Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers’ Anthony Davis Trade Talks Remain Dormant

February 7th, 2019 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

Discussions between the Lakers and Pelicans about a possible Anthony Davis trade remain “dormant” with the trade deadline about three hours away, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, there has been no communication between the two teams and there’s not necessarily an expectation that they’ll even talk today. New Orleans seems content to run out the clock and revisit the Davis trade market in the offseason, Woj adds.

The Lakers pursued Davis for about a week following his trade request, but reportedly pulled out of talks on Tuesday because they felt as if they were bidding against themselves. There was a belief that the Lakers’ withdrawal from discussions was designed to get the Pelicans – who never countered L.A.’s offers – to be more active. However, it doesn’t appear New Orleans in any rush to get return to the negotiating table.

The Pelicans believe there will be more options available to them in the offseason, as teams open cap room, restrictions on the Celtics‘ ability to acquire Davis lift, and the Knicks find out where they land in the draft lottery.

New Orleans also reportedly believes that the Lakers’ best offer – which was said to include Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, and a pair of first-round picks – will still be on the table in the summer, though L.A. has pushed back against that notion.

Much can change in three hours, so it’s possible the Davis rumor mill will pick up steam before today’s 2:00pm CT deadline. For now though, it appears the Pelicans may be content to try their luck on the trade market after the season.

Trade Rumors: Gasol, Conley, Hornets, Wolves, Suns

February 7th, 2019 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies hold two of the NBA’s biggest trade chips as today’s trade deadline approaches, and the two teams linked most frequently to Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, respectively, remain in the hunt for those players, according to reports.

Marc Stein of The New York Times tweeted this morning that the Hornets continue to engage the Grizzlies on a potential deal for Gasol, which has been rumored throughout the week, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that the two teams are still trying to bridge the gap in those talks.

Meanwhile, on the Conley front, the Jazz have been most frequently cited as a potential landing spot for the veteran point guard. Despite whispers that Conley prefers not to end up in Utah, the Jazz haven’t abandoned their efforts to acquire him, according to Stein, who tweets that Memphis has considered waiting until the offseason to revisit Conley trade talks.

Even if Gasol and/or Conley stay put, it could still be an active deadline in Memphis. Stein notes (via Twitter) that JaMychal Green is attracting trade interest. Garrett Temple and Justin Holiday have also been mentioned as potential trade candidates.

Here are a few more trade rumors from across the league:

While their focus is on Gasol for now, the Hornets were in the mix for Harrison Barnes before he was sent to Sacramento, according to Stein (Twitter link).
The Timberwolves haven’t made any serious progress on any deals, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who observes (via Twitter) that the Jeff Teague, Gorgui Dieng, and Taj Gibson contracts won’t be easy to move due to large cap hits and – in the case of Teague and Dieng – multiyear commitments. Anthony Tolliver, on a smaller expiring contract, has generated interest and could be moved today, Wolfson adds.
League sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic that the Suns haven’t talked to the Lakers about a Lonzo Ball deal and that Josh Jackson and T.J. Warren aren’t expected to go anywhere today.
Although there may be an outside perception that Anthony Davis‘ trade request has destabilized the Pelicans, none of his teammates have shown even a hint of animosity toward him, as Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com details. Head coach Alvin Gentry called Davis “a great kid,” while teammate Jrue Holiday said, he “loves” having AD around. “He’s like my big brother. He takes care of me,” Jahlil Okafor said of Davis. “… Selfishly, I would love to be by him every day like I have been this year. But at the end of the day, I just want him to be happy.”

Trade Rumors: Davis, Randolph, Wolves, Morris

February 7th, 2019 at 12:44am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks and Lakers are equal on Anthony Davis‘ list of preferred destinations, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The Clippers and Bucks also remain in the top four, Stein adds. New York may make a bid for Davis before the deadline, but it should be in a stronger position after the draft lottery when everyone knows where its first-rounder will fall (Twitter link).

League sources tell Stein that Davis doesn’t expect to sign his next contract before he reaches free agency in 2020, no matter where he is by then (Twitter link). That means anyone who trades for Davis won’t be assured of a long-term extension.

He has been sidelined with a fractured left index finger, but Davis intends to resume playing regardless of what happens at the trade deadline (Twitter link). He has received medical clearance to return to action, but the Pelicans haven’t divulged their plans for Davis if there’s no trade on Thursday. He was held out of two games this week to avoid further injury.

