Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Will Try Bringing Westbrook Off Bench In Preseason Finale

October 14th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers will have Russell Westbrook come off the bench in their preseason finale against the Kings on Friday night, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin, who say that lineup decision could carry over into the regular season, depending on how it goes.

As ESPN’s duo explains, the Lakers believe Westbrook could be a better fit as the “quarterback” of the second unit, which would allow him to have the ball in his hands more.

The former MVP and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham have had talks throughout the offseason about the possibility of him playing a Sixth Man role, and revisited that discussion on Thursday, sources tell Wojnarowski and McMenamin.

Westbrook struggled last season in his first year as a Laker, and is still trying to establish chemistry with stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. When all three players are on the court together, L.A. generally wants its offense to run more through James and Davis, so moving Westbrook to the second unit could give him a better chance to thrive — the team envisions him playing “faster and freer” in that role, per ESPN’s report.

Westbrook hasn’t come off the bench since early in his rookie season in 2008, having started over 1,000 consecutive regular season games since then.

The Lakers are experimenting with a number of different starting lineups during the preseason as they try to find the best fits for James and Davis. With Westbrook coming off the bench on Friday, Los Angeles will be using its sixth starting lineup in six games.

Here are a couple more notes on the Lakers and their point guards:

Westbrook brushed off a pair of viral videos that appeared to show him not joining his Lakers teammates in on-court huddles and dismissed the idea that there’s any discord in the team’s ranks, as McMenamin writes at ESPN.com. “Honestly I’m just trying to compete and do my job. Everything, videos, get nitpicked. You can cut any video and make anything you want out of it,” Westbrook said. “It’s not up to me to be able to judge that. I know I’m a genuine team player. I’ve never had a problem being with my teammates, so I’m going to continue doing what I’ve been doing.”
Lakers guard Dennis Schröder is dealing with a finger injury and his status for next week’s regular season opener is up in the air, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Schröder won’t play vs. Sacramento on Friday as he undergoes more testing on the finger. The injury is on Schröder’s right hand, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, who says (via Twitter) doctors are still determining whether the veteran can play through the injury or if it will need more time to heal.

L.A. Notes: Walker, Lakers, Davis, Clippers, Batum

October 13th, 2022 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers swingman Lonnie Walker, who earned a second consecutive start on Wednesday, sustained a “mild” left ankle sprain in the third quarter, per head coach Darvin Ham. Walker will be reevaluated on Thursday, but he’s not experiencing any swelling or overt pain, a source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

The Lakers, having started Walker and Patrick Beverley on Wednesday alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, continue to search for the right starting lineup fit as the preseason winds down, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

“We get an opportunity to throw some stuff at the wall and see what sticks,” Ham said prior to the game. “We already know our three main guys — Russ, Bron, AD. Those guys as well are getting used to playing with one another. That was very limited last year. So we look at it as an opportunity to just shake the rug and just shake things up and see what makes sense once it all starts to come together.”

The Lakers will play one more preseason game on Friday before next Tuesday’s regular season opener.

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

Anthony Davis still prefers to play power forward, but is willing to start and finish games at center if that’s what the Lakers and Ham ask of him. “I trust Coach’s decision,” Davis said on Wednesday (Twitter link via McMenamin). “I mean, I’m pretty sure he heard AD wants to play the four, so he knows where I stand, but at the end of the day, I want to win, so if that’s me playing the five, that’s what it’s got to be.“
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said he thought going into Wednesday’s game that he knew who would start at point guard, but he’s less certain about that spot after being displeased with how the team opened the game (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). Starting point guard Reggie Jackson had just one point in 12 minutes, while John Wall had eight points and four assists in 10 minutes off the bench.
In an interview on the French television channel Canal+ (video link), Clippers forward Nicolas Batum spoke about the mental health challenges he has faced during his NBA career, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Batum, whose father died of an aneurysm at age 31, was diagnosed with a heart issue before he entered the NBA and worried about his own health and family. “I was convinced the same would happen to me and that I was going to leave my family,” he said. “I asked my wife to not come to the games because I did want to see them in the stands.”

Nate Pierre-Louis Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Lakers

October 11th, 2022 at 6:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Nate Pierre-Louis has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Lakers, Adam Zagoria of NJ.com tweets.

Pierre-Louis was a member of Los Angeles’ Summer League squad and appeared in seven games. He averaged 4.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 16.1 minutes in those contests.

He played for the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, last season and started 28 of 32 games. He averaged 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 32 appearances.

He’ll likely be waived soon, then return to the South Bay club with the possibility of earning a bonus up to $50K if he sticks with that team for at least 60 days.

Pierre-Louis played three seasons at Temple and went undrafted in 2020.

