Laker Updates

Lakers reach out to Kawhi Leonard, who has talked to Magic Johnson

By Tania Ganguli and Broderick Turner

Jun 30, 2019 | 9:10 PM

Teams around the NBA began filling out their rosters Sunday as free agency opened at 3 p.m. PDT, but the Lakers waited.

With a shot at Kawhi Leonard, the most coveted free agent on the market and one of the few marquee players left, their entire plan for this summer hinges on his decision. They can’t move until he does, and Leonard did not meet with any teams Sunday.

Magic Johnson spoke with Leonard and his uncle, Dennis Roberston, on Sunday, Johnson told The Times. According to people familiar with the discussion, they had a positive conversation about the direction of the Lakers.

The NBA won’t allow Johnson, who resigned April 9 as team president of basketball operations, to function as a Lakers representative, but his perspective matters to Leonard.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka did reach out to Leonard’s camp in an official capacity after the window opened for teams to communicate with players’ representatives.

While Leonard’s camp had initially requested that only Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss be present from the team’s front office, they have considered expanding the meeting to include Pelinka, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

Leonard is coming off a season in which he led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship and was named Finals MVP.

The Raptors traded for Leonard last summer after the Lakers made an effort to do the same with the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers ultimately found the price too steep, especially after learning that LeBron James’ arrival wasn’t contingent on acquiring another star.

Leonard has roots in Southern California. He grew up in Moreno Valley and went to high school in Riverside before playing two seasons of college basketball at San Diego State.

He has expressed a desire in the past to return to Southern California with either the Lakers or the Clippers. The Raptors have also made a strong impression upon him during his season there and he told the reigning champions he would give them his final meeting.

Throughout his career, Leonard has built a reputation as a dynasty killer. His first title came in 2014 when he led the Spurs to a championship over James’ Miami Heat in the last season he played with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. This past season Leonard led the Raptors over the Golden State Warriors, preventing them from becoming three-peat champions as well.

Leonard, a three-time All-Star and All-NBA performer, is the only one of a crop of players sure to earn a maximum contract left on the market with Kevin Durant (Brooklyn), Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn), Kemba Walker (Boston), Jimmy Butler (Miami) and Klay Thompson (Golden State) all reaching agreements Sunday.

While other players made their decisions quickly, Leonard is still gathering information. The Lakers, Clippers and Raptors are all in consideration for his services.

D’Angelo Russell, who was one of the Lakers’ top options if they could not sign Leonard, appears headed to Golden State through a sign-and-trade deal with Brooklyn, according to a person familiar with the situation. The Lakers had made contact with Russell’s representatives but never scheduled a meeting. Through this deal, Russell will be given his full maximum salary, which is $117 million over four years. The Lakers were not planning to give him a maximum contract.

The Lakers also had interest in Patrick Beverley, but he reportedly agreed to remain with the Clippers.

Teams can only reach agreement with players this week; new deals can be signed when the NBA’s business moratorium is lifted at 3 p.m. PDT Saturday.

Lakers free agency: Los Angeles signs DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green in wake of Kawhi Leonard decision

The Lakers were very active following Kawhi Leonard's decision to sign with the Clippers

by Jack Maloney & Chris Bengel

36 mins ago • 1 min read

After the opening flurry ahead of and after free agency began on June 30, the NBA was in a holding pattern waiting for Kawhi Leonard to make his free agency decision.

Once Leonard revealed his intentions to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, Danny Green made his decision in the following moments. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Green plans to sign a two-year, $30 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers were extremely active in the hours following Leonard's decision to sign with the Clippers. In addition to Green, the Lakers announced they have officially signed DeMarcus Cousins and brought back Rajon Rondo.

In addition, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported center JaVale McGee agreed to a two-year, $8.2 million deal that also included a player option in the final year, while guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal. Furthermore, the Lakers also reached an agreement with former Golden State Warriors guard Quinn Cook on a two-year, $6 million deal, and agreed to a one-year deal to keep Alex Caruso.

Now the Lakers have a much-improved roster after missing the playoffs in LeBron James' first season with the franchise. Cousins has unfortunately suffered two major injuries in the past two seasons in a torn Achilles tendon and torn quad, but still has plenty of talent. He may not have the same level of athleticism as he did pre-injury, but he's still a huge presence down low and can score and pass. His All-NBA days may be over, but he's going to help this team. 

Likewise, Green will be a nice addition for L.A. His shooting can be streaky, but he's still going to help in that department while also being a strong wing defender. Plus, he has championship experience which will be helpful after last season when the Lakers played with so many youngsters.

Their other signings -- Rondo, Caldwell-Pope, McGee, Cook and Caruso -- aren't that inspiring, but they didn't have very many options after waiting this long to see what would happen with Leonard. This offseason didn't work out quite as planned, but there's no question that this Lakers team will be much better than last season.

