Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Caruso, Green, Lue, Mitchell

October 11th, 2020 at 5:08pm CST by JD Shaw

The Lakers are planning to start guard Alex Caruso in place of Dwight Howard in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Shams Charania of Stadium reports.

Los Angeles will likely spend more time playing Anthony Davis at center on Sunday, an adjustment that’s caused some problems for Miami this series. The team could also task LeBron James with being the primary on-ball defender for Jimmy Butler, Charania adds. Butler poured in a 35-point triple-double in the Heat’s Game 5 win on Friday night.

Starting Caruso in place of Howard will allow the Lakers to play a quicker brand of basketball while adding another shooter around James offensively. Caruso has averaged 6.7 points off the bench in 20 playoff games, shooting 43% with respectable defense.

The Lakers will be seeking their 17th championship in franchise history on Sunday, with Tuesday’s potential Game 7 looming in the background if the team loses.

There’s more out of the Western Conference today:

Lakers guard Danny Green and his fiancée have received death threats following the aftermath of Game 5, as relayed by Bill Oram of The Athletic. Green missed an open three-pointer that would’ve given the Lakers the lead with just seconds remaining, culminating in an offensive rebound and a Markieff Morris turnover shortly thereafter. “I don’t pay attention,” Green said. “I had to ask, ‘Are you getting death threats?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, you are too,’ and I was like, ‘I don’t know’ because I don’t really pay attention or care. Nor am I upset, shaken or worried about it. I’m just not one of those types of people.”
Tyronn Lue arrived in Houston this weekend to interview for the Rockets’ head coaching job, as relayed by Mark Berman of Fox 26 (Twitter link). When asked what Lue’s message was to his interested teams, he replied, “Just who I am as a person, as a coach. How I’m able to hold guys accountable, but still get the best out of guys..let guys play free, put them in position to be successful.” The Rockets will formally interview Lue on Monday, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.
Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is being fueled by the team’s seven-game loss to the Nuggets, eagerly setting his sights on next season, as relayed by ESPN. “Those guys really did their thing,” Mitchell said of the Nuggets. “But at the end of the day it really kind of pisses you off, I’m not going to lie. You know, we were right there. At the end of the day, that’s what it is — we were right there.”

Poll: What Will Be The Outcome Of The Finals?

October 11th, 2020 at 3:36pm CST by JD Shaw

When the Lakers and Heat tipped off Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Friday, several fans and league observers were prepared to crown the Lakers with their 17th championship in franchise history. Fast forward to today, and the Heat are now one win away from being one win away.

Miami will try to tie the series in Game 6 on Sunday night, with a potential Game 7 hanging in the balance on Tuesday. It’s a challenging feat for a club likely to be missing Goran Dragic (listed doubtful with a plantar fascia tear), but the Heat have embraced the identity of a team known for overcoming obstacles. They were propelled by Jimmy Butler in Game 5, who finished with an astounding 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and five steals in over 47 minutes of action.

“Nothing,” Butler said of what he had left once the game ended, as relayed by Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.“I left it all out there on the floor along with my guys, and that’s how we’re going to have to play from here on out. Like I always say, it’s win or win for us. But this is the position that we’re in. We like it this way. We got two more in a row to get.”

For the Lakers, their fate could rest on the level of production they receive from players outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. If the supporting cast goes down, the team could very well go down with it. Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso and Markieff Morris have all shown signs of promise off the bench this series, but no game has been more important than this.

Davis is listed as probable with a right heel contusion, while Miami’s Bam Adebayo has continued to play through a neck strain. Other players remain mentally and physically fatigued, but the NBA’s longest season to date will ultimately come to a close on Sunday or Tuesday.

What do you think? What will be the outcome of the NBA Finals? Do the Heat have enough left in the tank to force a Game 7 and potentially come back from a 3-1 deficit, or will the Lakers take control and finish the series in Game 6 or Game 7? Vote in our poll, then take to the comments section below!

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Anthony Davis Won’t Be Disciplined By NBA, Listed As Probable For Game 6

October 11th, 2020 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA won’t take any action against Anthony Davis for an elbowing incident in Game 5, according to Clay Ferraro of Channel 10 in Miami. “We review every play in the games from all angles and there was nothing further to do with this,” the league said in a statement.