Here’s a roundup of rumors heading into the trade deadline:

The Lakers are running out of hope that a Davis trade will be completed before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Pelicans GM Dell Demps hasn’t responded to Magic Johnson’s latest offer, and it appears New Orleans is content to run out the clock. The Pelicans may never have been serious about dealing with L.A. and might have been trying to sabotage the Lakers as revenge for what they consider to be tampering, tweets Rachel Nichols, host of ESPN’s “The Jump.” “It’s not just possible, it’s what happened,” colleague Brian Windhorst said today in an appearance on the show.
The Mavericks will have buyout talks with newly acquired Zach Randolph, Wojnarowski tweets. The 37-year-old hasn’t played yet this season, but he may be able to help a contender.
The Timberwolves continue to look for someone to take Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng, sources tell Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune. Teague has a $19MM player option for next season, while Dieng still has two seasons left on his four-year, $63MM deal. Minnesota hasn’t found much interest, but it may be willing to attach Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Anthony Tolliver or Luol Deng as incentives.
New Pelican Markieff Morris could become a buyout candidate once he’s fully recovered from a neck injury, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
The Thunder plan to watch what the Suns do with Wayne Ellington and may be interested if he hits the buyout market, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link).

Forbes Releases 2019 NBA Franchise Valuations

February 6th, 2019 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, when Forbes released its annual NBA franchise valuations, the Knicks were reeling from the news that Kristaps Porzingis has suffered a torn ACL, but still earned the top spot on Forbes’ list of the league’s most valuable teams.

This time around, Knicks fans are reeling from the trade that sent Porzingis to Dallas. Once again though, the franchise is still considered the most valuable of any of the NBA’s 30 clubs, according to a report from Kurt Badenhausen and Mike Ozanian of Forbes.

For the first time, all 30 NBA teams have a perceived worth of $1.2 billion or more, per Forbes’ annual report. While all 30 teams’ valuations cracked the $1 billion threshold for the first time last year, 10 franchises were below $1.2 billion.

The league-wide average of $1.9 billion per team in 2019 is also a new record, with franchise valuations up 13% in total over last year’s figures. NBA franchise values have once again tripled over the last five years, according to Badenhausen and Ozanian.

Here’s the full list of NBA franchise valuations, per Forbes:

New York Knicks: $4 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $3.7 billion
Golden State Warriors: $3.5 billion
Chicago Bulls: $2.9 billion
Boston Celtics: $2.8 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $2.35 billion
Houston Rockets: $2.3 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $2.25 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $2.2 billion
Miami Heat: $1.75 billion
Toronto Raptors: $1.675 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $1.65 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $1.625 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $1.6 billion
Sacramento Kings: $1.575 billion
Washington Wizards: $1.55 billion
Phoenix Suns: $1.5 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.475 billion
Utah Jazz: $1.425 billion
Indiana Pacers: $1.4 billion
Denver Nuggets: $1.375 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $1.35 billion
Orlando Magic: $1.325 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $1.3 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $1.275 billion
Detroit Pistons: $1.27 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.26 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $1.25 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $1.22 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $1.2 billion

The Sixers are this year’s big riser, moving from 21st on the 2018 list to 12th in 2019. Conversely, the Cavaliers fell the most. After losing LeBron James, Cleveland was the only franchise to see its valuation dip from year to year, as it decreased from $1.325 billion (15th) in 2018 to $1.275 billion (25th) in 2019.

Lakers Acquire Reggie Bullock From Pistons

February 6th, 2019 at 12:52pm CST by marksuleymanov

FEBRUARY 6: The Lakers and Pistons have each issued a press release confirming that the Bullock trade is now official.

FEBRUARY 5: The Lakers have agreed in principle to acquire Reggie Bullock from the Pistons in exchange for Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and a second-round pick, Frank Isola and Shams Charania of The Athletic report (Twitter links).

Detroit will receive Los Angeles’ 2021 second-round pick, tweets James Edwards III of The Athletic. The deal is expected to be finalized on Wednesday.

We relayed over the weekend that Los Angeles was one of several teams to call Detroit about the swingman. Bullock, 27, has a $2.5MM expiring contract, so he does not impact the Lakers’ cap situation for free agency this summer.

By trading Bullock, the Pistons will create a $2.5MM trade exception, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The Lakers will inherit Bullock’s Bird Rights (with a cap hold of $4.75MM) entering free agency his summer.

