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Kupchak On Bryant, Gasol, Free Agency, Draft

January 11th, 2014 at 6:34pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

Earlier today, Lakers’ General Manager Mitch Kupchak spoke to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com regarding questions every Lakers fan has seemed to ask so far this season. It is a great read for anyone interested in the direction the Lakers are headed in the near future. Here are a few takeaways from the discussion.

It was no coincidence at the beginning of this season that the Lakers’ payroll aligned to only have Steve Nash under contract beyond this season. Kupchak and the Lakers made a conscious decision to plan their roster this way so they could take a fresh look at everyone on their roster. Kupchak’s didn’t want to fall in the same trap as other championship teams who sign star players a few years beyond their prime. Although extending Kobe Bryant was a diversion from this plan, Kupchak believes the Lakers still have plenty of flexibility to sign a max contract free agent each of the next two summers.
Which free agent the Lakers pursue is still up in the air because according to Kupchak, the league is “too competitive” to plan for one player’s contract actions. Kupchak did hint however that if the 2014 free agent market doesn’t turn out like he hopes the Lakers may not sign a maximum contract player this summer and instead wait until the 2015 or 2016 free agent markets.
Looking at the young players on the team, Kupchak credited his familiarity with watching the college careers of Xavier Henry and Kendall Marshall as selling points in signing both of them this season. For Nick Young, it was the conversations between his agent, Mark Bartelstein, and Kupchak that sold Young on the Lakers as a place he could thrive with playing time and style of play. Kupchak would like to continue giving Young playing time as he hopes Nick will opt in to his player option this summer and become “a Laker for a long time”.
On an older player on the roster, Pau Gasol, Kupchak thinks he is having a great year given the circumstances. Gasol never planned to return from major surgery to a Lakers lineup sans Bryant, Steve Nash, and Steve Blake but has handled it well according to Kupchak. Regarding Gasol’s upcoming free agency, Kupchak knows Pau will have other offers but thinks if all things remain constant, Gasol would “love to continue to play here, and we’d love to have him here”. He also believes Gasol is bound for the Hall of Fame.
On the luxury tax, Kupchak said the “ownership here has never been afraid to be in the tax.” He also agreed with Trudell that the luxury tax is a major factor to be aware of but for the Lakers it is not a black and white line they aren’t allowed to cross.
Regarding next summer’s draft, Kupchak thinks the first 10 players drafted will be as “good as [he’s] seen in a long time”. Kupchak also noted he prepares for every draft so that he could make every pick, 1 through 60.

Players Whose Contracts Will Be Guaranteed

January 7th, 2014 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

As we outlined earlier today, players on non-guaranteed contracts who aren’t released by 4:00pm central time will have their full 2013/14 salaries guaranteed. We’ll be keeping tabs in this post on players who have been informed they’ll remain on their respective teams’ rosters, with new updates added to the top of the list throughout the afternoon:

Barring an unexpected development, the Pacers will guarantee Rasual Butler‘s contract today, tweets Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.

Earlier updates:

The Timberwolves don’t intend to make any roster moves today, which means the contracts for A.J. Price and Robbie Hummel should become guaranteed, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
As anticipated, the Lakers plan to keep Ryan Kelly, Xavier Henry, and Kendall Marshall, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (via Twitter).
Ronnie Brewer‘s contract will be guaranteed for the remainder of the season by the Rockets, says Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
The Bobcats will retain Jeff Adrien beyond today, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports (via Twitter) that Chris Douglas-Roberts‘ contract will become guaranteed, as the Bobcats won’t cut him today.
Kent Bazemore is also safe, with the Warriors informing him he’ll remain on the roster, tweets Haynes.
The Spurs have informed Malcolm Thomas that he won’t be waived, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Pacific Notes: Jackson, Henry, Hill

November 14th, 2013 at 8:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

When asked about already losing to the Clippers, Spurs, and Grizzlies – three teams considered to be among the league’s elite, Warriors head coach Mark Jackson was straightforward: “Are those three elite? Then, we’re in the discussion…We’re a very good team that has continued to develop, continued to grow…I certainly like my team, when we’re at our best” (hat tip to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle for the Twitter links).

Here are more miscellaneous tidbits to pass along out of the Pacific Division:

Xavier Henry‘s breakout performance thus far is remarkable considering that his NBA career may have been hanging in the balance only several months ago. Hoopsworld’s Yannis Koutroupis gathered the former lottery pick’s thoughts on playing for the Lakers and how he’s handled his early success this season.
Jordan Hill not only provides badly-needed toughness but has played a pivotal role in helping the Lakers win four out of their first ten games, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
Bill Dwyre, also of the L.A. Times, suggests that Matt Barnes‘ ejection from last night’s game may have provided the impetus for turning the Clippers’ defense in the right direction. Eric Patten of Clippers.com writes that the team’s brilliant second half last night was proof that strides are being made on the defensive end.

