Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: LeBron, R. Paul, Lakers, Jensen

August 4th, 2022 at 8:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Newly extension-eligible Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul met with team president Rob Pelinka today at the team’s El Segundo practice facility to discuss their future, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN. In remarks to McMenamin, Paul called the conversation “productive.”

The Lakers could now ink James to a two-year, $97.1MM extension, which would keep the 19-year veteran under contract with Los Angeles through the 2024/25 season. McMenamin adds that James may decide to sign a single-season extension with a player option for the second year. This way, LeBron can sign on to any club that drafts his son Bronny James when the younger James becomes draft-eligible during the 2024 offseason.

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

The Lakers appear to be hesitant to trade for players with multiple years left on their contracts, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. Woike believes the front office would be more amenable to acquiring players on longer deals should James opt to sign an extension keeping him in L.A. beyond 2023.
Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen is set to serve as Team USA’s head coach for the 2022 AmeriCup next month, USA Basketball announced in a press release. Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette head coach, and Mike Williams, head coach of the Wizards’ NBAGL affiliate (the Capital City Go-Go), will work as assistants under Jensen. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to coach the 2022 USA AmeriCup Team and look forward to working with Mike and Steve as well as a talented group of players,” Jensen said of his new NBA offseason gig. “I always enjoy my time with USA Basketball and am excited to be selected for my first head coaching assignment.” Sarah Todd of the Deseret News notes that Jensen was initially hired as an assistant for former Utah head coach Quin Snyder in 2013, but will be sticking around under new head coach Will Hardy this season.

LeBron James Becomes Extension-Eligible

August 4th, 2022 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

Superstar forward LeBron James is now officially eligible to sign a veteran contract extension with the Lakers.

James last signed an extension with the Lakers on December 3, 2020, adding two years to the one remaining on his deal at the time. That contract will expire at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Typically, a player who signs an extension that keeps him under contract for three or four seasons (when accounting for both his current contract and his extension) becomes extension-eligible again two years after his signing date. However, James’ eligibility window opens on August 4 instead of December 3 due to the unusual nature of the 2020 calendar, which was affected by COVID-19 — since free agency didn’t open until November that year, the NBA considers August 4, 2022 this offseason’s equivalent of December 3, 2020.

James is earning $44,474,988 in 2022/23, which exceeds the standard maximum of $43,279,250 for a player with 10-plus years of NBA experience. That means he’s eligible to sign an extension that either gives him a 5% raise over this season’s salary or is worth next season’s maximum, whichever is higher. Currently, next season’s max projects to be $46,550,000, whereas a 5% raise would put LeBron in line for a $46,698,737 starting salary.

Because he’s already 37 years old, James’ ability to sign a long-term extension is impacted by the Over-38 rule, which we explain in detail in our glossary entry. It prevents him from playing on contract longer than three years (including his current deal), which limits the length of a potential extension to two years. Assuming a $46,698,737 starting salary, LeBron’s maximum two-year extension would be worth $97,133,373 — the second year (2024/25) could be a player option.

Although James is now extension-eligible, there’s likely no urgency from his perspective to get a deal done right away. He has until June 30, 2023 to sign an extension, and would be able to sign a similar contract with the Lakers if he opts for free agency next year (in that scenario, he could even add a third year for 2025/26, since the ’22/23 season would no longer count toward the three-year limit created by the Over-38 rule).

While the Lakers would certainly prefer to lock in LeBron to a new deal sooner rather than later, the four-time MVP can retain leverage and perhaps wield more influence on the team’s roster moves by holding off on that commitment. Taking that route would also give James a chance to assess the team’s roster additions as well as new head coach Darvin Ham during the 2022/23 season.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) writes, the Lakers’ potential 2023 cap room won’t be affected in any real way by whether or not James signs an extension, since his free agent cap hold would be essentially equivalent to his starting salary on a new deal. In either scenario, Los Angeles projects to have over $20MM in room, which would open up some options for the team but wouldn’t be enough for another maximum-salary player.

Of course, if the Lakers lose James, they’d open up significantly more cap space next summer, but that’s not what the team wants, and there has been no indication that James is looking to leave L.A. — one recent report indicated that LeBron is happy in Southern California and that his family has become “increasingly entrenched” there in recent years.

