Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Updates: LeBron, Cousins, Paul, Gordon, Fultz

January 1st, 2019 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers superstar LeBron James did some shooting but little else during practice on Tuesday, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN. He will miss his fourth straight game on Wednesday due to a groin strain suffered on Christmas Day. It remains uncertain how much more time he’ll need to return. “He’s working on his body, his game, himself all the time. But that’s the first time I’ve seen him shoot [since the injury],” coach Luke Walton said. The Lakers are 1-2 without James.

We have more injury news from around the league:

DeMarcus Cousins is still uncertain when he’ll make his debut with the Warriors, Marc J. Spears of ESPN writes. Cousins has practiced with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors and was involved in private 5-on-5 scrimmages with Warriors teammates last week, Spears notes. “It will mean everything when I get back,” Cousins said. “All the hard work. The dedication. Good and bad days. Tears, cramps and pain. Everything.”
Rockets guard Chris Paul has “no clue’ when he’ll return from his left hamstring strain, according to Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle. Paul has missed the team’s last eight games.
Rockets guard Eric Gordon is hopeful his bruised right knee will heal fast enough to allow him to play against Golden State on Thursday, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Gordon, who suffered the injury on Saturday, is waiting for the swelling to go down. “I can’t really do a whole lot,” Gordon said. “They didn’t tell me an actual time frame. I know if I’m able to run. I don’t care how much pain I have, I’m going to play.”
Sixers second-year guard Markelle Fultz will be re-evaluated early next week for his thoracic outlet syndrome condition, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The top pick in the 2017 draft hasn’t played since November 19th. Philadelphia remains hopeful that Fultz can return this season.
Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday after missing the last 10 games with a quad strain, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes.

Stein’s Predictions: Davis, Leonard, Durant, Cousins

January 1st, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis will turn down a “supermax” extension from the Pelicans, setting up a frenzied competition between the Lakers and Celtics to pull off a trade, predicts Marc Stein of the New York Times in his latest newsletter. It’s one of several prognostications the veteran basketball writer offers up in a New Year’s Day column, but it’s the most explosive and one that will dominate NBA headlines throughout the summer if it comes true.

Davis could short-circuit the story by accepting the offer from New Orleans, which would pay him close to $240MM. But Stein expects Davis to value a shot at winning over money and look to join a loaded lineup in either Los Angeles or Boston. Stein also predicts the Lakers will be aggressive in trying to talk the Pelicans into a deal before the February 7 deadline while there’s not another strong suitor in sight. The Celtics can’t trade for Davis until Kyrie Irving opts out of his current deal because of an NBA rule prohibiting a team from acquiring two players currently on designated rookie extensions through trade.

Stein offers a few more significant personnel-related predictions:

Despite Kawhi Leonard‘s success in Toronto, Stein expects him to sign with the Clippers in July. He adds that the Raptors will likely need to win a title to keep their new star from heading home to Southern California in free agency and predicts Toronto will start rebuilding if Leonard leaves, including a trade of Kyle Lowry.
Kevin Durant may spend one more season with the Warriors before looking to move on in free agency. Stein admits there’s a lot of chatter about Durant joining the Knicks, but he believes the allure of playing in the new Chase Center will keep him him around for another year.
A “wise insider” tells Stein that DeMarcus Cousins will consider returning to the Warriors for another season, although they can only offer a modest raise on his $5.3MM salary. Stein expects other prominent free agents, such as Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson, to stay where they are.
Carmelo Anthony, currently in limbo on the Rockets‘ roster while looking for his next NBA opportunity, may have played his last game. It has been nearly two months since Anthony was last on the court and it doesn’t appear anyone is willing to take a chance on him, even at a minimum salary.
Kevin Love trade talks will heat up soon, and Stein believes the Nuggets should get involved as they try to hold onto the top spot in the West. Love is projected to return from toe surgery this month and will become eligible to be dealt on January 24, a little more than two weeks before the deadline.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Cousins, Kings, Suns

December 31st, 2018 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

After losing their first two games without LeBron James in the lineup, the Lakers picked up a win over Sacramento in Sunday. The victory is the latest signal that the club’s young core is capable of greater things, even without veteran leaders like LeBron and Rajon Rondo available, Kyle Kuzma said after the game, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.

