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Paul George Talks Free Agency, Thunder, L.A.

January 5th, 2018 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

While many players are hesitant to discuss trade requests that went public, Paul George hasn’t shied away from the topic as his Thunder visited Los Angeles, explaining earlier this week why he didn’t regret that his desire to play for the Lakers became known.

Both before and after OKC’s matchup with the Lakers on Wednesday night, George went into a little more detail on his upcoming free agency, his current team, and his hometown city. Here are a few of the star forward’s noteworthy comments from the last couple days:

On his 2018 free agency and the Thunder’s chance to re-sign him (via ESPN):

“This summer will be huge. I’ve got a lot to think about. If we’re trending, if we’re going in the right direction, if I feel there is something that we’re building, and there’s a foundation — it would be kind of clueless, just stupid on my behalf to up and leave.”

On not needing to win a title with the Thunder this season in order to seriously consider re-signing:

“I’m very conscious that we’re only together for a year so far, and we continue to go in an upward trend. It’s best to stick with what we have and work on building. So, I wouldn’t say it’s championship or bust, or championship and I’m out. It’s all about building. If I like where we’re building or the level that we’re going at, it would be stupid to walk away from that.”

On the adjustments he, Carmelo Anthony, and Russell Westbrook have had to make:

“The biggest change was myself, Melo, telling Russ he has to be who he is. All of us were kind of afraid to step on toes, deferring. I felt at times Russ was looking to get others involved when sometimes he has shots that he has to take, and it was throwing everybody out of rhythm. Now he knows that we got his back. We trust him, he trusts us. We got a rhythm. We’ve all been shooting the ball well lately. We’re in a group, we’re relaxed, we’re comfortable out there.”

On being transparent this week about his love for Los Angeles (via Royce Young):

“The fact of the matter is I’m from here and I love being here but that has nothing to do with my decision with where I’m going to be playing at the end of the day.”

Lonzo Ball Eyes Friday Return

January 4th, 2018 at 8:18pm CST by Austin Kent

The Lakers have struggled in the absence of Lonzo Ball but the first-year guard whose playing style has already impacted the young team’s pace and flow could be back in the lineup as early as Friday, Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet tweets.

While it’s not definitive that Ball will return, it’s the tentative plan barring any setbacks. Ball has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since December 23 and the Lakers have gone 0-and-6 in his absence.

The rookie fell at a time just as his shooting stroke had started to heat up. In 33.8 minutes per game for the Lakers, Ball has posted 10.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.

Kyler’s Latest: Lakers, Mavs, Grizzlies, Magic

January 4th, 2018 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Mavericks both currently sit comfortably in the lottery, with little chance of making a run at a playoff spot this season. Still, there’s a sense in NBA circles that the two teams could be logical trade partners, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

Kyler cautions that there have been zero talks between the Lakers and Mavericks about a potential Luol Deng trade, but he suggests that if any team is willing to roll the dice on Deng and his exorbitant contract, Dallas might be that team. The Mavericks have some expiring contracts that would appeal to L.A., and if the Lakers attached Julius Randle and a future draft pick to Deng, that could pique the Mavs’ interest, Kyler writes.

Of course, within the last month, we’ve heard that the Lakers aren’t interested in parting with future first-round picks in order to move Deng, and a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that the club had essentially given up hope of another team taking on the veteran forward’s unwieldy contract. So even if the Mavericks represent the best potential fit, the odds of a deal remain slim.

Kyler’s latest piece for Basketball Insiders includes several other items of interest on a handful of lottery teams, so let’s round up a few highlights…

The Grizzlies are unlikely to make any franchise-altering moves before next month’s trade deadline, which means Marc Gasol probably isn’t going anywhere. Still, they’re a team worth watching, according to Kyler, who points to Tyreke Evans as a potential Memphis trade candidate.
The “dream scenario” for the Magic would be to move Bismack Biyombo before the deadline, but they’re highly unlikely to find a taker for that contract. Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier may also emerge as trade chips, but Aaron Gordon almost certainly isn’t going anywhere — the “prevailing thought” is that he’ll be retained by Orlando as a restricted free agent this summer, says Kyler.
The Hawks appear open to listening to inquiries on Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore, but their current asking prices are probably too high to work anything out, reports Kyler.

Lakers Notes: George, Lopez, Ball, Kuzma

January 3rd, 2018 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have a pair of Staples Center dates on their schedule this week, with games against the Lakers on Wednesday and the Clippers on Thursday. As a result, Paul George has been prompted by reporters to revisit his reported desire to be dealt to the Lakers this past offseason. Asked about that on Tuesday, George confirmed that he would have “loved to go back home and play for my city,” but called the deal that sent him to Oklahoma City a “win-win.”

Of course, it wasn’t necessarily a “win” for the Lakers, who missed out on George and were subsequently fined $500K for tampering with the Pacers. The NBA’s official announcement on that fine suggested that GM Rob Pelinka had improper contact with George’s agent, but the former Pacers forward suggested today that the penalty stemmed from interactions he had with Lakers associate head coach Brian Shaw.

