Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Young Talent Reminds Some of Thunder

November 25th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kevin Durant shared his thoughts on the state of Lakers franchise, noting that Los Angeles’ collection of young talent reminds him of his early seasons with the Thunder, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register relays. “You can tell they enjoy playing with each other. You can tell [Lakers coach] Luke Walton has come over there and changed the culture a bit,” Durant said. “I’ve been on a team like that. You’re young and just want to go out there and have fun with the game with no expectations. You’re just playing. It did wonders for me at that age, being around a bunch of guys that were just as hungry as me and wanting to win. But when we lost games, we weren’t upset with ourselves. There weren’t any feuds. We knew it was a process.”

Durant continued to praise Walton, telling Medina, “They got great management, ownership and that seeps through the organization. It falls down to Luke Walton. Being here now, you can tell the atmosphere they have and how it’s the same. A lot of stuff we run, they run. A lot of things we do, they do over there with the Lakers. It starts with being in an environment where it’s about the players and it’s about wanting them to get better.”

D’Angelo Russell Gets PRP Injection, Will Miss Two Weeks

November 23rd, 2016 at 5:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell will be out of action for at least two weeks after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left knee today, the team announced on its website. His condition will be re-evaluated in a week.

PRP injections are used to stimulate the flow of blood and help with healing in areas with decreased blood flow, explains Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet (Twitter link). The minimally invasive procedure was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Steve Yoon.

Russell has been part of the reason for the Lakers’ early-season success, averaging 16.1 points, 4.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds through the first 13 games. He sat out the team’s last two games and wasn’t expected to play tonight, even before the procedure.

DeMar DeRozan Talks Toronto, L.A., Free Agency

November 23rd, 2016 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Heading into free agency this past summer, DeMar DeRozan seemed likely to re-up with the Raptors, but there were several teams lurking as probable suitors for the All-Star shooting guard. As Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated writes, those teams included the Heat, Clippers, and Lakers.

DeRozan is a Los Angeles native, and the idea of returning to Southern California to play for one of his hometown teams certainly had some appeal to him. However, the 27-year-old quickly reached a new agreement with Toronto instead, declining to take meetings with any other team. DeRozan spoke to Spears about that decision and a few other topics, so let’s round up some of his more interesting quotes from the piece…

On whether it was hard to pass up the opportunity to play for an L.A. team:

“Yeah, of course. At the end of the day, the Lakers are the Lakers. I grew up a Lakers fan. Kobe [Bryant] was my favorite player growing up. I didn’t miss a game as a kid. Just to have the opportunity was amazing. I watched one of my favorite players create a legacy of his own and leave his mark there. He left his own mark there. It will always be there. I want to leave my own mark in Toronto.”

On why he chose not to meet with any teams besides Toronto in free agency:

“If I knew where I wanted to be from the beginning … I didn’t want to waste anybody’s time and just hear somebody else talk or say something when I know in the back of my mind that I want to do something else. As long as that something else was mutual, there was no point of me doing anything else. … I don’t want to waste anybody’s time. I didn’t want to give false hope if I knew what I felt inside was right. And that was me going back [to the Raptors].”

On what it meant that the Raptors pushed hard to re-sign him to a long-term deal:

“It meant a lot. It was a mutual feeling. It made everything else easier. Nobody had a doubt, from the organization to the fans. Everything we created was going to be there and still was going to be the same. That’s amazing when everybody is on the same page.”

On whether he wants to become the greatest player in Raptors history:

“Without a doubt. No question. How many people get to say they hold one record for an organization, or were on the winningest team in Raptors history, or did this with one organization? All of those things last longer than your playing career. It took time for me to get out of the second round [of the playoffs] in Raptors history. And we did that [in 2016], and that’s something that is going to be there. … If we don’t do it and someone else wins a championship, they are still going to revert back to the 2015/16 team as the best team until then. Ten, 15, 20 years from now, whatever it might be, those things last longer. It’s something you put your all into.”

