Anthony Davis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Encouraged By Anthony Davis’ Progress

March 13th, 2022 at 11:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers still hope to have Anthony Davis back before the playoffs begin, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Saturday on “NBA Countdown” (hat tip to RealGM).

Davis hasn’t played since injuring his right foot in a February 16 game, but he’s reportedly progressing through rehab and has a chance to return before the regular season wraps up in four weeks.

“His walking boot is off, and I’m told this week the next step for him is he’ll get on the court and start to do some stationary shooting,” Wojnarowski said. “And they still, with 16 games left for the Lakers and the toughest schedule left in the league, the expectation is that they can still hang onto the play-in and get in the postseason and they can have Anthony Davis back.”

It’s been another injury-plagued season for Davis, who has played in just 37 games after appearing in 36 last year. He’s averaging 23.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per night, and the Lakers will need him to have any hope of advancing through the playoffs.

That’s what the team is planning, according to Woj, who indicates that the focus is on getting Davis healthy for a postseason run. Despite a recent slump, the ninth-place Lakers hold a three-game lead over the No. 11 Trail Blazers for a play-in spot.

“They’re not punting on this season. Anthony Davis wants to be back, this team wants him back,” Wojnarowski said. “He’ll make more progress this week they hope, and he’ll have another MRI which will be about four weeks out from the injury, and the hope is that he can then start progressing towards returning before the postseason begins.”

Los Angeles Notes: Beverley, James, Jackson, Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope, Pelinka

March 12th, 2022 at 11:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

Patrick Beverley felt the contract extension offer he received from the Clippers before they traded him last offseason was “borderline disrespectful,” he said on J.J. Redick’s “The Old Man and the Three” podcast (hat tip to Darryn Albert of Larry Brown Sports).

“Me being there from the beginning, I’m thinking that this contract extension, I’m thinking it’s going to be easy. I walk in and they throw me a number that I felt was borderline disrespectful,” Beverley said.

Clippers executive Lawrence Frank worked out an amicable solution by trading him to Memphis, who then shipped him to one of his top destinations, Minnesota. Beverley signed a one-year extension with the Timberwolves last month.

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

LeBron James carried the Lakers to victory over Washington on Friday with another 50-point performance, and coach Frank Vogel wonders if James best suited to be a center at this stage of his career, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. “Maybe after all these years, him playing center was really the best way to utilize him,” Vogel said. “Because that’s where he’s been doing it, by playing the center position with (Anthony Davis) out. Doing whatever the team needs to win games. And just an incredible, unbelievable, epic performance by LJ.”
Reggie Jackson lavished praise on Clippers fans, calling them the heart of the city, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. “I understand what it is in this city, it definitely is overwhelmed by Lakers fans. But I feel like Clippers Nation is like the heart,” he said. “It truly is L.A. It’s more so. No shot to them over there, but they’re the lights. They’re bright lights. They’re Hollywood. That’s the Lakers. … But I feel like we’re definitely the heart of the city – or that’s something we want to embody.”
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope felt that getting traded by the Lakers was almost inevitable, as he told Mark Medina of NBA.com. “Every single year with the Lakers, I was in trade talks,” Caldwell-Pope said. Kyle Kuzma, who was also a part of the Russell Westbrook deal, said he’ll always have a place in Lakers history. “I’m cemented as a winner, and I’m cemented as a Lakers champion,” he said. “For me, it’s not about ‘what if.’ It’s time to move on. It’s time to improve my game.” The Lakers honored the duo with a video tribute on Friday, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.
The Lakers are suffering from “organizational fatigue” due to the demands of putting a championship-caliber team around James, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN (video link). Windhorst doubts GM Rob Pelinka can do anything significant to fix the team’s issues this offseason, since the Lakers have already dealt most of their assets. “They have nothing they can really trade of huge value,” Windhorst said.

Suns Notes: Ayton, CP3, Johnson

March 11th, 2022 at 9:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Deandre Ayton is having another strong season for the Suns, and Evan Sidery of BasketballNews.com wonders if the center will finally get his bag from Phoenix.

Ayton will be a restricted free agent this summer in a weak class, and Sidery thinks it’s inevitable that one of the rebuilding teams with cap space will offer Ayton a four-year, maximum-salary contract. Sidery points to the Thunder, Spurs and Pistons as possibilities.

The question is, will the Suns match that offer? They can offer Ayton more years (five) and more money than other teams, but were reluctant to give him the max prior to the season.

Through 45 games (29.6 minutes) this season, Ayton is averaging 16.8 points, 10 rebounds and 1.4 assists on .642/.385/.718 shooting. The 38.5% from deep is deceptive, as he’s only attempted 13 threes all season, but he’s still a highly efficient scorer with great footwork.

