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Lakers To Send Beverley To Magic For Bamba

February 9th, 2023 at 1:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers will acquire center Mohamed Bamba from the Magic in exchange for veteran guard Patrick Beverley, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Orlando will also receive a second-round draft pick and cash in the deal, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).

Bamba will take the place of Thomas Bryant, who was traded to Denver earlier today, alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in L.A.’s frontcourt. Bamba signed a new two-year deal with Orlando over the summer, so he’s under contract for one more season at $10.3MM.

Through 40 games this season with the Magic, the 24-year-old averaged 7.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.0 BPG on .495/.398/.686 shooting. After starting 69 of his 71 games in ’21/22 and averaging 25.7 minutes per contest, Bamba saw his role reduced in ’22/23, only receiving six spot starts and 17.0 minutes per game.

Moving off Bamba creates a more clear-cut rotation for Orlando and picking up a second-round pick helps somewhat, but it’s hard to say that his tenure with the Magic was anything but a disappointment. He was selected sixth overall back in 2018, ahead of players like Collin Sexton, Mikal Bridges, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Michael Porter Jr., Kevin Huerter and Robert Williams, among others.

Bamba is currently serving a suspension as part of his role in an altercation with the Wolves, so he will be ineligible to play for two more games.

As Reynolds notes, the 34-year-old Beverley is unlikely to remain with the Magic, who have a slew of young guards. He’s making $13MM in the final year of his contract.

Beverley will have suitors if he’s bought out or waived by Orlando. He isn’t the defensive player he once was, but he plays hard and with a lot of energy, so contenders will be interested in his services.

In addition to saving a significant amount of money in luxury tax payments with the trade, the Lakers continue to add younger players. They had their own backcourt logjam to deal with, and moving Beverley helps in that regard as well, though he was arguably the team’s best perimeter defender (which, frankly, isn’t saying much given the team’s lack of talent on that end — the Lakers are 20th in the league in defensive rating).

Adding Bamba’s $10.3MM salary for ’23/24 is further evidence that the Lakers are unlikely to operate as an under-the-cap team in the offseason. However, his deal is non-guaranteed, so they could still go that route by waiving or renouncing the cap holds for all of the players they acquired ahead of the deadline (Bamba, Davon Reed, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and D’Angelo Russell). Only Vanderbilt has guaranteed money next season, and it’s a very small ($300K) partial guarantee.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

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Lakers To Trade Thomas Bryant To Nuggets

February 9th, 2023 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Nuggets have agreed to a trade that will send center Thomas Bryant to Denver in exchange for swingman Davon Reed and three second-round picks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the second-round picks are Denver’s own in 2025, 2026, and 2029. The Nuggets have now traded away all their second-rounders between 2025 and 2029.

Bryant, who signed a minimum-salary contract with the Lakers in the offseason, has filled in admirably as the Lakers’ starting center during Anthony Davis‘ injury absences this season, but has only played a modest backup role when Davis is healthy.

In 41 games (25 starts), Bryant has averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per contest. His .654% FG% is a career high, as is his .440 3PT% (albeit on limited volume).

Still, as long as Davis stays healthy, Bryant’s value to the Lakers wasn’t substantial, especially with newly acquired forward Jarred Vanderbilt expected to spend some time playing as a small-ball five. Los Angeles also has veteran big man Wenyen Gabriel for depth purposes up front and would have been limited in its ability to give Bryant a raise as a free agent this summer since the team only controlled his Non-Bird rights.

On top of all that, Bryant hadn’t been thrilled with his reduced role following Davis’ return, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who tweets that he asked the Lakers to look for a better situation for him.

It’s unclear if Reed will be in the Lakers’ plans going forward. He’s on a minimum-salary contract with a non-guaranteed salary in 2023/24 and hasn’t played much in Denver this season, averaging 2.3 PPG and 1.6 RPG on .313/.364/.750 shooting in 35 appearances (9.0 MPG). The second-round picks are the primary return for L.A. in the deal, essentially replacing the three second-rounders the club gave up for Rui Hachimura last month.

