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And-Ones: FIBA, Turkey, Coach K, NBA Transactions

May 11th, 2020 at 6:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will be held that summer from August 25 to September 10, according to a FIBA press release. The group phase of World Cup 2023 will be played in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, with the final phase taking place in the Philippine capital city of Manila. It will be the first time the competition has been staged in more than one country. Spain defeated Argentina in the finals of last year’s Cup, which was held in China.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Turkey became the latest country to cancel the remainder of its basketball season. Former NBA player Hedo Turkoglu, the basketball federation’s president, officially announced the cancellation of BSL and TBL seasons, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.
Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski turned down numerous offers over the years to become an NBA coach, Sportando’s Nicola Lupo relays. In an interview on WIP radio, the Duke coach said he turned down the Sixers job in 2003, the Celtics in 1990 and the Lakers in 2005.
The Warriors’ signing of Kevin Durant, the Spurs’ draft-night acquisition on Kawhi Leonard and the Rockets’ trade for James Harden rank as the biggest and best transactions over the past decade, according to ESPN Insiders. A list of 74 major moves was compiled by ESPN’s NBA experts.

Pau Gasol Interested In Finishing Career With Lakers

May 9th, 2020 at 10:38am CST by marksuleymanov

As Pau Gasol‘s professional career winds down, the legendary Spaniard says he would have interest in finishing his NBA career in the Lakers purple and gold, as Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints writes.

Gasol tells the outlet that while there have not been many opportunities to return to the team where he enjoyed his greatest successes, he would welcome the chance.

“It’s something that has been on my mind,” Gasol said. “Kind of like the potential of maybe finishing or playing my last year with the Lakers would be great. It’s appealing if you will, but the opportunity never really kind of presented itself in a serious official manner.

“I have a great relationship and love for (Lakers owner) Jeanie (Buss) and the Lakers organization and the city of Los Angeles, which is always going to remain extremely meaningful to me no matter what, but we’ll see…”

Gasol, 39, has not appeared in an NBA game since he appeared in 30 contests with the Spurs and Bucks during the 2018/19 campaign. The six-time All-Star signed with the Trail Blazers last July but was waived by the team before appearing in a regular-season game as a left foot injury hampered him.

After not latching on with another team, Gasol indicated in February that he hoped to suit up for Spain in the Olympics and was aiming for an NBA return. Given the coronavirus pandemic, Gasol will not get to suit up for Spain this summer, but would still like to play in the Olympics in 2021 if possible and hasn’t given up on a potential NBA comeback, even as he acknowledges that retirement isn’t out of the question.

NBA Starts Allowing Teams To Test Asymptomatic Players For Coronavirus

May 8th, 2020 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

After previously being advised by the NBA not to test asymptomatic players for COVID-19, teams have now been informed by the league that they’ll be permitted to administer those tests — as long as they’re in areas where testing is readily available to at-risk health care workers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Magic, for instance, have been granted written authorization from the Orange County Department of Health – as well as approval from the NBA – to test their players and staffers for the coronavirus, whether or not they’re exhibiting symptoms, a spokesperson confirmed. A Magic official told Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link) today that May 12 is the most likely target date for the team to reopen its practice facility.

“We have been assured we are not taking any tests from healthcare workers, first responders, or anyone whether they are experiencing symptoms or asymptomatic,” the Magic told Woj in a statement (Twitter link). “As we’ve been told, the general public in our community can go to numerous locations to receive a coronavirus test.”

The Lakers and Clippers are among the other clubs that are expected to receive permission soon from the NBA and local health authorities to conduct coronavirus tests on players entering their facilities, according to Wojnarowski.

Although the NBA is allowing teams to reopen their practice facilities, the league has been reluctant to ramp up testing for its players and staffers yet. When the NBA suspended its season in March, multiple teams were able to conduct immediate tests on dozens of asymptomatic players and staffers, drawing criticism from politicians who were dealing with local shortages.

The NBA doesn’t want to create the impression that the league is receiving preferential treatment, which is why any teams in municipalities with testing shortages still won’t be permitted to test asymptomatic players for now.

However, if an increasing number of teams get the go-ahead to move forward with testing asymptomatic individuals, that will represent a crucial step forward for the NBA. If the league wants to resume its 2019/20 season, it will need access to thousands – and potentially tens of thousands – of tests to regularly administer them to players, staffers, and other officials.

