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Tyronn Lue Expects To Remain Clippers’ Coach; Russell Westbrook Addresses Free Agency

April 26th, 2023 at 7:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Tyronn Lue plans to return next season as the Clippers’ head coach and he hopes to have Russell Westbrook with him, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

Lue addressed two of L.A.’s biggest offseason questions after his team was knocked out of the playoffs Tuesday night in Phoenix. There have been whispers that he might consider resigning if the Clippers suffered an early exit, but he showed no uncertainty after Game 5 about his plans for 2023/24.

Youngmisuk notes that this has been a particularly difficult season for Lue because of the frequent unavailability of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George due to injuries and load management. L.A. was considered one of the favorites in the West last fall, but had to go on a hot streak late in the season to finish at 44-38 and avoid the play-in tournament.

Leonard played just 52 games in his first season back from a partially torn ACL and was only available for two games in the playoff series. George played 56 games during the regular season, but he suffered a sprained knee in March that forced him to miss the playoffs entirely. Youngmisuk points out that the Clippers were 24-14 in the 38 games that Leonard and George played together.

“I think the encouraging thing, with PG and Kawhi healthy, we haven’t lost a series yet,” Lue said. “It’s always in the back of your mind, ‘What if.’ It’s easy to say, ‘What if,’ because a lot of guys get hurt. It’s just been our luck the last three years.”

“If you look back to my first year taking over, we did some really good things. Kawhi tears his ACL then he misses the whole next season. … I think just taking some time and let our coaches get a break, let everybody get a break, reflect on the season, come back and just try to be better than we were this year.”

One of the reasons the Clippers were able to salvage their season was the unlikely comeback by Westbrook, who became a pariah with the cross-town Lakers before being traded to Utah in February. Leonard, George and other veterans lobbied the front office to sign Westbrook after his buyout, and he turned in several vintage performances late in the season and in the playoffs.

Westbrook signed a veteran’s minimum contract for the rest of the season and will be a free agent again this summer. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes, the best offer the Clippers can make to Westbrook under the new collective bargaining agreement is $3.8MM using the Non-Bird exception.

After Tuesday’s loss, Westbrook said he has enjoyed his time with the Clippers and is grateful to the organization for giving him a chance to revive his career.

“One thing I do tell you is that I love it here,” he said. “I love the people, just the fans overall embracing not just me but my family and close friends. I know a lot of things have happened (this season), but I’m grateful. I definitely love being here. As far as making a decision, I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. I don’t really know my process because it’s kind of my first time doing this. So we’ll see what happens.”

Los Angeles Notes: James, Brooks, Reaves, Clippers, Westbrook

April 23rd, 2023 at 5:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James fired back at the Grizzlies and nemesis Dillon Brooks with a typical big-game performance on Saturday, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times opines. Brooks got ejected for hitting James in the groin region, while the Lakers superstar delivered 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the 10-point Game 3 victory. “This is not my first rodeo, I’ve had this throughout my career with certain individuals,” he said.

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James didn’t want to share an opinion on whether Brooks’ ejection warranted a suspension for Monday’s Game 4, Mark Medina of The Sporting Tribune relays. “I don’t know. I’m not part of the committee,” the Lakers star said. “If he’s in the lineup or he’s out of the lineup, we have to prepare no matter what. I look forward to the challenges that Monday will bring.”
Lakers guard Austin Reaves is getting used to taking hits, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. Reaves said he was struck in the face three or four times during Game 3. He shook off the blows and contributed 13 points, six rebounds and two assists. “I’m getting used to it,” said Reaves, a restricted free agent after the season.
There’s a simple reason why the Clippers are facing elimination — the Suns have their stars and they don’t, Law Murray of The Athletic notes. The Clippers are facing a 3-1 deficit with Kawhi Leonard sidelined the last two games and Paul George sitting out the entire series. That has put much more pressure on the remaining players, including four rotation members that joined the team in the last quarter of the regular season. “I think the biggest thing is acquiring four new guys during the trade deadline with only 21 games left,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “It makes it harder, because they’re still learning on the fly pretty much. And when Kawhi and PG both don’t play, it’s unfamiliar territory for the other guys.”
Russell Westbrook has averaged 31.7 points and 7.0 assists in the last three games and former teammate Kevin Durant said his former teammate is showing up his critics, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes. “When he retires, people are (going to) really tell the truth about how they feel about his game,” Durant said. “Right now, the fun thing to do is to make a joke out of Russ but the way he’s been playing since he got with the Clippers is showing everybody who he really is.”