As for the Nuggets, they’ve been in the market for a reliable backup center behind two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, since offseason signee DeAndre Jordan hasn’t been a regular part of the rotation. Bryant should fill that role nicely, giving the team some extra frontcourt depth as it focuses on making a deep playoff run this spring.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, both teams will create small trade exceptions equivalent to the salaries of their outgoing players ($1.9MM for Denver; $1.84MM for L.A.). Neither the Nuggets nor the Lakers have to worry about salary-matching in the deal, since both players can be absorbed using the minimum salary exception.

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Lakers/Jazz/Wolves Trade Notes: 2027 Pick, Westbrook, Conley, TPEs

February 9th, 2023 at 6:26am CST by Luke Adams

After months of speculation about whether the Lakers would include both of their tradable future first-round picks (2027 and 2029) in a Russell Westbrook trade, the club only attached its 2027 first-rounder to Westbrook in a three-team trade agreement with Minnesota and Utah. Perhaps most importantly, the Lakers’ front office retained its ability to trade its 2029 pick despite lightly protecting the 2027 selection.

As Zach Lowe of ESPN tweets, the top-four protected 2027 first-round pick the Lakers are sending to the Jazz in the deal won’t carry over to 2028 if it lands in its protected range. In that scenario, the Lakers would instead send their ’27 second-round pick to Utah.

If the protections on the first-round pick had carried over to 2028 (or 2029), the Lakers’ ability to trade their 2029 first-rounder would’ve been significantly hampered due to the Stepien rule that prohibits teams from leaving themselves without first-round selections in consecutive future seasons. But because Los Angeles’ obligations to Utah will end in 2027 no matter where that pick lands, the Lakers still have the ability to dangle their 2029 first-rounder, unencumbered, in trade talks today or during the offseason.

Here’s more on the three-team deal that’s sending D’Angelo Russell back to Los Angeles and Mike Conley to Minnesota:

  • “Addition by subtraction” was part of the Lakers‘ thinking in moving Westbrook, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who hears from team and league sources that Westbrook’s situation in Los Angeles had become “untenable” during the last week, with both sides ready to move on from the partnership.
  • The Lakers took a patient, diligent approach to solving the Westbrook problem, passing on opportunities last offseason and earlier this season to trade both of their available first-round picks in deals with Indiana, Brooklyn, and others, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. While the Lakers still have a ways to go to even qualify for the postseason, they’re far better equipped now to earn a spot and to be competitive in a playoff series, in Pincus’ view.
  • Losing Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and especially Conley hit the Jazz‘s locker room hard, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “You know that trades are like a legitimate thing, but to go through it,” rookie center Walker Kessler said, before trailing off. “I’m a very empathetic person, so you just kind of feel for them. I’m not saying anything was done wrong. It’s part of the business, but it’s definitely a hard thing to go through.”
  • Although Conley was “universally beloved” within the organization, the Jazz‘s front office wanted to move his contract, which was a factor in the decision to make the trade, says Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Conley’s deal includes a $14MM+ partial guarantee for next season.
  • In a column for The Star Tribune, Chip Scoggins says that trading Russell was the right move for the Timberwolves, but suggests that the team’s long-term plan is still unclear. As Scoggins notes, the Wolves are ostensibly in win-now mode, but just traded away their starting point guard and still don’t have a timeline for Karl-Anthony Towns‘ return.
  • Assuming no new pieces are added to the three-team trade once it’s made official, the Jazz will create trade exceptions worth approximately $5MM and $4.4MM, while the Timberwolves will generate a trade exception worth $3.7MM. The Lakers will create two trade exceptions as well, though neither will be worth more than $2.3MM.
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Trade Rumors: Poeltl, Wall, Durant, Pistons

February 8th, 2023 at 11:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs are sending their “strongest signals” so far that they intend to trade center Jakob Poeltl before Thursday’s deadline, tweets Marc Stein. The organization’s attitude toward a potential deal seems to have changed over the past 24 hours, Stein adds, giving hope to teams interested in acquiring potentially the best center on the market.

The Celtics and Raptors have been frequently mentioned as possible landing spots for Poeltl, and Stein reported earlier today that the Wizards have expressed strong interest as well. The 27-year-old will be a free agent this summer, but San Antonio has plenty of cap room available if it decides to keep him.

