- Lakers guard Joel Berry has a huge goal for a player who wasn’t drafted. In an interview with Drew Ruiz of Hoops Hype, Berry said he hopes to be among the contenders for Rookie of the Year and talks about the feeling of being passed over on draft night. “It was pretty tough,” he recalled. “It’s always a dream to hear your name get called, but honestly, I’ve always taken the path where I was always overlooked and my game is not the flashiest – I just win – and that speaks more than being a flashy player.”
Former Lakers and Hawks forward Ryan Kelly has signed a contract to play for SunRockeres Shibuya of Japan next season, according to a Sportando report. Kelly spent last season with Real Betis in Spain and averaged 13.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG.
Kelly, 27, last appeared in the NBA during the 2016/17 season with Atlanta, when he saw action in 16 games. He spent his first three seasons with the Lakers. The 6’11” power forward has averaged 6.0 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 19.2 MPG in his 163-game NBA career.
In other basketball news domestically and overseas:
- Maccabi Tel Aviv is close to signing power forward Johnny O’Bryant, according to another Sportando report. O’Bryant, 25, played 36 games last season with the Hornets, averaging 4.6 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 10.5 MPG. O’Bryant, 25, was traded to the Knicks in February and then waived. The 6’9” O’Bryant has also played for the Nuggets and Bucks, who selected him 36th overall in the 2014 draft.
- Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Victor Oladipo and Ben Simmons are among the dark-horse candidates to win the Most Valuable Player award, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. A healthy Leonard would quickly become a prime MVP candidate, O’Connor opines, while Booker could have a breakout campaign after showing steady progress in his first three seasons.
- DeMarcus Cousins (Warriors) and Isaiah Thomas (Nuggets) are obvious choices as the best bargains in free agency but as Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated notes, there are several other players who could fall into that category. Ed Davis (Nets), Seth Curry (Trail Blazers) and Brook Lopez (Bucks) should all provide production that far outweigh the deals that they signed, in Mahoney’s view.
LeBron James seriously considered joining the Sixers and Rockets before signing with the Lakers. In an extensive interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that was relayed by Dave McMenamin, James addressed a variety of topics, including which teams he considered during free agency.
“I definitely thought long and hard about the possibilities of lining up alongside Ben [Simmons] and [Joel] Embiid or lining up aside [James] Harden and Chris [Paul],” he told Nichols.
The Sixers had the salary-cap space to sign James but the Rockets would have likely required a sign-and-trade with the Cavaliers to acquire his services. James also insisted he doesn’t see next season as a rebuilding year for the Lakers.
“We have an opportunity to do something that a lot of people don’t think we can do, and we love the notion of it’s another rebuilding year and we don’t have enough. So that will motivate the guys that we have anyways.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The Rockets are actively seeking a defensive-minded player on the trade market and are willing to take on a long-term contract, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN in comments relayed by digital journalist Ben DuBose. Houston would presumably move forward Ryan Anderson, who has two years and $41.7MM left on his deal. The Hornets’ Nicolas Batum would be a logical target, as Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype notes. Batum has three years and $76.7MM remaining on his contract, which includes a player option in the final year.
- The Jazz have hired Fotis Katsikaris as an assistant to Quin Snyder, the team announced in a press release. Katsikaris becomes the first-ever native Greek NBA assistant coach. He was a head coach in Spain last season and served as head coach of the Greek national team from 2014-16.
- The Warriors are unlikely to pick up center Damian Jones‘ fourth-year option, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State must make a decision on the $2.3MM option prior to the start of the season. If it’s declined, Jones will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
LeBron James‘ decision to sign with the Lakers ended his second tour of duty with Cavaliers and altered the basketball world. After appearing in four straight NBA Finals with Cleveland, James is heading to the Western Conference for the first time in his career.
Aside from an appearance at Summer League, donning a $495 pair of Lakers shorts, James had not addressed his four-year pact with Los Angeles. As James prepares to open a new public school called “I Promise,” in his native Akron, Ohio, James discussed his choice to join the Lakers via his Uninterrupted platform on Sunday.