Western Notes: Lindsey, Udoka, Borrego, Westbrook, Holmgren, Blazers, Towns

April 17th, 2023 at 9:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are in advanced discussions with former Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey to join the organization as a special assistant to GM Nico Harrison, Marc Stein of the Stein Line reports (via Twitter). Harrison has been seeking an experienced sounding-board voice to join the front office in a consultant’s role, dating to last offseason.

Following their failure to make the playoffs, the Mavericks have a pivotal offseason that includes trying to re-sign Kyrie Irving and finding ways to improve the roster, despite limited trade assets and salary cap issues.

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The Rockets will interview former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka for their head coaching job on Wednesday, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets. They interviewed former Hornets head coach James Borrego on Monday for their head coaching job, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The Rockets have already interviewed former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and are expected to interview a number of experienced head coaches and prominent assistant coaches in their search to replace Stephen Silas.
Russell Westbrook is unlikely to be suspended for Game 2 of the Clippers’ series against the Suns, Chris Haynes of TNT tweets. Westbrook had a verbal altercation with a fan during halftime of Game 1 on Sunday.
Chet Holmgren missed the entire season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot but the Thunder big man is ready to get back on the court, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, says most of the recovery and rehab process is behind him. “I’m pretty much past the rehab part of this journey,” Holmgren said, “and now I’m progressing more into the 5-on-5 stuff and kind of taking away any restrictions that I have to this point.”
There could be a major change with the Trail Blazers’ guard rotation, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian notes. General manager Joe Cronin must decide whether Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe are part of the team’s long-term plans. Either or both could be traded for the All-Star level talent that Damian Lillard craves. Conversely, Simons and Sharpe could be the backcourt starters if Lillard is dealt and Portland goes into a full rebuild.
The Timberwolves will look to bounce back from their 29-point loss to top seed Denver when they play Game 2 on Wednesday. They’ll need a huge series from Karl-Anthony Towns to have any chance in the series, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic details.
The matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets could show just how far the Timberwolves are from becoming a true contender and whether the Towns-Rudy Gobert pairing can get them to that point, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines.

Clippers Notes: Westbrook, Leonard, George, Fan Incident

April 17th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers understood what they were getting when they signed Russell Westbrook in February, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The 34-year-old guard may be an unreliable shooter who commits frustrating turnovers, but he’s also an extreme competitor that has brought some much-needed energy to the team.

That was on display Sunday night as Westbrook made one big play after another in the closing minutes to help L.A. win in Phoenix. The most significant was a block of Devin Booker‘s layup attempt with 10 seconds left, followed by a quick reaction to throw the ball out of bounds off Booker and give possession to the Clippers. Although he shot 3-of-19 from the field, Westbrook had 11 rebounds — five on the offensive end — along with eight assists, three blocks and two steals.

“It is [heart], it’s timing, it’s the will to win,” he said. “Be able to make plays. Understanding time, scoring, possession. At this position, humbly speaking, nobody a better rebounder than me.”

Westbrook was struggling through one of the worst shooting seasons of his career when the Lakers shipped him to Utah at the trade deadline. From the time he joined the Clippers after a buyout, coach Tyronn Lue has urged him to find other ways to contribute when his shot isn’t falling, and it’s a message he emphasized Sunday night.

“He was mad about missing shots,” Lue said. “And I said, ‘Listen, your shot is not important. Take good shots, take the right shots, but what you bring to our team is way more valuable, and that’s rebounding the basketball.’ That’s the three offensive rebounds at the end of game against the extra possession, the defense on (Kevin Durant), the stop on Book at the end, and defensively, he was locked in.”

