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LeBron: Kyrie Trade Was Beginning Of The End In Cleveland

November 19th, 2018 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

With LeBron James‘ return to Cleveland right around the corner, Joe Vardon of The Athletic revisits the 2017 trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston and contributed to James’ decision to leave the Cavaliers for the Lakers in 2018. As LeBron tells Vardon, the Irving deal with the Celtics helped signal the end of an era in Cleveland.

“Everyone knows that when Kyrie got traded it was the beginning of the end for everything,” James said. “It’s not a secret.”

In his account of how that Irving deal got done, Vardon writes that James spoke on the phone to Cavs general manager Koby Altman the day the trade was agreed upon. Vardon cites four separate people present for the conversation who say that – at the end of the call – Altman told LeBron the trade wouldn’t happen. However, the deal was completed shortly thereafter.

Cavaliers officials who spoke to Vardon denied that Altman gave James any assurances that the deal wouldn’t happen, adding that Altman asked LeBron if he’d commit long-term to the Cavs if they kept Irving, and he said no. In any case, James doesn’t feel as if Altman lied to him, according to Vardon — instead, the GM may have simply been overruled by team owner Dan Gilbert.

“You realize at that point in time, take nothing from Koby, because Koby (was just named GM),” LeBron said. “But at that point in time, you realize that Koby’s not the only one running the team, as (former GM David Griffin) had done, and that’s why Griff was let go pretty much.”

While the Cavaliers still earned a spot in the NBA Finals without Irving, they were quickly dispatched by the Warriors, prompting James to seek a new challenge in free agency. Now a Laker, the four-time MVP will make his return to Cleveland this week, with the Cavs scheduled to host the Lakers on Wednesday.

As for Irving, he declined comment today when asked about his response to James’ comments, telling reporters that he’s done talking about his time in Cleveland (video link via Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston).

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Pacific Notes: Rondo, Anderson, Warren, Kings

November 18th, 2018 at 2:02pm CST by JD Shaw

Despite fracturing his hand last week, Rajon Rondo continues to help the Lakers progress through their tumultuous start to the 2018/19 season on the sidelines. His veteran leadership, locker room mentality and 13 years of experience have positively impacted several players, particularly the team’s group of younger talent.

“My whole life I ain’t never played with someone like him, or LeBron [James],” teammate Lonzo Ball said of Rondo, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “It’s new to me to just try and follow in their footsteps in a way, just because you can see them get the most out of everybody and the practices are way better than they were last year because they are always challenging people.

“I mean, he’s the best leader that I’ve ever played with — between him and LeBron.”

Rondo was at the Lakers’ practice facility the morning after fracturing his hand, according to Youngmisuk, instructing teammates and being present for guidance when needed. It’s those kinds of traits that helped him win a championship with the Celtics in 2008, and it’s exactly why the Lakers value his services so much.

“Rondo’s a natural leader,” James said. “I think he just was brought into this world to lead.”

Rondo underwent surgery on Thursday and is expected to miss 4-5 weeks. He’s averaged 8.5 points, 6.5 assists and 25.3 minutes in 11 contests this season, playing most of his games off the bench.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Ryan Anderson has found comfort in his new role with the Suns, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. “When I was first starting off like some of these guys,” Anderson said, “I was ready when my name was called, and I performed and that’s what led to me getting more minutes and I was eventually starting. Those are moments that coaches really notice. If I can bring that out of a guy, I can help work after practice, that’s more important than me playing 10 minutes in a game.”
  • T.J. Warren‘s efforts to improve his three-point shooting have paid off this season, Cody Cunningham of NBA.com writes. Warren has connected on 46% of his threes through 14 games. “It’s a testament to the work I put in,” he said. “I really wanted to lock-in and really focus on it. Seeing where the league is going, just wanted to challenge myself and prove to myself that if I put my mind to it, I can do it.”
  • The Kings‘ improving culture is a noteworthy change this season, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee relays. “Winning begins with culture and character matters,” general manager Vlade Divac said. Sacramento has started the 2018/19 season with an 8-8 record.
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LeBron Has Little To Say About Chance To Acquire Anthony

November 18th, 2018 at 11:43am CST by Arthur Hill
  • The Lakers have been rumored as a possible next stop for Carmelo Anthony, but LeBron James is refusing to comment on the possibility of adding one of his closest friends, writes Liam Blackburn of The Sporting News. “I have no idea, to be honest,” he said when asked about the chance to acquire Anthony. “We don’t even have a roster spot open right now, so that’s not a question for myself.”
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Lakers Notes: Ball, McGee, Second Superstar

November 17th, 2018 at 10:06am CST by marksuleymanov

For a young Lakers team still in search of its identity, second-year point guard Lonzo Ball has seen his role vary. At times, Ball has played the prototypical point guard role, setting up his teammates. Other times, the UCLA product has been more of an off-the-ball player who has also displayed an improved long-range game.

As Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes, Ball is still getting adjusted to the current Lakers team, playing off LeBron James.

“Just trying to find my spots on the court,” Ball said. “LeBron is very good with the ball, playmaking. So when he brings it up, (I) just try to go to the wing and get open, cut, set screens … try to do different things.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

 In 14 games (12 starts) this season, Ball is averaging just 8.7 PPG and 4.8 APG — both down from his rookie season. However, he is shooting an improved .409% from the field and .381% from three-point range.
  • Through the early part of the season, Lakers center JaVale McGee is playing the best basketball of his career. He has not been a full-time starter since the 2011/12 season but his numbers across the board are career bests, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. Even while he’s scoring more points (14.1 PPG) than Al Horford and shooting better (63%) than DeAndre Jordan, McGee feels there’s room to improve. “I’m underachieving, personally,” McGee said. “People just look at me like, ‘Oh, he’s having a better season than he’s ever had.’ But no, I want more.”
  • Another impact player is off the board for a Lakers team in search of a second star alongside James, as Jimmy Butler was traded to the Sixers. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report looks at the team’s remaining options for a co-star in Hollywood, with Butler, Kawhi Leonard and others having joined new teams or committed to old ones in recent months.
  • Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo underwent surgery on a broken hand this week and is expected to miss four to five weeks.
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Rajon Rondo Out 4-5 Weeks With Broken Hand

November 16th, 2018 at 8:12pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 16, 8:12pm: Rondo underwent surgery on Friday, according to a team press release. His revised timetable is 4-5 weeks.

NOVEMBER 15, 2:22pm: Rondo will undergo surgery on his right hand within the next 24 hours, per the Lakers (Twitter link via Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times). Rondo’s recovery timetable is still about three to five weeks, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

NOVEMBER 15, 8:23am: LeBron James and the Lakers played perhaps their best game of the season on Wednesday night, dispatching the Trail Blazers as James passed Wilt Chamberlain to become the NBA’s fifth all-time leading scorer. However, the win was marred by an injury to one of the team’s key players.

As head coach Luke Walton confirmed after the game, point guard Rajon Rondo broke his right hand while attempting to make a steal in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ win, fracturing the third metacarpal in his hand (link via Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com).

According to Ohm Youngmisuk and Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, Rondo will see a specialist on Thursday to determine whether or not surgery will be necessary. For now, the Lakers are operating under the assumption that the veteran guard will miss about three to five weeks, per the ESPN duo.

“It’s tough,” James said of Rondo’s injury. “He’s one of our captains, one of our leaders. I heard we got great surgeons here in L.A., so get right to it, start his rehab as fast as possible, get going. Next man up. Next man up. I know Rondo hates the fact of what he’s going through right now, but we all have to pick him up in his absence.”

With Rondo sidelined, Lonzo Ball will continue to handle starting duties, but the backup minutes may be up for grabs. Lance Stephenson and Brandon Ingram aren’t really point guards, but they may assume increased ball-handling duties. Two-way player Alex Caruso could also be an option.

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NBA Trade Candidate Watch: Pacific Division

November 16th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the course of the 2018/19 NBA season, up until February’s trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA, monitoring their value and exploring the likelihood that they’ll be moved. Each of these looks at possible trade candidates focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on three players from that division.

There aren’t many Pacific players who have been the subject of reported trade rumors yet, but there are several veteran wings in the division on expiring contracts who could become available over the course of the season — particularly if their roles decline or if things go south for their respective teams.

Here’s our early-season look at a few possible trade candidates from the Pacific…

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G
Los Angeles Lakers
$12MM cap hit; unrestricted free agent in 2019

After averaging 33.2 minutes per game last season in what was ostensibly a rebuilding year for the Lakers, Caldwell-Pope has seen his playing time dip to 18.5 MPG in 2018/19. That’s a worrying trend for a veteran, particularly since the Lakers actually have playoff expectations this time around.

