Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: DiVincenzo, Kuminga, George, Johnson, Craig

November 6th, 2022 at 4:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday that injured wing Donte DiVincenzo practiced with the club today, but is not set to return to the floor just yet, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Golden State is targeting its Friday game for a DiVincenzo return, Andrews reports.

Andrews adds (via Twitter) that second-year swingman Jonathan Kuminga is going to join the Warriors’ revised rotation as the defending champs look to rebound from a five-game losing streak that has sunk their early record to 3-7. Andrews notes that Kerr has indicated he will be making other tweaks to the club’s lineups, but did not expound on that.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

With starting Suns power forward Cameron Johnson now out for a while following meniscus surgery, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports examines how his extended absence could impact the rest of the club’s roster. With Phoenix reserve Torrey Craig shifted into the starting lineup, Bourguet contends that the Suns could struggle thanks to a shortened bench and the loss of three-point shooting that arrives in the transition from Johnson to Craig. While Craig is connecting on 40.9% of his triples, he is taking just 2.4 attempts a game. Johnson was nailing 43.1% of his treys on a much more robust 6.4 looks a night.
Craig performed well as head coach Monty Williams‘s choice to replace Johnson in the Suns‘ starting lineup, and appears to be in line for a big uptick in the weeks to come with Johnson out, according to Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. “It’s been good,” Williams said of Craig’s performance. “He’s been thrown into a number of situations with us and I thought his energy [in the team’s 102-82 blowout of the Trail Blazers Saturday] was great.”
Clippers All-Star forward Paul George has stepped up in the absence of injured fellow All-Star Kawhi Leonard, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Leonard has only been able to suit up for two games thus far as he deals with right knee stiffness. In three straight Leonard-less wins, George has averaged 31.2 PPG, 6.1 APG and 5.0 RPG.

John Wall Sets Aside Personal Feelings After Game In Houston

November 5th, 2022 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers guard John Wall bounced back strong on Friday night after his revenge game in Houston fizzled out, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Wall admits to being angry that he only played a season-low 15 minutes against the Rockets, who kept him sidelined for all of last season, but he recognizes that it’s bad for the team if he decides to be selfish. “I knew I had to get back to being myself, being the guy this team needs if I’m playing 15 or 24 minutes,” Wall said. “It is what it is. You have to accept that and come with the sacrifice of what this team with different guys got to take and make it on this team.”
In the wake of Cameron Johnson‘s possible meniscus tear and Jae Crowder‘s continued absence, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports identifies some possible trade targets for the Suns to consider. He points to the Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma, the Bucks’ Grayson Allen, the Celtics’ Derrick White, the Raptors’ Thaddeus Young, the Clippers’ Nicolas Batum, the Spurs’ Josh Richardson and Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen as players who might be available in a Crowder deal.

Clippers Notes: Brown, Second Unit, Wall

November 4th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers two-way center Moses Brown had his best game of the season in Wednesday’s win in Houston, racking up 13 points and seven rebounds in just 12 minutes. However, an increased role for Brown may not be a long-term solution to the second unit’s struggles, since head coach Tyronn Lue wants to get more production out of the team’s small, center-less lineups, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.
Although John Wall is considered one of the Clippers‘ veteran leaders, his situation is different than it was in Houston, when he was a mentor to a very young roster, says Law Murray of The Athletic. “We have so many veteran guys here, so I don’t think they need no mentoring,” Wall said, adding that he’s still willing to help out young players like Brown, Brandon Boston Jr., and Moussa Diabate if they have questions for him.

Pacific Notes: Johnson, Leonard, Huerter, Green

November 3rd, 2022 at 9:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New starting Suns power forward Cameron Johnson is undergoing a positive on-court evolution in accordance with his new gig, reports Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.

“Getting more used to that on a night-in, night-out basis, and also finishing the game, man, that’s something that I love doing,” Johnson said of his adjustment to the new responsibilities of the role. “Being in there and being part of that critical thinking on top of high-level basketball portion of the game, it’s a lot of fun.”

