Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Ellington, Mekel, Cavs, Thunder

November 11th, 2014 at 10:20pm CST by Charlie Adams

Wayne Ellington has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the Lakers, the team announced. Ellington’s father was tragically shot and killed this past Sunday. It is unclear if this will affect Ellington’s roster spot, as he has a partial guarantee of $315,646 set to kick in if he remains on the roster past this coming Saturday. The team is reportedly pursuing free agent Quincy Miller, and with their current roster count at the maximum of 15 players, the Lakers would need to waive or trade a player to create room for any signing. Los Angeles was recently granted a disabled player exception worth $1,498,680 in response to the season-ending injury suffered by rookie Julius Randle.

Lakers, Others Pursue Quincy Miller

November 11th, 2014 at 3:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

NOVEMBER 11TH: Miller is set to work out for the Lakers later this week, Charania tweets. The team recently received its disabled player exception for Randle, though it’s unclear if Los Angeles is targeting Miller for more than the minimum.

NOVEMBER 1ST, 1:16pm: Two other teams interested in potentially signing Miller are the Rockets and the Pacers, Charania reports

OCTOBER 31ST, 9:25pm: The Lakers are the leading team among the several that are going after former Nuggets forward Quincy Miller, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). The Nuggets waived Miller just before the deadline for teams to cut their rosters to 15 players this week after trying to find trade partners who’d take him on. It appears clubs were waiting to have a crack at the player drafted 38th overall in 2012 without having to give up anything in a swap, given the high volume of interest that Charania indicates.

Miller, who turns 22 on November 18th, finally recovered last year from a torn left ACL that he suffered as a high school senior, averaging 4.9 points in 15.2 minutes per game across 52 contests after he made only seven appearances as a rookie the season before. He was the fifth-rated high school prospect in the country in 2011, according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, and front offices are apparently interested to see if his renewed health will allow him to finally realize that potential.

Injuries have taken their toll on the Lakers, who are without Steve Nash and Julius Randle for the rest of the season. They have 15 players on the roster and are limited to paying no more than the minimum salary, but they’re planning to apply for a disabled player exception for Nash that would allow them to spend close to $4.851MM on a free agent. They could also apply for such an exception based on Randle’s injury that would be worth about $1.499MM.

That smaller amount would likely be enough for Miller, and it would still be somewhat surprising to see a team commit more than the minimum salary to him. The more pressing concern for the Lakers might be the roster spot that adding Miller would cost them. Point guard Ronnie Price and shooting guard Wayne Ellington are the team’s only players without fully guaranteed contracts, and their non-guaranteed pacts become partially guaranteed if they’re still on the roster at the end of November 15th. Additional serious injuries could put the Lakers in line to apply for a hardship provision that would allow them to add at 16th player, but that’s not in play for now.

Southwest Rumors: Felton, Powell, Capela, Davis

November 10th, 2014 at 10:02pm CST by Charlie Adams

It’s possible the Mavs don’t activate the injured Raymond Felton prior to the Dallas’ matchup versus the Kings tomorrow, reveals Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. Once activated, Felton can begin serving the four-game suspension he was slapped with this summer after pleading guilty to a gun charge. While we wait for the 30-year-old to get healthy enough to begin serving his punishment, let’s have a look at the latest from around the Southwest..

Josh Powell is committed to his role as player development coach for the Rockets and has turned down multiple offers to play overseas, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports passes along amid his weekly power rankings. Powell appeared in a single game for Houston last year after failing to secure an NBA contract during the previous two seasons.
The Rockets have assigned Clint Capela to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Capela, the 25th overall pick in the 2014 draft, will join the Rio Grande Valley Vipers after appearing briefly in just one of Houston’s first six contests.
Ed Davis rejected a long-term rookie scale extension offer from the Grizzlies last October that would have paid him $5MM to $6MM annually, reports Ronald Tillery of the Commerical Appeal in a subscription only piece. The big man found himself in a difficult situation playing for Memphis last year, as he saw few minutes in a stacked frontcourt. Tillery observes that Davis doesn’t hold any ill will against his former team, but the Commercial Appeal scribe’s perceived lack of bitterness from Davis runs in contrast to the words that the 22-year-old had about the Grizzlies, which we passed along earlier tonight.

