Timofey Mozgov Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Rumors: Young, World Peace, Kobe, Mozgov

April 13th, 2017 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the Lakers have played their final regular season game of 2016/17, the first offseason in Rob Pelinka‘s tenure as general manager is underway. As Pelinka said earlier this week to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, it will be an interesting one in Los Angeles, since there are so many uncertainties surrounding the club, starting with whether or not it will keep its top-three-protected pick.

“There are a lot of uncertainties,” Pelinka said. “Do we have our draft pick in June, or do we not? What free agents do extensions? What free agents become true free agents? What players from other teams are teams going to think about trading? There are millions and millions of combinations. It’s almost like a Rubik’s Cube. If you’re trying to solve it, there are many different combinations and turns you could make to get to the end path. You have to really study that board hard and make all the right turns to get there, but there is likely more than one way to get to the end.”

As the Lakers mull their summer options, let’s round up a few more notes on the club…

Although Nick Young remains undecided on his player option, he suggested today that he may prefer joining a playoff team rather than being one of the lone veterans on a young team, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. As Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News tweets, Young also joked that if the Lakers end up drafting Lonzo Ball, it might be too much for the team to have to deal with the “Ball family and Swaggy P talking crazy.”
Speaking today to reporters, including Pincus (Twitter link), Metta World Peace said president of basketball operations Magic Johnson told him the Lakers probably won’t re-sign him this summer. World Peace said earlier this week that he hopes to play two more professional seasons, but he sounded less certain today about his plans going forward.
After initially taking an inside look last month at the legal drama surrounding Jeanie Buss and her family, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com digs back into the story and updates her initial report with new information and quotes from Buss. Shelburne’s newest story on Lakers ownership includes a handful of interesting new tidbits, including one on how Jim Buss tried to offer Kobe Bryant shares in the franchise last year without realizing that the family trust didn’t allow for such a move.
After being rested for several weeks to end the season, Timofey Mozgov isn’t yet sure what his role will look like next year, but he’s hopeful that he’ll start 2017/18 as L.A.’s starting center, per Medina.

Timofey Mozgov ‘Shut Down’ By Lakers

March 14th, 2017 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Despite being healthy, Lakers center Timofey Mozgov may not play again this season, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. A source tells Spears that Mozgov has been “shut down” so the team can take a closer look at its younger players.

Signing the 30-year-old was the first major move of the offseason for the Lakers, who gave him a four-year, $64MM contract. It was considered a large amount for someone who had rarely been more than a part-time starter since entering the league in 2010.

If Mozgov’s first season is done in L.A., he finishes it with averages of 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 54 games. He has only played twice since February 6th, and rookie Ivica Zubac appears to have taken his place in the starting lineup.

Mozgov still has three seasons and $48MM left on his contract. The Lakers’ other significant free agent signing of last summer, Luol Deng, has three years and $54MM remaining. The 31-year-old small forward hasn’t played since February 28th as the Lakers’ new regime puts an emphasis on youth.

In addition to developing its young players, L.A. has an incentive to tank as its pick will go to the Sixers if it lands outside the top three. The Lakers are currently second in our Reverse Standings.

Lakers Notes: Deadline, Magic Johnson, Ingram

February 20th, 2017 at 7:33pm CST by Milo Taibi

Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times is convinced Magic Johnson – recently hired as the Lakers‘ basketball and business advisor – will be calling the shots in the team’s front office. Johnson’s “advisor” title was merely an interim tag, Plaschke speculates, until this coming spring, when Jeanie Buss will rebuild the team’s front office around him.

“Johnson would call the shots that are now called by Jim Buss,” Plaschke writes. “He would be the voice that is currently Mitch Kupchak’s. He would essentially fill the role, both spiritually and practically, that Jerry Buss once entrusted to Jerry West.”

And-Ones: Lakers, Mozgov, Okafor, Wojnarowski

February 8th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak didn’t want Timofey Mozgov to be tempted by other offers and that contributed to the team handing him a four-year, $64MM deal, a source tells Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN.com. Shelbourne adds that Luol Deng, who signed a four-year, $72MM deal with Los Angeles this past offseason, had other offers for his services, but no team gave him more than a three-year deal. Both Mozgov and Deng were recently relegated to the bench.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Lakers would need to attach a young prospect, such as Ivica Zubac or Larry Nance Jr., to Deng or Mozgov if they want to move one of their free agent additions, Shelbourne writes in the same piece. She adds that the contracts of Deng and Mozgov are not problematic for Los Angeles right now, but they will be soon, as Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell will be eligible for extensions over the next couple offseasons.
Jahlil Okafor, who we profiled as a trade candidate, is making the most of his increased minutes, John Reid of The Time-Picayune writes. Okafor was the subject of trade rumors earlier in the week with the Pelicans being the latest team to show interest in him.
The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s D-League affiliate, have acquired center Prince Ibeh and waived forward Lazar Hayward, according to a team press release.
Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical is close to joining ESPN, multiple sources tell Kevin Draper of Deadspin.

