Juan Toscano-Anderson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Westbrook, Fox, Silver, Suns

October 22nd, 2022 at 10:01am CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s only a two-game sample, but the Lakers’ shortcomings are already in full view, according to Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. Their lack of perimeter shooting and depth at the wing has been noticeable in those losses. The Lakers have made just 13-of-58 3-point attempts (22.4%) in which the nearest defender is at least four feet away. The lack of wing depth was on display when they tried to guard Kawhi Leonard with a combination of Russell Westbrook and Juan Toscano-Anderson.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers need to move on from Westbrook immediately, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times opines, arguing that they would have defeated the Clippers if he hadn’t played or been on the roster. His poor shooting, reckless play and divisive personality will continue to prove costly on a team that otherwise looks feistier than last year’s, Plaschke adds.
De’Aaron Fox signed a five-year extension in November 2020 and he hopes to continue his relationship with the Kings for many seasons, as he told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I’ve never been the type of person that wants a big market,” Fox said. “(So) if I can go to a small market, and then win, those are the types of things that I feel like are more important to me. It’s being able to bring winning back to the city. That is definitely my goal.”
Commissioner Adam Silver met with Suns employees before their game against Dallas on Wednesday and expressed regret for the misconduct of owner Robert Sarver, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Sarver is now in the process of selling the team. “I’m incredibly empathetic to what many of you have lived through,” Silver said to those employees, who gathered in the lower bowl of the team’s arena hours. “To the extent that you feel let down by the league, I apologize. I take responsibility for that.”

Warriors Notes: Poole, Curry, Green, Toscano-Anderson, Thompson

October 18th, 2022 at 9:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

After taking a punch from teammate Draymond Green, Jordan Poole was advised by some of his closest confidants that maybe he shouldn’t sign a rookie scale extension with the Warriors, Logan Murdock of The Ringer reports.

Members of Poole’s inner circle were concerned that the team dynamics would be too difficult to repair. Before Green was reinstated from his team-imposed suspension, Golden State officials ran it by Poole.

Ultimately, Poole couldn’t pass up the financial security, as he chose to ink a four-year extension that can be worth up to $140MM.

We have more on the Warriors:

Stephen Curry is confident that Green will handle the adversity that he brought upon himself, Curry told Shayna Rubin of the Orange County Register. “He’ll figure it out. We will have his back for the entire process,” he said. “He doesn’t need anyone to hold his hand. He responds well to adversity and critics.”
Juan Toscano-Anderson, now a member of the Lakers, received his championship ring during the season opener on Tuesday. He told Jovan Buha of The Athletic beforehand that he’s grateful to be part of the ceremony. “I think it’s bittersweet, man,” Toscano-Anderson said. “… I’m excited to go back and get my ring. It’s pretty dope that I’m gonna be able to celebrate the ring ceremony on opening night with those guys, when the actual ring ceremony is bound to happen.”
While some of his teammates signed extensions, Klay Thompson is now ineligible to ink one until July under current CBA rules because he has two years remaining on his contract. He anticipates everything will work itself out, as told Mark Medina of NBA.com. “I fully expect to earn another NBA contract, whether it’s this summer or next summer,” Thompson said. “I’m fully confident in my abilities. I’m not worried about an extension in the meantime because I know it’ll happen if I just do my job and I just be myself.” He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 if he doesn’t eventually sign an extension.
What is the Warriors’ approach to its title defense and remaining a perennial contender? Anthony Slater of The Athletic takes a deep dive into those topics, exploring how the team’s two-timeline plan is progressing.

Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Closing Lineup, Nunn, LeBron

August 3rd, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

While former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel benched Russell Westbrook late in games a small handful of times last season, new coach Darvin Ham will have more power to do so this season, assuming Westbrook remains on the roster and Ham decides there are better fits in crunch time, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Buha expects Westbrook to get opportunities to close out games, but notes that it will depend on his shooting, decision-making, and defense.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are, of course, locks to be part of the Lakers’ “closing” five, and Buha views Austin Reaves as the next-best bet to join that group because he can be a secondary ball-handler. Buha predicts that Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown will fill out the closing five in instances when Westbrook is on the bench.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Although Kendrick Nunn recently said he feels 100% healthy after missing the entire 2021/22 season due to a knee injury, he has yet to resume playing five-on-five, which will be the “next big hurdle” in his recovery process, Buha writes. The expectation for now is that Nunn will be ready to go for training camp.
Buha believes that the Lakers are done adding veteran free agents this offseason, and that any additional roster changes would come via trade. He notes that the team could also be active on the buyout market after the 2023 trade deadline.
LeBron James will become eligible on Thursday to sign a contract extension with the Lakers, but Chris Mannix of SI.com doesn’t believe James will be in any rush to sign that deal, since he can maintain leverage and keep pressure on the team by taking his time. He could sign that extension at any time up until June 30, 2023.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Collison, Monk, Leonard, Wall

July 6th, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers‘ five additions in free agency were targeted for speed, defense and shooting, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. New head coach Darvin Ham is determined to bring a fresh approach to a team that finished in the bottom third of the league in both offensive and defensive rating last season. All five players who were introduced at today’s press conference talked about how they will blend into that system.

