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L.A. Notes: Bamba, Clippers, Knecht, Vanderbilt

November 20th, 2024 at 11:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers reserve center Mohamed Bamba is excited about his first two healthy bouts of the 2024/25 season, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Those games were also his first two with L.A. after the former lottery pick inked a one-year minimum deal this summer.

Bamba’s first outing for the Clippers on Sunday was fairly strong. In a win against Utah, Bamba played for 15 minutes, scoring nine points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor and one made free throw, while also chipping in eight boards.

“It was really good,” Bamba said regarding the game. “I told myself out there today it wasn’t going to be a matter of making shots or scoring. It was going to be just trying to get extra possessions and things of that nature.”

Bamba scored three points in his encore performance on Monday. The big man missed the first month of the season with a chronic knee injury. He played through the ailment during his 2023/24 run with the Sixers, but the Clippers opted instead to sideline him for a month.

“It was annoying but it’s not one specific injury,” Bamba said. “I kept getting this pocket of fluid in my knee and it was frustrating because we couldn’t figure out why it was happening. Now, though, we have a plan to manage it moving forward.”

There’s more out of Los Angeles:

  • In a crowded West, the Clippers are seeking to thread the needle of competing while also developing their young players, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. L.A. is currently 8-7 on the year, and in the midst of a game on Wednesday. With All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard hurt indefinitely, Murray notes that fans are wondering why the Clippers are still leaning so heavily on veteran guards James Harden and Norman Powell, both on the wrong side of 30, and not giving opportunities to intriguing youngsters Jordan Miller, Kobe Brown, and Bones Hyland.
  • Lakers head coach JJ Redick has indicated that rookie wing Dalton Knecht has earned legitimate rotation minutes going forward – as well as the trust of coaches and teammates – thanks to his recent scoring output, per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (Twitter link). Through his first 14 games, the Tennessee alum is averaging 11.3 points per contest on .523/.464/.923 shooting splits. With forward Rui Hachimura hurt, Knecht has started Los Angeles’ last three games. Across those starts, he averaged 26.0 PPG on .636/.615/.857 shooting.
  • Lakers reserve forward Jarred Vanderbilt‘s recovery from surgery on both feet in May has been slower than Los Angeles had anticipated it would be, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The 6’8″ vet is expected to keep rehabilitating for at least two more weeks, at which time his progress will be reassessed. Price notes that Vanderbilt hasn’t played for L.A. since incurring a right mid-foot injury in February. The 25-year-old is in just the first season of a four-year, $48MM extension deal he inked during the 2023 offseason.
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Injury Notes: Curry, Melton, Wiggins, Raptors, Clarkson, More

November 1st, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors guards Stephen Curry (left peroneal strain) and De’Anthony Melton (strained lower back) have been ruled out for Saturday’s contest against Houston, the team announced today (via Twitter), and Melton will remain sidelined for at least two games beyond that before being reevaluated a week from now.

However, the injury news from Golden State isn’t all bad. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Curry has been cleared to participate in parts of Friday night’s practice and will be reevaluated on Sunday, so it’s possible he could return to action as soon as Monday vs. Washington.

Additionally, forward Andrew Wiggins is on track to suit up on Saturday after missing two games due to a low back strain. He’ll be immediately reinserted into the starting lineup upon returning, according to head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Slater).

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

  • After missing the first five games of his rookie season, Raptors first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter was cleared to make his NBA debut on Friday vs. the Lakers, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Elsewhere on the Raptors injury front, forward Scottie Barnes (orbital fracture) has a doctor’s appointment on Monday, which could help determine the treatment plan for his injury, while big man Kelly Olynyk (back/lumbar strain) is still at least a “couple more weeks” away from playing, per head coach Darko Rajakovic (Twitter links via Lewenberg). Guard Immanuel Quickley (pelvic contusion) isn’t far off from returning, but he remains out on Friday and will likely miss Saturday’s game vs. Sacramento too, tweets Lewenberg.
  • Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson has been diagnosed with left plantar fasciitis and will be reevaluated in a week, the team announced today (via Twitter). Collin Sexton, who figures to play an increased role with Clarkson out, suffered a left fourth finger distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint avulsion fracture on Thursday but will attempt to play through the injury, according to the Jazz.
  • Hornets center Mark Williams is doing a “good amount of individual work,” per head coach Charles Lee, but he hasn’t been cleared for full team drills or scrimmages yet, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Williams has yet to play this season due to a sprained tendon in his left foot.
  • Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who is recovering from offseason surgeries on both feet, has experienced some “minor discomfort,” but that’s a normal part of the recovery process, head coach J.J. Redick told reporters on Friday (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). Redick added that Vanderbilt is “progressing” but that his return isn’t imminent. “We’ll have another update in a week or so,” he said.
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L.A. Notes: Vanderbilt, Knecht, Kawhi, Powell, K. Jones

