Austin Reaves Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Comanche, Ellis, Warriors, Lakers

December 16th, 2023 at 12:03pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Center Chance Comanche, who had been playing for the Kings‘ G League affiliate in Stockton, was released by the team on Friday after he was arrested as a person of interest in an out-of-state FBI investigation, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports.

According to Anderson, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office helped the FBI apprehend Comanche, who is being held without bail in the county’s main jail. Jail records show Comanche’s felony arrest fell under a California penal code provision allowing peace officers to arrest a person “charged by a verified complaint… with the commission of any crime in any other state.”

His first appearance before a judge is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court, per Anderson. It’s not clear what charges he faces in another state or where in Sacramento County he was apprehended.

Comanche played in one game for the Trail Blazers last season, which was his lone NBA appearance to date. He signed with the Kings this summer on an Exhibit 10 contract before being waived ahead of the season.

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Two-way wing Keon Ellis had his best game in a Kings uniform on Friday against the Thunder, writes The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson. Ellis scored 17 points, hitting five of his seven three-point attempts, and added six rebounds and three assists. “Keon was big. He’s been big ever since we gave him minutes,” head coach Mike Brown said. “He just doesn’t seem to get rattled out there. … We have faith or confidence — or however you want to call it — in him, especially when his feet are set and he’s shooting wide open catch-and-shoot 3s. Heck of a game from him on both ends of the floor. He could’ve easily gotten the Defensive Player of the Game [crown].” Ellis is averaging 4.5 points in 16 games (two starts) on a two-way contract.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. was adamant the next 15-20 games, many of which will be played without Draymond Green, will impact the direction the team takes at the trade deadline. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater explores what that span of time could look like, writing the team could continue to rely on younger players, such as Trayce Jackson-Davis, in the short term.
The Lakers are 13-5 in their last 18 games and have multiple players performing at a high level. Outside of the usual star-level play from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves is establishing Sixth Man of the Year candidacy, Cam Reddish is announcing himself as a top-level defender and players like Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent will soon return to the lineup, The Ringer’s Seerat Sohi writes. Still, the Lakers have room to improve on offense and Sohi explores what the team needs to do between now and the trade deadline.

Lakers Notes: James, Davis, Tourney Payout, Injury Report

December 12th, 2023 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James and Anthony Davis reaffirmed their top-10 status among the league’s players during the Lakers’ run to the in-season tournament championship, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes.

The tournament also gave the team a blueprint for how to be most effective in the postseason — utilizing one skill guard (Austin Reaves or D’Angelo Russell) and multiple wings next to Davis and/or James.

However, James doesn’t want to think too far ahead.

“We want to put it in perspective that it’s still December. We like where we are right now but we want to continue to work our habits, continue to get healthy as well. But I think right now where we are in December, I would take it,” he said.

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James is energized by the growth the team showed during the tournament, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register notes. Los Angeles won all seven tournament games by an average margin of 19.3 points. “Every moment we grew,” James said. “Guys have felt a lot more comfortable in their roles. We’ve had a pretty good understanding of rotations. You know who you’re going to be playing with and you know what you guys want to do out on the floor.”
While $500K — the bonus given to the players on the 15-man roster for winning the tourney — might not be a big financial boost for the team’s stars, it was a boon for some of their young players and minimum salary vets, Marc J. Spears of Andscape notes. Rookie forward Maxwell Lewis, who has a $1.1MM salary, is grateful those stars recognized that. “Obviously, [James] doesn’t need it. Just him wanting to do it and helping us out because we’re the young guys is a blessing … What I learned about this environment is that when money is on the line, it is much more serious,” Lewis said.
James (calf) and Davis (adductor) were listed as questionable against Dallas tonight but they’ll play, Price tweets. However, Jarred Vanderbilt (back spasm) will sit out. Rui Hachimura is also available despite a nasal fracture, Grant Afseth of DallasBasketball.com tweets.

LeBron James Named MVP As Lakers Win NBA’s First In-Season Tournament

December 9th, 2023 at 10:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers pulled away from the Pacers Saturday night in Las Vegas to finish the in-season tournament unbeaten and claim the first-ever NBA Cup.

LeBron James was named tournament MVP after posting 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as L.A. secured a 123-109 victory in the title game. Anthony Davis was the night’s biggest star with 41 points, 20 rebounds and five assists, while Austin Reaves contributed 28 points.

