Metta World Peace Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Bulls, Harris, Bucks, World Peace

March 12th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg will have to decide soon whether to emphasize making the playoffs or developing young talent, writes Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago. Chicago is coming off a terrible week, losing four straight games and slipping to 10th in the East. Hoiberg continues to experiment with different combinations, playing everyone but Nikola Mirotic in the first half of each game.

Last month’s five-player trade that sent Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott to Oklahoma City clouded the team’s direction, Goodwill writes, with newly acquired Cameron Payne now the team’s third “point guard of the future” since Dwyane Wade signed last summer. “We’re doing everything we can to compete to win, at the same time we have some young guys we wanna get on the floor. It’s a balance,” Hoiberg said. “It’s guys, we want to get them out there and see how they play then make a decision in the second half.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Pistons have climbed back to .500, sparked by the insertion of Tobias Harris into the starting lineup, notes Aaron McMann of MLive. Harris scored 28 points Saturday against the Knicks and helped Detroit build a comfortable early lead. “He came out really aggressive,” said teammate Marcus Morris. “It was good to have him back in the starting lineup. We know what he can do. We know how well he can score the ball. So, it’s not really surprising to us.”
The Bucks have named Steve Brandes president of their new D-League affiliate, the team announced on its website. The Oshkosh, Wisc., franchise will begin play next season.
At age 37, Metta World Peace has assumed the role of a mentor with the young Lakers. But the former Ron Artest still has strong regrets about the effect he had on the Pacers almost 13 years ago, writes Mark Montieth of NBA.com. Artest was suspended for the season after charging into the crowd in Detroit on November 19, 2004, to confront a fan. That effectively killed Indiana’s title chances and led to the breakup of a promising young team. “We were supposed to win a ring together,” World Peace recalls. “Everything revolved around me, because I was unstable. That’s what I feel bad about to this day. That’s something I can never, ever forgive myself for. It’s something I have to recognize. We were on our way. [GM] Donnie [Walsh] put a helluva team together. I wanted to win a championship here. That was a big thing to me. And to Reggie [Miller]. At my most unstable point, it was the end of Reggie’s career.”

Hoops Links: Lowry, Embiid, Antetokounmpo, Porzingis, Nicholson

February 19th, 2017 at 4:24pm CST by Milo Taibi

On Sundays, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown:

Brian Boake of Raptors Rapture wonders if Toronto GM Masai Ujiri will retain Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka at the end of the season.
John Jarosik of The Hardwood Nation argues that despite their 19-39 record, this season should not be viewed as a disappointment for the Lakers.
Kwame Fisher-Jones of The 76er Files states the case against Bryan Colangelo offering Joel Embiid a max extension, citing the big man’s injury history.
Mark Suleymanov of Inquisitir Sports conducted a one-on-one with Metta World Peace.
Kaiser Linderman of Deep(ish) Thoughts took an analytical look at T.J. McConnell‘s success.
Adam Paris of Brew Hoop answered the question we’ve all been asking: can Giannis Antetokounmpo fly?
Kristaps Porzingis gave Knicks fans a reason to cheer, Mike Cortez of Hardwood and Hollywood writes.
Francis Adu of Ridiculous Upside detailed Alfonzo McKinnie’s ascension toward becoming an elite D-Leaguer.
Bradley Beal was more deserving of Kevin Love‘s All-Star spot than Carmelo Anthony, Christopher Church of The Baltimore Wire argued.
Fim Oshin of Bullets Forever outlined four ways the Wizards may be able to move Andrew Nicholson at the trade deadline.

Pacific Notes: World Peace, Griffin, Green

January 7th, 2017 at 9:17am CST by Austin Kent

When Metta World Peace racked up three fouls in two minutes on Friday night there was an ominous undertone that the performance may be the veteran’s last. It’s unclear whether the 37-year-old’s leadership will be enough to convince the Lakers brass to retain him after today’s deadline, writes Mark Media of The Los Angeles Daily News.

January 7 marks the last day that teams can release players on partially guaranteed contracts and still have them clear waivers. The Lakers have the option to release both World Peace and 25-year-old Thomas Robinson should they wish to free up a roster spot for an acquisition later on down the road.

