Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Diallo, T. Cook, J. Green, Expansion, More

November 18th, 2023 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA big man Cheick Diallo, who opened this season playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, intends to return to Kyoto Hannaryz, the Japanese team he played for in 2022/23, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Twitter link).

Diallo appeared in 180 NBA games from 2016-20, but has bounced around since then, playing in the G League and multiple international leagues, returning to the NBA for just three contests in 2021/22.

In other international basketball news, former NBA forward Tyler Cook has signed with Spanish club Joventut Badalona, per a press release from the team. Cook played in a total of 65 games for five different NBA teams between 2019-22, but wasn’t in the league at all last season. He played in the G League in 2022/23 and had a brief stint in Australia this fall.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA forward Johnny Green, who made four All-Star appearances between 1959-71, including three for the Knicks, has passed away at age 89, according to Richard Goldstein of The New York Times. Known as Jumpin’ Johnny, Green was a college star at Michigan State before recording over 12,000 points and 9,000 rebounds in the NBA.
Asked during an appearance on Sportsnet’s The Raptors Show (Twitter video link) about comments he made recently referencing the idea of expansion to a Canadian city like Montreal or Vancouver, commissioner Adam Silver stressed that the NBA has received interest from those markets but isn’t prepared to seriously explore the possibility yet. “It’s not an active discussion right now,” Silver said.
The early returns for the NBA’s first ever in-season tournament “have been pretty positive,” Silver said during that same radio appearance (Twitter video link). In addition to seeing a significant jump in television ratings for tournament games, Silver is encouraged by the buy-in from people around the NBA. “The players are really into it, and the coaches and teams have been very engaged and excited about it,” Silver said. “That’s what’s most important and what will ultimately translate into the most interest from the fans.”
Sam Amick, Josh Robbins, and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic take stock of the best and worst of the NBA’s first few weeks, identifying the Mavericks, Rockets, and Timberwolves as the teams that have most outperformed expectations and the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks as a few that have underwhelmed.

Latest On Bulls, Zach LaVine

November 17th, 2023 at 9:42pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls explored Zach LaVine trades over the offseason, but they had a very high asking price — the fact that they’re open to moving him isn’t new. However, LaVine had always remained loyal to Chicago, and he’s now open to a trade himself — something he didn’t deny when asked about it this week.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, LaVine doesn’t think the Bulls will be able to turn into a contender in the East after being mired in mediocrity ever since Lonzo Ball injured his knee in January 2022. Multiple sources tell Fischer that LaVine would prefer to play under a new head coach as well, which aligns with recent reporting that the two-time All-Star may not be the biggest fan of Billy Donovan.

As Fischer observes, while LaVine is one of the most talented scorers in the league, there are reasons why other players on the roster could have more trade value. He’s not known for his defense, he’s in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary contract, and he’s had multiple knee injuries in the past.

Still, there are plenty of teams interested in LaVine, according to Fischer, who says rival executives view the shooting guard as more of a complementary piece rather than a player to build around. A potential deal isn’t expected to come together in the near future, which is typical considering many players around the league aren’t eligible to be traded but will be in a month or two.

Sources tell Fischer that LaVine would like to play for a “winning franchise” and he has interest in the Lakers, Heat and Sixers, who were all previously identified as potential suitors. But there are questions about whether any of those teams will ultimately pursue him for various reasons, particularly Philadelphia, which prefers to add more of a two-way player.

That list is far from comprehensive, however. They aren’t a winner at the moment, but LaVine is interested in joining the Spurs and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama — as Fischer writes, LaVine played under Gregg Popovich on Team USA in the 2020 Olympics, winning a gold medal with the Hall of Fame coach.

Sources tell Fischer that LaVine has interest in several other teams as well, including the Kings. LaVine signed an offer sheet with Sacramento as a restricted free agent back in 2018, though that was under a different front office regime, Fischer notes.

While recent reports have indicated that the 4-9 Bulls are unlikely to entertain a rebuild even if they continue to struggle, Fischer hears ownership has recently changed its stance and would be open to dealing additional veterans beyond LaVine. That could include DeMar DeRozan, who is on an expiring $28.6MM contract, and All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso.