Now it all makes sense. The only concern would be injuries.

Think we ALL saw this one coming as noted in your previous post. I really thought they’d get Kawai and become another super team that might win a few titles in a row.

They may still make the playoffs this year and once there, anything can happen. But that’s a pretty tough division they’re going to have to come out of and I’m not sure LeBron & Unibrow are enough to do so.

GO DODGERS!!!

Looks like Kuzma might be back sooner than expected. Davis sprains his thumb though. That's what they're calling it right now anyway. Is Steve Lombardo still the team doctor? Major quack

Round 1 to the Leonard & the Clippers.

Woike: Why Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis need time to jell

LeBron James and Anthony Davis weren’t as much in sync as they were in each other’s way, two transcendent superstars trying to figure out how to play together.

Oct. 23, 2019

By Dan Woike / Staff Writer

The transition of power within the Lakers wasn’t going to happen in a couple of games in China or in a four-game preseason series with the Golden State Warriors.

If LeBron James is serious about the things he said this summer, if he wants the Lakers’ offense to go through new teammate Anthony Davis, it’s going to take actual game repetitions. It’s going to take the two being on the floor together during crunch time in important games. It’s going to take pick-and-rolls and post-ups against defenses designed to stop them.

It’s going to take work — and they know it. You could see it when the two players tried to navigate the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 112-102 loss to the Clippers on Tuesday.

There was James, at the top of the key, his eyes locked on Davis like a quarterback staring down his primary receiver, forcing a pass inside that Clippers forward Maurice Harkless easily tipped away. There was Davis going scoreless in the final quarter, taking as many shots (two) as Troy Daniels and Dwight Howard and one fewer than Avery Bradley and Quinn Cook.

They weren’t as much in sync as they were in each other’s way, two transcendent superstars trying to figure out the best way to play with the kind of teammate neither has had before.

“For us, we’re both aggressive. So sometimes, we kind of like miss each other. I missed him a couple times; he missed me,” Davis said. “We’ll figure it out.”

Davis is too talented, too skilled and too big to no-show a fourth quarter in a game that felt bigger than just the first of 82. And James? There’s probably not a more cerebral player in the league, someone who has always been more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan.

It’s a safe bet that the two players — both unselfish, both willing passers, both supremely talented — will get on the same page. This isn’t Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant fighting over an imaginary torch. This is James and Davis working together on a much more peaceful transition of power.

“We do all know how good Anthony Davis is and if we are not playing through Anthony Davis while he is on the floor, then it makes no sense to have him on the floor, because he’s that great,” James said during the Lakers’ media day. “It doesn’t mean every time down we throw it to him, we throw it to him, we throw it to him. But we have the ability of doing it.”

In the opener Tuesday, especially late, looked forced. James turned the ball over three times in the fourth quarter, mistakes he owned postgame. But he seemed committed to his plan. Through three quarters he took four fewer shots than Davis, and when you factor in a 14-to-4 free-throw disparity in Davis’ favor, it was clear who the Lakers wanted putting the ball in the basket.

“Our offense is going to continue to get better and better in how we can get [Davis] in the proper position to be effective and how as a team, we can all be as effective as well,” James said after the game. “We showed tonight — there were times when we were great. And, there were times where we could be a lot better.”

He went on to point out the easiest way for things to get better, with James figuring out how to create for Davis as the Lakers’ de facto point guard while trying to find his own opportunities as a scorer.

He’s never been here before despite playing with great players in Miami and Cleveland. James has never been at a stage of his career with a natural successor sharing the locker room despite what he might have said to empower Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.

Davis and James were quick to point out problems can surface in a season opener. JaVale McGee said it would probably take five games or so for the Lakers to get on the same page.

This team doesn’t have much continuity, and if you don’t think that matters, you missed a Clippers lineup with Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell winning the game in the fourth quarter just like they did a year ago.

It’ll take time for James and Davis to find the right rhythm, time for James to learn how aggressive Davis wants to be late in games. In Davis’ time in New Orleans, he led the Pelicans in fourth-quarter shot attempts only twice.

You shouldn’t expect it to happen in Game 1 — and it didn’t. But there aren’t great reasons — at least not yet — to think this is anything more than just a necessary step in the process.

James is committed to having the Lakers lean on Davis. James is also used to every team he’s played for leaning on him. And there are plenty more pick-and-rolls, plenty of post-ups and plenty of fourth quarters to figure it out.

Davis is a full-on stud. 40 points & 20 rebounds against the Grizzlies last night. Were you watching Shaq? Davis hit 26 of 27 free throws. You were one brick laying MF, Shaq. Lazy SOB. Clang!

Brandon Ingram averaging 27.3 points & 9.5 rebounds for the Pelicans. I really hated to see him go. But it was either him or Kuzma.