Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Rumors: Howard, Lakers, Carmelo, Cousins, Kanter, More

November 21st, 2020 at 1:58am CST by Luke Adams

Before he agreed to a deal with the Sixers on Friday night, Dwight Howard posted a message on his Twitter account indicating that he would be re-signing with the Lakers.

“I’m staying right where I belong,” Howard wrote. “Laker nation I love y’all. Purple and gold never gets old.”

A few minutes later, the tweet had been deleted, and a little later in the evening, Howard was set to join the 76ers. So what happened?

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, sources within the Lakers’ organization are adamant that they never put a formal offer on the table for Howard and that they discussed a “deal concept.” Howard, on the other hand, believe that if he agreed to the “deal concept,” the two sides had a deal.

As Haynes writes, Lakers management told Howard’s agent they had to consult with team ownership and get approval before making an official offer. The veteran center waited for almost an hour without hearing back, sources tell Haynes. Ultimately, the communication breakdown resulted in Howard preparing to head east for the 2020/21 season.

Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the Western Conference:

The Trail Blazers haven’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing Carmelo Anthony, even after lining up deals to acquire Robert Covington and Derrick Jones, tweets David Aldridge of The Athletic.
The Rockets touched base with DeMarcus Cousins‘ camp today, a source told Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Iko’s report came before the team reached a deal with Christian Wood, so it’s not clear whether or not signing Cousins remains an option for Houston.
Now that the Lakers aren’t an option for Tristan Thompson, the Clippers could emerge as a real possibility, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who notes (via Twitter) that it’d be a chance for Thompson to reunite with Tyronn Lue.
The Lakers and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope remain interested in getting a deal done, but will have to reach a compromise on salary, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Caldwell-Pope is seeking a raise, while the Lakers won’t have a ton of wiggle room below their hard cap.
The Celtics gave Enes Kanter a choice of being traded to either the Grizzlies or Trail Blazers in the deal that was completed earlier today, and Kanter chose Portland, a source tells Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Count the Timberwolves among the teams with interest in free agent big man Paul Millsap, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).

Lakers Sign Montrezl Harrell To Two-Year Deal

November 20th, 2020 at 8:41pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 22: The Lakers have officially signed Harrell, per a press release from the team. He and Marc Gasol – who reached an agreement with L.A. on Sunday – will replace JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard up front.

NOVEMBER 20: The Lakers have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent center Montrezl Harrell, agent Rich Paul tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) first reported that the two sides were nearing an agreement.

This is one of the more surprising pieces of news tonight, as Harrell has spent the last three seasons with Los Angeles’ other team, the Clippers. The big man is coming off the best year of his career, having averaged 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 1.7 APG in 63 games (27.8 MPG). He was named the league Sixth Man of the Year in September.

Coming off such a productive season, Harrell was expected to be in line for a significant raise, but his pay bump will be a more modest one. He’s expected to sign for about $19MM over two years, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who tweets that the second year will be a player option.

That price allows the Lakers to slide him into their mid-level exception. According to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), Harrell will be turning down more money from the Hornets to join the Lakers. It’s fair to assume the big man’s Klutch Sports connection helped seal the deal for the Lakers — LeBron James and Anthony Davis are among his new teammates who are also repped by Klutch.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN outlines (via Twitter), with Harrell getting the full MLE and Wesley Matthews being signed using the Lakers’ bi-annual exception, the team is now hard-capped and has about $20MM in wiggle room below that threshold. With nine players under contract so far, there’s still a chance the team could bring back some of its own unsigned free agents, but it’ll be a tight fit squeezing in a market-value deal for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and filling out the rest of the roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Lakers, Gasol, KCP, Hawks, More

November 20th, 2020 at 8:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Having lost Dwight Howard in free agency, the Lakers may be eyeing another former Defensive Player of the Year. Marc Stein of The New York Times reports (via Twitter) that Marc Gasol has emerged as a free agent target for the Lakers. Gasol was drafted by L.A. way back in 2007 but was traded to Memphis in a package for his brother Pau Gasol and never appeared in a game for the Lakers.