Through seven contests for the West’s top-seeded 6-1 Suns, the 6’8″ Phoenix forward is averaging a career-best 14.9 PPG on .457/.440/.727 shooting splits, along with 3.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, and 1.3 SPG.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard only lasted two regular season games before knee issues flared up. L.A. head coach Tyronn Lue has provided a minor update on the state of the five-time All-Star’s health, noting that Leonard is “doing better and moving in a positive direction,” per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). Youngmisuk adds that Leonard will sit out the team’s upcoming two Texas road games. In his two healthy games for the Clippers, Leonard has played limited minutes as a reserve, averaging just 21 MPG.
New Kings shooting guard Kevin Huerter has thus far managed to thrive with Sacramento following an offseason trade from Atlanta, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “My role has the potential to expand a little bit more here,” Huerter said. “Just the way we’re built, the personnel, a lot of that has to do with (Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis), playing through a five man.” The 6’7″ swingman is averaging 18.9 PPG, with a slash line of .506/.518/.789. He is also chipping in 3.9 APG, 2.9 RPG, and 0.6 SPG.
While wondering whether Warriors star power forward Draymond Green would be as special in another team’s system as he has been in an 11-season partnership with Golden State that has yielded four NBA titles, Zach Lowe of ESPN reports that the team has yet to discuss any potential deals for the 32-year-old big man, and at present does not intend to explore trades that would send him out of town. Green, who has a $27.6MM player option for the 2023/24 season, punched teammate Jordan Poole in the face during a practice altercation, and had to spend a portion of the club’s preseason away from the other Warriors. The team opted to extend the contracts of Poole and starting small forward Andrew Wiggins ahead of the 2022/23 season, but did not do so with Green.

Clippers, Thunder Each Fined $25K For Injury Report Violations

November 3rd, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA announced on Thursday (Twitter links) that it has fined the Clippers and Thunder $25K apiece for “violating league injury reporting rules.”

According to the NBA, the Clippers were fined for failing to disclose an accurate availability status for a couple of players recently. They listed Moussa Diabate and Brandon Boston Jr. as unavailable due to a G League assignment prior to their game against the Pelicans on October 30, but both players wound up suiting up for Los Angeles.

As for the Thunder, the league says they “failed to disclose the game availability status of guard Josh Giddey in an accurate and timely manner” prior to Monday’s contest against the Magic. The second-year guard had missed the three previous games, but returned to action on Monday, playing 25 minutes in Oklahoma City’s win.

After dropping four straight games, the Clippers have evened their record at 4-4 following consecutive victories over the Rockets. The Thunder started their season with three straight losses, but now sit with a 4-3 record after winning four in a row.

Kawhi Leonard Out At Least Two More Games

November 1st, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for two more games, with the team deciding that the veteran forward won’t travel to Houston and San Antonio for games on Wednesday and Sunday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Leonard, who continues to deal with stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee, has already missed Los Angeles’ last four games.

“He’s frustrated,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said before Monday’s game vs. Houston. “He wants to be out on the floor and then not being on the floor, and then now he can’t travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor said it’s not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness and what he is going through.”

Although Lue said that Leonard is feeling a little better, it remains unclear whether he’ll be available on Sunday, when the Clippers return from their brief road trip to host Utah.

Morris Upset After New Orleans Loss

October 31st, 2022 at 7:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers enter their game against Houston on Monday with a 2-4 record. They were very displeased with their effort in a 21-point loss to New Orleans in their previous game, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Right now, I think we are just showing up,” forward Marcus Morris said. “And thinking we can win because of the talent we have, because of all the things we have on this team. That’s just not the case.”

Injury Updates: Davis, Ayton, Leonard, Noel

October 31st, 2022 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

One downside to the Lakers‘ first win Sunday night was continuing back pain for Anthony Davis, writes Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Davis, who had been listed as questionable for the game, was grimacing and limping around the court, Hernandez observed. Afterward, he admitted being in a “pretty good amount of pain.”