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Kawhi Leonard was brilliant in his first playoff game since suffering an ACL injury in the 2021 Western Conference semifinals, Youngmisuk adds. The Clippers have been careful with Leonard, who played just 52 games this season, but he was on the court for 42 minutes Sunday, delivering 38 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter. “That’s what we’ve been saving up for,” Lue said. “This moment here in the playoffs, we have to play heavy minutes, especially with (Paul George) being out, being short-handed, and he was great tonight.”
A report Sunday indicates that George is likely to miss the entire first round with a sprained right knee, and the players understand that they may have to grind out a few victories without their star teammate, per Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. “We gotta work,” Ivica Zubac said. “Missing PG, it’s big for us, so we know our chances to win this series is be physical, be aggressive, bring a lot of energy.”
The Suns are investigating an incident between a fan and Westbrook when he took a shortcut to the locker room through a club lounge area at halftime, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The team issued a statement that read, “We are aware of the incident that happened tonight and are conducting a review.”

Pacific Notes: Westbrook, Durant, Hyland, Plumlee, Ranadive

April 13th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were teammates with the Thunder for eight seasons. Heading into the Clippers’ first round series against Durant and the Suns, Westbrook addressed the notion that they have a strained relationship, suggesting that’s a false assumption, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.

“I think people still think like there’s some beef or something. There’s no beef of any [kind], so I think that’s the good narrative for media, for people to talk about,” Westbrook said. “But there’s no beef. I got nothing but respect for him and things he’s done with his career and having to see him back from injury. There’s no beef at all. But he knows I’m going to compete and I know he’s going to compete and that’s all it is.”

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On a similar topic, Clippers guard Bones Hyland said he has no issues with teammate Mason Plumlee in the aftermath of their dustup on Sunday, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Me and him talked on the plane. It’s nothing. It’s quashed,” Hyland said. “People create their own narratives of what’s going on, but me and Mason know what’s going on, the team knows what’s going on. We deaded it literally in Phoenix. It’s nothing to worry about. We’re focused on Phoenix right now and trying to win the series.”
Durant played 41 minutes against Denver last week and says he expects to log a similar workload throughout the playoffs, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “Forty is the number I love,” the Suns‘ star said. “I like hovering around that number.”
In a wide-ranging interview with Andscape’s Marc Spears, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive said the blockbuster trade with Indiana last season involving Tyrese Haliburton and Domantas Sabonis worked to the benefit of both organizations. “If we didn’t have Tyrese, we couldn’t have gotten Domantas. It ended up being a win-win trade for everybody,” he said. “It’s one of those rare trades where it created three All-Stars. And so, Tyrese was an All-Star. De’Aaron (Fox) an All-Star. Domas an All-Star. So, it took a lot of courage on the part of my front office to pull the trigger and make that trade, but I applauded them for doing that.”

Pacific Notes: Westbrook, George, Biyombo, LeBron

April 10th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook is preparing to face Kevin Durant in a playoff series for the first time since their Oklahoma City partnership ended seven years ago, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. The Clippers wrapped up the No. 5 seed Sunday afternoon with a victory over the Suns, setting up a first-round matchup with plenty of star power.

Both players started the season elsewhere, and they got to their current teams in radically different ways. Durant was the centerpiece of the season’s most celebrated trade, being sent from Brooklyn to Phoenix in a four-team deal at the deadline. Westbrook was a salary dump by the Lakers, who had to give up their 2027 first-round pick to get Utah to take his contract. He signed with the Clippers after agreeing to a buyout with the Jazz.

Westbrook is eager to return to the playoffs after missing the postseason last year.

“It’s a blessing and something that I don’t personally take for granted,” he said. “I’m grateful to be in a situation where I have an opportunity to do so, and I’m looking forward to it.”

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Paul George won’t be available when the Clippers start their series on Sunday, but he’s making “tangible progress” in his recovery from a sprained right knee, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. A report over the weekend said George has started exercising again after having to keep the knee immobilized for a while.
Suns center Bismack Biyombo sat out Sunday’s game with a right knee bone contusion, but he’s confident that he’ll be ready for the playoffs, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Biyombo said he felt the worst pain of his career when he bumped knees with Lakers big man Anthony Davis Friday night, but the effects have largely subsided. “If it was a big game, I’d probably step on the court and compete, honestly,” Biyombo said on Sunday, “but the medical staff and the trainers that we have, we’re working through the process, but we’re patient enough knowing that we’ve got the playoffs starting. … That’s when things matter, which I’m really excited for.”
LeBron James is relieved to be in the play-in tournament after a 2-10 start, but he said the Lakers have to keep the same focus that propelled their late-season success, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “We put ourselves in a position where we can move on. That’s all we asked for, to put ourselves in a position to move on,” James said. “We obviously had a very, very slow start. … So, to know where we are today, you can be happy about that but not satisfied.”