The Raptors and Spurs have discussed a deal involving Thaddeus Young and draft assets in exchange for Poeltl, according to Stein (Twitter link). The Spurs played in Toronto tonight, so Poeltl faced questions about the possibility of being traded there, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News.

“I just try to focus on the here and now,” Poeltl said. “There is a lot of noise, and I try to keep it out as much as possible and just try to focus on these games.”

There’s more on the trade front:

  • It appears John Wall‘s time with the Clippers will end soon, whether he’s traded on Thursday or not, Stein adds (Twitter link). A source tells Stein that L.A. will pursue a buyout deal with Wall if it can’t find a taker by the deadline, echoing a report from Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times earlier this week. Wall has appeared in just 34 games and hasn’t played since January 13 because of an abdominal injury.
  • Nearly every contending team has called the Nets to check on Kevin Durant‘s availability, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. There has been speculation that Durant might want out after Kyrie Irving was traded to Dallas, but Brooklyn’s front office is telling everyone that it plans to hold on to Durant.
  • The Pistons have been active in trade talks, but they’re not committed to moving Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks or Saddiq Bey before the deadline, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The Knicks, Bucks and Lakers have expressed the most interest in Bogdanovic, but they don’t appear to be offering the draft assets that Detroit wants. Edwards suggests the Pistons might try to use the expiring contracts of Cory Joseph, Nerlens Noel and Hamidou Diallo — worth about $19MM combined — to pick up a player under contract beyond this season.
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Lakers, Jazz, Wolves Discussing Russell, Conley, Westbrook

February 8th, 2023 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

4:30p.m.: The Lakers and Jazz have the structure of a trade in place, but the deal will depend on what the Wolves get in return for Russell, particularly in terms of draft assets, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who adds that Minnesota has discussed Russell with other teams as well.

2:49pm: The Lakers, Jazz, and Timberwolves are engaging in discussions on a potential three-team trade that would send Mike Conley to Minnesota, D’Angelo Russell to Los Angeles, and Russell Westbrook and draft compensation (including a first-round pick) to Utah, according to Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link) that the Lakers were talking to Minnesota about Russell and says the Wolves would also receive some draft compensation in the deal if it’s finalized (Twitter link).

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Jazz swingman Malik Beasley and Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt have been included in versions of the proposed trade. Charania confirms as much, tweeting that those two players would end up with the Lakers.

The three teams continue to negotiate and are working through draft picks and pick protections, sources tell The Athletic. Wojnarowski cautions that the Jazz remain involved in other trade discussions involving Conley, so it’s not a sure thing that this three-team swap will be completed.

Veteran point guards Conley, Russell, and Westbrook have all been the subject of trade rumors for much of the 2022/23 season. Russell and Westbrook are on expiring contracts and haven’t engaged in serious extension talks to remain with their current teams beyond this year; Conley has a partially guaranteed contract for next season, but may not have a place in the rebuilding Jazz’s future.

The Lakers have explored possible Westbrook trades since last offseason, but have thus far been unwilling to include the kind of draft capital it would take to move off his $47MM+ cap hit and acquire multiple reliable rotation players in return.

Due to restrictions affecting earlier picks, L.A. can only currently trade its first-rounders for 2027 and 2029. It’s unclear whether the team would give up both of those picks in this proposed deal, but it’s safe to assume at least one would be included, since the trade would provide the Lakers with two strong outside shooters in Russell and Beasley, along with a versatile wing and frontcourt defender in Vanderbilt, addressing two of the club’s biggest needs.

Russell, of course, is a former Laker, having been selected second overall by the franchise in the 2015 draft.

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, may view Conley as a better fit in their backcourt alongside rising star Anthony Edwards than Russell has been. Conley also had success playing with Rudy Gobert in Utah and could potentially help make the big man more comfortable in Minnesota.

In addition to the promising on-court fit, having Conley under contract for next season would allow the Wolves to head into the summer without having to worry about negotiating a new contract for their starting point guard, as they would with Russell.

As for the Jazz, they would likely buy out Westbrook if they move forward on this trade, as Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report confirms (via Twitter). The motivation on Utah’s end would be to cash in veterans for future draft picks as the team continues its rebuilding process.