“I think I can fit on any team,” said former Warrior Juan Toscano-Anderson. “I think I can guard one through five. I’ll do whatever it takes to win, and when I say whatever, I mean it. I’ll dive over scorer’s tables. I’ll rebound. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Along with a renewed emphasis on defense, L.A. hopes its free agency moves will provide increased spacing for its star players. Ex-Spur Lonnie Walker is coming off a season where he connected at just 31.4% from three-point range, but he vows to be better.

“Last year, you can look at the percentages, but I kid you not: Leave me open, we’re going to see what’s happening,” Walker said. “I’m honing into what I got to get better on, and I’m not just strengthening my weakness but I’m strengthening my strengths as well. So, I’m ready to show everyone what I’m about.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Free agent point guard Darren Collison worked out for the Lakers again today, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Collison, who was at a mini-camp with the team last month, is interested in returning to the NBA at age 34.
Malik Monk‘s long friendship with De’Aaron Fox played an important role in his decision to sign with the Kings, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Monk and Fox have been friends since high school and they were backcourt partners at Kentucky. “They speak all the time,” a source told Anderson. “They’re still in their college group chat, so they speak every day. Those guys are real brothers, so I’m excited for them both.”
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard hasn’t been cleared to play 5-on-5, but he continues to make progress in his return from an ACL injury, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk said on “NBA Today” (video link). Newly signed John Wall will compete with Reggie Jackson for the starting point guard spot, Youngmisuk adds.

Lakers Officially Sign Jones, Brown, Toscano-Anderson

July 1st, 2022 at 8:21pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have officially completed three signings, according to a team press release. The trio of players are center Damian Jones, wing Troy Brown and wing Juan Toscano-Anderson.

Jones, Brown and Toscano-Anderson were all signed to minimum-salary contracts. Both Brown and JTA received one-year deals, while Jones got a two-year deal with a player option.

Jones, 27, had a solid season with the Kings in 2021/22 after struggling to find a standard roster spot in ’20/21. In 56 games this season (18.2 MPG), Jones averaged 8.1 PPG and 4.4 RPG while shooting 65.8% from the field and 71.8% from the line.

Brown, 22, was the 15th pick of the 2018 draft and spent his first two-plus seasons with Washington before being traded to Chicago last year. The Bulls declined his qualifying offer after he struggled to make an impact this season, averaging 4.3 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .419/.353/.769 shooting in 66 games (16 MPG).

Toscano-Anderson, 29, spent the last three seasons with the Warriors and recently won a title. In 73 games (13.6 MPG) in ’21/22, he averaged 4.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 1.7 APG on .489/.322/.571 shooting.

Because the three players are on minimum contracts, the deals can be completed before the transaction moratorium ends on July 6.

Juan Toscano-Anderson To Sign With Lakers

June 30th, 2022 at 8:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent wing Juan Toscano-Anderson, who just won a championship with the Warriors, has agreed to a deal with the Lakers, agent Erika Ruiz told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

It’ll be a one-year, minimum-salary contract, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

As Haynes details, Toscano-Anderson went undrafted out of Marquette in 2015 and spent the next three seasons playing in the Mexican league prior to receiving a tryout with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. Obviously, he impressed Golden State with his athleticism and versatility, having spent the last three seasons with the Warriors’ NBA squad.

Across 139 games (17.1 MPG) from 2019-2022, JTA holds career averages of 4.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 2.2 APG on .523/.361/.613 shooting. At 29, his upside might be a bit limited, but his energy and enthusiasm should help a Lakers team that was quite old and lethargic last season.

Otto Porter, Gary Harris, T.J. Warren Among Lakers’ Potential FA Targets

June 30th, 2022 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers‘ options on the free agent market this week will likely be limited, since the team will only be able to offer the $6.5MM taxpayer mid-level exception or a minimum-salary contract to potential targets. However, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes, the team will still aim high, hoping to sell players on the opportunity to start and the ability to increase their stock with a strong year in Los Angeles, like Malik Monk did in 2021/22.

According to Buha, youth, length, athleticism, and shooting are among the traits the Lakers will be prioritizing. Two-way wings who could come in and potentially start alongside Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook will be a priority, sources tell The Athletic.

Here are some details on the types of players the Lakers will be eyeing in free agency:

Otto Porter Jr., Nicolas Batum, Gary Harris, T.J. Warren, Caleb Martin, Cody Martin, and Danuel House are among the wings the Lakers will target using their full taxpayer mid-level exception, sources tell Buha. Big man Mohamed Bamba is also on the team’s radar as a possible TMLE option, Buha adds.
The Lakers have “strong interest” in bringing back Monk, but that will depend both on his market and on the quality of players available to the club for the taxpayer mid-level, says Buha. The team would likely have to use the MLE to sign Monk, since it can otherwise only offer him a deal worth about $2.6MM.
Jeremy Lamb, Nemanja Bjelica, Jevon Carter, and Juan Toscano-Anderson are among the players that will receive interest from the Lakers for either a portion of the mid-level or a minimum-salary deal, Buha writes.
Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times identify Thomas Bryant and Damian Jones as centers who could draw interest from the Lakers. Woike and Turner also say that some rival executives believe Bulls guard Coby White could be a target for L.A.

