Anthony Davis

Pacific Notes: A. Davis, Kings, Bol, Ayton

July 21st, 2023 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

As of August 4, Lakers star Anthony Davis will become eligible for a contract extension that could tack on three additional years to the two remaining on his current contract.

Although it remains to be seen whether or not the Lakers will offer him the maximum salary for those three years or if the two sides will reach an agreement quickly once Davis becomes extension-eligible, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin is confident that the two sides will be able to work out a deal sooner or later.

“I am not too concerned about how this thing plays out,” McMenamin said during an appearance on Zach Lowe’s Lowe Post podcast. “Whether the max amount of year, the max amount of numbers are reached, that remains to be seen. That will be figured out between (agent) Rich Paul and (Lakers head of basketball operations) Rob Pelinka and (Lakers owner) Jeanie Buss and the like. But where things stand right now, I expect some sort of agreement to be reached. … I’m fairly confident that Anthony Davis will be coming into training camp on an extended deal.”

Currently, both Davis and LeBron James are on guaranteed contracts through 2023/24, with player options for the ’24/25 season. James won’t be extension-eligible before next summer, so even if they’re able to lock up AD to a new deal this offseason, the Lakers won’t necessarily have any certainty on LeBron beyond the coming season.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee examines what the Kings‘ depth chart might look like in 2023/24, observing that the team’s starting lineup will probably remain unchanged from last season. Anderson also considers candidates for Sacramento’s final two-way slot, suggesting that Summer League standout Jordan Ford is one option if big man Neemias Queta doesn’t return on a two-way deal.
A handful of rotation spots will likely be up for grabs in Phoenix this offseason, so the newest member of the Suns‘ roster, Bol Bol, should have an opportunity to prove that he deserves a regular role and is worthy of more than a minimum-salary contract next summer, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Rankin explores where Bol might fit on the team’s depth chart, noting that he could battle frontcourt players like Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks, and Chimezie Metu for minutes.
Suns center Deandre Ayton, who has been the subject of some trade rumors and has faced criticism for his up-and-down play, is looking to “change the narrative” this offseason, he tells Eyewitness Bahama News (Twitter video link). “Mainly what I’ve been working on five or six days a week since we’ve lost is just motivating myself to change the narrative of what people think about me,” Ayton said (hat tip to Rankin of The Arizona Republic). “… Just unlock whatever it is and just completely just focus on me and change the whole thing.”

Pacific Notes: Paul, LeBron, Davis, Reddish, Queta

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

Chris Paul doesn’t know what his role with the Warriors will be, but he seems ready for anything the team asks him to do, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. The 38-year-old point guard said he hasn’t talked to coach Steve Kerr or any other Golden State officials about how he’ll be used in a backcourt that already features Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. There’s a chance he might come off the bench for the first time in his long career.

“At the end of the day, it’s basketball,” Paul said. “I’m going into a situation with a bunch of guys who’ve been playing together for a long time. I’m not as worried about it as everybody else is. … We’ll figure all of that stuff out at camp. You don’t have the answers right now. We’ll practice, and I’m sure there will be things I’ve got to learn about them, they’ve got to learn about me, but that’s the case with any team.”

Paul admitted being surprised by the offseason deals that sent him from the Suns to the Wizards and then the Warriors. He had a brief workout Sunday with Curry as the long-time rivals practiced together for the first time in 14 years.

“There are times when you get a chance to reflect,” Paul said. “Even working out today, we were laughing. … It’s a great opportunity and a blessing to be doing this at our age, because he ain’t young either.”

Paul only has one guaranteed year left on his contract, but when asked if he plans to continue playing beyond next season, he responded, “No question,” tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

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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.”
Neemias Queta is willing to accept a two-way contract for the third straight season if it keeps him on the Kings‘ roster, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Queta is currently a restricted free agent after receiving a $2MM qualifying offer from the team last month. That QO only includes a small partial guarantee.

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.”

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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.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Russell, Paul, Draft

June 8th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Rory Maher

A primary goal for the Lakers this offseason will be signing Anthony Davis to an extension, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said earlier this week on Get Up (YouTube link).

As Windhorst notes, Davis won’t be extension-eligible until August, at which point the Lakers could offer him a three-year contract worth a projected $167.5MM. If the two sides can’t reach an agreement on a new deal, Davis could enter unrestricted free agency in 2024 if he declines his $43.2MM player option for 2024/25.

At this time, Windhorst also believes the Lakers will continue on their stated path of re-signing their own key free agents — including Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura — instead of creating cap room in pursuit of Kyrie Irving. Windhorst thinks the mostly outcome for Irving is re-signing with the Mavericks, noting that they can pay him much more money than L.A. can.