World Peace has played sparingly in his sixth season across two stints with the Lakers, but will forever hold a spot in team history after winning a title alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in 2010.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers head coach Luke Walton knows what today represents for World Peace and has voiced his desire to keep the veteran forward. “I like him with us,” Walton tells Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times, “but that’s a front office decision. My recommendation is to keep him.“
After undergoing knee surgery on December 20, Blake Griffin has been making consistent progress, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “You can tell he’s in better spirits,” says Clippers head coach Doc Rivers.
After blowing a 24-point lead and ultimately losing to the Grizzlies yesterday, vocal Warriors forward Draymond Green told the media “I’m happy we lost.” Green believes that the loss will help the team address some bad fourth-quarter habits. After a timeout earlier in the game, Green was seen having a heated conversation with summer acquisition Kevin Durant.

Pacific Notes: Buss, Lakers, Karl, Tolliver

December 24th, 2016 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers president and part owner Jeanie Buss will face a major decision after the season ends, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Buss could signal a change of direction for the franchise by firing her brother Jim, who serves as executive vice president, and GM Mitch Kupchak. It has been nearly three years since Jim Buss promised to resign if the Lakers weren’t “contending for a championship” in three or four seasons. Coming off three of the worst seasons in franchise history, L.A. sparked some hope with a 10-10 start, but has lost 12 of its last 13 games. “We’re like every other team that we will play a season and we will assess that season when it’s over,” Jeanie Buss said. “No reason to speculate on any possible changes. It’s a waste of time to speculate.”

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

Nearly all of the Lakers‘ offseason signees are now eligible to be included in trades, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Power forward Thomas Robinson passed his deadline December 23rd, a day after Metta World Peace. Marcelo Huertas, Luol Deng, Timofey Mozgov and Jordan Clarkson all became eligible on December 15th. The one exception is backup center Tarik Black, who cannot be traded until January 15th. League rules stipulate a later deadline for him because he received at least a 20% salary increase while re-signing with Bird rights.
Critical comments about the time he spent coaching the Kings were removed from George Karl’s new book, according to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears and Marc Stein. A proof copy of “Furious George” obtained by the network included negative passages about DeMarcus Cousins, GM Vlade Divac and owner Vivek Ranadive. Karl said he had “not authorized” those parts of the book to be included. Sources told ESPN that Karl agreed to refrain from critical statements about the organization in the settlement he reached when he left the team after last season.
Anthony Tolliver is earning more playing time with the Kings, relays James Ham of CSNBayArea. The well-traveled forward signed with Sacramento in July for $16MM over two seasons. He has been in and out of the rotation during the first two months of the season, but has found a larger role in the past week. “Professional — he can sit five games in a row and his name is called and he’s going to come out and play like it’s his last game,” Cousins said. “True professional. He’s always ready to play.”

Atlantic Notes: Caboclo, Embiid, Parker, World Peace

December 16th, 2016 at 1:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors have seen just glimpses of what they expected from Bruno Caboclo, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Now in his third season with the organization, the Brazilian small forward still sees most of his action in the D-League. He has played just three games for Toronto this season, bringing his career total to 17 after being taken with the 20th pick of the 2014 draft. Still, the organization showed confidence in Caboclo, picking up his option for 2017/18 in October. “There’s a timeframe to get better,” said Raptors 905 coach Jerry Stackhouse. “We have to hold him to the fire, hold him accountable for what he can control. There’s a lot of things he can’t control but there are quite a few things he can control and that’s making sure he focuses, lets me know when he understands something and when he doesn’t understand something.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Joel Embiid didn’t enjoy being used at power forward in his first game starting alongside Jahlil Okafor, according to Jessica Camerato of Philly.com. Embiid was stationed far from the basket most of the night and looked uncomfortable in his new role. “I’m not a 3-point shooter and I don’t want to take a lot of threes,” Embiid said. “I want to be dominant on the block. But last night was kind of frustrating because I wasn’t as much on the block. But I’ve just got to find my spots and get into the flow of the offense.” The Sixers are trying to find playing time for Embiid, Okafor and Nerlens Noel.
Tony Parker briefly held a Celtics cap during the 2001 draft, relays ESPN’s Chris Forsberg. Boston was considering using the No. 21 pick on the French point guard before opting to go in a different direction. Instead, the Celtics took Joseph Forte from North Carolina, and Parker fell to the Spurs at No. 28.
As he nears the end of his NBA career, Metta World Peace still regrets not being able to begin it with the Knicks, writes Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. The team passed on the New York City native, then known as Ron Artest, with the 15th pick in the 1999 draft to take Frederic Weis, who never played in the NBA. “Obviously I wanted to go to the Knicks, but St. John’s was the closest that I could get to bringing that fire back to New York City,” World Peace said. “As a kid, New York was in my blood, and that was it. I got a chance to play for the Knicks, so it was cool, but it was towards the end of my career. It wasn’t when I was the best defender and everything. But that was my goal, man: to bring a championship to New York City. It just didn’t work out that way.”

