Matt Barnes Agrees to 2 Year Deal with Lakers

According to Yahoo! Sports, free-agent forward Matt Barnes has reached agreement on a two-year, $3.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers expect to receive a signed contract on Thursday night. The deal will pay him $1.7 million next season and give him a player option for $1.9 million in 2011-12. The Cleveland Cavaliers had guaranteed $7 million over two years with a team option for a third season, but Barnes wanted more guaranteed money to sign with a non-championship contender. Cleveland refused to improve its offer and ultimately was willing to let Barnes go to a lower bidder. 

The Lakers also signed veteran center Theo Ratliffon Thursday.  Barnes announced earlier in the week he was signing with the Toronto Raptors, but a sign-and-trade deal that would have paid him $9 million over two years fell apart.

Derek Fisher Signs 3 Year Deal with Lakers

Although Derek Fisher thought about joining that burgeoning superteam in Miami, he’s staying in the Los Angeles Lakers’ own collection of stars.  The veteran point guard said Monday he’ll re-sign with the Lakers, sticking with Kobe Bryant and the defending two-time NBA champions after speaking with several teams as a free agent.  “I have decided to continue with Kobe, continue with our teammates and the fans of Los Angeles,” Fisher said in a statement on his website. “While this may not be the most lucrative contract I’ve been offered this offseason, it is the most valuable. I am confident I will continue to lead this team on and off the court. Let the hunt for six begin.”

The five-time NBA champion said he considered contract offers from several teams in the past two weeks after playing a key role in the Lakers’ championship repeat. He spoke with the Heat in South Beach last weekend, entertaining the prospect of running an offense for LeBron James Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who all left free-agent money on the table to sign teammates of Fisher’s ability.The idea was enticing, but not enough to uproot his family and career from Los Angeles, where he has spent 11 of his 14 NBA seasons. “At the end of the day, there’s one person I could not turn away from,” Fisher said. “Kobe Bryant asked me to stay but supported whatever decision I made. He and I have played together for 11 seasons, came into the league together as kids, and has been loyal to me even when others had doubts.”  While Miami has commanded the basketball world’s attention in the past week, Fisher’s decision is the second positive development already in July for the Lakers’ ‘threepeat’ hopes: Coach Phil Jackson also decided to return for another season 11 days earlier.

Fisher likely isn’t bluffing about larger offers from other teams. The Lakers’ payroll already is stretched to the limit of the salary cap with the rest of Los Angeles’ veteran core signed to multiyear contracts, including Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom.  But Fisher decided he valued winning and consistency over a late-career cash grab—and the other time he left the Lakers for a big-money deal, he endured two miserable seasons in Golden State and one better year in Utah before returning to the Lakers in 2007.

Fisher first joined the Lakers in 1996, when Jerry West drafted the unsung guard from Arkansas-Little Rock and the franchise nurtured him into a consistent playmaker and occasional scorer. Since his return to Hollywood, he has started every regular-season game for the Lakers over the past three seasons. Fisher averaged 7.5 points and 2.5 assists last year. Although he sometimes struggles against quicker point guards, Fisher still has the veteran guile and poise necessary to perform at important moments—and that’s the quality Bryant values most in his longtime teammate.  “We’ve got to have him back,” Bryant said last month shortly after the Lakers’ victory parade. “Fish knows we need him, and we know we’ve got to keep him.

Fisher raised his game in the postseason, starting all 23 games and averaging 10.3 points and 2.8 assists to help the Lakers win their second straight title. He was particularly effective in the Western Conference semifinals against Utah’s Deron Williams, and he largely matched the efforts of veteran Steve Nash(notes) in the conference finals against the Phoenix Suns.  Fisher’s return means the most significant parts of the Lakers’ championship roster will return this fall. General manager Mitch Kupchak now must hunt for bargains and unsung players to fill in the gaps on his bench, which wasn’t particularly deep last season.

Los Angeles let free agent Jordan Farmar leave for New Jersey on Monday after signing Steve Blake last week. Blake, likely to be Fisher’s backup, is overjoyed to join a talented veteran team, while Farmar is convinced he should be an NBA starter after four inconsistent seasons with the Lakers.  High-flying backup guard Shannon Brown opted out of his contract to become a free agent, but says he hopes to stay with the Lakers.

