Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Cavaliers, Henson, Wade

January 1st, 2015 at 4:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers have some roster flexibility after being granted a disabled player exception on Wednesday, and Nick Borges of ESPN.com [Insider subscription required] suggests a number of players it could be used to acquire. In recent weeks, there have been rumors linking the team to Timofey Mozgov of the Nuggets, Kosta Koufos of the Grizzlies and Robert Sacre of the Lakers. Borges also suggests Brandan Wright of the Celtics, Jerome Jordan of the Nets, Joel Anthony of the Pistons, Ekpe Udoh of the Clippers, Jeff Withey of the Pelicans, Cole Aldrich and Samuel Dalembert of the Knicks, Dewayne Dedmon of the Magic, Joel Freeland of the Blazers and Ryan Hollins of the Kings. The DPE gives Cleveland an extra $4,852,273 to use for a trade, free agent signing or waiver claim through March 10th.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

LeBron James understood what he was getting into when he opted to return to Cleveland, opines Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Kyler notes that James said “I’m not promising a championship” when he announced his decision in July. With a massively overturned roster and James’ problems with a sore back and aching knees, he was realistic about what his first season back with the Cavaliers might look like.
A rash of injuries has given the Bucks‘ John Henson a chance to show off his skills, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. With Jabari Parker, Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders out of action, Henson has responded with 10 blocks in his last two games. “He brings another dimension to our team and it’s not just defensively,” said teammate Kendall Marshall. “He’s very good offensively, making plays, being in the right spots at the right times.” Henson is under the Bucks’ control through the 2016/17 season.
Dwyane Wade gave up approximately $10MM in salary by opting out of his deal and then re-signing with the Heat, but despite Miami’s struggles this season it isn’t something he laments over, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes. “I’ll be all right,” Wade said. “It cost me a lot. But it wasn’t ‘The Decision’ [James’ return to the Cavs] that cost me. It was my decision. I opted out for the better of the team, not for any individual. I opted out for the better of the team and it cost me some money. I’m not concerned about it. Not overly concerned, anyway.”

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Nash, Wolves, Harris

December 31st, 2014 at 10:07pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Steve Nash has been away from the Lakers since being ruled out for the rest of the season, but the veteran finally paid the team a brief visit, Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes. Nash greeted the team at the airport as they prepared to board a flight to Chicago, Markazi notes. “It was great to see him, first of all, and for all the players to see him,” coach Byron Scott said. “It was a great gesture on his part to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. He still has to deal with the fact that his career might be over. That’s still something he’s wrestling with. I’m still inviting him to come around here for practice and to join in and just be a part of the team and part the coaching staff. That’s something that he has to deal with and when he wants to and he feels he’s able to do that, whatever time that might be, he’ll be welcome with open arms.”

Here’s more out of the West:

The improved play this season of Gorgui Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad is making the 2013 trade of Trey Burke to Utah look like a great deal for the Wolves, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes.
Former Lakers guard Manny Harris has inked a deal to play in Turkey with Eskisehir Basket, the team announced via Twitter (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Harris was with Los Angeles on a pair of 10-day contracts during the 2013/14 campaign, and he spent parts of 2010/11 and 2011/12 with Cleveland.
With the Nuggets‘ season all but lost, it is now up to GM Tim Connelly to try and rebuild the franchise through trades, Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post opines. If the Nuggets want to tank for a chance at a higher draft pick, then Ty Lawson is the obvious player to trade, Kiszla notes. After Lawson, there isn’t another player on the roster who can consistently direct Denver’s already unreliable offense, and the result of dealing him could be a top five draft pick, Kiszla adds.

Pacific Notes: Kings, Heslip, Kobe, Vujacic

December 31st, 2014 at 10:01am CST by Chuck Myron

It seems as though the top eight teams in the Western Conference are in many ways already set, but the Kings aren’t giving up on the idea that they can find a way into the playoffs this year, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck writes. Sacramento will add an impact player if an opportunity arises, according to Beck.

“This league, it’s a league of injuries, it’s a league of things that happen, chemistry,” Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro told Beck. “And you’ve seen things happen really fast in this league. So I don’t think we buy into the notion of, ‘Well, it’s locked to eight.’ We really don’t believe that. From our perspective, it’s: How are we getting better? How are we pursuing that spot?”

