Larry Nance Jr. Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Griffin, Booker, Chandler, Lakers

October 14th, 2017 at 10:26am CST by marksuleymanov

Blake Griffin signed a long-term deal to stay with the Clippers this past offseason and when he signed on the dotted line, he became the undisputed face of a revamped franchise. Longtime point guard Chris Paul was traded to the Rockets, ending an era that saw the Clippers as perennial playoff contenders but also a team that never advanced past the first round.

In an interview with ESPN’s Sam Alipour, Griffin addressed the Clippers’ changed roster but said that change is not always a bad thing.

“I don’t know. You never want to blow up something like that — you have All-Stars in CP and DJ [DeAndre Jordan], great pieces like J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford,“ Griffin said. “But at the same time, we haven’t had success, so a shake-up doesn’t hurt.”

With a five-year, $173MM deal keeping Griffin in Los Angeles, he said that he will take on a stronger leadership role. Despite losing Paul, the team still has talent that can lead the team to the playoffs.

“Yeah, I led by example, but I’ll be more outspoken this year,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve learned that leaders aren’t always popular. You have to say things people don’t necessarily want to hear.”

Read up on other news coming out of the Pacific Division below:

Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins became the latest players to sign maximum rookie deals and the Suns‘ budding star, Devin Booker, could be in the same boat next year, Scott Bordow of Arizona Central Sports writes.
Veteran center Tyson Chandler has become a voice of reason and guidance for a young Suns team, Bordow writes in a separate story.
Larry Nance Jr. has been the favorite to win the Lakers‘ starting power forward position but the play of Kyle Kuzma — who led the NBA with 104 preseason points — has made it a tougher decision, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register writes.
The Lakers signed 19-year-old Can Pelister as the youngest international scout of all-time, according to basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link).

Pacific Notes: Beverley, Len, Thompson

August 29th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Austin Kent

After years counterbalancing James Harden‘s offensive presence in Houston, Patrick Beverley will step into a larger role as Chris Paul‘s replacement with the Clippers, James Blancarte of Basketball Insiders writes.

Not only has the veteran guard embraced the trade to the Clippers, he asked for the change of scenery. Now the 29-year-old will get a chance to showcase what he’s capable of above and beyond his reputation as a tenacious perimeter defender.

While Beverley will have big shoes to fill even on the defensive side of the ball – Paul was the only player that ranked higher than him in defensive real plus minus – he brings leadership qualities that should help the Clippers franchise in the midst of a critical transition.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Still without a contract for the 2017/18 season, restricted Suns free agent Alex Len has opted out of playing with the Ukrainian national team in FIBA EuroBasket this summer, international basketball reporter David Pick tweets.
There have been no shortage of trade rumors involving Warriors guard Klay Thompson. Anthony Slater of The Athletic (subscription required) explains why he believes they’ll only continue.
Healthy after suffering an ankle injury, Warriors center Zaza Pachulia will suit up for his native Georgia in FIBA EuroBasket, Stavros Barbarousis of EuroHoops writes.
A handful of Pacific Division rotation players could make names for themselves as sleepers this season, David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders writes, including Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. and recently acquired Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell.

Western Rumors: Bjelica, Watson, Crawford

March 21st, 2017 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves big man Nemanja Bjelica underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a fractured navicular bone in his left foot, the team announced in a press release. Bjelica’s season-ending injury occurred during Minnesota’s 117-104 loss to Boston on March 15th. He was averaging 6.2 PPG and 3.8 RPG in 18.3 MPG while appearing in 65 games. The club did not announce how long it would take for Bjelica, who will make a guaranteed $3,949,999 next season, to recover from the injury.