James was the MVP choice of 14 of the 20 writers who voted (Twitter link from NBA Communications). Davis got five votes, and one went to Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton.

At the post-game press conference, James said the Lakers showed growth as a team throughout the tournament (video link from Khobi Price of The Orange County Register).

“I feel like guys have felt a lot more comfortable in their roles,” he said. “We’ve had a pretty good understanding of rotations, who we’re going to be playing with, what guys want to do out on the floor. Like AD said, getting (Jarred Vanderbilt) back, getting Rui (Hachimura) back has definitely helped our size. Getting Cam (Reddish) back has helped us out a lot.”

Apart from two games with the Suns, the Lakers weren’t really tested as they posted a 7-0 record in tournament play. Assigned to West Group A, they began with a three-point win at Phoenix on November 10, then followed with comfortable victories over Memphis, Portland and Utah.

Knockout play began Tuesday with another three-point victory over the Suns, followed by a 44-point blowout of the Pelicans in Thursday’s semifinals.

Indiana suffered its first loss of the tournament after advancing out of East Group A, then upsetting the Celtics and Bucks in knockout games.

“We just got outplayed tonight from the start of the game to the end of the game,” Haliburton said (Twitter link from Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). They just outplayed us.”

Lakers Notes: Tournament, Reaves, LeBron, Uniforms

December 6th, 2023 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

D’Angelo Russell called it “playoff intensity” as the Lakers hung on for a dramatic win against Phoenix on Tuesday night that gave them a trip to Las Vegas for the in-season tournament semifinals, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The game was noticeably competitive throughout, and any concerns that players and fans wouldn’t respond to the NBA’s new experiment seemed to be put to rest.

“You got some of the most alpha-male competitors in the world, and if you give us an opportunity to play for something meaningful with an incentive, then you’ll get what you’re getting,” LeBron James said at a post-game press conference alongside Anthony Davis. “And I know the competitive nature in myself, and the competitive nature of this guy next to me, and our DNA that we’re trying to build for this team. The in-season tournament is what it is, and we have an opportunity to play on a big stage, be on national television, be able to represent our families and represent our cities and communities, where we come from.”

L.A. also defeated the Suns in group play, but had an otherwise soft path to the quarterfinals with the lowly Grizzlies, Trail Blazers and Jazz making up the rest of West Group A. There was nothing easy about Tuesday’s matchup, which wasn’t decided until Kevin Durant missed a three-pointer at the buzzer, and Lakers coach Darvin Ham savored the experience.

“It makes it really exciting,” he said. “And so exciting that we can’t wait to conquer it. Pretty simply put.”

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Austin Reaves added to his legacy of clutch shots, sinking a huge three-pointer late in the game to stave off a Suns rally, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Reaves’ propensity to deliver in big situations is one of the reasons the Lakers signed him to a long-term deal during the offseason. “Man, Austin is a big-time player,” Ham said. “It’s the reason we wanted him here for the present and the future. Everybody saw what he did to finish last year, what he did for Team USA. He has just grown, grown and grown and he thrives in those moments, those big moments.”
At a media session today in Las Vegas, James reiterated his desire to eventually own an NBA team in the city, Price tweets. James discussed the area’s growing sports culture, adding, “Hopefully I can bring my franchise here someday.”
The NBA won’t allow the Lakers to wear their “city edition” uniforms for Thursday’s semifinal, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. went 3-0 during the tournament in the black ensemble, but the league has mandated gold “icon” uniforms for the matchup with New Orleans, which will wear its white “association” look. A source tells McMenamin that the NBA office has concerns about the contrast between the jerseys and the specialized court being used for the game.

And-Ones: Bronny James, Ndongo, Reaves, Messina

December 4th, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Bronny James‘ debut with USC could happen as early as Sunday in a home game against Long Beach State, according to Seth Davis of The Messenger Sports.

The son of Lakers star LeBron James recently received medical clearance from his doctor for a full return to basketball after suffering cardiac arrest in July. He still has to be cleared by the school’s medical staff, Davis adds, but that’s expected to happen sometime this week. If Bronny isn’t ready by Sunday, the next possibility is a December 17 contest against Auburn.