The Kings are 13-18, four games behind the Suns for the last playoff spot. There’s another Kings-related item amid the latest from the Pacific Division:

Brady Heslip has decided against signing with Banvit of Turkey because he believes he’s close to joining an NBA team, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). David Pick of Eurobasket.com reported earlier this week that Heslip, who’s been playing for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate, had a deal with the Turkish team. The Kings and Clippers have reportedly held interest in adding the sharpshooter to their NBA rosters.
Kobe Bryant still doesn’t rule out playing beyond his current contract, which expires in 2016, but for now he plans to retire after next season, as he said Tuesday to reporters, including Bill Oram of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). “If you asked me if I’m going to play beyond that, right now the answer is no,” Bryant said.
Sasha Vujacic is leaving Laboral Kuxta Vitoria (aka Saski Baskonia) of Spain, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). He’s next headed to play for Turkey’s Istanbul BSB, Carchia writes. Vujacic, who spent time on a 10-day contract with the Clippers last season, is one of several among 2013/14 10-day signees who are now playing overseas, as I noted Tuesday.
Warriors backup center Marreese Speights said he was especially motivated to beat the Sixers, as Golden State did Tuesday, not because of anyone with the team at current but because he harbors ill will toward Doug Collins, tweets Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. Speights saw a career low 11.5 minutes per game under the former Sixers coach in 2010/11.

Eastern Notes: Cavs, Granger, Heat

December 30th, 2014 at 7:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Cavs‘ big men have left quite a bit to be desired in their performance thus far this season. Cleveland currently ranks 22nd in blocks per game, 26th in rebounds, and 22nd in overall defense. It’s for these reasons that the Cavs have been searching for a rim protecting center all season, and Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders runs down ten possible targets for GM David Griffin to try and bolster his frontcourt with, including Timofey Mozgov (Nuggets), Brandan Wright (Celtics), Jordan Hill (Lakers), and Samuel Dalembert (Knicks).

Here’s more from the East:

Danny Granger never expected to retire as a member of the Pacers and he doesn’t harbor any ill feelings toward the franchise despite being dealt to the Sixers last season, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I didn’t think I would,” Granger said of eventually retiring with Indiana. “I mean, the time I spent there was very unusual. I didn’t want to get too wrapped up in the fact that I could have possibly been there my whole career. I knew that I wanted to. But I knew that the way the NBA is, and the type of business it is.“
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has done his best to juggle Miami’s rotation in light of all the injuries that the team has had to deal with but this season has quickly become humbling for the proud franchise, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes. “We’re 30 some games in. It’s enough talking,” Chris Bosh said. “We’ve talked enough. It’s about getting the job done. We’re not doing it right now. It’s been up and down for the whole season. It’s not going to change until each person makes it change. Coach has a bunch of decisions to make. He has to do his job and figure things out just like we have to do our job and figure things out. He’s going to put the best group he feels needs to be out there. We have to respond as players. We haven’t done a very good job of that.”
James Anderson signed an extension that includes a raise with Lithuania’s Zalgiris Kaunas, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Anderson, who started 62 games for the Sixers last season, inked a one-year deal with Kaunas over the summer. That deal included an escape clause, but he decided against triggering it to sign the extension, which covers the rest of the season, Pick tells Hoops Rumors.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Wolves, Warriors, Varnado

December 30th, 2014 at 3:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

The teams at the top of the Eastern Conference have begun to close the gap on the West, as Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal observes in his latest “Pick and Pop” column. There are as many teams with winning percentages of .700 or better in the East as there are in the West, and the top four Eastern teams have all won at least eight of their last 10 games. The Blazers are the only Western team that can boast that. Imbalance still exists farther down the standings, where the 18-14 Suns cling to the last Western playoff spot while the 14-18 Heat lay claim to eighth place in the East. Here’s the latest from around the conference that still reigns supreme:

Flip Saunders said the Timberwolves are looking at “all kinds of options” and said the team hasn’t reached a deal with anyone amid conflicting reports of an agreement with Miroslav Raduljica, notes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). Still, Saunders acknowledged there’s “no question” that the team needs to add size, as Zgoda tweets.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn’t expect his team will make significant changes anytime soon, as he said on NBA TV, notes Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter). “I don’t anticipate us doing a whole lot,” Kerr said. “We’re doing well. We like our team. We’ve got good versatility and depth.”
The D-League affiliate of the Lakers acquired the rights to Jarvis Varnado in a trade with the Grizzlies D-League affiliate, the L.A. D-Fenders announced (on Twitter). That sort of move usually coincides with or precedes a signing, though it doesn’t appear as though Varnado has a contract with the D-Fenders just yet. Varnado, who was in camp with the Sixers this past fall, was one of a half-dozen players without a deal to play pro basketball after inking an NBA 10-day contract last season, as I noted earlier.
Former Jazz camp invitee Kevin Murphy has left Utah’s D-League affiliate to pursue a deal overseas, reports Gino Pilato of D-League Digest (Twitter link). The swingman was briefly with the Jazz during the preseason before the team cut him October 10th.

Western Notes: Black, Smith, Hill, Len

December 29th, 2014 at 8:39pm CST by ChrisCrouse

New addition Tarik Black comes to the Lakers with a reputation as a gritty defender, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register. Coach Byron Scott believes Black could become a contributor to the team. “All the reports are that his upside is tremendous,” Scott said. “It was a no brainer for us. Once he gets out here, we’ll put him out here and see what he can do.” Los Angeles ranks 30th in the league on defense, allowing 109.2 points per game.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Josh Smith‘s deal with the Rockets covers just this season, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders confirms. There were previously conflicting reports about the length of the contract. In his first two games for Houston, Smith has scored 26 points on 28 shots from the field, which are the second most attempts on the team during that stretch.
Jordan Hill has struggled recently for the Lakers and he could lose playing time in a suddenly crowded front court, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Hill has a $9MM team option on his contract for the 2015/16 season. If he keeps up this level of play, it might be hard for the Lakers to justify picking that up, although that is just my speculation.
The Suns believe they have a star in second-year center Alex Len, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. “He’s not afraid of anything,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “He’s not afraid of big moments. He’s not afraid of hitting somebody or getting hit. He just plays. That’s great to see in a young guy.” The team is 6-1 since it moved Len into the starting lineup.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Lakers Claim Tarik Black, Waive Xavier Henry

December 28th, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

6:00pm: The Lakers made the move official, as Mike Trudell of Lakers.com tweets.

4:22pm: The Lakers have claimed Tarik Black off waivers from the Rockets, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room, the Lakers are saying farewell to Xavier Henry (link).

Just minutes ago, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that the Hornets were planning on putting in a claim for Black. However, thanks to their record, the Lakers had waiver priority over the Hornets and other potentially interested clubs.

Black, who was signed to a non-guaranteed deal by the Rockets prior to being waived, averaged 4.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 25 games for Houston. The Kansas product reportedly had interest from several clubs when the Rockets decided to sever ties.

Henry, 23, saw time in nine games for the Lakers this season, averaging 2.2 PPG in 9.6 minutes per contest. For his career, Henry has averaged of 5.7 PPG and 1.9 RPG across five seasons with the Grizzlies, Pelicans (née Hornets), and the Lakers. Henry is out for the year, meaning that it’s highly unlikely that anyone will claim him and take that $1.082MM salary off of the Lakers’ books.

With Black off the books, Stein tweets that the Rockets have now dipped back below the luxury-tax line.

Western Notes: Smith, Rockets, Spurs, Lakers

December 27th, 2014 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Smith did things backwards in his debut with the Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle; his first game came before his first practice. After being signed Friday morning, Smith was thrown into the fire quickly against the Grizzlies. He delivered 21 points and eight rebounds as Houston won in overtime. On Saturday, he got his first workout with his new team. “When you’re a professional and you’ve played a lot of years like myself, it’s not that hard especially when you know a lot of the guys in the locker room,” said Smith, who was waived Monday by the Pistons. “They helped me out when I was kind of lost out there on the floor. They helped me along the way to get me through those situations.”