If Caruso does become available, his market would be robust, according to Fischer, who writes that the Bulls have asked for multiple first-round picks in exchange for the 29-year-old in the past. Due to Caruso’s favorable contract (he’s owed $19.4MM over the next two seasons) and the winning plays he makes on the court, Fischer believes Chicago could indeed get a couple first-rounders for him.

L.A. Notes: George, Vincent, Hood-Schifino, Davis, Harden, More

November 16th, 2023 at 10:26pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The NBA fined Clippers star Paul George $35K on Thursday for criticizing the officiating in L.A.’s Tuesday loss to Denver, the league announced in a release (Twitter link).

“I thought we played great. It’s tough, the adversity of playing against the extra three,” George said. “I thought they were awful but (against) the defending champs, we’ve got to play better. So many times I got hit on layups, 3-pointers. It was constant. Jump shots, getting hit, smacked on the forearm. It was a poor job.”

According to the NBA’s statement, the amount of the fine was based partly on George’s history of public criticism of officiating. George has been fined three prior times for the same offense, most recently in February 2020, which was also for $35K. His other two fines were for $25K and $10K.

The fine came on the heels of a three-point loss against Denver in which George scored 35 points. George, 33, is averaging 24.7 points in his first 10 games this season. As always, he’s connecting on a blistering clip from deep, shooting 39.0% on 8.2 attempts beyond the arc.

We have more from the teams out of Los Angeles:

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent is progressing from his left knee injury and will be reevaluated in two weeks, tweets The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. Vincent hasn’t played since Oct. 30. He’s averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 assists in four games this year. Buha adds that rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who hasn’t yet made his NBA debut while dealing with a right patella contusion, has begun a return-to-play progression.
The $500K-per-player reward for the league’s in-season tournament holds significant appeal to Lakers star center Anthony Davis, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). “$500 [thousand] sounds real good to us,” Davis said. “It’s going to bring that juice, you know what I mean? … I heard one of our players, I’m not going to say who but he was like, ‘Man, when we beat Phoenix, ‘That’s one step closer to this $500. I’ve never had that before.’ So it’s like, that’s a little extra motivation.“
The Clippers are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, having lost all five since trading for James Harden, prompting Sportsnaut’s Mark Medina to explore whether the trade was worth it for the Clips. Medina argues that while it’s easy to point to their 3-1 start before acquiring Harden as an indication that the Clippers are worse with him, they’re simply ironing out having four high-profile players. Harden’s passivity in games so far indicates he’s taking time to learn the system, and they have awareness to fix these issues. Ultimately, Medina reasons the Harden acquisition gives the Clippers a higher ceiling than the rotation pieces they sent out, especially if or when Kawhi Leonard or George have to miss time.
The Lakers have been up and down through their first 12 games and their lackluster play is cause for concern, according to The Orange County Register’s Mirjam Swanson. They’re 6-6 and while the Lakers had a worse start last season, the issues this time around are much different, Swanson argues, especially considering they largely ran back the group they acquired at the deadline last year that powered them to the Western Conference Finals. Some of the Lakers’ issues include conceding second-chance points (their 18.4 per game allowed are the worst in the league), as well as getting beat by an NBA-worst 6.8 points per first quarter.

Injury Notes: Murray, Beal, AD, Pistons

November 16th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone says Jamal Murray will be traveling with the team during its upcoming road trip, which includes five games from November 17-24.

“I don’t know if on this road trip he’ll play or not, but I know from all the reports I’m getting he’s working really hard to get back and making positive strides every day,” Malone said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

A report last week indicated that Murray, who sustained a right hamstring strain on November 4, would likely be sidelined three-to-four weeks. The fact that he’s progressing so quickly is an encouraging sign.

Still, while Murray may have a chance to play on the road trip, that doesn’t necessarily mean he will, observes Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (via Twitter).

