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L.A. Notes: Lakers, LaVine, Kawhi, Coffey, Westbrook

December 22nd, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have slumped badly since winning the in-season tournament earlier this month, losing five of their past six games, including the last four in a row, to slip to 15-14 on the season. Following a 118-111 defeat at the hands of Minnesota on Thursday night, star big man Anthony Davis called for more urgency, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes.

“It’s the NBA season. There’s going to be ups, there’s going to be downs. Right now we’re in that down period,” Davis said. “We just got to continue to fight and continue to play hard. Play with some effort, some energy and we’re treating Saturday (in Oklahoma City) as a must win.”

As Jovan Buha of The Athletic notes, Davis also spoke about the team’s recent struggles after Wednesday’s loss to Chicago, pointing out that there’s “no break coming” and no “cavalry” the team is waiting on. While LeBron James (left ankle) and Gabe Vincent (left knee) did miss Thursday’s contest, the second end of a back-to-back set, they’re expected to be available going forward.

“We’ve got everyone back now,” Davis said. “We just got to find a way to get into the win column.”

The Lakers have dealt with injuries to rotation players for most of the season, but now that they’re as healthy as they’ve been all year, Darvin Ham and his coaching staff hope to set a depth chart and rotation and stick with it “for the foreseeable future,” sources tell McMenamin.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:

Within his latest roundup of trade-related rumors from around the NBA, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports says the sources he has spoken to believe that a deal sending Bulls guard Zach LaVine to the Lakers is unlikely, at best. As Buha suggested at The Athletic earlier this week, Los Angeles would probably only consider a deal if the outgoing package consists of D’Angelo Russell, salary filler, and limited assets beyond that, such as Jalen Hood-Schifino and a protected first-round pick.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard missed his first game of the season on Thursday night, as the team ruled out him due to a left hip contusion, which head coach Tyronn Lue referred to as a “day-to-day thing,” per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). Amir Coffey drew the start at Oklahoma City in what turned out to be the team’s first loss this month — the Clippers have a 9-1 record in December.
Clippers guard Russell Westbrook has seen his role reduced since James Harden‘s arrival in Los Angeles, but Westbrook remains supremely confident in his abilities, as Greif details for The L.A. Times. After a strong defensive performance against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks on Wednesday, Westbrook said he can “do anything on the floor at all times” and suggested he wants his due as a defender. “Ain’t too many people defending better than me at this point if we keeping it honest,” he said. “But I’ll let the numbers speak for that and let y’all talk about it. But we just keeping it a buck, ain’t too many people defending better than me at this position all around the league, honestly.”

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Trade Targets, Hartenstein, 2019 Draft

December 21st, 2023 at 12:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will reportedly miss the remainder of the 2023/24 season following left ankle surgery. Robinson took to social media in response to the news, and he was understandably discouraged.

“I just don’t get it…I do everything I’m asked when it comes to my body and this s–t still happens like wtf. Another year another disappointment,” he wrote on Snapchat (Twitter link via New York Basketball).

Robinson has battled injuries throughout his career, including being limited to 59 games last season. Despite missing the past six contests, he still ranks second in the league in total offensive rebounds. He was averaging career highs in rebounds (10.3), offensive rebounds (5.3) and steals per game (1.5) prior to the injury.

Here are a few more notes from New York:

When the Knicks initially ruled Robinson out for at least eight-to-10 weeks, they weren’t in a rush to find a replacement center, league sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic. In fact, they haven’t been actively involved in trade conversations this fall, according to Katz, who wonders if that will change after applying for a disabled player exception for Robinson. Katz considers potential trade targets who could potentially fit Robinson’s role, either using the DPE or more traditional means. Some players mentioned include Andre Drummond (Bulls), Clint Capela (Hawks), Precious Achiuwa (Raptors) and Daniel Gafford (Wizards).
Prior to Wednesday’s game in Brooklyn, center Isaiah Hartenstein was asked about the team’s rivalry with the Nets. “Is there a rivalry? I mean, I don’t feel it,” Hartenstein said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “I mean, most of the time we go to Barclays it’s mostly Knicks fans so I don’t know if it’s really a rivalry at this point.” As Hartenstein mentioned, the Knicks are far more popular than the Nets, and they currently have a better record as well (16-11 vs. 13-14), winning last night’s contest in a blowout.
The Knicks lost a franchise-record 65 games in 2018/19 in hopes of landing the No. 1 overall pick and selecting Zion Williamson, who has missed more than half of his career games to this point with injuries. They ultimately landed the No. 3 pick and chose RJ Barrett. In a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, Bondy re-drafts the top-15 picks of 2019, with Williamson, Ja Morant and Darius Garland making up his top three, followed by Barrett and Tyler Herro.