Still, rumors figure to swirl around the four-time champion and the Lakers as long as he remains unsigned beyond the 2022/23 season. There has been speculation, for instance, about the possibility of another reunion between James and the Cavaliers if he reaches free agency next summer.

According to Marks, if James does sign a two-year, $97MM+ extension with the Lakers, it would increase his career salary earnings to $532MM, which would be the most ever for an NBA player.

Pacific Notes: LeBron, Irving, R. Jackson, Kings

August 3rd, 2022 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

With LeBron James eligible to sign an extension starting Thursday, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register looks at the factors that will go into James’ decision on whether to extend his commitment to the Lakers.

L.A. can sign James to a two-year, $97.1MM extension that would run past his 40th birthday or he can opt for a one-year deal worth $46.7MM. James could also decide to accept less, but Goon doesn’t believe the Lakers are in position to make a significant roster upgrade with any savings that he might provide.

Money will obviously factor into the decision, but James also wants to be part of a title contender, which L.A. may not be able to offer right away. Goon notes that the team could have around $20MM in cap space next summer, which is enough to add a contributor but not nearly enough for another max player.

Family will also affect James’ thought process, as he has children in school and seems committed to the L.A. area. He has expressed a desire to play alongside his son, Bronny, who will be a high school senior this year, which could put pressure on the Lakers to draft him in 2024 if LeBron agrees to a two-year extension.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers remain Kyrie Irving‘s “top destination” if and when he leaves the Nets, whether it’s through a trade or free agency next summer, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Buha adds that the league-wide lack of interest in trading for Irving indicates that L.A. might be his only option as a free agent.
Echoing comments he made in March, Clippers guard Reggie Jackson told youths at Paul George‘s basketball camp that he considering retirement during his time with the Pistons, per Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points (video link). “It really started making me question myself (late in his Detroit tenure),” Jackson said. “… Don’t let anybody ever do this to you in life, take the fun out of the things that you love to do. I really was gonna retire. My lifeline, my brother here saved me.”
James Ham of The Kings Beat examines the Kings‘ new-look roster to see if they’ve upgraded enough to break their long playoff drought.

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Closing Lineup, Nunn, LeBron

August 3rd, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

While former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel benched Russell Westbrook late in games a small handful of times last season, new coach Darvin Ham will have more power to do so this season, assuming Westbrook remains on the roster and Ham decides there are better fits in crunch time, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Buha expects Westbrook to get opportunities to close out games, but notes that it will depend on his shooting, decision-making, and defense.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are, of course, locks to be part of the Lakers’ “closing” five, and Buha views Austin Reaves as the next-best bet to join that group because he can be a secondary ball-handler. Buha predicts that Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown will fill out the closing five in instances when Westbrook is on the bench.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Although Kendrick Nunn recently said he feels 100% healthy after missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a knee injury, he has yet to resume playing five-on-five, which will be the “next big hurdle” in his recovery process, Buha writes. The expectation for now is that Nunn will be ready to go for training camp.
Buha believes that the Lakers are done adding veteran free agents this offseason, and that any additional roster changes would come via trade. He notes that the team could also be active on the buyout market after the 2023 trade deadline.
LeBron James will become eligible on Thursday to sign a contract extension with the Lakers, but Chris Mannix of SI.com doesn’t believe James will be in any rush to sign that deal, since he can maintain leverage and keep pressure on the team by taking his time. He could sign that extension at any time up until June 30, 2023.

James' Extension Could Hinge On Son's Future

August 2nd, 2022 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bronny James will be eligible for the draft in 2024, and LeBron James‘ desire to play with his son could affect his decision regarding an extension, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic explains. James, who could be an unrestricted free agent after next season, can sign a two-year, $98MM extension with the Lakers this offseason.

The easiest way for LeBron and Bronny to play together is for LeBron to be a member of the team that drafts Bronny. The Lakers will likely have to commit to doing what it takes to draft his son in order for an extension to be reached. Vardon, noting that L.A. doesn’t currently control its 2024 first-round pick, suggests that the team may have to consider a trade bringing in a ’24 first-rounder, even though Bronny doesn’t currently project as a first-round prospect.

Many veteran players who saw action for the Lakers last season are still unsigned. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin takes a look at those players, including Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard, and explores which teams might have an interest in them.