Be sure to check out Spears’ full piece for more thoughts from DeRozan on living in Canada, growing up in Compton, playing for Team USA in the Olympics, and watching the U.S. election results.

Lakers Nearly Drafted Russ Smith Over Clarkson In 2014

November 22nd, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Jordan Clarkson nearly didn’t became a Laker on draft night in 2014, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, who writes that the team had a “real, down-to-the-wire temptation” to select former Louisville guard Russ Smith with the second-round pick that was ultimately used on Clarkson. Lakers layer personnel director Ryan West and Jesse Buss were high on Clarkson, which helped to tip the scales, per Ding.

The tidbit on Clarkson and Smith is part of a larger piece examining how the Lakers acquired their current core players. As Ding observes, for several years, the Lakers were focused on building their roster by carrying roster-filling players to maximize cap room, then pursuing top free agents. However, the club has moved away from that approach over the last couple years, focusing instead on accumulating young talent.

Lakers Notes: Deng, Young, Ingram

November 20th, 2016 at 4:52pm CST by Will Joseph

Luol Deng, a 13-year veteran, inked a four-year, $72MM deal with the Lakers over the summer, and has had a significant impact on some of his younger teammates for his philanthropic work, Mark Medina of the LA Daily News writes in a lengthy and worthwhile feature. Deng has been a mentor toward Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram in a variety of ways, Medina details. One of the reasons Deng joined the Lakers was because of how active in Los Angeles he can be with his philanthropy, Medina notes.

Here is more news on the Lakers:

Nick Young has resurrected his career with the Lakers as a key contributor and he has played so well that coach Luke Walton is now expecting solid performances from the swingman, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes.
Ingram has impressed defensively and opponents have shot only 32-for-79 when guarded by him this season, the second-best mark among rookies in the league, Joey Ramirez of NBA.com relays. “He’s got a good feel for where cutters are coming from and how to use his length,” Walton said. “If he puts his mind to it in practice and the game — toward the end of games when it gets tight — and he really locks in on defense, he’s tough to score on.”

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Los Angeles Lakers

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/18/16

November 18th, 2016 at 10:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

11:35pm

The Knicks assigned Ron Baker and Marshall Plumlee to their D-League affiliate in Westchester, the team announced (Twitter link). The duo will play in the team’s contest in White Plains on Saturday.
The Clippers have assigned rookie big man Diamond Stone to the D-League, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor relays (via Twitter). Since Los Angeles does not have a D-League affiliate of its own, Stone will report to the Santa Cruz Warriors via the flexible assignment rule, Reichert adds.

2:31pm

The Kings have recalled rookie center Georgios Papagiannis from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The first-rounder’s assignment lasted three games, during which he averaged 10.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.3 BPG for the Reno Bighorns. His fellow first-rounders, Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissiere, remain in the D-League for now.
Rookie big man Ivica Zubac has been recalled by the Lakers from the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the club confirmed in a press release. Zubac, who has appeared in three games for the Lakers, saw 23 minutes of action in his D-League debut on Thursday, and recorded 13 points, three boards, and a pair of blocked shots.

NBA 2016/17 Dead Money: Pacific Division

November 18th, 2016 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The concept of “dead money” on a salary cap isn’t as common in the NBA as it is in the NFL, but it essentially functions the same way in both leagues. Dead money refers to the salary remaining on a team’s cap for players that are no longer on the roster.

For NFL teams, taking on a certain amount of dead money is a common practice, since signing bonuses affect cap hits differently, and big-money players are more likely to be released before playing out their entire contracts. That practice is less common in the NBA.

Still, with the NBA’s salary cap on the rise, teams may be a little more willing to part ways with players on guaranteed salaries, since that increased cap gives clubs more flexibility than they used to have. Within the last month, we’ve seen players like Ronnie Price and Greivis Vasquez, who each had $4-5MM in guaranteed money left on their contracts, waived in order to clear room for newcomers.

