Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers, Rockets Brace For Suspensions

October 21st, 2018 at 8:54am CST by Arthur Hill

An exchange of punches late in Saturday’s game could result in significant suspensions for the Lakers‘ Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo and the Rockets‘ Chris Paul, write Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

Rondo and Paul landed punches on each other in the fracas, but Ingram could face the harshest punishment. He sparked the incident by pushing James Harden, then ran from halfcourt to throw a wild punch in the direction of both Paul and P.J. Tucker.

In the aftermath of the fight, the two teams couldn’t agree on what led Paul and Rondo to come to blows, other than a long-simmering feud between the veteran point guards. Paul claims Rondo spit in his face, while the Lakers contend nothing on the video backs up that assertion.

“You don’t do that to nobody — in sports, on the street,” Houston’s Carmelo Anthony said of the alleged spitting. “That’s blatant disrespect. You don’t do that. That’s unacceptable. … You don’t even see that in the streets, man.”

Lakers coach Luke Walton denied the accusation and blamed a flagrant 1 foul on the Rockets’ James Ennis a few minutes earlier for setting the tone for the incident.

“The clothesline three minutes prior, I saw that, and I have zero idea how that’s a flagrant 1,” Walton said. “The rule is — he clotheslined our guy, picked him up off his feet and slammed him on his back.”

NBA executive vice president Kiki VanDeWeghe, who handles discipline for the league, attended the game and has already begun an investigation. Rondo’s suspension three years ago for a homophobic slur toward a referee will likely be taken into account in determining his punishment, according to ESPN.

With the Rockets scheduled to play the Clippers tonight, an announcement is expected soon. Any accompanying fines will carry a per-game cost of $245,891 for Paul, $62,069 for Rondo and $39,704 for Ingram, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Lengthy suspensions for Rondo and Ingram would give Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma a chance to return to the Lakers’ starting lineup. Ball has been operating under a minutes restriction since offseason surgery on his left knee, but told reporters he wouldn’t have any limitations.

Lakers Plan To Be Cautious With LeBron James’ Minutes

October 20th, 2018 at 11:53am CST by marksuleymanov

One year after leading the league in minutes played, LeBron James finds himself with a new team that his different aspirations. The Lakers lost their season opener to the Trail Blazers, but James helped the cause, posting 26 points and 12 rebounds.

In typical James fashion, he played for 37 minutes — he played in a league-best 36.9 minutes for the Cavaliers last season. As Lakers head coach Luke Walton explained, the team signed the four-time MVP to a four-year deal and want to maximize his contributions.

“We want to make sure we’re not only playing at our best come the end of the season but that he’s fresh,” Walton said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And that’s a goal for us. And it’s a goal that we’re on a journey and it’s not a one-year journey. We’re continuing to try to and be our best season by season, but also as each one goes on.”

Not only did James lead the league in minutes, but he also played in all of Cleveland’s 82 regular season games — the first time he did so in 15 NBA seasons. While his performance never fell off, the Lakers expect to play at a fast tempo and monitoring the 33-year-old will be key.

“We want to play fast, and to do that we got to get guys in and out and in and out,” Walton said. “So we’ll get a good amount of guys out there.”

Lakers Sign Johnathan Williams To Two-Way Deal

October 19th, 2018 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Less than 24 hours after their first game of the 2018/19 regular season, the Lakers have made a change to one of their two-way contract slots, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed power forward Johnathan Williams and waived forward Travis Wear.

Williams, who was in camp with the Lakers, averaged 6.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG in six preseason games (14.5 MPG) with the team. The Gonzaga product was released last Saturday by Los Angeles when the team initially cut its down roster down to the regular season limit, but didn’t remain a free agent for long.

As for Wear, the former UCLA standout has had multiple stints with the Lakers, appearing in 17 regular season contests for the franchise last season. The 28-year-old is a solid three-point shooter, having converted 36.4% of his three-point attempts in the NBA and 38.1% in the G League. The South Bay Lakers still hold Wear’s rights in the event he decides to return to the NBAGL, notes Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link).