Davis appeared to swing his elbow at Jae Crowder in the third quarter of Friday’s game while both players were on the ground as Duncan Robinson sunk a 3-pointer. Ferraro’s report includes a video of the incident.

The Lakers star has been listed as probable for tonight’s Game 6, even though he was visibly slowed Friday by pain from a right heel contusion, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Davis still managed to play 42 minutes with 28 points and 12 rebounds.

“It happened in the last series against Denver,” Davis said. “I think it was Game 5, if I’m not mistaken. (Andre Iguodala) just re-aggravated it. Went out the end of the first (quarter) and it just kind of just wore off and got back to normal. Just kept moving around. Just trying not to sit down. Get that adrenaline going, and I was able to keep going and keep playing.”

Davis Says He’s ‘Fine’ For Game 6 On Sunday

October 10th, 2020 at 10:13am CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers big man Anthony Davis says he’ll play Game 6 in the Finals despite a nagging heel injury, according to Mark Medina of USA Today.

Davis limped off the court late in first quarter of the Heat’s 111-108 win on Friday and some feared he might have a serious injury. It turned to be an aggravation of a right heel contusion that he first suffered during the conference finals against Denver.

He played 42 minutes and racked up 28 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks but was clearly hobbling as the game wore on.

“I’ll be fine Sunday,” Davis said.

Coach Frank Vogel isn’t ready to fully commit to Davis playing as the Lakers try to close out the Heat for the second time.

“He’s just battling through the heel,” Vogel said on his postgame press conference. “He was struggling to move a little bit but toughed it out. We’ll see how he feels (Saturday).”

Until the late going, Davis said the pain subsided and he was able to play effectively.

“It just wore off and got back to normal,” Davis said. “I kept moving around and tried not to sit down and get the adrenaline going. I was able to keep going and keep playing.”

The Heat have played most of the series without point guard Goran Dragic, who tore his left plantar fascia in Game 1.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Davis, Vogel

October 9th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

More than a year after the first game of the NBA’s 2019 preseason tipped off, the ’19/20 campaign may finally come to an end tonight.

The Lakers hold a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals over the Heat and haven’t dropped more than one game in any of their three playoff series so far. If that trend holds, they’ll be crowned 2020 NBA champions before the end of the day.

As we wait to see if Los Angeles can finish off Miami tonight, here’s some Lakers-related reading:

LeBron James wasn’t immediately embraced by die-hard Lakers fans when he signed with the team in 2018, but he said on Thursday that he understands why it took them some time to warm to him. “They don’t care about your résumé at all until you become a Laker,” James said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Then you’ve got to do it as a Laker, and then they respect you. I’ve learned that.”
Ahead of his upcoming free agency, Anthony Davis referred to Lakers head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka on Thursday as a “great executive,” as Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register writes. Davis added that Pelinka’s seventh-place finish in Executive of the Year award voting puts him in good company. “That’s kind of been a thing this year with myself with Defensive Player of the Year, LeBron with MVP (he was runner-up), now Rob with Executive of the Year,” Davis said. “But if we’re able to win one more game, then no one cares about those other awards. We’ll all be champions.”
Revisiting Davis’ midseason trade request from 2019, Jordan Greer of Sporting News observes that the public nature of the demand earned AD a fine and created a messy situation in New Orleans for months, but ultimately got the star big man everything he wanted.
With Frank Vogel on the verge of his first NBA title, Mark Whicker of The Orange County Register takes a look back at Vogel’s long, winding coaching career, which essentially began when he served as a student manager on Rick Pitino‘s Kentucky squad in 1994/95. Vogel’s first NBA job was a video coordinator role for the Celtics under Pitino several years later.

Pacific Notes: Harrell, Lakers, Howard, Suns

October 7th, 2020 at 9:28pm CST by Jovan Alford

Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell won the 2019/20 NBA Hustle Award on Wednesday, the NBA announced in a press release. The award honors the player who makes the energy and effort plays necessary to help his respective team.