October 18th, 2024 at 8:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt will be sidelined to open the 2024/25 regular season as he continues to rehab from surgeries on both feet in May, head coach J.J. Redick said on Thursday evening (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin). According to Redick, Vanderbilt will be out at least two more weeks, which means he’ll miss a minimum of five regular season games.

A rangy, versatile defender, Vanderbilt was limited to just 29 games due to foot injuries. Redick said last week that the 25-year-old hasn’t experienced any setbacks in training camp, but he has yet to take part in practice, contact or otherwise.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:

  • No. 17 overall pick Dalton Knecht showed on Thursday why the Lakers believe he’ll be viewed as a draft-night steal, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Knecht scored 35 points in 32 minutes off the bench, pouring in the Lakers’ last seven points of regulation and their first 13 of overtime. League executives say Knecht fell out of the lottery due to concerns about his age and defensive limitations, per Woike, but he appears poised to open his rookie season as a rotation player in Los Angeles.
  • Discussing the status of Kawhi Leonard‘s troublesome right knee, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue admitted the star forward experienced a setback at Team USA’s training camp, as Janis Carr of The Orange County Register relays. “The swelling was down, everything was going in the right direction,” Lue said. “He had worked hard to get to the that point and then once you start playing, you never know what’s going to happen.”
  • Clippers swingman Norman Powell spoke to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.com about a wide variety of topics, including his first impressions of the team’s new arena, Leonard’s absence, and being challenged to step up on defense with Kawhi out. “Over the years, there’s been a focus on my scoring part,” Powell said. “But I’m tapping back into my defensive abilities and guarding as a two-way player. I love it. I know I can do it.”
  • After a strong camp and preseason, big man Kai Jones is set to open the season with the Clippers, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Since the team already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, Jones will likely have his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way contract prior to opening night, Murray adds.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

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Lakers Notes: Vanderbilt, Reaves, Olivari, Trade Market

October 12th, 2024 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jarred Vanderbilt probably won’t play during the preseason, but the Lakers remain hopeful that he’ll be ready when the regular season tips off on October 22, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The team is bringing Vanderbilt along slowly after he had surgery on both feet in May, and he continues to make progress toward being available for opening night. Head coach J.J. Redick told reporters after Saturday’s practice that Vanderbilt hasn’t experienced any complications since training camp began.

“He’s following our ramp-up protocol,” Redick said. “He has not done any contact work. He has not participated in any non-contact practice. But we’re still trying to target the beginning of the season. Our ramp-up process, we’re on, sort of, target. So it remains to be seen if he’ll be available. But no setbacks. And he just continues to work his way back.”

Vanderbilt became an immediate starter after being acquired from Utah at the 2023 trade deadline and played an important role as the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals. Injuries limited him to 29 games last season, and his return could be vital for Redick as he installs new defensive schemes.

“We’ve had some fun with one of our zones,” Redick said. “We haven’t practiced it, but we’ve used it in a game a couple times. We have another version of a zone that features [Vanderbilt]. I’m looking forward to experimenting with that. Probably won’t get to experiment with it in the preseason.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

  • Austin Reaves missed Thursday’s game with soreness in his right ankle, but Redick doesn’t believe it’s a long-term concern, Price adds. He was a non-contact participant in today’s practice and could return for Tuesday’s matchup with Golden State.
  • Quincy Olivari, who’s in camp on an Exhibit 10 deal, made a strong impression on his teammates and coaches Thursday night, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. The rookie guard out of Xavier put up 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in the fourth quarter and helped to spark a 20-0 run. Olivari said it was a “fairly easy decision” to join the Lakers, even though there’s not a roster spot available, especially after he was recruited following the draft by Nick Mazzella, general manager of the team’s South Bay affiliate in the G League. “He takes the game very seriously,” Redick said. “He’s a player who, I talk about care factor, he’s a player who has a care factor for doing it the right way and wanting to execute whatever vision you give him. I’m excited that he’s in our program, I really am. We look at him as a coaching staff in very high regard.”
  • The Lakers are exploring the trade market in hopes of adding another center, Shams Charania of ESPN said Friday in his debut appearance on NBA Today (video link). Charania didn’t mention any potential targets, but he pointed out that Christian Wood continues to recover after having knee surgery last month, while two-way player Christian Koloko still hasn’t received medical clearance to return to the league, even though Lakers doctors remain confident it will eventually happen.
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Los Angeles Notes: Leonard, Harden, Lakers Rotation, Redick