It’s not clear if the Lakers envision an NBA role for Williams, but it’s worth noting that the team is fairly thin at the center position, with few viable options behind JaVale McGee. Williams could get a look at the five before reporting to South Bay.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

October 19th, 2018 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Kings sign Troy Williams to a two-way contract after he clears waivers today, as is expected, they’ll become the 16th NBA team to fill all 17 of their available roster spots, with 15 players on standard contracts and two more on two-way pacts.

Still, that will leave nearly half of the league’s teams that will still have at least one opening on their rosters, either on the standard 15-man squad or in their two-way slots.

For many clubs, that decision is primarily financially motivated. Teams like the Warriors, Rockets, Thunder, Raptors, and Wizards all project to have pricey luxury tax bills at season’s end, so there’s no need for them to push those projected penalties higher by carrying an extra player they won’t use.

Other teams may simply prefer to preserve some roster flexibility rather than carrying a full 15-man squad. The Lakers, for instance, aren’t close to the tax line, but have an open roster spot for now. That could allow the team to make a trade or signing later to fortify its roster without costing anyone a job.

Listed below, with the help of our roster counts breakdown, are the teams that aren’t carrying full rosters.

Teams with an open 15-man roster spot:

Charlotte Hornets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves
Oklahoma City Thunder
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards
- Note: The Wizards have two open roster spots and will need to fill one of them by October 30.

Teams with an open two-way slot:

New Orleans Pelicans
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
- Note: The Blazers have two open two-way slots.
San Antonio Spurs

Community Shootaround: Early Lakers Impressions

October 19th, 2018 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

We got our first glimpse of the new-look Lakers on Thursday night, as LeBron James appeared in his first regular season game for the franchise in Portland against the Trail Blazers. While the Lakers stuck with the Blazers for three quarters, Portland ultimately pulled away in the fourth, securing a 128-119 win.

There were plenty of positive takeaways for the Lakers. Second-year guard guard Josh Hart had a great game off the bench and already looks to be pushing for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s starting job; the team played at a breakneck pace that allowed for plenty of transition opportunities; and, of course, LeBron looked like LeBron.

Still, two potential flaws with the Lakers’ roster that we heard about throughout the offseason were on display in the club’s first game. L.A. struggled from beyond the arc, missing its first 15 three-pointers and making just seven of 30 attempts for the game. No one besides Hart made more than a single three, prompting veteran free agent Nick Young to seemingly tweet his case for roster consideration after the game, as Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype relays (via Twitter).

In the view of Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), the Lakers will be fine without elite three-point shooting, but could badly use a “serviceable” big man for 10-12 minutes per game. JaVale McGee played 22 minutes for the Lakers on Thursday, but the team didn’t use another traditional center, leaving forward like Kyle Kuzma or James as the de facto fives in certain lineups. Pincus suggests (via Twitter) that perhaps Moritz Wagner could help out when he gets healthy, but until then, the Lakers may have to lean too heavily on small-ball lineups that should only be used in moderation.

Of course, it was only one game, and given the time it took LeBron to adjust to new teams in Miami in 2010 and Cleveland in 2014, it only makes sense that we should give the Lakers some leeway to figure things out as well. James made that point after the game, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays.

“I always kind of compare it to like instant oatmeal — it is not that fast,” James said of developing chemistry. “It takes a while to get to where you can close your eyes and know exactly where your guys are.

“We’re literally less than a month in,” LeBron added, referring to the Lakers having opened training camp in late September. “So, it’s still early. You still got to go through some things. You’re going to go through some adversity. See how guys react to it. See what guys get going.”

What do you think? Will this Lakers team be fine once it gets another 15 or 20 games under its belt, or does this roster have flaws that will need to be addressed sooner or later in order to seriously compete with the best of the West? Join the discussion in the comment section below!

Western Notes: Ball, Allen, Schroder, Rose

October 18th, 2018 at 10:40pm CST by JD Shaw

Magic Johnson knows a thing or two about passing — he ranks fifth in career assists with 10,141 — but Johnson, a three-time NBA MVP, also knows the importance of scoring. Johnson held a stellar mark of 11.2 assists per game in his career, but his ability to keep defenders guessing by also becoming an elite scorer is what truly made him great.