Pacific Notes: Green, West, Randle

February 7th, 2017 at 6:57pm CST by Austin Kent

Warriors teammates Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were once again seen in a verbal altercation Saturday night. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN, it was all part of a master plan by Green.

“Nothing in general” led to the altercation, the Warriors forward said Tuesday. “It was actually a tactic. But that’s for us to know and for everyone else to figure out.”

Green, Hayes writes, was trying to use reverse psychology to motivate his struggling teammate and supposedly followed it up by winking and smiling at some of the Warriors coaching staff.

Earlier this month Green and Durant were seen arguing with one another on the court when the Warriors lost to the Grizzlies.

Despite their interesting relationship, Green and Durant are said to have watched the Super Bowl together the day after the incident, suggesting that the altercation caused no hard feelings. With a 43-8 record, the Warriors have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to locker room chemistry.

There are more headlines out of the Pacific Division today:

The Warriors may need to compete with the Lakers if they want to convince 78-year-old executive Jerry West to stay with the team after his contract expires in July, writes Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.
Veteran forward P.J. Tucker knows how to get the most out of his younger teammates and his tough-love approach has been put in effect with current Suns rookies Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender, writes Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic.
The Lakers handed out significant contracts to veterans Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng over the offseason but lately the tandem has been coming off the bench, notes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. “I’m not going to say it’s permanent, but we’re going to see how it goes,” head coach Luke Walton said, citing the need to develop young players as the reason for the decision.
Limited to just five minutes over the previous four games, Julius Randle has recovered from pneumonia and and returned to the lineup for the Lakers on Monday. The power forward is expected to be at full strength heading forward, writes Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.
There are plenty of assets on the Suns roster, writes Kevin O’Conner of the Ringer. The scribe breaks down what could be next for Phoenix, including franchise cornerstone Devin Booker and “good-but-not-great” point guard Eric Bledsoe.

Central Notes: Gibson, Mozgov, Dellavedova

January 9th, 2017 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Taj Gibson is in the final year of his contract with the Bulls, which means there’s a good chance he’ll be involved in trade rumors in the coming weeks. However, having been the subject of trade speculation in the past, Gibson knows how to deal with it, and isn’t concerned about it, as Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun details.

“I’m just numb to (the talk) because I get good feedback from my agent all the time, so I’m never really worried about what’s going on,” Gibson said on Saturday before the Bulls faced the Raptors. “Normally when you are in trade rumors, it means the other team wants you too, so it’s like half and half. It’s part of our business.”

Here’s more from out of the NBA’s Central division:

Few players made out better on the free agent market in 2016 than Timofey Mozgov, who parlayed a championship win with the Cavaliers into a four-year, $64MM deal from the Lakers. However, as Matt Medley of NEO Sports Insiders relays, Mozgov admits in a conversation with 60smol.com that he misses Cleveland.
Another former Cav, Matthew Dellavedova, has been sidelined for the last five games due to a hamstring injury, but the Australian guard has been cleared to return to the court for the Bucks, according to an AAP report (link via ESPN.com).
Monta Ellis got off to a slow start for the Pacers this season and was viewed as a trade candidate, but you could make the case that he has been a crucial part of the team’s recent turnaround, says Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. As Monteith writes, Ellis would prefer to start, but he has bought into his new role — since the veteran guard returned from a groin injury and began coming off the bench, Indiana is 5-1.

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.”

Central Notes: Mozgov, Pistons, Morris, Bulls

December 17th, 2016 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

His former Cavaliers teammates mobbed Lakers center Timofey Mozgov as he received his championship ring tonight in a visit to Cleveland, relays Dane Carbaugh of NBC Sports. Mozgov played 76 games with the Cavs last season before signing a four-year, $64MM deal with the Lakers in July.