This is the second award that the veteran forward was won this season. Last month, Harrell earned the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award for the first time. He averaged a career-high 18.6 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 27.8 MPG.

Past winners of the league’s Hustle Award include Marcus Smart, Patrick Beverley, and Amir Johnson.

Here’s more from around the Pacific Division:

John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a look at how the Lakers’ bench hasn’t been an issue and is actually one of the reasons why they are up 3-1 in the NBA Finals. In the minutes that LeBron James and/or Anthony Davis have not played, Los Angeles has performed surprisingly well. According to Hollinger, the Lakers have been +13 when James hasn’t been on the floor and have played Miami to a draw without Davis on the court.
The Warriors could be looking to address the center position this offseason. If they choose to do so, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area believes that Golden State should go after Dwight Howard. Poole explains that Howard would bring a defensive presence in the middle and could share minutes with Marquese Chriss, Kevon Looney, and Draymond Green. Additionally, he adds that the 34-year-old center might not cost a lot, which would be good news for the Warriors.
The Suns had a great run in the bubble this summer, going undefeated (8-0) and putting them in a great spot heading into next season. The team will be looking to upgrade its roster further this fall, prompting Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic to explore whether Fred VanVleet or Jerami Grant would be a better fit for Phoenix. Both players are reportedly on the team’s radar and expected to be highly sought after in free agency. VanVleet’s price tag could be $20MM per year, while Grant’s might be around $16MM per year.

Five Non-Bird Free Agents Who May Be Difficult To Re-Sign

October 7th, 2020 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Every player who finishes a season as a member of an NBA roster gets some form of Bird rights as a free agent, allowing his team to go over the cap to re-sign him. However, a player who spent just one year with his club typically only has Non-Bird rights, which are the weakest form of Bird rights, as their oxymoronic name suggests.

With the Non-Bird exception, a team can re-sign a player for up to four years and give him a raise, but that raise has to be a modest one. Non-Bird rights allow for a starting salary worth up to 120% of the player’s previous salary or 120% of the minimum salary, whichever is greater.

In other words, a Non-Bird free agent who earned $5MM can only get a starting salary worth up to $6MM on his new deal unless his team uses cap room or another exception (such as the mid-level) to bring him back.

This cap restriction will apply specifically to a handful of players around the NBA who may be in line for raises this summer. Because these players will be Non-Bird free agents, it may be a challenge for their teams to re-sign them without cap room or an exception like the bi-annual or mid-level.

Let’s take a closer look at five players who will fall into this category this offseason…

Markieff Morris, F, Lakers
Dwight Howard, C, Lakers

During their run to the NBA Finals, the Lakers have matched up with talented opposing centers such as Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, and Bam Adebayo, while also facing a Rockets team that doesn’t use a traditional center. Anthony Davis has, of course, been the most important factor in the Lakers winning those frontcourt battles, but Morris and Howard have played major roles as well, proving their value as role players on a championship-caliber team.

Morris signed a $1.75MM contract during the season, while Howard’s one-year deal is worth the veteran’s minimum, so neither player can sign for more than 120% of the minimum if the over-the-cap Lakers hope to use their Non-Bird rights. If the cap doesn’t increase, that would mean a max of $2.8MM for Morris and $3.08MM for Howard.

My assumption is that both players would be able to do better than that on the open market. So if they’re not willing to accept team-friendly discounts to remain in Los Angeles, the Lakers may have to dip into their mid-level exception (projected to be worth $9.26MM) to try to re-sign one or both players.

Carmelo Anthony, F, Trail Blazers

Anthony’s NBA career appeared to be on the verge of ending before he worked out a minimum-salary deal with Portland. He outperformed that modest contract, with 15.4 PPG and 6.3 RPG on .430/.385/.845 shooting in 58 games (all starts) for the Trail Blazers in 2019/20.

Like Howard, Anthony would be limited to a ’20/21 salary of $3.08MM via his Non-Bird rights. If the Blazers need to go higher than that to retain him, they’ll have to repeat a move they used last summer, when they re-signed Non-Bird free agent Rodney Hood with their taxpayer mid-level exception in order to give him a raise.