Davis sat out Friday’s game due to lower back tightness, and his health is a constant concern after playing a combined 76 games over the past two seasons. On Sunday, he told reporters that he doesn’t know what to expect regarding his back from day to day, adding, “It kind of just comes and goes.”

An eight-time All-Star, Davis is crucial to any success the Lakers hope to have this season. He’s averaging 23.8 points and 10.6 rebounds through five games, along with 2.4 steals and 2.0 blocks.

“AD’s impact is not only huge defensively, but also very efficient offensively, giving us possessions at the rim, knocking down the jumper, just all around very efficient tonight,” LeBron James said.

There’s more injury news to pass along:

The Suns are grateful that Deandre Ayton‘s sprained left ankle wasn’t more serious, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Ayton got hurt Friday when he landed on the foot of Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas after taking a jump shot. “When you look at the play, just one of those plays that should’ve been called a foul,” Phoenix coach Monty Williams said. “Just kind of go from there, but for me, I’m just grateful it wasn’t worse. We will look at it in another week to make sure he’s ready to go.”
Injury management continues for Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Leonard sat out Sunday’s loss to the Pelicans to protect his surgically repaired right knee and won’t play tonight against the Rockets. He has only played twice this season, coming off the bench both times, and is averaging 12.5 minutes per game.
There’s a chance Nerlens Noel could make his debut with the Pistons tonight, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Jalen Duren didn’t travel with the team to Milwaukee after rolling his ankle in Sunday’s game, and Marvin Bagley III remains out with an MCL sprain. Coach Dwane Casey has said Noel, who is reconditioning after plantar fasciitis, might be available to play in an emergency.

Clippers Notes: Lue, Leonard, George, Covington

October 29th, 2022 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers are under .500 after three straight losses, but coach Tyronn Lue won’t entertain any thoughts of panic, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “Sky is not falling, or nothing like that,” Lue told reporters before today’s practice.

L.A. has one of the most talented rosters in the league and is considered among the favorites to win the Western Conference. Injuries have factored into the slow start, but Lue’s emphasis is on doing basic things correctly, regardless of who’s on the court.

“My message is just play the right way, create good habits,” he said. “You are not going to win every game, but we got to play better and we understand that. But my biggest thing is just creating good habits. If we do it on both sides of the basketball, we will be fine.”

The Clippers are coming off consecutive losses to the rebuilding Thunder, which is concerning in what could be a tight race for the top spot in the West. However, the players understand there are a lot of games left to turn things around.

“Obviously, we want to win and every game is important for us,” Luke Kennard said. “We want to be a high seed in the West at the end of the regular season. So, I think if we have that sense of urgency right now, taking it one game at a time, it’s going to help us with that. But at the same time, like I said, with guys kind of being in and out, you still have to be patient and just trust in what we’re doing and what we’re kind of building here.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

Kawhi Leonard will sit out his third straight game Sunday as part of injury management for his surgically repaired right knee, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Leonard felt stiffness in the knee during the morning shootaround before Tuesday’s game at Oklahoma City. He returned to L.A. for treatment and didn’t play on Thursday. Sunday’s game will be the first of a back-to-back, and Leonard has said he probably won’t play both games in those situations.
Paul George admits his “window is shrinking” to be an NBA champion, so he’s determined to make the most of this opportunity, Youngmisuk adds in a separate story. “I’m more focused than I ever been,” said George, who’s in his 13th NBA season. “You talk about locked in, I am locked into this year. I mean that’s what you’re going to get, a leader and just whatever it takes. That’s always been my attitude and the spirit I carry. I’m prepared and understand what the assignment is this year. Winning it all.”
Robert Covington has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss Sunday’s game, Turner tweets.

2023 NBA Draft Pick Swaps To Monitor

October 28th, 2022 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s far too early in the 2022/23 NBA season to look at the standings and draw sweeping conclusions about which teams are headed for the postseason and which are lottery-bound.