Pacific Notes: Westbrook, Wiggins, Suns, Len

April 6th, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers savored Wednesday’s victory over their cross-town rivals in a game with huge implications for playoff seeding, but the win was a little sweeter for Russell Westbrook than anyone else, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Westbrook was a lightning rod for criticism and an easy target for all that went wrong during his season and a half with the Lakers. He was the subject of trade rumors dating back to last summer before being shipped to Utah in February.

Westbrook signed with the Clippers after reaching a buyout agreement with the Jazz and has been a productive if sometimes imperfect fit. With the chance to solidify a top-six seed on Wednesday night, Westbrook provided early energy with 10 first quarter points as the Clippers built a 19-point lead in the first half.

“It’s not about individual stuff, but we knew what was said about him and when he came over here, it’s the complete opposite of who he is,” Ivica Zubac said. “He’s a great dude, a great leader, always happy, always positive, always helping everyone on the court, helping a lot. So we just wanted to prove everyone wrong, all those rumors, all that stuff that was said about him, it just makes it better that it came in the biggest game of the season.”

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Andrew Wiggins is back with the Warriors, but he won’t play before the regular season ends, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Coach Steve Kerr said Wiggins had workouts on Tuesday with director of sports medicine Rick Celebrini and assistant coach Jama Mahlalela, then participated in a scrimmage on Wednesday with young players and staff members. “Full court, 5-on-5. He looked good,” Kerr said. “… He hasn’t played in two months and he’s out there running around and looking pretty good. He still has to stack a number of days like this before he’s ready to go out and play in an NBA game. We can’t put him in a bad spot, health-wise. We got to make sure we build him up, get his strength and conditioning in a good place before we put him out there.”
Now that the Suns are locked into fourth place, they may consider resting players for the final two games of the season, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix will face the Lakers on Friday and the Clippers on Sunday, so that decision will impact the playoff race.
Alex Len appears to have emerged as the Kings‘ primary backup center as they prepare for the postseason, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

Pacific Notes: Jerome, Lakers, Westbrook, M. Brown

April 4th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Although Ty Jerome was a candidate to be promoted from his two-way contract to the Warriors‘ standard roster, that honor ultimately went to fellow two-way player Anthony Lamb, who had his deal converted last month. As a result, Jerome has been inactive since March 11 as the team looked to preserve his final three games of eligibility, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.

With just three games left in the Warriors’ regular season, Jerome is in position to be reactivated on Tuesday. However, unless the team waives someone else to make room for him on the 15-man roster, he won’t be eligible to play in the postseason. Speaking to Johnson, the 25-year-old guard said he understands the situation and has “zero hard feelings” toward Lamb or the organization about it.

“They were very open about it with both me and Anthony,” Jerome told NBC Sports Bay Area. “In the heat of it, we were both playing leading up to that decision. Steph (Curry) was out and a few other guys were out, and it really wasn’t on the forefront of my mind at the time. I was really locked in. I’m just trying to win games.

“We had a good stretch of like five in a row. We won some good games, and that was kind of more on the forefront of my mind, and then with Andre (Iguodala) being out for the year and (Andrew Wiggins) not being here, it just came down to positional depth.”

Assuming Jerome’s contract remains unchanged during the final few days of the regular season, he’ll be on track to become a restricted free agent this summer.

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Within a larger story about the Timberwolves‘ duo of Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports looks back at how the trade deadline blockbuster involving the Wolves, Lakers, and Jazz came together, noting that Utah significantly dropped its asking price for taking back Russell Westbrook as the deadline neared. While those negotiations initially involved just the Jazz and Lakers, they expanded to include Minnesota in part because “some factions” of the Lakers’ front office preferred to acquire a point guard younger than Conley and zeroed in on D’Angelo Russell, Fischer writes.
Westbrook, who joined the Clippers after being bought out by Utah, is fitting in much better with his new L.A. team than he did with his old one, as Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times outlines. Several people within the organization have expressed both privately and publicly that the union has gone better than expected, Greif writes, adding that the former MVP has been a “popular addition in the locker room.”
Kings head coach Mike Brown earned Mark Daigneault‘s vote for the Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year award, the Thunder coach said on Monday (Twitter link via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman). “There was an external stigma that existed around that team,” Daigneault said of Sacramento. “I really admire the energy he brought to that job … He’s really brought a swagger and confidence.”

