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Lakers Notes: Clarkson, Hill, Melo, Bryant

January 31st, 2015 at 8:14pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers believe they have a contributor in rookie Jordan Clarkson, writes Jovan Buha of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “I think we have a pretty good basketball player in this young kid,” coach Byron Scott said. “When he falls on his face, he gets right back up. He wants to get better; he works his butt off every single day. If you look at his first game [starting] against San Antonio, and his last game last night, he’s shown improvement.” Clarkson is averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 40.4% from the field during his four games as the team’s starting point guard.

Here’s more from Los Angeles:

  • Jordan Hill and Jeremy Lin are among the players whom Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders believes could be dealt before the trade deadline. Hill would probably garner the most in a trade but the center has a de-facto no trade clause in his contract, which might make a deal difficult. Kennedy lists the Clippers and the Blazers as potential destinations for Hill based on their need for frontcourt depth.
  • Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant decided they wouldn’t work as teammates last summer when Anthony was a free agent, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “It was a great visit. The conversations I had with Kobe was just man to man. We both had to come to reality and say, ‘Is this what we really want?’ And it didn’t happen,” Anthony said. The forward also added that he believes Bryant will not retire at the end of the season. “I know him, and this is not the way he wants to go out,’’ Anthony said. “I’m pretty sure he’ll do whatever he has to do to get back on the court one more time before he hangs them shoes up.’’
  • Some people doubt that Kobe Bryant will be able return to the NBA from his latest injury, but Fran Blinebury of NBA.com is optimistic that the 36-year-old will silence his doubters. Blinebury compares Bryant to other former stars, such as Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon, who were injured late in their careers yet continued to play, just not at the level than people were used to seeing.
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Western Notes: Wiggins, Kelly, Mavs

January 31st, 2015 at 4:58pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The rapid development of rookie Andrew Wiggins is one of the few bright spots for the Timberwolves this season, Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press writes. “He’s above where we thought he would be,” president of basketball operations and coach Flip Saunders said of Wiggins. “There have not been very many rookies that have gone through a 15 game stretch where they’re averaging 21 [points] a game and been in a situation where they’re taking the other team’s best defensive player and playing both ends of the floor.”

Here’s more from the West:

  • Mavs forward Greg Smith has signed with agent Seth Cohen of Versus Management, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype reports (Twitter link). Smith, who is earning $948,163 this season, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • The Lakers have recalled Ryan Kelly from the L.A. D-Fenders, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This was Kelly’s first trip to the D-League of the season.
  • The Mavs knew that they would experience some rough patches as Rajon Rondo was integrated into the team, and it’s a process that is still ongoing, Schuyler Dixon of NBA.com writes. ”We got a point guard that’s got a lot of experience and a championship and is a great player, but I also think we’ve still got some work to do on both ends of the floor,” Dirk Nowitzki said. ”I could certainly see the potential that’s there, but the problem is the West is just so tough. It’s kind of hard to see right now how it’s going to end up.”
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Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 1/25/15-1/31/15

January 31st, 2015 at 10:59am CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have added a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:

“The expectations are that Monta Ellis opts out and becomes a free agent this summer. He seems an odd fit with Rajon Rondo in Dallas, as neither player is particularly valuable off the ball.  Assuming the Mavs re-sign Rondo and Tyson Chandler, what FA options would pair better with Rondo?” — Jonathan D.

I wouldn’t necessarily close the door on Ellis and Rondo playing well together just yet. They’ve only been paired alongside each other for a short time, and the Mavs are still figuring out how to best utilize a pass-first point guard like Rondo. Plus, Ellis is a 20 point per game scorer who is shooting over 46% from the field, something not easily replaced. Having said that, I’ll now get to your actual question. Looking at this summer’s free agent market, there aren’t many players that would be a clear upgrade over Ellis. There are only three potential free agents who immediately come to mind as interesting replacement ideas should Ellis depart Dallas — Goran Dragic, Reggie Jackson, and Jimmy Butler.

Both Jackson and Butler are set to become restricted free agents, which means that their respective teams will have the ability to match any offer sheets that the players sign. Chicago is likely to do whatever it has to do in order to retain Butler, so he’s a real long shot to end up in Dallas. Butler would be a tremendous upgrade over Ellis defensively, but the swingman would be seen as an upgrade on most teams, so that’s hardly a bold statement. I just wouldn’t invest in a Mavs jersey with his name on the back of it anytime soon.

