- Kobe Bryant‘s retirement has been one of the factors in the Lakers‘ early-season success, contends Mitch Lawrence of Forbes. With Bryant gone, the team has gotten rid of its isolation offense and replaced it with a team-oriented approach. Also, the young players who were afraid of getting on Bryant’s bad side now have more freedom to play their games. Lawrence also credits the hiring of coach Luke Walton, who has already impressed the organization with his leadership skills.
After spending the summer hearing rumors that he might be waived, Nick Young has become an important part of the Lakers’ starting lineup, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Young, who often clashed with former coach Byron Scott, jokes that he thought he would be released and playing in China by now. Instead he has been L.A.’s starter at shooting guard for the season’s first nine games, and he’s producing well enough to keep the job. Young is averaging 14.7 points per night and shooting 37% from 3-point range. New coach Luke Walton says he has also become the team’s best perimeter defender. “This is most definitely a redemption year,” said Young, who is under contract through the 2017/18 season. “That’s why I’ve been working so hard, I believe in myself, believe that I’ve got talent. There were just certain situations that made me take steps backwards.”
There’s more news out of Los Angeles:
- Walton has been the reason for the Lakers’ hot start, contends Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register. The columnist points out that the roster hasn’t changed much from last season’s 17-65 group. L.A. signed free agents Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov over the offseason, but the real reason for the Lakers’ success is the improvement of players like Young, Lou Williams and the young core of D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. Heisler says that can be traced to Walton and the offense he brought over from Golden State.
- Walton knows a few things about creating an effective reserve unit for the Lakers, writes Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Walton was part of the “Bench Mob” on successful L.A. teams nearly a decade ago, and he has infused that same attitude into this year’s squad. “It was an identity we built for ourselves,” Walton said. “We hope that they take pride and build their own identity. What they’re doing is special right now.” A key part of that unit is Clarkson, who has accepted a reserve role after signing a four-year, $50MM deal over the summer. Clarkson ranks seventh in scoring among NBA bench players with 14.2 points per game.
The Lakers spent $136MM to bring Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov to Los Angeles, but neither is being used to finish games, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Both offseason signees are in the starting lineup, but coach Luke Walton has been closing out games with younger players. “I think they understand that while we’re trying to win right now … that we’re also trying to develop young players,” Walton said. “I haven’t sat down and talked to them about that but I’m pretty sure, the professionals that they are, they understand that.” Deng signed with the Lakers for $72MM over four years, while Mozgov received $64MM over four seasons.
- Sam Amick of USA Today sat down with new Lakers head coach Luke Walton to discuss the early returns in Los Angeles this season, and how Walton is adjusting to his new role.
- The Lakers signed Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov this summer to two of the largest deals in franchise history in the hopes that the duo would help provide some veteran stability and balance the club’s young core. However, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register questions whether Deng and Mozgov are providing a worthwhile return on investment so far for the club.
- The Lakers‘ young players are getting attention, but veteran Lou Williams is helping to close out games, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. The 30-year-old guard had 10 points in the fourth quarter Friday night as L.A. blew out the Warriors. “The game turns up down the stretch,” said coach Luke Walton. “It’s harder to run offenses, defenses and they’re flying at you. They’re trapping and switching. So it’s nice to have a vet out there among those young guys. When we call a play and the play is off, Lou can adjust.”
The Lakers own a record of 3-3 after upsetting the Warriors on Friday night. The win was a surprising feat for the struggling franchise and coach Luke Walton remained stoic about the outcome, adding that “it was just good to see the progress continuing.”
Although it is too early in the season to celebrate anything substantial, the young season has been promising thus far for a team that was expected to be a strong contender for the 2017 No. 1 pick. Julius Randle looked like a monster in the paint, scoring 20 points and nabbing 14 rebounds in Friday’s win. D’Angelo Russell looked like the team’s point guard of the future, making three of his seven shots from behind the arc. Lou Williams, who scored 18 points in the win, believes the team is destined for a great season. “We’ve got a lot of young talent here,” Williams added. “Finally it’s starting to look like we have some pieces in the right places.”