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Guard D’Angelo Russell‘s stock seems to have taken a hit after a poor showing in the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension (he’s eligible for a two-year deal). While he might not be the Lakers’ top priority, ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggested on his podcast that a reunion may still be in the cards (hat tip to RealGM). “I actually think there are corners of the organization that would still like D’Angelo Russell back just because they have a void at that position,” Lowe said. “They need a point guard.” Jovan Buha of The Athletic said last week that he thought Russell would most likely end up back in L.A., perhaps on a two- or three-year deal worth around $20MM annually, though it’s far from a lock.
Chris Paul‘s uncertain status with the Suns has rivals speculating about his future, and the Lakers are atop the list of his possible suitors, multiple league executives tell Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “Lakers first,” one Eastern Conference GM texted. “It’s not definite, a lot can happen. But you’d have to start there. He always had (the) dream of being a Laker (and) playing with LBJ (LeBron James).” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently cited the Lakers as a potential destination as well, noting that Paul lives in Los Angeles during the offseason.
The Lakers will be hosting a pre-draft workout on Thursday, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The six featured prospects are D’Moi Hodge (Missouri), Caleb McConnell (Rutgers), JT Shumate (Toledo), Logan Johnson (Saint Mary’s), Damion Baugh (TCU) and Matthew Mayer (Illinois). The Lakers currently control two picks in the 2023 NBA draft, Nos. 17 and 47.

LeBron James Mulling Possibility Of Retirement

May 23rd, 2023 at 7:01am CST by Luke Adams

Following the Lakers‘ elimination from the 2023 playoffs on Monday night, superstar forward LeBron James is contemplating the possibility of retirement, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

During his postgame media session, James cryptically told reporters that he has “a lot to think about” this offseason (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). Haynes subsequently reported that LeBron is mulling retirement, which the 38-year-old himself confirmed to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

James told McMenamin that he has to consider “if I want to continue to play.” Pressed on whether he’d really retire at this point, LeBron replied, “I got to think about it.”

A 19-time All-Star, James put up his usual huge numbers during the 2022/23 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 team’s season came to an end in the Western Conference Finals, where the Nuggets completed a 4-0 sweep.

As he weighs his future following a postseason that McMenamin describes as “taxing,” James will have to consider next steps for that foot injury. Asked if it might require offseason surgery, LeBron didn’t rule out the possibility, telling ESPN that he’ll undergo an MRI to see how his tendon has healed.

Regardless of whether or not surgery is required, James believes he would be able to get back to his usual All-NBA level with a full summer of rehab work.

“Because I’m still better than 90% of the NBA,” he said. “Maybe 95.”

James has at least one year and $46.7MM remaining on his contract with the Lakers, with a $50.4MM player option for the 2024/25 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, so Monday’s comments represent a potential change in direction.

When informed of James’ comments after Monday’s loss, Anthony Davis was initially surprised, according to McMenamin, but then recalled a prior conversation he had with his superstar teammate. According to Davis, when the two Lakers forwards were talking about possibly playing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, LeBron told AD that he may have already retired by that point.

For what it’s worth, one person familiar with James’ thinking who spoke to Mark Medina of The Sporting Tribune is skeptical that the future Hall of Famer will really retire this offseason.

Multiple theories are already emerging among NBA writers, with James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link) among those to speculate that LeBron could sit one season before returning to play with Bronny in 2024.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (Twitter link) wonders if James’ comments are – at least in part – a negotiating tactic to push the Lakers further all-in on next year’s roster. Currently, only James, Davis, and Max Christie have guaranteed contracts, so many offseason moves would be necessary to fill out the supporting cast. One path the franchise could consider revisiting, O’Connor observes, is its pursuit of LeBron’s former teammate Kyrie Irving, who will be a free agent.

While it would be a surprise if James ultimately decides to hang up his sneakers this summer, his remarks on Monday ensure that it will be one of the biggest question marks hanging over the NBA’s offseason until he makes a decision one way or the other.

Lakers Notes: Russell, Game 4, Strategy, Injuries

May 22nd, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

For all the adjustments Lakers coach Darvin Ham has made in the playoffs, he has remained committed to keeping D’Angelo Russell in his starting lineup, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Russell has been a starter since he was acquired from the Timberwolves in February, and Ham indicated that he’s likely to remain in that role even though he hasn’t played well in the first three games against Denver.

“Sometimes the greatest adjustment is just to play better,” Ham said at Sunday’s practice. “Play harder. Play better. Sometimes that’s the most key adjustment. It’s funny, (how) it’s almost becoming cliché. (People say), ‘What’s your adjustments, adjustments, adjustments?’ Sometimes you go in there, and you take a long, hard look at the film to clean up what you need to clean up, and you try to do what you’re doing better.”