As for Jackson, he wouldn’t perform much differently than Ellis does alongside Rondo. Jackson’s game is also one that demands the ball be in his hands, and he’s too undersized to play the two spot full time. If I’m Dallas, then I’d take Ellis over Jackson, despite Jackson’s youth and upside, because Ellis is the proven commodity. Plus, Jackson isn’t likely to come cheap, and he still hasn’t proven himself as a star-caliber player who will be worthy of such a likely long-term investment. Dirk Nowitzki doesn’t have many seasons left in him, and neither does Chandler. If Rondo re-signs with Dallas, then he’ll have only a short window before he begins his inevitable decline as well. Banking on Jackson’s potential along with with an aging core is a risk that would outweigh the potential reward in the short-term for Dallas.

Dragic has a player option for the 2015/16 season that he isn’t likely to exercise, which means that he’ll be testing out free agency this summer. He’s a strong enough outside shooter to be paired effectively alongside Rondo, and Dragic would be comfortable playing shooting guard full-time. There aren’t many top-flight two-guards set to be on the market this summer, and Ellis has proven his worth in Dallas. If the team decides to allow him to move on this summer, then Dragic is the best free agent replacement option, should he decide to leave Phoenix. But unless the team can somehow snag Butler, or an upgrade via a trade, then keeping Ellis is the wiser move if he’ll agree to a short-term deal.

“What are the chances that Philly trades MCW [Michael Carter-Williams] prior to the trade deadline? Is [GM Sam] Hinkie wise to try and get something for him while he still can, or should he keep MCW?” — Kris L.

The Sixers certainly appear to be willing to deal Carter-Williams if the right opportunity presents itself. But unless the point guard market drastically changes, I don’t see that scenario happening for Philly. MCW’s trade value would have been much higher prior to the season than it is right now. In fact, the Lakers had reportedly offered the No. 7 overall pick and Steve Nash‘s expiring deal for the point guard prior to the 2014 NBA draft. Unfortunately for the Sixers, Hinkie isn’t likely to garner anything close to such a generous offer right now for Carter-Williams. So unless Philadelphia is willing to collect pennies on the dollar for its young player, then the team would be best served to hold onto him for now and try and trade him after the season.

“With Kobe Bryant now out for the year, will the Lakers look to dump everyone by the deadline? Who is the player most likely to be traded?”  — Matt E.

I’m not sure who the “everyone” that you refer to are. I’m assuming you meant the team’s appealing veteran players, which Los Angeles doesn’t have an abundance of. I think the Lakers would like nothing more than to clean house and pick up a few useful assets for the future, but they possess precious few players who would be of interest around the league.

Jordan Hill would be the most appealing player that the Lakers have to offer other teams right now. Hill is having himself a solid year, averaging 12.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and plays a position of need for so many teams. His $9MM salary for next season is a team option, which means that any franchise that acquires him wouldn’t have to lock up its cap space and miss out on this summer’s upcoming free agent frenzy. I definitely see the Lakers fielding some calls about Hill, especially after he went for 26 points and 12 rebounds versus Chicago on Thursday.

I also think Steve Nash‘s expiring $9.7MM contract is likely to be involved in a number of trade discussions prior to the deadline. Expiring deals aren’t worth as much as they used to be, but I can see the Lakers getting involved as a third team in a trade and flipping Nash’s contract for a draft pick or minor asset. Beyond Nash and Hill I just don’t see many opportunities for the Lakers to deal for anything of value.

“What do you see happening with Reggie Jackson? Do the Thunder trade him, and if so, where doe he go?” — Rob V.

I’m not sure that even Thunder GM Sam Presti knows what the team wants to do with Jackson just yet. I’m sure the ghost of the James Harden trade is hanging over Presti’s head when he contemplates whether or not Jackson stays or goes. But I do think that the Thunder should swallow hard and trade him before the deadline. I also believe that OKC will indeed decide to try and find a palatable offer for the young guard. With the way that the team has cut down Jackson’s minutes since acquiring Dion Waiters, I think Oklahoma City is testing out what life would be like without the point guard in its rotation.

As for where Jackson could potentially end up, I see the Knicks, Nets, Heat, Kings, and Lakers as the most likely landing spots. A number of teams will be scared off from making Oklahoma City an offer because of Jackson’s impending restricted free agency, which is understandable. Jackson’s almost certain to be a player who commands more in salary than his track record warrants on his next contract, which isn’t a great selling point for prospective bidders. But he also has the potential to quickly develop into a star, which is why rebuilding teams like New York, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Sacramento may be willing to take on the risk.

