Julius Randle Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Randle, Booker, Ball

January 30th, 2018 at 10:52pm CST by Austin Kent

A move back into the starting lineup has helped Lakers forward Julius Randle take his game to another level, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register writes. The 23-year-old has averaged 16.1 points and 9.3 rebounds in just 26.5 minutes of action.

Randle, who started the season off the bench after two years as the team’s starting power forward, was promoted by Lakers head coach Luke Walton to be a physical presence for the squad and collect rebounds.

All in, Randle has registered seven double-doubles in the month of January alone while also taking major steps defensively. The move into the starting lineup, Oram writes, comes with more responsibility on that end of the ball considering that the Lakers tend to play man-to-man with their starters while switching everything with their reserves.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

X-Rays of Devin Booker‘s ribs came back negative, Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic writes. The 21-year-old Suns guard missed Monday’s game with a rib contusion but hopes to be back in the lineup Wednesday.
The Trail Blazers are playing some of their best basketball of the season of late, Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes, but everything can change at the drop of a hat in the competitive Western Conference. Head coach Terry Stotts cautioned against counting out the Pelicans and Thunder following the recent season-ending injuries to DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Roberson, however.
Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball has started testing his knee laterally, Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times tweets. Ball still isn’t practicing with the team but seems to be making gradual progress. Ball has missed seven straight games.

Kyler’s Latest: Nuggets, Whiteside, Mavs, Kings

January 25th, 2018 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets veterans Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay could be had in trades at this year’s deadline, league sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who suggests that the asking prices for those players likely wouldn’t be too high. I identified both Faried and Mudiay as potential trade candidates in my look at the Northwest on Wednesday.

If the Nuggets become a seller, Will Barton would also be a very intriguing trade chip, Kyler writes. However, that may be wishful thinking on the part of rival teams. Denver currently holds a playoff spot in the West and Barton has played the second-most minutes on the club, so it seems unlikely that the Nuggets would move him. Ultimately, the team may not end up trading anyone — Kyler suggests there’s a sense around the NBA that Denver isn’t looking to make a deal as aggressively as several other teams.

Here’s more from Kyler:

Sources close to the Heat acknowledge that teams have called about Hassan Whiteside, but say he probably won’t be made available at the deadline, writes Kyler.
The Mavericks “have had eyes” for Julius Randle, and would be a potential trade partner for L.A. if the Lakers move the big man. Kyler refers to Dallas a “open for business” in terms of trades.
According to Kyler, the prevailing thought around the NBA is that Willy Hernangomez is the player most likely to be moved by the Knicks, though he’s unlikely to net a significant return.
While many league insiders think Nikola Mirotic will end up in Utah, the Jazz don’t currently seem to be on board with sending a first-round pick to the Bulls, says Kyler.
Team sources tell Kyler that Garrett Temple and Zach Randolph are more likely than not to finish the season in Sacramento, but the Kings have been “very open and receptive” to trying to find their veterans new homes.
Although the Magic are viewed as a team that could be active at the deadline, the team is reluctant to take back long-term salary and would be happy to ride out the season and make changes in the summer if necessary, per Kyler.

Northwest Notes: Wiggins, Randle, Hood

January 12th, 2018 at 9:48pm CST by Austin Kent

The Timberwolves have been getting more out of Andrew Wiggins lately and the swingman continues to get better. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes that head coach Tom Thibodeau spoke highly of his young wing at Wednesday night’s press conference.

A month ago, just as Jimmy Butler stepped up as a more assertive offensive weapon for the Timberwolves, Wiggins struggled with his jumpshot. These days the shooting guard found a way to score more efficiently while contributing in other ways as well.

“He’s such a gifted scorer. That part is obvious. But it’s all the other things he’s capable of doing. He can play great when he doesn’t shoot the ball well and everybody has nights when they don’t shoot the ball great,” the Timberwolves coach said. “There’s defense, rebounding the ball, getting out on the break, making plays for other people. […] His activity overall has been great. It just makes the game easier for everyone.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division this evening:

The Trail Blazers ought to take a flyer on Julius Randle, one Portland scribe suggests. Molly Blue of The Oregonian writes that the Blazers could benefit from a solid addition to their frontcourt that currently features a struggling Jusuf Nurkic and inexperienced Zach Collins.
The Thunder seemed to have fallen back into slump after finding a sweet spot last month, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes. A glaring takeaway from Oklahoma City’s first half of 2017/18 is that they struggle against sub-.500 teams. Where the four top teams in each conference are a combined 134-32 against teams with losing records, the Thunder are just 12-9.
For what it’s worth, Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic is now following the Salt Lake Tribune on Twitter, Dan Cahill of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Mirotic has been rumored to be a trade target of the Jazz, and hadn’t been following any other non-Chicago local newspapers.
The NBA has fined Jazz forward Rodney Hood $35K for slapping a phone out of a fan’s hand, the league announced in a press release.