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Bradley Beal missed Wednesday’s game for the Suns after his lower back issue flared up yesterday morning, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Head coach Frank Vogel later confirmed that Beal woke up with back tightness that didn’t dissipate in time to play (Twitter link via Rankin). Vogel was evasive about a return timeline for the three-time All-Star guard, simply saying Phoenix has a plan to get him back in the lineup. Beal has only appeared in three games thus far for the 5-6 Suns, whose next two games are in Utah on Friday and Sunday.
Lakers big man Anthony Davis admits he was battling left hip soreness during Wednesday’s loss to Sacramento, which was the second of a back-to-back, but he refused to use the injury as an excuse for his performance, writes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I just played bad,” Davis said after tying a season low with nine points on 3-of-9 shooting. “I’m not going to put it on anything. … It was just missed shots. I just played like s— tonight. It’s that simple.” Davis, who missed a game-and-a-half last week with left adductor/hip spasms, said he’ll be ready to go for Friday’s matchup in Portland, McMenamin adds.
Pistons forward Isaiah Livers has yet to make his 2023/24 season debut after suffering a Grade III left ankle sprain prior to training camp. While there’s still no timeline for his return, the 25-year-old was a full practice participant on Thursday afternoon, head coach Monty Williams told reporters, including Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Williams also said there were “no updates” on veteran guard Monte Morris, who is battling a right quad strain, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “Hopefully we can get him to ramp up soon,” Williams said.

Bulls Rumors: LaVine, Donovan, DeRozan, Caruso, Lakers, More

November 16th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls and Zach LaVine are reportedly increasingly open to exploring a trade involving the two-time All-Star. When asked about that report this week, LaVine was evasive and didn’t deny that he might be open to a change of scenery.

One report stated that LaVine was still upset about being benched by head coach Billy Donovan late in a game last year in which he shot 1-of-14 from the field. When Donovan was asked about the recent LaVine rumors, he said the team’s shooting guard has “always been coachable” and that he visited LaVine twice in Los Angeles in the offseason.

“He’s always been been very welcoming when I’ve come out there,” Donovan said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “We’ve always had really good conversations. He’s always responsive to text messages and phone calls. So I haven’t seen anything where it’s like, ‘OK, this guy has really pushed himself all the way over here and he’s just totally disconnected from everybody. I have not seen that at all.

“I would think that if there’s anything he’d want to talk to a teammate about or a coach about or me about that he as a man would come up and do that. I do think our conversations have been very open and honest. And I think he has worked hard at the relationship just as I have.”

According to Johnson, Donovan also said he’s in constant contact with Bulls lead basketball executive Arturas Karnisovas, and suggested that nothing is imminent on the trade front. That makes sense, given that most free agents who signed new deals over the summer aren’t trade-eligible until December 15 or January 15.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

The Lakers have been linked to LaVine multiple times over the years, including recently. Jovan Buha of The Athletic confirms that L.A. would be interested in the 28-year-old, but only if the price is right. Buha says LaVine’s pricey long-term contract — he’s in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary deal — is the Lakers’ primary concern. The Lakers also don’t have interest in trading Austin Reaves in a potential LaVine deal, Buha reports.
Of course, as Buha writes, there are several impediments to a trade possibly coming together. The Lakers can only offer one first-round pick and one pick swap, and the players they could use as salary-matching pieces aren’t eligible to be traded until the aforementioned Dec. and Jan. dates. LaVine also might not be an ideal fit for the Lakers’ roster.
Chicago is now 4-8 after losing Wednesday’s game to Orlando. If the Bulls pivot to a rebuild in the next few months, multiple sources tell Buha that the Lakers would also be interested in DeMar DeRozan and/or Alex Caruso, and suggests those players would be a higher priority for Los Angeles. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports hears several teams monitoring the Bulls’ situation would be more interested in DeRozan ($28.6MM expiring contract) and Caruso ($19.4MM over the next two seasons) than LaVine.
Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports that, despite the increasing trade chatter and the team’s poor overall play, the Bulls have had no interest in dealing Caruso in the past and there’s no sign that has changed (Twitter link).
Danny Chau of The Ringer examines LaVine’s trade value and comes up with five trades that might make sense. In addition to the Lakers and Heat, who have been previously linked to LaVine, Chau comes up with hypothetical trades sending LaVine to the Warriors, Raptors and Pacers.

Zach LaVine Rumors: Lakers, Heat, Sixers, DeRozan, More

November 15th, 2023 at 9:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers, Heat, and Sixers are among the teams expected to have a “level of interest” in Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link). Charania reported on Tuesday that the Bulls and LaVine have become increasingly open to exploring the possibility of a trade after Chicago got off to another slow start this season.