Lakers Granted Disabled Player Exception

November 10th, 2014 at 8:15pm CST by Charlie Adams

The NBA has granted the Lakers a disabled player exception in response to the season-ending injury suffered by rookie Julius Randle on opening night, league sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The exception will be valued at half of Randle’s 2014/15 salary, meaning it will be worth $1,498,680, a figure worth slightly more than the minimum salary for a player with 10 or more years of experience. Los Angeles will have until March 10th to acquire a player whose pricetag fits into that allotment, whether it be through free agency or trade, but Stein hears that the organization isn’t in any rush to bring aboard a new player.

Of course, the Lakers will also be without Steve Nash for the remainder of the year, as we learned prior to opening night, and reports indicated that the club would be filing for a disabled player exception in wake of the 40-year-old’s injury as well. Stein passes along that the club is planning to explore the trade market for Nash’s $9.7MM expiring contract, but it’s unclear whether or not this means the Lakers have chosen to refrain from applying for a disabled player exception in wake of Nash’s injury. Before the NBA grants Los Angeles another disabled player exception for Nash, a league-approved doctor would need to verify the team’s prognosis that the guard will be sidelined for the entirety of the season.

Although Los Angeles’ roster currently stands at the league maximum of 15 players, they could waive the non-guaranteed deals of Wayne Ellington and Ronnie Price to make room for anyone they might sign as a result of their one or possibly two disabled player exceptions. Nick Young has yet to see the hardwood this season as a result of a thumb injury, but he’s set to make a return within a couple of weeks, so the team won’t be able to apply for a hardship provision which would allow them bring in a 16th player.

Pacific Notes: Young, Davis, Kerr, Clippers

November 10th, 2014 at 6:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nick Young has begun shooting without a cast, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com, giving the Lakers hope that one of their top scorers could return soon. Young signed a new four-year, $21.5MM contract with the team in July, but underwent surgery last month on a torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb. He has not played this season, and he has not been cleared to return to practice. “He was able to handle the ball today and shoot,” said Lakers coach Byron Scott. “There’s still no contact. Hopefully next week sometime he’ll be able to go through a full day of contact and scrimmaging and then we’ll go from there.” Here’s more from around the Pacific Division:

The Lakers‘ Ed Davis can’t wait for the chance to prove himself against the Grizzlies Tuesday night in Memphis, Markazi tweets. “It’s a lot of motivation going back there because they gave up on me,” Davis said. “It’s a team I definitely want to get a win against.” Davis saw limited playing time during his season and a half in Memphis. He joined the Lakers as a free agent in July on a contract that pays him $981,084 this season with a player option for more than $1.1MM in 2015/16.
Steve Kerr, the first-year head coach of the Warriors, told Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic that he looked to a former teammate for inspiration. Kerr’s role model was Jeff Hornacek, who led the surprising Suns to a 48-34 record last season as a rookie coach. Kerr and Hornacek played together on the 1988/89 Suns. “I looked at Jeff and the job he did last year and the success he had, and I drew inspiration from that,” Kerr said. “I still watch him and watch his team with a lot of respect. They do a lot of really innovative things offensively, and they play hard.”
There seems to be a sense of relief, rather than focus, among the Clippers, opines Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. A mid-summer ownership change allowed the team to close the book on the Donald Sterling era, but Ding says the team is lacking its “Lob City energy” on offense and is slow in making rotations on defense.

And-Ones: Kobe, Wolves, Extensions, D’Antoni

November 10th, 2014 at 10:01am CST by Chuck Myron

A work stoppage cost two months of the season the last time players and owners negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement, but union executive director Michele Roberts wants to avoid a repeat come 2017, as she tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post.

“I don’t want a lockout. I don’t want a strike. What I want is anything any reasonable person would want — and that is labor peace,” Roberts said. “That’s what I hope for, but I’ve got to be prepared for a lockout.”

