part of it is that some players don’t want to play second fiddle to LeBron. Another part of it is that some players just don’t want to be involved in that circus. LeBron is a circus & I don’t meant that in as a shot at LeBron. What Durant said about him earlier this year is accurate. It is a media circus with him. Every single moved is watched. Some players would rather no be involved in that
The Lakers could have traded for Paul George. They didn’t.
The Lakers could’ve signed Boogie Cousins. They didn’t.
Then the whole Lakers/Klutch play for AD blew up in their faces.
The Lakers only have themselves to blame..
You make sense the other 2 guys haven’t been paying attention. While games like tonight show the promise of Brandon Ingram, the reasoning of not trading him for George or Leonard if they could have wasn’t sound. Not trading for cousins was a good decision. The guy(s) that day no one wants to play with LaBron, let’s see what you have to say around July 10th, 2019.
No one wants to play with Lebron….It’s a well known fact, so much so that Chris Ross of USA Today wrote an article in it last September. Bosh, Love & Kyrie just to name a few went on record to say they’ve been told to change the way they play for the greater benefit of the team AKA because that’s what Lebron wants. To be very frank I believe Lebron is exactly what’s wrong with today’s NBA.
The only real opportunity was Paul George. This summer we will find out if the “no one wants to play with Lebron” narrative is true since multiple stars will be free agents
LeBron has only been there for 6 months. Lakers were irrelevant before then
The Lakers still aren’t relevant. They are a lottery team at best
And when KD leaves the Warriors they go back down to earth
James signed last summer & LA wants to pair him with a real star. When George stayed with OKC there weren’t any real stars really avalible. The plan from that moment was to focus on 2019 free agency, so judge the Lakers by what happens this summer as they are currently doing things as planned. Keep in mind AD wants to play with LeBron and AD is one of the biggest stars in the galaxy, so I wouldn’t belive the narrative that nobody wants to play with James. This summer is really make it or break it though, as it was planned to be.
Because NBA superstars are finding their pride again, and realizing they don’t want to play second fiddle to other superstars.
This was how the old (great) era of the NBA was. Ask Jordan, Barkley, Ewing, Olajuwon, or O’Neal if they wanted to play together. They would all say (emphatically) NO!
They respected each other, but at the end of the day, they wanted to compete against each other to see who is top dog.
This was the GREAT era of the NBA, and things were awesome. This whole big 2, big 3, or big 4 era really needs to end.
Also, in regard to LeBron and the Lakers, by all accounts, no one wants to be a part of that clown show, and the sensitive snowflake culture he creates wherever he goes.
What do the Lakers do if they don’t get any of those players? Leonard isn’t going to the Lakers. He’s more likely to sign with the Clippers. Irving could re-sign in Boston & Davis could join him there. Or those two could both end up in New York. Durant could end up in New York or back with Golden State. Thompson wants to stay with the Warriors. If that doesn’t happen, maybe the Lakers get him, but is LeBron & Thompson enough to win the west? Not likely
I don’t think the Lakers need to sign anyone better than Bledsoe and Cousins or Vucevic to be off to the races next season. The players ranked higher probably have other plans besides LAL.
Not sure if LeBron has a no trade clause which he probably does, but it would be ideal if the knicks got the first pick and the lakers traded LeBron. Yes i said it trade LeBron for that 1st pick.
I enjoy all the Lebron hate. That guy, and his agent, need to be taken down a notch or 5.
I agree, the guys a huge cry baby….when people compare him to MJ I just shake my head. I really believe he won’t win a ring while a Laker and in 4 years his son will be 18 at which point Lebron is a free agent so a 37yr LBJ will be sucking up minutes while playing with his 18 yr old boy most likely in Cleveland before finally retiring ….an I can’t wait until he’s no longer playing on an NBA court
Couldn’t agree more.
Cancer he is.
Yoda?
Honestly Lebron’s the biggest cry baby in the NBA. I just shake my head when people compare him to MJ. I truly believe he will not win a ring while in LA. His body is already breaking down and he’ll be a free agent in 2022 coincidently it will be the same time when his son Lebron Jr. will be 18yrs old and drafted into the league. My guess is a 37yr old shell of himself playing 1 yr with his son in Cleveland before the finally retires and it can’t come soon enough!
Nothing like a good ol’ article about good ol’ LBJ to get all the haters out in full force… SMH!