“He’ll have to get in game shape and have full-contact practices and get his timing back before we just throw him into a college basketball game,” Trojans coach Andy Enfield told Davis. “I’d like it to happen sooner rather than later, but right now I just don’t know.”

Bronny is an important name in NBA circles because he’s considered a potential first-round draft pick, and his father has indicated in the past that he would have an interest in joining the team that selects him. On a more immediate level, LeBron said last week that he would skip a Lakers game to watch his son’s first NCAA contest, but L.A. isn’t scheduled to play either this Sunday or December 17.

Enfield said it’s been an enjoyable experience to watch Bronny overcome the health scare that could have derailed his career.

“It’s a great feeling for sure,” he said. “He’s worked out quite a few times with our coaching staff and is able to go through non-contact workouts. It’s just a matter of giving him time to get into basketball shape and learn our system before he plays in it.”

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Georgia Tech freshman Baye Ndongo got the attention of NBA scouts with his performance in Saturday’s upset of Duke, observes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Ndongo had 21 points and five blocks for the Yellow Jackets and showed NBA potential in his ability to roll to the basket and pass to cutting teammates, according to Hollinger. Although Ndongo is undersized for an NBA center at 6’9″ and 214 pounds, Hollinger notes that he was able to match up effective with Blue Devils’ 7-footer Kyle Filipowski.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports takes a look inside the process of quickly scheduling two additional regular season games for the 22 teams that didn’t advance in the in-season tournament. Among the obstacles was figuring out which teams had open arena dates for Wednesday and Friday, which is when all the games will be played.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves has a new arrangement with Chinese sportswear brand Rigorer that will make him a part owner of the company, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. A new version of Reaves’ signature shoe will hit the market Friday.
Former Spurs assistant Ettore Messina has a contract extension with Milan that will run through the end of the 2025/26 season, according to Eurohoops. The club made the announcement after rumors that a coaching change was imminent.

Lakers Notes: Trade Market, Reaves, Vanderbilt, Hachimura, Vincent

December 2nd, 2023 at 9:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers will be patient about assessing potential trades, team sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Numerous injuries have made it difficult to evaluate the current roster, so the front office will continue to study the type of moves that need to be made and wait to see what opportunities might develop if teams such as the Raptors, Wizards, Jazz, Nets or Hornets decide to have a “fire sale” before the February deadline, according to Buha.

December 15 marks the unofficial start of trade season as most of the free agents who signed this summer will become eligible to be moved. For L.A., that list includes D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes. Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves will become trade-eligible a month later.

Buha notes that the Lakers have already been linked to Zach LaVine in trade rumors, along with fellow Bulls DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. But it appears any deal may be a couple of months away.

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Finding the best role for Reaves should be one of coach Darvin Ham‘s priorities for the rest of the season, Buha states in the same story. Reaves began the season as a starter, but he has put up better stats since being moved to a sixth-man role. Buha says the early-season slump could have been caused by fatigue from playing for Team USA in the World Cup or it could have been a result of adapting to more minutes at point guard. Regardless, Ham will eventually have to settle on a fifth starter from a group that includes Reaves, Prince, Reddish and Max Christie.
Meeting with reporters before tonight’s game, Ham confirmed that Jarred Vanderbilt will make his season debut after missing 20 games with bursitis in his left heel, Buha tweets. Hachimura has been medically cleared after missing the past four games following surgery for a nasal fracture, but Ham said “it’s more of a touch-and-feel thing with Rui” regarding how much he will play.
Vincent has only appeared in four games because of a left knee effusion, but he’s getting closer to a return, Ham added, saying that he’s lifting weights, shooting and running on an anti-gravity treadmill (Twitter link). “He’s progressing along,” Ham said. “Not as of yet, but he’s progressing really, really good.”

Sixers Notes: Batum, Beverley, House, Maxey

November 30th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Nicolas Batum‘s impact on the Sixers‘ defense has made him the most valuable player the team received in the James Harden trade, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The versatile swingman not only moved into the starting lineup, he routinely guards the opposition’s top scorer, a list that so far has included Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James and Brandon Ingram.

“It’s super valuable in a lot of ways, and he just does a lot of it by working,” coach Nick Nurse said. “Like he’s up the floor picking up full court. He’s in denial a lot. So the guy doesn’t even get it. That’s the easiest way to guard somebody if they don’t have the ball.”

