Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

LeBron James Confirms He’s Not Retiring

July 12th, 2023 at 9:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Despite hinting at the possibility of retirement in May after the Lakers were swept in the Western Conference Finals by Denver, LeBron James says his career isn’t finished.

“The day I can’t give the game everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done …. But lucky for you guys, that day is not today,” James said, per Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

James’ comments came after winning the ESPY Award for best record-breaking performance (Twitter video link), having become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer this past season.

The news doesn’t come as a surprise at all. Several reports expressed skepticism that James would actually retire in the aftermath of his initial comments, with a more recent one indicating he was fully expected to suit up in 2023/24, which will be his 21st season.

A 19-time All-Star, James put up his usual huge numbers during the ’22/23 season, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game in 55 appearances (35.5 MPG) while shooting 50.0% from the field.

He missed time and was affected in the second half by a torn tendon in his right foot, but still appeared in all 15 of the Lakers’ games in the postseason, averaging 23.5 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 6.3 APG.

The 38-year-old has at least one year and $46.7MM remaining on his contract with the Lakers, with a $50.4MM player option for the ’24/25 season. He has spoken in the past about wanting to remain in the NBA until at least ’24/25, when his son Bronny James will be eligible to enter the league. LeBron has repeatedly expressed a desire to play with Bronny.

The Lakers have had a busy offseason, drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis; re-signing D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura; and adding Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish in free agency. They still have two open roster spots, with a big man likely to fill one.

Castleton Playing Well In Summer League

July 11th, 2023 at 6:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Colin Castleton is making a good impression on the Lakers’ Summer League team, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com notes. Castleton, who had 21 points, 14 rebounds and three assists during their second game on Sunday against the Hornets, is on a two-way contract. “I wanted to develop my first year, learn from the best players in the world, which they have, a great organization from the front office to the coaches, everybody there is great,” the big man said.

More Contract Details: White, Lyles, A. Holiday, Draymond, D-Lo, More

July 11th, 2023 at 7:24am CST by Luke Adams

Coby White‘s new contract with the Bulls and Trey Lyles‘ new contract with the Kings both include unlikely incentives that could increase the value of those deals, Hoops Rumors has learned.

White’s three-year pact is guaranteed to be worth at least $36MM and has $1.3MM in annual incentives that could push the guard’s earnings up to $40MM in total. As for Lyles, he’ll make $8MM guaranteed salaries in each season of his two-year deal with Sacramento and could earn another $1.2MM in bonuses, which would increase the overall value of the contract to $18.4MM ($9.2MM per year).

Here are a few more details worth noting on several recently signed contracts:

Aaron Holiday‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Rockets is only partially guaranteed. Holiday is assured of about $1.05MM and would receive his full $2.35MM salary if he remains under contract through at least January 7.
Draymond Green‘s four-year, $100MM contract with the Warriors includes a 15% trade kicker, while Jevon Carter‘s three-year, $19.5MM deal with the Bulls has a third-year player option.
Only the first season of Julian Champagnie‘s new four-year, $12MM contract with the Spurs is guaranteed. For each of the following three years, he’ll have to remain under contract beyond August 1 to guarantee his salary for that season.
A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year deal (or a two-year deal with a second-year option) has the right to veto a trade, since he’d lose his Bird (or Early Bird) rights if he’s dealt. However, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement allows a player to waive that right to veto a trade when he signs that sort of contract, and Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell became the first player to do so, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Alex Len also waived his right to veto a trade as part of his new one-year deal with the Kings, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Contract Details: Sabonis, Middleton, VanVleet, Russell, Clark

July 10th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings’ renegotiation and extension of Domantas Sabonis‘ contract includes $203.6MM in guaranteed money, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype tweets. The five-year deal also includes $13MM in incentives, raising its potential value to $216.6MM.

Sacramento used $8.6MM in cap room to give Sabonis a raise on next season’s salary – from $22MM to $30.6MM — then added four more years via the extension.

We have more contract-related notes:

Khris Middleton has a player option in the final season of his new three-year deal with the Bucks, Scotto tweets. As previously reported, his contract includes $93MM in guaranteed money and another $9MM in bonus incentives.
Fred VanVleet‘s huge three-year contract with the Rockets includes a 15% trade kicker, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link). The previously reported team option for the third year is valued at $44.89MM.
D’Angelo Russell‘s two-year contract with the Lakers is guaranteed for $36MM, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. The second season is a player option and Russell has $700K in incentives for both seasons. Additionally, Russell has waived his implied no-trade clause.
Jaylen Clark‘s two-way contract with the Timberwolves is a two-year deal, Smith tweets.
Leonard Miller‘s four-year, $8.3MM contract with the Timberwolves is guaranteed for the first two years, Scotto tweets. The third year is 50% guaranteed, and the fourth year is a team option.

