Luke Walton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Luke Walton Hopes To Continue NBA Career

October 21st, 2013 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Since Luke Walton became a free agent at the end of the 2012/13 season, the only reports we’ve heard on the veteran forward have suggested that the Cavs were unlikely to bring him back. However, despite not drawing much NBA interest, Walton hasn’t given up on continuing his playing career, as he tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

“I want to play still,” Walton said. “I’ve trained all summer as if I was going to get a call. The call never came, so, I’m going to keep working out …. If nothing happens this year, then I’ll probably admit that it’s officially over.”

Walton is currently working with Time Warner Cable SportsNet as an on-air analyst for Lakers broadcasts, and is also in talks with the team’s D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, about a player development role that would allow him to work out with the club.

The ex-Laker is still just 33 years old, and had a decent bounceback season last year with the Cavs — his 11.3 PER was close to his career mark of 11.7. If he’s healthy and in shape, he could still make a decent bench piece for an NBA team, perhaps later in the season for a club dealing with injuries. For now though, he’s enjoying his TV work.

“I’m doing this because I think it’s going to be fun,” Walton said of his role at TWC SportsNet. “Obviously I love the Lakers organization and it’s a way to stay involved and stay in the game of basketball while I continue to work out, in case I don’t get a call, I’m not just sitting around every day.”

Odds & Ends: Nets, Celtics, Mavs, Barea

July 13th, 2013 at 12:07am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Celtics had agreed last month to the framework of a trade that involved Paul Pierce, but not Kevin Garnett, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times. Then, Brooklyn GM Billy King asked Boston counterpart Danny Ainge whether Garnett would be available, too, and the deal began to morph into the nine-player swap that was finalized today. Here's more on an ever-changing NBA landscape:

The Mavs lost a pair of guards to injury, but they aren't interested in a trade that would bring back J.J. Barea, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.
According to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), it's
worth keeping an eye on Jordanian forward Zaid Abbas, who may be NBA-bound next
month. Amick adds in a second tweet that Abbas is holding off on signing with a
Chinese team due to optimism about potential NBA workouts in August.
The Rockets hold the rights to Kostas Papanikolaou after acquiring him as part of the Thomas Robinson trade, but the Bucks are among other NBA teams with interest in the 6'9" Greek small forward who "definitely" wants to play in the NBA this season, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link).
With Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Omri Casspi all joining other teams, the Cavaliers renounced their rights to the trio today, according to the RealGM transactions log. The Cavs did the same with Luke Walton, who remains a free agent.

Fallout From Andrew Bynum’s Deal With Cavs

July 10th, 2013 at 9:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

Plenty of deals have become official today, the first day after the July Moratorium, but the biggest story involves an agreement struck this evening, with Andrew Bynum and his balky knees heading to the Cavs. The deal is only guaranteed for $6MM, and according to USA Today's Sam Amick, "enormous protections" are in place that would make it difficult for Bynum to get his full $12MM salary this year unless he's healthy (Twitter link). The Cavs are realisitc about Bynum's injury troubles, and are simply hopeful he'll be ready for training camp, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets. Here's more reaction to Cleveland's gamble:

Some teams were turned off on Bynum this summer because of questions surrounding his willingness to aggressively rehab, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. He still isn't healthy enough to take part in full-court drills, TNT's David Aldridge hears.
Neither the Hawks nor the Mavs made a formal offer to Bynum after he met with the teams this week, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Several executives told Chris Mannix of SI.com that they wouldn't give Bynum any more than a one-year deal for the mid-level exception (Twitter link). As Mannix points out, the Cavs gave him a deal that's only guaranteed for about the same amount of money as the non-taxpayer's mid-level.
On Monday, well before the Bynum signing, a source told Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that he wouldn't be surprised to see the Cavs re-sign Luke Walton if Bynum wound up in Cleveland (Twitter link).
A Cavs executive told Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer that the team understands the risk involved with Bynum's knees. Still, the club is willing to take him on because of his upside, the exec says (on Twitter).
Similarly, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal hears there's skepticism within the Cavs organization that Bynum will ever be the player he once was (Twitter link). The contract is well worth the risk anyway, Lloyd says.
With Bynum joining a crowded frontcourt in Cleveland, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel figures it puts the Cavs out of the running for Greg Oden, who's also reportedly a target of the Heat (Twitter link).
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com looks at how Bynum could fit in with the Cavs, assuming he's healthy all season.

Cavs Will Not Extend Wayne Ellington QO

June 29th, 2013 at 10:03pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Cavs have elected to set free guard Wayne Ellington, reports Jason Lloyd of Akron-Beacon Journal. Ellington could have been given a qualifying offer of around $3.8MM, and he would have been a restricted free agent this summer, with the team able to match any offer for Ellington's services.

