Kobe Bryant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Rumors: Russell, Young, Scott, Bryant

March 31st, 2016 at 6:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

The video controversy involving D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young was an inevitable result of their flawed personalities, contends Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Ding says Russell’s immaturity and Young’s desire for a celebrity lifestyle combined to create the incident, which reportedly has led to deep rifts in the locker room. The columnist adds that many in the Lakers’ front office are angry at Russell for bringing this distraction to the team and are worried that it may turn off potential free agent targets. However, the Lakers recognize Russell’s unique talents and aren’t likely to deal him away over a misguided prank.

There’s more Lakers news from Los Angeles:

The Russell-Young story is making waves throughout the league, writes David Mayo of MLive. Pistons power forward Marcus Morris said he probably won’t speak to Russell again, adding, “That’s something you don’t want to see in the NBA.” Detroit teammate Stanley Johnson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, says being a rookie doesn’t excuse what he did, and coach/executive Stan Van Gundy agreed with Lakers’ coach Byron Scott that the incident shouldn’t have become public knowledge. “This should be one of those situations where whatever is said in there stays in there,” Van Gundy said, referring to the locker room.
Kobe Bryant received an offer last summer to play for Barcelona, according to the Spanish website mundodeportivo.com (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com). The offer called for Bryant to appear only in Euroleague games, which feature the most successful teams from each participating nation. Because Bryant is making $25MM this year in his final season with the Lakers, it’s likely that the Barcelona offer was for next season. Bryant reportedly turned it down, saying he wasn’t physically able to handle the competition.
Scott hasn’t provided the smooth transition into the post-Kobe era that the franchise was counting on, but Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders believes the team has a young core that will eventually turn the Lakers into winners again. Despite his off-court faux pas, Russell has shown himself to be an exceptional talent, and Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. also provide hope for the future, either as part of the resurgence or as trade pieces to bring in veteran talent.

Lakers Notes: Russell, Young, Nance

March 31st, 2016 at 10:28am CST by Chuck Myron

Nick Young has accepted D’Angelo Russell‘s apology over the controversial video that had seem to drive a wedge between Russell and his teammates, a source told Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Lakers players reportedly shunned Russell following the public release of a video he secretly recorded that depicted Young talking about women other than his fiancee. Russell apologized to the team before Wednesday’s win over Miami, Jordan Clarkson said, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (on Twitter), and the rookie expressed profound contrition in an interview with The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

“The thing is, we record ourselves doing dumb stuff all the time,” Russell said. “On the road or home, wherever. We go back and watch what we did and said and laugh at ourselves. I guess I just never thought that these pranks we pull on ourselves could have bigger consequences. That was a big lesson I learned. I’ve said to myself over and over: What could anyone possibly gain by intentionally doing something that could hurt someone else’s relationship? I never wanted to hurt anyone. I’m sorry for it.”

The flap that temporarily cast the future of last year’s No. 2 overall pick in doubt seemed to dissipate amid the team’s victory and the appearance of Lamar Odom, who attended his first NBA game after a health scare that threatened his life in October. Kobe Bryant said after the game that Odom’s recovery stands as an example for Russell of how a dire situation can improve over time, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). See more on the Lakers:

A prominent agent who spoke with Sean Deveney of The Sporting News laughed off the notion that players around the league would be reluctant to play with the Lakers if Russell is still on the team, and Deveney suggests the long-term implications of the video incident are overblown. Given Young’s poor production this season, his status on the team is more tenuous than Russell’s, Deveney insists.
The agent pointed to the Lakers’ money and geographic location as reasons why they’re a draw for players, but the results of this past offseason, when LaMarcus Aldridge and others spurned the team, say otherwise, contends Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, who believes the team’s issues go far beyond the video.
Larry Nance Jr. had never played small forward before this season, but the Lakers have him at the three now and will keep him at the position for summer-league play with an eye toward using him as a long-term complement to power forward Julius Randle, as Medina details.

Pacific Notes: Bryant, Lee, Barnes

March 29th, 2016 at 5:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

One of the biggest decisions the Warriors will need to make this summer is whether or not to re-sign Harrison Barnes, who will be eligible to become a restricted free agent at season’s end. Teammate Andrew Bogut believes the combo forward has done more than enough to command a near-maximum salary this summer, Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle relays.