Ayton has also continued his impressive defense from last season’s run to the Finals, Sidery writes. Ayton, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are the only centers in the league allowing less than 45% of the shots they defend to end in points (min. 15 shots per game).

Here are a few more notes from Phoenix:

Chris Paul won a team shooting contest Friday morning for the Suns, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “He kicked our ass. He beat us today. It was cool to see him out there. I was actually surprised. I didn’t think he was going to be out here shooting, but that’s a good sign,” Cameron Payne said. Paul is currently sidelined with a fractured thumb that he suffered last month and is scheduled to be reevaluated in early-to-mid April.
Suns coach Monty Williams tempered expectations of a potential early return for Paul, per Rankin. “It’s awesome, but I wouldn’t get too excited about it,” Williams said before Friday’s game. “It’s just part of a normal progression for that type of injury. We’re happy about it, but we have to temper it until he’s able to get to 1-on-1, 3-on-3, 5-on-5.”
Forward Cameron Johnson scored a career-high 38 points last Friday against the Knicks, including a three at the buzzer to win the game, but he’s missed four straight games since then. As Rankin writes in a separate article for the Arizona Republic, Johnson suffered a right quad contusion in the game after getting kneed by Mitchell Robinson as the Knicks center was contesting a shot. Williams said Johnson likely won’t practice Saturday, so his status for Sunday’s game against the Lakers sounds doubtful. Johnson is averaging career-highs of 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 26.3 minutes this season. He sports a stellar shooting line of .475/.448/.873. As a third-year former first-round pick, Johnson is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Caruso, Vogel, Magic, Augustin, Gabriel

March 6th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Rory Maher

LeBron James dropped 56 points on the Warriors Saturday night, leading the Lakers to a 124-116 win and ending a four-game losing streak, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. James shot 19-of-31 from the field, 6-of-11 from three, and 12-of-13 from the line while adding 10 rebounds and three assists in nearly 39 minutes of action.

The 56-point effort tied Trae Young‘s NBA season-high and is the most points LeBron has scored in a game for Los Angeles, Buha notes. James said he was just happy to get a win.

“It’s funny, our guys were following me off the floor tonight going into the locker room and they asked me, ‘How does it feel to score 56?’” James said. “I said, ‘Right now, I don’t give a damn about the 56. I’m just happy we got a win.’ That’s just literally the first thing that came to my mind.”

James’ spectacular performance was historic for a couple other reasons, Buha writes. He passed Karl Malone for the most combined regular season and postseason minutes, and became just the fourth player to record 50-plus points in a game at age 37 or older, joining Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Jamal Crawford.

“There’s really no words for it,” coach Frank Vogel said of James’ 56-point game. “An incredible performance by the best to ever do it, in my opinion, and as I’ve said.”

The Lakers have had an undeniably disappointing season, barely clinging to the No. 9 seed in the West with a 28-35 record, but James has been consistently great on offense. He’s now tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo for second in the league in scoring with 29.4 points per game, just a tenth of a point behind Joel Embiid‘s league-leading 29.5. It’s James’ highest scoring average since 2009/10.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

A source tells Marc Stein of Substack that James was a leading supporter of Alex Caruso and badly wanted the Lakers to re-sign him, but the team declined to offer Caruso a contract comparable to the four-year, $37MM deal he received from the Bulls last summer due to luxury tax concerns. Caruso was having a strong season for Chicago, but has played just 28 games to this point and is currently sidelined with a fractured right wrist.
Appearing on NBA Today, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (video link) that the Lakers haven’t moved on from Vogel due to long-term injuries to Anthony Davis and Kendrick Nunn, and more importantly the front office doesn’t think that replacing Vogel would make a difference in the team’s performance. “(The Lakers) would like to get through the rest of this season with Frank Vogel,” Wojnarowski said.
Prior to Saturday’s game, in an appearance on NBA Countdown (video link), Magic Johnson said the trade for Westbrook “could go down as the worst trade in Laker history” if L.A. is unable to advance past the play-in tournament.
D.J. Augustin and Wenyen Gabriel are eager to make an impact with their new club, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. “I know they haven’t been playing up to everybody’s expectations, I would say,” Augustin said of the Lakers. “But it’s the NBA, and things happen. But we’re still in a good position where we can still have a chance. And that’s all you need in this league, is a chance.”

LeBron Clears Air, Wants To Stay With Lakers For “As Long As I Can Play”

February 26th, 2022 at 7:38am CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James reiterated his desire to finish out his career with the Lakers and said he doesn’t “push the buttons” when it comes to personnel decisions, as he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and other media members after the team’s loss to the Clippers on Friday night.