Pacific Notes: Payton, Westbrook, Lue, M. Brown

March 25th, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gary Payton II‘s long wait to get back on the court with the Warriors will end on Sunday, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Payton has been listed as probable to play against the Timberwolves, and sources tell Haynes that he’ll be ready to go.

Payton was able to scrimmage on Friday and participated fully in Saturday’s light practice, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. An official decision may not be made until after warm-ups, but it appears the intention is for Payton to play.

“I’m starting to feel like myself,” he said. “I missed a lot of games this year, so I’m just ready to get back out on the court with the guys and wrap this up for the homestretch.”

After being an important part of Golden State’s title team last season, Payton signed with the Trail Blazers over the summer. The Warriors reached an agreement to bring him back at the trade deadline, but the deal was delayed for three days because Payton had an adductor injury that Golden State claimed the Blazers didn’t disclose. Payton, who hasn’t played since February 8, says he feels good now and he’s ready to contribute.

“Every day getting my body right, a little maintenance, fine-tuning, we had a little extra time to do all of that and get (my body) where it needs to be,” he said.

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Russell Westbrook has taken on a mentorship role since signing with the Clippers, according to Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Westbrook’s main students are young guards Terance Mann and Bones Hyland, who are eager to learn from a future Hall of Famer. “I got so much love and just, just everything for Russ, man. I love watching him play, his energy,” Hyland said. “… He gives it his all. So just being alongside Russ, I learned so much and he’s always in my ear telling me the good things, what he sees out there for me. I’m glad to be a teammate alongside Russ.”
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue could “remove himself” from the team if things don’t go well in the playoffs, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports suggested in the first episode of his “No Cap Room” podcast. However, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that Lue, who has multiple years left on his contract, hasn’t engaged in any discussions with management about an early exit.
Mike Brown, who’s among the favorites for Coach of the Year honors, said the award would be important because of the recognition it would bring to the Kings and the city of Sacramento (video link).

L.A. Notes: Russell, SGA, AD, George, Clippers

March 24th, 2023 at 8:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell will miss Friday’s key matchup against the Thunder due to a right hip injury. Dennis Schröder will start in his place.

“It’s not too serious, but serious enough where we need to manage him,” Ham said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Ham added that Russell is considered day-to-day.

The Thunder, meanwhile, will have their best player available, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is active after previously being listed as questionable with a nagging abdominal strain (Twitter links via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman).

The Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder and Pelicans are all currently tied at 36-37 in the Nos. 8-11 spots in the West. The Wolves (No. 7) sit at 37-37, while the Jazz (No. 12) are 35-37.

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In a lengthy interview with McMenamin, Lakers star Anthony Davis expressed confidence in the team’s retooled roster, and it sounds as though he would like to see the group stick together beyond this season. “If we actually have a full summer, full training camp, go through an entire season, who knows the position we’ll be in,” Davis said. ” … The team we have now, we feel like not only can we make noise this year, and I like our chance against anybody to be honest. You put anybody against us, I like our chances. … Who knows what we could be, what threat we could be next year and then years to come if they work it out and are able to keep this group together.” As McMenamin notes, beyond Davis, LeBron James and Max Christie, no other player has a fully guaranteed contract for 2023/24, so the Lakers will have a lot of decisions to make this summer.
The Clippers were glad that Paul George avoided a major injury when he sprained his knee. He’s expected to be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks, but if the Clippers clinch a top-six seed and a berth in the playoffs, George potentially returning in a first-round series is considered “optimistic,” according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Eric Gordon will start in George’s stead for the rest of the season, Youngmisuk writes.
It’s impossible to replace a player of George’s caliber, so multiple players will have to step up to make up for his lost production on both ends of the court. Law Murray of The Athletic believes Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, Gordon, Terance Mann and Norman Powell are the top candidates for more responsibilities with George sidelined. Powell has been out with a shoulder injury, but he has been getting on-court work in and is close to a return, per Murray.