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Western Notes: Kuminga, Warriors, Fox, McDermott, Thunder

October 18th, 2024 at 10:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Draymond Green has high expectations for teammate Jonathan Kuminga as the 22-year-old enters his fourth NBA season, per Joaquin Ruiz of NBC Sports Bay Area. Asked by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke what would make the season an individual success for Kuminga, Green replied, “All-Star.”

What, specifically, does Kuminga have to do to earn his first All-Star berth?

“Score the basketball,” Green said. “(He) has to be a great scorer. He needs to be above 20 points per game, six (or) seven rebounds a night, and we need to win. Especially if you want to become a first-time All-Star. We know what he’s capable of and we believe in him. … Anything less than an All-Star is a failure for him.”

Kuminga remains eligible to sign a rookie scale extension up until Monday at 5:00 pm Central time, but a Friday report indicated that he and the Warriors are still “far apart” in negotiations and that the former No. 7 overall pick is comfortable with the idea of betting on himself in 2024/25. If Kuminga ends up not getting an extension in the coming days, an All-Star season would certainly go a long way toward securing him a significant payday as a restricted free agent next summer.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

  • The Warriors announced this week (via Twitter) that they’ll honor the late Jerry West with a “JW” decal on their home court at Chase Center throughout the 2024/25 season.
  • Speaking to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox expressed a desire to remain in Sacramento for his entire career, but stressed that he wants to be sure the team will be “competing at a high level” and “not just fighting for a playoff spot.” While Fox may end up signing an extension during the 2025 offseason, the prospect of him reaching unrestricted free agency in 2026 remains a possibility if this season doesn’t go as planned for the Kings, sources tell Amick and Slater.
  • Doug McDermott‘s one-year contract with the Kings is worth the veteran’s minimum and features a $750K partial guarantee, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. The deal, which would pay McDermott approximately $3.3MM for the full season and will count for about $2.09MM against Sacramento’s cap, will become fully guaranteed if the veteran sharpshooter isn’t waived on or before January 7.
  • Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman (subscription required) considers what Isaiah Hartenstein‘s absence will mean for the Thunder in the first few weeks of the season, noting that the team was already dealing with frontcourt injuries to Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams and will have its depth tested in the early going. ​​“We got a great group of guys with Hartenstein and without,” Aaron Wiggins told reporters on Thursday. “Obviously the anticipation of playing with him and Alex Caruso and guys like that was high, but good things come to those who wait. We’ll get better and kind of find things with his absence, but when he returns we’ll be just as fluid and probably ready to go at that point.”
  • The Thunder experienced another injury scare on Thursday night when Jalen Williams rolled his ankle against Atlanta and exited the game early. However, sources tell Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link) that Williams’ left ankle sprain is “not severe.”
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Los Angeles Notes: Guthrie, Lakers Trade Targets, West, Clippers Rotation

September 10th, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are hiring Zach Guthrie as the head coach of their NBA G League affiliate in South Bay, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The G League team has confirmed the hiring (Twitter link).

Guthrie had been an assistant with the Wizards since 2021. He also spent a season with Dallas and four seasons with Utah. Additionally, Guthrie served as the manager of advanced scouting for the Magic and was an assistant video coordinator for two years with the Spurs.

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

  • Zach LaVine, Trae Young, Jerami Grant and Brandon Ingram are among the rival players who could be linked to the Lakers in trade rumors this season, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report writes. Noting that the Lakers are pushed up against the second tax apron, Pincus believes that a trade would be their only path toward improving the roster. He takes a look at a dozen potential trade targets.
  • The Lakers will wear a No. 44 band on the left shoulder of their uniforms this season to honor Jerry West, according to ESPN Dave McMenamin. West played all 14 years of his Hall of Fame career with the team. He later served as a coach and executive with the organization. West, who was also a consultant for the Clippers beginning in 2017, died in June at the age of 86.
  • Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac, who have all signed new contracts in 2024, are the only surefire starters for the Clippers. How will the rest of the lineup and rotation shake out? The Athletic’s Law Murray tackles that subject, speculating that free agent addition Derrick Jones Jr. and Terance Mann will likely join the above trio in the starting five with Norman Powell preferably slotted in a super-sub role. Two other offseason additions, Nicolas Batum and Kris Dunn, should also claim rotation spots.
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NBA Legend Jerry West Passes Away At 86

June 12th, 2024 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West has died at age 86, the Clippers announced today. According to the team, he passed away “peacefully” on Wednesday morning with his wife Karen at his side.