Steve Blake Agrees to 4 Year Deal with the Lakers

According to Sean Dornan and 710 ESPN Radio, free agent point guard Steve Blake has agreed to a 4-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.  No details of the agreement were available.  Blake would give the Lakers much needed help at the point and it does not hur that he is a good 3-point shooter.

Lakers Free Agent Interest

Lakers have shown some interest in Tracy McGrady and  two Golden State players Raja Bell and Anthony Morrow.  Morrow is coveted because of his ability to spread the floor with inside -outside game. Bell tied for the league lead in 3-pointers with 205 in 2006-07 and Morrow, a 24-year-old swingman, led the league in 3-point percentage as a rookie, connecting at a 46.7 percent clip in 2008-09. Morrow’s agent, Wallace Prather, said Thursday he has had preliminary talks with the Lakers. At 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, Morrow is a restricted free agent, meaning the Warriors can match any Lakers’ offer.

Mike Miller to the Lakers?

The Los Angeles Lakers are in discussions with free-agent swingman Mike Miller, a source at Fox Sports West said Thursday. Miller is a former NBA rookie of the year and sixth man of the year. He averaged 10.9 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 48 percent shooting on 3-pointers for Washington last season, his 10th in the league. ESPN.com

Phil Jackson Decides to Coach Lakers for 2010 and 2011 Season

Phil Jackson increased the Los Angeles Lakers chances of three-peating as NBA champions next year more likely as he committed his return to coach next year.  After just one relaxing week in Montana, Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson decided he can handle another season of the NBA grind. The two-time defending champions locked up their most important free agent of the summer Thursday when Jackson announced he’ll return next season, putting off retirement for at least another year to chase his 12th NBA title.  Jackson said last week he was worn out and leaning toward retirement after the Lakers’ third straight long season culminating in the NBA finals. He changed his mind after a week of rest and health evaluation at his offseason home, signing up for the unprecedented chance to win three consecutive NBA championships for the fourth time in his career.  “Count me in,” Jackson said. “After a couple weeks of deliberation, it is time to get back to the challenge of putting together a team that can defend its title in the 2010-11 season. It’ll be the last stand for me, and I hope a grand one.”  Jackson, who will turn 65 later this year, is the winningest coach in playoff history and the most successful coach in NBA history by almost any measure.  He has a league-best .705 regular-season winning percentage, a record 225 postseason victories and two more titles than Boston’s Red Auerbach, winning five championships with Kobe Bryant’s(notes) Lakers and six with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. His 1,098 regular-season victories are fifth-most in league history.
The Lakers beat the Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA finals last month to claim their second straight title, wrapping up a season in which Jackson navigated Bryant, Pau Gasol(notes) and wild-card newcomer Ron Artest(notes) through numerous injuries to win the franchise’s 16th title.  Los Angeles has made the finals in seven of Jackson’s 10 seasons with the club, and they’ll be among the early favorites to win it all again in 2011. The Lakers have surrounded Bryant with a core in its prime and signed to long-term contracts.  “We’re extremely pleased that Phil has decided to return,” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said. “He’s not only the best coach for this team, but quite simply the best coach in the history of the NBA.”  Jackson’s health has been a constant concern in recent years, but he apparently feels strong enough for at least another year. The former New York Knicks player sometimes has difficulty getting up and down from the bench while living with two replaced hips, a sore knee requiring a brace under his suit, and a previous heart problem.  The Lakers released no immediate details about Jackson’s new contract. Owner Jerry Buss was widely thought to want Jackson to take a pay cut from the $14 million he earned last season, including a $2 million bonus for winning the title, but Jackson always claimed money wouldn’t be an issue, even if his proclaimed interest in retirement last week could have been interpreted as a negotiating ploy.
Brian Shaw, the former Lakers guard and Jackson’s assistant coach, is thought to be Jackson’s preferred successor. Shaw nearly landed the top job in Cleveland earlier this week after an impressive two-day meeting with the Cavaliers’ brass, but the club abruptly hired former Lakers guard Byron Scott on Thursday—perhaps indicating Shaw is willing to wait in Los Angeles.  After last week’s parade through downtown Los Angeles without Jackson, who was getting medical tests, the Lakers uniformly said they wanted Jackson with them next season. Bryant said the team would be “drastically different” without Jackson’s steady, cerebral presence on the sideline.  Yet his players all had little idea what Jackson planned to do—no surprise, since the coach himself apparently wasn’t sure. Kupchak knew the difficulties of replacing a coach with Jackson’s singular accomplishments, saying he would be willing to wait until late July for Jackson to decide.
After winning two rings in a Knicks uniform and coaching in the CBA, Jackson won his first NBA title in his second season running the Bulls, who eventually won three straight titles from 1991-93 and again from 1996-98.  After a year off, he immediately led the underachieving Lakers to three straight championships from 2000-02, meshing the egos and talents of Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal(notes) to re-establish the team as an NBA power. Los Angeles also made the NBA finals in 2004, but lost to Detroit. Jackson then took another year off before returning to the Lakers’ bench.  The Lakers have reached the last three NBA finals, losing to Boston in 2008 before routing the Orlando Magic last year for their 15th title. Jackson also became the winningest coach in Lakers history in early February, surpassing Pat Riley with his 534th victory.  With Jackson back in the fold, the Lakers will work on supplementing their depth and sorting out their situation at point guard, where veteran and playoff star Derek Fisher(notes) is an unrestricted free agent.

