Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Cousins, Bender, Knight

March 16th, 2016 at 6:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Kings will listen to offers for DeMarcus Cousins this summer, but it’s unlikely that a trade occurs until they lower their asking price, Sam Amick of USA Today writes.

Last June, Sacramento reportedly wanted Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft and other draft considerations in exchange for Cousins. Some rival executives believed Sacramento’s demands were outrageous, Amick hears, while other executives viewed the proposal differently, speculating that the Kings didn’t value either the draft picks or unproven prospects as enough for Cousins by themselves because they wanted to win immediately.

The Kings are likely to soften their stance on a Cousins trade if the situation doesn’t improve leading up to the 2017 trade deadline, the scribe adds. Cousins is signed through the 2017/18 season, and he’ll make slightly over $35MM during the two seasons that follow this one.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division

The Kings would like to mend their relationship with Cousins, and some within the organization hope that it could be fixed with a coaching change in the offseason, Amick writes in the same piece.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was in attendance for Maccabi Tel Aviv’s practice in Israel today, presumably to watch Dragan Bender, Jake Fischer of SI Now reports (Twitter link).
The acquisition of Brandon Knight hasn’t worked out for the Suns, and the team would be foolish not to consider trading him, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post opines. Bontemps argues that Knight’s five-year, $70MM deal is movable, and that with the emergence of Devin Booker, the team can afford to make a move in the backcourt.

Western Notes: Carter, Harper, Lee

March 16th, 2016 at 2:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Swingman Vince Carter appreciates the freedom the Grizzlies have allowed him to express himself on the court and off, which is a big reason why he decided to sign with the team in 2014, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. When asked what he looks for in an organization, Carter told Aldridge, “Like anything else, you just have to do your research. There’s a lot of guys in the league that I’ve played with that are now either young coaches or whatever. So you just have to do your research. We played year to year now. You see what’s going on. Now, I look for what fits right with my style. That’s kind of how I approach it. I think everybody’s approach is different, of course. For me, it’s just who will allow me to be me. I like to help the young guys do that. So I bring that to the table, and that’s what Coach has allowed me to do here, while still playing. One thing that I’ll never do is overstep my boundaries. I’m not trying to be the coach, be the voice. I’m just trying to make the game easier. As a player, you hear what the coaches say, but sometimes, when another teammate delivers it, it’s a little different. It makes sense, or hits home.”

Here’s more from out west:

The 39-year-old’s contract is partially guaranteed for 2016/17, the final one in his current deal, and despite his love for helping younger players develop, Carter doesn’t envision himself making the jump to the coaching ranks when his playing career is over, Aldridge adds in the same piece. “I think I’d rather do some broadcasting, to be honest with you,” Carter said. “I think that’s where my passion lies. I enjoy coaching. I enjoying Coach allowing me to coach, or [offer] words of wisdom. I don’t know if it’s coaching. Just helping, being another coach on the floor, or just off the bench, or anything. Sometimes it’s easy to translate and relay the message he’s trying to portray, or make. So I think I enjoy that part of it. But I think I want to do some broadcasting.“
David Lee signed with the Mavericks after agreeing to a buyout with Boston because he believed they were the best fit for him, a move that has paid off for both him and the team thus far, Adi Joseph of The Sporting News writes. “I saw the possibilities on paper, thought it’d be a great fit on both sides. But you know, you’ve just got to make it [happen],” Lee told Joseph. “It’s still, until you go out there and play, you never know how you’re going to feel with the guys and how things are going to work. But I think it’s been a tremendous fit here, and I’m just excited — excited to be here and excited to give it everything I have for them this year.”
Justin Harper has rejoined the Lakers‘ D-League affiliate after the Pistons elected not to ink him for the remainder of the season when his second 10-day contract with the team expired, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor tweets.