Lonnie Walker, Anfernee Simons Get QOs; Kevin Knox Doesn’t

June 29th, 2022 at 5:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have issued a qualifying offer to guard Lonnie Walker, making him a restricted free agent, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). The qualifying offer will be worth $6,311,564.

Unlike some of this summer’s top restricted free agents, Walker wasn’t a lock to receive that qualifying offer, given the up-and-down season the 23-year-old had in 2021/22. He averaged a career-high 12.1 PPG and 2.2 APG, but saw his shooting percentages dip to 40.7% from the floor and 31.4% on threes, well below his career rates. Furthermore, a report earlier today stated that Walker was unlikely to remain in San Antonio.

By issuing the qualifying offer, the Spurs are at least opening up a path for Walker to return, either by accepting the one-year QO or by negotiating a new deal with the team. However, McDonald says there’s an expectation that Walker will “fully” test the market.

Spurs swingman Joe Wieskamp also received a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent, tweets McDonald. Because Wieskamp was promoted from his two-way deal to a standard contract last season, his qualifying offer will be worth approximately $1.8MM ($200K more than his minimum salary).

Here are a few more qualifying offer updates from around the NBA:

The Trail Blazers have formally issued a qualifying offer to guard Anfernee Simons, making him a restricted free agent, the team announced in a press release. Simons’ QO is worth $5,758,552, but the 23-year-old is expected to negotiate a far more lucrative long-term deal. Multiple reports have suggested a four-year contract worth in the neighborhood of $80MM is possible.
Hawks forward Kevin Knox isn’t getting a qualifying offer and will become an unrestricted free agent, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Knox didn’t get regular minutes last season and his qualifying offer would have been worth $7,228,448, so it comes as no surprise that Atlanta is passing.
The Warriors aren’t giving qualifying offers to either Juan Toscano-Anderson ($2,126,991) or Chris Chiozza ($1,968,175), according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Both players will be unrestricted free agents and are unlikely to remain in Golden State, Slater adds.
The Celtics have tendered a two-way qualifying offer to guard Brodric Thomas, making him a restricted free agent, a source tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Boston hasn’t reached a deal to fill either of its two-way slots for next season yet, so Thomas could end up taking one of them.
Two-way players Jay Scrubb (Clippers) and Trevelin Queen (Rockets) won’t receive qualifying offers and will become unrestricted free agents, according to reports from Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). Queen, the 2021/22 NBA G League MVP, is expected to receive interest on the open market, per Haynes.

Western Notes: Looney, Payton, Wolves, Mavs’ Targets, Rockets

June 27th, 2022 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors have made re-signed center Kevon Looney their top free agent priority and are expected to meet with his agent, Todd Ramasar, in the early hours of free agency, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Gary Payton II profiles as the Warriors’ second-most important priority but he’ll have other suitors, with the Mavericks expected to be among them, per Slater. Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damion Lee are the players most vulnerable to losing their roster spots, Slater adds.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Timberwolves wound up with two first-round draft picks but it won’t alter their plans for free agency, according to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. GM Tim Connelly said they’ll be looking for players who can make an immediate impact. “I don’t think it has a huge impact,” Connelly said. “Again, the draft is for the next two, three, four, five, six, seven years.”
While re-signing Jalen Brunson looms as their top free agent priority, the Mavericks could go shopping for other free agents. Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News looks at some other potential targets, including Gary Harris, Otto Porter Jr. and Goran Dragic.
By reaching a buyout agreement with John Wall, the Rockets now have 18 players on the roster, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. They’re $30MM below the luxury tax threshold, with Eric Gordon — a prime trade candidate — as the lone player earning more than $10MM.

Otto Porter Jr. To Miss Game 4

May 24th, 2022 at 12:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors will hold injured forward Otto Porter Jr. out of tonight’s Game 4 against the Mavericks, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Porter hurt his left foot in the second quarter of Sunday’s Game 3 after an awkward landing on an attempted layup. He tried to remain in the game, but eventually had to be taken out. X-rays on the foot were negative, but he continues to undergo treatment and coach Steve Kerr said it’s the prudent decision to not try to rush him back into the lineup.

“He’s still sore. Gotta make the wise decision here,” Kerr said. “This gives him a couple of days to prepare for a possible Game 5.”

Golden State holds a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals, which makes the decision to rest Porter easier. The Warriors were able to close out their second-round series against Memphis without Porter, who was suffering from an injured right foot at the time.

Porter’s absence tonight could result in more minutes for Juan Toscano-Anderson, notes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Toscano-Anderson hasn’t played at all in six of the Warriors’ games this postseason, but Kerr liked how he responded on Sunday night.

“Juan was good,” Kerr said. “He’s aggressive defensively, made some really nice plays offensively. He helped free up some shooters, and he plays with such great energy and intensity. It was fun getting him out there. It’s been a rough go for Juan. In the postseason he hasn’t really had much of a chance. I loved seeing him have that opportunity and come in and do a good job.”