Aaron Brooks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kupchak, Lakers Not Expecting Any Moves

February 19th, 2012 at 11:04pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped a game to the Phoenix Suns tonight and appear to be falling further away from their status as overwhelming Western Conference favorites from just a season ago.

After a failed attempt at a blockbuster trade for Chris Paul before the season, and a flurry of trade rumors involving Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told SI.com's Sam Amick he does not expect any big moves this season.

Despite popular opinion, a trade for Dwight Howard is hardly a cure-all for this Lakers' season. Howard's biggest strength is his ability to anchor a defense, and the Lakers are already quite formidable on that end, at fourth in the NBA at points per game allowed.

Their frontline of Bynum and Gasol is still perhaps the best frontline in the league and quite capable of generating high efficiency looks from the post and drawing double teams–and in Gasol's case, passing better out of those double teams. Howard might augment some of that, but his presence still leaves the Lakers woefully lacking.

Bryant already largely underutilizes Gasol and Bynum in the post, and according to previous reports, would look to do the same with Howard. The Lakers troubles remain on the offensive end.

The Lakers need to make some moves on the fringes of their roster. Replacing underproducing veterans like Fisher or World Peace with merely replacement level players would do wonders for the Lakers offense. Guys like Ramon Sessions or Aaron Brooks would provide significant upgrades.

Unfortunately, it appears the Lakers seem intent on standing pat.

Restricted Free Agency May Limit Chandler, Brooks

February 8th, 2012 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

Fans of the Knicks, Clippers, and a handful of other teams are anxiously awaiting J.R. Smith's return to the NBA, but Smith isn't the only intriguing free-agent-to-be still under contract in China. Wilson Chandler and Aaron Brooks are also expected to head back to America when their Chinese teams finish their respective seasons.

Rumors and speculation have followed Smith more than the others in part because he'll be an unrestricted free agent when his Chinese contract expires, meaning he'll be free to sign with any NBA team. Chandler and Brooks, on the other hand, are restricted free agents under the control of the Nuggets and Suns, respectively. As such, their NBA options may be limited.

As Larry Coon writes at HoopsWorld today, players aren't allowed to sign offer sheets after March 1st of any season, including this one. While the Chinese regular season ends on February 15th, Chandler's and Brooks' clubs both appear ticketed for the postseason, meaning they could be playing in China well into March. If Chandler and Brooks return to America in March, they could only play for the Nuggets and Suns, since sign-and-trade agreements aren't allowed during the season.

If a restricted free agent like Chandler and Brooks hopes to field offers from other teams this season, one of three things must happen, as Coon outlines:

His Chinese club must finish its season in February, giving him a chance to sign offer sheets with teams before March 1st.
His Chinese club must release him before March 1st, and FIBA must grant him a letter of clearance. This was how Kenyon Martin was able to return early to the NBA, though Martin was an unrestricted free agent upon his return.
His NBA club must renounce his rights, making him an unrestricted free agent. It seems unlikely that the Nuggets or Suns would give up their rights to Chandler and Brooks for nothing, but it's a possibility.

The idea of an influx of quality free agents making their way back from China in the next month is exciting, but a number of obstacles must be cleared for that idea to become a reality. At least one thing is certain: We'll be paying extra-close attention to the CBA postseason this year.

Lakers Links: Brooks, Bynum, Free Agents

February 1st, 2012 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers pulled to within a game of the first-place Clippers in the Pacific division standings last night, trouncing the Bobcats at the Staples Center. The Pacific looks like it'll be a two-team race all season, as the Warriors, Suns, and Kings are a combined 20-40 so far. As the Clippers prepare to face the Jazz in Utah tonight, here are some updates on their L.A. rivals:

Plenty of talk recently has centered around Kenyon Martin and when he'll be available to sign with an NBA team. However, SI.com's Chris Mannix (via Twitter) warns not to forget about Aaron Brooks, who is also under contract in China. Mannix thinks Brooks could be an impact addition for the Lakers, though he notes that inquiring teams would need to be creative since Brooks would be a restricted free agent for the Suns (Twitter link).
Andrew Bynum on the team's upcoming six-game road trip: "These are big games for us coming up. We need to prove that we’re able to win, or else they’re going to start doing things." Dave McMenanim has the full story at ESPNLosAngeles.com.
ESPN.com's J.A. Adande agrees that a slide over the next couple weeks would prompt the Lakers to make more dramatic moves than signing a low-cost veteran like Gilbert Arenas.
Earlier today, we heard that the Lakers could be interested in signing retired forward Rasheed Wallace.