If I had to pick one team that would end up with Jackson, the Nets would seem the likeliest bet at this point. The two franchises have already been involved in talks for Brook Lopez, and adding Jackson into that potential mix could prove too tempting an offer for Brooklyn to resist. OKC would get some scoring punch from the pivot, and the Nets would get a young player to pair with Mason Plumlee as the franchise looks to rebuild. If Brooklyn is determined to deal Lopez, a return centering around Jackson wouldn’t be a bad haul.

That’s all the space that I have for this week. Thanks to all those who sent in their questions. I’ll be back next Saturday to answer a whole new batch. So fire away and keep filling up my inbox with your inquiries.

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And-Ones: Silver, Carter, D-League

January 30th, 2015 at 9:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mark Cuban had his run-ins with former commissioner David Stern, but the Mavs owner has no shortage of praise for Adam Silver, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays from Cuban. Still, there are challenges ahead for Silver as his first year atop the league comes to a close, and union executive director Michele Roberts has left many around the league believing she’s “looking for a fight.”

Here’s more from around the league:

  • The Lakers have assigned Ryan Kelly to their D-League affiliate, the L.A. D-Fenders, the team has announced. This will be Kelly’s first jaunt to the D-League of the season.
  • An MRI performed on Vince Carter has revealed that the Grizzlies veteran has suffered damage to a tendon in his left foot, the team has announced. The 38-year-old is out indefinitely and will be re-evaluated in a week’s time.
  • The Pacers have recalled Shayne Whittington from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team has announced. This was Whittington’s first trip to the D-League of the season, and in one appearance he notched five points and four rebounds for the Mad Ants.
  • Milos Milisavljevic, who plays for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s D-League affiliate, is working toward hearing his name called in this June’s NBA draft, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes. The Serbian had passed on offers from a number of Euroleague teams so that he could come to the United States and play for Santa Cruz. Milisavljevic chose the less lucrative D-League path in order to demonstrate to NBA executives his high level of commitment to making it into the league, Howard-Cooper notes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Pacific Notes: Kobe, McAdoo, Terrence Williams

January 30th, 2015 at 1:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers picked up a rare with Thursday night, but it cost them in the Reverse Standings, where they’re four games back of the No. 2 position. They have to finish with either the worst or second-worst record in the league to assure themselves of retaining their first-round pick this year, which goes to the Suns if it falls out of the top five. The Lakers currently sit fourth in the order, but if a couple of other teams get lucky in the lottery, that would bump L.A. out of the pick’s protected range. There’s more on next year for the purple-and-gold amid the latest from the Pacific Division:

  • Kobe Bryant confirms that he plans to return next season and be ready to take part in Lakers training camp, as he told Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Bryant admitted shortly before he tore his rotator cuff that he had considered retiring after this season. Recovery from the injury is supposed to keep him out for nine months, which would force him to miss nearly all of the 2015/16 preseason.
  • The Warriors like what they see in James McAdoo and hope that he’s a part of the team’s future, coach Steve Kerr says, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group tweets. Golden State nonetheless appears to have opted against re-signing McAdoo for now, since he rejoined the team’s D-League affiliate Thursday following the expiration of his 10-day contract with the big club.
  • Israel’s Maccabi Ashdod has decided to release former lottery pick Terrence Williams, sources tell David Pick of Basketball Insiders. Williams worked out for the Kings in July and again in late October. He’s in talks with teams from Puerto Rico and the Philippines, Pick hears.
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Lakers Notes: Kupchak, Bryant, Scott

January 29th, 2015 at 5:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With Kobe Bryant expected to miss nine months of action after undergoing shoulder surgery, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said that he had no regrets about signing Bryant to a two year, $48MM extension, as he told reporters, including Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Kupchak said that Kobe was worth “every penny of it,” Medina adds.