Here’s more news out of the Central Division:

The Pistons held a team meeting after tonight’s home loss to the Pacers, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “We put a lot of stuff on the table,” said Marcus Morris, “and everybody cleared their mind of what they needed to say.” The 105-90 defeat was Detroit’s third in its past four games and it dropped the team back under .500 at 14-15. “I did a lot of the talking — we have to make a decision,” Morris added. “Everybody go home tonight and decide what you want to do.” (Twitter link.)
The Pistons are just 3-5 since Reggie Jackson‘s return and coach Stan Van Gundy suggests that changes may be coming to the starting lineup., according to Aaron McMann of MLive. Van Gundy’s assessment of the team right now is that it isn’t in a good place.
Lack of development and athleticism in their young core has been the Bulls‘ biggest issue this season, contends K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Chicago expected Nikola Mirotic to be a starter by now. but instead he is falling out of the rotation. Doug McDermott is an effective shooter, but not an athletic presence. The same is true of rookie Denzel Valentine, and Bobby Portis has been established as a below-the-rim player.

Western Notes: Deng, Mozgov, Cauley-Stein, Barnes

November 9th, 2016 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers spent $136MM to bring Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov to Los Angeles, but neither is being used to finish games, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Both offseason signees are in the starting lineup, but coach Luke Walton has been closing out games with younger players. “I think they understand that while we’re trying to win right now … that we’re also trying to develop young players,” Walton said. “I haven’t sat down and talked to them about that but I’m pretty sure, the professionals that they are, they understand that.” Deng signed with the Lakers for $72MM over four years, while Mozgov received $64MM over four seasons.

There’s more tonight from the Western Conference:

Effort is the main thing the Kings are expecting from second-year big man Willie Cauley-Stein, relays Matt Kawahara of The Sacramento Bee. Cauley-Stein has seen his minutes cut from 21.4 per game to 14.9, but new coach Dave Joerger just wants to see him play hard while he’s on the court. “The energy that he brought is the biggest deal,” Joerger said after Cauley-Stein scored nine points in 12 minutes Tuesday. “When he … gets to the rim, [it] seems like it gets all those guys going a little bit. But he’s up there fullcourt, shadowing the other team’s point guard. He’s fronting a guy, comes over and gets a blocked shot. He’s running the floor.”
Harrison Barnes looks like a “big-time upgrade” at small forward for the Mavericks, writes Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News. The 24-year-old, who signed as a free agent over the summer, is averaging 22.3 points and 5.9 rebounds through Dallas’ first seven games. The player he replaced, Chandler Parsons, has been dealing with knee problems and recently made his season debut in Memphis.
After trying to be a veteran leader with the Bulls, Pau Gasol has entered a much more relaxed atmosphere with the Spurs, according to Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. Gasol signed a two-year, $30MM deal this summer and came to a franchise filled with veteran leaders. “You don’t need to be too loud in this locker room, because it’s not like a group of young guys that need more leadership or direction,” Gasol said. “There’s not much need for me to be loud and say much.”

Western Notes: Lillard, Harris, Napier

October 4th, 2016 at 7:07pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Point guard Damian Lillard has been open about his desire to remain with the Blazers for his entire career. Speaking on Sirius XM today, Lillard emphatically dispelled any notion of him leaving Portland to join a “super team,” the way a number of high-profile NBA stars have done in recent years, Casey Holdahl of NBA.com relays. “If somebody wants to go join people and do that, it’s not against the rules, they can do it,” said Lillard. “It’s just more pressure to win when you do it. Some people say ‘Ah, they just joining up, they had to do this to win it,’ but we play to win it. So when people do it, that’s they decisions. I wouldn’t do it, that’s just not who I am. I might have too much pride for that or be too much of a competitor where I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It also makes it more fun. You get to take a monster down and that’s always fun.”

Here’s more from out West:

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich admitted that he feels a “little bit lonely” now that Tim Duncan is retired and no longer a member of the team, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com writes. The coach reiterated his desire for his former player to remain with the organization in some capacity, Wright adds. “If he wants to scout a little bit or run a drill one day or take a week road trip with us, we’re open to whatever he wants,” Popovich said. “We’re hoping it will infect him a little bit and he’ll want to do more.”
Nuggets shooting Gary Harris suffered a groin strain during Monday night’s preseason game against the Raptors, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays. Harris underwent an MRI today and it hasn’t been announced how long he’ll be in street clothes while recovering.
Lakers center Timofey Mozgov insists he’s healthy after dealing with knee injuries last season and says he’s ready to assume a heavy workload for his new team, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News relays.
Shabazz Napier, who was acquired from the Magic for cash considerations this summer, could prove to be a steal for the Blazers, Cody Sharrett of NBA.com writes. The point guard has made an impression on the coaching staff with his preseason work, Sharrett adds. “I’ve been impressed with him in training camp and in September,” coach Terry Stotts said Napier. “I think he’s a quality guard. He shoots the ball a little bit better than maybe I expected. He’s a smart player, he’s tough. I’ve been very impressed with his defense throughout September. I think you saw [at Fan Fest] and tonight, he can get a shot. He’s a good player.“