And-Ones: McCormack, Luxury Tax, OKC Blue, Harrison

August 2nd, 2022 at 10:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

David McCormack has signed with Besiktas in Turkey, according to a team press release. McCormack was reportedly signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Timberwolves but apparently chose to begin his pro career in Europe.

The undrafted big man out of Kansas was a prominent member of the Jayhawks’ national championship team. He spent all four of his college seasons at Kansas, starting 96 of 132 total games. In 2021/22, he averaged 10.6 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 40 contests (21.9 MPG).

We have more from around the basketball world:

A total of 10 teams are currently projected to collectively spend $650MM in luxury tax payments next season, according to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. That would an NBA record for tax penalties. The Warriors, Nets, Clippers, Bucks, Lakers, Sixers, Celtics, Suns, Nuggets and Mavericks all project as taxpayer teams for the time being.
The G League’s Oklahoma City Blue will continue to play the Thunder’s Paycom Center next season, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports. The Blue also played there last season, having been the only G League team to host their games in an NBA arena. They often had to play late morning or early afternoon games with the Thunder playing there on the same night.
Former NBA swingman Andrew Harrison has signed with Yukatel Merkezefendi Belediyesi in Turkey, as JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors relays (Twitter link). Harrison has suited up with the Grizzlies, Cavaliers and Pelicans during his NBA career. In his last NBA season, he played a combined 16 games with Cleveland and New Orleans in 2018/19.

More Reaction To Bill Russell’s Passing

August 1st, 2022 at 10:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

How can the NBA celebrate the legacy of Bill Russell? By retiring his iconic No. 6 jersey league-wide, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times opines.

Russell passed away at the age of 88 over the weekend.

That would be an appropriate tribute to Russell, who like Jackie Robinson excelled in his sport while fighting against prejudice and bigotry. The league could let players who currently wear Russell’s number finish out their careers with that uniform, Woike adds, but otherwise the number should be retired as a show of respect for Russell’s contributions to the game and society.

Here’s more reaction to the passing of Russell:

Another of the league’s all-time greats, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, reflected on his 60-year relationship with Russell in a Substack post, detailing why he considers Russell “my friend, my mentor, my role model.”
The Athletic’s Steve Buckley explores Russell’s tumultuous relationship with the city of Boston and how he eventually softened his stance on returning to the city in his later years.
Despite the fact that many of the Celtics’ championships with Russell came at the expense of the Lakers, he was beloved in the city of Los Angeles, as Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register details.
Former Celtics player and executive Danny Ainge said many former Boston players often spoke of Russell’s impact on their lives, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. “I had an opportunity to sit and talk for hours with many Celtic legends over the years: John Havlicek, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, Jo Jo White, Red Auerbach and many others,” Ainge said. “Their stories would often lead to conversations about the great Bill Russell. The influence he had on those he was so close with is impressive, but the impact he had on so many people everywhere is legendary.”
Statistical analysis of Russell’s career cannot possibly compute his impact on the games he played and championships he won, Santul Nerkar and Neil Paine of FiveThirtyEight.com argue.
With current players taking stances on social issues, Russell’s legacy of fighting injustice will continue to be felt for many more years, Logan Murdock of The Ringer notes.

Russell Westbrook Signs With Agent Jeff Schwartz

August 1st, 2022 at 5:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Russell Westbrook has selected one of the most prominent agents in professional sports as his new representative.

Westbrook has signed with Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Westbrook parted ways with Thad Foucher last month. Foucher, who had represented Westbrook since he entered the league in 2008, cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason.

Westbrook will be a free agent after next season. He opted in to the final year of his current contract at a $47MM price tag this summer. There remains endless speculation about whether he’ll play for the Lakers next season.

The Nets have been mentioned as a possible destination if they deal Kyrie Irving to the West Coast. The Jazz, Knicks and Pacers have also reportedly shown interest in picking up Westbrook’s contract with assets attached.

Schwartz has a long list of NBA clients, including two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, John Collins, Cade Cunningham, Tyler Herro, Brandon Ingram, Kevin Love, CJ McCollum, Khris Middleton, Jamal Murray and Ricky Rubio.