Russell is averaging 7.0 PPG in the Western Conference Finals while shooting 29.6% from the field and 14.3% from three-point range. The Nuggets are also targeting him on defense to get easy scoring opportunities. While a recent report indicated the Lakers are concerned about the possible long-term effects of taking away Russell’s starting job, Ham said he still believes in his point guard, who was effective in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

“We know he can make those shots,” Ham said. “So the biggest thing is not to get depressed, not to get down, continue to be aggressive, continue to be assertive, and eventually that ball will go in.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Facing the nearly impossible task of winning a playoff series after falling behind 3-0, the Lakers have narrowed their focus to just getting a victory Monday night, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Historically, NBA teams with that deficit are 0-149, but Ham doesn’t want his players to believe the situation is hopeless. “We’re alive, man. The series is not over,” he said. “… The only thing we have to do is just focus on one game. We don’t have to be overwhelmed about the outside noise or the overall series. We just have to worry about one game, what’s exactly in front of us.”
The Lakers may want to use Jarred Vanderbilt or another tall defender to slow down Jamal Murray, who has strung together two 37-point games, suggests Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt offers a few other strategy recommendations, including larger roles in the offense for LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
James (right foot stress injury) and Anthony Davis (right foot soreness) are the only names on the Lakers’ injury report for Game 4 and they’re both listed as probable, Turner tweets.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Davis, Bamba, Reaves, Hachimura

May 20th, 2023 at 7:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

General manager Rob Pelinka reshuffled the Lakers‘ roster to give LeBron James and Anthony Davis their best shot at another NBA title, but the two stars haven’t lived up to expectations so far in the Western Conference Finals, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic.

L.A. trails the series 2-0 after letting a pair of winnable games slip away in Denver. James missed a layup and botched a wide-open dunk in the second quarter Thursday, while Davis shot just 4-of-15 from the field after a 40-point night in Game 1. Amick notes that neither player is as dominant as they were when L.A. defeated Denver in the 2020 conference finals, which is understandable with James considering that he’s 38, but it’s more puzzling for Davis, who should still be in his prime at age 30.

“I got the same looks,” Davis told reporters after Game 2. “… I liked all the looks that I got today. Just a lot of them (were) short. I’m going to continue to shoot those shots and I’ve got to be better, more efficient, (to) help the team win. So, I’ll be better.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

James isn’t concerned about his three-point shooting, even though he’s off to an 0-for-10 start in the series, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James shot 32.1% from beyond the arc this season, his lowest figure in seven years, but his teammates are encouraging him to keep shooting whenever he’s open. “It’s LeBron James. I don’t think anybody bats an eye when he shoots a shot or questions his shot,” Austin Reaves said. “We want him taking whatever he feels comfortable with, just because he’s a winning basketball player for his whole career and that’s all he wants to do, he wants to win.”
Coach Darvin Ham altered his starting five for Game 2, but the change he made wasn’t the one he needed, contends Kevin Pelton of ESPN. There was speculation that Rui Hachimura might start after he did an effective job guarding Nikola Jokic late in Game 1, but Ham opted to replace Dennis Schröder with Jarred Vanderbilt instead. Although Vanderbilt controlled Jamal Murray early on, he bogged down the offense due to his lack of shooting range. Pelton argues that Ham should consider starting Hachimura and Schröder while bringing D’Angelo Russell off the bench.
Mohamed Bamba, who hasn’t played since April 28 because of left ankle soreness, may be able to return in Game 4 or 5, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers are virtually certain to match any offer sheets signed by Reaves or Hachimura, who are both restricted free agents, Wojnarowski states on the latest edition of his podcast (hat tip to Silver Screen and Roll). “I don’t see any scenario where the Lakers would not match on both,” Wojnarowski said. “They have to. … They’ve proved themselves to be win-now players with LeBron and Anthony Davis on their timeline (and) these are both starting-level players.”

Lakers Notes: James, Davis, Bamba, Schröder, Vanderbilt

May 15th, 2023 at 7:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite his age and two decades as an NBA player, Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to defy Father Time with his All-Star level performances. Teammate D’Angelo Russell has a simple explanation for why James continues to excel at an age when most NBA players have already retired, according to Greg Beacham of The Associated Press.

”Bron’s niche has always been preparedness,” Russell said. ”A lot of guys’ niches is shooting the ball, working hard, outworking guys. LeBron is a film junkie, a basketball junkie, a leadership junkie. To be able to watch it all from the front row, it’s almost like a cheat code.”

James has played in a league-record 278 postseason games, and his 7,912 career postseason points are nearly 2,000 more than Michael Jordan (5,987) atop the NBA’s career playoff scoring list, Beacham adds.