James is under contract for one more season and will be eligible to sign a two-year extension this summer.

“This is a franchise I see myself being with. I’m here. I’m here,” James said. “I see myself being with the Purple and Gold as long as I can play.”

James raised a lot of eyebrows with his comments during All-Star weekend that he wouldn’t close the door on a possible return to Cleveland. He also stirred the pot by heaping praise on Thunder general manager Sam Presti for his ability to identify talent.

James also expressed his desire in an interview with The Athletic to eventually play with his 17-year-old son, Bronny. However, James said Friday he hopes that will occur in L.A.

“I also have a goal that, if it’s possible — I don’t even know if it’s possible — that if I can play with my son, I would love to do that,” he said. “Is that, like, something that any man shouldn’t want that in life? That’s like the coolest thing that could possibly happen. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with this franchise.”

Bronny would not be eligible to play in the NBA until the 2024/25 season.

In terms of his relationship with the front office, James said his comments about Presti were not a potshot toward GM Rob Pelinka.

“If I comment [on] or compliment the GM that’s in OKC — I really believe he’s done a phenomenal job. And you guys spin that to me saying that Rob is not doing a great job,” James said.

Super-agent Rich Paul, whose agency represents James and Anthony Davis, met with Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss on Tuesday in what could be characterized as a clear-the-air session.

Pelinka consults his superstars regarding potential moves, including the Russell Westbrook trade with Washington that contributed significantly to the Lakers’ poor season. There were also reports James and Davis were unhappy the front office stood pat at the trade deadline.

James says he doesn’t have final say on trades.

“I don’t push the buttons,” James said. “They ask for my opinion, and I voice my opinion and what I believe. But I don’t press any buttons. That’s what our front office is for, and that’s what our leadership group is for.”

He also feels the influence that he and his representative have within the franchise sparks jealousy.

“I mean, I think a lot of people are, to be honest, just jealous of the relationship that Rich has with the front office and with this team and with the relationship that I have, that I’ve grown over the last four years. I mean, that’s what I think it boils down to,” he said.

Pacific Notes: Paul, Davis, Hartenstein, Clippers

February 25th, 2022 at 9:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Chris Paul out for six-to-eight weeks with a thumb injury, the Suns might seem more vulnerable. Coach Monty Williams says opponents shouldn’t underestimate the resolve of his team, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.

“I think our guys are looking forward to the challenge because they hear what everybody is saying,” Williams said. “As soon as the news got out, everybody forecasted fear and that’s not who we are.”

Phoenix extended its winning streak to eight games by defeating the Thunder on Thursday.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers will have to go without Anthony Davis again for several weeks due to a foot injury. Russell Westbrook says he’s mentally preparing for Davis’ absence, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. “For me, I already kind of (adjusted my) mentality, changed my mindset a little bit knowing kind of what to be expected,” he said. “Our job is to hold it down until he gets back.”
Isaiah Hartenstein has been stellar in a backup role with the Clippers and he could cash in after the season, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Hartenstein is shooting 62% from the field and has emerged as one of the best passing bigs in the league. Hartenstein will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after playing on a minimum contract and he could be in a line for a non-trivial portion of some team’s mid-level exception, Lowe believes.
The Clippers are continuing to look around for upgrades, particularly at the point, but there may not be anyone made available that they’ll sign, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. They are happy with the recent play of Terance Mann and would have to waive a player to add a free agent.

Rich Paul Meets With Lakers’ Brass, Assures Team LeBron Wants To Stay In L.A.

February 25th, 2022 at 6:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James wants to remain with the Lakers and he and his representatives are not insisting on front office changes, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

James’ representative, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, met with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka on Tuesday, and expressed LeBron’s desire to remain with the team beyond this season. James is eligible for an extension this offseason.

Paul also stressed that there’s no push from his side for management changes and that there’s shared accountability, as Wojnarowski described it, for the team’s disappointing season.

James and Klutch Sports were reportedly upset with Pelinka for standing pat at the trade deadline.

Paul also spoke to Buss and Pelinka of James’ desire to finish off the season as strong as possible and then seek to upgrade the roster in the offseason.

Paul’s agency also represents Anthony Davis, who is out several weeks due to a foot injury.

James raised a lot of eyebrows with his comments during All-Star weekend that he wouldn’t close the door on a possible return to Cleveland. He also stirred the pot by heaping praise on Thunder general manager Sam Presti for his ability to identify talent.

