Kobe Bryant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Thunder, Rondo, Ajinca, Sixers

August 5th, 2013 at 3:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

TNT's David Aldridge ranks each team's offseason for NBA.com, and not surprisingly, the Rockets and Dwight Howard come out on top. There are still plenty of surprises among his picks, including the Bobcats at No. 8 — I'm not nearly as sold on Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller as Aldridge is. The Pelicans, for all their re-shuffling, check in down at No. 15. Here's more from the rest of the league:

The Thunder's choice to cut corners and avoid the luxury tax stems from GM Sam Presti and his staff, not well-heeled owner Clay Bennett, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Curiously, Berger says the Thunder are getting $15MM from the league for the change to Kevin Durant's contract, conflicting with the $8MM figure Grantland's Zach Lowe reported last week.
Rajon Rondo's name continues to wind up in rumors, so HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham looks at some possible trade scenarios involving the Celtics All-Star point guard.
Alexis Ajinca spent the past two seasons playing for Strasbourg in France after three years in the NBA, and he's set to re-sign with the French club, HoopsHype's Jorge Sierra tweets. The deal will include an out in case Ajinca finds an NBA deal by September 30th.
The Sixers coaching search has dragged on for months, but Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com bets the job winds up going to Michael Curry, who's an assistant with the team and has been able to give GM Sam Hinkie and company a first-hand look at his abilities.
Former CBA commissioner Gary Hunter tells Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside that the D-League has become what he wanted his league to be. He also examines the effect that "hybrid" partnerships with NBA teams are having on the D-League.
Amid reports that Kobe Bryant's torn Achilles tendon could be healed in time for him to play in the preseason, Arash Markazi and Mark Willard of ESPNLosAngeles.com debate whether he should take a hefty paycut next summer to help the Lakers (video link).

Odds & Ends: Kobe, Pekovic, Goudelock, Cooley

July 27th, 2013 at 12:16pm CST by Zachary Links

While this season is pretty much a write-off for the Lakers, 2014 is the dream season for Kobe Bryant & Co., write Mike Bresnahan and Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. Much of what they can do, however, depends on the type of sacrifice that Kobe is willing to make. Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan made financial sacrifices in recent years and it remains to be seen whether Bryant is willing to do the same in order to help the Lakers build the best team possible. The L.A. Times duo has a very out of the box (and illegal) idea for Bryant: sign for the veteran's minimum in 2014/15 and ink a $19.5MM deal with the Lakers (who hold his Bird Rights) in the following year. Here's more from around the Association..

Wolves owner Glen Taylor continues to say that he is confident a new deal with restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic will be reached, tweets Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press.
Terms of Andrew Goudelock's deal with Russia's BC UNICS Kazan were not disclosed, but the offer is worth “considerably more” than his NBA minimum of about $1MM, a source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Jack Cooley is weighing offers from "a half dozen" teams after strong play in summer league, a source tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter). Cooley averaged 15 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 1.2 BPG for the Grizzlies' summer league squad.
The Nets' luxury tax penalties for next season bring their total monetary commitment for 2013/14 to just over $189MM, notes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. The Nets added to their total after signing Alan Anderson.

Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Expansion, Kings, Brown

July 19th, 2013 at 12:19am CST by Chuck Myron

USA Today's Sam Amick rounds up the news from the Board of Governors meeting today, which featured unanimous approval of Charlotte's name change from Bobcats to Hornets. Commissioner David Stern initially laughed off the idea of the switch, but fan support for the Hornets monicker persuaded him to take the issue seriously, Amick writes. Stern also offered hints that the league could consider expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas in the future, and he said the union's lack of an executive director has hung up the league's plans to implement human growth hormone testing by next season. Amick also passes along the league's rule adjustments, and we've got more from the meeting as we look around the Association this evening:

In May, the league imposed a deadline of 2017 for the opening of a new arena in Sacramento, but Stern indicated today that he's pleased with the progress the Kings and the city are making, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee observes.
The Nuggets, Wizards, Grizzlies, Suns and Knicks were all in attendance as Bobby Brown participated in a five-on-five scrimmage Wednesday, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. The Knicks also saw Brown workout Tuesday, and they're reportedly moving toward a deal.
Eric Gordon tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that the Pelicans have assured him that he's a part of the team's long-term plans.
Lakers VP Jim Buss said on NBA TV tonight that he strongly believes Kobe Bryant's torn Achilles will be healed in time for him to play in preseason games this fall, notes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.
The Bulls may have promised a training camp invitation to Andrew Goudelock as an enticement to get him to play for their summer league team, according to Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald (Twitter link).
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has maintained flexibility with his underwhelming free agent haul this summer, but his decision to keep the core of the team intact could have negative consequences, as Eric Koreen of the National Post examines.

Kobe Talks Rehab, Howard, Lakers, Future

July 11th, 2013 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Kobe Bryant isn't prepared to take a massive pay cut next summer, but doesn't think that his desire to negotiate the best deal possible will affect his return to the Lakers. Kobe tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he intends to wait until the dust settles on the Lakers' other offseason moves before broaching the subject of an extension, while Shelburne notes that the Lakers' plans to approach Kobe on the same topic had been tabled until he gets further along on his Achilles rehab.