October 1st, 2024 at 6:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard anticipates he’ll be on the court for the team’s regular season opener, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes. Leonard has been dealing with inflammation in his right knee during the offseason. However, Leonard acknowledges knee issues will remain an ongoing concern.

“Everything has been going great for the past month, but being very cautious for reasons in the past we haven’t been able to finish some playoff runs, so making sure we’re staying healthy for those important moments,” he said. “Trying to maintain it and figure it out. We’ll be in here for a long time if I started describing stuff [about the injury and treatment] … but just learning on how it came and how to keep it down and make sure that we don’t fall in that timeframe of [missing time in] those important [late-season] moments and just making sure I’m healthy. There’s certain stuff that we could do or try to do to make me last.”

Leonard, who signed a three-year max extension in January, is encouraged by the fact he played more often last season.

“I played my most games I’ve played in a long time last year,” Leonard said. “Last two years I came back from ACL and been injured and it’s a progression for me. It was successful for us last year. Obviously from a fan base [perspective] or just from my own competitive nature, we didn’t reach a goal [of winning a title]. But in the grand scheme of things and how my body’s been doing it, it was a good year. I went from zero games to 52 to 68. So let’s see if I could keep it going from there.”

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

  • With Paul George signing with the Sixers and Russell Westbrook also out of the picture, the Clippers will lean heavily on 35-year-old James Harden this season. Harden says he’s up to the challenge, Ben Golliver of the Washington Post tweets. “It’s definitely going to involve a lot of me,” Harden said. “There was talk when I was in Houston… ‘You can’t win like that.’ You just saw a guy [Luka Doncic] last season make the Finals playing the same exact way I played.”
  • Lakers first-year coach J.J. Redick envisions a nine-man rotation, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. Redick mentioned Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes, Max Christie, Cam Reddish and Jalen Hood-Schifino as some of the candidates for bench rotation spots.
  • Redick and his staff are already receiving compliments from the players, according to Buha. “I just think the whole structure and foundation these coaches have brought in for us is a great start,” Austin Reaves said. “Because I feel like a lot of times last year we won games off talent. And when you have talent around structure, then you have the opportunity to do something really special.” Christie said Redick has gone to great lengths to explain his philosophy: “J.J. has done a really good job, I think, to start. Definitely imposing himself as a coach. … I think he’s done a really good job kind of explaining what our offensive identity, defensive identity and so on is going to be.”
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Lakers’ Pelinka, Redick Talk Roster, Lack Of Trades, Health, More

September 25th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Addressing the media alongside head coach JJ Redick on Wednesday, Lakers executive VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said it will take about 30 or so games to properly evaluate the team’s 2024/25 roster.

The Lakers only added four outside players this offseason, bringing in Dalton Knecht and Bronny James via the draft and adding two-way players Armel Traore and Christian Koloko. The team will primarily be banking on good health luck and internal improvement to take a step forward in the Western Conference hierarchy.

“We believe in this group,” Pelinka said according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link).

The Lakers were in rumors revolving around Hawks guard Trae Young and other big names toward the start of the offseason, but didn’t end up pulling the trigger. If they did decide to swing for a star or role player down the line, their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks would be highly coveted.

“We would do a trade with both picks if that leads to sustainable Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said, per Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina (Twitter link). “We would also use one pick to make a marginal upgrade if we felt that was the right thing to do.”