Western Notes: Lillard, Blazers, Kings, Lakers, Micić

February 25th, 2022 at 7:37am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on Draymond Green‘s podcast, Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard expressed some enthusiasm about the team’s direction, singling out teammates Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little, Jusuf Nurkic, and Josh Hart, and suggesting Portland has “got some pieces to the puzzle” and just needs to keep adding to those pieces.

As Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com relays, Lillard also pushed back against the idea that Portland can’t be an appealing free agent destination, arguing that if the Blazers have a chance to seriously contend, they’ll attract talent.

“No offense, but people (are) going to Oklahoma City, people going to Milwaukee, you know what I mean?” Lillard said. “People are going places and Portland ain’t what people think it is, otherwise I wouldn’t have been living here this long. If you just couldn’t live here, I wouldn’t be living here this long.

“I think that’s part of it, but at the end of the day, people are going places that’s like ‘You went there?’ (Carmelo Anthony) went to OKC when we was trying to get ‘Melo to come here. Ask ‘Melo where he would go first. And I’ll say this: not just because of the living situation.”

Here are a few more notes from around the Western Conference:

The Kings‘ trade deadline shake-up create a more positive vibe around the organization, point guard De’Aaron Fox said this week, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I think the mood is definitely a bit better,” Fox said. “It’s definitely different when guys come into new situations, guys coming from Indiana, guys coming from Detroit and Donte [DiVincenzo] coming from Milwaukee … it’s like a breath of fresh air when you have a change of scenery.”
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel shared a series of injury-related updates on Thursday, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Most notably, Kendrick Nunn (knee) has begun his ramp-up process again following a setback last month, Anthony Davis (foot) is off his crutches, and Carmelo Anthony (hamstring) is probable to return on Friday after missing the team’s last five games.
Speaking to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, veteran international agent Misko Raznatovic expressed dissatisfaction with the rules governing draft-and-stash players like his client Vasilije Micić, whose NBA rights are held by the Thunder. “One team gets your rights and then, (even if) you’re the best player in Europe, they don’t want to trade you and they don’t want to give you (a fair contract) offer,” Raznatovic said. “And then you never play in the NBA, (even if) you’re better than 80% of the guys who are there. I don’t believe this is fair.” Raznatovic did note that Micić has an annual NBA escape clause in his contract with Anadolu Efes, so he’ll talk to the Thunder again this summer to see if they can work something out.

Lakers Notes: James, Davis, Pelinka, Identity

February 24th, 2022 at 6:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James needs to offer the Lakers a commitment before they decide what to do with him and the roster in general this offseason, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. James is eligible for a two-year extension after the season but otherwise would become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023. If James is intent on returning to Cleveland, their trade options would be limited, similar to what happened in Brooklyn when James Harden expressed his desire to play in Philadelphia.

We have more on the Lakers:

Trading James is the Lakers’ only viable path to success in the coming years, according to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, who contends that LeBron’s trade value offers the greatest rewards for the lowest risk, since no team wants Russell Westbrook‘s contract and declining production while Anthony Davis presents major injury concerns for would-be suitors. James could be a worthwhile one-year rental for a top contender and the Lakers could acquire some badly needed young talent.
James has wielded more power within the Lakers than Kobe Bryant ever did, sources inside the organization told Bill Oram of The Athletic. James and agent Rich Paul are putting the squeeze on GM Rob Pelinka and the front office with tensions at an all-time high. The Lakers’ front office doesn’t want to squabble with James, Oram adds, and Pelinka has insisted internally that there are no hard feelings between the two sides.
The season has gone too far along and there’s too many deficiencies for the Lakers to establish a positive identity the rest of the way, scouts told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

Anthony Davis Out At Least Four Weeks

February 17th, 2022 at 8:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The injury to Lakers star forward Anthony Davis is even worse than the original diagnosis. Davis has a mid-foot sprain, according to the team (hat tip to Brad Turner), and will be reevaluated in four weeks.

The original prognosis was a right ankle sprain that would cost Davis a minimum of two weeks. Davis took a scary fall in the second quarter of Wednesday’s game against Utah after landing on Rudy Gobert‘s heel and had to be helped to the locker room.

The injury was revealed during an MRI. It’s another major ailment for Davis, who has already missed 21 games this season.

He was sidelined for more than a month in December and January with a sprained MCL in his left knee. He also missed 36 of the 72 games last season.

It’s another blow to a franchise with championship aspirations that is now in danger of even reaching the postseason with one of the league’s premier big men out for an extended period. Los Angeles has the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. The Lakers ended a three-game losing streak on Wednesday by defeating the Jazz.

Los Angeles will have to lean more heavily on Carmelo Anthony (who currently has a hamstring issue), Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Stanley Johnson and Trevor Ariza in Davis’ absence.