Free Agency Options for Lakers

Fisher, 35, is their main free-agent concern after his sturdy playoff presence probably extended his pro career by at least one more season. The Lakers could sign him for the veteran’s minimum of $1.35 million for a player with his experience (14 seasons), but Fisher wants something closer to the $5 million he made this past season.
It does not look like an easy negotiation, with Fisher saying last week he has a “strong feeling about what my value is to a team,” but the Lakers hope talks do not stagnate after going through a laborious monthlong process last July before re-signing Lamar Odom.

After Brown opts out of a contract that would have paid him $2.15 million next season, the Lakers can give him a five-year deal worth up to an estimated $34 million, but he wasn’t much of a factor in the playoffs and will not get that big of a deal from his employers of the last 1 1/2 seasons.

The Lakers are contemplating offering Farmar a one-year, $3-million contract in order to avoid losing him as an unrestricted free agent. If they tender him the deal, known as a qualifying offer, he remains a restricted free agent and they have the right to match any offer sheet he signs with another team.  End-of-bench reserves Adam Morrison, DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell are not expected back. The Lakers will not heavily pursue any frontcourt players in free agency because they are cautiously optimistic about their second-round draft picks, small forward Devin Ebanks and power forward Derrick Caracter, and could employ them next season for $473,000 each.

One player who isn’t expected to leave is Andrew Bynum, whose name has been dropped in numerous trade rumors, all of which are “ridiculous” insinuations, according to a source familiar with the thinking of the Lakers’ front office.

At any rate, what can the Lakers spend this off-season?  Without including Brown, they have committed $81.6 million to only seven players on next season’s payroll and are already way over the salary cap for 2010-11, meaning their largest free-agent tool is the mid-level exception worth an annual average of about $6.5 million for up to five years.  The Lakers, however, do not want to spend their entire mid-level exception, which limits their purchasing power. They can sign a free agent for less than that, say two years and a total of $9 million, but are reluctant to dig too deep into the mid-level reservoir after having the league’s highest payroll last season ($91.3 million).
If the Lakers lose Brown and Farmar, they are interested in signing a point guard such as Steve Blake, Luke Ridnour or Earl Watson.   Blake is a pass-first point guard with a decent three-point touch, a 30-year-old veteran who made $4.25 million last season with the Clippers and Portland. He averaged 6.8 points and 6.1 assists in 29 games with the Clippers while shooting a commendable 43.7% from three-point range.  Ridnour, 29, made $6.5 million last season with Milwaukee and would have to take a steep pay cut to join the Lakers. He averaged 10.4 points and four assists last season.  Watson, 31 and formerly of UCLA, averaged 7.8 points and 5.1 assists last season for Indiana, but he has never been a great three-point shooter, averaging 33.1% in his career. Like Ridnour, he made $6.5 million last season and would have to take a sharp cut to return to Los Angeles.