The specter of the next labor negotiations will continue to grow as they creep closer and as Roberts continues to settle into her role. However, with Roberts and Adam Silver replacing Billy Hunter and David Stern in their respective roles on opposite sides, there’s reason to expect the talks will proceed differently this time around. Here’s more from around the NBA:

Kobe Bryant reiterated to USA Today’s Sam Amick that he can’t envision playing past the end of his contract in 2015/16, and he was even more definitive in his declaration that he won’t ask for a trade, no matter how often the Lakers lose this season. “It’s not going to happen,” Bryant said. “It’s not going to happen. You go through the good times, you’ve got to go through the bad times.”
Timberwolves executive/coach Flip Saunders has no plans to add another point guard in absence of Ricky Rubio, who’s out up to eight weeks with a sprained left ankle, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Rookie Zach LaVine is starting in Rubio’s place while Mo Williams remains on the bench.
Saunders and Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau are among many who believe the league should have an earlier deadline for rookie scale extensions so that negotiations don’t spill into the season, observes Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press.
Mike D’Antoni has been hanging around Hornets practices and games and giving feedback to Charlotte coach Steve Clifford, notes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. “I know this: He was in Charlotte for three days, and we had a great time. We talked basketball, like, two or three hours a day,” Clifford said. “He still has a real passion for coaching. I know that.”
The Grizzlies have recalled rookies Jordan Adams and Jarnell Stokes from the D-League, the team announced via press release. Memphis assigned the pair on Saturday, in time for Adams to score 20 and Stokes to put up 13 points and 13 rebounds in a preseason game for the Iowa Energy.

Western Notes: Bryant, Garrett, Craft, Smith

November 8th, 2014 at 8:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kobe Bryant needs to take a step back and allow some of his teammates to take charge of the Lakers, opines Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Coach Byron Scott agrees. “I’ve talked to a couple individuals about just being a little bit more assertive, not relying on Kobe as much,” Scott said. “You guys can ask Kobe this. I think he wants to get those guys to step up. He really does. Take shots when they have them. Not defer to him as much.” Earlier this week in a loss to the Suns, Bryant took 37 shots, while the rest of the team’s starters combined to take only 35.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Diante Garrett will be returning to the Iowa Energy, who are the D-League affiliates of the Grizzlies, the team announced. The Blazers recently waived the Iowa State product after spending just a month on their roster.
Aaron Craft is mulling a contract offer from Partizan Belgrade of the Serbian League, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando reports. Craft spent training camp with the Warriors and was set to play for Golden State’s D-League affiliate this season. Though the amount of Partizan Belgrade’s offer to Craft has not been reported, it’s likely for more than the guard would have earned playing in Santa Cruz this season, though that is just my speculation.
Ish Smith is excited to be the newest member of the Thunder because of his relationship with his new teammates, writes Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman. “I’m really good friends with a lot of guys, played against them. Russ (Russell Westbrook), (Kevin Durant), Lance (Thomas), all in the ’06 class, so I know a lot of them,” Smith said.
Canada is producing basketball prospects at unheard of rates, writes Dave Skretta of the Associated Press. Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett of the Wolves are the past two No. 1 overall NBA draft picks and are each of Canadian descent. Many, including Bennett, have attributed their interest in basketball to watching Vince Carter when he was on the Raptors. “That’s when we seen him doing all these types of dunks,” Bennett said of watching Carter. “We just had a love for his game.”

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Kobe, Silver, Kerr

November 7th, 2014 at 3:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kobe Bryant told Gregg Downer, his high school coach, in July that he planned to retire when his contract expires in 2016, as Downer tells Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Bryant spoke in 2012 of perhaps retiring in 2014, so much can happen in two years, and the Black Mamba hasn’t made any definitive public statement. Still, there have been no shortage of hints that the 2015/16 season, which would be Bryant’s 20th, will be his last, and the latest dispatch only advances that presumption. While we wait to see what happens with the 36-year-old who leads the league in scoring so far, here’s the latest from around the league:

Adam Silver defused a situation that might have become a contentious dispute as the union and the league totted up revenues this past July, satisfying the concerns of the players, sources tell Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. It’s an example of the more player-friendly approach that Silver has attempted to take since inheriting the commissioner’s office from David Stern, as Beck examines. “Any opportunity where it’s possible to accommodate the players, I’m looking to do that, both as a sign of good faith, but also because it’s better business,” Silver said.
Thunder GM Sam Presti touted the importance of the draft as a tool for small-market teams to improve as he successfully campaigned against lottery reform, but Silver doesn’t see it as inordinately crucial, as he told Harvey Araton of The New York Times. “I am concerned by the often cited conventional wisdom that finishing at the bottom [in order to acquire better draft picks] presents the only reliable path for some teams to build a championship roster,” Silver said. “The draft is structured to help the teams with the worst records, but it’s an imperfect system. In fact, many top picks do not transform their teams.”
Steve Kerr has yet to complete the sale of the small portion of the Suns that he owns, tweets Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. Kerr must divest that stake within a league-mandated timeframe after having taken the Warriors head coaching job.

