Metta World Peace Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Rumors: Brown, Scott, World Peace, Bryant

January 10th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers will give second-round draft pick Anthony Brown more playing time this week, according to Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. The 34th overall selection has appeared in 13 games, averaging 2.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 15 minutes of action while shooting just 23.8% from the field. “He’s a very long, athletic guy that can guard three positions,” said coach Byron Scott. “But I want to see if he can knock down shots on a consistent basis.” Brown’s increased role will come at the expense of Nick Young, who has been told he will not play for the next week.

There’s more news out of Los Angeles:

Scott has sabotaged the Lakers’ future by playing veterans when he should be developing younger players like Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell, charges Mark Heisler of The Los Angeles Daily News. Heisler says he understands why the team is celebrating Kobe Bryant in his farewell season, but slams Scott for an “old-school” attitude that results in so much court time for Lou Williams, Roy Hibbert, Brandon Bass and Young. The columnist contends Scott has failed to build a young nucleus that might attract Kevin Durant in free agency and has doomed hopes for a quick turnaround next season.
Metta World Peace has only played in one of the Lakers’ last 17 games, but he still had a significant week, writes Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. The 36-year-old was kept on the roster past the deadline for guaranteed contracts, ensuring he will earn his entire $1,499,187 salary. After being out of the NBA for a year, World Peace signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Lakers in September, just before camp opened. “This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done — get a minimum contract,” he said. “It really was. I had to ‘re-prove’ myself again.”
This is the final NBA season for both Bryant and Sleep Train Arena, and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes that Bryant’s last game in Sacramento brought back lots of memories. “I looked up in the rafters and I saw the jerseys of players that I was rivals with — [Chris] Webber and [Vlade] Divac and Peja [Stojakovic],” Bryant said. “And I’m looking up there and I’m going, ‘It was just yesterday I was playing against them and their numbers are retired. What the hell am I still doing out here?’ So if I hadn’t decided to retire before now, that would’ve made me retire immediately.”

Lakers Likely To Keep World Peace, Black, Huertas

January 6th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers are likely to retain Metta World Peace, Tarik Black and Marcelo Huertas through Thursday, the final day the team can waive their non-guaranteed contracts before they become fully guaranteed, a source tells Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The team has 12 other players on fully guaranteed deals, so locking in three more limits the club’s roster flexibility. The trio of non-guaranteed Lakers are on minimum-salary deals, though the cost of each to the team is different because of their varying levels of experience.

World Peace’s contract calls for a full-season salary of $1,499,187, since he’s a 15-year veteran, though the Lakers would be responsible for only $947,276 if they indeed keep him. Black, as a one-year vet, is scheduled to make $845,059 for the full season, while Huertas is drawing the rookie minimum of $525,093. They’ve already earned roughly 42% of their respective salaries by virtue of sticking on the roster as long as they have, and while the Lakers could end up paying no more than that percentage if they waive them, it appears they’ve decided against doing so.

The Lakers are fond of World Peace’s locker room mentorship, according to Bresnahan, who points out that his playing time in Tuesday’s blowout loss to the Warriors represented his first appearance after a string of 14 consecutive DNPs. Huertas, who’s seen somewhat more action even as he’s battled hamstring injuries, set a career high with nine points Tuesday, fellow Times scribe Eric Pincus notes (Twitter link).

The case of Black is slightly more complicated. He’s been on D-League assignment three times in the past month, and coach Byron Scott has turned more often to veteran Brandon Bass at his position.

“Brandon Bass is playing really well right now,” Scott said, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “If he starts to slump, then I’ll turn to Tarik.”

The Lakers like Black’s energy, strength and positivity, but they want to see him work on his mid-range and post-up skills and become more of a physical presence inside, Medina notes. Still, it appears he’s done enough to secure his full-season salary. He, like Huertas and World Peace, is on a contract that expires at season’s end.

Do you think the Lakers should keep all three of their non-guaranteed players, or would they be better served to open a roster spot or two? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Lakers Notes: Kupchak, World Peace, Black, Huertas

January 3rd, 2016 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said the team can’t move on from its current situation until Kobe Bryant is retired, tweets Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times. Kupchak touched on a number of subjects during a speech today to season ticket holders. He said it’s going to be “virtually impossible” for Jordan Clarkson to leave the team in free agency next summer (Twitter link), rookie D’Angelo Russell has a chance to be an elite player but has to grow up first (Twitter link) and that he’s concerned about losing the 2016 first-round pick (which goes to the Sixers if it’s outside the top three), but players and coaches are being instructed to try to win (Twitter link). Kupchak also believes the Lakers will be in a stronger position to attract big-name free agents next summer (Twitter link).