Contract Details: Crowder, Grant, Powell, Green, Lewis

July 10th, 2023 at 2:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Jae Crowder‘s new one-year contract with Milwaukee is for the veteran’s minimum, league sources tell Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Bucks held Crowder’s Bird rights, so they could have given him any salary up to his maximum. Obviously he was never going to receive anything close to $47.6MM next season, but it’s still interesting that he accepted such a significant pay cut after making $10.2MM in 2022/23.

Crowder just completed his 11th NBA season. As our list of minimum salaries for ’23/24 shows, the 33-year-old will earn about $3.2MM on his new deal, while the Bucks will carry a $2MM cap hit.

Here are more contract details from around the NBA:

Jerami Grant received the most lucrative contract in free agency in terms of total value, earning $160MM over five years to stay with the Trail Blazers. The fifth year of Grant’s deal is a player option, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Center Dwight Powell re-signed with the Mavericks as a free agent, inking a three-year, $12MM deal. Similar to Grant, Powell has a player option for the final season, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link). Powell reportedly drew interest from Houston, but decided to stay with Dallas.
Jeff Green‘s two-year contract with the Rockets features a non-guaranteed team option in 2024/25 and $1.6MM per season in bonuses that are considered likely to be achieved, sources tell Scotto (via Twitter). That means Green’s annual cap hits will be $9.6MM. ESPN’s Bobby Marks was first to report that the original terms of Green’s contract agreement had been amended, with Houston using cap room to sign the veteran forward.
The Lakers signed second-rounder Maxwell Lewis to a standard four-year contract using the new second-round pick exception, reports Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link). Lewis will receive guaranteed salaries of $1.1MM as a rookie next season (the minimum) and $1.4MM in ’24/25. Sources tell Price the third year of the contract is partially guaranteed for $100K, while the fourth and final season is a team option.

James, Davis Make Progress With Injuries; Lakers Expect Big Things From Cam Reddish

July 10th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has been encouraged by the progress of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who both played through injuries in the postseason, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Pelinka told reporters he can’t address the specifics of an extension for Davis, who will become eligible for a new deal on August 4, but he spoke highly of what the big man has contributed to the team.
The Lakers are hoping assistant coach Chris Jent will bring out the best in free agent addition Cam Reddish, Buha adds. Jent was an assistant with the Hawks when Reddish broke into the league. “I think all the tools are there for Cam,” Pelinka said. “… “This was someone who was a (top-10) pick in the draft just a few years ago. So it’s there, and I’m excited for him to show it.”

Lakers Considering Christian Wood, Bismack Biyombo In Search For Backup Big Man

July 10th, 2023 at 7:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said the team hopes to add another big man this summer, and sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic that Christian Wood and Bismack Biyombo are among the names under consideration.

L.A. also had interest in Dario Saric before he signed with the Warriors over the weekend, Buha adds.

The Lakers already picked up former Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes on a two-year deal. During a session with reporters on Sunday, Pelinka indicated that the team plans to use more two-big lineups, which were effective during its championship run in 2020.

“I think adding Jaxson Hayes was key to that,” Pelinka said. “I think Jaxson, much like maybe Dwight Howard in that stretch for us: big body, rim protector, active roller. … But we are looking to add an additional center as well.”

Hayes received a minimum-salary contract with a player option for the second season. Whoever else the Lakers add will probably get the same type of deal, although Buha notes that L.A. has some flexibility because it didn’t use its full non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Gabe Vincent.

Vincent’s salary for next season is projected at $10.5MM, about $1.9MM below the MLE, allowing the Lakers to use the remaining money for another roster addition, either during the summer or later on. At this point, $1.9MM is below the minimum salary for a veteran player, but that won’t be the case later in the season when minimum deals are prorated.

“With the new CBA, eventually, you’re able to use the mid-level tool even for trades,” Pelinka said. “Not quite yet. But we were intentional about keeping some space and using that. It could come in handy. For instance, in the buyout market.”

In addition to Hayes and Vincent, the Lakers signed Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish this offseason and drafted Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis. That leaves the team with 13 players, and the plan is to carry 14 when the season begins.

Wood, an offensive-minded big man, averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Mavericks last season. Biyombo, who spent the past two years as a backup with the Suns, is more of a rim protector and rebounder with a limited offensive game.

Lakers Notes: Ham, Davis, Hood-Schifino, Reaves

July 9th, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers coach Darvin Ham is feeling good about his team’s title chances after a successful offseason, writes Mark Medina of The Sporting Tribune. L.A. was able to add Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes while keeping Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt on team-friendly contracts.

“Our franchise has that tag of chasing down stars and trying to acquire the best possible talent across the board. But sometimes I think the way the game is trending, it’s all about cohesiveness,” Ham said. “It’s not just about winning right now. It’s about being able to win right now and have sustainability pieces.”

Ham believes having depth and the right complementary players is more important than adding a third star to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Medina states. Ham is willing to let any battles for playing time be worked out once training camp begins.

