Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Sign Andre Drummond

March 28th, 2021 at 8:17pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

8:17pm: The Lakers have officially signed Andre Drummond, the team announced on social media.

12:54pm: Coveted free agent center Andre Drummond plans to sign with the reigning champion Lakers after he clears waivers today at 4 pm CT, his agent Jeff Schwartz has informed Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

As we relayed yesterday, Woj previously reported that the Lakers were a “strong frontrunner” to ink the veteran big man. Drummond also met with the Celtics, a club in the market for a Daniel Theis replacement after moving their starting center in a cost-cutting deal.

The 6’10” Drummond, a two-time All-Star during his tenure with the Pistons, should immediately get the starting nod ahead of erratic current starter Marc Gasol and undersized reserve center Montrezl Harrell, Woj noted in a since-updated story previewing Drummond’s interest in the Lakers yesterday.

After spending portions of two seasons in Cleveland, Drummond reached a buyout agreement on Friday with the Cavaliers, who are prioritizing young new center Jarrett Allen. Across 25 games with the Cavs this season, Drummond averaged 17.5 PPG and 13.5 RPG.

Given the Lakers’ salary situation, the deal can only be at the veteran’s minimum this year. But a starting nod and robust rebounding numbers on a club expected to contend for a repeat title could be a terrific opportunity for the 27-year-old Drummond to prove his mettle and make a case for a longer-term contract this summer.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report observes (via Twitter) that there is “not a real obvious path” to an ample future long-term agreement with the Lakers. The team will have Drummond’s Non-Bird rights at season’s end, but the ability to offer a raise using those rights will be extremely limited.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers “Strong Frontrunner” To Sign Andre Drummond

March 27th, 2021 at 6:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are considered a “strong frontrunner” to sign center Andre Drummond when he clears waivers, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The team’s star players have been trying to convince Drummond to join them and he is close to making a decision, according to sources (Twitter link).

Drummond finalized a buyout with the Cavaliers on Friday and will officially clear waivers on Sunday evening.

The Lakers can’t give Drummond more than the veteran’s minimum, but they have a starting job to offer as well as a chance to compete for a title. He has only been to the playoffs twice in his nine NBA seasons.

Drummond met recently with the Celtics, who are also a contender for his services. Boston is in the market for help at center after trading Daniel Theis on Thursday.

The Knicks pulled out of the Drummond sweepstakes, deciding against getting into a bidding war, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. With $15MM in cap space, New York is in position to make Drummond the best offer, but the Knicks have decided to use those resources elsewhere.

Berman states that team officials have been watching film on Drummond to determine how he would fit alongside Julius Randle and whether he would be worth the investment if it means taking Mitchell Robinson out of the starting lineup. The Knicks decided they’re set at center with Robinson, Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson providing a solid defensive presence.

New York could still be active on the buyout market, a source tells Berman. Point guard Jeff Teague, who was waived today by the Magic, played for Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. Other names to watch are small forward Otto Porter, who was traded to the Magic on Thursday and still remains with the team, and center Gorgui Dieng, who was waived Friday by the Grizzlies.

Anthony Davis Cleared To Advance On-Court Work

March 27th, 2021 at 1:54pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers superstar Anthony Davis has been cleared to advance his on-court activities after undergoing an evaluation on Friday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Davis hasn’t played in nearly six weeks due to a calf strain and tendinosis in his right leg.

“I mean, the truth is he gets evaluated every day,” head coach Frank Vogel said of Davis, as relayed by McMenamin. “You know what I mean? He does work, they treat him, they evaluate him. We’re in the middle of a ramp-up. But he’s still a ways away, so nothing concrete from a days [until return] standpoint right now.”

The advancements for Davis include “increased volume and intensity in shooting, dribbling, and position-specific drills,” a team spokesperson said. On the season, he’s averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 32.8 minutes per game, shooting 53% from the floor and 29% from three-point range.

The Lakers are also dealing with the loss of LeBron James, who’s expected to miss another three-to-five weeks due to a high ankle sprain. The team is 5-5 in its last 10 games and currently holds the fourth-best record in the Western Conference at 29-17.

Raptors Notes: Lowry, Ujiri, Bembry, Watson

March 26th, 2021 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

During the hours leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca tweeted that the Sixers and Raptors appeared to be “at the one-yard line” in their discussions on a Kyle Lowry trade. Obviously, those talks didn’t make it into the end zone and Lowry ended up staying put. But Sam Amick of The Athletic hears that Toronto did feel at one point as if a deal with Philadelphia was close.

According to Amick, the deal would have included Danny Green, who would’ve been re-routed to a third team. It’s a safe bet that at least one of Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle would have been part of the package too. However, the draft compensation involved in the proposed trade was the obstacle that held things up, a source tells Amick.