In addition to talking to Shelburne, Bryant also participated in a Q&A with Melissa Rohlin of the Los Angeles Times. Here are a few of the highlights from that conversation:

On how his Achilles rehab is progressing:

"I'm far ahead, far ahead. Surprisingly so, but really ahead of schedule."

On whether he was disappointed that Dwight Howard didn't re-sign with the Lakers:

"No, I was pretty dead center. It's his decision and whichever path he goes, I know this organization is going to figure out the best thing going forward. One way or the other, it just seems like this is one of the franchises that always lands on its feet. So whatever happens, is what was supposed to happen."

On observers who believe 2013/14 could be a wasted year for the Lakers:

"Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong. We don't know. That's the beauty of competition. That's the beauty of trying to prove people wrong. Maybe they're right, maybe they aren't, but we're going to try and shut them up."

On how much longer he hopes to continue playing before retirement:

"I've always kind of said that it's nearing the end, and this is the last chapter, and it is. How many pages in that last chapter, I don't know. But it's definitely the last chapter. I've been rejuvenated somewhat by the injury and inspired by watching what San Antonio was able to accomplish this year, so I'm ready to go for at least another three."

On what the Lakers need to do to return to championship contention:

"I think just adding the right pieces. We got certain guys on the team that do things very well and we have certain holes [where] we're lacking that we need to shore up in terms of length and speed and shooting. If we can do that with a couple of guys, obviously Ryan Kelly is a big addition, if we can find a couple of guys who have length and speed, we'll be fine."

Pacific Notes: Kobe, Ellis, Kings, Boylan

July 11th, 2013 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few overnight links from out of the Pacific Division….

Asked if he'd be willing to take a significant pay cut next season to help the Lakers create as much cap space as possible, Kobe Bryant wasn't overly enthusiastic about the idea, telling Serena Winters of Lakers Nation that he still intends to negotiate the best deal possible.
Although the Kings talked to Monta Ellis, it never escalated to the point where the two sides were close on a deal, says Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, pointing out that other roster moves would now be necessary to accommodate Ellis (all four Twitter links).
Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee makes the case for why the Kings should avoid signing Ellis.
The Lakers have been linked to Josh Powell, Sasha Vujacic and Lamar Odom, but Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register doesn't expect those ex-Lakers to follow Jordan Farmar back to the team (Twitter link).
After their success with a late-summer signing of Matt Barnes in 2012, the Clippers are again taking a patient approach with the back end of their roster, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Joe Boylan will join the Warriors coaching staff, as the team notes in a press release that also confirms the hiring of new assistant coach Brian Scalabrine.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Kobe’s Delay Of Retirement Irked Dwight Howard

July 11th, 2013 at 12:38am CST by Chuck Myron

Kobe Bryant appears more open to the idea of playing beyond next summer than he was before his Achilles injury, but his plans to stick around longer didn't sit well with Dwight Howard, according to Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Howard was having a difficult time envisioning himself as the star of the team with Bryant still present, sources tell Shelburne and Stein, and that appears to have persuaded the big man to sign with the Rockets instead of the Lakers.

Howard's camp apparently asked the Lakers if they were considering an amnesty of Bryant, a scenario that could have made it easier for the team to clear room for both Howard and Chris Paul. The Lakers weren't open to that idea, and they were also unwilling to make a coaching change to appease Howard, who asked the team to hire Phil Jackson during this past season.

The All-Star center and Dan Fegan client was also upset with the Lakers' marketing plan for him, as Stein and Shelburne write. Howard's closest confidant on the team was GM Mitch Kupchak, and he intended to meet with the executive to tell him in person on Friday that he had chosen to sign with the Rockets. With word out in the media that he had already picked Houston, Howard elected to simply call Kupchak instead.

Post Dwightmare Reactions: Shaq, Lakers, Howard

July 7th, 2013 at 10:36am CST by Spencer Lund

Dwight Howard's decision to spurn the extra $30MM the Lakers could offer in order to join the Rockets has led to some revelations around the rest of the league. With Dwight as the big free agency coup of the summer, he's turned into the first domino as other teams have made moves in the wake of his announcment.

But the fall-out from Dwight's decision is just starting to expand in scope, and there have been reactions all over. Perhaps most notably, are the words from another former Lakers and Magic star, Shaquille O'Neal.