There’s more out of Los Angeles:

The Lakers will have three decisions to make this week on non-guaranteed contracts, Pincus writes in a separate piece. Action must be taken by Thursday to provide a 48-hour waiver period before the official cutdown date, which is January 10th. L.A. has to decide whether to keep Metta World Peace ($1.5MM), Tarik Black ($845,059) and Marcelo Huertas ($525,093).
Bryant says age and the nearness of retirement have changed his philosophy about basketball, according to Paul Flannery of SB Nation. “I think I’ve matured quite a bit as a person,” Bryant said. “I think at the same time, I’ve lost a lot of the edge because with maturity comes a more docile approach to the game. Whereas back in the day there’s no compromise. There is no understanding. It’s this or nothing. As you get older you start to get more perspective. It’s a great thing as a person, but as a player not so much.”
With the league’s second-worst record, the Lakers currently have a 19.9% chance at landing the top draft pick, which will likely be LSU’s Ben Simmons, writes Kevin Pelton of ESPN. Pelton analyzes the top nine contenders for Simmons and says if the Lakers stay in the No. 2 slot, they will have a 55.6% chance at remaining in the top three and keeping their pick.

Lakers Notes: Kupchak, Scott, World Peace

December 8th, 2015 at 3:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak didn’t envision the team starting 3-18, and while the ire of many fans has gone toward Byron Scott, Kupchak tells Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times that culpability resides in the front office, too.

“I know people aren’t happy but that also should be directed at me. That’s the bottom line,” Kupchak said. “Everybody has to share in the blame. Whether that’s the GM, the coach or the players, it’s got to be directed somewhere. I think our fans would understand if you’re actually developing young players and there’s some growth, and maybe that’s yet to come. But in the first 20 games, it’s tough to find consistent results to feel good about.”

See more on the purple-and-gold:

Kupchak said to Bresnahan for the same piece that this season can’t simply be about the end of Kobe Bryant‘s career. “I think our fans understand, this being Kobe’s last year, after 19 just ridiculous years, that we’re in a year that there’s going to be a salute and a goodbye, which in itself is exciting. But we’ve got to give them more than that,” Kupchak said. “Quite frankly, I have to get more answers on our players going forward on this [young] corps. I want to see them develop and not only just get through the season averaging X-number of minutes and then next year we just figure it out. We need answers this year.”
The reasons Scott gave for demoting top 10 picks D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle to bench roles Monday are confounding, and they further signal the coach’s deference to Bryant instead of player development, argues Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “The biggest thing for those two right now is to understand how to play with their teammates,” Scott said in response to a question about what Russell and Randle can learn by watching from the bench. “This is more of a team sport, so I need them to learn how to play off each other and not with the ball all the time as well.”
Metta World Peace spoke with Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News about his future coaching plans, sharing leadership responsibilities with Bryant, mentoring Julius Randle and retirement. “If it wasn’t for my meniscus tear [in 2013], I would say I could play until I was 40,” the 36-year-old World Peace said. “If I really wanted to, I could probably play until about 40. I’m just playing off the ball and playing hard. I could do that until I’m 40 years old.”

Lakers Notes: World Peace, Randle, Bryant

December 6th, 2015 at 1:55pm CST by Will Joseph

Metta World Peace, whom the Lakers signed in September partially because of his veteran leadership, wants to be a coach after his playing career is over and his goal is to be a head coach, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes in an extensive profile of the small forward’s character evolution. The Lakers, according to Medina, have been thoroughly impressed with the way World Peace has mentored second-year player Julius Randle. World Peace is not ready to hang it up just yet, Medina writes, but many around the Lakers believe his transition to coaching will be “seamless.”

“He’d be a good coach,” Kobe Bryant said, per Medina. “He’s extremely intelligent and communicates very well and is not afraid to hold guys accountable.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

World Peace has become more assertive in instructing Randle about developing a mid-range game and becoming more aggressive consistently on the boards, Medina writes in the same piece.
Randle is averaging 11.5 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game this season.
Speaking of Bryant, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times interviewed several former players about transitioning to life without basketball and the consensus was that the transition might be hard for Bryant, given how much he has devoted to the game. In on-camera interviews, however, (and this is simply my observation) Bryant has appeared at ease with his decision and seems set on pursuing different opportunities like filmmaking outside of basketball.
Bryant is, in fact, at peace with his decision, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes, since the superstar said he “has known for a while” that this would be his final season. To further drive the point home, Washburn adds that Bryant is no longer interested in the preparation required to play in games.