But Lloyd cautions that the Cavs would like Ellington to remain with the team, despite his status now as an unrestricted free agent. The Cleveland-Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer expressed surprise (twitter) at the decision not to extend Ellington a QO, but the Cavs remain high on him moving forward while viewing the decision as a strategic move to free up cap space, Lloyd notes.

The Cavs weren't expected to extend a qualifying offer to Omri Casspi either, and they haven't notes Boyer (Twitter). They Cavs are also unlikely to bring back Luke Walton.

Cavs Notes: Pekovic, Aldridge, Noel, Porter

June 1st, 2013 at 4:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported earlier today that the Cavs aren't going after DeMarcus Cousins, and he has plenty more on Cleveland's team in his latest dispatch. He gets credit for the updates below, unless otherwise noted.

The Cavaliers have tried and failed to pry Kevin Love from the Timberwolves, and their alternative may be to go after center Nikola Pekovic, one of the leading restricted free agents. Cleveland has the cap room to make him an offer of $12MM or better, a price Wolves owner Glen Taylor has said he won't pay.
The Blazers have no interest in Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters or draft picks, and have turned down the Cavs' inquiries about LaMarcus Aldridge.
Nerlens Noel says he'll be ready to play around Christmas, but the Cavaliers don't think he'll be back from his ACL injury until February or March. The team remains undecided about whether Noel will be the No. 1 pick, and Amico confirms that Otto Porter is also in the mix for that selection.
Amico hears the Cavs are willing to trade up to nab Sergey Karasev in the middle of the first round if it doesn't look like he'll fall to them at No. 19. The Cavs are also high on Alex Len, and he could be theirs if they trade out of the No. 1 pick.
The Cavs like Shaun Livingston, but he's seeking a larger payday than the team wants to give him.
Omri Casspi and Luke Walton probably won't be re-signed, but the Cavs hope to bring back Wayne Ellington.
The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer answers reader questions in her mailbag column, and opines that Al Horford makes more sense as a trade target for the Cavs than Love or Aldridge do.

Cavs Notes: Grant, Coaches, Free Agents

April 18th, 2013 at 10:57pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The news of Byron Scott's firing has sent an emotional ripple effect throughout the Cavaliers' organization, especially stunning many of the players, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. GM Chris Grant, who admitted that the decision was a difficult one "personally and professionally," told reporters that the team hadn't been making enough progress to warrant continued direction under coach Scott.

As for a replacement, Grant said: "Moving forward we'll look for someone with proven success and look for somebody who is strong defensively with proven systems…We'll look for somebody who is a teacher. We'll look for somebody who is a grinder and a worker."

We have quite a few links to relay regarding the Cavs tonight, and you can find them below:

Schmitt Boyer compiled a list of potential coaching candidates, categorizing them in terms of "shoot for the moon" targets, former head coaches, highly regarded NBA assistants, and college coaches.
The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto makes a case for Stan Van Gundy as a possible fit in Cleveland, saying that the Cavaliers would definitely like to talk to him soon. Pluto also suggests a possibility that the organization considers someone who has never been an NBA head coach – such as Heat assistant coach David Fizdale – to take the coaching reins.
Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press mentions that Flip Saunders – a native of Cleveland – could be another option, though the former Timberwolves coach could also be linked to Minnesota depending on if Rick Adelman and/or David Kahn remain with that organization.
Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer writes that the NBA will hold a random tiebreaker on Friday which will determine what draft choice the team receives from the Lakers in June. She also runs down the list of impending free agents on the roster and discusses the likelihood of their return or departure.
In addition to eliciting more reaction from the Cavs players, Schmitt Boyer was able to hear Luke Walton's thoughts about whether or not he could see Phil Jackson joining the franchise as a coach: "I get surprised every day in this league. But we're a pretty young team right here right now for Coach Jackson to come back. I would be surprised if he'd come to such a young team on that side of the process. But I get shocked every day in this league, so I won't say it's not going to happen.''

Eastern Links: Rose, Irving, Iverson

March 30th, 2013 at 9:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Thunder reserve Ronnie Brewer tells Shams Charania of RealGM he thinks that "it was unfortunate" that the Bulls announced Derrick Rose was cleared to play, elaborating that being 110% mentally ready is just as important as being physically ready: "I don’t think anybody really knows…I don’t think the doctors know. I don’t think any of the players know. Whatever it is, I don’t think he should rush back and not be confident to play, because if you’re not playing with confidence, then everything goes out the window.”

Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

There was some confusion about Kyrie Irving's status coming out of Cavaliers camp today, as forward Luke Walton hinted that Irving could be coming back soon shortly after Byron Scott told the media that there weren't any updates on the second year point guard (other than he was getting shots up at practice). Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer clarifies that Irving has been working out hard before games and made note that he has reached the third week of a three-to-four week recovery period since spraining his shoulder earlier this month.
During tonight's game between the 76ers and Bobcats, Dei Lynam of CSN Philly caught up with Allen Iverson, who says: "If the road ends here (with regard to not playing again), I'm fine with it…I'm happy and content with everything that's going on in my life…If I get a chance to play again, then I would love the opportunity, but if not, I would continue to just be happy."
Tom Moore of Philly Burbs looks at the options that Philadelphia has this offseason, whether it involves making a significant signing and filling out the roster with minimum contracts, dangling Spencer Hawes, Lavoy Allen, or possibly Evan Turner in trade talks, or look at one-year deals as a means of maintaining flexibility the following summer.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel uniquely describes the value of cap flexibility for the Magic moving forward.

Luke Walton No Longer Considering Retirement

March 15th, 2013 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

Two months ago, Luke Walton told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that if his back issues flared up again this season, he'd have to consider retiring at season's end. Since then, however, Walton has played relatively consistent minutes for the Cavaliers, and according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, the former Laker believes he can shelve thoughts of retirement for the near future.

Walton, 32, was acquired by the Cavs a year ago today, as part of the trade that sent Ramon Sessions to the Lakers. At the time, Walton was viewed as a salary throw-in, and Lloyd writes that it wouldn't have been surprising if he had drifted into retirement at the end of his current contract. According to Lloyd, even Walton thought that's how things might play out, but now the veteran forward is optimistic about playing for a couple more seasons.

"With the amount of back pain I’ve had the previous four or five years, I was going to give it everything I had this year, and if my back acted up, I was going to retire," Walton said. "Now that my back has been feeling much better, I’m enjoying this.

"I think this core group of people here and this coaching staff are doing some really good things and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of," Walton continued. "I haven’t really gotten that far into it yet, but I’m still focusing on trying to stay healthy and having fun playing this game and helping this team become better. But I love playing with these guys."

Walton, who is earning $6.09MM this season, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. If he were to return to the Cavs next season, it would probably have to be on a minimum-salary contract, which he recognizes, telling Lloyd, "I've made my money." While he hopes to extend his playing career, Walton also has an idea of what he'd like to do after he retires, telling Lloyd that he hopes to remain on an NBA bench in a coaching role.

"The NCAA makes it really challenging. There’s time limits you can work out with players and you’ve got to baby-sit," Walton said of his experience working with the University of Memphis coaching staff during the 2011 lockout. "I like basketball. I don’t want to go class-check and make sure guys are going to class. I want to be 100% basketball. I think the NBA is what I’d try, and if that didn’t work, high school could be fun back home."

Finnan On Cavs, Varejao, Draft Targets, Speights

January 26th, 2013 at 11:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald hears that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant could be looking to deal Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi (all expiring contracts), or even Marreese Speights (citing ESPN's Marc Stein) by the February trade deadline. He also shared a few more noteworthy tidbits in his NBA Notes piece:

One reason why the team won't look to move Anderson Varejao is that he could be one of LeBron James' preferred counterparts should the current Heat star look to eventually return to Cleveland.
Indiana's Cody Zeller, Kentucky's Nerlens Noel, and Maryland's Alex Len are among the top talented big men that the Cavs could target in June's NBA draft. Finnan adds that the addition of Marreese Speights has no bearing on the team's interest in drafting a big man during the offseason.
Due to his ability to veto his inclusion in a trade, Speights lost his Bird Rights, which essentially prevents Cleveland from being able to exceed the cap to re-sign him. The 6'10 forward owns a $4.5MM player option for next season, but could end up pursuing a multi-year deal this summer if he plays well for the rest of the year.

Luke Walton Considering Retirement

January 12th, 2013 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Luke Walton is set to face off against his former team when his Cavs take on the Lakers at the Staples Center on Sunday night. As he returns to his first NBA home arena, Walton tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports that he may call it quits at the end of the year.

“If my back feels good, I want to keep playing,” said Walton. “If my back goes out again, I’ll have to re-evaluate it at the end of the season and contemplate calling it a career. But right now the back is feeling good, so I’m just kind of enjoying playing again (and) being able to play basketball without pain for the first time in a long time.“

Walton is seeing just 14 minutes per contest for the Cavs this season and averaging 2.7 PPG. The Arizona product saw his minutes fluctuate in Los Angeles, but he was a key role player at times and put up 11.4 PPG in 33 minutes a night in 2006/07.

The forward is earning $6.091MM this year in the final season of a six-year, $30MM contract.