D’Angelo Russell Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Draft Pick, Johnson, Russell

February 13th, 2017 at 10:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers own a record of 19-37, which is currently the third-worst mark in the league. If the season ended today, the team would have a 15.6% chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft, as our Reverse Standings indicate.

If Los Angeles’ 2017 draft pick ends up outside the top-3, Philadelphia will receive it and the team’s 2019 first round pick will go to Orlando. If the Lakers do not convey their 2017 first-rounder to the Sixers, they will send two second-rounders to the Magic instead of that 2019 first-rounder.

As we wait to see where the team’s pick ends up, check out some notes from Los Angeles:

Magic Johnson was hired to be a special advisor to Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss, but Johnson recently revealed that he wants to “call the shots” in the front office. Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register wonders if Johnson is the right person to run the show in Los Angeles. Miller admits that Johnson will restore legitimacy to the team, but adds that his presence may not help in free agency. The scribe notes that the former Laker great was part of the team’s pitch to Carmelo Anthony in 2014 and it didn’t bring the star to L.A.
D’Angelo Russell is showing signs that he can live up to his 2015 draft status, Ben Alamar of ESPN.com writes. The Ohio State product is posting similar numbers to Chris Paul when Paul first came into the league. Alamar notes that Russell’s biggest deficiency is his ability to get to the free throw line, as the point guard is averaging less than 5.5 free throw attempts per 100 possessions.
There’s reason to be optimistic about Julius Randle‘s career going forward, Alamar contends in the same piece. The scribe applauds Randle’s passing ability as well as his rebounding ability, but notes that the power forward’s efficiency on offense is holding him back.

Lakers Notes: Magic, Jim Buss, Walton, Draft

February 3rd, 2017 at 12:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Magic Johnson will have the freedom to do whatever he wants in his new role as an advisor to the Lakers, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. A news release issued by the team listed Johnson’s duties as “advising ownership on all business and basketball matters,” and Bontemps believes he will have a significant role in crafting the team’s future. That could include an ouster of executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss, whom Johnson has frequently criticized in the past. Johnson offered an olive branch to Buss on Thursday, saying, “Jim is calling the shots, and I want him to understand, I’m just here to lend advice,” but Bontemps says no one in the organization believes that.

There’s more news from Los Angeles:

Johnson’s hiring signals a major shakeup and the likely end of Jim Buss’ time with the team, according to Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times. Plaschke predicts the Lakers will become more attractive to free agents as Johnson brings in someone new to run the organization. The writer also expects Luke Walton to be kept as head coach and Mitch Kupchak to be replaced as general manager, but remain with the team as an advisor.
Walton hopes to build the Lakers in the image of a team that was once their greatest rival, relays Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. Growing up, the first-year head coach was greatly influenced by the 1985/86 champion Celtics that his father Bill was part of. “Everything that I’ve seen of basketball I thought should be played the way that Celtics team played,” Luke Walton said. “That was the standard of how basketball should be played — fast-paced, free-flowing, passing, high-scoring type of basketball. It was beautiful and historic.”
The Lakers shouldn’t hesitate to take an elite point guard in this year’s draft even though they already have D’Angelo Russell, according to Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com [Insider account]. Ford sees either Washington’s Markelle Fultz or UCLA’s Lonzo Ball as an upgrade, while Pelton notes Russell’s ability as a shooter and suggests that he could be moved to the two guard position.

D’Angelo Russell Out One To Two Weeks

January 21st, 2017 at 10:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

A right MCL sprain and right calf strain will sideline Lakers’ point guard D’Angelo Russell for one to two weeks, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com.

The injuries were confirmed today when Russell underwent an MRI. Doctors will re-evaluate his condition in one week.

Russell was hurt Friday after stepping on Julius Randle‘s foot in a game against the Pacers. He walked to the bench under his own power and later called it “just a little pain.”

“I don’t think it’s as bad as I initially thought,” coach Luke Walton said. “I saw him go down and I was pretty worried for him, but he said he feels all right when I checked on him at halftime.”

Russell is averaging 14.3 points, 4.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 34 games.

Pacific Notes: Ingram, Tucker, Russell

January 21st, 2017 at 11:55am CST by Austin Kent

No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram has made great progress over the course of his first three months in the NBA, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register, and the humble Lakers rookie deserves to start in place of veteran Luol Deng.

Oram cites Ingram’s preparation and focus, as well as head coach Luke Walton‘s recent praise of the young forward, as reasons why change should come to the Lakers’ lineup.

“There’s plenty of times where the best answer for our success is Brandon,” Walton told Oram after the Lakers took down Indiana on Friday, “And there’s plenty of times where we just want to challenge the hell out of him and see how he responds.”

In 11 January games, Ingram has upped his production, averaging 11.5 points per game versus the 7.1 he recorded in December.