Eastern Notes: Durant, World Peace, Smith

November 19th, 2015 at 6:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The early season play of rookie Kristaps Porzingis coupled with Carmelo Anthony‘s return to health has given Knicks fans hope, not just for this season, but beyond. Another benefit the franchise may glean from exceeding expectations is that team president Phil Jackson will have a far more appealing product to sell Kevin Durant when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News opines.

One issue I have with the Knicks potentially adding Durant is that both Anthony and Porzingis are frontcourt players, and unless Anthony shifted to power forward full-time and Porzingis to the pivot, one of the trio would need to come off the bench. Shifting Porzingis to center would also serve to displace Robin Lopez, who the team inked to a four-year, $54MM deal this past summer, which is obviously not an ideal move for New York given its financial commitment to the big man.

Here’s the latest out of the Eastern Conference:

Metta World Peace, discussing his relationship with Pacers executive Larry Bird, said that he has tried to rejoin Indiana over the years, but he may have burned too many bridges with his disruptive attitude in his younger days for that to occur, Dave Zarum of Sportsnet.ca relays (Twitter link). World Peace did note that Bird was extremely patient with him during his time with the team, and that Bird would often go out of his way to work with him to improve his game, Zarum adds.
Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith is feeling much more comfortable in the flow of the team’s offense, something he credits to his increased playing time, Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com writes. “It’s hard to just run up and down the court four or five times, then just get one spot shot, then come out of the game, then go back in the game. Getting in a rhythm early is the most important thing,” Smith said. “It’s not even so much to shoot, just to feel the ball, get the motion, get the ‘camaraderie’ within the system. I think that’s big, not only for me but for everybody. It’s not from a selfish aspect, but to feel the ball, feel the flow of the offense a little better.”
The Cavaliers have recalled shooting guard Joe Harris from the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. You can keep track off all the D-League assignments and recalls made throughout the season here.

Western Notes: Chandler, World Peace, Durant

November 17th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nuggets small forward Wilson Chandler underwent successful surgery today to repair a labral tear in his right hip, the team announced via a press release. Chandler initially suffered the injury during the preseason and he will be out for the remainder of the 2015/16 campaign. Despite missing approximately 133 games since 2011 due to hip injuries, the veteran, who signed a four-year, $46.5MM renegotiation and extension with Denver back in July, recently told Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post that he isn’t contemplating retirement.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Lakers have assigned small forward Anthony Brown the the L.A. D-Fenders, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This is the first trip of the season to the D-League for Brown, as our D-League assignments and recalls tracker shows. The rookie has appeared in three games for the Lakers this season, averaging 1.7 points in 3.0 minutes of action per contest.
By not signing Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli to rookie scale extensions prior to this season’s deadline, the Warriors have left open the possibility of swinging a sign-and-trade deal for Kevin Durant this offseason, Danny Leroux of the Sporting News posits. Leroux also runs down a number of other scenarios that could result in Golden State potentially trotting out one of the greatest offensive teams of all-time, though the scribe does note that Barnes and Ezeli, both of whom are eligible to become restricted free agents next summer, would have the right to decline any sign-and-trade agreement.
Lakers coach Byron Scott was worried that Metta World Peace‘s body wouldn’t hold up through training camp, but the 16th-year veteran who just turned 36 says he’s in better shape than when he was with the Lakers the first time, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. World Peace is seeing occasional starting assignments and 19.1 minutes per game. “You have to give him a lot of credit for somebody who was out of the league for a couple of years,” Scott said. “He worked as hard as he worked to get back into the league and be able to be a vital part of what we’re trying to do. It’s been great.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Lakers Rumors: Bryant, World Peace, Russell