“There’s a lot of competition in the building. We have to let all of this stuff play out.” Ham said. “We’re just cracking into July, man. We don’t have to start until October. They’ll get an answer pretty soon on September 29th.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

Davis will become eligible for an extension on August 4, but the Lakers may be reluctant to give him the maximum amount he can earn, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Although Davis is among the league’s best players, he missed 26 games last season and health will become a bigger concern now that he has turned 30. An Eastern Conference executive speculates that the Lakers might prefer to take their chances with Davis in free agency if he exercises an early termination option after next season. “There will be a bit more money on the market in 2024,” the executive said. “That would make them nervous. But nervous enough to give (Davis) $60 million a year? I doubt that. Because the Pacers aren’t giving him $60 million per year and you do not want to bid against yourself. It’s got to be reasonable for both sides. If Davis would play ball and sign for less, two years and $80 million or something, then maybe something gets done.”
First-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino had his lowest-scoring game of the summer on Friday, but the Lakers want him to concentrate more on play-making and especially defense, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. “That’s going to be his calling card early,” said Summer League coach JD DuBois. “Can you guard point of attack, get into the ball, pursue and guard without fouling? As long as he can progress in those areas, we have enough guys on offense to where he’ll be able to fit in. Defense will be that foundation for him.”
Steve Kerr’s battles with Reaves impressed the Warriors coach enough to add him to Team USA’s FIBA World Cup roster, Price adds in a separate piece. Kerr explained that he was looking for versatility, size and play-making for the international tournament, and Reaves provides all those things.

NBA Reveals Dates, Groups For In-Season Tournament

July 8th, 2023 at 7:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA has announced the five-team groups that will used for the league’s first-ever in-season tournament, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The unveiling took place Saturday during a special episode of ESPN’s “NBA Today” held at “NBA Con” in Las Vegas.

The groups were determined in a draw similar to what is used in soccer’s World Cup. There are six groups — three each from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference — and each conference was split into five pots based on last season’s standings. One team was randomly selected from each of the pots to determine the opening-round matchups.

The results are:

Group 1: Sixers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Pacers and Pistons.
Group 2: Bucks, Knicks, Heat, Wizards and Hornets.
Group 3: Celtics, Nets, Raptors, Bulls and Magic.
Group 4: Grizzlies, Suns, Lakers, Jazz and Trail Blazers.
Group 5: Nuggets, Clippers, Pelicans, Mavericks and Rockets.
Group 6: Kings, Warriors, Timberwolves, Thunder and Spurs.

The tournament will start with group play, which will match each team with the other four in its grouping. Those games will take place on Nov. 3, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24 and 28.

The winner of each group will advance to a knockout round, joined by the team with the best record in each conference among those who didn’t win a group. Quarterfinal games will be played Dec. 4 and 5, hosted by the higher-seeded teams. The four winners in that round will move on to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the Dec. 7 semifinals and the Dec. 9 championship game.

Bontemps points out that all teams will play within their conference until the last game, which guarantees an East vs. West matchup, just like the NBA Finals.

“Everybody’s not going to buy in right away,” admitted Joe Dumars, the NBA’s executive vice president of basketball operations. “So that can’t be the goal that everybody’s going to buy in from day one. These things take time. And I think, as time goes on, I think you can build this up and people can really get into it.”

The championship trophy will be called the NBA Cup, and players will receive $500K each for winning it. Other prize money includes $200K for second place, $100K for losing in the semifinals and $50K for losing in the quarterfinals. The league opted not to provide other incentives, such as a guaranteed playoff spot, for the tournament winner.

We passed along more details on the in-season tournament right here.

Lakers Sign Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis

July 8th, 2023 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have officially locked up their two 2023 draft picks, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis to their first NBA contracts (Twitter link via Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group).

The No. 17 overall pick, Hood-Schifino is in line for a four-year contract worth up to $17.9MM, including $3.7MM in year one, assuming he signs for 120% of the standard rookie scale, which virtually every first-rounder does.

The 6’6″ wing, who spent last season at Indiana, was named the Big Ten Rookie of the Year after averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 33.1 minutes per game across 32 contests (all starts). He declared for the draft as an early entrant after a strong freshman year.

Lewis, meanwhile, was the No. 40 overall pick, so the details of his deal aren’t yet known. However, it’s very likely that the Lakers used the new second-round pick exception to sign him to a three- or four-year contract that will include a team option on the final season.

Lewis spent two college seasons at Pepperdine before entering the draft following his sophomore year this spring. In 2022/23, he put up 17.1 points per night on .468/.348/.787 shooting, adding 5.7 RPG and 2.8 APG in 31 games (31.4 MPG).

With Hood-Schifino and Lewis under contract, the Lakers are carrying 13 players on standard deals and three on two-ways. They’ll make at least one more roster addition, but won’t necessarily carry a full 15-man standard roster to start the 2023/24 regular season.

As our list of draft pick signings shows, 43 players from the 2023 draft class have now officially signed with their respective teams.