Still, Victor Wembanyama‘s impending arrival casts a long shadow over this season — having even an outside shot at landing the best NBA prospect since LeBron James may prompt some struggling teams to pivot to tank mode midway through the year rather than pushing for a play-in spot.

Since any prolonged slump could make a team’s fans wonder if tanking for Wembanyama is the smart play, it’s worth noting up front which clubs would and wouldn’t realistically have a shot at him if they finish in the lottery. A team could go 0-82 and still have a 0% chance of drafting Wembanyama if that team has already traded away its unprotected 2023 first-round pick.

Here are a few of the unprotected draft-pick swaps and trades worth keeping in mind as the 2022/23 season progresses:

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have faced a challenging set of opponents during their 0-4 start and seem likely to bounce back sooner or later, at least to some extent. But if you’ve watched the team look inconsistent and out of sorts on offense while making three-pointers at a record-low rate, you can’t be blamed for wondering if it might be in the franchise’s best interest to tank for a shot at Wembanyama and reload for next season, when Russell Westbrook‘s $47MM cap hit comes off the books.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, that’s not an option. As part of the Anthony Davis trade, the Lakers gave the Pelicans the ability to swap first-round picks in 2023. So if the Lakers miss the postseason and win the draft lottery, that No. 1 overall pick would go to New Orleans, not L.A.

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets haven’t looked much better than the Lakers so far this season. They’re off to a 1-4 start and have the NBA’s worst defense (120.2 defensive rating), with new addition Ben Simmons looking uncomfortable on the court. Again, it’s unlikely they’ll play this poorly all season, but if things continue to go downhill, would tanking be an option for the Nets?

Brooklyn’s draft-pick situation is an unusual one. Theoretically, the Nets could secure the No. 1 pick in 2023, but only if Philadelphia misses the playoffs and wins the draft lottery, since Brooklyn controls the Sixers‘ pick.

The Rockets have the ability to swap their own first-rounder with the Nets’ pick, so if Brooklyn finishes in the lottery and the Sixers don’t, the highest pick the Nets could get would be No. 2 overall (if they and the Rockets earned the top two spots via the lottery).

Given that the Rockets are a good bet to be at or near the bottom of the NBA’s standings, a poor season from the Nets would still probably ensure a strong draft pick, even if they have to swap picks — but it wouldn’t give them a shot at Wembanyama.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 1-4 Sixers haven’t looked right so far this season, especially defensively. There’s too much talent on the roster for them to continue losing games at this rate, but it’s worth noting that they won’t have their first-round pick at all in 2023. That first-rounder will be sent to the Nets, unless it’s worse than Brooklyn’s and Houston’s picks, in which case it will be rerouted to the Jazz.

Los Angeles Clippers

Like their Crypto.com Arena cohabitants, the Clippers have a first-round pick in 2023, but it’s not guaranteed to be their own. As part of the Paul George trade, L.A. gave the Thunder the ability to swap first-rounders in 2023.

The odds of the Thunder finishing ahead of the Clippers in this year’s standings are virtually nil, but this swap is still worth mentioning on the heels of Oklahoma City defeating L.A. in consecutive games this week. Both teams are currently 2-3.

Minnesota Timberwolves/Milwaukee Bucks

The Timberwolves and Bucks have both traded away their 2023 first-round picks without protections. Minnesota’s pick is headed to the Jazz, while Milwaukee’s will be sent to the Rockets.

If the Wolves and Bucks live up to their expectations this year, those picks should land somewhere in the 20s and be well removed from the Wembanyama sweepstakes.

The rest

Several more 2023 first-round picks will likely change hands next spring, but all of the rest of the traded picks for ’23 have some form of protection on them. For instance, Chicago’s 2023 first-rounder will likely be sent to the Magic, but it has top-four protection, so if they were to win the draft lottery, the Bulls would keep that pick.

A full list of the traded 2023 first-round picks can be found right here.