As we wait to see if the two sides attempt to work toward a deal, let’s round up a few more free agency rumors…

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets that it sounds like the Lakers‘ initial talks with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope haven’t been particularly fruitful. However, Shelburne cautions that it’s still early.
Having reached a deal to sign Danilo Gallinari, the Hawks remain in communication with point guard Rajon Rondo and swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, sources tell Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
The Jazz accomplished their main goals in free agency early, securing commitments from Jordan Clarkson and Derrick Favors. Now, they’ll shift their focus to working on contract extensions for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Lakers Sign Wesley Matthews To One-Year Contract

November 20th, 2020 at 5:27pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 22: The Lakers have officially announced their deal with Matthews, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link).

NOVEMBER 20: Free agent swingman Wesley Matthews intends to sign a contract with the Lakers, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Matthews turned down a player option with Milwaukee to reach free agency this week.

The Lakers’ deal with Matthews will be a one-year pact worth $3.6MM, says Charania (via Twitter). It sounds like the club will use its bi-annual exception – which has an exact value of $3,623,000 – to lock up the 34-year-old.

Although Matthews’ prime years are behind him, he remains a reliable three-and-D option, having started all 67 games he appeared in for the NBA-best Bucks last season. He recorded 7.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.4 APG with a .364 3PT% in 24.4 minutes per contest, and has never made fewer than 36.0% of his threes in a single season since entering the league.

The Lakers were in need of a wing who could shoot, with Danny Green having been traded away and Avery Bradley departing in free agency. Matthews can fill that role without breaking the bank.

The Lakers will be hard-capped at $138.93MM this season as a result of using the bi-annual exception.

Free Agency Rumors: Lakers, Hornets, Pelicans, Baynes, Bazemore

November 20th, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers anticipate being “first in line” to talk to two of their veteran free agents, Dwight Howard and Avery Bradley, when free agency opens, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Howard and Bradley are expected to draw interest from multiple other clubs, including perhaps the Warriors, but it sounds like L.A. has interest in bringing back both of them. The Lakers and veteran forward Jared Dudley also have mutual interest in a new deal, Scotto adds.

Here’s more from Scotto on free agency:

The Hornets are expected to be in the market for a free agent center, according to Scotto, who notes that the team will likely lose Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez in free agency.
Scotto echoes a rumor we heard earlier in the week, writing that the Pelicans are expected to show interest in free agent center Aron Baynes.
The Kings and Kent Bazemore are expected to have mutual interest in reaching a new deal, according to Scotto, who notes that the free agent swingman will likely speak with a number of teams once free agency begins.

Free Agent Rumors: Bogdanovic, VanVleet, Augustin, Thompson

November 20th, 2020 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that Bogdan Bogdanovic has re-emerged as a free agent option for teams outside of Milwaukee, the RFA swingman and his representatives are expected to take meetings when free agency opens, according to Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic, who say that the Hawks and Lakers are known to have interest.

Amick and Nehm suggest it’s “widely known” that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had been recruiting Bogdanovic to Milwaukee. Since it seems that union won’t happen, teams hoping to eventually lure Giannis away from the Bucks will probably become a little more interested in Bogdanovic, according to The Athletic’s duo, who mention the Mavericks and Heat as a couple of those clubs.

Here’s more on free agency:

Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News tweets that he has consistently heard the Raptors‘ goal is to re-sign Fred VanVleet on a Malcolm Brogdon-type contract. Brogdon’s four-year, $85MM deal was cited way back in August as a probable market-setter for VanVleet’s new contract.
The Suns have reached out to D.J. Augustin, who is also drawing real interest from the Bucks, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Gambadoro adds that the veteran point guard is likely to accept the best offer he receives.
Even after winning a championship, the Lakers aren’t content to be passive in free agency, says general manager Rob Pelinka. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays, Pelinka vows his club will be “aggressive” as it looks to continue making upgrades. “We’re not going to just sit back and not expect others who are in position to try to better their roster or better their teams,” Pelinka said. “So we have to stay aggressive. I think the danger of winning is complacency, and I won’t — we won’t allow that to creep in here. We’re going to try to improve our team and put Coach (Frank) Vogel and his staff in the best possible position to defend.”
The Lakers would love to land Tristan Thompson in free agency, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix says the Raptors are also expected to express interest in Thompson, though Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) hears Toronto hasn’t reached out to the Canadian center yet.