And-Ones: White, Kerr, Green

November 6th, 2014 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Metta World Peace insisted that he had offers from NBA teams before he signed with China’s Sichuan Blue Whales, as he said today in an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show (video link). World Peace, who turns 35 this month, added that he plans to return to the NBA, perhaps later this season when the Chinese schedule is over, but he said that he’d “rather play in Angola” than sign this season with the Knicks or Lakers, his two most recent teams.

Here’s more from around the league:

The one-month deal that D.J. White signed with Laboral Kutxa Vitoria of the ACB is set to expire this weekend, and the forward is looking to catch on with an NBA team, David Pick of Eurobasket reports (Twitter link). The Sixers are the only team currently rumored to be in the market for another big man, though with the way injuries are piling up this season, that could change in a flash. White’s last taste of NBA action came last season when he appeared in two games for the Hornets.
Rookie head coach Steve Kerr has made a number of risky decisions involving his starting lineups, but they have all worked out thus far, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. The Warriors head man is revitalized by his return to competition, notes Amick. Kerr weighed in, saying, “I’m alive. I love feeling this way. I love the competition. I love being part of the group. I love trying to build something together. The intensity — you can’t even come close to matching. On TV, you’re talking about what somebody else is doing. Now we’re talking about what we’re doing. So we’re in the fight, and that’s what makes it fun.”
ESPN basketball analyst Jeff Van Gundy has nothing but praise for Warriors forward Draymond Green, Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com writes. Van Gundy suggested that Green, who is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, would command an annual salary between $10MM-$12MM, Poole notes. For his part, Green was quick to dispel any discussion of his next contract, saying, “But it’s four games into the season. If I start worrying about $10 (million) or $12MM right now, I’m going to get $2 (million).”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Green, Bryant, Rondo

November 5th, 2014 at 9:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Draymond Green‘s representation switch to the Wasserman Media Group could help the Warriors re-sign the forward, who is set to become a restricted free agent next summer, Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group writes. GM Bob Myers is a former player agent who worked with and was mentored by Arn Tellem, the head of Wasserman, notes Leung. In an interview with 95.7 The Game, Myers said, “So if Arn says, ‘Hey, I got this much money (from another offer),’ he’s not going to lie to me, so there’s value in that. And here’s the other thing I do know. If it’s a tie, we’ll win. Not only just because he’s restricted, but Arn, we’ve known other a long time, so he’s not going to hurt us. If he can help, that’s great.”

Here’s more from way out west:

With the Lakers season seemingly over before it began, talk has turned to the possibility of Kobe Bryant potentially waiving his no-trade clause and being dealt. Chris Mannix of SI.com believes this would be the smart move from a basketball standpoint for both the team and Bryant, but Los Angeles has plenty of business and economic reasons to hold onto their star. Mannix cites the franchise’s high ticket prices and fanbase that isn’t keen on rooting for a team without a marquee attraction as the main reasons the Lakers would keep Bryant.
Despite the Lakers‘ potential interest in signing Rajon Rondo, the point guard will likely realize that the Celtics’ outlook seems rosier, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI 93.7 writes. Boston’s roster has more talent the Los Angeles’, and the Lakers are more likely to deal Bryant than to acquire Rondo, Rohrbach opines.
Not every player who signs to play in Los Angeles and ends up in Salt Lake City would appreciate the move, but Joe Ingles is content after the Jazz claimed him off waivers from the Clippers and paired him with Dante Exum, his teammate from the Australian national squad. Jody Genessy of the Deseret News has the details. “I don’t regret anything about what happened or what I did or anything,” Ingles said. “I did all I can to make the team and wasn’t what they [the Clippers] wanted or good enough or whatever it was, so it worked out perfectly. I’m very happy here (with Utah). It’s been great.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.