In other developments around the Western Conference:

Suns coach Earl Watson brushed aside speculation that might leave Phoenix if the UCLA coaching job opens up, Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic reports. Current UCLA coach Steve Alford is considered a top candidate for the vacant Indiana job because of his ties to the school. Watson, a UCLA alum, would be a logical choice to replace him if that happened. “I’m more focused on creating value for our [organization], to give management and ownership many options to build a championship contender here,” Watson told Haller. “What I mean by that is, building the value of the young players so that their value and their game and their confidence give them the option to be financially secure in this league when they become free agents; giving our ownership the option to build around them or give ownership and management the option to make moves because their value is so high to put us in contention quicker.”
Jordan Crawford has become a potent force for the Pelicans, William Guillory of the New Orleans Times-Picayune writes. Crawford averaged 14.3 PPG in his first seven games with the club while shooting 51.9% on 3-point attempts, giving it a much-needed boost on the perimeter. Crawford’s production allowed the 28-year-old guard to turn a 10-day contract into a two-year deal. “When I got the 10-day, that was the accomplishment,” Crawford told Guillory. “I didn’t really feel like I was on a 10-day once I was here. The hard part was getting the 10-day.”
Lakers power forward Larry Nance Jr. wants to remain with the organization on a long-term basis, as he relayed to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.com in a Q&A session. Nance is still on his rookie contract and will make $1,471,382 next season. The club will have to decide whether to make him a qualifying offer in the summer of 2018. “We’re on the up-and-up as a team and we’ve got a bright future,” Nance said. “And would I love to be a part of that future? Man, I’d love nothing more than that.”

Pacific Notes: Casspi, Paul, Griffin, Nance

January 17th, 2017 at 6:05pm CST by Austin Kent

The Kings will be without forward Omri Casspi for up to two weeks, writes Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee. Casspi injured his calf on Monday and underwent an MRI later that night.

Said to have strained the plantaris tendon in his right calf, Casspi will look to get back to action as soon as possible in an effort to reclaim his spot in the team’s rotation. Casspi has seen his role fluctuate over the course of the season and has appeared in just six of the Kings’ last 15 games.

In 22 games for the Kings this year, Casspi has averaged 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

Another injury has hit the Clippers, this time point guard Chris Paul. After leaving Monday’s game with a thumb injury, Paul underwent a basic X-Ray which came back negative. The guard was scheduled to have an MRI performed on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury. “That’s the one injury we get,” head coach Doc Rivers told Rowan Kavner of the Clippers’ official site. “You know the pain. I’m sure CP was thinking the worst at the time. He’s already got pretty good news with the normal X-ray being negative. You’ve just got to hope for the best.”
Fortunately for the Clippers, good news continues to trickle in about Blake Griffin. “He looks like he’s explosive again,” Rivers told “He looks like he’s explosive again.” Per Woike, Griffin is expected to travel with the team on a three-game road trip starting on Saturday.
It seemed as though Larry Nance Jr. was nearing his return to the court for the Lakers, but head coach Luke Walton isn’t so sure. “It doesn’t look like he’s going to be back at least this week,” Walton told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Later adding: “If he can do two straight practices without pain, he’ll be good to play.”
The Warriors broke ground on their new arena today and team owner Joe Lacob spoke about the organization’s decision to fund the project themselves via increased ticket sales, increased sponsorship and other new revenue streams. “I don’t want to criticize other owners or other teams, in our league or anywhere else. But there is a history of these leagues getting these things publicly financed,” Lacob told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “[…] I know that wasn’t going to happen here, just because it’s the Bay Area. I decided, ‘We’re just going to do it and we’re going to figure out a way to pay for it.’“

Lakers Rumors: Young Core, Millsap, Noel, Odom

January 11th, 2017 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak indicated last month that he’d be perfectly happy not to make a trade this season, since he’s pleased with the young talent on his roster. So far, the Lakers’ discussions with teams have reflected that stance. League sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Los Angeles hasn’t included Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, or D’Angelo Russell in any trade talks, and that isn’t expected to change in the coming weeks. According to Deveney, young role players like Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson are also unlikely to be moved.

While the Lakers aren’t eager to break up their young core, there are indications that the team is still exploring possible trade options. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Lakers were among the clubs to express interest in Paul Millsap before Atlanta pulled him off the market. L.A. would also have interest in Nerlens Noel if and when the Sixers get serious about moving him, Deveney writes. For now though, the club appears content to exercise some patience and move forward with its current roster.