Bulls Notes: Hot Streak, LaVine, White, Terry, Phillips

December 21st, 2023 at 9:05am CST by Arthur Hill

There are no more calls to break up the Bulls, who improved to 7-3 in their last 10 games by beating the Lakers on Wednesday night, writes Jon Greenberg of The Athletic. Chicago has moved back into the race for a play-in spot with its recent hot streak after stumbling out of the gate with a 5-14 start.

The improvement coincides with the foot inflammation that knocked Zach LaVine out of the lineup, although no one connected with the team wants to say that directly. As Greenberg notes, there are several reasons for the success, such as DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic serving as the foundation of the offense, Alex Caruso becoming team MVP with his all-around play, and Coby White emerging as the star point guard the organization has been lacking since Lonzo Ball‘s injury.

L.A. is considered one of the prime landing spots for LaVine, and Greenberg suggests both teams might benefit from a trade. However, coach Billy Donovan dismissed the idea that the Bulls are better without LaVine and said he still has a role on the team.

“I think the biggest thing for us collectively is we get down the floor and flatten the defense out with everybody,” Donovan said. “I think that’s one of the things we’ve been preaching all along. I think Zach can play any style. For us, with him coming back in, I think he fits into how we’re trying to play.”

There’s more from Chicago:

With White shooting a career-high 42.6% from long distance this season, Caruso is campaigning for him to be invited to the three-point contest at All-Star Weekend, adds Greenberg, who states that White’s recent play may put him in the All-Star conversation as well. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t like all the attention,” White said. “And that’s probably part of the reason why (Caruso) did it. Because he knows it makes me kind of uncomfortable.”
The Bulls’ success is a result of playing at a faster tempo, says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Whether it’s related to LaVine’s absence or not, the players have been more aggressive about pushing the ball upcourt over their last 10 games and creating more scoring opportunities in transition. “We’re all super unselfish guys. I feel like the ball is moving at a high rate,” White said. “The main thing we’ve been doing these last however many games is just playing a lot faster. Even on made baskets, we’re getting the ball out quick and trying to get up the floor, making us hard to guard so we can play less in the halfcourt.”
Donovan expects Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips to have increased roles in the wake of Torrey Craig‘s plantar fascia injury, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Terry has been the main beneficiary so far, playing 21 minutes against the Lakers.

And-Ones: IST, Draymond, Bulls, Lakers, Napier, Mannion, Sarr

December 20th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

There were some complaints this fall about the unique court designs that debuted in the NBA’s first in-season tournament, with some fans viewing the bold-colored floors as eyesores. Joe Dumars acknowledged that those courts would be up for discussion next season, but the NBA’s head of basketball operations told Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic that he was a fan of the way they immediately identified a game as part of the tournament.

“I did like the idea that if you were flipping the channels and you saw one of those courts, you knew immediately, ‘Oh, man,'” Dumars said. “Even if you have forgotten that was a Tuesday or Friday, you’re flipping channels and you saw that court, you immediately knew.”

Dumars told Vorkunov that he thinks next season’s in-season tournament final will once again be played in Las Vegas and also discussed a couple other topics, including the thinking behind the league’s indefinite suspension for Warriors forward Draymond Green. Dumars explained that the NBA viewed Green’s case as a “special situation” and felt it was important to give him time to get help for his behavior.

“The only thing we really want to see him do is get better so when he comes back, we’re not dealing with the same issues over and over again,” Dumars said. “And so that was the whole purpose behind indefinite, and when he is ready, then he’ll come back. When we feel like he’s ready, he’ll come back. When the team feels like he’s ready, he’ll come back.

