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Lakers Sign Devin Ebanks

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:26:48 +0000

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Devin Ebanks, it was announced yesterday. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Selected by the Lakers with the 43rd pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Ebanks, a 20 year-old early entry candidate out of West Virginia University, played two seasons for the Mountaineers, averaging 11.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 69 games.

Ebanks was named to the Big East All-Rookie and All-Tournament team as a freshman and selected All-Big East Third Team as a sophomore, the 6’9” forward posted 16 career double-doubles at West Virginia and led the team in rebounding during each of his two seasons.

Additionally, Ebanks started all five games for the Lakers 2010 Summer League entry in Las Vegas, averaging 15.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 33.3 minutes.

Lakers Sign Derrick Caracter

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:19:46 +0000

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Derrick Caracter, it was announced today. Per team policy terms of the agreement were not released. Caracter, a 22 year-old early entry candidate selected by the Lakers with the 58th pick in the 2010 NBA draft, played two seasons at Louisville before transferring to the University of Texas at El Paso, where he averaged 14.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 27 games as a junior with the Miners. Named Second Team All-Conference USA last season, the 6’9” forward ranked second in the conference and 16th nationally in field goal percentage (.567).

Lakers Resign Shannon Brown

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:11:43 +0000

Los Angeles Lakers re-signed guard Shannon Brown to a 2-year $4.6 million dollar contract. Brown had higher offers from the Knicks, Cavaliers, and Hornets but took less money for the chance at winning a third championship. “Shannon could have made more money somewhere else, but I think he really wanted to play this out with the Lakers,” said Brown’s agent Mark Bartelstein. “They’ve won it all two years in a row and the chance to win three straight championships doesn’t come around every day.”

Watch Shannon Brown Alley-Oop from Pau Gasol Game 6 NBA finals

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW5BDtEQimY

With all of the talk about Wade, Bosh, and LeBron taking less money to play together, a guy like Shannon Brown is taking a more significant pay cut. The big 3 in Miami may have left $50 million dollars on the table but they all signed contracts worth over $100 million each. They shouldn’t be in the poor house any time soon. The chance to win means more than cashing in for Shannon Brown.

The Lakers are pretty much set and ready to defend their championship. L.A. lost Jordan Farmar, Adam Morrison, Josh Powell, and D.J. Mbenga and replaced them with Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Theo Ratliff, Derrick Caracter, and Devin Ebanks. Quietly the Lakers have had the best summer of any NBA team not not named Miami and Chicago. Article was written by Sherron Shabazz. —Sign up for Lakers News Alerts!

Matt Barnes Agrees to 2 Year Deal with Lakers

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:38:06 +0000

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

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:47:29 +0000

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

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:35:29 +0000

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.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwdQOEzuVYQ

Lakers Free Agent Interest

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:47:46 +0000

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?

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:43:13 +0000

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

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:09:46 +0000

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

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:11:38 +0000

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.