We’re in the process of examining each of the NBA’s 30 teams, breaking them down by division. We’ll determine which teams are carrying the most dead money on the cap for 2016/17, and what that information might tell us about those teams. We’ve already examined the Central, Atlantic, Southeast, and Southwest divisions. Today, we’ll turn our attention to the Pacific division.

Here are the 2016/17 dead money figures for the Pacific teams:

1. Phoenix Suns
Total dead money: $2,871,866
Full salary cap breakdown

While the Suns have a modest dead-money cap charge for Michael Beasley ($778K), most of the team’s dead money comes from Archie Goodwin‘s contract, which counts for $2.094MM on the 2016/17 books. Goodwin is still just 22 years old and was a surprise cut last month, having become expendable after the Suns added Leandro Barbosa and Jared Dudley in free agency. With Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, Brandon Knight, and Tyler Ulis also in the backcourt mix, Phoenix figured Goodwin wouldn’t have a meaningful role this season.

The Suns remain well below the salary floor, so that decision probably won’t affect them financially. Still, for a team not expected to be contenders this year, it was an interesting decision to spend on Dudley and Barbosa – two veterans in their 30s – rather than exercising a little more patience with the 22-year-old Goodwin.

2. Sacramento Kings
Total dead money: $1,682,829
Full salary cap breakdown

The Kings have a pair of veterans waived via their stretch provision counting against their cap, in Wayne Ellington ($883K) and Caron Butler ($517K). The team also paid $100K apiece to a pair of camp invitees, in Lamar Patterson and second-round pick Isaiah Cousins. However, Sacramento’s most interesting dead-money cap hits might belong to Jordan Farmar, who counts not once but twice on the team’s books, having already been signed and cut multiple times. Farmar’s two cap charges count for about $83K, which isn’t a bad haul for a player who spent six regular-season days on the roster and four on waivers.

3. Los Angeles Clippers
Total dead money: $1,412,964
Full salary cap breakdown

The Clippers, one of eight NBA teams without a D-League affiliate this season, didn’t bother inviting any undrafted rookies to camp, since the team had nowhere to assign them in the D-League, and had its 15-man roster fairly set. Still, while Los Angeles was able to avoid tacking on modest partial guarantees that way, the club is still carrying cap hits for former Clippers like Carlos Delfino ($650K), Jordan Farmar ($511K), and Miroslav Raduljica ($252K). Those dead-money hits total $1.413MM, and the Clippers currently sit $1.453MM over the tax threshold, making those charges even more costly.

4. Golden State Warriors
Total dead money: $1,380,126
Full salary cap breakdown

Despite carrying four All-NBA players on their roster, the Warriors don’t rank among the highest team salaries in the NBA, and their dead-money charges aren’t exorbitant either, a sign of solid cap management. Jason Thompson, waived back in February, is responsible for most of the Warriors’ dead money this year, with a $945K cap hit. Outside of Elliot Williams, who got a $250K guarantee but didn’t make Golden State’s regular season roster, the team’s other dead-money charges belong to players currently playing for their D-League affiliate: Cameron Jones ($50K), Elgin Cook ($50K), Scott Wood ($50K), and Phil Pressey ($35K).

5. Los Angeles Lakers
Total dead money: $1,184,636
Full salary cap breakdown

Anthony Brown and Yi Jianlian were initially viewed as strong bets to earn spots on the Lakers’ 15-man roster this season, but Thomas Robinson and Metta World Peace ultimately fit into those openings instead, leaving Brown’s $875K salary and Yi’s $250K guarantee on Los Angeles’ books. Along with Zach Auguste ($60K), those dead money charges cut into L.A.’s small amount of remaining cap room, leaving the team just $530K under the cap. However, adding $1.185MM in extra cap space wouldn’t change much — the Lakers still have their $2.898MM room exception if they want to sign a player for more than the minimum.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/16/16