“There was no tampering at all,” George said of the Lakers and his conversations with Shaw (link via Bill Oram of The Orange County Register). “The only thing me and B-Shaw ever spoke about was fishing, and challenge each other on fishing trips. B-Shaw has way, way, way better class than to try to recruit me.”

Sources confirmed to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that the league’s investigation did probe the relationship between George and Shaw, but found no evidence of tampering on that front.

Here’s more on the Lakers, including another note on George:

Russell Westbrook isn’t preparing a sales pitch for George to keep him in Oklahoma City and away from the Lakers, preferring to let the Thunder’s results speak for themselves, tweets Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. “Sales pitch is when we win a championship,” Westbrook said. “Beat that pitch.”
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores whether or not it makes sense for the Lakers to try to push to acquire George before the trade deadline. Of course, as Pincus acknowledges, unless the Thunder slump in the coming weeks, George probably won’t be on the block.
Having been initially ruled questionable for Wednesday night’s game against the Thunder, Lakers center Brook Lopez will be available to play, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). Lonzo Ball will miss tonight’s game and is day-to-day.
Speaking of Ball, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report revisits the 2017 NBA draft and suggests that if teams were to re-draft today, Ball would slip to No. 4 instead of going second overall to the Lakers. Wasserman has Markelle Fultz going to the Lakers at No. 2, with the Sixers using the top pick on Jayson Tatum. Kyle Kuzma also soars into the lottery in Wasserman’s hypothetical re-draft, going fifth overall to Sacramento.

Paul George Discusses Lakers’ Chatter, Offseason Trade

January 2nd, 2018 at 6:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Paul George, who can hit free agency after the season, has been linked to the Lakers for years and all the chatter over the offseason resulted in Los Angeles absorbing a $500K fine for violating the league’s anti-tampering rules.

George previously described the talk of his desire to play in Los Angeles as “overstated,” while maintaining that winning is the top priority. Today, he told the media that he has no regrets about discussing the Lakers and reiterated that he’s not solely focused on playing in his home state.

“No, no regrets at all. All that was said was that a destination I would love to go to,” George said (via NBA.com). “There wasn’t, you know, a ‘hey, gunpoint to the head, send me here.’ I just stated somewhere that I wanted to go play. You ask 80, 70 percent of the guys in the league if they would love to go back home and play for their city, play for their home, that’s all I stated. I would have loved to go back home and play for my city.”

George also briefly touched upon the deal that sent him to the Thunder during the media session. “I thought this trade that went down was a win-win for both sides,” the small forward added. Oklahoma City sent out Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to the Pacers to bring PG13 to town.

George, who was a huge fan of Los Angeles and Kobe Bryant growing up, will play the Lakers in the Staples Center for the first and only time this season on Wednesday, as the Thunder will not make another trip to the city to take on Magic Johnson’s squad.

Pacific Notes: Curry, Warriors, Walton, Rivers

December 31st, 2017 at 4:54pm CST by marksuleymanov

In Stephen Curry‘s absence, the Warriors did not stop winning as they won nine of the 11 games they played without their two-time Most Valuable Player. Despite their winning ways, the Warriors are a completely different team with a different mentality when Curry is healthy, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes.

Without Curry, the Warriors still have shooting prowess of Klay Thompson, the versatility of Draymond Green, and the natural talent of Kevin Durant to guide the team. However, with Curry in the mix, he draws so much attention — mixed with his skill — that opposing teams struggle to adjust.

“He brings something different than anybody ever has, to be honest with you,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr tells Bontemps. “There are plenty of guys who dominate the game in different ways. You think of Shaq overpowering people, or Michael Jordan’s combination of power and skill and tenacity. But nobody has ever tilted the floor the way Steph does at such a deep range and with such incredible ballhandling skills.”

Curry scored 38 points with an NBA season-high 10 three’s made in his on-court return on Saturday. The 29-8 Warriors remain the top seed in the Western Conference and a healthy Curry only increases the odds that they will finish the regular season with the NBA’s best record for a fourth straight season.

Check out other Pacific Division news below:

There have been reports of the Warriors looking to trade one of their big men as JaVale McGee and Zaza Pachulia‘s names have come up in rumors. Danny Leroux of The Athletic (subscription required and recommended) examines how trading one of those players would impact the team’s salary cap.
The Lakers‘ losses have piled up in recent weeks but head coach Luke Walton is adamant about maintaining his decision-making and coaching style consistent, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register writes. “The guys know every decision I make might not always be right,” Walton said. “But every decision I make is answered with, ‘What do I believe is best for the team?’”
Austin Rivers‘ strained right Achilles tendon — while not season-ending — is only the latest blow to a Clippers team that has faced a drove of season-altering injuries, Elliot Teaford of the Orange County Register writes.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/30/17

December 30th, 2017 at 10:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are the G-League moves from around the NBA today:

The Grizzlies recalled rookie forward Ivan Rabb from the G League, the team announced on its website. Rabb is averaging 15.9 points and 9.7 rebounds in 16 games with the Memphis Hustle, but has played just five total minutes in three NBA games.
The Lakers assigned rookie center Thomas Bryant to their South Bay affiliate so he could play in tonight’s game, the G League team tweeted. Bryant has appeared in two NBA games this season.