Max Contracts Expected For Ingram, Tatum, Mitchell

November 20th, 2020 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NBA are projecting Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, and Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell to agree to maximum-salary contracts with their respective teams not long after free agency opens, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

Ingram, the top restricted free agent on the market this fall, made the All-Star team for the first time in 2020, averaging 23.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 4.2 APG as the Pelicans’ go-to scorer. His maximum salary for the coming season will be $27.3MM and he could earn up to $158.3MM if he signs a full five-year contract. A four-year max deal would be worth $122.2MM.

As for Tatum and Mitchell, neither player is a free agent this year, but both are eligible for rookie scale extensions that will go into effect in 2021/22. They’ve long been considered two of the most likely players from this year’s group of rookie-extension-eligible players to sign lucrative new contracts, so Stein’s report comes as no surprise.

The value of Tatum’s and Mitchell’s contracts will depend on how much the cap increases for the ’21/22 season. A 3% increase would result in a total value of at least $163MM over five years. That number could go a little higher if Rose Rule language is included in their new deals and they make an All-NBA team in 2021.

Stein adds that Anthony Davis is expected to be a max-salary player too, which is a given. A report earlier today indicated that Davis may take his time considering the length and structure of his contract before formally re-signing with the Lakers.

Anthony Davis Won’t Rush Into Next Deal With Lakers

November 20th, 2020 at 10:48am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis will take his time working out a new contract with the Lakers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Davis is the top free agent on this year’s market, but that’s just a formality as he remains committed to staying with the team where he just won an NBA title. Davis’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, will reach out to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka after free agency officially begins at 6pm ET, sources tell Wojnarowski, but Davis doesn’t plan to commit to a new deal until after Thanksgiving.

The 27-year-old has a number of options to consider as he plots his future in Los Angeles. He could accept a three-year, $106MM offer with a player option for 2022/23 that would match up with the rest of LeBron James‘ contract. He could also take $68MM over two years with an option after next season or a longer deal such as $146.7MM for four years or $189MM for five.

Paul also represents James and it wasn’t unusual for contract negotiations to stretch out for several weeks when LeBron was in Cleveland, Wojnarowski adds.

Avery Bradley Opts Out, Headed To Free Agency

November 19th, 2020 at 4:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers guard Avery Bradley will decline his $5MM option in order to enter unrestricted free agency, Chris Haynes of Yahoo tweets.

Bradley played a prominent role for the eventual champions prior to the restart, appearing in 49 games, including 44 starts. He averaged 8.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.3 APG. Bradley opted out of the restart and his minutes were filled by a variety of players.

Had Bradley opted in, his role would likely have diminished due to the addition of Dennis Schroder. The Lakers officially completed their trade for the high-scoring point guard with the Thunder on Wednesday.

There should be some competition for Bradley’s services. Multiple contenders are expected to court Bradley, who recently signed with a new agent.

JaVale McGee Picking Up 2020/21 Player Option

November 19th, 2020 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers center JaVale McGee will opt into the final year of his contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the big man is exercising his $4.2MM player option.

McGee, who will turn 33 in January, was the Lakers’ starting center during the 2019/20 regular season, averaging 6.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 1.4 BPG in 68 contests (16.6 MPG).

One of several Lakers who had an option decision, McGee was expected to take the guaranteed money rather than test the free agent waters. Thus, it won’t significantly alter the team’s cap outlook. With Anthony Davis‘ $32.7MM cap hold and others to account for, the team would have been over the cap whether or not McGee had opted in.

McGee has found a home in L.A. over the last two seasons, establishing himself as a starter who plays limited but valuable minutes. He’s likely to fill the same role next season.