The Lakers waived Bryce Hamilton to create an opening on the 20-man roster for Pierre-Louis, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. Hamilton’s next step is probably South Bay as well.

Hollinger Previews The Lakers' Season

October 11th, 2022 at 3:09pm CST by Rory Maher

In another article for The Athletic, Hollinger previews the Lakers‘ 2022/23 season. He thinks that Kendrick Nunn‘s return to action will be a boon for L.A., and believes they made some decent moves around the edges, but a lot of things will have to go right for them to return to contention. Hollinger predicts the Lakers will go 40-42 this season and finish as the ninth seed in the West.

Lakers Notes: Schröder, Davis, Wembanyama

October 10th, 2022 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dennis Schröder claims he never declined a four-year, $80MM offer from the Lakers during his first stint with the club, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

“There never was a contract, never rejected anything,” said Schröder, who signed a one-year, $2.64MM contract last month. “I don’t know who brought it up, but that’s the media, you know? But at the end of the day, no contract and I’m just happy to be here. Like you said, unfinished business and we just got to take care of the stuff and win a chip [championship]. That’s, I think, the goal, and other than that, with the contract, that’s not true. “

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN notes, it’s likely a case of semantics. When L.A. broached a conversation about an extension in February 2021, Schröder’s reps said they would rather wait until the offseason to discuss a contract. In other words, the Lakers were presumably willing to put a lucrative extension offer on the table, but may not have been given the chance to formally do so.

Schröder, who wound up signing a one-year, $5.9MM deal with Boston in 2021, hopes he’ll get another contract offer from the Lakers.

“Of course, it would be great to sign a big deal and a longer-term deal, and that’s my goal still,” he said. “But the end of the day, we are here now and I’m going to do everything I can right now to just help my teammates win ballgames.”

We have more on the Lakers:

Schröder practiced for the first time on Monday and will see a few minutes of action in Wednesday’s preseason game against Minnesota. He looks forward to fighting for minutes with Patrick Beverley, Turner writes. “I’ve played against him a couple of times. I seen today already he’s a little different, and I mean, I like it,” he said. “We all competitors, and we try to get after it.”
Will Anthony Davis start at power forward or center? New coach Darvin Ham said that Davis playing the ‘five’ spot is a real possibility, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register tweets. As Ham put it, it’s “definitely on the table.”
The stir caused by probable 2023 top pick Victor Wembanyama could benefit the Lakers, Goon opines. Non-contenders may be more willing to move quality veteran players. Salary matching with Russell Westbrook’s $47.1MM contract would still be a challenge but potential trade partners might be less demanding regarding Los Angeles’ 2027 and 2029 first-rounders.

Lakers Waive LJ Figueroa, Sign Bryce Hamilton

October 10th, 2022 at 2:36pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have waived wing LJ Figueroa and signed undrafted guard Bryce Hamilton to replace him on the 20-man training camp roster, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). ESPN’s Dave McMenamin notes (via Twitter) that Hamilton will be on a training camp contract.

Hamilton, who turns 22 next month, went undrafted in June after four seasons at UNLV. He had a productive college career, having earned a spot on three consecutive All-Mountain West Conference teams. Hamilton averaged 21.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.2 APG on .430/.346/.768 shooting in 32 games (32.3 MPG) as a senior last season. He most recently played for the Heat during Summer League.

Figueroa spent his first two college seasons with St. John’s before transferring to Oregon for the 2020/21 season. The 24-year-old went undrafted in 2021 and signed a training camp deal with the Warriors, was waived, and then spent his first pro season with Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, averaging 16.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 SPG on .494/.323/.781 shooting in 32 games (23 starts, 27.6 MPG). He suited up for the Hornets in Summer League.

While the terms of the contracts for Figueroa and Hamilton were not disclosed, it seems likely that both deals included Exhibit 10 language, which would make them each eligible for a $50K bonus if they spend at least 60 days with the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ NBA GL affiliate. Spears confirms (via Twitter) that Hamilton is expected to be waived before the regular season and start his pro career in the G League.

Lakers Notes: Davis, James, Westbrook, Brown, Ryan

October 10th, 2022 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

With Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook sitting out at least two games apiece so far this preseason, the Lakers have yet to get an extended look at their three stars together. The trio was available in the first preseason contest last Monday, but Davis missed the next two before returning on Sunday, while James and Westbrook have rested for the last two games.

Injuries often prevented Davis, James, and Westbrook from sharing the court last season, but head coach Darvin Ham isn’t worried about his stars not getting enough time together before opening night. As Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times writes, Ham said that the team is sticking to its plan and that the rotations in the final two games of the preseason will look more like what we should expect in the regular season.