O'Neal has been critical of Dwight Howard in the past, but he was a bit more condescending when he called Dwight's decision the "safe move," while speaking to assembled media Saturday. But O'Neal's reaction to Dwight's decision wasn't the only fall-out from D-12's move to Texas. Here are more Dwight Howard links now that he's finally made up his mind on where he's going next year:

A year ago, Howard's camp warned the Rockets that he wouldn't re-sign with Houston if he were traded there. This summer, other Howard suitors tried to convince the big man that James Harden is a selfish teammate. Still, the Rockets persevered, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy thinks Orlando got the better end of the deal when they dealt Howard in the blockbuster trade involving the Sixers, Nuggets and Lakers this past fall. Van Gundy spoke with Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson about how the Magic ended up on top after the initial response had them losing the deal badly.
There's video of Shaq talking about Howard and the decision, via NBA.com
ESPN.com columnist J.A. Adande writes about the flummoxing decision by Dwight to leave the Lakers and the extra money, especially when considering his stated motivation to win now.
The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen sat down with the best Rockets center since Hakeem Olajuwon to get Howard's side of the story about what brought him to Houston.
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News offers a sobering insight for Lakers fans after Howard's decision: Kobe Bryant might have lost his last chance at title number six.
Finally, we have Mike Bresnahan at the Los Angeles Times on the sketchy Lakers future after Dwight's decision to leave. Their first decision appears to have been not to amnesty Pau Gasol before the last season of his contract.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Los Angeles Rumors: Bledsoe, Redick, Vujacic

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Dwight Howard has met with the Rockets, Warriors, and Hawks so far this week, and the Lakers, along with the Mavs, will finally get their shot to make a pitch to the All-Star free agent today. As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets, Golden State's and Atlanta's presentations yesterday went well, with Howard considering both team's head coaches (Mark Jackson and Mike Budenholzer) to be impressive.

As the Lakers prepare to meet with the biggest free agent left on the market, let's round up a few more updates out of Los Angeles….

It's sounding "more and more" as if the Clippers may just hang on to Eric Bledsoe, says Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. As Shelburne notes, it's hard to imagine Bledsoe re-signing with the Clippers long-term, either this offseason or next summer as a restricted free agent, but Doc Rivers seems in no hurry to part with the point guard, even after exploring possible deals (all Twitter links).
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Clippers have received trade inquiries on Bledsoe from the Raptors, Magic, Pistons, Bucks, and Mavericks.
The Clippers are searching for a way to sign-and-trade for J.J. Redick, who dined with Rivers on Monday night, tweets Wojnarowski. However, sources call the possibility a long shot.
Sasha Vujacic intends to return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season, and the Lakers would be his top choice, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Kobe Bryant offered his latest hints that he'll be sticking around past next summer, insisting to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that he'll be able to play at a high level for "at least another three years," and pointing to his injury and the Spurs' run to the Finals as motivation (Twitter links).
The Lakers have expressed interest in re-signing Earl Clark, who is drawing attention from "two or three teams" besides L.A., writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Odds & Ends: Kobe, LeBron, Rivers, Roy, Mavs

June 24th, 2013 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

We covered many of the pertinent points from Sam Amico's latest NBA report at FOX Sports Ohio earlier today in a post that rounded up today's Cavs rumors. But Amico's piece also features a few more notable tidbits, including word of the Blazers exploring moving up in the draft, the Bucks preparing to make a splash, and league executives beginning to believe Dwight Howard will sign with the Rockets. In addition to Amico's notes, we're hearing plenty of news and rumors from around the league, with the draft just three days away, so let's dive in….

Although Kobe Bryant has talked in the past about possibly retiring when his current contract ends in 2014, he recently said on Brazilian television that he could see himself playing for "another three or four years." Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times has the details and a link to the video clip.
A year from now, we could be looking forward to a sequel to The Decision, as LeBron James decides whether to exercise the 2014 opt-out in his contract with the Heat. For now though, LeBron tells CNN's Rachel Nichols that he hasn't thought about potential free agency, and will address it when the time comes (link via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel).
A source tells TNT's David Aldridge that Doc Rivers will have more say in the Clippers' basketball decisions than he did for the Celtics.
While he stopped short of officially declaring his NBA career over, Brandon Roy acknowledged to ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton that it's no secret his basketball days are "numbered" (Twitter links).
With Chris Paul seemingly on track to re-sign with the Clippers, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes that the Mavericks will have to move on to their Plan B at point guard, and identifies a few possible targets.

Kobe Thinks Howard, Paul Stay Put

June 19th, 2013 at 7:28pm CST by Alex Lee

In an interview on 710 ESPN Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant said he expects Dwight Howard to stay with the Lakers and Chris Paul to stay with the Clippers, writes Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times. Bryant, citing the franchise's past success with centers, said the Lakers have to find a way to retain Howard, who Bryant fully expects to meet with other teams.

From Bryant: "Those guys are hard to find, they don't grow on trees. When you have someone like that with his talent level, you have to be able to keep him and lock him in with this franchise."

Bryant called the Lakers the "perfect spot" for Howard, and said that he would have been a "fool" to leave L.A. in 2004 when he had a chance to become a free agent himself. Despite the recent migration of superstars, Bryant, when asked about Howard and Paul, seemed to think that there wouldn't be a ton of movement this offseason:

"There's always so much talk going on, especially with big-name guys going here, going there, but that happens once in a blue moon. I think at the end of the day, everybody stays."

Meanwhile, Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com gives his take on the four realistic summer options for the Lakers that revolve around Howard and his frontcourt mate Pau Gasol.