Batum’s next assignment will be Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, but that’s only if he’s able to play Friday at Boston. Batum didn’t return to Wednesday’s game after he hyperextended his right index finger in the third quarter, reaggravating an existing injury.

“We will see (Thursday),” he said. “It’s new so I don’t know what’s going to happen. … We haven’t had an X-ray yet. It’s more like we will see what happens (Thursday).”

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At age 35, Patrick Beverley is posting the lowest scoring average of his career at 3.3 points per game, but he continues to help the Sixers through a combination of defense, leadership and finding ways to motivate himself, Pompey notes in a separate story. On Monday, it involved a confrontation with former Lakers teammate Austin Reaves that led to them being separated by officials. Beverley, who is still seething about Reaves doing the “too small” gesture after scoring on him last season, commented about the matchup on his podcast. “Every time I see the Lakers until I retire — whatever team Austin Reaves is on — I’m on his ass,” Beverley said.
Danuel House missed his third straight game Wednesday with a left quadriceps strain, Pompey states in the same piece. House tested the injury at the morning shootaround, and Nurse is hoping he’ll be able to participate in today’s practice. “We’ve been over a week now since he’s done anything, practice or game-wise,” Nurse said after the game. “I didn’t think it was much there. So it’s a little bit disappointing. But tomorrow we shall see if we can make some progress.”
Tyrese Maxey‘s playing time has increased dramatically under Nurse, who was known for leaning heavily on his core players in Toronto, Pompey adds. Maxey is averaging 38.4 minutes per night, which would be the most since Jimmy Butler reached 38.7 with the Bulls nine years ago.

Pacific Notes: Monk, Murray, Lakers, LaVine, Booker

November 28th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kings guard Malik Monk isn’t fretting over the fact that he’s in his walk year, he told Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. Monk is the only Sacramento rotation player in the final year of his contract.

“I really don’t worry about that. Because I know if I just go out there and perform how I perform, and do the things I’ve been doing, it’ll work out for me,” Monk said.

Monk, who is averaging 13.2 points and 5.0 assists, is making $9.9MM this season. He’s in line for a substantial raise and that could cause issues for the Kings, Biderman notes. They are expected to be approximately $20MM below the luxury tax next summer and will have to weigh whether to approach or surpass that figure in order to re-sign Monk.

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Keegan Murray was able to go through a full practice on Monday, according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), but the second-year forward remained sidelined for Tuesday’s game against Golden State, KTXL’s Sean Cunningham tweets. He’s been nagged by irritation to the sacroiliac joint in his lower back.
Expect the Lakers to express interest in the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, Shams Charania said on FanDuel TV (Twitter link). However, Charania believes the Lakers will take a “patient” approach and wouldn’t be able to swing that type of deal until some of the free agents they signed over the summer become trade-eligible. Charania believes the Bulls would demand the Lakers’ top young guard. “The Bulls, I’m sure, would covet Austin Reaves in any potential Zach LaVine trade,” he said.
With Chris Paul gone, Suns star Devin Booker has taken on the dual roles of being a top scorer and primary play-maker. He’s thriving with the added responsibility, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com notes. Booker is averaging 29.4 points, 8.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game and is scoring efficiently. “He came in scoring 70 against the Celtics pretty early in his career, so yeah, I don’t wanna say he’s just grown and grown as a scorer,” coach Frank Vogel said. “He’s always kind of had that killer instinct, but I think leadership, seeing all the different coverages that you see as an elite player over the years, it just gets you sharper with how to attack them.”

Bulls Rumors: LaVine, Donovan, DeRozan, Caruso, Lakers, More

November 16th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls and Zach LaVine are reportedly increasingly open to exploring a trade involving the two-time All-Star. When asked about that report this week, LaVine was evasive and didn’t deny that he might be open to a change of scenery.

One report stated that LaVine was still upset about being benched by head coach Billy Donovan late in a game last year in which he shot 1-of-14 from the field. When Donovan was asked about the recent LaVine rumors, he said the team’s shooting guard has “always been coachable” and that he visited LaVine twice in Los Angeles in the offseason.