So that leads us to tonight’s topic: Can the Lakers make the playoffs this season? This team loves basketball and with other assumed contenders (Dallas and New Orleans, we’re looking at you) struggling out of the gate, we may see a surprising team make a push toward a postseason birth.
Why not the Lakers? Veteran additions Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng have fit in nicely with Los Angeles. If the young core can keep producing, this could be a team that competes on a nightly basis and gives itself a shot at snatching the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Do you believe the Lakers will compete for the playoffs? If not, how many wins will they earn this season? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on this team. We look forward to what you have to say.
New coach Luke Walton has the Lakers loving basketball, and it was enough to get the better of his former team Friday night, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. L.A. adopted “I love basketball” as its new slogan after Metta World Peace said it in during a game this week. It sums up the youthful enthusiasm that Walton has promoted since the Lakers hired him away from the Warriors this summer. “They’re in there laughing, having fun, and that’s the way you should feel like when you put that much effort into something,” Walton said. “That’s why it’s so much fun at the end of the day, because it wasn’t easy and guys are dead tired in there.”
Hawks small forward Kent Bazemore rejected the Lakers’ four-year, $72MM contract offer this summer in part because the Lakers declined his $1.1MM qualifying offer in 2014, Mark Medina of the Orange County Register reports. Bazemore re-signed with the Hawks on a four-year, $70MM deal. After the Lakers sent him packing two years ago, he agreed to a two-year, $6MM contract with Atlanta, then emerged as a starter last season. “One thing you want in this league is to be wanted. They didn’t pick it up for that little amount of money,” Bazemore told Medina. “So that showed how much they believed in me and my abilities. That closed that chapter.”
Throughout the offseason, and in the weeks leading up to the start of the regular season, NBA teams are permitted to carry 20 players, but that total must be cut down to 15 in advance of opening night. However, up to four players waived by teams before the season can be designated as affiliate players and assigned to their D-League squads.
The players have some say in the decision — if they’d prefer to sign with a team overseas, or if they get an opportunity with another NBA club, they’re free to turn down their team’s request to have them play in the D-League. Most NBA and international teams have fairly set rosters by late October though, so having the opportunity to continue playing in the same system is appealing to many of those preseason cuts. Especially since they’ll maintain NBA free agency while they play in the D-League.
There are a few other rules related to D-League affiliate players. A player whose returning rights are held by a D-League team can’t be an affiliate player for another club, which is why undrafted free agents from the current year are commonly signed and assigned. Additionally, an affiliate player must have signed with his team during the current league year, which explains why we often see players signed and quickly waived in the days leading up to the regular season. And, of course, not every NBA team has a D-League affiliate, so clubs like the Hawks, Nuggets, or Clippers have no place to send affiliate players.
With all that in mind, here are the NBA D-League affiliate players to start the 2016/17 season:
Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs)
Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Delaware 87ers (Philadelphia 76ers)
Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2016 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2016/17 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Free agent signings:
- Luol Deng: Four years, $72MM.
- Timofey Mozgov: Four years, $64MM.
- Jordan Clarkson: Four years, $50MM.
- Tarik Black: Two years, $12.846MM. Second year non-guaranteed.
- Yi Jianlian: One year, $8MM. Partially guaranteed for $250K. Waived.
- Marcelo Huertas: Two years, $3.068MM. Second year non-guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Zach Auguste: Two years, minimum salary ($60K guaranteed). Waived.
- Julian Jacobs: One year, minimum salary (summer contract). Waived.
- Thomas Robinson: One year, minimum salary (summer contract)
- Travis Wear: One year, minimum salary (summer contract). Waived.
- Metta World Peace: One year, minimum salary (summer contract)
Trades:
- Acquired Jose Calderon, the Nuggets’ 2018 second-round pick, and the Bulls’ own 2019 second-round pick from the Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Ater Majok.