Unless Walton fears a promotion would “douse Ingram’s competitive fire” Oram argues that starting the rookie is a “no-brainer”.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

No stranger to trade rumors, P.J. Tucker is well aware of the business side of basketball, writes Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic. “It’s part of business,” the Suns forward said Thursday. “Contract year. Being a defensive player, a lot of teams are looking to make an addition to (help) fight for a championship.”
Second-year Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell tweaked his knee Friday, but the mild MCL strain may not even force him to miss time, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. “I don’t think it’s as bad as I initially thought,” Walton said of the fall. “When I saw him go down, I was pretty worried, but he said he felt all right when I checked on him at halftime.” Russell will undergo an MRI on Saturday.
The Achilles injury suffered by Rudy Gay will impact more than just the Kings. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders explores all of the ripple effects that the Gay news could have on the trade market throughout the league as teams that considered making bids for the forward will have to look elsewhere.

Pacific Notes: Nance Jr., Curry, Clarkson

January 9th, 2017 at 10:04pm CST by Austin Kent

Though he’s been sidelined since December 20, Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. thinks that he could be back in action sooner than the team’s current timetable.

“I have no issues,” Nance told Mark Medina of the Orange County Register. “I’m as content as can be with the way everything is going and how fast it is progressing.”

Nance Jr. believes that the bone bruise in his left knee is healing faster than was originally expected. Initially slated to be out of action until January 22, his 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game would be welcome back to the lineup.

The 24-year-old second-year man has recently resumed shooting drills and will soon compete in contact drills.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

There’s a notable difference in how Lakers head coach Luke Walton coaches Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell, writes Mark Medina of the Orange County Register in a separate piece. Walton is more apt to harp on the former, while he approaches to discuss things more with the latter. Walton believes that the players respond better to uniquely tailored approaches.
Concern that Stephen Curry is in a slump is humorous, writes Chris Haynes of ESPN. The reigning two-time MVP acknowledges that his numbers are down but has every confidence that things will average out. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr added: “Ted Williams didn’t hit .400 every year, but every year he hit about .350, .360, and that’s what Steph is doing.“
The NBA has fined Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson $15,000 for his role in an altercation with Goran Dragic, tweets Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet. “I thought it was going to be worse, to be honest with you“, the guard said to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.

D’Angelo Russell Gets PRP Injection, Will Miss Two Weeks

November 23rd, 2016 at 5:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell will be out of action for at least two weeks after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left knee today, the team announced on its website. His condition will be re-evaluated in a week.

PRP injections are used to stimulate the flow of blood and help with healing in areas with decreased blood flow, explains Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet (Twitter link). The minimally invasive procedure was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Steve Yoon.

Russell has been part of the reason for the Lakers’ early-season success, averaging 16.1 points, 4.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds through the first 13 games. He sat out the team’s last two games and wasn’t expected to play tonight, even before the procedure.

Western Notes: Russell, Adams, Tucker

October 10th, 2016 at 1:49pm CST by Eddie Scarito

A breakout performance by D’Angelo Russell during Sunday night’s preseason game against the Nuggets may bode well for the Lakers‘ future as the team still seeks an identity, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. “It means a lot,” Russell said about scoring a game-high 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting in about 32 minutes. “We don’t want to go through losing seasons. We don’t want to go through rebuilding as an excuse of losing. We’re rebuilding, but we still find a way to win games, and we’re capable. We have the pieces. We don’t have an All-Star guy or anything like that. Hopefully some potential [All-Star] guys, but we’re taking everything serious.”

“Yeah, the thing with us right now is, we don’t have an identity,” Russell continued. “Other teams, they have star players. They’ve got glue guys. They know what they’re capable of. [The] same teams are showing up in the playoffs at the end of the year no matter how the season goes. We don’t have an identity right now, so it’s all about taking everything serious — taking every preseason [game], every practice, everything we do is serious when we’re trying to identify ourselves.”

Here’s more from out West:

There is no timetable yet for when Steven Adams will return to action after spraining his right ankle last week, with the Thunder still saying the center is day-to-day, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes. “I don’t think that they feel like he’s close to playing right now, so I don’t want to rule him out for Dallas [on Tuesday night] because I don’t know,” coach Billy Donovan said “It’s kind of been, see what happens the next day [and] how he’s feeling. But clearly he’s done more today than he has the last couple days, which is good.”
As P.J. Tucker makes his return from back surgery, his focus is not on his impending free agency after the season, but on helping the Suns make it to the postseason, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “This might be the most highly motivated year I’ve had in my career,” Tucker said. “People tend to think you get comfortable because you’ve been on a team so long. I’m pushing myself. I’ve been on the sideline pushing my teammates. I’ve been here a long time and I haven’t made the playoffs yet. It may be a contract year, but more than anything, I want to make playoffs. That’s the only thing I’m thinking about right now.”