Pacific Notes: Scott, Watson, Cauley-Stein, Curry

March 15th, 2016 at 10:13am CST by Chuck Myron

A theory going around the league suggests Byron Scott isn’t necessarily in his last season as Lakers coach, as Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck relays (Twitter links). The idea suggests the Lakers will keep Scott for one more year, delaying the appointment of his successor in case Knicks team president Phil Jackson exercises the opt-out that’s in his contract for the summer of 2017, moves to the Lakers, and wants to handpick a coach, according to Beck. The Bleacher Report scribe cautions that it’s just a theory. Sources close to Jackson and the Lakers tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com that the Zen Master is unlikely to return to the franchise that fiancee Jeanie Buss owns, with Jackson loving life in New York and perhaps thinking of coaching the Knicks on a part-time basis, as we rounded up earlier amid a slew of other coaching rumors. There’s news on the Lakers there, and more on other Pacific Division teams here:

Earl Watson has an interim tag on his title as Suns coach, but he’s already dreaming of ways to combine the talents of guards Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Devin Booker next season when Bledsoe returns from the torn meniscus in his left knee, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Booker has been seeing time at point guard, but his 6’6″ length means the situation is distinct from Phoenix’s failed experiment of having Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas on the same team, Coro writes.
Watson is a believer in the internal growth of the the team, pointing to the emergence of Booker and Alex Len, as Coro relays in the same piece. “We enhanced bench production without a trade,” Watson said. “How many teams can say they did that without paying a guy to come in? So when you go into free agency, you have six guys who can give you 30 [points] at any time. The creativity is how do you build around it? As a full program, we can throw a lot of things on the board and we don’t have to say, ‘We need to bring in a scoring player,’ that’s going to command most of our money in free agency. Now we can be really crafty.”
Kings coach George Karl plans to increase playing time for Willie Cauley-Stein and Seth Curry down the stretch, notes Sean Cunningham of KXTV-TV in Sacramento (Twitter link). Cauley-Stein recently described Karl’s explanation for not giving him more minutes as “kind of flimsy,” while Curry has expressed mild frustration about his lack of burn.

Coach/Exec Rumors: Jackson, Kupchak, Walton

March 15th, 2016 at 8:43am CST by Chuck Myron

People close to Knicks president Phil Jackson raise the possibility that the Zen Master would offer to coach home games for the team next season and have Kurt Rambis coach on the road, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. It’s unclear what the chances of that coming to pass are, but it would stand as an intriguing compromise if Jackson meets resistance to the idea of hiring Rambis full-time, Shelburne posits. Jackson has often cited his health as he’s maintained in recent years that coaching is out of the question, but people around the 70-year-old say he appears to have more energy than usual, and he’s lost 20 of the 30 pounds he gained since taking the Knicks job, according to Shelburne. The ESPN scribe has several other coaching and front office revelations:

Sources close to Jackson and the Lakers tell Shelburne it’s unlikely he leaves the Knicks to work for the Lakers and owner Jeanie Buss, Jackson’s fiancee. Jackson is enamored with his life in New York, Shelburne points out, nonetheless cautioning that nothing is certain, especially with the ever-cryptic Zen Master.
Multiple vacancies may well open in the Lakers front office after next season, the last in the three-year timetable for executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss. It’s tough to see GM Mitch Kupchak continuing if Jim Buss steps down, even though Kupchak’s contract carries past next season, Shelburne writes. The Lakers must advance to at least the second round of the playoffs for Buss to keep his job, sister Jeanie Buss said to Sam Amick of USA Today last month, though she’s otherwise been vague about that benchmark, referring to the conference finals in another interview.
It’s tough to say whether Warriors assistant Luke Walton would take either the Knicks or Lakers head coaching jobs if offered, those close to the situation tell Shelburne. Both teams are reportedly poised to target him in the offseason.
Former Knicks coach Derek Fisher didn’t tell anyone from the organization that he was going to Los Angeles for a weekend in October, the trip on which he and Matt Barnes had their controversial encounter. Fisher had planned to make it back in time for practice the next Monday, but mechanical problems led to a flight delay that prevented him from returning, and his absence sparked the questions that brought the incident with Barnes to light, as Shelburne details.
Fisher replied in only one-word answers when Jackson would text observations and suggestions, and the former point guard missed a Knicks coaches’ retreat that Jackson organized at the end of summer, according to Shelburne, but Jackson downplays the lack of communication. “Trying to create autonomy for Derek kind of separated me from direct contact,” Jackson said to Shelburne. “[GM] Steve Mills was [in] closer contact with Derek than I was because of our relationship in the past. Also, you guys [in the media] want to harp in on the fact that he was a puppet perhaps. I wanted him to have the autonomy to make decisions on his own and not feel like I was an overload.”