In his sixth NBA season, Bullock is averaging a career-best 12.0 PPG through 43 games and gives the Lakers some much-needed outside shooting help. He is shooting the ball at a 38.4% clip from three-point range this season, which is slightly below his career average of 39.6%.

As for the Lakers, they are parting with one of their second-round picks (47th overall) from last year’s draft. The Ukraine native has appeared in 39 games this season, averaging a mere 3.2 PPG. Per Marks, the Pistons will have until July 5 to guarantee Mykhailiuk’s $1.4MM salary for the 2019/20 season. His third season is a team option worth $1.6MM.

Assuming the trade is completed, the Pistons will move $1.5MM below the luxury tax for the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Rumors: Wolves, A. Davis, Irving, Conley, More

February 6th, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

After making a big splash earlier in the season by sending Jimmy Butler to Philadelphia, the Timberwolves remain active on the trade market, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who reports that GM Scott Layden is “canvassing the league for available deals.” Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News relays a similar sentiment, tweeting that Layden has been “much more communicative” than in past years.

According to Wolfson, players on expiring contracts are available, as are Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng. However, as of Tuesday, there was “zero sense” that anything was close to getting done. Meanwhile, sources tell Krawczynski that multiple teams checked in last month on Andrew Wiggins to see if the Timberwolves might be willing to move him for “pennies on the dollar.” Those inquires qualified more as due diligence though, and didn’t really go anywhere, per Krawczynski.

Here are several more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Pelicans still have yet to respond to the Lakers‘ most recent trade offer for Anthony Davis, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). L.A. reportedly pulled out of talks on Tuesday after making a big offer on Monday night, though it appears the club would be ready to re-engage if New Orleans makes a counter-offer.
While Kyrie Irving‘s comments on his upcoming free agency last week had some league observers wondering if the Celtics would consider moving him at the trade deadline, the team – unsurprisingly – has no intention to do so, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. “Boston’s not taking calls on Kyrie,” one general manager said. “That was made pretty clear.”
The Grizzlies are believed to be seeking multiple first-round picks in any package for Mike Conley, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. According to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune, the Jazz’s final offer to Memphis was a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and expiring contracts (likely Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors). The Grizzlies asked for Dante Exum, but were told no, per Jones (Twitter link via John Martin of 92.9 ESPN).
A source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that the Bulls have received “a handful” of calls about Jabari Parker within the last week. Parker is a candidate to be traded, or to be bought out if Chicago can’t find a suitable deal.
According to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), the Hawks have started to receive more calls on veteran trade candidates Kent Bazemore, Dewayne Dedmon, and Jeremy Lin. Smith adds (via Twitter) that Knicks forward Noah Vonleh is another trade candidate to watch, as he has generated multiple inquiries.

Celtics, Pelicans Have Extensively Discussed Tatum

February 6th, 2019 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

While the Celtics aren’t permitted to actually complete a trade this week for Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis while Kyrie Irving remains on their roster, there’s nothing stopping the two teams from talking — and it sounds like there has been plenty of talk.

A source with knowledge of those talks tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that Boston and New Orleans have discussed C’s forward Jayson Tatum “extensively,” adding that Tatum is expected to be a major part of negotiations if the two sides reconnect in the summer.

While the Celtics and Pelicans have apparently had a number of discussions about Tatum, it’s worth noting that Amick stops short of saying Boston has promised to include the former No. 3 overall pick in an offer for Davis in the offseason. As ESPN’s Zach Lowe observes in an in-depth breakdown of the Davis situation, the C’s have vowed to be aggressive in their pursuit of AD if he’s still a Pelican in the summer, but there are no indications that they’ve explicitly agreed to include Tatum in their package.

It’s a somewhat unprecedented situation, Lowe writes, since there are few scenarios in NBA history where a CBA quirk has required a potential trade partner to wait several months to actually complete a deal for a star player. If the Celtics tell the Pelicans now that they’d include Tatum, it’s possible circumstances could change by June — perhaps Davis suffers a major injury or Irving decides to leave Boston, and the C’s rethink their willingness to move Tatum.

The uncertainty surrounding Tatum is just one of many factors that complicate the Pelicans’ decision-making process, but his upside arguably exceeds that of any of the players the Lakers have offered New Orleans, Lowe writes. If the Pelicans wait until the offseason to make a Davis deal, Tatum could be on the table, and New Orleans will also have a clearer sense of the Knicks’ draft position, which looms as a major wild card as well. As such, it might make sense for the Pels to remain patient.