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Lakers’ Westbrook, Ham Had Heated Halftime Exchange

February 8th, 2023 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Before LeBron James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Tuesday night, Lakers guard Russell Westbrook and head coach Darvin Ham had a “brief, heated verbal exchange” in the locker room at halftime, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

According to Wojnarowski, Ham expressed displeasure with the way Westbrook lingered on the court after being subbed out of the game late in the second quarter.

However, Wojnarowski says that after voices were raised, the discussion turned back to trying to win Tuesday’s contest vs. Oklahoma City. Westbrook and Ham dapped up before leaving the arena later in the night, according to Woj, who points out that the former MVP was part of the Lakers’ closing lineup in the loss to the Thunder.

Westbrook and assistant coach Phil Handy also had a heated discussion on the bench in the first half of the game, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Verbal confrontations between coaches and players aren’t exactly rare in the NBA, and the Lakers will surely downplay the heated discussion Westbrook and Ham had at halftime. Still, both the team and the veteran guard are under a microscope this week with the trade deadline looming.

Westbrook has been viewed as a trade candidate for the better part of a year and his name popped up in rumors again as of late. In addition to having reportedly talked to both Charlotte and Utah about possible deals involving the 34-year-old, the Lakers included him in their offer for Kyrie Irving before Brooklyn sent Irving to Dallas. James subsequently expressed disappointment that the Lakers were unable to land Irving.

Tuesday’s halftime exchange is unlikely to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back and convinces the Lakers to trade Westbrook, but with the guard’s future in Los Angeles very much up in the air and the 25-30 Lakers looking for a shot in the arm, it’s one more reason to keep an eye on the situation in L.A.

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And-Ones: Payton, Williams, Rising Stars, Taxpayers

February 7th, 2023 at 11:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA guard Elfrid Payton has signed with Puerto Rican club Osos de Manatí, per Dario Skerlectic of Sportando.

Evidently Payton decided against going the G League route and instead went with a (presumably) bigger payday. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Suns as the team’s third string point guard. He was a lottery pick back in 2014, selected 10th overall by the Magic.

Across 500 regular-season games (395 starts, 26.8 MPG) with Orlando, New Orleans, New York and Phoenix, he holds career averages of 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.2 steals.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA big man Alan Williams has signed a two-year extension to remain with the NBL’s South East Melbourne Phoenix, the Australian team announced in a press release. Williams started his career in China after going undrafted in 2015, spent time with the Suns from 2016-18, then played for the Nets in 2018/19. After that, he made a brief return to China and played three seasons in Russia. The 30-year-old played 67 games during his time in the NBA, averaging 6.2 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 13.0 minutes per contest.
  • Deron Williams, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol drafted their respective teams for the Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend, per the NBA. You can find the full results right here (Twitter link).
  • There are currently 10 teams — the Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, Sixers and Suns — the above the luxury tax threshold, and John Hollinger of The Athletic believes several of them could make minor cost-cutting moves ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. The Sixers are an obvious candidate, as they’re just $1.17MM over the line. Hollinger also points out that the Bucks and Lakers could save a significant amount of money if they were to deal away some of their little-used veterans (he points to Serge Ibaka and Damian Jones as players who could be moved).
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LeBron James Becomes All-Time Regular Season Scoring Leader

February 7th, 2023 at 10:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

On Tuesday night, Lakers forward LeBron James achieved a feat many of us had once thought impossible. The 19-time All-Star surpassed Hall of Fame center and Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s all-time regular season scoring record of 38,387 career points.

With 10 seconds left in the third quarter of a nationally televised game against the visiting Thunder on Tuesday night, James scored his 35th and 36th points, which moved him into sole possession of the league’s scoring record (video link via Bleacher Report).

Play was stopped for a special mid-game presentation, as Abdul-Jabbar and NBA commissioner Adam Silver were on hand to congratulate the four-time champion and four-time MVP.

James actually passed Abdul-Jabbar in historic cumulative scoring last year, lapping the six-time MVP’s total combined regular season and postseason points.

Now, LeBron possesses both that record and this regular season mark. He looks poised to significantly widen his lead in both categories, given that he’s averaging an impressive 30.2 PPG this season and recently expressed a desire to play for a few more years.