“You look at the Lakers,” James said. “Being able to play for a historic franchise with so much history, and now being able to partner with Magic Johnson, someone I kinda like looked up to when I was younger and wanted to make no-look passes like Magic, wanted to get on the break and be Showtime like Magic and then for it to all come to fruition at this point.”
James, 33, joins the Lakers after a season in which he played in all 82 regular season games for the first time and averaged 27.5 PPG, 9.1 APG and 8.6 RPG. The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player cited timing as a major part of his decision and that his goal is to bring a championship to Los Angeles.
“I think timing is everything. For me to be in this position now, the excitement that I have to be a Laker, I’m happy to be a part of it because I believe the Lakers is a historical franchise, we all know that, but it’s a championship franchise and that’s what we’re trying to get back to,” he said. “I’m happy to be a part of the culture and be a part of us getting back to that point.”
Paul George made up his mind to stay with the Thunder weeks before free agency, which is why he didn’t bother meeting with the Lakers, Marc Spears of ESPN relays. George, speaking after a Team USA practice on Thursday, acknowledged Oklahoma City took a gamble by trading for him last offseason after he previously made it known he wanted to play in L.A. That gamble paid off, even though it was “tempting” to meet with the Lakers, according to George.
Michael Beasley, who joined the Lakers on a one-year, $3.5MM deal, isn’t fond of all the naysayers criticizing his fit on the team.
“For there to even be a narrative of the personalities in this room is judgment enough for me, and I don’t want to be a part of that,” Beasley said (via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com).
“You being a critic doing your job, [if] everybody do their job and stop judging a lot of players — me mainly — you will figure out that guys like me, Nick Young, J.R. Smith and Lance Stephenson and guys like that know how to play basketball and win basketball games, know how to get along with others. It is nothing to do with my maturity.”
The forward added that he feels this year’s squad is going to “come together like a basketball team.”
Magic Johnson had a vision for the type of talent he wanted to put around newly-signed LeBron James. The President of Basketball Operations wanted veteran toughness, playoff experience, defense, basketball IQ, and multiple offensive weapons, Youngmusik writes in the piece for ESPN.
Playoff experience? JaVale McGee has a ring. Same with Rajon Rondo. Basketball IQ? While the former Celtics point has had his run-ins with coaches, he’s widely regarded as one of the brightest minds in the game. Veteran toughness? Look no further than Stephenson and his calling card is his offensive ability.
Beasley’s offense is likely better than the average Knicks’ viewer realized last season. Sound defense with the group? That might be a tougher sell than any attribute listed above. Still, Beasley knows what the team expects from him.
“Just be myself,” Beasley said of what the Lakers want from him. “I come in here and try to help the young guys and put the ball in the basket…Don’t be shy about being myself.”
1:54pm: The Lakers have officially signed Wear to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
11:29am: The Lakers have reached an agreement to sign free agent forward Travis Wear to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Wear has had multiple stints with the Lakers over the last couple years. He participated in training camp with the club in 2016 and played for the Lakers’ G League affiliate in each of the last two seasons. In the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, he signed a pair of 10-day contracts with L.A., followed by a rest-of-season deal.
In 17 games for the Lakers last season, Wear averaged 4.4 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 13.4 minutes per contest, knocking down 36.2% of his three-pointers. He was more effective for the South Bay Lakers, recording 16.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and a .445/.419/.855 shooting line in 34 G League games.
Wear will join Alex Caruso as the two Lakers currently on two-way contracts. The club had signed Malik Newman to a two-way deal at the start of the month, but cut him last week, opening up a slot for Wear.
JULY 23: Beasley’s contract with the Lakers is now official, the team announced today in a press release.
“Michael adds another component of versatility to our deep roster,” GM Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “His length and ability to guard multiple positions, stretch the floor, play-make and create his own shot are all essential characteristics for us. Coming off one of the finest years of his career, we think Michael is poised to have a very exciting and strong season for us.”
JULY 20: Free agent forward Michael Beasley has agreed to a contract with the Lakers, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets. It’s a one-year, $3.5MM contract, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN (Twitter link).
Los Angeles used a big chunk of its $4,449,000 room exception to get Beasley in the fold.
Exactly what kind of role Beasley will carve out is a big question mark. He’ll join a forward rotation of LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lance Stephenson. Luol Deng is still on the roster as well, though Los Angeles is trying to find a way to dump his contract.
