Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Green, Ayton, THT, Clippers

October 12th, 2021 at 10:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr wants All-Defensive First Team power forward Draymond Green to shoot more, writes Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Simmons reports that, ahead of Golden State’s 2021 preseason, Kerr told Green that he hopes the former three-time All-Star can average two or three three-point looks a night. “If you’re open, let it fly,” Kerr said. Green connected on just 27.0% of his 2.0 attempts per night during the 2020/21 season. He has not shot better than 31% from deep since the 2015/16 season.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Suns center Deandre Ayton has expressed his frustration that he has yet to secure a rookie contract extension with Phoenix, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I love Phoenix, but I’m really disappointed that we haven’t gotten a deal done yet,” Ayton said. “I mean we were two wins (away) from a championship (last season) and I just really want to be respected, to be honest. To be respected like my peers are being respected.” Several players among Ayton’s 2018 draft class, including Hawks All-Star point guard Trae Young, Mavericks All-Star point guard Luka Doncic, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nuggets power forward Michael Porter Jr., have been signed to maximum contract extensions this summer. The deadline for Ayton to complete an extension is October 18. Although Ayton initially seemed hopeful to get a deal done ahead of the season, reports last week suggested that talks were at an impasse — a separate report indicated that negotiations were still continuing.
Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker had a surgery to address a right thumb tear, and is set to miss at least the next four weeks of action, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). It was reported that Horton-Tucker injured the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb earlier this week. This is a significant blow for the Lakers’ perimeter depth. The club has high hopes for Horton-Tucker this season, having inked him to a three-year, $32MM contract during the summer.
Clippers forward Marcus Morris and big man Serge Ibaka are set to rejoin the club for their first full-contact practices following injuries suffered during L.A.’s 2021 playoff run, per Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. “This will be his first opportunity to change ends of the floor, play with some contact, trying to get acclimated to what we are trying to do,” head coach Tyronn Lue said of Morris. “Serge is a great man, he’s happy all the time, I think he’s almost back,” starting center Ivica Zubac said of reserve Ibaka.

Winslow A Viable Option At Point Guard For Clippers

October 12th, 2021 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, who said on Monday that he has been impressed by Justise Winslow‘s passing ability, confirmed that he views the former lottery pick as an option at point guard, per Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. “I know he played a little point guard in Miami and with our point guard situation, with Jason (Preston) going down, he’ll be playing a little backup point,” Lue said. “He been playing the four, he’s been playing the five. … so we just gotta keep learning the plays, different positions and I think he’s gonna be really good for us.”

Terance Mann Signs Two-Year Extension With Clippers

October 12th, 2021 at 12:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers have signed guard Terance Mann to a two-year contract extension worth $22MM, according to Marc Spears of ESPN.

Under the agreement, Mann’s $1.9MM option for 2022/23 becomes fully guaranteed and he will make $10.576MM in 2023/24 and $11.423MM in 2024/25, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. A second-round pick in 2019, Mann will earn $1.782MM this season.

The 24-year-old swingman is coming off a productive second season in L.A., averaging 7.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 67 games. He took a major step forward in the playoffs after Kawhi Leonard was injured, including a 39-point performance in a close-out win over the Jazz in the second round.

“It is with tremendous honor and pride that I sign this extension with the Clippers,” Mann said. “The faith and commitment in my development and contribution thus far will provide me the motivation I need as I continue to be a pivotal part of our championship run. I want to thank the front office for this opportunity to remain a part of the Clipper Nation. I would also like to thank my coaches and teammates for believing me and allowing me to grow both on and off the court.”

If Mann hadn’t signed an extension, the Clippers would’ve faced a difficult decision on his team option next summer, since exercising it would’ve put him on track for unrestricted free agency in 2023 — turning it down would’ve allowed the team to negotiate with him as a restricted free agent, but would’ve meant he received a significant pay increase one year earlier.

As a result of the extension agreement, L.A. will get Mann at a bargain rate for an extra year and won’t have to worry about holding off rival suitors in 2023.