Presumably, the four-time MVP’s next goal is simply making the 2022/23 postseason, which is no sure thing. L.A. is currently the No. 13 seed in a bunched-up West, behind Oklahoma City.

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NBA G League Announces 24 Players For Next Up Game

February 7th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League announced today that G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson and Timberwolves/Iowa Wolves forward Luka Garza have been named team captains for the NBAGL Next Up Game, which will take place in Salt Lake City during All-Star weekend.

While the exhibition match isn’t technically being called a G League All-Star Game, that’s essentially what it is. The 24-player pool was selected by a fan vote and by the league itself.

Henderson averaged 21.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.3 RPG in six Showcase Cup games (28.5 MPG) before missing time with an injury. The guard, widely projected to be the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, has registered 17.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 4.5 RPG in 11 regular season games (29.8 MPG) since returning.

Garza, meanwhile, has been dominant at the G League level while playing for the Timberwolves on a two-way contract. He averaged 29.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 3.2 APG on .628/.500/.794 shooting in nine Showcase Cup games (34.4 MPG) and has been boosted those averages in two regular season games (32.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 5.0 APG) for the Iowa Wolves.

Here’s the full list of players who will take part in the G League Next Up Game:

(* Players marked with an asterisk are on two-way contracts with NBA teams.)

As is the case with the NBA All-Star Game, the team captains – in this case, Henderson and Garza – will select their 12-man squads in a draft. The draft for the G League Next Up Game will take place on February 14.

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Fischer’s Latest: Anunoby, VanVleet, Clippers, Hornets, McGee, Bogdanovic

February 7th, 2023 at 12:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors remain the team to watch ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Pascal Siakam doesn’t appear likely to be moved, although numerous teams have expressed interest, but sources point to OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. as more realistic trade candidates.

Fischer cites the Pelicans, Grizzlies, Knicks, Pacers, Trail Blazers, Lakers, Suns and Nets as teams that have recently been linked to Anunoby, although he states that there is “varying interest” around the league. Fischer’s sources confirm that Toronto is placing a premium price on the 24-year-old wing, which other front offices are calling “quite steep.”

Fischer also raises the possibility that offers for Anunoby will be lessened because of the chance that Kevin Durant might be available this summer in the wake of the Kyrie Irving trade. Although Durant hasn’t indicated to the Nets that he plans to issue another trade request, league insiders tell Fischer that several teams are planning to stockpile their resources in case it happens.

Fischer passes along a few more rumors heading into the deadline:

  • Multiple executives from other teams see VanVleet as the most likely Raptor to be moved this week. Fischer notes that the Clippers and Suns have been linked to VanVleet in trade rumors, and hears that the Lakers, Magic and Timberwolves have expressed interest as well.
  • The Clippers started looking for point guard help before John Wall was sidelined with an abdominal strain, sources tell Fischer. Numerous teams have expressed interest in Terance Mann, and the Clippers have several affordable contracts to help get a deal done. Fischer states that L.A. and Phoenix have both mentioned as possible landing spots for Kyle Lowry, Terry Rozier and D’Angelo Russell as well as VanVleet, with the Suns seeking an experienced playmaker who can eventually take over for Chris Paul.
  • Rozier has also been mentioned as a possibility for the Lakers and Timberwolves, Fischer adds, and the Heat are among the teams interested in Charlottte’s P.J. Washington, who wasn’t able to reach an extension agreement before the October deadline. Fischer notes that the Hornets typically aren’t a major player at the deadline, but he identifies Mason Plumlee as a potential trade piece, with the Kings expressing interest and having a desire to move backup center Richaun Holmes.
  • Another veteran center on the market is the Mavericks‘ JaVale McGee, according to Fischer. Dallas signed McGee to a three-year, $17MM deal last summer in anticipation of making him a starter, but he’s no longer part of the rotation.
  • Teams are becoming convinced that the Pistons plan to keep Bojan Bogdanovic. Fischer states that the Bucks recently inquired about the veteran sharpshooter after failing to close a deal with the Suns for Jae Crowder, but Detroit wants at least one unprotected first-round pick in return and Milwaukee can’t offer a first-rounder until 2029.
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