“We are not just one player,” Kuzma said. “We just got to eliminate little mistakes and we could have won all three games [without them]. For us, it is just continue to keep getting better and better and when those guys get back, hit the ground running.”

Meanwhile, while James continues to recover from the groin injury currently keeping him on the shelf, he appeared on the latest episode of ESPN’s ‘More Than An Athlete’ and made some interesting comments about his spot in NBA history. Addressing the 2016 NBA Finals, which saw his Cavaliers knock off the 73-9 Warriors, LeBron said that he felt that win “made me the greatest player of all-time” (video link).

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

With his debut for the Warriors getting closer, DeMarcus Cousins spoke to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated about what he called “the longest year of my life.”
The Kings have been perhaps the most surprising team in the NBA this season, unexpectedly vying for a playoff spot in a competitive Western Conference. As Matt John of Basketball Insiders details, Sacramento is enjoying success in 2018/19 despite making several roster moves that seemed questionable at the time.
In terms of length and athleticism, the Suns see some similarities between their current roster and their ‘Seven Seconds or Less’ teams from the mid-2000s, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Just a lot of athleticism,” new Sun Kelly Oubre said. “When we’re at our best, we get stops and we get out in transition and we score. The ball is moving around. Everybody is touching it. Everybody is moving. That’s when we’re at our best. It’s just a lot of length out there. A lot of athletes and guys who can guard multiple positions. It’s kind of difficult for teams to turn downhill.”

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/30/18

December 30th, 2018 at 7:56pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

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

The Hornets announced on Twitter that Dwayne Bacon has been assigned to their G League affiliate in Greensboro. Bacon has appeared in 17 games for the Hornets this season, averaging 5.5 points per game.
The Rockets have recalled Brandon Knight from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Rockets are thin in the backcourt as a result of injuries to Chris Paul and Eric Gordon.
The Hawks have assigned rookie forward Omari Spellman to the Erie Bayhawks and have also transferred Alex Poythress to the Bayhawks, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Lakers have recalled Svi Mykhailiuk, Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga from the South Bay Lakers, according to a tweet from the team’s G League affiliate.
The Warriors have assigned rookie wing Jacob Evans to their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, according to a tweet and press release from the team’s PR department.

Lakers Continue To Struggle Without LeBron James

December 30th, 2018 at 6:11pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

As a result of recent struggles in the face of LeBron James‘ injury, is it better for the Lakers to stay patient or make a win-now move? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report tackles this challenging question.
Speaking of those struggles, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register details the Lakers‘ inability to close out games with James not playing. A recent buzzer-beating loss to the Kings and fourth quarter unraveling against the Clippers highlighted the room for growth for the Lakers’ young core.

Dwayne Wade “Knew” LeBron’s Goal Was L.A.

December 29th, 2018 at 2:39pm CST by clarkcrum

When Dwyane Wade signed with the Cavaliers before the beginning to the 2017/18 season, he wasn’t expecting his eventual trade back to the Heat. But, he also didn’t think he’d spend any more than one season in Cleveland, primarily because he didn’t think his best friend LeBron James would be in Cleveland for the 2018/19 season either, reports Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

“LeBron, first of all, he’s a guy who always plays his cards close to the vest, but I knew his ultimate goal was to be in Los Angeles,” Wade told Vardon. “He recruited me and he talked to me about signing there (Cleveland), and I said, ‘Listen, I know you might not be there long, you’re gonna be a free agent and there are some things that might happen, and we’ll have a conversation.’ I just thought I’d make it through the season first.”

Per Vardon, part of the reason why Wade knew LeBron was going to leave for the Lakers was because of his own free agency-related history with James, who left Miami for Cleveland in 2014 without telling Wade after Wade had already opted out of his own contract with the Heat. Wade ultimately came to the conclusion that LeBron would leave for L.A. the day after Wade was traded to Miami last season.