Caldwell-Pope, no longer in the starting lineup, has struggled to be effective in his limited minutes so far, posting just 6.9 PPG with a .326 3PT% in 14 games. With Josh Hart playing the Caldwell-Pope role better than KCP himself, the veteran could become expendable.

Moving Caldwell-Pope would be tricky, however. His $12MM expiring contract is still something of an asset for the Lakers, who project to have a chunk of cap room in 2019 and won’t want to compromise their flexibility by taking on a multiyear deal in return. Caldwell-Pope also shares an agent with LeBron James, so the franchise will want to do right by him. Plus, he has the ability to veto a trade this season, though perhaps if his role remains limited, he’d welcome a change of scenery.

While a trade sometime after December 15 is possible, and the Sixers are said to have him on their radar, it’s probably in the Lakers’ best interest to focus on figuring out how to get the most of Caldwell-Pope on the court.

Trevor Ariza, F
Phoenix Suns
$15MM cap hit; unrestricted free agent in 2019

The Suns threw a one-year, $15MM contract at Ariza over the summer in the hopes that the three-and-D wing could help stabilize a young team and play a part in Phoenix push for a playoff spot. It doesn’t look like that’ll happen in a competitive Western Conference — the Suns’ 3-11 record puts them at least 2.5 games back of every other team in the West.

There have been some positive signs so far for the Suns, and they won’t throw in the towel yet, but if they remain firmly entrenched in the lottery in another month or two, Ariza should emerge as a prime candidate. There will be no shortage of playoff teams that could use a battle-tested veteran like him down the stretch.

While it’s fun to imagine a scenario in which the Rockets, in need of another three-and-D player, re-acquire Ariza, Houston’s best salary-matching piece – Brandon Knight – can’t be sent back to Phoenix this season.

Iman Shumpert, G/F
Sacramento Kings
$11.01MM cap hit; unrestricted free agent in 2019

The Kings have a number of veterans on expiring contracts, but Zach Randolph, Kosta Koufos, and Ben McLemore look more like candidates for buyouts than trades. Shumpert is the exception — the 28-year-old is a fixture in Sacramento’s starting lineup and has looked like his old self, averaging 8.8 PPG with a shooting line (.411/.368/.833) that eclipses his career rates.

At the moment, the 8-6 Kings are hanging onto a playoff spot in the West, so they won’t be looking to sell off key rotation players. Still, the Rockets, Jazz, Spurs, and Pelicans are all just one game back of Sacramento, so it remains to be seen how long the upstart Kings can hold a top-eight spot in the conference.

If Sacramento falls off and Shumpert continues to play well, he should appeal to a team that wants to add some immediate help to its rotation without sacrificing its offseason cap flexibility. He probably wouldn’t net the Kings much of a return unless they’re willing to take on some unwanted money, but if they can get even a second-round pick for him, it’d be a win, given how low his stock was at the end of last season.

Previously:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Pacific Notes: Chandler, Durant, Kings, McGee

November 15th, 2018 at 8:44pm CST by JD Shaw

Before signing with the Lakers as a free agent, veteran center Tyson Chandler registered interest from a handful of teams across the NBA.

Among these teams were the Warriors, according to Jon Becker of The Mercury News, adding that Chandler narrowed his decision down to the Warriors and Lakers. Chandler, an L.A. native, ultimately chose to sign with the Lakers.

“I think it was like five teams, and I narrowed it down to two,” Chandler said this week. “And then I had to do some heavy thinking and praying and then I can only see myself in a Lakers uniform, so it kind of made the decision for me.”

The opportunity to play for his hometown team in Los Angeles with LeBron James was too much to turn away for Chandler, who’s been impressive off the Lakers’ bench so far this season.

Here are some other notes from the Pacific Division:

  • ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explains why Kevin Durant is the NBA’s most powerful person, writing about his altercation with teammate Draymond Green from earlier in the week. Durant, a consensus top-3 player in the NBA, could leave the Warriors as a free agent next July.
  • The Kings received praise from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich this week, with Popovich lauding the organization for improving its culture. “I was really impressed, their culture is changing — it’s changed drastically,” Popovich said, according to James Ham of NBC Sports. “Guys are committed, guys are physical, taking some pride in defense. I think Vlade [Divac] and the team have made some good moves, and I think Dave [Joerger]’s done a great job of bringing that group together. They look really good. It’s impressive.”
  • Tyson Chandler says he signed with the Lakers to complement starting center JaVale McGee, not to compete against him for minutes, Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times writes. “It’s not about me and him,” Chandler said, choosing to keep his focus on the overall team goal.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/13/18

November 13th, 2018 at 10:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

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

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Lakers Rumors: LeBron, Chandler, Ingram, Carmelo

November 13th, 2018 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers lost their first three games to begin LeBron James‘ tenure in Los Angeles, and fell to 4-6 after an embarrassing home loss to Toronto last Sunday. The team has since rebounded, winning three in a row to move above .500 for the first time this season and allowing James to exhale a bit. Speaking to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the four-time MVP admitted that he had some trying moments in his early days as a Laker.