Jeff Green, F, Rockets

Green was underwhelming during his brief stint with Utah early in the 2019/20 season, but he thrived in Houston, averaging 12.2 PPG on .564/.354/.857 shooting in 18 games (22.6 MPG) as part of the club’s micro-ball lineup. He was nearly as good in the postseason, with 11.6 PPG on .495/.426/.824 shooting in an increased role (28.6 MPG).

Green hasn’t signed a contract worth more than the minimum since 2016, so it’s possible that’s all it will take for Houston or another team to sign him this fall. That’d be a best-case scenario for the Rockets, given how well he fit in their system down the stretch — topping any rival offer exceeding $3.08MM would mean dipping into the mid-level or bi-annual.

Reggie Jackson, G, Clippers

Like most players on the buyout market, Jackson signed a minimum-salary contract with the Clippers to finish out the season, meaning the team will be limited to an offer starting at about $2.8MM.

Jackson was pretty good for the Clippers in 17 regular season games, knocking down 41.3% of his three-point attempts and chipping in 9.5 PPG and 3.2 APG. But he fell out of the rotation in the second round of the playoffs vs. Denver, and the Clippers will likely be looking to upgrade the point guard position this fall. A reunion probably doesn’t make sense for either side, especially if Jackson can get offers exceeding the Non-Bird limit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers Notes: Key Signings, KCP, Pelinka, Davis

October 7th, 2020 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

Four of the Lakers‘ low-cost signings within the last year have been crucial in helping bring the team to within one win of a championship, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

As Slater details, the combined 2019/20 cap hits for Alex Caruso ($2.75MM), Rajon Rondo ($2.56MM), Markieff Morris ($1.75MM), and Dwight Howard ($1.62MM) total just $8.69MM, but those four players have become extremely important parts of the Lakers’ rotation, especially in the postseason.

Rondo’s return from a broken thumb has helped lessen the need for the Lakers to experiment with backups like Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith, while Morris’ ability to play center in small-ball lineups has come in handy multiple times in the playoffs, particularly against Houston. Howard had his best moments against Denver as a Nikola Jokic irritant, according to Slater, who adds that Caruso has been a steady, reliable contributor through the postseason.

Caruso is under contract for $2.75MM next season as well, but the other three vets will have the opportunity to reach free agency — their strong playoff showings could put them in line for raises.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hasn’t always been a fan favorite in Los Angeles during the last three seasons, but he’s coming up big for the team in the postseason, writes Jordan Greer of Sporting News. Caldwell-Pope, who has knocked down 38.5% of his three-pointers in the playoffs, made some big shots down the stretch in Game 4 to help seal the Lakers’ win. He has a $8.49MM player option for 2020/21.
A championship would be vindication for Lakers head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, who took the reins following Magic Johnson‘s abrupt resignation last spring, then negotiated a trade for Anthony Davis, came up short in his pursuit of Kawhi Leonard, and had to quickly fill out the roster around his stars six days into free agency. Sam Amick of The Athletic has the story on Pelinka’s “let-it-all-out moment” near the end of Game 4.
The role of franchise savior never quite fit Anthony Davis in New Orleans, according to Justin Verrier of The Ringer, who writes that the former No. 1 overall pick has been at his best and is reaching his full potential alongside another superstar in LeBron James.

Morris Shows Value Entering Free Agency

October 6th, 2020 at 6:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Markieff Morris showed his value with a 19-point, six-rebound outing in Game 3 of the Finals, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. Morris, who signed with the Lakers after reaching a buyout agreement with the Pistons in February, kept his team in the game with Anthony Davis battling foul issues. Morris, who gave up a $3.3MM player option to join a contender, will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

AD Trade May Work To Benefit Both Sides

October 5th, 2020 at 8:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wonders if the blockbuster summer trade that landed Anthony Davis in Los Angeles may wind up ultimately benefiting both the Lakers and their trade partner, the Pelicans. The move gifted the Pelicans with a treasure trove of draft picks, plus 2020 All-Star Brandon Ingram and intriguing young guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Pelton notes that the Lakers will be in good position to retain the role players that have helped bring Davis and All-Star teammate LeBron James within two games of the Lakers’ 17th NBA title.