Lakers Notes: Porzingis, Randle, World Peace

December 13th, 2016 at 11:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Outdated thinking may have caused the Lakers to pass on Kristaps Porzingis in the 2015 draft, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. The 7’3″ Latvian prospect held a private workout for L.A. shortly after an impressive showcase in Las Vegas. But instead of focusing on his multi-dimensional skills, the Lakers tested Porzingis to see if he could handle physical play as a power forward. They were disappointed with the results and opted for Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell instead with the No. 2 pick. Porzingis was a unanimous selection to the all-rookie team and has blossomed into a star in his second season, averaging 20.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

There’s more this morning out of Los Angeles:

The Knicks’ visit to the Staples Center on Sunday should remind the Lakers of the dangers of trading young talent to get a star, notes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. He compares the current Lakers team to the Knicks of five years ago before they sent a package of players to Denver for Carmelo Anthony. The results have been mixed at best, with only one playoff series victory since the deal and three straight losing seasons. L.A. will face a similar choice soon with a talented young core but no obvious star to build around.
Part of that young core, power forward Julius Randle, wants to become more of a vocal leader, relays Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. The 22-year-old impressed coach Luke Walton with the way he stood up to Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins Monday night. “I told him when he plays with that kind of confidence, it’s good for our team,” Walton said. “You need some toughness out there. You need somebody who is going to stand up, not back down and have your back. Julius has the physical ability to be that for us. I love when he gets into it.”
Veteran forward Metta World Peace wants to become an actor and a coach when he retires, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The 37-year-old recently co-wrote and appeared in an episode of “The 5th Quarter,” a fictional sports series that is available on go90.com. “It’s an easy decision to want to be an actor,” he said. “Any child’s dream is to be on TV. Now that I’m older, it’s something that still interests me. … I’ll do any role. It doesn’t really matter. As long as the production is good and the writing is good, I’m in.”

And-Ones: Budinger, Allen, World Peace, O. Johnson

November 2nd, 2016 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by the Nets last month, Chase Budinger has headed to Spain to join Baskonia. As Eurohoops.net details, Budinger says he’s excited to follow in the footsteps of former Baskonia big man Luis Scola, whom Budinger describes as a “mentor.” There will be no shortage of former Nets on the roster this season for Baskonia, as the team also features Andrea Bargnani, Shane Larkin, and Tornike Shengelia.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Now that Ray Allen has formally announced his retirement, what’s next for the future Hall-of-Famer? Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders explores that subject, recalling that when he spoke to Allen back in 2014, the veteran sharpshooter expressed interest in eventually getting into coaching.
The Lakers were in Indiana last night to play the Pacers, and veteran forward Metta World Peace took the opportunity to express some remorse about his time in Indiana earlier in his career, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. According to World Peace, he can “never forgive” himself for letting so many people in the Pacers organization down.
Former second-round pick Orlando Johnson, who appeared in regular-season games with the Suns and Pelicans last season, has signed a three-month deal with Russian team UNICS Kazan, as relayed by Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. Johnson was in camp with the Bucks this fall, but didn’t make Milwaukee’s regular season roster.