The Lakers’ big three experiment with Russell Westbrook alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn’t work well, with the team eventually moving off Westbrook in favor of reliable depth around its two superstars. It’s unclear how eager Los Angeles would be to sacrifice some of that depth to bring in another ball-dominant, offensive-minded guard like LaVine.

The Heat, meanwhile, were linked to Damian Lillard for much of the offseason and would perhaps view LaVine as an intriguing alternative, though he’s not the play-maker that Dame is. As for the Sixers, the belief is that they want to turn some of the assets they received for James Harden into another impact player, but the emergence of Tyrese Maxey has lessened the need for another guard. A report on Tuesday downplayed Philadelphia’s interest in LaVine.

In addition to monitoring LaVine, teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on DeMar DeRozan in case the Bulls decide to make him available as well, according to Charania.

“The sense around the league is whether it’s LaVine or DeRozan or both, there could be movement in Chicago sooner than later,” Charania said.

Here’s more on LaVine:

The Lakers are among five destinations that Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype believes make sense for LaVine, but his other four suggestions are teams not mentioned by Charania: the Magic, Pistons, Hornets, and Mavericks. Dallas may not be an ideal fit for LaVine after adding Kyrie Irving earlier this year, but the Mavs have reportedly had interest in the Bulls guard in the past, Gozlan notes.
In a mailbag for The Athletic, Kelly Iko makes the case that the Grizzlies would be an ideal fit for LaVine, contending that pairing him with Desmond Bane on the wing would help the team in the short term and open up space for Ja Morant to operate when he returns from his suspension.
Steve Popper of Newsday doesn’t view the Knicks as a likely suitor for LaVine, suggesting that it wouldn’t make sense to give up RJ Barrett as part of a larger package for the Bulls guard, since LaVine is five years older, significantly more expensive, and has been more injury-prone.
As good as LaVine has been as a scorer in recent years, his best hasn’t been good enough for the Bulls, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, who suggests that it might be in both sides’ best interest to go in a new direction.

Hood-Schifino Close To Making Debut

November 14th, 2023 at 8:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings reserve center Alex Len has been diagnosed with a moderate high right ankle sprain, James Ham of The Kings Beat relays (Twitter link). Len underwent an MRI after suffering the injury against Cleveland on Monday. He was ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Lakers and the club will provide further updates when appropriate.

Lakers rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has yet to make his NBA debut but he’s getting closer. Sidelined by a right patella contusion, Hood-Schifino went through full-court drills on Tuesday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets in a video post. The 17th pick of the draft out of Indiana University, Hood-Schifino could see immediate playing time with Gabe Vincent out with a knee injury.

Latest On Zach LaVine

November 14th, 2023 at 7:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

As reported earlier on Tuesday by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Bulls and Zach LaVine are increasingly open to the idea of exploring a trade with potential suitors “probing” LaVine’s possible availability.

LaVine could indeed be open to a change of scenery, which he previously dismissed, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

LaVine has been extremely loyal to the organization and will remain professional during the process, but Johnson notes that the star guard is still smarting from Billy Donovan’s high-profile benching of him. There are also members of the organization who remain unconvinced of LaVine’s consistency as a lead option on a championship-contending team, Johnson adds.

However, Johnson also cautions that a potential trade remains unlikely in the near future. Management began the season fully committed to returning to the playoffs and it’s still very early in the season. Also, the trade market doesn’t usually heat up until after December 15, when most players who signed free agent deals during the offseason are eligible to be traded.

Johnson also points out the Bulls held exploratory trade talks regarding LaVine during the offseason but had a very high asking price. It remains to be seen whether the front office will lower its demands.

Here’s more on LaVine:

Which teams ranks highest in terms of potential landing spots for the high-scoring wing? The Lakers are No. 1 on the list put together by NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin. A package of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Taurean Prince, plus a 2029 first-round pick, could be the framework of that deal, Helin suggests. The Sixers have multiple first-round picks plus expiring contracts to dangle. The Grizzlies, in need of another impact player to join Ja Morant once the point guard’s suspension ends, could package several young players and draft picks to land LaVine.
Pump the brakes on a potential Sixers offer for LaVine, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. The Sixers are happy with how their season has unfolded, and will likely wait to explore trade opportunities when needs become more evident, Pompey writes. They’d also have to be convinced LaVine is the missing piece to a title, since the Sixers could have more cap space than any other team next season.