Southwest Notes: McLemore, Ennis, Randle

January 11th, 2018 at 7:53pm CST by Austin Kent

The Grizzlies are gauging trade interest in swingmen Ben McLemore and James Ennis, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders writes.

The Grizzlies signed McLemore over the offseason to a two-year, $10.7MM deal, presumably hoping that they would be able to tap into something in the former Kansas product that the Kings hoped to find when they drafted him seventh overall in 2013.

McLemore has played just 17.2 points per game this season, adding just 6.5 points per contest in what’s been his least effective NBA campaign since his rookie year.

Scotto adds that the Grizzlies are also dangling Ennis and his expiring $3MM deal, hoping to yield at least one second-round pick.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Pelicans are said to be interested in upgrades on the wing, but finding a logical trade scenario is easier said than done. William Guillory of the Times-Picayune writes that it may prove difficult to make the salaries match in a deal for supposedly available perimeter players like Kent Bazemore or Evan Fournier.
Rumors that the Mavs could be in pursuit of Texas native Julius Randle were shot down by Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News. His reason? Acquiring a good player ahead of the trade deadline this season is the last thing the presumably lottery-bound club should be doing.
Offseason Grizzlies addition Tyreke Evans has thrived this season, proving that, for now at least, he’s healthy and capable of being a prominent producer. As a result, his name has been floated as a possible trade piece, including in a recent media scrum with Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal.

Woj’s Latest: Pistons, Fournier, Lakers, Hawks

January 8th, 2018 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Shooting guards and small forwards are in high demand as the trade deadline approaches, and there simply aren’t that many quality wings expected to be available, Adrian Wojnarowski writes in his latest report for ESPN.com. As Wojnarowski details, the Pistons, Knicks, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers are just a few of the many teams looking for upgrades on the wing.

DeMarre Carroll (Nets), Alec Burks (Jazz), Kent Bazemore (Hawks), and Evan Fournier (Magic) are among the veterans attracting some interest on the trade market, according to Wojnarowski, who notes that the Pistons pursued a deal for Fournier. Such a trade would be hard to pull off without including Reggie Jackson‘s contract, so nothing’s imminent at this point, but the Pistons continue to be aggressive on the trade market, a reflection of Stan Van Gundy‘s desire to win now, says Wojnarowski.

As for the Pelicans, they also remain active in trade talks despite their limited assets, according to Wojnarowski, who notes that Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca have negative value and won’t be movable without New Orleans attaching a draft pick or two. If the Pelicans can’t trade for a wing, they’ll have to count on getting Solomon Hill back healthy for the home stretch of the season.

Here’s more from Woj:

The Lakers have “made it clear” that Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr. are available in trades, reports Wojnarowski. The club had been planning on waiting until after the season to try to move Clarkson, but there may be a mutual desire to get something done on that front sooner rather than later.
Bazemore, Ersan Ilyasova, and Marco Belinelli are expendable in Atlanta, where the Hawks are focused on unloading veterans and stockpiling more young players and draft picks, per Wojnarowski.
The Bulls still plan to trade Nikola Mirotic after January 15, assuming he OK’s a deal. According to Wojnarowski, Mirotic is somewhat intrigued by the Jazz and their head coach Quin Snyder, who has a reputation for maximizing offensive talent.
It’s possible their outlooks could change by the trade deadline, but the Thunder and Pelicans currently have no plans to trade Paul George or DeMarcus Cousins, respectively. Both players can become unrestricted free agents this July.
We passed along more rumors from Woj in full stories earlier today, providing the latest on DeAndre Jordan and examining the Grizzlies‘ asking price for Tyreke Evans.

Lakers Notes: Ball, Walton, Randle, Caldwell-Pope

January 7th, 2018 at 11:15am CST by Arthur Hill

Lonzo Ball‘s father is creating headlines in Los Angeles this morning with comments about Lakers coach Luke Walton, relays Jeff Goodman of ESPN. Lavar Ball claims Walton has lost control of the team and that Lakers players would like to see him replaced.