Johnson, who is in his second year as Lakers President of Basketball Operations, strongly believes this is the transition Lonzo Ball must now enter, according to Nick Schwartz of USA TODAY Sports. Ball has already become an accomplished passer, but has plenty of room to grow as a scorer.

“He has to learn how to attack the paint and get his floaters, and then take it all the way to the rim,” Johnson said. “He loves to pass first – and that’s fine, we want him to stay with that – but a lot of times now the defense is baiting him. ‘Go ahead and drive the lane, we know you’re going to kick it out.’ So they don’t really play him. So he’s got to take it all the way.

“He’s got to be able to score. And once he’s able to score… he can do everything else. He can play defense. He’s one of the best rebounding guards in the league. And he knows how to get his teammates great shots. We want him to keep the pace going, because we want to run, run, and run.”

Drafted by Johnson’s group, Ball, 20, can help round-out his overall offensive game by taking these strides. He made his season debut on Thursday against the Trail Blazers, three months after undergoing knee surgery.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

The Trail Blazers were more than just a team for the late Paul Allen — they were his passion, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. Allen passed away this week after a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He owned the Blazers for 30 seasons, purchasing the franchise in 1988.
Dennis Schroder proved his worth in the Thunder’s season-opener on Tuesday, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. Schroder finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes of work, filling in for the injured Russell Westbrook.
Derrick Rose‘s role will fluctuate with the return of Jimmy Butler, writes Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Rose was labeled as a starter alongside Jeff Teague before Butler’s return, but came off the bench in the team’s first game this week. “[Rose] has the versatility to play with both groups,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So he’s gotten comfortable playing the off guard; his natural position is the point. I think you can mix and match with those guys.”

Woj: Not Much Mutual Interest Between Lakers, Butler

October 18th, 2018 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Elsewhere on the Butler front, Wojnarowski notes that the All-NBA swingman has made it clear that the Lakers are “not really a consideration” for him. Conversely, the Lakers think they can do better than Butler with their potential max-salary slot, Woj adds.

[SOURCE LINK]

George: I Would’ve Been A Laker If Not For Trade To OKC

October 18th, 2018 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

When Paul George was on the trade market in the summer of 2017, chatter around the NBA strongly suggested that the Lakers were his preferred landing spot. In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, George confirmed as much, admitting that he almost certainly would’ve ended up with the Lakers if the Pacers hadn’t traded him to Oklahoma City.

While George’s desire to return to his hometown certainly didn’t disappear once he joined the Thunder, he eventually fell in love with his new team and new city, resulting in the Los Angeles native deciding to sign a long-term deal with OKC this past summer instead of leaving for L.A.

“It was 50-50 on deciding whether I wanted to come back home or if it was smarter to be in the situation I am in now,” George told Spears. “But it wasn’t overstated. I wanted to play in L.A. That is where I wanted to go. Had that trade never went down, had I played one more year in Indy, I would have been in a Lakers uniform.”

Before Indiana shipped George to OKC in 2017, the Lakers were believed to be involved in trade discussions with the Pacers, and would have had a strong chance to acquire the forward if they’d been willing to part with Brandon Ingram or 2017’s second overall pick (which became Lonzo Ball), per Spears. A source tells ESPN that George was disappointed that the Lakers didn’t value him enough to pull the trigger on a deal at the time.

Interestingly, Spears also reports that when George was still a Pacer, he discussed his potential future plans with LeBron James. However, George and James didn’t have any similar conversations after George was sent to the Thunder.

Having declined to even meet with the Lakers this past summer, George won’t be joining his hometown team anytime soon, but he feels good about his free agency decision, as he tells Spears.

“Going toward the summer and going toward free agency, I kind of had my mind made up talking with the team, talking with [Russell Westbrook] and talking with the front office,” George said. “I kind of felt good where we were at. Last [season], I didn’t get a chance to start with this team fresh. I got traded late. So, I picked up things late with the team. I wanted to get to it right away this time and start creating early.”