Following up today on the Lowry discussions, Grange says (via Twitter) that the Sixers knew Miami was Lowry’s preferred landing spot, so they had to view him as a possible rental. That limited what they were willing to offer beyond Maxey, Grange adds. The Lakers were in a similar boat with Talen Horton-Tucker, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, while the Heat were unwilling to offer Tyler Herro for a player they could theoretically sign in free agency this summer.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

While the Raptors didn’t trade Lowry at the deadline, it’s hard to shake the sense that more drastic changes could be coming as soon as this offseason, Grange writes for Sportsnet.ca. While Lowry could sign a new contract with Toronto, it seems just as likely that he could head elsewhere, possibly in a sign-and-trade deal.
Like Lowry, Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is also on an expiring contract, and while he spoke glowingly about the franchise on Thursday, he gave no indication that an in-season extension is around the corner. “We’ll visit this at the end of the season at some point,” Ujiri said of his contract with Toronto, per Grange.
During his media session on Thursday, Ujiri addressed the idea that the Raptors’ asking price for Lowry was too high: “I was surprised (the offers) weren’t better because, to be honest, I’ve viewed him as somebody that can go out and put a stamp on what you can do this year. … I’ve lived it, I’ve seen it… I know what the guy does. I know who he is. And that’s the truth. So, yeah, we’re going to (be) skewed in some kind of way and I’m biased in many ways with the players we have and I hope I’m pardoned that if I valued him too much, but that’s what I believe in today.”
Raptors reserves DeAndre’ Bembry and Paul Watson have entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and won’t play on Friday night, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

Lakers Notes: Drummond, Schröder, Davis, Gasol

March 26th, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

After a quiet trade deadline, the Lakers will shift their focus to the buyout market, according to Mark Medina of USA Today, who takes a closer look at the team’s pursuit of big men such as Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge.

While a Thursday night report from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports confirmed that the Lakers will get an opportunity to talk to both players, Aldridge is believed to be leaning toward the Heat, according to multiple reports. If so, the Lakers figure to zero in on Drummond, and executives around the league believe L.A. is the frontrunner to land the big man after he finalizes a buyout with Cleveland.

Appearing on ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin Show on Friday morning (video link), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that a number of Lakers players have already been making an effort to recruit Drummond, who could potentially slide right into a starting role in Los Angeles.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Lakers guard Dennis Schröder strongly hinted that he plans to reach free agency rather than signing an in-season extension, telling reporters on Thursday that while he wants to stick with the Lakers, he also wants to “see my options” (Twitter link via Bill Oram of The Athletic). A Thursday report stated that the Lakers and Schröder remain far apart in extension negotiations.
While he didn’t specifically confirm Shams Charania’s Thursday report that said Anthony Davis (calf) will miss at least two more weeks, head coach Frank Vogel said last night that Davis is “still a ways away,” tweets Medina.
Upon returning to the Lakers this week, Marc Gasol detailed his recent bout with COVID-19, admitting that the virus seriously affected him, as Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register writes. “I had a little bit of headaches, but I’m like, ‘Well, hopefully I’m going to be pretty much asymptomatic,'” Gasol said. “And then when it hits you, it hits you really hard, at least for me.”
The Lakers allowed fans into Staples Center for the first time on Thursday night, albeit on a small scale. The team received permission from local health officials to have 50 fans in the arena, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Candidates Emerge For Aldridge, Drummond

March 26th, 2021 at 12:41am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Recently bought-out free agent big man LaMarcus Aldridge is set to chat with several reputable playoff contenders soon. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets that the Heat, Lakers, Clippers and Nets are all expected to have a chance to woo the 35-year-old former All-Star.

A report earlier today suggested there was “increasing momentum” toward Aldridge ending up in Miami, and Haynes confirmed the Heat are the favorites, but it sounds like no decision has been made yet.

Before the Spurs agreed to shut him down ahead of a trade or buyout, Aldridge had lost his starting center role to Jakob Poeltl in his least productive season since his rookie year. He is averaging 13.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG across 21 games this season.

Aldridge is not the only decorated veteran big man looking for new digs. Haynes tweets that former All-Star center Andre Drummond, still working towards his own buyout with the Cavaliers, will talk with some of the same clubs as he considers his own next steps. The Knicks, Celtics, Hornets, Lakers, and Clippers are the teams that will have an audience with the 27-year-old former All-Star.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer tweets that “a lot of uncertainty” surrounds this next move for Drummond. Several of these clubs can offer vastly different roles and salaries based on their current rosters and cap situations.

Drummond, averaging a stellar 17.5 PPG and 13.5 RPG for Cleveland, seems likely to enjoy the best combination of money and opportunity on the Knicks and Hornets. The Hornets especially have long needed a major upgrade at center. However, the Lakers have been viewed as the frontrunner for the big man.

Lakers Rumors: Lowry, Schröder, THT, Caruso, Gasol

March 25th, 2021 at 7:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers were open to dealing point guard Dennis Schröder and longtime wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for veteran Raptors guard Kyle Lowry ahead of today’s trade deadline, but were resistant to including ascendant shooting guard Talen Horton-Tucker in a deal, according to Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic.

Buha and Oram note that Schroder, KCP, and “some draft compensation” were being discussed in exchange for the six-time Toronto All-Star. Los Angeles team president Rob Pelinka apparently balked at including Horton-Tucker, a promising 20-year-old second-year combo guard.