“You can see they’re not playing for Luke no more,” he said. “Luke doesn’t have control of the team no more. They don’t want to play for him. … Nobody wants to play for him. I can see it. No high-fives when they come out of the game. People don’t know why they’re in the game. He’s too young. He’s too young. … He ain’t connecting with them anymore. You can look at every player, he’s not connecting with not one player.”

LaVar Ball also expressed confidence that LeBron James is heading to the Lakers next season, saying he wants to win a title in Los Angeles so he can surpass Michael Jordan.

There’s more news out of L.A.:

Ball’s comments came shortly after a report from Ohm Youngmisuk on ESPN Now that Walton believes he still has the support of Lakers management. Majority owner Jeanie Buss recently offered her backing on social media with an “InLukeWeTrust” hashtag, and Walton is confident that the organization is standing behind him during a nine-game losing streak. “As I preach to my players that control what you can control in life, that has to be my philosophy as a coach as well,” Walton said. “… [Team president Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka] have been great, they have been supportive. They obviously understand where we are at as a team and what we are trying to do and what the big picture is… [Buss] has been incredible. I’ve talked with her a lot during the season. She has been around this game for a long time. She knows when to be supportive and she has been really great to work with.”
The chance to take a shot at James in free agency can’t come soon enough for the Lakers, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News, who says this season is unraveling both on the court and behind the scenes. Players expressed frustration with the play of Julius Randle during a recent team meeting, but he was inserted into the starting lineup for the following game, which Isola suggests was mandated by the front office in an effort to increase his trade value. He adds that such a move damages the coach’s standing in the locker room.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be released from a detention center Monday and will have his travel restrictions lifted, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN. Caldwell-Pope has been barred from leaving California while serving a 25-day sentence for a probation violation and has missed four of the team’s last five road games.

Kyler’s Latest: Lakers, Mavs, Grizzlies, Magic

January 4th, 2018 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Mavericks both currently sit comfortably in the lottery, with little chance of making a run at a playoff spot this season. Still, there’s a sense in NBA circles that the two teams could be logical trade partners, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

Kyler cautions that there have been zero talks between the Lakers and Mavericks about a potential Luol Deng trade, but he suggests that if any team is willing to roll the dice on Deng and his exorbitant contract, Dallas might be that team. The Mavericks have some expiring contracts that would appeal to L.A., and if the Lakers attached Julius Randle and a future draft pick to Deng, that could pique the Mavs’ interest, Kyler writes.

Of course, within the last month, we’ve heard that the Lakers aren’t interested in parting with future first-round picks in order to move Deng, and a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that the club had essentially given up hope of another team taking on the veteran forward’s unwieldy contract. So even if the Mavericks represent the best potential fit, the odds of a deal remain slim.

Kyler’s latest piece for Basketball Insiders includes several other items of interest on a handful of lottery teams, so let’s round up a few highlights…

The Grizzlies are unlikely to make any franchise-altering moves before next month’s trade deadline, which means Marc Gasol probably isn’t going anywhere. Still, they’re a team worth watching, according to Kyler, who points to Tyreke Evans as a potential Memphis trade candidate.
The “dream scenario” for the Magic would be to move Bismack Biyombo before the deadline, but they’re highly unlikely to find a taker for that contract. Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier may also emerge as trade chips, but Aaron Gordon almost certainly isn’t going anywhere — the “prevailing thought” is that he’ll be retained by Orlando as a restricted free agent this summer, says Kyler.
The Hawks appear open to listening to inquiries on Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore, but their current asking prices are probably too high to work anything out, reports Kyler.

L.A. Notes: Clarkson, Randle, Ball, Rivers

December 30th, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers teammates Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle are taking different approaches to being the subject of trade rumors, relays Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. She describes Clarkson’s attitude as “freewheeling,” as he is having fun with the season and trying not to let off-court distractions affect his performance. His playing time has dropped to a career-low 23.3 minutes per game, but he has remained productive, averaging 14.4 points and 3.2 assists. Randle is naturally more intense and is limited because his inside game doesn’t mesh well with the Lakers’ approach. As a result, his minutes can vary wildly from game to game depending on the opponent.

Clarkson is under contract for two more seasons (at $12.5MM next year and $13.4375MM for 2019/20), so his fate is entirely up to the team. Randle will be a restricted free agent in July and needs to perform well to maximize his value. The Lakers would reportedly like to unload both players as part of their plan to offer two max contracts in free agency.