Here’s more on the Davis trade saga:

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, league sources expect negotiations between the Pelicans and Lakers to resume before Thursday’s deadline, since L.A. is running out of time and may not have many more avenues to acquiring a star to pair with LeBron James.
O’Connor also hears from a league source that the wishes of Lonzo Ball and his camp will have no bearing on how the Lakers and Pelicans approach trade negotiations.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider link) makes the case that it wouldn’t be in the Lakers‘ best interests to give up all their best non-LeBron assets for Davis.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores the Lakers‘ fallback options if they don’t trade for Davis this week.

Lakers Have ‘Fondness’ For Possible Trevor Ariza Reunion

February 5th, 2019 at 10:57pm CST by marksuleymanov

If the Wizards make Trevor Ariza available in trades ahead of Thursday’s deadline, the Lakers would be interested in his services, tweets ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

Before the Suns traded Ariza to the Wizards in mid-December, the Lakers had explored a three-team deal that would have brought swingman to Hollywood. Ariza, 33, has previously suited up for the Lakers as he was a key member of the organization’s run to the 2009 NBA championship.

The Lakers agreed in principle to acquire Pistons‘ swingman Reggie Bullock on Wednesday. It’s unclear how, or if, the addition of Bullock would impact the Lakers’ interest in Ariza.

In 49 games this season, Ariza has averaged 12.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 3.7 APG between Washington and Phoenix. However, he has played much better since being traded, evidenced by his 15.2 PPG average and .390% field goal percentage. At 22-31, the Wizards occupy 10th place in the Eastern Conference, three games back of the Heat for the eighth seed. However, a rash of injuries has essentially halted Washington’s postseason hopes.

The Lakers’ primary target in trades this week has been Pelicans’ superstar Anthony Davis. However, after several days of negotiations, Los Angeles reportedly pulled out of sweepstakes due to the Pelicans’ demands. If the Lakers do not acquire Davis, it’s possible they shift their focus to other targets as they fight for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/5/19

February 5th, 2019 at 8:42pm CST by marksuleymanov

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

The Nets assigned oft-injured guards Allen Crabbe and Caris LeVert to their affiliate in Long Island for practice, the team announced (Twitter link). Brooklyn recalled both men after practice, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). LeVert has not played since Nov. 12 when he suffered a right foot dislocation and Crabbe has been sidelined with a sore knee since Dec. 12. Crabbe will be available Wednesday against the Nuggets while Brooklyn is hopeful LeVert can return shortly thereafter.
The Wizards assigned John Jenkins to their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, the team announced (Twitter link). Jenkins has yet to play in a game with Washington and has appeared in just one game with the Go-Go.
The Bulls assigned Antonio Blakeney to their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, the team announced (Twitter link). Blakeney has appeared in 40 games with Chicago this season, averaging 7.8 PPG and 1.6 RPG.
The Lakers assigned rookie Isaac Bonga to their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, the team announced (Twitter link). The 19-year-old has averaged 12.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 2.6 APG with South Bay.

Michael Beasley Addresses Confrontation With Luke Walton

February 5th, 2019 at 7:28pm CST by marksuleymanov

Following a loss to the Warriors last Saturday, a pair of Lakers veterans were reportedly involved in a heated altercation with head coach Luke Walton. The veterans in question were Michael Beasley and JaVale McGee.

Reports of the altercation varied from “stopping short of physical” to being “overhyped.” Beasley, in a statement released to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, confirmed that a postgame conversation with Walton occurred but never escalated beyond that.

“This past Saturday after the Warriors game, Coach Walton and our team had a conversation after a tough loss. Despite reports to the contrary, there was nothing physical between Coach Walton, me, or any other teammate,” Beasley said. “I’ve sat back in the past when stories have been twisted and misreported, but I won’t do that this time. I respect Luke and I respect this team. We are trying to win a championship together.”

Beasley, 30, has been among several Lakers mentioned in trade talks amid the organization’s pursuit of Anthony Davis. One year removed from averaging 13.2 PPG for the Knicks, Beasley has been relegated to just 25 games (two starts), averaging 7.2 PPG for Los Angeles.

As for McGee, who reportedly had a heated verbal joust with Walton, he described reports as “fake news” in a statement to Yahoo Sports. McGee, 31, has averaged 10.8 PPG for the Lakers as the team’s primary center.

The Lakers entered play on Tuesday with a 27-26 record, 1.5 games back of the Clippers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.