The Lakers continue to negotiate a possible long-term contract extension with starting point guard Schröder, currently earning $15.5MM in the last season of an expiring four-year deal, but remain far apart in those talks. The 27-year-old veteran is hoping to net at least $20MM annually, according to Buha and Oram, who note that this price tag contributed to the front office being open to moving Schröder in a deal for Lowry.

The Lakers’ willingness to trade valuable two-way swingman Caldwell-Pope appear to be about prioritizing re-signing Horton-Tucker and point guard Alex Caruso during the 2021 offseason. A league source tells Buha and Oram that both players could garner deals worth the full mid-level exception, which projects to be worth more than $9.5MM next season.

With Schröder now sticking with LA through the trade deadline, sources tell Buha and Oram that the club hopes to re-sign the point guard this summer, too.

The Lakers currently still have two open roster spots, and are going to use the buyout market to acquire new additions heading into the home stretch of the season. Los Angeles appears to be one of the top finalists in the race to acquire 27-year-old Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, a two-time All-Star, once he finalizes his expected buyout with Cleveland. In addition to a veteran center, Buha and Oram anticipate that the Lakers will seek a defensive-oriented free agent swingman for their other available roster position.

In other Lakers news, starting center Marc Gasol will be back on the court for the injury-depleted club tonight against the Sixers, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The veteran big man will only be allowed to play about 15 minutes tonight during his first game action this month, after being placed in the NBA’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols.

Buyout Rumors: Drummond, Porter, Wall, Ellington, Nuggets

March 25th, 2021 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The buyout market for Andre Drummond is expected to center around the Lakers and Knicks, says Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Reports earlier this week indicated that executives around the NBA widely view the Lakers as the favorites to land Drummond, given the team’s ability to offer him an immediate role and an opportunity to compete for a title.

However, the Knicks are an interesting wild card, since their leftover cap room would allow them to offer Drummond a multiyear contract worth eight figures annually without having to wait until the summer.

Drummond’s buyout agreement with Cleveland is in the works, while LaMarcus Aldridge‘s with the Spurs is already a done deal. Here are a few more notes and rumors on the buyout market:

Multiple teams are keeping an eye on Otto Porter as a potential buyout candidate following the trade that will send him from Chicago to Orlando, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). However, the Magic‘s plan for now is to hang onto Porter, a source tells Haynes.
The Rockets and John Wall aren’t discussing a buyout, league sources tell Haynes (Twitter link). Wall has two years and $91.6MM left on his contract after this season, so it would’ve been a shock if the two sides were already looking at a possible buyout.
After retaining Wayne Ellington through the trade deadline, the Pistons have no plans to buy out the veteran sharpshooter, says Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link) expects the Nuggets to take a long look at the buyout market, especially if an appealing shooting guard becomes available.

Latest On LeBron’s Recovery Timeline

March 25th, 2021 at 4:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

There’s more clarity on a recovery timeline for Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James as he deals with a high-ankle sprain. Shams Charania of Stadium reports (video link) that James “has an expected four-to-six week recovery period” from the time of his initial injury in a 99-94 loss against the Hawks last weekend, meaning he is about three-to-five weeks away as of this writing.

Charania adds that James’s still-ailing colleague, fellow Lakers All-Star forward Anthony Davis, is at least two weeks away from returning to the floor for Los Angeles. Davis has been sidelined for the past five weeks with a right calf strain.

When Charania initially commented on a timeline for the high-ankle injury, a more open-ended multiple-week absence was anticipated.

Prior to the injury, James had been gunning for his fifth MVP award, and his first since 2013, during a stellar year with the Lakers. James is averaging 25.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 7.9 APG, with a solid slash line of .513/.368/.703, across 41 contests during this truncated season.

The Lakers are clinging to the No. 4 seed at present in the crowded West, but have lost three straight games since LeBron went down (including the game during which he got hurt).

At 28-16, Los Angeles is currently two games ahead of the fifth-seeded Nuggets, who just ordered reinforcements during today’s trade deadline. The Lakers are six games ahead of the No. 10 seed in the West, the 22-22 Warriors.

Trade Rumors: Lowry, Knicks, Ball, Suns, Nuggets

March 25th, 2021 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Kyle Lowry‘s future is the focus around the NBA right now, Shams Charania said on Stadium’s live trade deadline show on Twitter.

According to Charania, the Raptors remain seriously engaged with the Heat and Lakers, having been offered packages headed by Duncan Robinson (Miami) or Dennis Schröder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (L.A.). Toronto is pushing for the inclusion of Tyler Herro or Talen Horton-Tucker in any deal with the Heat or Lakers, says Charania.

Charania adds that the Heat are believed to be Lowry’s preferred destination.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Knicks have remained engaged with the Pelicans today about a possible Lonzo Ball trade, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York is also receiving inquiries on center Mitchell Robinson, according to Begley, though it’s not clear if the team is open at all to moving Robinson.
As of earlier this afternoon, the Suns weren’t close to making any deals, and all signs pointed to them standing pat at the deadline, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
The Nuggets are likely done dealing after agreeing to trades for Aaron Gordon and JaVale McGee, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post.