And-Ones: Lakers, Kilpatrick, Meeks

March 14th, 2016 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Point guard D’Angelo Russell has star potential, but rival executives have doubts about power forward Julius Randle’s ceiling, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports. Polling a dozen front office executives, Berger found that Russell is the more highly regarded of the Lakers’ duo. Randle, their 2014 lottery pick, is viewed more as a piece to the puzzle or an energy guy, Berger continues. It’s conceivable the Lakers deal one or both for a proven star, Berger adds, but a lot of the their decision-making this offseason is contingent on whether they keep their lottery pick. They must convey their pick to the Sixers if they fall out of the top three.

Nets shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick, who has signed two 10-day contracts, hopes he can stick around for the remainder of the season and beyond, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com writes. Kilpatrick is averaging 13.6 points in his last five games with the club. “I’ve been living out of a suitcase I would say for the past six months. It’s crazy, man,” Kilpatrick told Mazzeo. “That’s why when you ask, ‘Do I want to be here?’ Like, I’m tired of living out of a suitcase.”
Shooting guard Jodie Meeks is back in uniform but will have a tough time cracking the Pistons rotation, according to David Mayo of MLive. Meeks broke his right foot in the team’s home opener and required a lengthy recovery. Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy prefers to utilize no more than nine players, and swingman Stanley Johnson and power forward Anthony Tolliver have recently returned to the rotation after recovering from injuries. “I can’t control that,” Meeks told Mayo. “So whenever my number’s called, I’ll be ready.”
The Celtics recalled rookie power forward Jordan Mickey from their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, the team tweets. Mickey has made 11 appearances with Boston this season.
The Thunder assigned small forward Josh Huestis to their D-League team, the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the Thunder’s website. Huestis has already started 19 games for the Blue this season, averaging 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per contest.

Pacific Notes: Jones, Russell, Chalmers, Grizzlies

March 14th, 2016 at 12:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tyus Jones has already played in more games since the All-Star break than he played before it, as the Timberwolves have decided it’s time to let last year’s 24th overall pick learn on the court. Ricky Rubio, a subject of deadline trade talk whom Jones is trying to eventually replace as Minnesota’s starting point guard, sees “great things” ahead for the rookie, observes Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune.

“He can really score the ball. I think he’s learning how to control, and play in this league,” Rubio said. “It’s not like college. He’s learning how to play and he’s not afraid. That’s one of the main things you ask of a rookie. Don’t be afraid.”

See more from the Western Conference:

Much consternation has surrounded the limited playing time Lakers coach Byron Scott has given No. 2 pick D’Angelo Russell this season, but the combo guard is seeing 31.4 minutes per game since the All-Star break compared to 27.1 minutes per game before it, and he’s upbeat about the future, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “It’s all about the opportunity,” Russell said. “Everybody has a different route toward reaching their potential. Some people bloom early and some people bloom late. If I’m a late bloomer and I’m around this league for a long time, I would prefer that.”
Mario Chalmers was popular within the Grizzlies organization, as Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal, who believes his early-season acquisition was a plus for the team, writes in his Pick-and-Pop column. Chalmers cleared waivers after tearing his Achilles tendon last week.
The Grizzlies have filled gaps in their roster with such wizened veterans as Gilbert Arenas, Jason Williams and Keyon Dooling in past years, so the recent signings of Ray McCallum, Alex Stepheson and Briante Weber represent a shrewd pivot toward finding stopgaps with potential future value, Herrington argues in the same piece.