“It wasn’t like he came out said ‘Oh, you’re traded, I’m going to the Lakers,’ but like I said I knew where his heart was and what he was thinking big picture.”

Rajon Rondo Expected To Miss 4-5 Weeks

December 28th, 2018 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

12:17pm: Rondo underwent surgery today to repair a ligament in his right ring finger, the Lakers announced in a press release. He’s expected to make a full recovery in about four or five weeks, according to the team.

11:03am: A frustrating season for Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo has taken another unfortunate turn, as the finger injury he suffered earlier this week will require surgery, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links). According to Charania, Rondo is expected to miss about four weeks of action after undergoing the procedure on his right hand.

That right hand has been banged up for much of the 2018/19 season, as Rondo already missed a month due to a separate surgical procedure on the hand. He had been back on the court for just three games before being sidelined again, and has appeared in only 14 total games for the Lakers so far this season.

With Rondo likely out of action until late January, the Lakers will be without two of their veteran leaders for the short term. LeBron James is battling a strained groin, and while the team is calling him day-to-day, he’s reportedly expected to miss at least a few games.

In the absence of Rondo and James, the Lakers will lean more heavily on point guard Lonzo Ball and forward Brandon Ingram. Both youngsters played well in Los Angeles’ loss to the Kings on Thursday night — Ingram posted 22 points, while Ball nearly had a triple-double (20 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds).

NBA Issues Memo Reminding Teams Of Tampering Rules

December 28th, 2018 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has issued a memo to all 30 of its teams, reminding them about the rules – and warning them of the consequences – related to tampering, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The league’s statement to clubs indicates that “employment contracts are to be respected and conduct that interferes with contractual employment relationships is prohibited.”

The memo is presumably a response to last week’s mini-controversy, which arose after Lakers star LeBron James said it would be “amazing” to play with Pelicans big man Anthony Davis. As Wojnarowski detailed last Friday, the NBA’s lack of response to those comments upset several general managers around the league, especially those in smaller markets. Among those GMs, there’s a perception that the NBA turns a blind eye to tampering violations when big-market teams go after smaller-market stars.

An NBA spokesperson issued a statement to Woj last week to explain why the league didn’t view James’ comments as tampering. Still, it seems the league office found it necessary to further clarify its tampering-related rules as speculation about a possible Davis trade continues.

“Teams should be aware that the scope of the anti-tampering rule is broad, and its application in any given case is based on all facts and circumstances,” the NBA’s memo reads, per Wojnarowski. “Accordingly, conduct that doesn’t violate the rule in any single instance may nevertheless constitute a violation if it becomes repeated or part of a broader collection of improper actions. Teams should therefore refrain from any conduct – including public statements – that could be viewed as targeting or expressing interest in another team’s player.”

The league also warned that respecting other teams’ contracts with players is particularly important in “today’s media environment,” since public comments speculating about potential player movement receive “immediate and widespread” attention and coverage.

“Teams should be entitled to focus their efforts on the competition this season with the players they have under contract, without having to divert attention or resources to conduct or speculation regarding the potential destinations of those players in future seasons once their contracts expire,” the NBA said in its memo.

Pacific Notes: Ingram, Green, Motley, Suns

December 27th, 2018 at 5:31pm CST by JD Shaw

The sudden injury to Lakers star LeBron James has opened up a new opportunity for Brandon Ingram, who’s set to control more ball-handling duties until James returns from his strained left groin.

Ingram, who was drafted second by the Lakers in 2016, will have an expanded role with the team in their game against the Kings on Thursday. His numbers have slightly regressed from last season with the new free-agent additions on the club, but the absence of James could give him a chance to show his improvements from the offseason.

“It’s an opportunity,” Ingram said after a team shootaround Thursday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “It’s an opportunity for me to go out there and play my game a little bit more. I think I’m going to be a little bit more ball-dominant, cutting off the basketball. I have to play even better defense and be on the help side on the defensive end. So it’s a chance for me to just up my game a little bit.”