Here’s more from Los Angeles:

  • Kupchak also went on to defend Lakers coach Byron Scott‘s usage of Bryant. The GM said that Scott playing the veteran for more minutes than the team had anticipated had no impact on Bryant’s latest injury, Medina tweets.
  • The nine month timetable given for Bryant’s surgical recovery would have the swingman returning to action toward the end of training camp. But Kupchak is anticipating that Bryant will beat prognostications and be ready to join the Lakers when training camp begins, Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times notes (Twitter link).
  • Kupchak scoffs at any suggestion that the Lakers would be better served to tank for a better shot at retaining their 2015 first round draft pick, which is owed to the Suns if it falls out of the top five, Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes. “Our coaches and players have been instructed to win games,” Kupchak said. But the GM did add, “A top-five pick is always a good thing.“
  • The Lakers coaching staff has been directed to focus their efforts on developing and evaluating players for the future, Holmes notes. “We want Byron [Scott] to establish and maintain a culture that he’s comfortable with,” Kupchak said. “And the players have to adhere to that culture, which [is], clearly, play hard, play to win, work before practice, work after practice, work before games, show high character under adverse conditions. That’s what we’re going to look at going forward.“
  • Though the Lakers possess a number of tradeable assets, Kupchak stressed that the franchise wouldn’t sacrifice its future cap flexibility to make any trades, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register writes. “If we make a move, we have to make sure it’s the right move and not give away hard-earned flexibility,” Kupchak said. “One of the primary things in this league that you do have to protect is your flexibility. It gives you a lot of options.”
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Western Notes: Gasol, Perkins, Bryant

January 28th, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pau Gasol is glad to be free of the constant trade rumors that surrounded him in his final years with the Lakers, and he hints that the Lakers won’t be among Marc Gasol‘s preferred destinations in free agency this summer, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding writes. “Marc wants to win a championship,” Pau said. “That’s what he’s looking for. That’s what’s most important to him. I don’t know if you think the Lakers will be in a position to win a championship next year or not. But he knows what he’ll be looking for as a free agent—or maybe he’ll stay in Memphis because they have built a very good team already there with some very good pieces. He’ll know what he wants, and he will be ready to make his decision.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

  • Kendrick Perkins believes that he’s done nothing but help the Thunder improve as a team during his time in Oklahoma City, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. “I just have to come out and make sure I do my job,” Perkins said. “I try not to look ahead to free agency. I just try to go out there and compete night in and night out. But ever since I’ve got to Oklahoma City, I feel like I haven’t did anything but help the organization get to where they want to be. The organization has helped me also. So this is a family. If I’m here next year or not, if I leave, I’m going to miss everyone here because we’re like family.” Perkins and his expiring contract were reportedly part of the recent trade talks involving Brook Lopez.
  • With Kobe Bryant lost for the remainder of the season, Lakers coach Byron Scott said that the team’s future plans regarding Bryant won’t be known until the summer, Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes. “I got to wait until August until we have a good idea of what we’ve brought in and who we bring back,” Scott said. “Then, we go from there.”
  • Scott expects the Lakers‘ star to return to action as soon as is humanly possible, and for Bryant to still be active in recruiting free agents this summer, Holmes notes. “But I think the biggest thing with Kobe, as long as [the media is] saying that he’s done, he’s going to come back,” Scott said. “I think he proved his point this year that he still has a lot left in the tank. He’s still one of the best players in the league.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Kobe Bryant To Miss Rest Of Season

January 28th, 2015 at 5:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 5:30pm: The Lakers have announced that Bryant underwent successful surgery today to repair the damage to his rotator cuff. Bryant is expected to be out nine months, which is a longer recovery time than was initially expected.

2:32pm: Scott acknowledged that Bryant is probably done for the season, as Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com relays (on Twitter).

MONDAY, 2:27pm: The Lakers star will undergo surgery to repair his torn rotator cuff, the Lakers announced (Twitter link). The team said it won’t provide a timetable for Bryant’s return until after the operation, but Wojnarowski reported last week that surgery would be season-ending (below). The team generally believes the surgery will require a six-month rehabilitation, but the club will wait for clarification after the procedure takes place on Wednesday, tweets Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding.

FRIDAY, 2:33pm: Bryant wants to pursue any avenue he can to play again this season, but there isn’t believed to be any reasonable way for Bryant to remain in the lineup given the significance of the injury to his shooting shoulder, Wojnarowski writes in a full story.

1:47pm: The Lakers and Bryant will wait until Monday to make a decision on his treatment, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Electing surgery would end his season, and there’s still “significant belief” within the organization that he’ll need the operation, but they’re holding off on that call for now, Wojnarowski adds (on Twitter).

