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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.”

Pacific Notes: D. Green, Warriors, Clippers

December 7th, 2016 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

It has been an interesting week for B.J. Armstrong of the Wasserman Media Group, who weighed in on on Derrick Rose‘s potential long-term future in New York and confirmed that Donatas Motiejunas isn’t reporting to the Rockets after having his offer sheet matched. Earlier in the week, Armstrong also provided his thoughts on another client, Draymond Green, telling Sam Amick of USA Today that the NBA’s rule changes are designed to make money rather than to improve the game. Specifically, Armstrong criticized the league’s “unnatural acts” rule which has penalized the Warriors big man for flailing his limbs and kicking opponents.

“People flail, people do things, and their bodies respond in certain ways,” Armstrong said. “I think it (Green’s play with James Harden last Thursday) is a no-call. … When I played, I would never, ever try to run Reggie Miller off the line because I knew Reggie. If I ran at him, and I was trying to run him off the line, I was going to get kicked. I knew that, and people around the league knew that. And players always adjust.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific division:

In an interesting piece for The Vertical, Adrian Wojnarowski notes that the Warriors – along with the Spurs – made an effort to trade up in the 2011 NBA draft to select Jonas Valanciunas with the No. 5 pick. Ultimately, the Raptors kept that selection and took Valanciunas themselves, while Golden State and San Antonio got decent consolation prizes — they ended up with Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard, respectively.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is “dead serious” about trying to move the club into a new arena when its lease with the Staples Center expires, writes David Aldridge of NBA.com. Aldridge’s piece provides plenty of other interesting tidbits on the Clippers, including a look at Lawrence Frank‘s role in the team’s basketball operations department.
The fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft, power forward Thomas Robinson is still just 25 years old, but he has lived a nomadic existence in the NBA so far, having spent time with seven teams in just five seasons. Mark Whicker of The O.C. Register examines how Robinson is fitting in this year with the Lakers as he looks to find a consistent role in the NBA.

Pacific Notes: Cousins, Afflalo, Lakers, Chriss

November 28th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins frequently talks to his former Kentucky teammates about reuniting in the NBA, tweets Ben Standig of Locked on Wizards. Speaking to reporters before tonight’s game at Washington, Cousins addressed the possibility of someday joining forces with Wizards point guard John Wall. “He wants me here,” Cousins said. “Eric [Bledsoe] wants us in Phoenix.” Cousins will be a free agent after the 2017/18 season, and although he has been the subject of trade rumors, his public stance is that he wants to remain with the Kings. Wall won’t be a free agent until 2019. “Do we ever talk about playing with one another? Is that your question? It’s come up,” said Cousins. “They’re going to all come to Sac. Come to Sac.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Arron Afflalo is willing to be flexible as Kings coach Dave Joerger searches for the best lineup, relays Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Afflalo, who signed with Sacramento in July for $25MM over two years, was used as both a starter and a reserve last week. “You can’t fault a coach for trying to win and trying to find guys that work together,” he said. “But for me personally, I take pride in being a versatile basketball player, so sometimes coaches can see the benefit of me coming off the bench, and sometimes I’m a necessary stability piece in the starting lineup. It just depends.” Joerger has used a different starting lineup in each of the team’s last five games.
Offseason additions have made the Lakers better able to handle injuries than they have been in recent years, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Veteran point guard Jose Calderon, who was picked up in a July trade with the Bulls, has stepped into the starting lineup with D’Angelo Russell sidelined, and well-traveled power forward Thomas Robinson, who signed a non-guaranteed deal in September, started a game in place of Julius Randle. That has enabled coach Luke Walton to keep his bench rotation intact.
The Suns are willing to be patient through rookie power forward Marquese Chriss‘ growing pains, including Sunday’s bench technical, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Chriss had one of his worst game as a pro with just two points and five fouls in 10 minutes. “Bench Ts put you on the bench in the second half,” said coach Earl Watson. “So it’s an accountable moment. But he’ll learn. He knows I love him. He’ll learn. He’ll move forward.”

