Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

L.A. Notes: Morris, Jackson, George, Beverley, Bryant

February 22nd, 2020 at 9:35am CST by marksuleymanov

After failing to land Marcus Morris, the Lakers are set to add his twin brother Markieff Morris after the forward negotiated a buyout with the Pistons on Friday. While Markieff is not the offensive contributor that his brother is, he can still pack some punch for the Lakers, Sporting News’ Jacob Hancock writes.

Marcus is in the midst of his best season, averaging 19.0 PPG and 5.4 RPG while shooting 43.2% from beyond the arc. Markieff has posted more a modest 11.0 PPG whilst shooting a career-best 39.7% from three. Markieff gives the Lakers another big body to see time in the frontcourt along with Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard. Additionally, Markieff’s presence will allow Kyle Kuzma — who has seen time at power forward — to play his more natural position at small forward.

The move figures to become official once Markieff clears waivers on Sunday.

Check more notes surrounding the L.A. teams:

To reach a buyout agreement with Detroit, Markieff gave up $4.3MM, the remainder of this season’s salary plus his player option for 2020/21, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Despite practicing for two straight days, Paul George (hamstring) and Patrick Beverley (groin) have been ruled out of the Clippers‘ Saturday tilt against the Kings, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes. George’s hamstring has been a cause for concern this season while Beverley sat out the Skills Challenge to heal the groin. Head coach Doc Rivers has stressed the need for the Clippers to be healthy and establish chemistry heading into the playoffs.
In addition to acquiring Marcus Morris, the Clippers were also busy in the buyout market adding veteran guard Reggie Jackson. While Jackson figures to help the Clippers’ second unit off the bench, the opportunity will also allow him to play alongside longtime friend Paul George, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes.
The Lakers vs. Clippers game scheduled for January 28 that was postponed following Kobe Bryant‘s shocking death has been rescheduled for April 9 at Staples Center, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Lakers To Waive DeMarcus Cousins

February 21st, 2020 at 6:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers will waive injured center DeMarcus Cousins to open up a roster spot, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne report (via Twitter).

The Lakers are planning to sign forward Markieff Morris, who was bought out by Detroit on Friday, assuming he clears waivers.

Cousins signed a one-year, $3.5MM contract to join another contender after spending an injury-plagued season with Golden State. Cousins suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in August but expressed hope this week that he could return for the postseason.

The front office opted to fortify the team’s frontcourt with versatile forward who’s healthy rather than attempt to integrate Cousins into the rotation during the playoffs.

The Lakers will likely wait until Sunday night, when Morris would clear waivers, to officially part ways with Cousins, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Cousins has approximately $1MM left on his contract and a claiming team would gain his non-Bird rights. The $1.75MM Disabled Player Exception the Lakers were awarded after Cousins’ injury can still be used before the March 10 expiration date (Twitter link).

Knicks, Harkless Not Planning On Buyout

February 21st, 2020 at 6:05pm CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 21, 6:05pm: Harkless plans to remain with the Knicks for the rest of the season, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.

FEBRUARY 20, 9:15am: When the Clippers acquired Marcus Morris from the Knicks two weeks ago, they sent Maurice Harkless to New York as a salary-matching piece. With Harkless on an expiring contract and New York well out of the playoff race, there was speculation that his new team may be willing to buy out the veteran forward to allow him to join a contender.

As Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports (via Twitter), Harkless said on Wednesday that he hasn’t initiated any buyout talks with the Knicks. However, the 26-year-old didn’t entirely rule out the possibility, suggesting he and his agent may discuss a potential buyout at some point and weigh whether he wants to finish the season with a playoff team.

Harkless appeared in 50 games (38 starts) with the Clippers before being dealt at the deadline. His counting stats (5.5 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 22.8 MPG) were modest, but he was a solid complementary piece alongside a handful of ball-dominant players in L.A., providing good perimeter defense and shooting well (.516 FG%, .370 3PT%) when he did end up with the ball.

A New York native, Harkless said upon being traded to the Knicks that it was a “dream come true” to join the club he grew up rooting for. So it’s possible his desire to finish the season with his hometown team may outweigh his interest in signing with a contender. Even if he seeks a buyout, the Knicks would have to be willing to negotiate the terms of his release.

If the two sides end up pursuing a buyout agreement, they’ll do so by March 1 to ensure Harkless retains his postseason eligibility. A player who is waived on March 2 or a later date can’t appear in the playoffs for a new team.

