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Western Notes: Tony Allen, Clips, Lakers, Harris

March 28th, 2013 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The race for the final playoff spot(s) in the Western Conference will continue tonight, when the Lakers play the Bucks in Milwaukee and the Mavericks host the Pacers in Dallas. As we look forward to those games, let's round up a few Thursday items out of the conference….

  • Tony Allen is headed for unrestricted free agency this summer, and at least one Eastern Conference general manager thinks Allen will receive a modest raise. "Three years at $4MM per year sounds right," the GM tells Chris Mannix of SI.com. "He adds instant toughness and a defensive mentality to your team. He's a leader on the floor and he isn't going to back down from anyone. I think everyone in the league would love to have him." The Grizzlies have no interest in approaching luxury-tax territory, so it's unclear if they'll be able to bring back Allen.
  • Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com believes that both Los Angeles head coaches, Mike D'Antoni and Vinny Del Negro, could be on the outs with the Lakers and Clippers respectively if they don't finish the season strong.
  • With Metta World Peace expected to miss six weeks after undergoing surgery on his left knee, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News wonders if the veteran forward has played his last game with the Lakers.
  • Terrel Harris' new deal with the Hornets includes an second year that will become guaranteed if Harris makes the team's 2013/14 roster, reports Sam Amick of USA Today.
  • Nuggets coach George Karl tells Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post that he thinks Gregg Popovich would be interested in the Team USA head coaching position, and that Popovich would be a great choice for the job.
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Odds & Ends: Turkoglu, Harrington, Henderson

March 27th, 2013 at 11:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

It was a busy 14-game night in the NBA, but there aren't too many of these evenings left. Every team will be in action three weeks from tonight on the final day of the regular season, but after that, four playoff games is the most NBA action we'll get out of a single night until the fall. As we savor the season while it lasts, here's news from around the Association: 

  • Hedo Turkoglu, back from his 20-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, says he hopes to stay with the Magic, but as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel notes, he has financial incentive to say so. The Magic would only have to pay half of Turkoglu's $12MM salary next season if they waive him.
  • Fellow Magic forward Al Harrington has said repeatedly this season that he wants to play five more years, but he's already making post-retirement plans, telling Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida that he wants to go into broadcasting.
  • Gerald Henderson is set to hit restricted free agency this summer, but says he "absolutely" wants to re-sign with the Bobcats, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links). 
  • Oklahoma junior power forward Amath M'Baye is entering this year's draft field, the school announced. The 23-year-old will finish his degree requirements this spring and plans to hire an agent, so it doesn't look like he'll remove his name from consideration before the April 16th deadline. Neither ESPN's Chad Ford nor Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress have M'Baye listed among their top 100 prospects.
  • Bob Young of the Arizona Republic looks at the draft prospects playing in each game of the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 this week from the perspective of the Suns, who appear squarely focused on next season.
  • Metta World Peace will miss a minimum of six weeks with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, the Lakers revealed via press release. USA Today's Sam Amick examines the effect his absence will have on the team, noting that L.A.'s projected starting five has appeared together for just 189 minutes this season.
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Pacific Notes: Del Negro, World Peace, Kings

March 27th, 2013 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The latest round of Pacific Division notes features a handful of updates out of California:

  • Vinny Del Negro's contract expires at season's end, but the Clippers coach says he enjoys that pressure. Asked about his future in Los Angeles, Del Negro told reporters, including Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, that he doesn't believe his job depends on how far the Clips advance in the playoffs. "No, my future is great," Del Negro said. "I've got a great future, no matter what. I've been pretty fortunate, so I don't really worry about that stuff so much. Like I said, all those things take care of themselves when we finish."
  • Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni isn't optimistic about Metta World Peace's chances of returning from his torn meniscus before the end of the season, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. World Peace indicated this week that he hasn't ruled out declining his 2013/14 option in order to sign a longer-term deal with the Lakers — I wouldn't expect this injury to affect that decision at all, but you never know.
  • Speaking of World Peace's player option, agent Marc Cornstein reiterates to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News that "all options are possible" for his client this offseason, and that no decisions have been made yet.
  • As we heard earlier today, Sacramento's City Council voted in favor of moving forward with a proposed arena deal that could help the Kings stay in Sacramento. Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee has a few more details from last night's meeting, including some thoughts from council members on their respective votes.
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Metta World Peace Tears Meniscus

March 26th, 2013 at 8:31pm CST by Michael Pina

An MRI has revealed that Lakers forward Metta World Peace has a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, tweets Orange County Register reporter Kevin Ding. His timetable for return is to be determined after meeting with the Lakers team doctor in Los Angeles tomorrow. 

World Peace is averaging 12.8PPG while barely shooting 40% from the floor. In what's been an injury plagued season for Los Angeles, this knee injury is just another setback for a team that's been unable to sustain any continuity amongst its regular starters. 

 

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World Peace Considering Declining ’13/14 Option

March 26th, 2013 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

Following the 2012/13 season, Metta World Peace will have the option of extending his contract with the Lakers for one more year for a salary of $7.73MM, or turning down that player option and becoming an unrestricted free agent. While the man formerly known as Ron Artest had been viewed as a lock to pick up that option, he tells NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper that he's not ruling out the possibility of declining it, if it means re-signing with the Lakers on a longer-term contract.

As Howard-Cooper notes, the idea of World Peace turning down that money seems to defy logic. Earlier this month, I listed him among this offseason's amnesty candidates, assuming he'd opt in. However, it may be precisely that possibility that prompts the 33-year-old to try to work out a new deal with the Lakers — if he simply opts in, he immediately becomes a candidate to be amnestied or traded, and it sounds as if his strong preference is to remain in Los Angeles.