Shooting guard Raja Bell, 33, is also a possibility despite playing only six games last season with Charlotte and Golden State. A steady outside shooter, decent defender and former nemesis of Kobe Bryant, Bell had his season cut short in November after undergoing surgery to repair a partially torn ligament in his left wrist. He made $5.25 million in 2009-10.

The Lakers are near the top of the list of smooth-shooting forward Mike Miller, but he is coming off a contract in which he made $9.8 million last season and would want more than they can offer.

Lakers Draft Devin Ebanks & Derrick Caracter

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak on picking Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter in 2010 NBA Draft

Devin Ebanks

Lakers drafted smart in the second round yesterday by picking up University of West Virginia small forward, Devin Ebanks.  This kid plays very good man-on-man defense and was a solid rebounder.

• Birthday: 10/28/89
• NBA Position: Small Forward
• Class: Sophomore
• Ht: 6-8
• Wt: 208
• Hometown: Long Island City, NY
• High School: St. Thomas More

Strengths: Long and lean small forward possessing a ‘smooth’ game … His wingspan is incredible and he seemingly gets his paws on every ball … Prolific rebounder (8.5 RPG). Particularly innate offensive rebounder (3 per game) … Grabs boards outside of his area. Quick off his feet and anticipates caroms extremely well. Breaks for the ball before anyone else on the court … High percentage shooter, rarely takes a bad shot (47%) … Very soft touch around the basket. Crafty with a variety of release points … Knows how to get shots off in the paint … Exhibits excellent body control … Shows promise with his mid-range jumper … Gets good elevation and has picturesque shooting mechanics … Appears comfortable at the free throw stripe where he shoots 74% … Will occasionally take his game into the post and shoot over smaller defenders … Thrives in transition as he runs the floor very well and takes long, loping strides … Makes smart decisions with the ball in his hands … Good passer averaging 2.7 assists per game … Has the ability to see over the defense and find cutters … Versatile defender with the ability to guard multiple positions … Often matches up with the opponent’s top perimeter threat … Moves his feet pretty well for 6-9, and his length can bail him out if he’s beaten off the bounce … Long arms and quick hands net him a steal per contest … Has a fire in his eyes at the defensive side, something very rare.

Weakness:  Right now, he has no 3pt shooting.  There were games last year where he simply doesn’t look at the basket.

Derrick Caracter

While Caracter has shown flashes of development in other areas of his game, he is still incredibly reliant on his post game, as 80 of his 142 charted offensive possessions on Synergy were of the post-up variety. Looking to the NBA, he will need to diversify his game some to find a long-term niche in all likelihood, and should probably look at fellow under-the-rim banger Craig Smith as a player to model himself after. Improving on his ability to finish off cuts and pick-and-rolls by using his massive body to seal out defenders and create angles is something that could help him contribute in multiple ways in the pros.

Defensively, Caracter has an improved effort level and focus this season, though there are still many things holding him back from being an effective defender. In the post, he actually shows decent fundamental in man-to-man situations, getting into his opponent and using his strength to hold position well. That said, with very little lift and a weak standing reach, he’s very prone to being shot over, and can be outmaneuvered by quicker opponents as well.

How the Lakers Get Chris Paul

With the prospect of Phil Jackson leaving the Lakers edging closer to reality and the thought of the Hornets trading Chris Paul entering the realm of possibility, my mind’s in overdrive. You see, sometimes I combine various tidbits of NBA information into a what-if scenario, just as I sometimes throw whatever fruit I have on hand into the blender to make a smoothie. This is one of those times — for a what-if scenario, that is. Not a smoothie. (Although I’d love a smoothie right now. That’d be great.)