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.

Contract Details: Kings, Lakers, Raptors, Wizards

September 23rd, 2016 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Although he may not make the Kings‘ regular-season roster, second-round guard Isaiah Cousins received a $100K guarantee on his one-year, minimum-salary contract, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). If Sacramento waives Cousins at the end of the preseason, the club will lose his NBA rights. However, the Kings will be able to hold onto his D-League rights and assign him to the Reno Bighorns. That $100K guarantee may make Cousins more willing to accept a low-paying D-League assignment rather than seeking out a job overseas.

Here are a few more contract details on recently-signed contracts, via Pincus:

Thomas Robinson received a non-guaranteed, one-year summer contract from the Lakers, Pincus tweets. Robinson’s non-guaranteed $1,050,961 salary is the same figure he would have been guaranteed if he’d exercised his player option with the Nets back in June.
Pincus passes along another Lakers contract note, tweeting that Tarik Black‘s new deal includes a 10% trade kicker.
New Raptors sharpshooter Brady Heslip is likely ticketed for the team’s D-League affiliate, but Toronto made it worth his while to sign a minimum-salary deal, guaranteeing him $56,500, according to Pincus (Twitter link).
A pair of Wizards camp invitees, Johnny O’Bryant and Casper Ware, signed one-year, non-guaranteed summer contracts with the team, tweets Pincus.

Lakers Sign Thomas Robinson

September 21st, 2016 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

3:01pm: The Lakers have officially signed Robinson, the team announced in a press release.

2:04pm: Robinson will get a non-guaranteed deal from the Lakers, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).

1:57pm: The Lakers have added another free agent forward to their roster, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical, who reports that the team has reached a deal with Thomas Robinson. With Robinson and Metta World Peace now in the mix, Los Angeles has reached the 20-man offseason roster limit.

The fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft, Robinson hasn’t lived up to his billing as a top prospect since entering the NBA, averaging just 4.9 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 265 career appearances. However, he flashed some promise down the stretch last season in a very small sample for the Nets — in his final seven games (six starts), Robinson averaged a double-double, with 13.4 PPG and 11.4 RPG.

After opting out of his contract with the Nets in June, Robinson was linked to several teams during his free agency, including the Mavericks, Wolves, Pelicans, Spurs, Pacers, Suns, and Hawks. In the end, none of those teams opted to take a flier on the former Kansas standout, leaving the door open for the Lakers to bring him to camp.

With 14 players on guaranteed salaries and Yi Jianlian also expected to make the team, the Lakers don’t have any obvious openings on their roster. However, Nick Young is considered a release candidate, and it’s possible preseason performances could affect the Lakers’ roster decisions.

Robinson will join World Peace, Travis Wear, Julian Jacobs, and Zach Auguste as the five Lakers’ camp invitees on the outside looking in, hoping to impress coaches and earn a 15-man roster spot.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Notes: Gordon, T. Robinson, Spurs

August 2nd, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Ben Gordon, who will suit up for Great Britain during the Eurobasket qualifiers in the coming weeks, tells Ian Begley of ESPN.com that he’s still looking for an opportunity to return to the NBA.

“I would definitely love to get back in the league after being out for a year,” Gordon said. “Just watching the way the game is being played, up and down. Obviously, the 3-point shot is always a big deal but it seems like just now, more than ever, that shot is being used more and more. So I feel like I can still play at a high level and shoot that 3-ball and add that kind of depth to a team that may be looking to fulfill that need. So yeah, I definitely have hopes of making a return with an NBA team or just playing period, wherever that may be.”

Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the basketball world:

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Spurs have been the “most vocal” team when it comes to showing interest in free agent power forward Thomas Robinson. A former fifth overall pick, Robinson spoke to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders about the strides he feels he has made on and off the court since entering the league in 2012.
The Rockets made Andrew Goudelock a free agent last month by waiving him before his 2016/17 salary became guaranteed, and the veteran point guard has since found a new home. According to international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link), Goudelock has agreed to a $1.2MM deal with Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando had passed along a report on the agreement between the two sides earlier today. Meanwhile, Pick tweets that Goudelock turned down a slightly larger offer from Turkish team Galatasaray.
LeBron James remains the top player who technically remains unsigned, but his free agency is such a non-story that Lee Jenkins’ latest piece on SI.com about the Finals MVP barely mentions it, with Jenkins noting that signing a new contract with the Cavaliers is merely a “formality.” Still, Jenkins’ story on LeBron is worth reading in full.

Free Agent Notes: T. Robinson, K. Martin, Waiters

July 22nd, 2016 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

David Lee is one of the more noteworthy scoring big men remaining on the free agent market, while Alan Anderson and Steve Novak are among the veteran shooters still available. All three players are in talks with multiple teams, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Sam Amico of Amico Hoops, though Bartelstein doesn’t specify potential suitors for his clients.

Although free agent spending this summer has reached new highs, we’re at the point in the offseason where most veteran free agents left on the market – especially players like Lee, Anderson and Novak, who were sidelined by injuries last season – will have trouble finding deals worth more than the minimum. Many teams don’t even have roster spots available for another guaranteed contract or two, so we’ll have to wait and see if those veterans (and others) will be able to find new homes in the coming days or weeks.

Let’s check in on some other free agent updates from around the NBA:

After opting out of his contract with the Nets last month, Thomas Robinson has drawn interest from the Pacers, Suns, and Hawks, league sources tell Amico. Robinson’s player option for 2016/17 was worth the minimum, so if he can land a guaranteed offer, it won’t have been a mistake to turn down that option.
Free agent guard Kevin Martin has received some interest from the Clippers, Bulls, and Pistons, according to Amico. Chicago and Detroit both have fewer than 15 guaranteed contracts on their books, and still have their $2.9MM room exception available.
One free agent who should be in line for a deal worth significantly more than the minimum is Dion Waiters, who is now unrestricted. However, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman notes that Waiters hasn’t generated the sort of interest he had hoped to, and wonders if the 24-year-old’s disastrous final three games against Golden State hurt his stock.

And-Ones: Durant, Gasol, Crawford

July 2nd, 2016 at 10:39pm CST by Will Joseph

Kevin Durant has told teams he is meeting with that his decision will be made within the next 24-36 hours, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Durant’s meeting with the Celtics, one that reportedly featured Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, ended just after 6:30pm, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. Aldridge also tweets that Durant will meet with the Heat Sunday before meeting again with the Thunder. He is then expected to decide. According to Broussard, however, no decision has been made on whether Durant will meet again with the Thunder (Twitter link). Durant has also met with the Warriors, Spurs and Clippers.

Here’s more from a busy day around the league …

The Raptors have emerged as another suitor for Pau Gasol, who may look to make a decision after Durant finds a home, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. The Wolves, Blazers and Spurs have expressed interest in Gasol, too, Stein relays (on Twitter).
Al Horford‘s four-year, $113MM deal with the Celtics includes a player option after the third year, according to his agent Jason Glushon, Shelburne reports (ESPN Now link).
The Clippers formally offered Jamal Crawford a contract on Saturday, according to Shelburne (ESPN Now link). The Wolves checked in on Crawford Saturday, but they are not close to offering, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets.
After losing Horford in free agency, the Hawks are expected to halt trade talks and will keep Paul Millsap, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The Kings hold a team option for the second year on both of the two-year agreements for Arron Afflalo and Anthony Tolliver, James Ham of CSNBayArea.com tweets.
The Pelicans have expressed interest in Raymond Felton and New Orleans could be competition for the Mavs, who would like to re-sign Felton, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets.
The Mavs, Wolves, Pelicans and Spurs are among the teams that have expressed interest in unrestricted free agent Thomas Robinson, Kennedy tweets.