Injury Notes: Vanderbilt, Beal, Magic, Nets

November 13th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has been cleared by team doctors to begin a return to play progression, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Vanderbilt, 24, has yet to make his 2023/24 regular season debut, missing all 10 of the Lakers’ games due to left heel bursitis. Since he’s been sidelined for several weeks and has been dealing with a foot injury, it might take him some time to ramp up his conditioning.

Still, it’s obviously a positive update for both Vanderbilt and the team. The Lakers’ defense is currently ranked 22nd in the league, and having one of their top defenders nearing a return should help with that figure.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Suns guard Bradley Beal missed Phoenix’s first seven games with a lower back injury, which he tweaked during Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma City, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal said his back was “a little tight” throughout the game and he needs to be “smart moving forward” after choosing to play the second half despite being less than 100 percent. “We’ve been trending in the right direction,” Beal said. “This is probably the first day we’ve had, I don’t want to say a setback, but where it’s gotten tight throughout the course of a game. It’s just evaluating that seeing how; recovery is always the biggest question. How I feel afterward. See how I feel (Sunday night), in the morning and hopefully I don’t feel like I got hit by a bus and I’ll be good to go come Wednesday.”
Magic guards Gary Harris and Markelle Fultz will be sidelined Tuesday in Brooklyn, but they’re traveling with the team on Orlando’s four-game road trip, according to Dan Savage of OrlandoMagic.com (Twitter link). It will be the fifth straight absence for Harris, who is battling a right groin strain, while Fultz is dealing with left knee soreness.
Nets center Nic Claxton had a strong performance in Sunday’s victory over Washington, notes Dan Martin of The New York Post. Claxton, who had missed the past eight games with a high left ankle sprain, finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 28 minutes.
Unfortunately, Lonnie Walker aggravated a left knee injury on Sunday, Martin adds, but the Nets guard sounds determined to play through it. “I’ll be ready for the next game,” said Walker. “If my leg’s not broken, I’m gonna keep playing. We’ll see how it goes [Monday]. … It’s a lot of pain. I’ve been playing through it.” Walker is officially questionable for Tuesday’s game with a left knee contusion, while Ben Simmons will miss his fourth straight game with a left hip contusion, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Lakers Notes: Davis, Wood, Hayes, LeBron, Reddish, Reaves, Russell

November 13th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis‘ desire to spend less time at center was behind the Lakers‘ decision to add Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Davis has long preferred to play power forward, which enables him to take advantage of his mobility and requires less battling for position against other big men. He expressed that to the Lakers’ front office this summer, and they responded by signing Hayes in July and Wood in September.

It’s an arrangement with the potential to work out well for everyone involved, McMenamin notes. Even though Davis has started at center in every game he has played, he’s playing there less often as he and Wood have been finishing games together. Hayes and Wood each signed two-year deals with a player option, so they have a chance to raise their values and return to free agency in 2024.

Second-year coach Darvin Ham has adjusted to the new roster, and he understands management’s desire to keep one of its stars happy.

“I don’t get caught up in it,” Ham said about Davis’ dealings with the front office. “I know what he means about wanting to have his skill set be diversified on the floor. I get that part, and we are on the same page.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

A left calf contusion caused LeBron James to miss his first game of the season Sunday night, per Buster Holmes of ESPN. James was originally listed as questionable before being downgraded later in the day. “He has some issues with that shin that (got) kneed in the last game, so, (we’re) just being proactive,” Ham explained. “No reason to run him in the ground this early. But it’s an opportunity where he can get some treatment (and) not force it.”
Cam Reddish is getting the biggest opportunity of his NBA career after replacing Austin Reaves in the Lakers’ starting lineup, notes Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Reddish admits his confidence was waning after frustrating experiences with the Hawks, Knicks and Trail Blazers, but his Lakers teammates have been working to prop him up as he takes on an important role. “We know the type of talent he is,” Davis said. “He can be a big-time player for us and he has shown that, what we want from him, in the past couple of games.”
Jovan Buha of The Athletic wonders why Ham decided to remove Reaves from the starting lineup rather than D’Angelo Russell. The former starting backcourt was a bad fit together, but Buha points out that Reaves is one of only three Lakers with a contract that extends past three seasons.