Few individuals have had a greater impact on the NBA during its history than West, who played 14 seasons for the Lakers from 1960-74, earning All-Star honors in all 14 years.

West also made 12 All-NBA teams and five All-Defensive squads, winning a championship, an NBA Finals MVP award, and an All-Star MVP award while leading the league in points per game in one season and assists per game in another. He averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game across 932 regular season contests and was part of the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.

West’s contributions as a player were enough to earn him a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, but his legacy extends far beyond that. His silhouette serves as the basis for the NBA’s logo, and after a brief stint as the Lakers’ head coach from 1976-79, he enjoyed a long and successful career as a front office executive for multiple organizations.

West, who transitioned into a scouting role with the Lakers in 1979, was named L.A.’s general manager in 1982 and served as the architect of a team that made it to the NBA Finals eight times and won four titles during his tenure from 1982-2000. Los Angeles had a 972-472 (.673) record in the regular season and a 140-90 (.609) mark in the playoffs under West’s stewardship, and also won championships in each of the two years following his departure.

Following his long run with the Lakers, West became the Grizzlies‘ general manager in 2002, a year after the team had made the move from Vancouver to Memphis. Prior to West’s arrival, the Grizzlies had never won more than 23 games in a season, but he helped turn the franchise around, leading Memphis to its first three playoff appearances from 2004-06 and claiming his second Executive of the Year award in 2004.

West retired as a lead basketball decision-maker in 2007, but later served as a consultant with the Warriors, winning two more titles in 2015 and 2017, and with the Clippers beginning in 2017.

In addition to being inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player, West was enshrined as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Rome and was elected to the Hall a third time in 2024 for his work as an executive. That enshrinement ceremony will take place later this year.

Our condolences go out to West’s family and friends, as well as all those in the basketball world affected by this tremendous loss to the sport.

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Basketball Hall Of Fame Officially Announces 2024 Class

April 6th, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has officially announced its Class of 2024, confirming in a series of tweets the inductees that have been previously reported as well as the other finalists who were elected to the Hall.

Here’s the full list of new Hall of Famers:

  • Chauncey Billups: A five-time All-Star who made three All-NBA teams and a pair of All-Defensive teams, Billups won a championship and a Finals MVP award with the Pistons in 2004. He is currently the head coach of the Trail Blazers. (Twitter link)
  • Vince Carter: Carter played for an NBA-record 22 seasons and scored 25,728 career points, which currently ranks 24th in league history. He’s an eight-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA member, and was the 1999 Rookie of the Year. (Twitter link)
  • Michael Cooper: Cooper won five NBA championships with the Lakers, earning eight All-Defensive nods and won the Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. (Twitter link)
  • Walter Davis: A six-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA member, Davis won the Rookie of the Year award in 1978 and remains the Suns’ all-time leading scorer with 15,666 points. He died in 2023. (Twitter link)
  • Jerry West: A Hall of Famer already as a player and as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team, West is being enshrined for a third time as a contributor due to his work as an executive for the Lakers, Grizzlies, Warriors, and Clippers. (Twitter link)
  • Doug Collins: A four-time All-Star as a player, Collins is being inducted as a contributor for his work as a head coach of the Bulls, Pistons, Wizards, and Sixers, including 442 career regular season wins, as well as his time as a broadcaster. (Twitter link)
  • Herb Simon: Simon has been the Pacers’ owner since 1983, making him the longest-tenured governor in NBA history. (Twitter link)
  • Seimone Augustus: Augustus was a two-time Naismith College Player of the Year and was the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2006. She won four titles in the league, made eight All-Star teams, and claimed the WNBA Finals MVP award in 2011. (Twitter link)
  • Dick Barnett: Barnett, an NBA All-Star in 1968, won championships with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973 after earning three NAIA titles with Tennessee A&I College (now Tennessee State University) from 1957-59. (Twitter link)
  • Bo Ryan: Ryan was the longtime men’s basketball head coach at Wisconsin. He won four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year awards and made back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2014 and 2015. (Twitter link)
  • Michele Timms: A WNBA All-Star in 1999 and a Defensive Player of the Year runner-up in 1997 for the Phoenix Mercury, Timms won Olympic bronze and silver medals with the Australian national team. (Twitter link)
  • Harley Redin: The former men’s and women’s basketball coach at Wayland Baptist University (Texas), Redin won six AAU national championships. He died in 2020. (Twitter link)
  • Charles Smith: Smith is the winningest high school head coach in Louisiana history and has led nine teams to high school state championships. (Twitter link)