As long as those tests still aren’t readily available for asymptomatic people in many areas of the country, it would be a bad look for the NBA to procure them in massive quantities. But if and when shortages are no longer a concern, that would no longer be a roadblock for a potential return to play.

Lakers Set Target Date For Reopening Facility

May 6th, 2020 at 7:54pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers have set a target date for reopening their facility. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links), the team is expecting to open on May 16 under the NBA’s protocols.

The franchise continues to work with the appropriate government and health officials to ensure the safety of its players and staff, Charania adds.

California’s stay-at-home order is in place through May 15. It was previously reported that several NBA teams plan on opening up this week, with the Rockets, Blazers, Cavaliers, and Nuggets all in position to open their doors on Friday.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel tells Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) that he isn’t worried about any competitive advantage the other teams may gain from reopening their facilities early.

Categories:
Los Angeles Lakers

Shelburne Examines Kobe/Jordan Friendship

May 4th, 2020 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Kobe Bryant‘s appearance in Sunday’s episodes of The Last Dance, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne of ESPN takes a closer look at the friendship between Michael Jordan and the late Lakers star.
In case you missed it last week, we previewed the Lakers‘ and Clippers‘ salary cap outlook for 2020/21 and passed along word that the NBA’s four California teams are lobbying the state in the hopes of reopening their practice facilities later this month.

Coronavirus Notes: Facilities, “Bubble” Concept, Vegas, More

May 1st, 2020 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has said it will allow teams to reopen their practice facilities as early as May 8, one week from today. However, as Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic detail, at least half of the league’s 30 teams are located in areas that have stay-at-home orders in place beyond that date, and some teams without those mandates in place are still weighing whether or not to actually reopen their facilities next Friday.

Amick and Vardon note that the NBA has said it will attempt to make “alternative arrangements” for teams in areas that won’t be open for business by next Friday. The Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, and Kings are lobbying California Governor Gavin Newsom to include them in the second phase of the state’s reopening plan in the hopes of returning to their facilities by the third week of May, sources tell The Athletic.

Within their report, The Athletic’s duo also digs into the extensive safety measures the league has put in place for teams as they reopen facilities and explores the competitive imbalance concerns that could arise if certain teams are back at their facilities while others are still locked out.

“The thing I keep hearing is the whole competitive advantage idea,” a player on a team that could resume individual workouts next week told The Athletic. “If we open up half the teams’ facilities when it’s safe, what’s a team like Brooklyn going to do? That’s a question because I certainly have no idea what that looks like.”

Here’s more on the issues the NBA is working through as it considers how and when to resume play:

If the NBA attempts to resume the season in a “bubble” location, what would that look like? Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN break it down, examining how many people would need to be in the bubble, what role COVID-19 testing would play, and how long it would take to finish the season. Interestingly, sources tell Bontemps and Windhorst that the league has rejected the idea of quarantining players without their family members.
The ESPN duo also estimates that if the NBA is intent on playing the rest of the regular season, it would take 33 days to do so, with no more than 55 days required for a full postseason. The league could cut back on that 88-day total by reducing or eliminating the rest of the regular season and/or by tweaking its playoff format.
While Las Vegas was initially viewed as the most likely location if the NBA were to move forward with a “bubble” plan, recent comments made by Mayor Carolyn Goodman didn’t make a good impression on the league’s power brokers, writes Chris Mannix of SI.com. Goodman suggested in a CNN interview that she was willing to offer up the city’s citizens as a control group to assess what happens when all coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the idea of starting the 2020/21 NBA season in December and having it run through July or August is gaining some momentum. With that in mind, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) goes into detail on what a new calendar might look like. The highlights include free agency opening on August 30, the trade deadline falling on April 8, and the Finals starting on August 1. Marks also suggests moving the draft to September 8, delaying it until after the first week of free agency.

2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Los Angeles Lakers

April 29th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.

The Lakers’ roster entering the 2019/20 season was top-heavy and had undergone plenty of turnover, leading to speculation that the team would need some time to establish chemistry and start firing on all cylinders. Instead, the Lakers came out of the gates with 24 wins in their first 27 games. They haven’t looked back from there, entering the NBA’s hiatus with a 49-14 record, the best mark in the West by a comfortable margin.

While maximum salaries for LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be pricey going forward, the franchise has a good deal of flexibility to maneuver on the periphery and won’t be averse to going into the tax if need be.