Draft picks:
- 1-2: Brandon Ingram. Signed to rookie contract.
- 2-32: Ivica Zubac. Signed for three years, $3.245MM. Third year non-guaranteed.
Departing players:
Other offseason news:
- Hired Luke Walton as head coach to replace Byron Scott.
- Exercised 2017/18 team options on D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr.
- Jose Calderon eligible for veteran contract extension.
Check out our salary cap snapshot for the Los Angeles Lakers right here.
The Lakers’ 2015/16 campaign was more about Kobe Bryant‘s farewell tour than it was about trying to move forward as a franchise. As the Mamba wrapped up his Hall-of-Fame career, the team sputtered to a record of 17-65, four less wins than the previous season, and missed out on the playoffs for the third straight year. Entering the offseason Los Angeles had the opportunity to make a fresh start, but rather than committing to rebuilding through its young talent or chasing veteran stars for a quicker fix, the organization dipped its toe into both wells, resulting in an end product that raised more questions than it answered.
L.A.’s best offseason was move was changing head coaches. Gone is Byron Scott, who was fired after compiling a record of 38-126 in his two seasons with the team, and in comes Luke Walton, who did a phenomenal job in guiding the Warriors last season while Steve Kerr was recovering from multiple back surgeries. Scott was the wrong coach for the Lakers and he had alienated a number of the younger players that the franchise is counting on to lead its resurgence. That wasn’t a healthy situation for any of the parties involved, and Walton’s presence has been a breath of fresh air in Los Angeles. It remains to be seen how well he’ll fare without having a ready made contender dropped into his lap, but I credit the franchise for taking a chance on an up-and-comer rather than recycling another coach who has already made the NBA rounds. Walton’s player-friendly demeanor and high basketball IQ should benefit both he and the team over the next few seasons.
Despite being situated in a prime location, warm weather, high-profile city like Los Angeles, the Lakers haven’t been an upper-tier free agent destination the past few years. The domineering presence of Bryant was often blamed for the lack of big name players willing to sign with the team, but his retirement didn’t suddenly open the floodgates for A-List players who wanted to play their home games in the Staples Center. Instead, GM Mitch Kupchak made a number of questionable signings given the team’s current state.
I like the idea behind inking veteran forward Luol Deng, whose professionalism and leadership will certainly be a boon to Walton and the franchise as he tries to teach his young roster how to win. But signing the 31-year-old to a four-year, $72MM pact may not turn out well in the long run. First off, Deng has a lot of mileage on his legs after playing in 825 regular season games over the course of his 12 years in the league. His offensive output has been steadily declining the past few years and that isn’t likely going to turn around as he approaches his mid-30s. Leadership is a valuable commodity, but I don’t feel it’s worth an average of $18MM over the next four years for the Lakers. Plus, his presence could hamper the playing time and growth of a number of the team’s young frontcourt players. I’d be a bigger fan of his addition if it was on a short-term pact, but I suppose that L.A. had to overpay in order to get Deng in the fold.
Despite my reservations regarding Deng’s signing, his addition is much easier to accept and quantify than the Lakers throwing center Timofey Mozgov a contract worth $64MM over four years. This is a deal that will almost assuredly haunt the team over the life of the arrangement. With the league moving further and further away from using traditional big men, committing an average of $16MM to a player with an extremely limited offensive game who is already in his 30s makes little sense to me. The Lakers almost certainly could have signed a player or players who could provide the same amount of production for much less and not be hamstrung with a long-term deal of this dollar value on their balance sheet.
It’s not that Mozgov doesn’t have value as a player, but he is an ill-fitting part on this particular roster. He offers up solid defense, but as was illustrated in the 2016 NBA Finals, he is virtually unplayable when teams shift to smaller lineups. With Los Angeles moving toward an up-tempo attack that favors perimeter shooting, it is difficult to see where and how Mozgov fits into that equation moving forward. He very well may become Roy Hibbert 2.0, being relegated to spot duty when the match-ups allow for him to remain on the court. If this indeed becomes the case, adding Mozgov will garner significant buyer’s remorse in the near future.