Davis, who was dealing with some lower back tightness last week, looked good in his return on Sunday vs. Golden State, pouring in 28 points in 21 minutes en route to a 124-121 win. As Woike observes, it was the Lakers’ first preseason victory since 2020.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Within the same story, Woike notes that Troy Brown, signed as a free agent in July, is unlikely to be available for the start of the regular season due to a back injury. “He’s right on schedule with what he’s supposed to be doing,” Ham said. “When we do get him back…we’re excited about him. He was having a great summer before he hurt his back.”
Camp invitee Matt Ryan had a big game for the Lakers on Sunday, knocking down six three-pointers and scoring 20 points. “He may have gotten himself a job today,” Ham said after the game (Twitter link via Woike).
As Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report tweets, the Lakers have 12 players on standard guaranteed contracts, and Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel look like safe bets to make the team on non-guaranteed deals. That would leave the 15th regular season roster spot available for Ryan, assuming L.A. is willing to increase its projected tax bill by carrying a 15th man to start the regular season.

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Davis, Pelinka, Harrison

October 8th, 2022 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook didn’t change teams this offseason, but he’s adjusting to a new coaching staff for the fourth year in a row, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has promised that his approach will unleash Westbrook’s talents, and the early returns have been encouraging.

“Definitely different – just the ability to be able to get in the open floor, attack with space, take my time,” Westbrook said. “Miss or make, shots will come as the season prolongs. But just get in that rhythm and know that I can get to any spot that I want to and get in-rhythm shots for sure, so far.”

Westbrook is coming off a difficult season that began with a trade from the Wizards to the Lakers, which meant far less time as the primary ball-handler. Westbrook is working to embrace Ham’s vision for him as a screener and a cutter and is hoping to cut down on turnovers after committing 295 last season.

“My speed sometimes speeds me up and lets me get to a place fast,” he said. “But my patience and understanding of my spacing and my spots are important to my efficiency and how I can improve in finishing around the rim, making shots and not rushing.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Anthony Davis was able to practice today after lower back tightness prevented him from playing in Wednesday’s game, Goon adds. The team hasn’t determined if Davis will try to play Sunday against the Warriors. After resolving a visa issue, Dennis Schröder is in Los Angeles and is expected to join the team Monday.
The contract extension for general manager Rob Pelinka was worked out early this offseason, a source tells Sam Amick of The Athletic. Once the decision was made in April to fire head coach Frank Vogel, Lakers management decided to extend Pelinka so his contract would align with the new head coach’s.
After the Lakers signed Shaquille Harrison earlier today, their G League affiliate completed a trade to obtain his returning rights, tweets Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. The South Bay Lakers sent the rights to Mac McClung and Jared Wilson-Frame to the Delaware Blue Coats (the Sixers‘ affiliate) in exchange for the rights to Harrison and Naz Mitrou-Long.

Rob Pelinka Gets Extension Through 2026

October 8th, 2022 at 5:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers have reached an agreement on a multiyear extension with general manager and VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

The extension will take Pelinka through the 2025/26 season, Haynes adds, and it means his contract will expire at the same time as new head coach Darvin Ham’s.

Pelinka has been the team’s general manager since 2017 and was promoted to the VP position in 2020. He was responsible for aggressive moves in the early part of his tenure, including the signing of LeBron James in 2018 and the trade for Anthony Davis a year later. Those additions led to a championship in 2020.

Pelinka is trying to bring about a quick turnaround in L.A. after two straight disappointing years, including an 11th-place finish in the West last season. Pelinka fired Frank Vogel as head coach in April, replacing him with Ham, and convinced James to sign a second extension with the team this summer.

Lakers Waive Bacon, McCoy; Sign Harrison, Figueroa

October 8th, 2022 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have completed a series of roster moves, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived camp invitees Dwayne Bacon and Javante McCoy and filled those newly-opened spots by signing guards Shaquille Harrison and L.J. Figueroa.

McCoy had an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract and could end up joining the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate. However, Bacon’s deal wasn’t an Exhibit 10, so he’ll likely seek out a new opportunity.

The details of Harrison’s and Figueroa’s contracts haven’t been reported, but they’re almost certainly non-guaranteed camp deals as well. Since South Bay previously acquired Figueroa’s returning rights from the Santa Cruz Warriors, he’s likely ticketed for the G League. It’s unclear what the team’s plans are for Harrison, who has appeared in 175 career NBA games, but saw action in just two last season while on a pair of 10-day contracts with Brooklyn.

The Lakers have the maximum allowable 20 players under contract, including 12 on guaranteed deals and two on two-ways. Of the six other players with non-guaranteed salaries, Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel are viewed as the frontrunners to make the regular season roster.