Here’s more from out of L.A.:

One Western Conference scout who spoke to Deveney had high praise for the Lakers’ young trio of Ingram, Randle, and Russell. “If you made a list of the 20 best players who are 22 or under, I think you’d have to have all three of the Lakers’ young guys on there,” the scout said. “They’re three of the best young guys in the league. There’s really not a lot of teams can say that, and I think a lot of mediocre teams would like to swap rosters with the Lakers right now.”
Asked by TMZ about whether he had any interest in returning to the NBA as a coach, former Lakers forward Lamar Odom admitted that he has thought about it, acknowledging that he even contact head coach Luke Walton to convey his interest.
The idea of Odom joining the Lakers’ staff under Walton probably isn’t a realistic one at this point, according to Mark Medina of The Orange County Register, who notes that the team is mindful of Odom’s continuous recovery. Nonetheless, Walton isn’t shutting that door. “Lamar would be great,” the Lakers’ head coach said of his former teammate. “Anyone who knows Lamar, when he’s right, he is one of the most likeable people they’ve been around. He has a great knowledge of the game and has a great way of communicating with people.”

Pacific Notes: Nance Jr., Curry, Clarkson

January 9th, 2017 at 10:04pm CST by Austin Kent

Though he’s been sidelined since December 20, Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. thinks that he could be back in action sooner than the team’s current timetable.

“I have no issues,” Nance told Mark Medina of the Orange County Register. “I’m as content as can be with the way everything is going and how fast it is progressing.”

Nance Jr. believes that the bone bruise in his left knee is healing faster than was originally expected. Initially slated to be out of action until January 22, his 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game would be welcome back to the lineup.

The 24-year-old second-year man has recently resumed shooting drills and will soon compete in contact drills.

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

There’s a notable difference in how Lakers head coach Luke Walton coaches Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell, writes Mark Medina of the Orange County Register in a separate piece. Walton is more apt to harp on the former, while he approaches to discuss things more with the latter. Walton believes that the players respond better to uniquely tailored approaches.
Concern that Stephen Curry is in a slump is humorous, writes Chris Haynes of ESPN. The reigning two-time MVP acknowledges that his numbers are down but has every confidence that things will average out. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr added: “Ted Williams didn’t hit .400 every year, but every year he hit about .350, .360, and that’s what Steph is doing.“
The NBA has fined Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson $15,000 for his role in an altercation with Goran Dragic, tweets Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet. “I thought it was going to be worse, to be honest with you“, the guard said to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.

Larry Nance Jr. Expected To Miss Four Weeks

December 26th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

An offseason hand injury didn’t cost Larry Nance Jr. any regular season games, but the Lakers forward has suffered a new injury that will keep him out of action for about a month. The Lakers announced late last night in a press release that Nance has been diagnosed with a left knee bone bruise, and is expected to miss approximately four weeks.

Nance first suffered the injury last Tuesday in Charlotte, and underwent an MRI a day later to confirm the diagnosis. However, at that point the Lakers were unable to conduct a full evaluation due to the swelling in the knee. The team completed that re-evaluation on Sunday.

Nance, who turns 24 on New Year’s Day, has been one of the Lakers’ key rotation pieces off the bench this season, averaging 7.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.2 SPG in 28 games for the team. The 2015 first-round pick has also increased his shooting percentage to an impressive 58.4% in the early going this season.

With Nance unavailable, big men like Timofey Mozgov and Thomas Robinson appear poised to take on larger roles in the Lakers’ rotation.

Injury Notes: Nance, Nowitzki, Parsons, Oladipo

December 21st, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. has a bone bruise in his left knee and will be out indefinitely, the team announced on its website. He suffered the injury Tuesday in Charlotte. Nance had an MRI today to confirm the injury, but further results were limited because of swelling. He will be re-evaluated Sunday, and the Lakers plan to issue an update on availability after that examination. Nance has played in 28 of the team’s 31 games this season, all off the bench.