“We’re winning. A lot of guys are sacrificing numbers, minutes and roles on this team. That’s why we’re a great team,” Bogut told reporters. “Harrison has had great games, and he’s had bad games — just like everybody else on this roster. I don’t anticipate it affecting his contract situation and all of that. Someone is probably going to give him the max. Let’s be honest. Someone is going to give him close to the max. There’s always a small-market team that would love someone like Harrison as their No. 1 or No. 2 option. I don’t think it’s going to [have] any bearing on his financial future. I think people know that everyone on this team is more valuable than their contract says — just on the basis of what they’ve given up.” Barnes is averaging 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 30.4 minutes per contest on the campaign.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

David Lee would still be with the Warriors if the team hadn’t won the championship last year, he tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. “If we lose the Finals, then I find a way to try to stick around there,” Lee said. “But I feel like, we went from a 23-win team to a championship team in five years. It couldn’t have been a better ending, contributing to helping my team win a championship. It was a fitting ending for both parties. I wanted to play minutes going into a contract year, and there was really no way they could keep me. I think it worked out great for both sides.”
Lakers coach Byron Scott was unhappy with the defensive effort of his younger players against Rodney Hood, who scored 30 points against Los Angeles on Monday night, Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake City Tribune relays (via Twitter). The coach pointed to Kobe Bryant‘s willingness to take the assignment when his other players didn’t rise to the challenge, Falk adds. “Kobe wanted to take on the challenge,” Scott told reporters. “It’s a [expletive] shame our oldest player has to take the challenge. It says a lot about him, obviously. It’s what he has done all his life, but nobody else wanted to step up and take that challenge and that’s a shame that the oldest guy our team that is leaving this league in eight games was the one that had to kind of shut him down.“

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Wolves Sale, Martin, Walton, Noah

March 13th, 2016 at 6:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

A dispute in the Grizzlies‘ ownership group may prevent a planned sale of the Timberwolves, as Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com examine. Steve Kaplan was set to sell off his share of the Memphis franchise and purchase 30% of the Wolves, with an opportunity to become Minnesota’s controlling owner. However, Kaplan and Grizzlies owner Robert Pera have been embroiled in a months-long dispute, as Windhorst and Lowe detail, advancing earlier reports. Their disagreement was recently settled through a confidential agreement when Kaplan threatened arbitration, but the delay has imperiled Kaplan’s deal with Wolves owner Glen Taylor, Windhorst and Lowe write.

Windhorst and Lowe also cite unidentified sources who say Pera has become “distant” from the Grizzlies and has prevented minority owners in having a say in important decisions. Kaplan fears that once word spreads about these practices, it will be difficult for him to sell his 14% share of the team. Sources tell the ESPN scribes that he has been asking for $100MM, while estimating the Grizzlies’ value at about $700MM. Windhorst and Lowe also mention sources close to Taylor who claim he is reconsidering his desire to sell, given the complications in Memphis and the Wolves’ stockpile of talented young players.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

The Wolves elected to stretch Kevin Martin‘s contract over the next three seasons when he agreed to a buyout, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Martin’s cap hit for Minnesota will be $1,229,584 next year and $1,229,583 in each of the following two seasons.
Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post believes Luke Walton is the favorite to take over as head coach of the Lakers if Byron Scott gets fired this summer. Bontemps cautions that L.A. isn’t certain to dismiss Scott, whose salary is guaranteed for next season, but Walton’s history with the franchise and success as an assistant with the Warriors make him a natural successor. In assessing the Lakers’ future, Bontemps said they need to establish a new identity with the retirement of Kobe Bryant and re-emerge as a force in the free agent market.
Joakim Noah is a realistic option for the Mavericks in free agency this offseason, and although he would provide Dallas with an upgrade at the center spot, he wouldn’t give the team the personnel to compete with the top frontcourts in the league, opines Matt Mosley of the Dallas Morning News.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Pacific Notes: Griffin, Price, Watson, Bryant

March 13th, 2016 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

Blake Griffin‘s injured leg, not his broken right hand, is delaying his return to the court, according to Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Earlier this month, Clippers coach Doc Rivers claimed Griffin was “really close” to playing again, but that timetable has been pushed to the end of March. Griffin hasn’t appeared in a game since partially tearing a tendon in his left quad on Christmas Day. Woike said the tendon hasn’t responded the way team officials hoped when Griffin’s workouts were amped up.