Kendrick Nunn Says He’s 100% Healthy Heading Into 2022/23

July 31st, 2022 at 4:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After missing all of the 2021/22 NBA regular season due to a knee injury, Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn says he’s fully recovered and excited about L.A.’s future. Nunn, who picked up his $5.25MM player option for the 2022/23 season last month, made those comments in a conversation with Chris McGee of Spectrum SportsNet (Twitter video link).

“I feel 100% [recovered] to be honest,” Nunn said of his current health status. “Back to where I’m normally playing at a high level.”

After going undrafted out of Oakland in 2018, the 6’2″ guard eventually attracted the attention of the Heat’s front office. Nunn signed with Miami in April 2019, but would not suit up for the franchise until the 2019/20 season. He was named to the 2020 All-Rookie First Team following a breakout Miami run. Nunn is averaging 15.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, and 2.9 RPG across his 123 healthy NBA contests, all with the Heat. He holds shooting splits of .458/.364/.881 in those games.

When the Heat opted to pull Nunn’s $4.7MM qualifying offer in the 2021 offseason, Nunn signed a two-year deal with the Lakers as an unrestricted free agent. Los Angeles envisioned him as a key bench scoring contributor for what it expected to be a contending team. However, after sitting out a season – and given his limitations as a defender – it is unclear how much of a contribution Nunn will be able to make this year.

The Lakers, who finished last season with a 33-49 record, could certainly use Nunn’s help should he recover his old form. He is one of just six Los Angeles players set to earn more than the veteran’s minimum this year. Given the value of his current contract as an expiring one-year deal worth more than the minimum, the veteran guard has also been floated as a potential trade chip the Lakers could use to improve their roster.

Here’s more from Nunn’s interview:

If he does stick with L.A., it appears Nunn is well on his well to developing a rapport with new Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. Nunn acknowledged that he has already been in frequent contact with the former Bucks assistant. “I talked to him a bunch,” Nunn said. “[We] ran into each other a bunch of times with me working out and him coming in.”
Nunn attempted to make the most out of the 2021/22 season despite not being able to play at all:“Last year was a learning process for me. I learned a lot, sitting on the sidelines just watching. The game slowed down a lot for me, I got to see things from a different perspective… Wasn’t expecting to sit out that long.”
When asked what Lakers fans could expect following an uneven 2021/22 season that left the team on the outside of the play-in window looking, Nunn alluded to one of last season’s key issues. “They should expect consistency,” Nunn said. “That’s my number one thing. Coming in, night in, night out, and… being consistent on both ends of the floor.”

Lakers Notes: LeBron, First-Round Picks, Westbrook

July 29th, 2022 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James will become eligible next Thursday to sign a contract extension with the Lakers that could be worth up to a projected $97.1MM over two years, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. If James doesn’t agree to an extension with Los Angeles, he would remain on track to reach free agency in 2023.

According to Stein, sources briefed on the matter say that James is happy in L.A. and suggest that his family has become “increasingly entrenched” in Southern California in recent years. Stein adds that the belief in league circles is that LeBron is unlikely to seriously consider leaving the Lakers unless he has the opportunity to play with his son Bronny James elsewhere beginning in 2024.

Once James becomes extension-eligible next week, he and the Lakers won’t be facing any sort of deadline in the near future — he’d remain extension-eligible all the way up until June 30, 2023, and could agree to a new one- or two-year contract at any time before then to avoid free agency. So if the two sides don’t strike a deal immediately, it shouldn’t necessarily be a cause for concern.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Within the same Substack story, Stein writes that seemingly no potential trade partners want to make a deal with the Lakers unless they can get both of L.A.’s tradable first-round picks (2027 and 2029). Based on reporting to date, Stein’s claim presumably applies to at least the Nets with Kyrie Irving and the Pacers with Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. According to Stein, the Lakers have thus far only shown a willingness to move one of those two first-rounders in any deal — and they’ll likely look to add at least some protections to any pick they move.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report spoke to a handful of league insiders about what the Lakers should do with Russell Westbrook and received a wide range of opinions. Those sources were split on how aggressive the team should be in trying to make a preseason trade and how many picks they’d attach to Westbrook. As Pincus writes, some of his sources think L.A. should let Westbrook stay away from the team if he’s still a Laker this fall, while others believe he can still salvage some on-court value for his current club.
In case you missed it, there are five Lakers players who can’t be traded until at least December 15. We shared that full list earlier today.