Terance Mann Poised To Have Breakout Season

October 10th, 2021 at 7:56pm CST by JD Shaw

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue expressed confidence that rookie guard Jason Preston will succeed once he gets past his rehab, Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register writes.

Clippers guard Terance Mann is poised to have a breakout season with the team, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times opines. Mann is coming off a season where he averaged seven points and 18.9 minutes per game, shooting 51% from the floor and 42% from behind-the-arc.

Lue Wants Vet Running Point At All Times

October 9th, 2021 at 11:05am CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue wants one of his veteran point guards to be on the floor at all times, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Lue will stagger the minutes of Reggie Jackson and Eric Bledsoe to make that happen.

New L.A. Ordinance Might Not Apply To Arena

October 7th, 2021 at 6:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A Staples Center spokesperson claims that Los Angeles’ new ordinance mandating that people must be vaccinated to enter a wide range of indoor venues in the city does not apply to the arena, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. According to the spokesperson, the Staples Center is covered by a previous county health order. Whether or not the new ordinance applies to the arena, it shouldn’t have an impact on the Lakers or Clippers at this point, since both teams are expected to be fully vaccinated when the regular season begins.

Clippers’ Jason Preston Undergoes Right Foot Surgery

October 7th, 2021 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers rookie guard Jason Preston underwent surgery on his right foot on Thursday in Los Angeles, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who hears from sources that Preston is expected to miss a “significant” portion of the 2021/22 season.

The team confirmed the procedure, announcing in a press release that Preston had ligaments in his foot repaired. He’ll miss an “extended” period of time and has no timetable for a return.

It’s a tough blow for the Clippers and for Preston, who was the 33rd overall pick in the 2021 draft and signed a three-year contract with two fully guaranteed seasons. He reportedly sustained the injury in a group workout prior to the start of training camp.

A 6’4″ guard, Preston played his college ball at Ohio University, where he averaged 15.7 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 7.3 RPG in 20 games (34.6 MPG) as a junior in 2020/21. The Clippers are high on his passing skills, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link), and thought he had made strides since playing for the team in Summer League, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

Preston joins Kawhi Leonard as the Clippers players who are expected to miss a substantial chunk of the season.

L.A. Notes: Vaccine Mandate, Clippers’ 15th Man, Lakers, Gasol

October 7th, 2021 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

New York and San Francisco won’t be the only NBA cities with local COVID-19 vaccine mandates in place this season. According to Christopher Weber of The Associated Press, the Los Angeles City Council voted on Wednesday to approve one of the country’s strictest vaccine mandates. The ordinance will bar unvaccinated individuals from many indoor venues – including sports arenas – unless they receive a medical or religious exemption.

According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link), L.A.’s vaccine mandate – which goes into effect in November – will include the same non-resident performer exemption that is included in New York’s and San Francisco’s executive orders. That means, for NBA purposes, the mandate will apply to players on the Lakers and Clippers, but not to visiting players.

Fortunately for the two Los Angeles teams, no players currently on their rosters appears likely to be impacted. Both the Lakers and Clippers indicated during training camp last week that their rosters will be fully vaccinated for the start of the 2021/22 season. Still, the mandate is worth keeping in mind when the L.A. clubs are signing free agents or considering potential trades.

Here’s more out of Los Angeles:

Big men Isaiah Hartenstein and Harry Giles, who are with the Clippers on non-guaranteed contracts, are fighting to earn the team’s final roster spot, and head coach Tyronn Lue has made it clear what he wants to see from them, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. “Defensively, (are) they able to pick up our defense foundation and what we’re trying to do, being in the right spots, being a rim protector?” Lue said on Wednesday. “And offensively just being able to roll, get to the dunker (spot), understand what we’re trying to do offensively, and be able to execute. I think it’s our biggest thing.”
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel would like to settle on a starting lineup for the regular season and not change it from game to game, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Finding that starting five remains a work in progress, with Trevor Ariza‘s ankle injury taking one option off the table.
Now that Pau Gasol has officially retired, the Lakers confirmed this week that they intend to retire his No. 16 jersey, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. The team has yet to announce when that ceremony will take place.
The Lakers are no longer suffering from the post-bubble burnout they experienced last season after such a quick turnaround between their 2020 championship and subsequent training camp, Goon writes for The Orange County Register. “There isn’t that ‘I can’t believe we’re starting training camp already’ cloud over us (now),” Vogel said. “That was real and it stayed with us throughout the year.”