“… “He’s been very receptive to this right here. He’s not pushed back on this. He has agreed this is what needs to happen. He hasn’t been defiant about this at all.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

How likely are the Bulls and Lakers to be trading partners this season? The Athletic’s Bulls beat writer, Darnell Mayberry, thinks all signs are pointing toward the two teams making a deal, but his colleague, Lakers beat writer Jovan Buha, is skeptical that they’ll find common ground. Buha, who previously reported that the Lakers have more interest in DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso than Zach LaVine, discusses the possibilities with Mayberry in a story for The Athletic.
A pair of former NBA guards are reportedly on track to join new teams in Italy. Shabazz Napier is said to be making the move from Crvena Zvezda in Serbia to Olimpia Milano, according to Eurohoops, while Dario Skerletic of Sportando reports that Nico Mannion is headed to Pallacanestro Varese after starting the season with Baskonia in Spain. The Warriors continue to retain Mannion’s rights as a two-way restricted free agent in the event that he returns to the NBA.
In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Jeremy Woo makes Alexandre Sarr‘s case to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft. There’s no consensus top player in this year’s draft class at this point, so ESPN will likely follow up with similar articles discussing other candidates for the No. 1 spot.

Bulls Notes: Locker Room Vibe, Williams, White, LaVine

December 19th, 2023 at 9:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have gone 6-3 in their last nine games, including an impressive victory over Philadelphia on Monday, and the vibe around the team has changed dramatically since its 5-14 start, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.

“Our energy has been different,” center Nikola Vucevic said. “We’re playing with a much more aggressive mindset at both ends. We’re playing for each other, sharing the ball, playing at a faster pace. That has brought out the best in everybody. We’ve been enjoying playing. Each night it’s a different guy stepping up. All of us are supporting each other. You can just feel that.”

We have more on the Bulls:

Patrick Williams has shown improvement during the recent stretch, Johnson notes, including a 25-point, seven-rebound, four-assist performance against Miami on Saturday. However, the Bulls’ staff is still looking for more consistency from Williams, who is headed to restricted free agency after the season. “He’s obviously had some great moments. I think it all starts with the force he plays with. And there’s so much he can get into the game on a nightly basis whether he’s making or missing shots,” coach Billy Donovan said. “For him, the offensive rebounding, running the floor, attacking the basket, deflections defensively, the consistency of that is what’s important. He’s capable.”
Coby White, a lottery pick in 2019, has finally established himself as a starter this season, averaging career highs in points (17.5) and assists (4.9) per game. He says he got through rough patches during his career via his work ethic. “I wouldn’t ever say I had a low point. I would say I had points where I thought I was better than how I was playing,” he told Johnson. “But I didn’t look at it as low points because the one thing that’s been consistent in my life is every time adversity hits, I just always tell myself I’m going to get through it by working. I’m the type of dude where if things aren’t going my way, I just go to the gym and work on it constantly. That makes me feel better and doesn’t allow me to get to any low points.”
Zach LaVine remains sidelined by inflammation in his right foot but he’s a steady presence around the team, according to Johnson. LaVine, the subject of trade rumors since early in the season, traveled with the team on its three-game road swing and has been in good spirits. He’s also been talking with Donovan on a daily basis. “He really, really misses the game,” Donovan said. “The other thing is he has really been great on the bench, in the locker room pulling for those guys. Whenever he’s able to get back with us, he’s always been a good team guy.”
Torrey Craig will be out at least eight weeks due to a foot injury. Get the details here.

Bulls Forward Torrey Craig Sidelined For Extended Period

December 19th, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls forward Torrey Craig has been diagnosed with an acute sprain of his right plantar fascia and won’t return to action until sometime after the All-Star break, according to a team press release.

Craig will be immobilized for approximately four weeks, followed by a period of rehabilitation projected to require an additional four-to-six weeks. The injury, which he suffered in the second quarter at Miami on Saturday, was revealed following an MRI on Tuesday.

It’s a significant blow to the team’s frontcourt. Craig was signed during free agency to a two-year contract that included a player option for next season. He’s been a major part of Billy Donovan‘s rotation.

Craig, noted for his defense, is averaging 6.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per night through 27 games, including seven starts. Craig, who turned 33 on Tuesday, played the last two-and-a-half seasons with Phoenix.

Craig had been backing up Patrick Williams at power forward. Terry Taylor, who has only appeared in six games, and second-round pick Julian Phillips could see a significant rise in playing time. The Bulls could also go with a number of smaller lineups to make up for Craig’s absence.

Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, White, DeRozan, Craig, Vucevic

December 18th, 2023 at 6:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Young Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu is using the recent growth of fellow Chicago guard Coby White as motivation to hopefully galvanize his own development, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

With Zach LaVine sitting out and White now firmly ensconced as the club’s starting point guard, the fifth-year guard has made the most of his extended opportunity. Since LaVine first sat on November 30, White has been averaging 25.6 PPG on .493/.494/.811 shooting splits, 6.5 APG, 6.3 RPG, and 0.9 SPG. Chicago has gone 5-3 in that span. The team will play tonight against the Sixers, and White is no doubt looking to have another big game.

“It’s motivation because I understand what he went through his second, third, fourth year,” Dosunmu said. “Me seeing that front-hand, that gives me motivation to keep going, gives me motivation to rise to the occasion. We push each other to be great. When I see him doing what he’s doing now, it’s nothing but giving me excitement.”

Dosunmu and White both inked new deals over the summer to remain with Chicago. In 25 games per season, the third-year Dosunmu is averaging 7.0 PPG on a .479/.354/.708 slash line, along with 2.0 RPG and 1.9 APG.

There’s more out of Chicago:

Bulls All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan is excited for the positive direction his club has taken of late, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. DeRozan particularly remains high on his head coach, Billy Donovan. “I tell a lot of the young players that you don’t really know what you have,” DeRozan said. “To have such a great personable coach, hard-working coach in Billy, don’t ever take that for granted because it’s not always greener on the other side.” It’s encouraging for Bulls fans that DeRozan is this enthused. He’s extension-eligible this season, though if he and Chicago can’t reach an agreement, the 34-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Veteran reserve Chicago forward Torrey Craig is missing tonight’s road contest against the Sixers with a sore right heel, per Johnson (Twitter link). Donovan has indicated that Bulls medical staffers will examine the heel when the team returns home.
Recently extended Bulls center Nikola Vucevic has also improved of late with LaVine out, but Cowley writes in another piece that the team could begin to look quite different after January 15, when several players inked to offseason deals will become trade-eligible. That is a fact of which Vucevic is keenly aware. At 10-17, the club is currently out of the play-in picture. “We’ve got to start doing this,” Vucevic said. “The last few weeks, yes, it feels like we’re back on track for something positive, but it has to continue. We know we have possibly a limited time, but we’re aware of it. Maybe that awareness is what’s been changing things, too.’’

Trade Rumors: LaVine, Kings, Raptors, Anunoby, Murray

December 18th, 2023 at 12:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Previous reporting indicated that Bulls guard Zach LaVine prefers to end up with the Lakers if he’s traded, but his agent Rich Paul says that’s not the case.

“It’s not one team,” Paul told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I don’t have a specific destination for Zach. I want what’s best for Zach and his family. When you have a guy playing the game, you want him to be able to play the game happy, whether that’s in Chicago or somewhere else.”

Paul pointed out that his agency — Klutch Sports — has players on 24 of the league’s 30 teams. LaVine is currently sidelined with a foot injury that’s expected to keep him out for at least a couple more weeks. The priority for now is to get the two-time All-Star healthy, Paul told Amick.

Here are some more trade rumors from Amick:

The Kings have been linked to Raptors forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby several times in the past, and while their stance might change, the cost of trading for either player might be too exorbitant for Sacramento, according to Amick. As Amick explains, the Kings likely wouldn’t be willing to make a massive offer with both players possibly hitting unrestricted free agency next summer; Siakam is on an expiring contract, while Anunoby is “widely expected” to turn down his 2024/25 player option (which is worth $19.9MM). Amick hears that Anunoby, in particular, “does not appear to be of significant interest” to Sacramento.
His injury and expensive contract long-term contract would almost certainly dampen what they’d willing to offer, but Amick suggests the Kings could be interested in LaVine if the price is right. Sacramento went into the offseason focused on improving its defense, Amick writes, and the team has been pretty successful on that front, going from 24th in ’22/23 to 14th in ’23/24. However, after having the NBA’s best offense last season, the Kings are 14th on that end right now too, and Amick suggests they’re focused on adding more shooting and scoring — LaVine’s best attributes. Sources tell Amick that LaVine would be “very amenable” to teaming up with De’Aaron Fox — another Klutch client — in the Kings’ backcourt. That aligns with a report last month from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Both Amick and Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee confirm the Kings are highly unlikely to trade second-year forward Keegan Murray, who just erupted for a career-high 47 points on Saturday, becoming the first player in NBA history to make 11 consecutive three-pointers in a single game. As Anderson writes, Murray set multiple franchise records in the victory over Utah: Points in a quarter (26), threes made in a quarter (seven) and threes made in a game (12). He finished a remarkable 12-of-15 from long distance.