Griffin’s hand, which he fractured in a January 23rd fight with assistant equipment manager Matias Testi, has healed enough to allow him to practice, Woike notes. Once he is cleared for game action, Griffin still faces a four-game team-imposed suspension for that altercation.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Suns point guard Ronnie Price is having one of his best NBA seasons at age 32, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Price had started 10 straight games before Brandon Knight was healthy enough to return to the starting lineup Saturday. He averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 assists with the starting unit while shooting 35% from 3-point range. After being with six teams in 11 years and a different team for each of the past five seasons, Price will be a free agent again this summer. “Ronnie is the ultimate pro,” said interim coach Earl Watson. “He’s the type of guy you always want on your team because he’s going to lift up the locker room, make guys practice and play hard and he’s a future coach. It’s great for the young guys to see a veteran with everything he’s fought in his career to continue to fight and get better late in his career.”
Watson has made an impression on his players during his brief time as coach, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Two Suns players told Spears the team consensus is they would like to see Watson brought back next season. He took over for Jeff Hornacek on February 1st.
Because the Lakers dropped out of the playoff race early, Kobe Bryant has been able to relax and enjoy his final season, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. “I love the process,” Bryant said. “I love figuring that stuff out. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be playing for 20 years. It’s just a different emotion where you get a chance to kind of step back and appreciate the competitors versus trying to break them down and pick them apart.”

L.A. Rumors: Bryant, Paul, Griffin, Rivers

February 28th, 2016 at 7:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Byron Scott’s new motion offense is the latest sign that the Lakers are ready to move past the Kobe Bryant era, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Scott drilled the team this week on the new philosophy, which maximizes the talents of guards D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson and represents a departure from the isolation game that Bryant favors. Bryant announced months ago that he will retire after this season, opening up $25MM in cap room, and the Lakers appear ready to turn the team over to their younger players. “It’s something that I think will help us in the long run,” Scott said. “I was going to wait until next year to do it, but then I said, ‘Why wait?’” However, Scott may not be around next season, as the front office is reportedly divided over whether to let him keep his job past April.

There’s more news from Los Angeles:

The Lakers still haven’t recovered from the blocked trade for Chris Paul in 2011, contends Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. The three-team deal with New Orleans and Houston would have seen L.A. ship out Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Then-commissioner David Stern stopped it, citing “basketball reasons,” as the league was running the New Orleans franchise due to the financial distress of its former owner.
Bryant said he feels like he needs to play every game to satisfy fans who paid to see his retirement tour, according to Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. “I always feel terrible when I can’t get out there and play,” he said. “I feel disappointment for the fans when I can’t. If I feel like I can try and give it a go, I think the fans deserve that effort from me.”
Clippers star Blake Griffin has been shooting for about a week, but his return still seems far off, tweets Dan Woike of The Orange County Register. Coach Doc Rivers confirmed Griffin’s activity, but didn’t suggest a date when he might play again. Griffin, who will have a four-game suspension to serve once he returns from his broken hand, hasn’t played since December 25th.
Austin Rivers, who was expected to be out of action four to six weeks after breaking his left hand February 5th, hopes to be ready for Wednesday’s game, Woike tweets.

Central Notes: Gasol, Bryant, Frye, Pistons

February 20th, 2016 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The final third of the season will influence Pau Gasol‘s decision on whether to stay with the Bulls, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The 35-year-old plans to opt out this summer, passing up $7,769,520 next season to take a shot at free agency. His future will largely be affected by how the injury-plagued Bulls perform in the crowded Eastern Conference race for playoff spots. “How these games play out will give me information of how I want to … or how my decision will be influenced for sure,’’ Gasol said. “How we handle this situation and if we’re able to overcome it, get more together and united and stronger or we give up or are content with it. Because that tells a lot, it tells you a lot about the character of a team and the people you are around.’’

There’s more news from the Central Division:

Kobe Bryant, who will play his final game in Chicago Sunday, came close to joining the Bulls in 2004, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. In the wake of the Lakers’ loss in the NBA Finals, and with relationships strained with coach Phil Jackson and teammate Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant wanted to use his free agency to get out of Los Angeles. He held a secret meeting with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and executive John Paxson and strategized about how to get a sign-and-trade deal done with the Lakers. However, a few days later O’Neal asked for a trade, and Bryant spent 12 more years in L.A.
Channing Frye still hasn’t been cleared to play for Cleveland, but the organization isn’t concerned about his status, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Frye, who was obtained from Orlando in a trade on Thursday, went through more medical exams today and did not accompany the Cavaliers on their trip to Oklahoma City. Coach Tyronn Lue said the franchise has “no concern at all” about Frye, who sat out the 2012/13 season with a heart condition.
The Pistons created a minuscule $211,795 trade exception equivalent to the difference between Joel Anthony‘s $2.5MM salary and the $2,288,205 salary for Donatas Motiejunas as a result of their trade Thursday, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). Detroit took Marcus Thornton‘s salary into the minimum-salary exception.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Knicks Rumors: Lowry, Bryant, Fisher, Porzingis

February 13th, 2016 at 3:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors All-Star Kyle Lowry thought he was headed to the Knicks in a December 2013 trade, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The proposed deal, which would have solved New York’s ongoing problem at point guard, would have sent Lowry from Toronto to the Knicks in exchange for Metta World Peace, Iman Shumpert and a future first-round draft pick. “That deal was done,” said Lowry, but it was reportedly stopped by New York owner James Dolan, who was hesitant to make another trade with Toronto GM Masai Ujiri so soon after sending several assets to Ujiri in Denver in exchange for Carmelo Anthony. Toronto was willing to move Lowry at the time because the front office wasn’t sure it could keep him in free agency. Lowry is currently in the second season of a four-year, $48MM deal he signed in the summer of 2014. “At the end of the day, the decision was made for me to be here and it worked out equally, perfectly for both parties,” Lowry said.