Here’s where things stand for the Lakers financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:

Guaranteed Salary

LeBron James ($39,219,566)
Danny Green ($15,365,853)
Luol Deng ($5,000,000) — Waived via stretch provision.
Kyle Kuzma ($3,562,178)
Alex Caruso ($2,750,000)
Talen Horton-Tucker ($1,517,981)
Quinn Cook ($1,000,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. ¹
Total: $68,415,578

Player Options

Anthony Davis ($28,751,774)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($8,543,746)
Avery Bradley ($5,005,350)
JaVale McGee ($4,200,000)
Rajon Rondo ($2,692,991)
Total: $49,193,861

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Quinn Cook ($2,000,000) ¹
Devontae Cacok (two-way)
Total: $2,000,000

Restricted Free Agents

Kostas Antetokounmpo ($1,620,564 qualifying offer / $1,620,564 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Total (cap holds): $1,620,564

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Markieff Morris ($2,100,000): Non-Bird rights
No. 28 overall pick ($1,964,760)
Jared Dudley ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights
Dwight Howard ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights
Dion Waiters ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights
Total: $8,926,452

Offseason Cap Outlook

Even if we assume Davis opts out to sign a maximum-salary contract and all of the Lakers with player options exercise them, team salary shouldn’t be exorbitant — the five guaranteed salaries, four player options, a max salary for Davis, and the cap hold for the first-round pick would work out to about $123.5MM for 11 roster spots, assuming the cap doesn’t increase.

Of course, if more of those players with options besides Davis require raises for next season, staying out of tax territory will be more challenging. And while it’s plausible that the Lakers will have the full, non-taxpayer mid-level exception available, there may not be enough wiggle room to use the full MLE and bi-annual exception while staying below the tax apron.

Cap Exceptions Available

Mid-level exception: $9,258,000 ²
Bi-annual exception: $3,623,000 ²

Footnotes

Cook’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 17.
This is a projected value. If the Lakers’ team salary continues to increase, it’s possible they’d be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,718,000).

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers Exploring How To Reopen Practice Facility

April 28th, 2020 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

With Los Angeles’ shelter-at-home order in place through at least May 15, it’s not clear when the city’s NBA teams might be able to reopen their practice facilities. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers have been in touch with the Los Angeles mayor’s office to explore whether it might be possible to open their facility before that stay-at-home order is lifted. As McMenamin details, the Lakers have a series of precautionary measures planned to ensure player safety and would establish a set schedule for when players are permitted to visit their practice facility.

Lakers Return Federal Business Loan

April 27th, 2020 at 8:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers returned a $4.6MM loan they received from a federal government program intended to help small businesses during by the coronavirus pandemic, according to ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz. The Lakers applied for relief through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. When many small businesses were shut out of the program, the team opted to return the money.

“Once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted, we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need,” the team said in a statement. “The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community.”

Lue, Kidd, JVG, Jackson Among Nets’ Coaching Candidates

April 23rd, 2020 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Tyronn Lue, Jason Kidd, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson are among the names on the Nets‘ developing list of potential head coaching candidates, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). According to Stein, interim coach Jacque Vaughn, who replaced Kenny Atkinson last month, will also receive consideration for the permanent job.

As Stein explains (via Twitter), the Nets aren’t expected to complete their search and name a head coach until the 2019/20 season has been completed or canceled, so presumably this list of candidates is preliminary and figures to evolve in the coming weeks and months.

Still, the names are worth noting, as are the ones noticeably absent. For instance, Stein says that Tom Thibodeau is believed to be “solely a Knicks candidate” for the time being, despite some rumblings linking him to the Nets.

There has been speculation that Brooklyn will target a veteran coach who would be comfortable leading a veteran roster that aims to be a title contender in 2020/21. As such, it makes sense that all the candidates identified by Stein have previous head coaching experience, with Kidd having already served as the Nets’ head coach once, albeit not under the current ownership or management group.

Currently, Kidd works as a Lakers assistant under Frank Vogel, while Lue is on Doc Rivers‘ Clippers staff. Van Gundy and Jackson are analysts for ESPN and ABC.

Lue, who was said earlier this week to have interest in Brooklyn’s coaching job, would reunite with Kyrie Irving if he were to land the job. Citing that Irving connection, Stein adds (via Twitter) that Warriors assistant Mike Brown – another former Cavaliers coach – is another name to monitor.