There’s more today from Los Angeles:

Lonzo Ball is recovering quickly from the shoulder sprain he suffered last week, and the Lakers are thinking about taking him on their next road trip, Ganguli writes in a separate story. L.A. plays back-to-back games Sunday in Houston and Monday in Minnesota, and coach Luke Walton is concerned that the rigors of travel might be detrimental to Ball’s health. “His shoulder’s feeling better,” Walton said. “It’s something we’re just going to keep treating and if he feels good enough to go, we’ll get him on the court for shooting, after that we’ll get him to practice and then we’ll get him back on the court.”
An MRI on Austin Rivers‘ strained Achilles tendon injury was negative, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The Clippers guard, who had to be helped off the court Friday night, will be listed as day to day.
Clippers rookie Jawun Evans may have started a league-wide trend with his tight defense on Rockets star James Harden, writes Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register. Evans forced Harden into multiple offensive fouls in a game last week, and subsequent opponents have followed his approach. Evans didn’t expect to be a trend setter or even play much in a talented L.A. backcourt, but injuries to Patrick Beverley and Milos Teodosic have provided an opportunity. “I’m relaxed, but I still don’t feel like I’m in the league,” he said. “It still hasn’t hit me yet. I’m blessed to be here. I’m just taking advantage of every moment.

Lakers, Mavericks Discussed Randle-Noel Swap

December 23rd, 2017 at 8:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers and Mavericks had “initial” trade talks involving Julius Randle and Nerlens Noel, according to Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN’s Full Court Press special.

Discussions broke off after Noel suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb that required surgery. The team didn’t offer a timetable for recovery after the December 6 operation, but Noel said doctors told him four to six weeks. That would have him back around mid-January, which is well in advance of the February 8 trade deadline. It remains to be seen if the Lakers will still be interested.

Both teams have obvious motives to make a deal. The Lakers are trying to clear cap room in hopes of offering two max contracts in next summer’s free agency, and Randle will have a $12.5MM cap hold. L.A. chose not to extend Randle’s rookie contract in October, and a report last month said it’s “unlikely” he will remain with the team beyond this season. Noel would bring an expiring contract, which is what the Lakers are looking for. Randle, a Dallas native, might have interest in signing long-term with the Mavericks when he becomes a restricted free agent in July.

Noel has been a disappointment in Dallas since being acquired from the Sixers at last year’s trade deadline. He was averaging 4.0 points and 4.1 rebounds through 18 games and had fallen out of the rotation before his surgery. Because he signed a $4.2MM qualifying offer to return to the Mavs this season, Noel has the option to refuse any trade.

Pacific Notes: Carter, Randle, Jackson

December 3rd, 2017 at 9:00pm CST by Austin Kent

While 40-year-old veteran Vince Carter was brought to a rebuilding Kings team to provide experience and leadership, he was signed as a player and not a coach for a reason, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes.

That reason, Carter and Kings head coach Dave Joerger agree, is to support the development of the team’s young players on and off the court. Although Carter did miss a handful of games with kidney stones last month, his goal when he’s healthy and active is to teach his teammates to play the right way – by leading by example.

Sure, Jones writes, Carter’s 11.7 minutes per game could go to Kings rookie Justin Jackson or raw sophomore Malachi Richardson, but his presence adds credibility to the organization in transition.

“I think the worst thing you can do is trot five freshmen and sophomores out there together,” Joerger said. “I’ve been told that by many, many people in management, and those who’ve gone through a rebuild. You try to have a nice mix.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers have emerged as a solid defensive force this season and much of that can be attributed to reserve forward Julius Randle. Joey Ramirez of the team’s official site writes that Randle’s versatility on that side of the ball – he’s adept checking everything from perimeter players to big men – can be chalked up to his showing up to training camp in the best shape of his career.
Rookie Josh Jackson insists that his opting out of a predraft workout with the Celtics was because of a miscommunication between him and his agent and not because he didn’t want to play for a team stacked with veterans at his position, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald writes. “I’m not threatened by anybody, ever. I welcome competition,” the Suns forward said.
Leave it to Kyrie Irving to understand Devin Booker‘s reality with the Suns. A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes that Irving toiled in Cleveland before LeBron James returned much the same way that Booker is in Phoenix. “He already has that mentality of being a killer,” Irving said. “Now it’s just getting pieces around him in order to be at a high level to showcase that.“