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The team’s Game 1 injury report didn’t have any surprises. James and Anthony Davis were both listed as probable for Tuesday’s game, as they were for much of the Warriors series, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets. Both have been playing through right foot ailments. Mohamed Bamba is listed as out due to left ankle soreness.
Bamba wasn’t at Monday’s practice in Denver because he’s back in Los Angeles after getting a PRP injection in his ankle earlier this postseason, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. He has a follow-up appointment there on Tuesday and will rejoin the team afterward, Buha adds. Bamba has only made three cameo appearances during this postseason.
Coach Darvin Ham tweaked his lineup in the series finale against the Warriors, inserting guard Dennis Schröder in favor of small forward Jarred Vanderbilt, Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register notes. Will Ham stick with the lineup switch for the Nuggets’ series? That’s TBD, though Ham liked how Schröder hounded Stephen Curry, which could lead to a similar defensive assignment against Jamal Murray. “Dennis came in and set an unbelievable tone defensively,” Ham said.

Western Notes: Lakers, Reaves, Curry, Miller

May 14th, 2023 at 8:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

On paper, the Nuggets are the favorites to reach the NBA Finals. But Lakers guard Austin Reaves doesn’t view his team – the West’s No. 7 seed – as the underdog, Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays.

“I think the seeding thing is, it’s just a number,” the Lakers guard said. “When you have guys like Bron, AD, that’s won championships … (you) always feel like you have a chance, especially with the roster that we have and the talent that we have.”

Lakers forward Anthony Davis echoed those sentiments: “Our expectations inside are way higher than showing up to the Western Conference Finals.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Lakers need to do whatever than can to retain Reaves, who will be a restricted free agent after the season, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. Reaves is averaging 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists during the playoffs. The Lakers hold his Early Bird rights and are limited to an $11.4MM offer in the first year of a new contract, but they can match an offer sheet.
Stephen Curry is still hopeful of getting another championship with the Warriors, Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports writes. “You can’t win it every year, but you wanna be in the position to be serious contenders,” Curry said after the Warriors were eliminated by the Lakers. “Final eight, you can retool and be back.”
A scout told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that if the Rockets wind up with Brandon Miller, he can immediately be inserted into the team’s lineup. “His overall package is sort of the modern, NBA wing-type player,” the scout said. “I think he’ll be able to plug that in wherever he goes fairly quickly.”

Lakers Notes: Davis, Lineup, Flopping, Bamba

May 12th, 2023 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

The latest updates on Anthony Davis, who exited Game 5 of the Lakers‘ series against Golden State on Wednesday due to an apparent head injury, continue to bode well for the big man’s status going forward.

Head coach Darvin Ham told reporters on Thursday that Davis didn’t have to enter the NBA’s concussion protocol and should be available for Game 6 on Friday, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Davis has been formally listed as probable to play — his designation on the official injury report refers only to an existing right foot issue, not any sort of head injury.

Davis, who was inadvertently hit in the head by Kevon Looney on Wednesday, was taken out of the game because he was feeling “woozy,” a source told ESPN, but Ham said on Thursday that the 30-year-old is “not showing any signs of anything.” The Lakers’ coach added that he was relieved by Davis’ prognosis.

“It’s huge,” Ham said. “He’s the centerpiece of what we’re trying to do on both sides of the ball and for us just in general for our success rate. So that was great, great news.”

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Ham admitted that there’s a temptation to make minor changes to the Lakers’ starting lineup for a crucial Game 6 on Friday, but also pointed out that the team has won three games with its current starters, per McMenamin. “We’ll sleep on some things, some suggestions and some ideas that we have and then wake up in the morning ready to make a final decision,” Ham said on Thursday. L.A. has used the same starting five in all 11 playoff games so far.
Ham and star forward LeBron James were among those who pushed back against Steve Kerr‘s claim that the Lakers are flopping to get foul calls, with Ham taking exception to the accusation, writes Josh Peter of USA Today. “We play a physical brand of basketball,” Ham said after the team’s Game 5 loss. “We don’t teach flopping, we don’t teach head snaps. You see (James), he’s got a thousand scratches on his arms, same with (Davis), same with Austin Reaves, same with Lonnie Walker. It’s unfortunate that it comes to that, but we hadn’t done it all year, and we’re damn sure not going to start now, looking for a third party to dive in and help us.”
Lakers center Mohamed Bamba, who has missed the entire second round due to a left ankle injury, told Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) that he thinks he could return to action if the team advances to the Western Finals. Even if he’s healthy and available, Bamba wouldn’t be a regular part of the Lakers’ postseason rotation, but he’d provide some additional emergency depth up front.

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