November 8th, 2015 at 2:05pm CST by Will Joseph

Kobe Bryant recently told Lakers coach Byron Scott that this might be the star’s final season in the league, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Scott added, according to Holmes, that was the first Bryant hinted about retiring to him. Still, the idea that this could be the end for Bryant is nothing new, as Bill Oram of the Orange County Register tweets. It appears that Bryant is leaning toward retirement, according to recent reports, but he has yet to make a decision.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Despite Bryant’s struggles to open the season, Metta World Peace supported his teammate and said a big reason why he returned to the Lakers was to again play alongside Bryant in an interview with Vlad TV (YouTube link), transcribed by Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. “I’m really happy to be here to support him,” World Peace said. “Everybody is talking bad about him. Talking about he’s getting old and can’t play, [how he’s] selfish this and selfish that. [Free agents] not coming to play with him because they’re afraid of him. So I said, you know what? Let me get back to the Lakers. People don’t realize I’m on a non-guaranteed contract and I got back to the Lakers. I had to earn this.”
D’Angelo Russell has had some difficulty adjusting to the league in his first year and if his struggles continue, he will likely see less time on the court, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times details. “He has to start getting it, just like the other young guys have to start getting it, and if they don’t, they won’t play as much,” Scott said. “Playing time in this league is a very precious thing and I don’t want our guys to take that for granted. Missing assignments on a continuous basis is not going to go unnoticed. You’ve got to start developing and doing a better job on that end of the floor.”
While a young nucleus of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Russell is developing, the Lakers’ veterans are struggling and time is running out if the team wants to be good enough to attract a free agent star next summer, writes Mark Heisler in his Sunday column for the Los Angeles Daily News.

Pacific Notes: Kerr, Frazier, Eddie, Lakers

October 28th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who is currently on a leave of absence while recovering from two offseason back surgeries, hopes to make his return to the bench prior to January, Janie McCauley of The Associated Press writes. “I am feeling better, so that’s the good news. The bad news is I’m not feeling well enough to coach yet,” Kerr said. “It’s hard because I don’t know when that will be. There’s no timetable. It’s not a sprained ankle, two-to-four weeks type thing. When I feel better, I’ll feel better. It’s very frustrating but I am improving. I’m able to physically work out now, which has helped quite a bit the last couple weeks. But I know I’m not healthy enough yet to do this. It’s a demanding job and it wouldn’t be fair to the team and it wouldn’t be smart for me. We’ll see.”

Here’s the latest from the Pacific Division:

Shooting guard Michael Frazier, who was waived by the Lakers last week, has signed with the team’s D-League affiliate, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter).
Jarell Eddie will rejoin the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s D-League affiliate, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest relays (Twitter link). Eddie was waived by the Warriors this past Friday.
Lakers coach Byron Scott said that it was an agonizing decision to choose between Jabari Brown and Metta World Peace for the team’s final roster spot, which ultimately went to World Peace, Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com writes. Scott called it a “very, very, very … difficult decision” to waive Brown and added that “It was probably the most difficult cut that I’ve ever had to make,” Holmes notes. But Scott added that with such a young roster, it was important to add a veteran who could mentor the team’s plethora of younger players, the ESPN scribe relays.

Western Rumors: World Peace, Clippers, McGee

October 26th, 2015 at 8:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Metta World Peace not only made the Lakers‘ opening-day roster, but the club also plans to make him an assistant coach after his playing career, league sources told Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania. The veteran small forward, who beat out Jabari Brown for the final roster spot, has been mentoring several young Lakers players, including 2014 lottery pick and power forward Julius Randle, Charania adds. World Peace is excited about the possibility of being a coach, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes tweets. “It would be fun,” World Peace said. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a coach? It’s a great life.”

In other news around the Western Conference:

Luc Mbah a Moute secured the Clippers’ final roster spot over veteran forward Chuck Hayes because of his defensive prowess, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reports. Clippers coach Doc Rivers told Woike that he views Mbah a Moute as a defensive specialist. “He’s one of those guys that can be a great team defender,” Rivers said. The small forward wound up with the Clippers after the Kings voided Mbah a Moute’s free agent deal with the team this summer, claiming he failed his physical because of a shoulder injury, Woike adds.
Center JaVale McGee is still “weeks away” from being cleared to play but Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is encouraged by his progress, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tweets. McGee is rehabbing from a left tibial stress fracture. Salah Mejri appears to be the main backup to Zaza Pachulia until McGee returns.
Al-Farouq Aminu has made a strong impression on his Trail Blazers teammates with his defensive versatility, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Aminu was signed as a free agent to a four-year, $30MM deal to be their defensive stopper, Freeman continues. “He’s a jack-of-all-trades, a guy who can do everything,” shooting guard C.J. McCollum said to Freeman. “I think he’s really, really talented defensively. He’s a guy who can guard multiple positions, can guard a point guard, he can get switched on the four or five and hold his own, rebound, block shots, run the floor.” However, he may miss the season opener because of a left hamstring strain, Casey Holdahl of Trailblazers.com reports.
Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley is ready for the season opener after a hand injury that required surgery prevented him from playing during the team’s postseason run, Jenny Creech of the Houston Chronicle writes. Beverley missed one preseason game with groin soreness, but averaged 7.7 points and 3.7 assists in seven other preseason outings.