Lakers Cut Anthony Brown; Roster Down To 15

October 24th, 2016 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have made a somewhat surprising move to reduce their roster to 15 players, announcing in a press release that they’ve waived forward Anthony Brown. The cut opens up room on the roster for Los Angeles to keep both Thomas Robinson and Metta World Peace, who were previously believed to be battling for the final spot.

Brown, 24, was selected 34th overall in the 2015 draft by the Lakers, and appeared in 29 games for the team during his rookie season, starting 11 of them. In 20.7 MPG, he averaged 4.0 PPG and 2.4 RPG, shooting just 31.0% from the field. The Stanford product had a guaranteed $874,636 salary for 2016/17, but the Lakers decided to move on from him anyway, eating that guaranteed money.

Neither Robinson nor World Peace had a guaranteed salary, but it appears both veterans have earned spots on the Lakers’ roster, now that the team has parted with Brown and Yi Jianlian. Robinson, a former fifth overall pick, had a solid camp with the team and will compete for frontcourt minutes in the hopes of sticking in L.A. long enough for his salary to become fully guaranteed.

As for World Peace, the Lakers value his veteran leadership and reportedly had interest in keeping him around as an assistant coach if he didn’t make the team. Perhaps sensing that the veteran forward would be reluctant to call it a career if the Lakers asked him to join their coaching staff, it seems the club found room on its 15-man roster for him instead.

Lakers Waive Yi Jianlian At His Request

October 24th, 2016 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

12:28pm: The Lakers have officially waived Yi, the team announced in a press release.

8:18am: The Lakers are currently carrying 17 players, meaning they need to make two more cuts before Monday’s regular-season roster deadline, and Yi Jianlian made one of those decisions easy. According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Chinese forward has asked the Lakers to waive him, and the team will formally grant that request, waiving him in advance of today’s deadline.

As Stein details, Yi and his representatives would like the chance to pursue other opportunities after the role he envisioned in Los Angeles didn’t pan out. That could mean seeking an NBA job, but there’s a good chance the former sixth overall pick heads back overseas — he’d have better odds of earning a significant role back in China than he would with another NBA club. At this point it’s not clear which way he’s leaning, per Stein.

The contract Yi signed with the Lakers this offseason could have been worth as much as $8MM if he’d stuck with the team all season and appeared in at least 59 games. However, at this point it was only guaranteed for $250K. The rolling guarantees and incentives made it a very trade-friendly deal, which was why L.A. was believed to be leaning toward keeping Yi.

Instead, the Lakers figure to turn to Metta World Peace or Thomas Robinson for their 15th and final roster spot, with the other player joining Yi on the waiver wire. The team reportedly wouldn’t mind keeping World Peace as an assistant rather than as a player, but if he’s not willing to retire quite yet, perhaps L.A. will be using to use that final roster opening on him.

Still, as Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times tweets, Robinson has “really impressed” the Lakers over the last few weeks, meaning he has a decent shot to win the roster battle. Robinson is nearly 12 years younger than World Peace, and – like Yi – was a high draft pick, having been selected fifth overall in 2012.

Lakers Interested In Retaining Metta World Peace As Assistant

October 21st, 2016 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

Metta World Peace is one of three players in the running for the Lakers’ 15th and final regular season roster spot, battling Yi Jianlian and Thomas Robinson for that opening. None of the three players have fully guaranteed salaries, but Robinson has youth on his side and Yi has an incentive-heavy, trade-friendly contract, giving them the leg up on World Peace.

Still, even if the veteran forward doesn’t earn the Lakers’ final roster spot, the Lakers might like to keep World Peace around. According to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, the Lakers have interest in the 36-year-old as an assistant coach. Sources tell the ESPN duo that World Peace’s impact as a veteran mentor to the team’s young players last season was a major reason why the team re-signed him this year.

World Peace indicated earlier this month that he’d like to continue his playing career for three more seasons, so it’s no surprise that Stein and Shelburne suggest he’d prefer not to retire, even if the Lakers decide to cut him.

Still, if World Peace doesn’t make the Lakers and can’t land an NBA roster spot elsewhere, his willingness to transition into a coaching role is worth monitoring. He and Lakers head coach Luke Walton were teammates for multiple years with the Lakers, so it would be a good match for World Peace to join Walton’s staff in Los Angeles.