There’s much more from the Western Conference:

The addition of Smith, combined with the trade that brought Corey Brewer and Alexey Shved from the Timberwolves, has transformed the Rockets from a shallow team to a deep one, Feigen notes. Houston got 48 points off the bench in Memphis, and although Smith’s total figured into that, the bench should remain potent even if he becomes a starter. A return from injury by Terrence Jones, which coach Kevin McHale estimates in four to six weeks, could fortify the second unit — or it could provide GM Daryl Morey with more trade ammunition.
Kawhi Leonard is the key to the Spurs‘ title hopes, opines Stephen Babb of Bleacher Report, which is why they need his injured right hand to heal as quickly as possible. Leonard tore a ligament in the hand December 9th, and the team has struggled in his absence. “He can’t move his hand,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He can’t catch and dribble and that kind of stuff. Medically, they don’t think he can hurt it any more, so that’s good. So it’s just a matter of can he get used to the hand.”
The Lakers‘ Nick Young has stopped joking that the team will be fine without the injured Kobe Bryant, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. After shooting 6 for 22 from the field in the past two games without the injured star, Young was contrite. “We’re always going to need Kobe out there on the floor, especially for players like me,” said Young. “That releases a lot of pressure.”

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Clippers, Warriors

December 27th, 2014 at 9:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Magic Johnson’s message to Lakers coach Byron Scott was much different than his public advice, according to Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. Johnson made headlines in early December when he said the Lakers should “lose every game” to improve their draft position. But privately, Johnson supported his former backcourt partner’s efforts to win. “When I saw him,” Scott said, “he just said, ‘You’re doing a great job. Just keep doing what you’re doing.'” The Lakers are currently 9-21 and rank fifth in Hoops Rumors’ Reverse Standings.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

An inconsistent bench is holding back the Clippers, observes Jovan Buha of ESPNLosAngeles.com. He cites a poor job of running the second-team offense by Jordan Farmar, noting it often results in a Jamal Crawford isolation play, with everyone else standing and watching. He suggests that L.A. needs to make a move to solidify its bench before it can be considered a real contender in the West.
The drafting of Stephen Curry in 2009 set off a chain of events that led the Warriors from the bottom to the top of the NBA, writes Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle. Thirteen months after selecting Curry, Golden State landed a major free agent in David Lee, then a week later dynamic owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the team. “You have to have guys who are willing to invest in the future, and that’s what Joe and Peter are about,” Curry said. “That shows in the coaching hires and the players they brought in.”
Lacob also got high praise from Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group, who honored the Warriors co-owner with his “Hitman of the Year Award” for excellence in Bay Area sports. The columnist praised a series of moves Lacob has made since taking over, but said he had a particularly strong year in 2014 by firing coach Mark Jackson and replacing him with Steve Kerr, and by refusing to part with Klay Thompson in a rumored deal for Kevin Love.

Lakers Notes: Sacre, Bryant, Gasol

December 26th, 2014 at 12:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers had talks with the Lakers this summer about the availability of center Robert Sacre, according to Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). He adds that there have been no recent trade discussions between the teams, although Cleveland’s need for frontcourt help increased this week with the announcement that Anderson Varejao will miss the rest of the season with an Achilles tear.

There’s other news from Los Angeles:

Concerns about Kobe Bryant‘s health are worsening, tweets Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. “My knees are sore… [both] my Achilles are sore,” the Lakers guard said Thursday. “Metatarsals are tight. Back’s tight. I just need to kind of hit the reset button.” Bryant sat out L.A.’s Christmas Day loss to the Bulls as well as Tuesday’s game with Golden State. The 36-year-old is making $23.5MM this year and is on the books for $25MM next season.
Coach Byron Scott said only “idiots” would suggest that the Lakers are a better team without Bryant, reports Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. “We have one great game without Kobe and everybody thinks now we’re a better team or something like that,” Scott said, referring to Tuesday’s win over the Warriors. “… But as far as all that [analytical] stuff goes, you know what? If I had my choice, I’d rather have him on the court for 48 minutes every time we played. I know we’d have a better chance to win.” Scott said Bryant could be out of action for up to a week.
The Bulls’ Pau Gasol said it was an emotional experience facing his former team Thursday, although Bryant’s absence took some of the drama away, reports Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Gasol spent six and a half seasons in Los Angeles and won two NBA titles before signing a three-year, $22.35MM deal with Chicago over the summer.