“I haven’t changed anything outwardly, but you know me. You know how I am. I almost cracked [last week]. I had to sit back and remind myself, ‘[Expletive], you knew what you were getting yourself into,'” James told Haynes with a laugh over the weekend. “This process has been good for me. I just have to continue being patient.”

The last week hasn’t exactly been the toughest stretch of the Lakers’ 2018/19 schedule — the club’s three most recent wins came against the Timberwolves, Kings, and Hawks. Still, LeBron is looking more comfortable with his new teammates and the recent arrival of Tyson Chandler has clearly had a positive impact on the organization, as head coach Luke Walton acknowledges.

“[Chandler]’s been big,” Walton said, per Haynes. “Not only the way he is on court, but the way he talks in the huddles. We’re very happy to have him.”

Let’s round up a few more Lakers-related items…

  • Here’s a little more of what LeBron told Haynes, regarding the team’s recovery from a slow start: “I had to regroup and remember this is a young team. We’re playing some good ball right now and we’re starting to build some good habits. That’s all that matters right now.”
  • There may be some room for improvement in the on-court chemistry between James and former No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram. As Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype relays, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (podcast link) recently spoke to an executive who has long been a big fan of Ingram and feels as if “it’s not working with LeBron.” Of course, given Ingram’s four-game suspension, the duo only has nine games under its belt so far, so there’s plenty of time to figure things out.
  • Appearing on ESPN, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated suggested that the Lakers are likely done tweaking their roster for the time being, meaning they probably wouldn’t be in play for Carmelo Anthony if the Rockets release him. Dan Feldman of NBC Sports has the details.
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Community Shootaround: Carmelo Anthony’s Future

November 11th, 2018 at 7:48pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Amidst all of the reports of uncertainty surrounding Carmelo Anthony‘s future with the Rockets, a larger discussion regarding his place in the league itself appears to be on its way.

After being traded from the Thunder and subsequently being released by the Hawks, Anthony signed for the veteran’s minimum in Houston, where he looked to thrive in the team’s offense predicated on 3-pointers and led by two of the best guards in the league.

Unfortunately, Anthony’s offensive struggles have carried over from his lone season with the Thunder, as he is averaging just 13.4 points per game so far and knocking down just 32.8% of his 3-pointers. Anthony has primarily come off the bench but has received a sizable role due to the Rockets dealing with several injuries early in the season.

It’s not only the traditional counting stats that paint this as Anthony’s worst season, as he is posting career-lows in PER, Win Shares per 48 Minutes and Box Plus-Minus. To make matters worse, the Rockets are significantly better when Anthony isn’t on the court. Per Cleaning the Glass, the team’s defense is 9.6 points per 100 possessions worse when Anthony is on the floor.

Considering that Anthony has been a net negative when on the floor for several years and is likely going to find himself without a team sometime soon, what is his role in the league moving forward? Are there NBA teams that would be interested in signing Anthony should he be released by the Rockets?

A common response has been that the Lakers, led by another one of Anthony’s friends in LeBron James could bring him on as another shooter. However, it remains to be seen if that would be the case considering the youth and depth the Lakers have at their disposal (as well as their interest in signing him after his slow start).

Anthony will turn 35 years old at the end of this season, making it appropriate to discuss if this should be his farewell tour. Given his inability to be a capable off-ball player on offense and his dramatic defensive limitations, it’s likely that Anthony won’t find himself on a competitive NBA team moving in subsequent years.

To win at the highest level in the NBA, teams are increasingly relying on capable two-way players, switchable defenders and/or elite shooters and ball-handlers. Anthony meets none of those descriptions, as he is a throwback isolation scorer that best operates out of the mid-range.

What say you, NBA fans? Do you think Carmelo Anthony has a place in the league moving forward? Comment below with your thoughts!

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