Bulls Notes: DeRozan, Trade Rumors, Williams, Caruso

December 16th, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

There are a lot of rumors regarding DeMar DeRozan‘s future with the Bulls, but he’s not listening to any of them, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. His agent is trying to work out a contract extension and DeRozan’s name has been included in trade chatter, but he’s keeping his focus entirely on what he needs to do on the court.

“This is work time,” DeRozan said. “I don’t want to hear [bleep], to be honest with you. I’ve been with my agent [Aaron Goodwin] my whole career, and him knowing me like he does, people around me know how I am when it comes down to that kind of stuff. Same thing with family stuff back home. If it isn’t an emergency or something serious, I don’t want to hear about it, I don’t need to know about it.”

A source tells Cowley that negotiations on a new contract are currently stalled, which lines up with a recent report that the sides are “far apart.” President of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is talking to teams that call about DeRozan’s availability, Cowley adds, but he’s not making an effort to trade the veteran forward. Cowley states that Karnisovas’ preference is still to find a taker for Zach LaVine and then assess the remaining roster in hopes of making other deals before the February 8 deadline.

“I understand what comes with having a rough season or rumors, and that speculation is going to come up everywhere,” DeRozan said. “It comes with this profession. Same with my contract. I’ve never demanded or stated, made accusations, ‘I want this, I need this, I deserve this.’ I just go out and play and let the chips fall where they fall. Tend to my teammates and be the best version of myself that I can be. Like I said, the best thing for me is to have that mentality of ‘Don’t bother me, time to go to work.’”

There’s more on the Bulls:

Friday marked the unofficial start of NBA trading season, but Chicago doesn’t appear to be close to making any deals, Cowley adds. “I have not heard anything from Arturas regarding any of our players at all,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Obviously, as you move closer to February, the trade deadline and those types of things, there’ll probably be conversations. Everything has been about how can we help this group get better, improve.”
Patrick Williams officially met the starter criteria by being in the starting lineup for tonight’s game at Miami, giving him an average of 41 starts over the last two seasons, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. That means Williams will be eligible for a $12,973,527 qualifying offer next summer instead of $7,744,601, and the Bulls can make him a restricted free agent by tendering the QO.
Alex Caruso is sitting out tonight’s game with a sprained left ankle, but it’s not expected to be a long-term concern, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). “Hopefully a few days clears it up. We don’t anticipate him missing any major time,” Donovan said.

Bulls Sign Henri Drell, Waive Justin Lewis

December 16th, 2023 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

5:00pm: The moves are official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

2:22pm: The Bulls have agreed to sign forward Henri Drell to a two-way contract, his agent Matt Bollero tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

In order to open up a two-way slot for Drell, Chicago is waiving forward Justin Lewis, according to Charania (Twitter link).

Drell, 23, is a 6’9″ Estonian wing who joined the Windy City Bulls in January 2022 and has now spent parts of three seasons with Chicago’s G League affiliate. In 11 Showcase Cup games for Windy City this fall, he has averaged 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 steals in 28.6 minutes per night, posting a shooting line of .433/.306/.800.

Lewis signed a two-way contract with Chicago in the summer of 2022 after going undrafted out of Marquette, but tore his ACL last August, prompting the team to waive him last fall. He rejoined the Bulls on a new two-year, two-way deal in March and made his debut for Windy City last month.

However, Lewis hasn’t been particularly effective so far this season, averaging just 5.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG on .333/.135/.500 shooting in 12 games (25.2 MPG) for Chicago’s NBAGL squad. He hasn’t played at all for the NBA team.

Once the moves are official, Drell will join Adama Sanogo and Onuralp Bitim as the Bulls’ two-way players.