Western Notes: Wolves Sale, Martin, Walton, Noah

March 13th, 2016 at 6:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

A dispute in the Grizzlies‘ ownership group may prevent a planned sale of the Timberwolves, as Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com examine. Steve Kaplan was set to sell off his share of the Memphis franchise and purchase 30% of the Wolves, with an opportunity to become Minnesota’s controlling owner. However, Kaplan and Grizzlies owner Robert Pera have been embroiled in a months-long dispute, as Windhorst and Lowe detail, advancing earlier reports. Their disagreement was recently settled through a confidential agreement when Kaplan threatened arbitration, but the delay has imperiled Kaplan’s deal with Wolves owner Glen Taylor, Windhorst and Lowe write.

Windhorst and Lowe also cite unidentified sources who say Pera has become “distant” from the Grizzlies and has prevented minority owners in having a say in important decisions. Kaplan fears that once word spreads about these practices, it will be difficult for him to sell his 14% share of the team. Sources tell the ESPN scribes that he has been asking for $100MM, while estimating the Grizzlies’ value at about $700MM. Windhorst and Lowe also mention sources close to Taylor who claim he is reconsidering his desire to sell, given the complications in Memphis and the Wolves’ stockpile of talented young players.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

The Wolves elected to stretch Kevin Martin‘s contract over the next three seasons when he agreed to a buyout, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Martin’s cap hit for Minnesota will be $1,229,584 next year and $1,229,583 in each of the following two seasons.
Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post believes Luke Walton is the favorite to take over as head coach of the Lakers if Byron Scott gets fired this summer. Bontemps cautions that L.A. isn’t certain to dismiss Scott, whose salary is guaranteed for next season, but Walton’s history with the franchise and success as an assistant with the Warriors make him a natural successor. In assessing the Lakers’ future, Bontemps said they need to establish a new identity with the retirement of Kobe Bryant and re-emerge as a force in the free agent market.
Joakim Noah is a realistic option for the Mavericks in free agency this offseason, and although he would provide Dallas with an upgrade at the center spot, he wouldn’t give the team the personnel to compete with the top frontcourts in the league, opines Matt Mosley of the Dallas Morning News.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Kings Rumors: Cousins, Karl, Divac

March 13th, 2016 at 4:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is the latest in a series of stars who have clashed with George Karl during his long coaching career, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee examines. Sacramento GM Vlade Divac suspended Cousins for Friday’s game after his latest verbal tirade directed at Karl. It’s the most recent step in their tumultuous 13-month relationship that started when the Kings hired Karl in February of last year. “I’m the authoritative figure, and when you lose games, frustration evolves in many different ways, and sometimes it crosses the line,” Karl said. “Unfortunately, I’ve had many [difficult relationships] in my career, and fortunately some of them turned out to be very, very good.” He identified Gary Payton, Kenyon Martin and World B. Free as past stars whom he clashed with but now considers friends. Cousins is signed through the end of the 2017/18 season, which is also when Karl’s contract expires, but the coach was nearly fired before the All-Star break and is widely believed to be on the way out once the season ends.

There’s more news out of Sacramento:

Karl played down the seriousness of a procedure he had on his neck Thursday to treat skin cancer, Jones writes in the same piece. Karl described the event as not “dangerous,” and he coached the next night.
Cousins’ blowup this week bolsters the argument that Divac should ship him out of Sacremento, contends Andy Furillo of The Sacramento Bee. Furillo says Cousins has long displayed disrespect for the game as well as coaches, officials and other players. He picked up his league-leading 15th technical foul on Wednesday, then had to be restrained from attacking an assistant coach in the middle of a verbal tirade during a timeout. Furillo argues that the Kings need to trade Cousins, even if they can’t get equal value in return, before they move into their new arena next season.
A dissenting view comes from Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee, who says Sacramento’s front office shouldn’t be so desperate to trade Cousins that it accepts a bad deal. Voisin expects Cousins to be sent somewhere this summer, maybe by draft day, and speculates about the Rockets, Mavericks, Celtics, Lakers and Clippers as possible trading partners.