The enshrinement of the 2024 class will take place in Springfield, MA on Friday, August 16 and Saturday, Aug. 17.

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And-Ones: West, MVP Race, All-NBA, Comanche

April 3rd, 2024 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA legend Jerry West is being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for a third time, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Previously enshrined as a player (1979) and as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team (2010), the 85-year-old has now been elected as a Hall of Fame contributor.

The latest induction into the Hall of Fame recognizes West’s work as a team executive, including general manager stints with the Lakers and Grizzlies, as well as time spent as a consultant for the Warriors and Clippers. West won eight championships in those roles, per ESPN, and won Executive of the Year awards in 1995 and 2004.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

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Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups Among Hall Of Fame Finalists

February 16th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Rory Maher

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 14 finalists for 2024 on Friday evening (via Twitter), with former NBA stars Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups among the nominees. Billups is currently head coach of the Trail Blazers.

Here’s the full list of finalists:

  • Chauncey Billups — Five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defense, one-time champion, 2003/04 Finals MVP (Pistons)
  • Vince Carter — NBA-record 22 seasons, 25,728 career points (23rd in NBA/ABA history), eight-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1998/99 Rookie of the Year
  • Michael Cooper — Five-time NBA champion, eight-time All-Defense, 1986/87 Defensive Player of the Year (all with the Lakers)
  • Walter Davis — Six-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, 1977/78 Rookie of the Year, Suns‘ all-time leading scorer
  • Bo Ryan — Former head coach of Wisconsin, four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year
  • Charles Smith — Winningest high school head coach in Louisiana history
  • Seimone Augustus — Four-time WNBA champion, eight-time All-Star, 2006 Rookie of the Year
  • Marian Washington — Longtime former head coach of Kansas (women’s)
  • Dick Barnett — Two-time NBA champion, one-time All-Star, three-time NAIA champion at Tennessee A&I
  • Harley Redin — Former men’s and women’s coach of Wayland Baptist University (Texas)
  • Michele Timms — One-time WNBA All-Star, Olympic bronze and silver medals with Australian national team
  • Doug Collins — Former NBA player, coach and broadcaster *
  • Herb Simon — Pacers owner *
  • Jerry West — Four NBA championships as an executive with the Lakers (he’s already in the Hall of Fame as a player) *

* Nominated as contributors

The Class of 2024 will be unveiled on Saturday, April 6 during the NCAA’s Final Four. The enshrinement ceremony for 2024’s Hall of Fame inductees will take place on Saturday, August 17.

“Unbelievable,” Carter said of being a finalist, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “You look in the crowd, you see Hall of Famers, and the opportunity … I mean, you can’t beat that. You can’t beat that. It’s a proud moment.”

“Everybody that enters the NBA … it’s their dream. It’s basically basketball heaven to be in the Hall of Fame,” Billups told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter links). “That was never my goal when I was playing. I just wanted to try to win and be the best teammate I could be. … I’m just humbled by today. Just being close to it is an honor. I know I’m not there, but I’m closer. It’s a straight honor.”

According to Reynolds, four others were honored by the Hall of Fame as well. JoAn Scott, the NCAA’s vice president of men’s basketball, received the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. J.A. Adande and Debbie Antonelli received the Curt Gowdy Awards for print and electronic journalism, respectively, while Slam Magazine and the television show “NBA Inside Stuff” received the award for transformative media.