November 16th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Sixers have recalled Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Jerryd Bayless from the Delaware 87ers, tweets Derek Bodner of PhillyMag. Luwawu-Cabarrot, a first-round pick, was sent down Tuesday, and Bayless was assigned Monday as part of an “ongoing rehabilitation program” as he recovers from a left wrist injury.
The Wizards will be sending rookie guard Danuel House to the 87ers, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Washington doesn’t have a direct affiliate in the D-League.
The Thunder have recalled rookie power forward Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, tweets Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript. Huestis has appeared in five games with the Thunder.
The Celtics have announced that they’re bringing back point guard Demetrius Jackson from the Maine Red Claws (Twitter link). Jackson played three games with Maine, averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 2.3 steals.
The Lakers have assigned rookie center Ivica Zubac to the L.A. D-Fenders, the D-League team announced (Twitter link). He is expected to play Thursday night.

Deng's Leadership Paying Off Despite Shooting Woes

November 14th, 2016 at 5:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers offseason signee Luol Deng has struggled so far this season, but the forward’s shooting and scoring woes don’t worry coach Luke Walton, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register relays. “Everyone is going to get different amounts of shots from different areas each night. It is harder in that sense to know when your shots are coming,” Walton said. “But he’s a professional, in the gym and working every day before practice and staying afterwards getting treatment. I’m not concerned with him starting to knock down his shot again.”

Phil Jackson Talks Triangle, Rose, Noah, Opt-Out

November 14th, 2016 at 10:42am CST by Luke Adams

A report last week suggested that Knicks president Phil Jackson was unhappy with his team’s offense, having felt that the club should be using triangle sets more often. At the time that story surfaced, the Knicks’ defense was also a mess, prompting the team to assign Kurt Rambis exclusively to that side of the ball in an attempt to clean things up. Reports later in the week indicated that Rambis’ new assignment came from head coach Jeff Hornacek, but Jackson still seems a little more hands-on than most team presidents around the NBA.

In an interview with ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, Jackson addressed his reported displeasure with the club’s offensive sets, along with several other topics. The entire discussion is worth checking out, but here are a few highlights from the Knicks president:

On whether he’s frustrated with the lack of triangle sets in the Knicks’ offense:

“No. But when they run it, I want them to run it the right way. If you are going to do it, use your skills and run it the right way. I’m not frustrated at all. Derrick Rose missed three weeks of training camp (because of a civil trial). It’s totally understandable where we are as a ball club. We have guards that do a lot of stuff off the dribble. I want them to understand they can do things off the pass. It has to be a combination.”

On the decision to trade for Rose in the summer:

“Mike Conley was the best choice as a free agent, but he’s making $30MM a year. That’s almost insane. We saw that was going to happen. We had the opportunity to play with Derrick and see if he does have enough left in the tank — he’s 27 years old — before we have to get into that (free) agent market again. It gave us an opportunity to build a team around him, Carmelo [Anthony] and Kris[taps Porzingis].

“And, having experiences with Joakim [Noah] over the years, not only as a player with talent, but a guy who showed up at my door in Montana, he knows Derrick and he knows how to play with him. It gives us an advantage. Both are coming back into playing form.”

On whether he’ll exercise the opt-out clause in his contract after this season:

“I have not entertained that. I’m looking for this Knicks team to get back into a situation where they are competitive. Do I have to win a championship before I feel I’ve done the job I’ve been asked to do, which is to bring this group back to that competitive level? No, I don’t. We’re starting to make progress. I like a lot of the things we are doing here. But we’ve got more to do.

“The real issue with the opt out was simply my rationale regarding the (potential) lockout. If it was going to happen in December and everybody chose to walk away, there was no way I was going to sit in New York for three, four months when I didn’t have a job, because (the players) aren’t even allowed to show up to work.”

On the possibility of returning to the Lakers:

“They’re moving forward in the right direction. Luke [Walton] has them engaged, Brian [Shaw] is an associate head coach; they have a core group of guys that will get it done. It was never important to me to go back and be a part of that. Especially not now. I have this job, this commitment.”