1:17pm: A final determination on the prognosis for Kobe Bryant‘s torn rotator cuff is still to come, but the Lakers expect Bryant will miss the rest of the season, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). The Lakers announced Thursday that Bryant had suffered the injury to his right shoulder during Wednesday’s game. Still, there’s no fear that the setback will prompt Bryant to retire, and he’s instead more likely to play out his contract in the wake of the injury, Shelburne reported overnight (on Twitter). Bryant recently said he had considered retiring this coming summer, but he’s long been expected to at least play until the end of next season, when his deal expires.

The Lakers can’t apply for a disabled player exception, since the deadline to do so was last week, though the team already has a pair of such exceptions for Steve Nash and Julius Randle. Still, the team has a full 15-man roster, and without others expected to miss a significant amount of time, the Lakers can’t apply for another roster spot via hardship. The team applied for a hardship exception earlier this season, but it expired.

Coach Byron Scott said today that he was worried the injury was a result of his decision to give Bryant heavy minutes earlier this season, notes Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). Scott added that he reached out to apologize to the 36-year-old star in the wake of the injury and that Bryant told him not to worry about it, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Bryant saw 37.1 minutes per game in December, but that’s tailed off to 30.9 MPG in games thus far in January.

Bryant’s injury can’t do much more harm to the Lakers in the standings, since the team is 12-31 and 13 and a half games out of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. However, the loss of the league’s ninth-leading scorer this season seemingly strengthens the chance that the team will keep its first-round pick this year. The Lakers must relinquish it to the Suns if it falls outside the top five, and the purple-and-gold are currently fourth in the Reverse Standings.

The perennial All-Star had never missed 17 games in a single season until he tore his Achilles tendon late in the 2012/13 season. He came back to make only six appearances in 2013/14 before succumbing to a fractured knee, and he’s so far played in only 35 of the Lakers’ 43 games this season.

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Lakers Notes: Kobe, Randle, Draft

January 27th, 2015 at 12:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

Those close to Kobe Bryant are certain that he’ll play again next season, particularly since this season is likely to have ended with a torn rotator cuff, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Bryant plans to help the Lakers recruit in free agency this summer, Bresnahan also hears (Twitter link), and the team plans to use the location of its training camp for next season, set for Hawaii, to lure free agents, too, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (on Twitter). The present for the Lakers seems like it’s fast giving way to the future, and there’s more related to the Lakers and next season amid the latest on the purple-and-gold:

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Eastern Notes: Kobe, Wizards, Durant, Lopez

January 26th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kobe Bryant wanted to join the Wizards more than a decade ago when Michael Jordan was with the team, Bryant acknowledged to Michael Lee of The Washington Post. While Jordan was playing with the Wizards, Bryant told him several times that he wanted to come to Washington, assuming that Jordan would again head basketball operations for the Wizards as he did before his comeback, sources tell Lee. Jordan was confident he would sign Bryant when he became a free agent in 2004, Lee hears, but the current Hornets owner never got that chance, since then-Wizards owner Abe Pollin decided against letting Jordan run the front office upon his final retirement from playing in 2003. The Wizards missed out on a star then, but they have their sights set on acquiring one a dozen years later, as we detail:

  • It’s a long shot but more than a pipe dream that the Wizards would land Kevin Durant when he hits free agency in 2016, as TNT’s David Aldridge writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. A D.C. income tax loophole would allow Durant to save more than $700K per year in tax payments if he played for the Wizards instead of the Thunder, as Aldridge explains. However, the Thunder, who hold Durant’s Bird rights, can offer better annual salary raises than the Wizards or any other team can.
  • J.R. Smith got over some initial mixed feelings about the trade that sent him from the Knicks to the Cavs and calls playing for Cleveland “the best situation for me as a person,” as he told Aldridge for the same piece. Smith has a player option worth nearly $6.4MM for next season.
  • Trade candidate Brook Lopez would prefer to stay with the Nets, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes amid his weekly power rankings.
  • Scouts, coaches and GMs at the D-League showcase were puzzled when the Sixers signed Larry Drew II, who had been playing for the Heat’s affiliate, to a 10-day contract earlier this month, as Gino Pilato of D-League Digest hears (Twitter links). Drew put up strong numbers, with 10.1 assists per game and 40.4% three-point shooting in 21 D-League appearances this year, but there were other, more intriguing prospects, Pilato believes. Drew signed his second 10-day deal with Philly earlier today.
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