L.A. did more shuffling of its frontcourt during the offseason, signing Yi Jianlian to a team-friendly deal, with just $250K of his $8MM salary guaranteed. The Lakers took a chance that the player could produce off the bench, but Yi ultimately requested his release when it became apparent he didn’t factor into the team’s plans, and was likely viewed as more of a trade piece thanks to his contract than a rotation player. Instead, Los Angeles settled on keeping veteran Metta World Peace and Thomas Robinson, who is a reclamation project of Walton’s after a solid preseason showing. There were rumblings that the franchise wanted World Peace to transition into a coaching role, but the player wasn’t ready to hang up his high-tops just yet, and the team parted ways with former second round pick Anthony Brown and his fully guaranteed pact instead.
Kupchak continued to add veterans to the mix, filling out the backcourt by re-signing Marcelo Huertas and acquiring Jose Calderon and a pair of second round picks from the Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Ater Majok. Both moves were low-risk for the team, and while neither point guard is a high-impact player, they can provide a spark in limited minutes and help tutor young guards D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson. Calderon is in the final year of his current deal and Huertas’ salary is non-guaranteed for 2017/18, so L.A. can easily move on from them after the season.
The Lakers’ biggest move regarding their backcourt was re-signing Clarkson, who was a restricted free agent, to a four-year, $50MM deal. Given the exorbitant contracts handed out this offseason to players who had inferior stats to the 24-year-old, an average annual value of $12.5MM should be considered a steal for Los Angeles. While I think Clarkson’s best role moving forward is as a sixth man, his salary shouldn’t hamper the team the way Mozgov’s and Deng’s will. Plus, if the team ever decides to flip Clarkson as part of a package for a star player, his contract will be an easy one to move.
While the logic of a number of the team’s free agent signings can be questioned, there are no such issues regarding the Lakers’ 2016 NBA Draft. No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram has the potential to become a two-way star in the league with his length, athleticism, ridiculous wingspan and shooting range. He’ll need to put on some pounds in order to survive in the NBA, but that can be said for most underclassmen who enter the league. The player should benefit from Deng as a mentor, but the length of Deng’s deal also means that one of the players’ minutes will suffer over the next few seasons. Deng could possibly slide over and play the four spot alongside Ingram, but that would subsequently impact the playing time of Julius Randle and/or Larry Nance Jr., both of whom are still works in progress and in need of minutes to realize their potential, or to show the Lakers that they shouldn’t be part of their long-term plans.
I’m also a big fan of L.A. snagging Ivica Zubac with the No. 32 overall pick. The 7’1″ center has a wealth of potential, with the player having a surprisingly fluid post game at such a young age (19). It will likely take him a season or two to establish himself as a regular rotation player for the team, but his solid summer league play, where he averaged 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 64.7% from the field, certainly bodes well for the future. But here is another instance where the team’s free agent signings could hamper its long-term player growth. I’ve already noted why I wasn’t a fan of the addition of Mozgov, and Zubac’s presence on the roster is another reason. If the young big man turns out to be a solid player, then either he or Mozgov will need to ride the pine. If it’s Mozgov, that’s quite a bit of salary to have parked off the court, and if it’s Zubac, it could hamper the development of a player who could end up being far more integral to the Lakers’ next playoff team.
The Lakers are in a developmental year this campaign, with the team highly unlikely to snag a postseason spot. That assessment shouldn’t come as a surprise given the lack of star talent and copious amount of young, still-developing players on the team’s roster. However, it will be much easier to accept another 20-25 win season without Kobe on the roster, provided players such as Russell, Clarkson and Randle can continue to progress and Ingram shows flashes of what made him the No. 2 overall pick. The team does have an odd blend of veterans on long-term deals to go along with these young players, a number of who may hamper Los Angeles’ chances of landing a significant free agent haul over the next few summers — provided the franchise is able to once again attract upper-tier talent to the Staples Center.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.