Harkless wouldn’t be able to re-sign with the Clippers if he’s bought out, but any other team would be fair game. There have been rumors suggesting that Los Angeles’ other team, the Lakers, would have interest.

And-Ones: Pistons, Morris, Harris, Gasol

February 21st, 2020 at 3:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pistons have made some interesting moves over the past few weeks, trading away Andre Drummond and agreeing to buyouts with both Reggie Jackson and Markieff Morris. The franchise appears to be in the midst of a tear-down, and as ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains (Twitter link), this offseason will be a test to see if the team has the stomach to be patient and rebuild.

Detroit is projected to have approximately $36MM in cap space this summer and what the organization does with that flexibility will go a long way toward identifying the team’s actual plans.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Lakers appear to be the favorite to sign Morris, though as Marks tweets, other teams are eligible to claim the power forward off waivers, which would void the buyout. The new team would be on the hook for his player option next season if they claim Morris. Marks adds that teams can use a trade exception to claim the veteran and the Rockets are among the teams with a large enough TPE.
Joe Harris hopes to re-sign with the Nets, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Harris spoke about his desire to play alongside Kevin Durant, who hasn’t suited up since signing with Brooklyn.
Marc Gasol could miss additional time with his lingering hamstring injury, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link). The Raptors want to make sure the big man is fully healthy before putting him back out on the court.

Pistons Buy Out Markieff Morris

February 21st, 2020 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

2:49pm: The Pistons have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve bought out Morris. He’s on track to clear waivers on Sunday.

2:32pm: Just three days after buying out point guard Reggie Jackson, the Pistons have reached a buyout agreement with another veteran contributor, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the club is buying out forward Markieff Morris.

Morris, 30, has appeared in 44 games for the Pistons this season, averaging 11.0 PPG and 3.9 RPG with a .450/.397/.772 shooting line in 22.5 minutes per contest.

Morris’ two-year contract with Detroit paid him $3.2MM this season and included a $3.36MM player option for next season. Presumably, if he had finished the season with the Pistons, he would have opted out and tested the free agent market, so it’ll be interesting to see how much money he gives up as part of the buyout agreement.

According to Charania (via Twitter), the Lakers have emerged as a frontrunner for Morris. That would add a new layer of intrigue to a potential Los Angeles showdown in the Western Conference playoffs, since the Clippers added Morris’ twin Marcus Morris in a deadline deal earlier this month.

The Raptors have also expressed interest in Markieff, Charania adds.

DeMarcus Cousins Hopes To Join Lakers For Playoffs

February 21st, 2020 at 2:46pm CST by ChrisCrouse

DeMarcus Cousins continues to recover from a torn ACL in his left knee, but the big man hopes to return to the court to help Los Angeles in the playoffs.

“We got a big team. It’s going to be some bump, for sure,” Cousins said on Showtime’s “All the Smoke” (h/t Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com). “We got so many guys with different abilities. I mean, I can spot up. ‘Bron [LeBron James] is going to draw everybody whenever he decides to move. I’m pretty confident I can knock down the shot. We got shooters all over the floor. I mean, I can play-make. Like, it’s pick your poison.”

Cousins signed a one-year deal with the Lakers this offseason and hasn’t suited up for the club yet. Coach Frank Vogel isn’t closing the door on the center joining the rotation if healthy.

“There is no date, and there’s really no specifics on it in terms of, I’m not even sure where he’s at with exactly what he’s doing day to day. I just still know he’s a long way away, but they’ve said they’re not ruling out him returning. That’s really all I can give you,” Vogel said. “I just know he’s not close. As he starts getting close, it could be a review thing, because [the training staff will] come to me and let me know.”

Magic Johnson Talks Clippers', Lakers' Rosters

February 20th, 2020 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson says his longtime team is “playing the best out of anybody” in the Western Conference right now, but acknowledges that the Clippers may have the deepest roster of the two Los Angeles teams, writes Mark Medina of USA Today.

“If you look at man-for-man, (the Clippers are) probably better than (the Lakers) in terms of the bench,” said Johnson, who predicted the two L.A. clubs would meet in the Western Finals. “… Anthony Davis and LeBron James, to me they are going to be the key and they are going to have to dominate in that series. Then we’re going to need that third scorer (to step up).”