“He’s always been been very welcoming when I’ve come out there,” Donovan said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “We’ve always had really good conversations. He’s always responsive to text messages and phone calls. So I haven’t seen anything where it’s like, ‘OK, this guy has really pushed himself all the way over here and he’s just totally disconnected from everybody. I have not seen that at all.

“I would think that if there’s anything he’d want to talk to a teammate about or a coach about or me about that he as a man would come up and do that. I do think our conversations have been very open and honest. And I think he has worked hard at the relationship just as I have.”

According to Johnson, Donovan also said he’s in constant contact with Bulls lead basketball executive Arturas Karnisovas, and suggested that nothing is imminent on the trade front. That makes sense, given that most free agents who signed new deals over the summer aren’t trade-eligible until December 15 or January 15.

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The Lakers have been linked to LaVine multiple times over the years, including recently. Jovan Buha of The Athletic confirms that L.A. would be interested in the 28-year-old, but only if the price is right. Buha says LaVine’s pricey long-term contract — he’s in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary deal — is the Lakers’ primary concern. The Lakers also don’t have interest in trading Austin Reaves in a potential LaVine deal, Buha reports.
Of course, as Buha writes, there are several impediments to a trade possibly coming together. The Lakers can only offer one first-round pick and one pick swap, and the players they could use as salary-matching pieces aren’t eligible to be traded until the aforementioned Dec. and Jan. dates. LaVine also might not be an ideal fit for the Lakers’ roster.
Chicago is now 4-8 after losing Wednesday’s game to Orlando. If the Bulls pivot to a rebuild in the next few months, multiple sources tell Buha that the Lakers would also be interested in DeMar DeRozan and/or Alex Caruso, and suggests those players would be a higher priority for Los Angeles. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports hears several teams monitoring the Bulls’ situation would be more interested in DeRozan ($28.6MM expiring contract) and Caruso ($19.4MM over the next two seasons) than LaVine.
Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports that, despite the increasing trade chatter and the team’s poor overall play, the Bulls have had no interest in dealing Caruso in the past and there’s no sign that has changed (Twitter link).
Danny Chau of The Ringer examines LaVine’s trade value and comes up with five trades that might make sense. In addition to the Lakers and Heat, who have been previously linked to LaVine, Chau comes up with hypothetical trades sending LaVine to the Warriors, Raptors and Pacers.

Lakers Notes: Davis, Wood, Hayes, LeBron, Reddish, Reaves, Russell

November 13th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis‘ desire to spend less time at center was behind the Lakers‘ decision to add Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Davis has long preferred to play power forward, which enables him to take advantage of his mobility and requires less battling for position against other big men. He expressed that to the Lakers’ front office this summer, and they responded by signing Hayes in July and Wood in September.

It’s an arrangement with the potential to work out well for everyone involved, McMenamin notes. Even though Davis has started at center in every game he has played, he’s playing there less often as he and Wood have been finishing games together. Hayes and Wood each signed two-year deals with a player option, so they have a chance to raise their values and return to free agency in 2024.

Second-year coach Darvin Ham has adjusted to the new roster, and he understands management’s desire to keep one of its stars happy.

“I don’t get caught up in it,” Ham said about Davis’ dealings with the front office. “I know what he means about wanting to have his skill set be diversified on the floor. I get that part, and we are on the same page.”

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A left calf contusion caused LeBron James to miss his first game of the season Sunday night, per Buster Holmes of ESPN. James was originally listed as questionable before being downgraded later in the day. “He has some issues with that shin that (got) kneed in the last game, so, (we’re) just being proactive,” Ham explained. “No reason to run him in the ground this early. But it’s an opportunity where he can get some treatment (and) not force it.”
Cam Reddish is getting the biggest opportunity of his NBA career after replacing Austin Reaves in the Lakers’ starting lineup, notes Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Reddish admits his confidence was waning after frustrating experiences with the Hawks, Knicks and Trail Blazers, but his Lakers teammates have been working to prop him up as he takes on an important role. “We know the type of talent he is,” Davis said. “He can be a big-time player for us and he has shown that, what we want from him, in the past couple of games.”
Jovan Buha of The Athletic wonders why Ham decided to remove Reaves from the starting lineup rather than D’Angelo Russell. The former starting backcourt was a bad fit together, but Buha points out that Reaves is one of only three Lakers with a contract that extends past three seasons.