There’s more out of New York:

Kobe Bryant understands the circumstances that got Derek Fisher, his former teammate, fired as coach of the Knicks, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Fisher was dismissed Monday with New York mired in a 1-9 slump. Bryant also has connections to Knicks president Phil Jackson and interim coach Kurt Rambis, who both used to be part of the coaching staff in L.A. “They felt they needed a change so they made a change. It’s pretty black and white to me,” Bryant said. “Derek’s like a brother, always has been. But still it’s hard to be a coach somewhere and last your entire career there. He’s had a good run there and now it’s time for a change.”
Rookie Kristaps Porzingis believes Fisher was let go to send a message to the team, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Porzingis said players occasionally lost focus and something had to change to make a late-season playoff run. He doesn’t question the decision to give Rambis a shot at turning things around. “They know what they’re doing,’’ he said of Knicks management. “They have a lot of experience. I’m nobody to judge their decisions. I felt guilty for that happening.”

Western Notes: Chalmers, Pekovic, Janning

February 9th, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Wolves big man Nikola Pekovic‘s surgically repaired right Achilles tendon continues to bother him, and he’s frustrated as a result while he plays his way back into shape, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune writes. “I’m still not pain-free. I’m still feeling pain,” Pekovic told Zgoda. “It’s kind of a little of everything. I’m just learning to play with pain again. That’s the biggest adjustment. And, of course, when you don’t play for 10 months, what do you expect? Come back in two games? It’s not possible.”

“We appreciate the fact that Pek’s dealing with something I can only imagine,” interim coach Sam Mitchell said regarding the center’s struggles. “He’s doing the best he can to play through it, play as much as he can and get his game back to as close as it was. If he can do that, it’d be a minor miracle and it’d help us out. We just take it day-by-day and whatever Pek can give us, we have to be appreciative of that.”

Here’s the latest from out West:

The Grizzlies will have a difficult time extracting value out of Jeff Green and his expiring contract if they decide to deal him prior to the trade deadline, Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports opines in his deadline primer for Memphis. The team should hold onto point guard Mario Chalmers, who has solidified the position off the bench, and would likely come to regret parting ways with him down the stretch considering the lack of quality backup guards available around the league, Marks adds.
Nuggets camp cut Matt Janning has signed with the Russian club Lokomotiv Cuban, the team announced (translation by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). International journalist David Pick notes (on Twitter) that Janning’s deal includes an option for 2016/17, though it is unclear if it is a team or player option.
Kobe Bryant acknowledges that the Lakers‘ struggles this season have changed his approach and perspective, in this, his final year in the league, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. “It’s just us not being as competitive as we used to be has changed my role substantially,” Bryant said, “to be more of a teacher, more of a coach, to a person who understands more and has more patience in dealing with the young guys. It’s much, much different in that aspect.“

Lakers Notes: Free Agents, Bryant, Scott

February 7th, 2016 at 11:49am CST by ChrisCrouse

Kobe Bryant believes the Lakers‘ instability is hindering the team’s ability to attract free agents, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. Bryant argues that the changes in ownership and in the front office were major factors in missing out on big name free agents over the last three seasons, including LaMarcus Aldridge, who decided to spurn Los Angeles in favor of San Antonio. “I don’t need to be a genius to figure that out,” said Bryant.

Here’s more from Los Angeles:

Bryant added that he would have enjoyed playing for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Medina writes in the same piece. The 37-year-old suggested that he would have been open to sitting out more games during his career, akin to how the San Antonio handled Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker throughout their careers.
Coach Byron Scott expected more of rookie D’Angelo Russell at this point in the season, Mike Bresnaham of The Los Angeles Times writes. “I probably thought he’d be a little further,” Scott said while mentioning that Russell is 19 years old and still learning on the job. Russell was pulled from the starting lineup two months ago in an effort to keep the youngster’s ego under control.
After the All-Star break, Russell will likely return to the starting lineup, Medina relays in a separate piece, but don’t expect the coach to keep an open dialogue with the No. 2 overall pick about the decision. “He’s not old enough for me to have a meeting and discuss,” Scott said.