Odds & Ends: Lakers, LeBron, Gibson, KG

October 29th, 2013 at 11:23pm CST by Chuck Myron

Magic Johnson tells the “Max and Marcellus Show” on ESPNLA 710 that he’d be willing to help the Lakers recruit free agents during what he calls a “crucial summer” ahead. “If it’s (Lakers co-owner) Jim Buss going up against Pat Riley, he’s going to lose that battle. He needs help,” Johnson said. “You have to have a recruiter. Jim needs a recruiter with him.” Johnson touched on plenty more about the Lakers and their recent past, and Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com rounds up the highlights. Here’s more from opening night in the Association:

LeBron James tried to recruit Taj Gibson to the Heat when Gibson was a year away from restricted free agency, but Gibson doesn’t think he’ll return the favor with James poised to hit free agency this summer, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times details.
Kevin Garnett has yet to make his official debut for the Nets, but he’s already the “heartbeat of the team,” according to fellow offseason addition Alan Anderson. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News has more.
Kevin Love tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune that he and Ricky Rubio have spoken about a long-term future together, but for now, they’re focusing on the present. Both Timberwolves can become free agents in 2015.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie is confident that the city of Philadelphia can be a selling point for marquee free agents when he’s ready to make a run at them, but Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if local fans will turn on him before he gets to that point.
Brett Brown admits that the challenge of coaching the Sixers is harder than he envisioned when he took over the team in August, observes Tom Moore of The Intelligencer.
Xavier Henry remains on a non-guaranteed contract after making the Lakers out of camp, but he’s drawing raves from coach Mike D’Antoni, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).

Western Notes: Henry, Wolves, Jazz, Melo

October 7th, 2013 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve heard players like Omer Asik and Marcin Gortat mentioned repeatedly as possible trade candidates for the coming season, and both players earn a spot on Sam Smith‘s list of 10 players most likely to be traded at Bulls.com. Smith also includes a few surprises among his 10 names though, including a pair of power forwards on Western Conference playoff teams: Zach Randolph and David Lee. I’d be surprised to see either player go anywhere, but as we saw a year ago with James Harden and the Thunder, contending teams aren’t always averse to moving key players.

Here are a few more Monday items out of the West:

Asked if Xavier Henry‘s play this fall is solidifying his spot on the regular season roster, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters, including John Ireland and Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), “I would think so.”
With CSKA Moscow set to play an exhibition game against the Timberwolves tonight, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities notes that a couple players on the Russian squad – Milos Teodosic and Sonny Weems – could interest the T-Wolves, or have been pursued by the team in the past (Twitter links).
Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors are both eligible for contract extensions this month, but the Jazz don’t necessarily have to treat them equally, writes Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune. In Kragthorpe’s opinion, Utah should extend Hayward now and wait on Favors.
It’s not clear if Fab Melo will earn a roster spot with the Mavericks, but the young center doesn’t sound unhappy to be out of Boston. Melo tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the Celtics “didn’t give [him] a chance” last season, “even in practice” (Twitter link).

Pacific Notes: Vasquez, Abdur-Rahim, Henry

October 6th, 2013 at 11:03am CST by Chuck Myron

Shaquille O'Neal's purchase of a stake in the Kings last month brings about an odd coda to the rivalry between his current team and the Lakers, the franchise with which O'Neal tormented Sacramento both on the court and off in the early 2000s. This season could be the first since that time that neither the Kings nor the Lakers make the playoffs, so the teams have little to fight over these days, even if some fans still harbor animosity. Here's more on a pair of franchises looking to regain the glory of years past:

Extension candidate Greivis Vasquez grew up a Kings fan, and he wants to stay in Sacramento for the long haul, The Bee's Ailene Voisin writes.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim is the only member of the Kings front office left over from last season, but the team has entrusted him with plenty of responsibility, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee details.
Xavier Henry did plenty last night to help his case for a spot on the Lakers opening-night roster, but his 29 points against the Warriors belie his inconsistency during camp, Medina notes as he profiles the former lottery pick's path to L.A.
Last season, the Lakers allowed the 18th most points per 100 possessions in the league, and they lost a pair of former Defensive Player of the Year winners in Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News examines how some of the team's new additions can help the club overcome its shortcomings on defense.