Here are a few of the more interesting comments from Pelinka and Redick from today’s presser:

  • Jarred Vanderbilt underwent procedures on each of his feet this offseason, tweets The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. Pelinka said both operations were successful and he’s optimistic the forward will be ready for the start of the season. According to Pelinka, the surgeries happened at the beginning of the Lakers’ offseason. Vanderbilt had a bone spur in one foot and the doctor recommended going ahead and cleaning up the other foot since he was missing time anyways (Twitter link via Buha).
  • According to Pelinka, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Jalen Hood-Schifino have all been cleared to participate in training camp (Twitter link via Buha). Hachimura didn’t miss much time last season, but Vincent and Hood-Schifino combined to play in just 32 games. The Lakers paid $33MM over three seasons to Vincent last year but he was limited to 11 appearances due to a knee injury. He’ll likely be relied on more this coming season.
  • Redick says he’s spoken to D’Angelo Russell more than any other Lakers player. His message to the guard, according to McMenamin (Twitter link), has been “Let’s put you in position to have a career year.” Russell averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 assists per game last year while making 41.5% of his three-point attempts.
  • Redick said he and his staff have already discussed the moment that LeBron James and Bronny James will first share the court in the regular season, McMenamin tweets. Redick will involve both players in the process, but doesn’t view coaching the pair as a challenge.
  • Pelinka said he thinks new two-way center Christian Koloko will be cleared by the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel sooner rather than later, according to The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price (Twitter link). Koloko missed all of last season due to career-threatening blood clots.
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Pacific Notes: Vanderbilt, LeBron, Bronny, Clippers, Valley Suns

September 7th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The foot issue that sidelined Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt for most of last season may not have improved during the summer, analyst Mike Bresnahan said on Spectrum SportsNet’s “Lakeshow” podcast (hat tip to Lakers Nation). Vanderbilt, who became the team’s starting power forward after being acquired at the 2023 trade deadline, was limited to 29 games last season and didn’t play at all after February 1.

“Vando is gonna be interesting,” Bresnahan said. “I’m not sure he’ll be ready for training camp or even for the preseason games. It’s a foot injury. He opted not to have a procedure in-season when he got hurt in February. So we’ll see if he’s ready to go. I don’t have a lot of details on it but I’m not sure he’ll be ready for training camp. Regular season is a different story, hopefully he’s ready by then. But nothing concrete on him yet.”

Vanderbilt suffered a right midfoot sprain midway through the season and was never able to return. He received medical clearance for the final game of L.A.’s playoff series, but didn’t see any action.

The Lakers invested heavily in Vanderbilt last summer, signing him to a four-year, $48MM extension. They were counting on an offseason of rest to fix the problems with his foot, but it sounds like that didn’t go as planned. Vanderbilt was used mostly in a reserve role last season, contributing 5.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20 minutes per night.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • On the latest episode of “The Shop” podcast, LeBron James talks about the thrill of being the first NBA player ever to team up with his son (hat tip to Silver Screen and Roll). The Lakers took Bronny James with a second-round pick after one season at USC. “I am so excited for training camp,” LeBron said. “Having your son work with you, it’s like the greatest thing. I can’t wait for this moment. I really cannot wait to hit the floor for him. It’s going to be pretty surreal for me. That might be the first time I sit back and, like, out of my whole career, finally get an opportunity to sit back and be like, ‘Oh s–t, this is really cool.’”
  • The Clippers are receiving $750K to hold training camp and an exhibition game in Honolulu, according to Duane Shimogawa of Island News. He cites public records showing that the Hawaiian Tourism Authority will receive several marketing opportunities with the team and will be named an official partner of the L.A. Clippers. In addition, Clippers officials will conduct several community events during camp, which begins October 1 and wraps up with a game against the Warriors October 5.
  • Brendan Sabean, general manager of the G League’s newest team, the Valley Suns, talks to PHNX Sports about the challenges of trying to assemble a roster from scratch.
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L.A. Notes: Davis, Lakers, DeRozan, Batum, Clippers, Christie

July 9th, 2024 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

After LeBron James downplayed any concerns over what has been a quiet offseason so far for the Lakers, his star teammate Anthony Davis followed suit from Team USA’s training camp in Las Vegas, as Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times relays. Davis pointed out that injuries to presumptive rotation players like Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent had an impact on last year’s team and that having better health luck in 2024/25 could make a difference.

“We don’t know what we could have been if we had those guys, especially in the playoffs,” Davis said. “You know especially Vando because he’s a big part of what we do defensively. But, so we look at the lineup, and you know we come in ready to work.