Beasley fits in with a locker room already full of volatile personalities. Along with Stephenson, the Lakers have also signed two other players this summer who are no strangers to controversy, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee.
Beasley, still just 29, has bounced around the league since the Heat made him the second pick in the 2008 draft. He’s also played for the Timberwolves, Suns, Rockets and Bucks before a productive stint with the Knicks last season. He averaged 13.2 PPG, his highest total since posting a career-best 19.2 PPG with Minnesota in 2010/11. He also averaged 5.6 RPG and 1.7 APG while appearing in 74 contests, including 30 starts.
The Knicks lost interest in bringing back Beasley after signing former Magic forward Mario Hezonja.
Two European teams are hoping to sign former Cavaliers two-way player London Perrantes, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando. The French club Limoges has expressed interest in Perrantes, who received a two-year offer on Friday from Olimpia Milano in Italy, which plans to loan him to VL Pesaro during his first season.
Cleveland waived the 23-year-old point guard last month after one season with the organization. Perrantes appeared in 14 games for the Cavs and averaged less than five minutes per night. His G League numbers were much better as he posted an 11.9/3.4/7.8 line while starting 35 games for the Canton Charge.
A four-year player at Virginia, Perrantes got the opportunity in Cleveland just before the start of last season. Prior to that, he had been signed and waived by the Spurs.
There’s more overseas news to pass along:
- Former Laker Tyler Ennis‘ decision to sign with Fenerbahce is examined by Kostas Giataganas of Eurohoops. Ennis will join ex-Spur Joffrey Lauvergne on the Turkish club and will follow his brother Dylan, who played in Europe last season. Ennis was waived by the Lakers in June before his $1.7MM contract for next season became guaranteed. He appeared in 54 games for L.A. last year, averaging 4.1 points per night.
- Hassan Martin, who had an impressive performance with the Celtics‘ summer league team, is headed to Germany, Lupo relays in a separate piece. The former Rhode Island forward averaged 10 points and six rebounds per game in Las Vegas. He played in Japan last year.
- Former Hornets G Leaguer Terry Henderson has signed with Scaligera Verona in Italy, also according to Lupo. The one-time North Carolina State guard averaged 11.3 points in 42 games with the Greensboro Swarm last season.
Headed to his seventh team in five years, new Laker Lance Stephenson is hoping he can land a long-term contract next summer, relays Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. Stephenson expected a longer stay in Indiana after appearing in all 82 games last season. However, after teammate Thaddeus Young opted in to a $13.7MM deal and Doug McDermott was added in free agency, the Pacers elected to decline their $4.3MM option on Stephenson. He wound up signing a one-year, $4.5MM deal with L.A.
“I’m definitely looking for a long-term contract after this,” Stephenson said. “I’m trying to find a home. I’ve been moving a lot and to different teams. I’m trying to find a place where I can actually call home and feel comfortable, and actually get a nice place and stay there for a while.”
There’s more this morning from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns contacted free agent forward Trevor Ariza in the first minute of free agency, he says in a video interview tweeted by the team. The former Rocket agreed to change teams after receiving a one-year, $15MM offer from Phoenix. “Sometimes things run their course and it’s time for a new start and new beginning,” Ariza explained. “There were a lot of options for me, but the one that … showed the most promise was this one. I’m excited to be here. I’m happy to be here. It’s closer to home [in Los Angeles] for me.”
- The new two-year, $12MM contract for Montrezl Harrell leaves the Clippers about $500K below the tax line, but sets up a difficult roster decision, Bobby Marks posts on ESPN Now. Re-signing Harrell gives L.A. 16 guaranteed contracts, along with non-guaranteed deals for Patrick Beverley ($5,027,028) and C.J. Williams ($1,378,242). Neither becomes fully guaranteed until January 10.
- The Kings finalized a three-year, $20.5MM contract with Nemanja Bjelica on Saturday, but not an expected deal with Yogi Ferrell, notes salary cap expert Albert Nahmad (Twitter link). He speculates that Sacramento could be examining its options with $14MM in remaining cap space and may use the room mid-level exception to sign Ferrell to a two-year, $6.2MM deal at a later date.