Pacific Notes: Walton, James, Curry, Cousins

October 17th, 2018 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The arrival of LeBron James has changed life for Lakers coach Luke Walton in several ways, writes Bill Oram of The Athletic. After two relatively stress-free years at the helm, expectations just went way up in Los Angeles. Walton only has to look at Erik Spoelstra in Miami and David Blatt in Cleveland to see the pressure that comes to coaches who are suddenly paired with the NBA’s top talent.

And Walton has more than just the LeBron dynamic to be concerned with. The Lakers have a large collection of veterans on one-year contracts who will all want playing time to maximize their value for next summer. There’s a huge hole in the roster at center, along with a point guard battle between Rajon Rondo and Lonzo Ball. There’s also the watchful eye of management, where team president Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka are also under pressure to produce a winner.

“That’s one of the reasons Luke is good,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who once employed Walton as his lead assistant. “He’s grown up in the NBA and he understands what a weird world we live in. The job changes almost daily depending on your circumstances.”

There’s more tonight from the Pacific Division:

Walton plans to monitor James’ minutes to keep from burning out his new star, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James played a league-high average of 36.9 minutes per game last season in Cleveland without taking a night off. Walton plans a much more relaxed approach to avoid tiring out James, who turns 34 in December. “We’ve got four years,” he said, referring to the length of James’ new contract.
Stephen Curry tells Marcus Thompson of The Athletic he doesn’t believe he’ll be in the MVP race regardless of the numbers he posts. The Warriors guard already has a pair of MVP trophies, but he says “the narrative” doesn’t work in his favor. “I don’t care,” he said. “I just know the narrative isn’t there, so I would have to go above and beyond. So, it’s whatever. I’m blessed to have three rings. I’m good.”
Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins has a new shoe deal with Puma after Nike refused to match his offer, tweets Nick DePaula of ESPN. Cousins becomes the top player associated with the Puma brand.

Kevin Durant Addresses 2019 Free Agency

October 17th, 2018 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant will be the biggest free agent on the market during the 2019 offseason and a return to the Warriors doesn’t appear to be a foregone conclusion, which means speculation about his decision will continue through the 2018/19 season. While Durant recognizes why that will happen, he told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that he’s hoping not to be constantly asked about it in the coming months.

“I know it’s easy to look at that type of [expletive] because it’s the entertainment side. But wait until the season is over with to analyze [free agency],” Durant said to Haynes. “I know it’s your job and it’s hard to say that, but try to shift some of your focus to the court, too. I know you have to still do your job and check on stuff like that, but every day? Every city I go to? Come on, man. I said what I had to say at media day. I understand your job, but let’s come to a little agreement. Don’t ask me every time you see me. If it’s the first time I’m seeing y’all, I don’t mind answering. But every time? Come on, bro.”

After winning back-to-back championships with the Warriors and earning consecutive Finals MVPs, Durant said that he doesn’t expect “anything extra” from the franchise this season as it tries to recruit him for a longer-term stay, adding, “I already know what this organization is about.”

While the Warriors will have Durant’s Bird rights at the end of the season, giving them the ability to offer a five-year worth up to a projected $221MM+, rival executives believe it may be possible to lure the 30-year-old away from the Bay Area. As Haynes details, the Knicks, Lakers, and Clippers are among the many teams with cap room who may have eyes for Durant. Sources tell Haynes that personnel from the Clippers, specifically, are expected to attend a “high number” of Warriors games this season.

Unless he’s willing to publicly commit to re-signing with the Warriors – like Kyrie Irving did with the Celtics – Durant won’t be able to stop the speculation, a fact he acknowledges. However, he suggests to Haynes that he may not be overly receptive to questions about his upcoming free agency if they continue all year long.

“It depends on how I feel that day,” Durant said. “If I’m in a [expletive]-up mood, you’re going to see. Ask me that question and you’re going to really see what mood I’m in.”