"I think my agent (Marc Cornstein) is trying to see if he can get an extension to stay here in L.A.," World Peace told Howard-Cooper. "I’m really excited about the possibilities of staying here in L.A."

If World Peace did turn down his player option in an attempt to work out a new contract with the Lakers, he'd have to be prepared to take a significant pay cut. Although the team is projected to be well into the tax in 2013/14, it has very few commitments on its books beyond '14. I'd guess there'd be some reluctance to compromise future flexibility by locking up World Peace, whose best days are behind him.

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Odds & Ends: Repeater Tax, Bobcats, T-Wolves

February 20th, 2013 at 1:08am CST by Ryan Raroque

Yahoo's Marc J. Spears says (via Twitter) that trade talk has been quiet, as teams are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith first. One major factor which undeniably has affected discussions around this time has been the looming "repeater tax," which Adrian Wojnarowski tweets is the reason why most teams have been reluctant to take back long-term deals at the deadline. We'll round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links below: 

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Lakers Notes: World Peace, Gasol, Howard

January 22nd, 2013 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

When I asked earlier this month whether the Lakers would make the postseason, the votes were nearly split, with just over 51% of you predicting that the club would end up on the outside looking in. In the two weeks since I published that poll, the Lakers have gone just 2-6, and I'd guess if I asked the same question about the team's playoff chances today, the results would lean even more heavily to the Lakers as a lottery team. As the club looks to find a way out of its most recent spiral, let's check in on a few notes out of L.A….

  • Metta World Peace could become a free agent this summer if he turns down his 2013/14 player option, but he doesn't intend on going anywhere, as he tells Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: "I want to stay here the rest of my career [and] get past this adversity. I want to finish as a Laker."
  • The latest lineup change in L.A. involves Pau Gasol coming off the bench, a role he's not thrilled with, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Still, Pau wants to remain a Laker: "I feel like I'm a part of this team and part of this franchise. I love to play here for as many years as possible because I identify myself with the team. I want it to work."
  • Kobe Bryant spoke to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports about the Lakers' current struggles.
  • Following up on Mark Cuban's comments about teams with high payrolls and long losing streaks being more inclined to deal as the deadline approaches, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News wonders if the Mavericks might approach the Lakers about acquiring Dwight Howard. However, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld hears from Lakers sources that trading Howard isn't an option the team is currently considering.
  • We recently heard that the Lakers inquired on the Timberwolves' Dante Cunningham, but according to Kyler, Cunningham was just one of a number of players the Lakers have checked in on.
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Pacific Notes: Virginia Beach, Paul, World Peace

January 4th, 2013 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacific Division was widely expected to be a two-team race this season, and that's been the case so far, but it's the Warriors that have crashed what was supposed to be an all-L.A. party. Golden State sits just 2.5 games back of the division-leading Clippers, while the third-place Lakers are nine games back of their Staples Center rivals. Here are a few Friday morning updates out of the Pacific:

  • Virginia Beach mayor Will Sessoms has set a Monday deadline to reach an agreement with a professional sports team to move to the city, according to Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. If the city hasn't signed a lease with a team, such as Sacramento's Kings, by that time, then the mayor is expected to pull the plug on Virginia Beach's arena efforts for the year. "We have a timeline that is right upon us to go to the state to ask for a substantial amount of money," Sessoms said. "We are not going to go up there and make a fool of ourselves. I need to know something by Monday."
  • Chris Paul tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he "never, ever" thinks about the possibility of playing with the Lakers, more than a year after David Stern vetoed a trade that would have paired CP3 with Kobe Bryant.
  • After indicating that he'd like to coach after his playing career ends, Metta World Peace discussed his potential coaching style with reporters, including the Kamenetzky Brothers of ESPNLosAngeles.com (YouTube link). I get the impression that the Lakers forward hasn't considered the subject extensively yet.
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Odds & Ends: Stoudemire, World Peace, Lillard

December 22nd, 2012 at 12:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Saturday afternoon linkage from around the Association..

  • Concern about the health of Amare Stoudemire, who's set to return to the Knicks soon, led Team USA officials to pass him over for a spot on this year's Olympic team, even though the squad was short on big men, as Marc Berman of the New York Post reveals.
  • Lakers forward Metta World Peace has been relegated to the bench, but he won't be asking for a trade over it, writes Janis Carr of the Orange County Register.  In fact, the veteran seems to be taking it all in stride.  “I just want to win, that’s our focus,” World Peace said. “I can’t speak for other players, but its all about us wining. That’s our whole purpose.”
  • The Blazers' Damian Lillard remembers being considered the No. 2 point guard in the draft at one point behind the Suns Kendall Marshall, but refuses to knock the North Carolina product, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
  • Brian Geltzeiler of Sheridan Hoops issued a letter of apology to Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan for his criticism of the Dwight Howard trade.  At the time, it appeared that Orlando allowed themselves to be pillaged by three NBA teams, but they ultimately made the best move for the club in the long-term.
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Lakers Notes: Kobe, Gasol, World Peace

December 12th, 2012 at 7:17pm CST by Sean Highkin

The Los Angeles Lakers have continued to struggle this week, losing 100-94 on Tuesday to the Cleveland Cavaliers to fall to 9-13 so far for the 2012/13 season. Here are the latest tidbits around the team:

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