Clippers Notes: Ibaka, Boston, Winslow, Outlook

October 5th, 2021 at 8:28am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers center Serge Ibaka, who is coming off back surgery, was cleared for contact on Monday, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register.

“He’s doing good,” Lue said. “We’re gonna ease him in as slow as possible and make sure he’s healthy and that’s a good sign for us. Hopefully, he’s able to get back on track (get on the floor) and take some contact.”

Ibaka was the Clippers’ starting center when he was healthy last season, but with his exact timeline for a return still unclear, Ivica Zubac figures to handle that role for the foreseeable future.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Rookie shooting guard Brandon Boston Jr., the 51st overall pick in the 2021 draft, may not have a regular rotation role during the regular season, but he was part of L.A.’s starting lineup during his preseason debut on Monday. As Swanson writes, Boston was “super excited” about the opportunity. “It’s actually crazy, I’m not going to lie,” Boston said after the game. “There are only 450 of us that are here, so just making the best of it while I’m here. Doing the right thing, doing the little things I need to do and just attacking it every day.”
As long as Justise Winslow can stay healthy, the Clippers envision using him in a variety roles, ranging from a backup point guard to a small-ball center, writes Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. “He showed us a lot in this last week and a half, two weeks,” Lue said, noting that he has been impressed by Winslow’s defensive versatility and his ability to start the fast break off a rebound.
John Hollinger of The Athletic isn’t particularly bullish on the Clippers’ outlook this season, forecasting a 38-44 record for the team, good for 10th in the West. Hollinger’s projection for the Clippers is based on an assumption that Kawhi Leonard won’t play at all this season, and he acknowledges that the club’s ceiling will be considerably higher if Leonard is able to return in the spring.

Pacific Notes: George, Kings, Wiggins, Lakers

October 3rd, 2021 at 9:15am CST by Arthur Hill

Paul George will see an increased workload this year, but it may not start with Monday’s preseason opener, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. As George enters the first year of his contract extension, the Clippers will count on him to provide more scoring, defense and leadership with Kawhi Leonard possibly out for the season. However, coach Tyronn Lue hasn’t decided who will play in the first preseason game, saying he wants to talk to “a couple of our guys and just kind of see how they feel.”

George, who dealt with a bruised bone in his right foot during the second half of last season, pronounced himself “pretty healthy” at Saturday’s practice. He told reporters that he took “a lot of time” away from basketball during the summer in anticipation of his increased workload.

George has also become more of a team leader, working out with several teammates during the offseason.

“I’ve grown in that area, just from the standpoint of being a little more vocal, and just wanting to be involved, wanting to put things together,” George said. “I definitely see myself growing in that area. But, again, all of it really came down to it just being organic. Fact of the matter, I like missed being around this group.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Kings coach Luke Walton is reviewing his options for a starting lineup ahead of his team’s preseason opener Monday, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, Richaun Holmes and Harrison Barnes appear set, according to Anderson, so Walton’s decision will likely come down to whether he wants to start Buddy Hield in a three-guard approach or Marvin Bagley III in a more traditional set. Walton’s options stem from Barnes’ ability to handle either forward position. “There are definitely scenarios where (Barnes) could start at the 3 or the 4,” Walton said. “He’s one of those players that has the ability to do both of those things. He’s a matchup nightmare when he’s at the 4 and him and De’Aaron are able to play that 1-4 pick-and-roll, peel-out game, and he’s strong enough to guard a lot of 4s, so that’s definitely a possibility.”
Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle examines whether Andrew Wiggins‘ vaccine decision could derail the Warriors‘ hopes of being title contenders. Wiggins missed Saturday’s practice with an undisclosed illness, and coach Steve Kerr said there was nothing new to report on his vaccination status.
Former WNBA player Shay Murphy has joined the Lakers as a coaching associate, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.