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Community Shootaround: Best Point Guard Ever

August 26th, 2023 at 11:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry isn’t reluctant to stake his claim as one of the best point guards in NBA history. The Warriors star put himself in elite company during a recent appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast.

“It’s me and Magic (Johnson), is that the conversation? Obviously, I have to answer that way,” Curry said in response to a question from Arenas. “Magic’s resume is ridiculous. So the fact that we’re having that conversation, that’s the place I never thought I’d be in.”

Both players are obviously on the short list of legendary point guards. They amassed a wealth of titles and individual honors throughout their careers, and both significantly changed the way the game is played.

Curry is a four-time champion, a two-time scoring leader, a nine-time All-Star and a two-time MVP who was the first player in league history to win the award in a unanimous vote. He has 21,712 career points, 5,740 assists and a record 3,390 three-pointers, and at age 35 he still has time to add to those numbers.

Johnson was among the most dynamic players of the 1980s and the catalyst for the “Showtime” Lakers. He was an All-Star in 10 of his first 11 seasons, missing only because of injury, before HIV forced him into his first retirement in 1991. He won five titles, three MVP awards and three Finals MVP honors. With 17,707 career points and 10,141 assists, Johnson was voted onto the league’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.

While Curry and Johnson are strong candidates, there are plenty of others to consider:

  • In the 1960s and early ’70s, Oscar Robertson was routinely putting up triple-doubles before it was celebrated as a stat. The 1964 MVP spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Royals before winning his only NBA title with the Bucks in 1971. He was an All-Star in his first 12 NBA seasons, being named MVP of the game three times, and was a nine-time first-team All-NBA selection.
  • Lakers star Jerry West was a contemporary of Robertson’s and his rival as the best guard in the game at the time. West was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons and was an All-NBA selection 12 times. He was named Finals MVP in 1969 even though the Lakers lost the series, then won his only championship in 1972.
  • John Stockton is the NBA’s career leader in assists with 15,806 and led the league in that category for nine straight seasons. The 10-time All-Star is also the league’s all-time steals champ with 3,265 and was named to the All-Defensive Team five times. He spent his entire 19-year career with the Jazz and remained productive through age 40.
  • Isiah Thomas led the “Bad Boy” Pistons to titles in 1989 and 1990 at a time when the Lakers and Celtics were dominating the league. The 12-time All-Star was named Finals MVP in 1990 and twice captured All-Star MVP honors.
  • Chris Paul is the only active point guard with a resume similar to Curry’s, although without a similar level of playoff success. A 12-time All-Star, Paul led the NBA in assists five times and in steals six times. He’s an 11-time All-NBA and nine-time All-Defensive Team selection.
  • Steve Nash is a two-time MVP who also revolutionized the game with his accomplishments in Phoenix. An eight-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA selection, he reached the 50-40-90 club as a shooter four times in his career.

There are many more to consider, such as Bob Cousy, Walt Frazier, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Nate Archibald, Pete Maravich and others, and we could go on much longer about their place in the history of the league. But we want to get your opinion. Who’s really the best point guard that has ever played? Please leave your response in the space below.

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Lakers Notes: LeBron, Play-In Tournament, West, Jones

February 2nd, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James is looking at a variety of potential treatments for the swelling in his left knee, but he won’t consider platelet-rich plasma therapy, also known as PRP, Dave McMenamin of ESPN said on “NBA Today” (video link). James is being treated away from the team, and Lakers coach Frank Vogel said he has the full support of the organization in that decision, McMenamin adds.

James is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game against the Trail Blazers, and McMenamin said he’s expected to miss his fourth straight game since the swelling developed on the team’s last road trip. He was sent home early from that trip, and the Lakers have no intention of trying to play him until the swelling is gone, according to McMenamin.