While the Clippers have solidified their rotation by trading for Marcus Morris and reaching a deal to sign Reggie Jackson, the Lakers have been quiet this month. They’re still monitoring the buyout market as they consider how to improve their title chances, according to Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/18/20

February 18th, 2020 at 8:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Clippers have assigned Mfiondu Kabengele and Terance Mann to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, the team announced. Kabengele was the team’s first-round draft pick back in June.
The Rockets have assigned Chris Clemons and Isaiah Hartenstein to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Fox 26’s Mark Berman tweets. Hartenstein, who is one of two seven-footers on the team, has started two games for the NBA club this season.
The Lakers have assigned Talen Horton-Tucker to the G League, according to the league’s transaction log. Horton-Tucker was the team’s only draft pick back in June.
The Nets have assigned Dzanan Musa to the Long Island Nets. Musa has appeared in 35 NBA games this season.
KZ Okpala has been sent to the G League by the Heat, per the league’s transaction log. Okpala was selected in the second round of the 2019 draft.
The Suns have sent Jalen Lecque to the Northern Arizona Suns. The rookie has appeared in just four games for the NBA club this season.

Western Notes: Harkless, Lakers, Winslow

February 18th, 2020 at 6:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

If New York buys out Maurice Harkless, the Lakers may be interested in signing the wing, Sam Amick of The Athletic said on The Sedano Show earlier today (h/t The Lakers Review). The Lakers, who missed out on Reggie Jackson to their L.A. rivals, are monitoring the Harkless’ situation.

Harkless came to the Knicks in the Marcus Morris deal at the trade deadline and it’s unclear whether he’ll reach a buyout agreement with the team. Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson may be angling for a sign-and-trade this summer and the Lakers would be a good fit for his services, as I wrote for Heavy.com. The team doesn’t have a long-term option at the center position and Thompson would be a nice partner to Anthony Davis in the frontcourt.
The Grizzlies traded for Justise Winslow to be in the team’s starting lineup eventually, Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian writes. Winslow is still recovering from a back injury, so Memphis is expected to bring him along slowly.
Bill Oram of The Athletic chronicles Dwight Howard‘s redemption story with the Lakers. “He’s been a guy that’s always put up great numbers,” former teammate J.J. Redick said, “but I think he’s having an impact in a really meaningful way defensively on the boards, screening, rolling to the boards.”

Reggie Jackson Bought Out By Pistons, Plans To Join Clippers

February 18th, 2020 at 5:07pm CST by Luke Adams

5:07pm: The Pistons have issued a press release formally announcing they’ve reached a buyout agreement with Jackson and have waived him.

3:24pm: Veteran point guard Reggie Jackson has reached a buyout agreement with the Pistons, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Jackson intends to sign with the Clippers once he clears waivers and reaches free agency.

Jackson, 29, has spent the last five years in Detroit, having been acquired from the Thunder in a three-team trade in February 2015. He signed a five-year, $80MM deal with the Pistons a few months later and is now in the final season of that contract. His buyout agreement with the club figures to slightly reduce his $18,086,956 cap hit for 2019/20.

The Pistons had hoped that giving Jackson the reins as the team’s starting point guard – after he began his career as Russell Westbrook‘s backup – would clear a path for him to develop into a star. Although the former Boston College standout had some productive seasons in Detroit, his overall numbers as a Piston (16.2 PPG, 5.6 APG, .425/.354/.851 shooting) fell short of that star level.

Jackson’s name surfaced frequently in trade rumors over the last couple years, but his rising cap hit made it difficult for the Pistons to find a deal that upgraded their roster. Even at this year’s deadline, as the team pivoted toward a rebuild and accepted a very modest package for Andre Drummond, Detroit apparently didn’t find a trade offer it liked for Jackson.

With the Pistons headed for a lottery finish, there was little incentive to keep Jackson around for the rest of the season. He’ll now finish the year with the Clippers, who have until this Saturday to sign a player and get back to the 14-player roster minimum.

As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN notes (via Twitter), L.A. could still use a defensive wing or a rim protector, but Jackson will give the team another ball-handler and a veteran scorer off the bench.

The Lakers and Clippers, who were poised to compete for Darren Collison if he had opted to come out of retirement, were each said to be in the market for a point guard. Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that the Lakers also had interest in Jackson — they’ll have to look elsewhere if they still hope to address the position.

[RELATED: 2020 NBA Buyout Market Watch]

Jackson had still been owed $5.7MM of his ’19/20 salary, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. While we don’t know the exact terms of the buyout agreement, the veteran guard likely agreed to give back a prorated portion of the minimum salary. If he’s officially released by the Pistons today and joins the Clippers on Thursday, he’d make $734,025 on his new contract, with a $512,721 cap charge.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.