Lakers Notes: Landry, Bryant, James, Jackson

September 11th, 2013 at 8:53pm CST by Alex Lee

Let's round up the latest from the always-busy rumor mill in Los Angeles:

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register tweets that he expects the Lakers to sign Marcus Landry, younger brother of Carl Landry, in the near future. Ding also adds that Landry, if signed, would have a good shot to make the team. This sounds very similar to several reports we heard in late July regarding Landry and the Lakers, but no official deal was reached. Landry last appeared in 18 games in the 2009/10 season with the Knicks and Celtics. He has since bounced between the D-League and Europe, and played with the Reno Bighorns of the D-League last season.
With second-rounder Ryan Kelly not expected to be ready for camp, Ding tweets that three of Landry, Xavier Henry, Shawne Williams and Elias Harris could make the Lakers' roster. A chunk of Harris' deal is guaranteed, making him a good bet for a roster spot, but there’s been no confirmation of any guarantee for Henry, Williams or Landry, assuming he is signed.
It is hard to consider Kobe Bryant's looming presence on the Lakers as anything but a negative recruiting tool when it comes to near-future premiere free agents, writes Andy Kamenetzky of Land O'Lakers, who agrees with the notion that LeBron James, or any of the league's other elite players, would be hesitant to join Bryant in Los Angeles.
Jim Buss and his father, the late Jerry Buss, knew that the Lakers couldn't keep the expensive team they showcased last year together past the 2012/13 season, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who says this sentiment made it difficult for the team to secure Phil Jackson as coach. Ownership knew they had to rebuild soon, Shelburne says, largely due to the extreme luxury tax situation they would face this season. Because of this, the Lakers didn't feel right giving Jackson a two-year pact knowing the second year would be a transition year, she adds (Twitter links here).

Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Cuban, Bulls

September 5th, 2013 at 11:23pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There's hardly a dull moment with Mark Cuban when he speaks with the media, as the outspoken Mavericks owner said on the Artie Lange Show that hiring a head coach is "harder than finding a wife" (hat tip to SportsDayDFW). On a more serious note, Cuban explained why he'll never trade Dirk Nowitzki:

"Dirk defines our culture. When your best player, no matter how old, is the first one in the gym and the last to leave, and works the hardest and encourages guys the way Dirk does … that has a value that goes far beyond what you see on the court."

Here's a roundup of the rest of tonight's links:

Cuban briefly goes into the thought process behind his decision to buy the team.
SportsDayDFW's Tim Cowlishaw isn't interested in the idea of bringing Michael Beasley to Dallas.
With Luol Deng set to become a free agent next summer and Carlos Boozer a prime candidate to be amnestied, it's now or never for the core of this current Bulls team, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley also passes along some notable quotes on Derrick Rose, who according to GM Gar Forman "seems like he's doing great, feels good, strong…everything has been positive." Forman added that Rose stayed away from pickup games this summer but has done enough to work on his game.
The NBA will install tracking cameras in every arena around the league starting next season, which will present a vastly different way of experiencing and evaluating the game for analysts, casual fans, and the like (Associated Press via ESPN).
Stephen Curry can now focus on basketball after a busy summer and has already organized voluntary team workouts (Associated Press via NBA.com). In another piece, Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group goes in-depth about how Curry has embraced his role as the Warriors' leader.
Kevin Ding of the OC Register further analyzes the Lakers' decision to sign Xavier Henry (Subscribers only).

Lakers Sign Xavier Henry

September 5th, 2013 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have officially signed Xavier Henry, the team announced today in a press release. Terms of the agreement weren't disclosed, but I'd expect it to be some form of non-guaranteed training camp invite.

Word of the Lakers' interest in Henry was reported yesterday by Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, with fellow ESPN scribe Dave McMenamin adding (via Twitter) that the 6'6" guard was poised to become a camp invitee.

Henry, an Arn Tellem client, became an unrestricted free agent this summer because the Pelicans decided not to exercise the fourth-year option on his rookie contract. The Kansas product has yet to make a real impact in three NBA seasons with Memphis and New Orleans, averaging 4.5 PPG in 133 career contests. However, Henry was a lottery pick in 2010 and is just 22 years old, so there may still be some upside.

As our list of NBA roster counts shows, Henry becomes the 14th Lakers player under contract. That number doesn't include Marcus Landry, who is expected to receive a camp invite, and second-round pick Ryan Kelly, who has yet to officially sign with the team. With only 11 Lakers believed to be on fully guaranteed deals, Henry should have the opportunity to try to earn a roster spot next month.

Lakers Have Interest In Xavier Henry

September 4th, 2013 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers officially announced the signing of Shawne Williams yesterday, but even if Williams earns a regular-season spot, the team should still have room for a couple more players. One potential target for L.A. is ex-Pelican Xavier Henry, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, who tweets that the Lakers have a "level of interest" in Henry.

Henry, a 6'6" guard, remains unsigned after the Pelicans decided not to exercise the fourth-year option on his rookie contract. The Kansas product has yet to make a real impact in three NBA seasons with Memphis and New Orleans, averaging 4.5 PPG in 133 career contests. However, Henry was a lottery pick in 2010 and is still just 22 years old, so there's some potential upside there. If he were to sign with the Lakers or another team, I imagine he'd receive a non-guaranteed deal.

As the Lakers weigh camp options, one player they don't seem to be considering is Michael Beasley, according to Shelburne (via Twitter). Los Angeles has had interest in Beasley in the past, and reportedly came close to acquiring him at the 2012 trade deadline, leading to some speculation yesterday that he could be on the club's radar again. For now though, the Lakers appear to be looking elsewhere.