“And last year is last year. We can’t say, ‘Oh this is the same team.’ It could be a different result. For us it’s about coming in with the mindset of getting to work and seeing how it plays out.”

Of the 15 players who finished last season on the Lakers’ roster, 13 remain under contract for the coming season. The only two newcomers to this point are the team’s two draft picks, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles-based teams:

  • Although DeMar DeRozan was said to be on the short list of “impact” Lakers targets that LeBron James would have been willing to take a significant discount for, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium stated during an appearance on The Rally (Twitter video link) that it came down to the Kings and Heat for DeRozan. “I’m told the Lakers never went beyond expressing just simple interest in DeRozan,” Charania said. “There were no offers or tangible conversations with the Bulls on a sign-and-trade deal.”
  • Speaking to reporters after he agreed to re-sign with the Clippers, veteran forward Nicolas Batum indicated that he chose to reunite with his former team and former head coach (Tyronn Lue) after receiving interest from over half the league. “I had several options, a lot of options, I actually had 17,” Batum said (French link via BasketUSA.com).
  • The Clippers, who had the NBA’s oldest roster last season, haven’t exactly been a player development hub in recent years, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who takes a look at how the team could change that going forward, starting with this year’s second-round pick Cam Christie.
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FA/Trade Rumors: Okoro, Pistons, Lakers, Lopez, Grant, Knicks

June 30th, 2024 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are a rival suitor to keep an eye on for Cavaliers free agent forward Isaac Okoro, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).

As Fedor explains, Okoro’s former coach J.B. Bickerstaff is being hired as the Pistons’ new head coach, and the rebuilding squad could afford to be more patient than Cleveland in developing the wing into more of a two-way threat. Additionally, Fedor cites Okoro’s “toughness, competitiveness, tenacity and defense-first credo” as important traits that would help Bickerstaff instill the kind of culture he wants in Detroit.

Okoro received a qualifying offer from the Cavaliers, making him a restricted free agent and giving Cleveland the ability to match any offer sheet he receives. Still, the Pistons will have a significant amount of cap room this summer and could make life hard on the capped-out Cavs with an aggressive offer sheet.

Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA:

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Lakers Notes: Coaching Search, Offseason, Mailbag

May 30th, 2024 at 3:46pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link), Shams Charania of The Athletic said James Borrego‘s second interview for the job — which took place on Wednesday — included meeting the team’s ownership. A former head coach of the Hornets, Borrego is currently the Pelicans’ top assistant.

“At the end of the day, if there are any finalists, it’s likely going to be J.J. Redick and James Borrego,” Charania said. “James Borrego is someone Anthony Davis is fond of. And James Borrego is someone that understands that the Lakers have to continue to win with Anthony Davis at the helm.

“He’s 31 years old, he’s in the prime of his career. He’s gonna be a Laker — as long as all the stars align — longer than LeBron James is gonna be a Laker. LeBron has one, two more years left at the most in his career. Anthony Davis has a longer runway. So building an offense around AD, having a team of player development, those are things — from what I’m told — that James Borrego has stressed to the Lakers.”

Despite characterizing Borrego as a serious candidate and a potential finalist, Charania reiterated that Redick is widely viewed as the frontrunner for the job, saying the Lakers “have an infatuation level” with the former sharpshooter as a head coach.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

  • While Los Angeles plans to be “aggressive” in seeking upgrades this summer, it remains unclear if the team will pursue a third star to pair with James and Davis or upgrade the role players surrounding them, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Whichever route the Lakers take, they would prefer to retain Austin Reaves, whose strong showings in the playoffs the past two years “have affirmed his fit” with the team’s stars, sources tell Buha.
  • According to Buha, the Lakers are willing to offer James whatever he wants on his next contract, with picking up his $51.4MM player option still considered a possibility. Buha also confirms that James is expected to play one or two more seasons.
  • In a mailbag on his YouTube channel (video link), Buha said that the Lakers likely “aren’t actively shopping” Rui Hachimura but noted that his mid-sized contract is a logical salary-matching piece if they want to make roster upgrades. Buha added that Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent could be viewed in a similar way — Hachimura just makes more money.
  • Responding to another mailbag question, Buha said he isn’t sure, but he doesn’t think the Lakers would have interest in revisiting trade talks for Zach LaVine this summer. Buha views LaVine as a step down from some other maximum-salary players, particularly due to his injury history.
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