Along with James, point guard Rajon Rondo will be sidelined as he rehabs from a sprained finger earlier in the week. The Lakers open the first half of a back-to-back set on Thursday in Sacramento, then host the Clippers in an L.A. showdown on Friday.

There’s more from the Pacific Division tonight:

Warriors star Draymond Green discussed his shooting slump after the team blew a home loss to the Lakers on Christmas Day, acknowledging that he hasn’t been himself this season. “I ain’t really been doing me,” Green said as part of a larger statement, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “I ain’t been playmaking like I can, I ain’t been scoring when I got the opportunity, I ain’t been rebounding like I can, I ain’t been defending, I just haven’t been myself.”
The Clippers plan to give an extensive look to two-way player Johnathan Motley, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. The team called Motley up from the G League on Wednesday and plans to activate him in the near future, according to Swanson. “I like Mot,” coach Doc Rivers said, “What we don’t know is if defensively he can play the five spot, but I do like him at that spot. I don’t like him as a four that much. Really like him at the five.”
The Heat Index at Azcentral.com browsed through different mock drafts for the Suns next June, examining various prospects the team could target for the 2019 event. Players such as Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Kevin Porter Jr. could be available for the Suns, who currently hold the league’s second-worst record at 9-26.

LeBron James Day-To-Day, Expected To Miss Multiple Games

December 27th, 2018 at 2:33pm CST by marksuleymanov

DECEMBER 27, 2:33pm: The Lakers are preparing for James to miss “several games” due to his left groin strain, league sources tell ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski. While LeBron avoided a serious injury, there’s a healing process that will need to occur before he gets back on the court, and the team is expected to play it safe to avoid further aggravating the injury, per Windhorst and Woj.

In the short term, the Lakers will also be without Rajon Rondo, who sprained a finger and will miss Thursday’s game in Sacramento, according to the team (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 26, 12:00pm: LeBron James‘ MRI came back clean and the Lakers superstar is listed as day-to-day, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). James suffered a “slight groin strain” in the Lakers’ 127-101 Christmas Day win over the Warriors.

The Lakers believe James will miss at least a few games, according to Chris B. Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The four-time MVP, who has rarely been injured during his 16-year career, acknowledged his disappointment with missing the remainder of Tuesday’s game.

“I take a lot of pride in [staying healthy], so that is why it pissed me off not being able to go back into the game,” James said. “It’s more than anything being available to my teammates, to my coaching staff; that is something I take more personal than anything.”

The soon-to-be 34-year-old tallied 17 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists in 21 minutes of action before leaving Tuesday’s win in the third quarter. Cameras picked up James telling trainers he felt “something pop” in his groin but reports suggested the injury could have been worse.

In 34 games this year, James has averaged 27.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 7.1 APG for the Lakers.

Head coach Luke Walton said the team wants James back “as soon as possible” but would take a cautious approach when he’s deemed ready to play.

Without their best player, the Lakers (20-14) stepped up to defeat the defending NBA champions by 26 points. While the fear of losing James for a prolonged stretch would be a daunting proposition, Lakers guard Josh Hart said the team would be prepared in that situation.

“The narrative is that it’s LeBron and the Lakers,” Hart said after Tuesday’s win. “Obviously, we hope he’s OK, but we’ve got a lot of good players…If he’s down, we’re ready to step up. We’re not scared of the spotlight.”

The Lakers continue their four-game schedule against fellow California teams on Thursday when they will face the Kings in Sacramento. James told reporters on Tuesday that he would not rule out playing, but Haynes’ report suggests that is unlikely. Los Angeles has three more games left in 2018, including Thursday’s tilt against Sacramento.

If James does indeed miss a few games, it’s possible he does not play until after the New Year, when the Lakers open 2019 against the Thunder on Jan. 2.

“Hopefully, it is not a long thing and I can get back on the floor as soon as possible,” James said.