Texas Notes: Cuban, Martin, Goudelock, Holt

March 13th, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavericks haven’t been a real contender for a few seasons, but owner Mark Cuban isn’t ready to shift gears and begin the rebuilding process, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Dallas lost Saturday to the Pacers to drop to .500 and just two games up in the loss column on ninth-place Utah.

“We’ll always be opportunistic,” Cuban said. “It takes a little bit of luck. I don’t care who it is. Then you look at the teams that said, ‘OK, let’s just blow it up.’ Who’s it worked for lately?”

The Mavericks are nonetheless stuck on the mediocrity treadmill, having no clear path to becoming legitimate contenders, MacMahon contends in the same piece. MacMahon examines the team’s decisions since winning the title in 2011 and doubts that Dallas can attract marquee free agents during the upcoming summer due to the plethora of teams set for ample cap flexibility. See more on the Mavs amid news from the Lone Star state.

Kevin Martin was linked to the Mavs, Rockets, Cavaliers, Hawks, Heat and Thunder as he worked a buyout with the Timberwolves a couple of weeks ago, but he said the Spurs were his choice all along, according to The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link). “There was only one team I’d do a buyout for and it was here [San Antonio],” Martin said.
Andrew Goudelock believes he significantly expanded his game in the nearly three years that passed between the end of his time with the Lakers in 2013 and his signing with the Rockets this week, observes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “My basketball IQ has grown,” Goudelock said. “I’ve seen a lot of different things. I’m able to read offenses and defenses better. I’m able to handle the ball a lot better. I’m able to play both guard positions. I’m able to see things on the floor I wasn’t able to see before. I was just a scorer. That’s all I brought to the game. Now, I’m passing the ball and defensively I’ve gotten a lot better. I’ve come a long way defensively. That was one of the knocks on me. I’m a pretty decent defender now.”
Critics could argue that Peter Holt, who transferred control of the Spurs to his wife this past week, simply rode the wave of success that coach/president Gregg Popovich built, but Holt’s faith in Popovich amid difficulty early in his coaching tenure shows that the outgoing owner deserves credit, opines Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Pacific Notes: Griffin, Price, Watson, Bryant

March 13th, 2016 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

Blake Griffin‘s injured leg, not his broken right hand, is delaying his return to the court, according to Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Earlier this month, Clippers coach Doc Rivers claimed Griffin was “really close” to playing again, but that timetable has been pushed to the end of March. Griffin hasn’t appeared in a game since partially tearing a tendon in his left quad on Christmas Day. Woike said the tendon hasn’t responded the way team officials hoped when Griffin’s workouts were amped up.

Griffin’s hand, which he fractured in a January 23rd fight with assistant equipment manager Matias Testi, has healed enough to allow him to practice, Woike notes. Once he is cleared for game action, Griffin still faces a four-game team-imposed suspension for that altercation.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Suns point guard Ronnie Price is having one of his best NBA seasons at age 32, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Price had started 10 straight games before Brandon Knight was healthy enough to return to the starting lineup Saturday. He averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 assists with the starting unit while shooting 35% from 3-point range. After being with six teams in 11 years and a different team for each of the past five seasons, Price will be a free agent again this summer. “Ronnie is the ultimate pro,” said interim coach Earl Watson. “He’s the type of guy you always want on your team because he’s going to lift up the locker room, make guys practice and play hard and he’s a future coach. It’s great for the young guys to see a veteran with everything he’s fought in his career to continue to fight and get better late in his career.”
Watson has made an impression on his players during his brief time as coach, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Two Suns players told Spears the team consensus is they would like to see Watson brought back next season. He took over for Jeff Hornacek on February 1st.
Because the Lakers dropped out of the playoff race early, Kobe Bryant has been able to relax and enjoy his final season, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. “I love the process,” Bryant said. “I love figuring that stuff out. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be playing for 20 years. It’s just a different emotion where you get a chance to kind of step back and appreciate the competitors versus trying to break them down and pick them apart.”