It’s not that hard to envision a scenario that brings Paul to the Lakers. It starts with Jackson retiring, a move he said he is “leaning toward.” Then bring in Byron Scott to replace him, as has long been rumored. Out goes the triangle offense, which probably wouldn’t suit Paul. In comes Paul, who maintained a good relationship with Scott even after Scott was fired by the Hornets. (That’s more than could be said with Scott’s previous two point guards, Baron Davis and Jason Kidd.) Meanwhile, Scott and Kobe Bryant go way back to Kobe’s rookie year, when they were teammates, so that would work, too.

Why would any of this work for the Hornets? They need to shed salary, with the four years and $52 million remaining on Emeka Okafor’s contract sticking out on their spreadsheet like a nun on Bourbon Street. The best way to entice a team to take on that contract would be to include Paul in the deal, painful though it may be for the Hornets. Besides, if they really like Paul and want to repay him for everything he’s done for that franchise and the New Orleans community they’ll give him a chance to play for a championship contender.

They could send Paul (owed $14.9 million in 2010-11) and Okafor ($11.5 million), with contracts totaling $26.4 million, to the Lakers for the combined $27.5 million in 2010-11 contracts of Andrew Bynum ($13.8 million), Lamar Odom ($8.2 million) and Sasha Vujacic ($5.5 million). This would have to be done after July 1, when Paul and Bynum are no longer base-year compensation players. The short-range benefit for the Hornets is that Vujacic’s contract expires after next season and they would pay Bynum and Odom about $5 million less than the approximately $29 million Paul and Okafor will make in 2011-12, which would make the slight increase in the 2010-11 payroll a little easier to digest. The biggest savings could be in 2012-13, which are team-option years for both Bynum and Odom. The Hornets could have $24 million come off the books in 2012 instead of being on the hook for the final two years and $28 million of Okafor’s contract through 2014. Or they could keep Bynum if he lives up to the potential he demonstrated in his best months with the Lakers. Despite all of his injuries, the thought of Bynum at $16.5 million in 2012-13 sounds better than Okafor at $13.5 million

The immediate return would be a competitive lineup next season that included Bynum, Odom, Darren Collison and David West, with Peja Stojakovic still around in the final year of his contract. That’s better than the squad they fielded for the 37 games Paul missed last season. It’s not a championship lineup but it could at least make a run at the playoffs.

The Lakers could be eying space for another banner on the crowded Western wall of Staples Center. They’d be looking at a backcourt of Bryant and Paul, with Pau Gasol, Okafor and Ron Artest up front. Derek Fisher could go to the bench and be preserved for important playoff situations. With Bryant more averse to driving the lane the past few seasons, Paul could be the guy to create off the dribble. And Paul’s proclivity for steals could set the Lakers up for easy transition baskets. Just imagine him testing the limits of Shannon Brown’s vertical leap with lob passes (if Brown came back to L.A. next season).

The fact that the Lakers have been to three NBA Finals and won two championships since they acquired Gasol from the Grizzlies makes that deal one of the great trades in NBA history. Why not try to do it one better by going after Chris Paul?  – Article was written by J.A Adande for ESPN.com.

Lakers Considering Adding Raja Bell

According to a team source, the Lakers are interested in signing free agent forward Raja Bell.   Bell, who played only six games in 2009-10 before undergoing season-ending surgery on his left wrist in December, is coveted for his defense and his ability to connect on corner 3-point shots that could fortify the Lakers inconsistent bench, according to the source.  The 10-year veteran, who turns 34 in September, averaged 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 45 games with Charlotte in 2008-09, his last healthy stint before being traded to the Golden State Warriors in a deal for Stephen Jackson in November.  In the story first reported by Yahoo! Sports, Kobe Bryant was named as one of Bell’s strongest supporters, the pair having apparently buried the hatchet after a 2006 first round playoff series between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers when the two exchanged blows on the court and insults off of it.

The Lakers have $83.9 million committed to eight players for next season, nearly $16 million above the luxury tax threshold that comes with a dollar-for-dollar penalty for salary spent over that line. The Lakers will need to sign five more players (six if Shannon Brown opts out of his contract) and will have the mid level exception, valued at approximately $5.5 million, available to do so despite the team being so far over the $56.1 million salary cap.