There’s more on the Lakers:

  • James was one of the most outspoken critics of the play-in tournament last year, but it looks like the Lakers’ only hope to save their season, writes Bill Oram of The Athletic. At four-and-a-half games out of sixth place and five games ahead of 11th, L.A. is comfortably in the play-in range. With that in mind, James’ possible extended absence isn’t being met with panic. “The No. 1 goal is that he’s healthy for the long haul,” Vogel said, “and everything else is less important after that.”
  • Lakers legend Jerry West says his relationship with the franchise has deteriorated over the years, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes in a profile of West as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history. West was particularly upset over the decision last year to rescind the lifetime season tickets for him and his wife that were promised by late owner Dr. Jerry Buss. “Sometimes you feel like you’re discarded, like a piece of trash,” said West, now a consultant with the Clippers. “And there’s a couple of people over there — not (owner Jeanie Buss) — but there’s a couple of people over there that, uh … I don’t get it. I don’t. … I always had a great relationship with Jeanie — at least I thought I did. I don’t know where it is now.”
  • Lakers two-way player Mason Jones was named the G League Player of the Month for January, tweets JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors. Jones averaged 28 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game during the month.
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Clippers Notes: Kennard, Leonard, West, Kabengele

December 20th, 2020 at 10:37am CST by Arthur Hill

After a pair of uninspiring games to start the preseason, Luke Kennard promised his Clippers teammates he would become more aggressive, write Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Kennard delivered on Thursday night, coming off the bench to score 13 points and hit 3-of-4 three-point attempts.

“After our first scrimmage in training camp, I just told him, ‘Be aggressive, be who you are,’” coach Tyronn Lue said. “‘If you’re doing too much, I’ll let you know – and I doubt I would ever say that.’ And I told him, ‘Kawhi (Leonard) and (Paul George), they need that from you. They want that from you. So don’t come here trying to fit in, trying to please guys. Just play your game, and then we’ll make sure we tailor your game around our offensive foundation.’”

Kennard is getting used to competition again after being shut down for more than a year. He was sidelined by knee tendinitis last December with the Pistons, and the league went on hiatus before he could return. The Clippers picked him up in a three-team trade on draft night.

There’s more on the Clippers:

  • Leonard has responded to charges that the team and executive board member Jerry West used improper tactics to lure him to L.A., tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. According to a TMZ report, Johnny Wilkes, who claims to be Leonard’s friend, is suing West for $2.5MM. “That has nothing to do with me swaying my mind to go somewhere,” Leonard said. “I’m from L.A. and I grew up here my whole life and out here people try to find any way to get some money, so he probably won’t be the last. I know a lot of people out here.” TMZ has published a voicemail allegedly left by West.
  • Mfiondu Kabengele remains in the Clippers’ plans for the future, even though the team elected not to take him to Orlando for the restart, Greif writes in a full story. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said it was difficult to decide who was brought to the Disney World campus. “We obviously were in a championship and still are in a championship contending mode, and we prioritize performance and medical for the playing group,” Frank explained. “You would have loved to have brought Fi there. Fi has a contagious personality. He stayed engaged throughout. He would jump on Zooms and watch practice. He would talk to his teammates. He talked to the staff. He kind of lived the journey remotely.” 
  • ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz examines how the Clippers can fix the flaws that caused them to underachieve last season with a second-round exit after adding two All-Stars.
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NBA Investigating Kawhi Recruitment By Jerry West, Clippers

December 17th, 2020 at 7:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

7:23pm: The Clippers have released a statement in response to the NBA’s investigation, referring to the lawsuit against West as “replete with inaccuracies” and the allegations as “baseless.”

“The Clippers are fully cooperating with the NBA,” the statement said in part. “They are providing the NBA with evidence that the allegations are false.”

6:16pm: The league is investigating the recruitment tactics employed by the Clippers and executive board member Jerry West in adding All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard to Los Angeles as a 2019 free agent, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Earlier this week, a TMZ report indicated that Johnny Wilkes, a man who claims to be friends with Leonard, is suing West for $2.5MM.

Per the suit, Wilkes claims that, due to his connection to Leonard and his uncle, Dennis Robertson, West agreed to pay him $2.5MM for his services in luring Leonard away from the Raptors in the 2019 offseason. Wilkes also claims that he suggested the team would need to add Leonard’s future star teammate, forward Paul George.

A representative for West spoke to TMZ Sports about the suit on West’s behalf. “I am not aware of any lawsuit being filed against me and I deny engaging in any improper conduct in connection with the signing of Kawhi Leonard,” the rep said.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report tweets that, depending on what the NBA does or does not discover, the penalties for such a recruitment infraction could vary significantly.

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