L.A. Notes: Clarkson, Randle, Ball, Rivers

December 30th, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers teammates Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle are taking different approaches to being the subject of trade rumors, relays Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. She describes Clarkson’s attitude as “freewheeling,” as he is having fun with the season and trying not to let off-court distractions affect his performance. His playing time has dropped to a career-low 23.3 minutes per game, but he has remained productive, averaging 14.4 points and 3.2 assists. Randle is naturally more intense and is limited because his inside game doesn’t mesh well with the Lakers’ approach. As a result, his minutes can vary wildly from game to game depending on the opponent.

Clarkson is under contract for two more seasons (at $12.5MM next year and $13.4375MM for 2019/20), so his fate is entirely up to the team. Randle will be a restricted free agent in July and needs to perform well to maximize his value. The Lakers would reportedly like to unload both players as part of their plan to offer two max contracts in free agency.

There’s more today from Los Angeles:

Lonzo Ball is recovering quickly from the shoulder sprain he suffered last week, and the Lakers are thinking about taking him on their next road trip, Ganguli writes in a separate story. L.A. plays back-to-back games Sunday in Houston and Monday in Minnesota, and coach Luke Walton is concerned that the rigors of travel might be detrimental to Ball’s health. “His shoulder’s feeling better,” Walton said. “It’s something we’re just going to keep treating and if he feels good enough to go, we’ll get him on the court for shooting, after that we’ll get him to practice and then we’ll get him back on the court.”
An MRI on Austin Rivers‘ strained Achilles tendon injury was negative, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The Clippers guard, who had to be helped off the court Friday night, will be listed as day to day.
Clippers rookie Jawun Evans may have started a league-wide trend with his tight defense on Rockets star James Harden, writes Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register. Evans forced Harden into multiple offensive fouls in a game last week, and subsequent opponents have followed his approach. Evans didn’t expect to be a trend setter or even play much in a talented L.A. backcourt, but injuries to Patrick Beverley and Milos Teodosic have provided an opportunity. “I’m relaxed, but I still don’t feel like I’m in the league,” he said. “It still hasn’t hit me yet. I’m blessed to be here. I’m just taking advantage of every moment.

Walton Holds Meeting To Air Grievances

December 29th, 2017 at 7:47pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Lakers are in the midst of another losing season and it has taken a toll on the young team. Head coach Luke Walton held a meeting for the team instead of practice on Thursday to give players a chance to air their grievances, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register writes.

Last week, Lakers veteran Andrew Bogut agreed that certain players on the team are frustrated and it has impacted their performance. A lot of L.A.’s focus is on the impending free agent market, where the team is expected to pursue top-notch talent. That has left some players on the roster with less playing time and the impression that they are mere placeholders.

Entering play on Friday, the Lakers are 11-22, 13th place in the Western Conference. Much has been made of rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma this season, and left others, such as Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle, in a bind. There is a likelihood that several players on the current roster will not be there after the trade deadline, thus making the team’s future clearer.

Lakers Notes: Ball, Walton, Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope

December 26th, 2017 at 10:12am CST by Arthur Hill

Lonzo Ball‘s shoulder sprain will keep him out at least another week and the team isn’t setting a timetable for his return, according to The Orange County Register. Ball played through the injury after getting hurt in Saturday’s game, but the pain was much worse the next morning. The Lakers plan to re-evaluate him prior to their New Year’s Eve game in Houston, and with coach Luke Walton‘s policy that players practice before they play, Ball’s return could be pushed into the new year.

“There’s no target [date] at least from my standpoint,” Walton said. “The only thing that matters with him is getting him healthy. There’s no reason to try to target a date and get him back. Obviously we want him back as soon as possible but big picture and what he means to us. We need him to be healthy so once he’s back he stays back.”

There’s more this morning out of Los Angeles:

Walton understands Andrew Bogut‘s recent comments that some players are distracted by off-court rumors, the Register relays in the same article. It’s well known throughout the league that the Lakers would like to maximize their cap room for next summer, which means roster moves could be upcoming that involve Luol Deng, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and others. “I think that every team deals with it,” Walton said, “the outside influence. Whether it is one-year deals, or trade rumors in the media, whatever is going on in the outside world that as a player you read or hear about or agents tell you about, is a very real distraction.”
Kyle Kuzma‘s 31-point performance Monday was the latest reminder to general managers that they made a huge mistake by letting him slide to the 27th pick, writes Mitch Lawrence of Forbes. Kuzma was viewed as “a non-range shooter and an average athlete” coming out of Utah, an unidentified Western Conference GM tells Lawrence. But the Lakers have been watching Kuzma closely since he was a sophomore, tipped off by former assistant coach and scout Bill Bertka.
The Lakers are being supportive of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as he resolves a legal issue, although it has resulted in some locker room teasing, notes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Caldwell-Pope is serving a 25-day sentence in a Seal Beach detention center for violating a probation agreement. He is released for games, but is not allowed to leave California until all his time is served. “I think we have that mutual bond within the group that we can all talk (trash) to each other and not take it personally,” Bogut said. “KCP is no different.”