Western Notes: Russell, Walton, Landry

September 3rd, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell and former coach Byron Scott did not have a good relationship last season, but the second year player has nothing but raves for new head coach Luke Walton, as he told Serena Winters of LakersNation. “He’s one of the best people I know, as far as off the court,” Russell said of Walton. “We communicate on and off the court as much as possible. I feel like I can call him anytime. He’s not like a head coach that will sit back and just watch his other coaches and colleagues just train other players, he’s always involved. He’ll get out there and play with you if he wants. It’s just great to have a young coach like him in the building.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Spurs have a number of new faces on their bench heading into the season and the players are still trying to get to know each other and build chemistry, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News writes. “We’re still trying to figure out some guys’ first and last names,” said Jonathon Simmons. “In another week, everything should be coming together.” San Antonio is also trying to fill a major leadership void now that Tim Duncan has retired, McDonald adds. Speaking about the players’ offseason practice and workout sessions, Kyle Anderson said, “Some days [in the past], they’d [the coaching staff] leave it up to Tim to run it. It’s a little weird without him there.”
In a recent chat where he answered reader questions, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News opined that rookie small forward Nicolas Brussino‘s upside makes him a player worth watching this season for the Mavs. The scribe did note that how well the 23-year-old from Argentina will adapt to the American style of play remains a major question mark.
The Rockets, Spurs, Lakers and Pacers are among the teams who are interested in Carl Landry, who was waived by the Sixers this week, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets.

Western Notes: Young, Neto, Teodosic, Koponen

August 15th, 2016 at 9:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nick Young is ready to end the feud with Lakers teammate D’Angelo Russell that resulted in the rookie being ostracized last season, relays Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. The dispute started when Russell secretly recorded Young talking about being unfaithful to his former fiancee, a clip that was later posted to social media. “It’s been so long, so it’s kind of old,” Young said. “We’ll be able to work it out. We’ve already been working it out. I can’t be mad forever.”

Young, who shot a career-low 34% from the field last season, may not be back with the Lakers, as there have been rumors that the team might buy out the final two years and $11MM left on his contract. If he does return, he’s looking forward to a chance to play for new head coach Luke Walton, who was hired over the offseason to replace Byron Scott. “Luke is a big-time coach and came from a championship team,” he said. “I think I have the tools that we can use as a shooter.”

There’s more news tonight from the Western Conference:

The Olympics have given Jazz point guard Raul Neto a chance to connect with new teammate Boris Diaw, writes Amy Donaldson of The Deseret News. Utah acquired Diaw, who plays for the French team, in a July trade with the Spurs to provide veteran help off the bench. “I’ve talked to Boris in the [athlete’s] village,” said Neto, who hails from the host country of Brazil. “He’s a really nice guy. [Leandro] Barbosa played with him in Phoenix, and he say only good things about him. I think we have a great team, some nice guys joined our team, and we expect [to] do better [this] season.”
The Grizzlies offered Serbian star Milos Teodosic more than $5MM in 2013, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. Teodosic’s agent, Nick Lotsos, said his client chose CSKA Moscow over Memphis.
Finnish point guard Petteri Koponen, whose draft rights have been held by the Mavericks since 2011, is close to reaching a deal with Barcelona, Pick tweets.

Pacific Notes: Rondo, Kupchak, Bender, Clippers

June 25th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings‘ decision to take big men in the first round of the draft may force them to make an aggressive offer to free agent point guard Rajon Rondo, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento traded down with its first pick and took center Georgios Papagiannis at No. 13, then later added forward Malachi Richardson at No. 22 and forward/center Skal Labissiere at No. 28. The selections leave the Kings with holes on the roster, Jones notes, and could make them desperate to keep Rondo, who led the NBA in assists this season.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

Kings GM/executive Vlade Divac said his team is “set” in the front court after draft night, Jones tweets. Divac adds that he is open to re-signing Rondo.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak hopes to surround all his young talent with some veteran leaders, posts Baxter Holmes on ESPN Now. L.A. selected Brandon Ingram on Thursday to team with D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson, if he re-signs with the team. “History tells you that a bunch of young guys on the team is probably not a good thing,” Kupchak said. “They look around for leadership or they look around for advice from somebody who’s been through this a couple times, and if there’s nobody to talk to, well, you don’t know how to handle the situation. So I think we will look to add some veteran leadership and hopefully it’s not only leadership but guys who can help us win games.”
The Suns feared Dragan Bender wouldn’t be available later if they didn’t take him at No. 4, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 in Phoenix. The Suns thought Denver would take Bender at No. 7, which is why they nabbed him with the fourth pick and waited until No 8 to take Marquese Chriss.
Even though they have limited cap room, the Clippers will make an effort to re-sign all their free agents, coach Doc Rivers told Rowan Kavner of NBA.com. “To a man, they all want to come back,” Rivers said. “Then there’s business. We’ll see once July 1st comes. It’s going to be interesting the way the cap’s going up. We have three Bird [Rights] guys we have a chance of signing [Jeff Green, Jamal Crawford and Luc Mbah a Moute], but they all may be — not all of them — but they may outprice and we can’t sign all three. But we’re going to try.”