There’s more injury news from around the NBA:

Dirk Nowitzki won’t play tonight, but the Mavericks hope to have him back soon, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Nowitzki is almost fully recovered from a strained right Achilles and could play Friday against the Clippers or Monday against the Pelicans. “I’ll probably get a good workout tonight and see how it responds,” Nowitzki said. “I’ll probably get my first practice [Thursday] and see how it feels, basically go from day to day. It’s been encouraging. It hasn’t gotten worse from some of the stuff we’ve been doing. Hopefully, I’ll be out there soon.”
Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons is active for tonight’s game with the Pistons, tweets Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Parsons, who was still recovering from offseason surgery on his right knee when the season started, has appeared in just six games. He suffered a bone bruise on his left knee shortly after returning.
Thunder guard Victor Oladipo says his injured right wrist is improving, but he will sit out his fifth straight game tonight, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Despite his optimism, coach Billy Donovan said there has been “no change at all in terms of what he can and can’t do” since suffering the injury in a December 11th game. “He is getting better,” Donovan said. “I don’t want to come across like he’s not. There is improvement there, but it’s not at a point where he can do enough in terms of catching, passing, shooting, playing right now.”
Back tightness forced Hawks center Dwight Howard to sit out tonight for the second straight game, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s a lot better than it was a couple days ago,” Howard said. “It continues to get better.” Howard, who signed a three-year, $70.5MM deal with the Hawks in July, has had back issues before. In 2014/15, back and knee problems limited him to 41 games with the Rockets.
The Jazz expect to have point guard George Hill back in the lineup soon, although it may not happen until next week, report Aaron Falk and Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Hill went through an intense workout Tuesday as he tries to overcome a sprained toe that has sidelined him for nearly a month.
Wizards center Ian Mahinmi had platelet-rich plasma treatments on both knees this morning, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Knee problems have limited him to just one game after signing a four-year, $64MM contract this summer.

Lakers Exercise Options For Russell, Randle, Nance

October 26th, 2016 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are the latest team to exercise 2017/18 options for players on rookie scale contracts, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, who tweets that D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Larry Nance Jr. have had their options picked up by Los Angeles. The Lakers have formally confirmed the moves in a press release.

By exercising the three options, the Lakers will guarantee Russell a $5.562MM salary in 2017/18, with Randle set to earn $4.149MM, and Nance to get $1.26MM. It’s a fourth-year option for Randle, who will subsequently be on track to reach restricted free agency in 2018. Russell and Nance, on the other hand, are one season behind Randle, so they had their third-year options picked up today.

Russell and Randle each averaged 28.2 minutes per game for the 2015/16 Lakers, and are poised to assume even larger roles for this year’s club. Russell was the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, while Randle was selected seventh overall in 2014, and both players are viewed as core pieces for this young L.A. team, along with 2016 No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram. Expectations aren’t quite so high for Nance, but the Wyoming product did have a solid rookie season, averaging 5.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG.

And-Ones: Holiday, Pelicans, Lakers

August 18th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday might wear protective goggles next season after undergoing eye surgery four months ago, according to John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune. Holiday fractured the orbital wall around his right eye in late March after colliding with Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis. Holiday is participating in voluntary workouts with teammates in Los Angeles without any medical restrictions, Reid continues. “I’m able to do anything I want,” Holiday told Reid. “It’s been great that I can do things with no restrictions but at the same time I’m being smart with the stuff that I’m doing.”

In other news around the league:

Pelicans owner Tom Benson has requested a 45-day extension to finalize a legal settlement agreement involving his estranged heirs’ interest in the team, Katherine Sayre of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports. Benson sued last year to remove shares in the NFL Saints and Pelicans out of trust funds for his daughter and two grandchildren after deciding to instead to give control over the teams to his wife, Gayle Benson, Sayre continues. A confidential settlement was reached in June, Sayre adds.
Lakers forward Larry Nance, Jr. is “close to completely healed” from a right wrist sprain, Mike Trudell of TWCSportsNet tweets. Nance Jr. been shooting at the team’s practice facility, Trudell adds. He suffered the injury while playing a Summer League game last month.
Former Lakers small forward Devin Ebanks has signed with Reales de La Vega in the Dominican Republic, Sportando.com tweets. Ebanks played in Puerto Rico last season. The 26-year-old Ebanks played three seasons for the Lakers, appearing in 63 games, but hasn’t played an NBA game since 2012/13.