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Cavaliers trade Ramon Sessions to Lakers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired the Los Angeles Lakers’ first round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft (lottery-protected) and forwards Jason Kapono and Luke Walton from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for guard Ramon Sessions and guard/forward Christian Eyenga. Additionally, the Cavaliers received the right to swap their least favorable first round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft with the Lakers (Please note: the Cavaliers currently own their own first round pick and Miami’s) and cash considerations.

“We want to thank Ramon and Christian for their hard work and contributions here. Ramon is a true pro and approached his job in a way that showed that every day. Christian grew a great deal during his time here and worked very hard on his game. We wish both of them the very best,” said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. “Our primary focus continues to center on building this team with our young core and, most importantly, through the draft as we develop a very talented group that can play and succeed together for many years to come.”

Sessions, a four-year NBA veteran out of the University of Nevada, is averaging 10.5 points and 5.2 assists per game this season. The 6-3 guard was originally selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (56th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft and played for the Bucks and the Timberwolves before being traded to the Cavaliers in the summer of 2010. He currently owns career averages of 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 300 games.

Eyenga, the 30th overall pick by Cleveland in the 2009 NBA Draft, has played in six games this season averaging 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 13.8 minutes. The 6-7 forward played in 44 games as a rookie with the Cavaliers averaging 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 21.5 minutes. For his career, the 22-year old from the Congo has posted averages of 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 20.4 minutes.

Kapono, 31, is averaging 2.0 points on .382 shooting and 0.5 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game in 27 games this season. He was originally drafted by the Cavaliers in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft (31st overall). He has career averages of 6.7 points on .442 shooting and 1.7 rebounds in 509 games (87 starts).

Walton, also 31, is averaging 1.3 points on .429 shooting and 1.6 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game in nine games during the 2011-12 season. Also an eight-year veteran drafted in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft (32nd overall), Walton has career averages of 4.9 points on .433 shooting, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17.3 minutes per game in 493 games (138 starts).

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Why LeBron sometimes feels like Shaq

Shaquille O’Neal used to complain about foul calls, and how his defenders deserved them on every play.

O’Neal was a unique player, regarded as almost impossible to officiate, due to his unique quickness at his size, as well as his strength that allowed him to shake off rough and cheap shots.

James acknowledged Tuesday that he sees a similarity.

“A lot of people say that to me,” James said. “A lot of people say that they look at me, like I’m being officiating like Shaq (was) when he played. A lot of people tell me that. Because of the power and the strength, and they see us finish with contact so many times. They feel like sometimes, it may not be a foul. A lot of people have come up and told me that, people who are part of the game and people who have never played the game of basketball in their life.”

— Reported by Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post (Blog)

Lakers guard Darius Morris day-to-day with bruised wrist

Los Angeles Lakers guard Darius Morris suffered a bruised left wrist Saturday while playing for the franchise’s D-League affiliate team, the D-Fenders, against the Dakota Wizards. Morris was examined today by Dr. Steven Shin of the Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic and his status is listed as day-to-day.

Morris, a rookie out of Michigan, has appeared in 13 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 2.7 points and 1.1 assists in 10.3 minutes.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (41st overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft, Morris appeared in 67 games (53 starts) in two seasons at the University of Michigan, averaging 9.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Morris became the 51st Wolverine to be drafted into the NBA and was an All-Big Ten Third Team selection last season. The first Wolverine to lead the Big Ten in assists since Gary Grant in 1988, Morris set a Michigan record for assists in a single season (235) last year.

Lakers, Celtics discussed a Rajon Rondo trade

The teams talked last week about a trade for Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, though nothing was close to accomplished and discussions dried up.

The Lakers are unwilling to trade Pau Gasol for Rondo, making a deal with Boston unlikely before the trade deadline Thursday.

“Unless they give up Gasol, they’re not going to get a top-level point guard,” said a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Rondo had 24 points and 10 assists in the Lakers’ 97-94 victory Sunday over Boston at Staples Center. Gasol had 13 points and 13 rebounds.

— Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times

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Lakers regroup with team meeting

The Los Angeles Lakers play their longtime rival Boston Celtics on Sunday, but all anybody wanted to talk about following the team’s light practice Saturday was what was talked about at the team’s meeting between players and coaches Thursday in Minnesota.

The Lakers canceled practice Thursday following back-to-back losses to Detroit and Washington on their three-game road trip that ended with a 105-102 win over the Timberwolves on Friday.

In place of practice, Lakers coach Mike Brown scheduled a film review at the team hotel and invited players and his coaching staff to speak their minds.

Part of the assistant coaches’ message was urging the players to curtail any “external chatter,” according to a source.

“It wasn’t an airing out session,” Brown said Saturday, downplaying its significance. “It was a film session.”

The session was mostly X’s and O’s based and run by Brown until he handed over the floor to his assistant coaches.

“I utilized my assistants a lot because I don’t like the players hearing my voice a lot,” Brown said. “I talked a lot. I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to have someone else talk.’ After two losses like that everybody’s feeling kind of down. So, I wanted to hear other guys’ voices.”

— Reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles

Lakers assign Darius Morris to D-League

The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned guard Darius Morris to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Morris, a rookie out of Michigan, has appeared in 13 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 2.7 points and 1.1 assists in 10.3 minutes.

This is the third Lakers’ player assignment of the season for the D-Fenders, who at 28-11, currently own the best record in the D-League. Morris will be available when the D-Fenders take on the Dakota Wizards on Saturday, March 10th at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, CA.

Odom says meeting with Carlisle before extended layoff was positive

Lamar Odom

Keeps up with the Kardashians

Lamar Odom said his meeting with Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle on Feb. 21 was positive despite the nature of the discussions.

The meeting came the day before the Mavs played the Lakers, a game Odom missed when he returned home to Los Angeles to tend to a personal issue.

“I had to make myself think it was a positive that he’s coming to talk to me,” Odom said before Monday’s game against Oklahoma City. “When you’re in this business and when they don’t talk to you is when it’s a problem.”

Odom said he knew he had a decision to make, but he didn’t inform Carlisle at the time.

“We had a great meeting with him to make sure that he understood that our expectation is not that he be concerned about his stats,” Carlisle said. “It’s that any time he steps on the floor he’s completely into the game playing full out with as much intensity and presence and energy as he can, and the other stuff will take are of itself.

“We had a very positive meeting that day and the next morning he got a phone call that there’s a serious thing going on and he had to leave us for a while.”

— Reported by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Kobe Bryant’s mask may be upgraded

For all the Lakers fans who’ve grown quite fond of the “Kobe Mask” through three exciting post-All-Star games, even its job isn’t secure as Bryant searches for the best way to maximize his performance while not 100 percent.

Lakers trainer Gary Vitti plans to meet Monday with the innovator of the basketball mask, Detroit-based Jerry McHale, to look into possible upgrade from the mask Bryant has been wearing to protect his broken nose.

McHale first introduced the mask into the NBA world for the Pistons’ Bill Laimbeer to play with an orbital fracture, and McHale also designed Richard Hamilton’s famous mask that is helped the Pistons beat the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals and Hamilton continues to wear despite his broken nose having healed.

— Reported by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register

Lakers recall Devin Ebanks from D-League

The Los Angeles Lakers have recalled forward Devin Ebanks from the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

A second year player out of West Virginia, Ebanks has appeared in 12 games (4 starts) with the Lakers this season, averaging 2.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 12.6 minutes. Assigned to the D-Fenders on February 15, Ebanks averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 32.0 minutes in three games. Currently on a nine-game win streak, the D-Fenders hold the best record in the NBA Development League.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Ebanks appeared in 20 games last season, averaging 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.9 minutes.

The D-League assignment was the second of Ebanks’ career, having previously been assigned to the Bakersfield Jam last season. In six regular season games with Bakersfield a year ago, Ebanks averaged 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.50 steals in 27.7 minutes.

Kobe Bryant suffers broken nose in 2012 NBA All-Star game

Kobe Bryant

Competitive.

Kobe Bryant added another milestone to his career Sunday as he passed Michael Jordan to become the all-time-leading NBA All-Star game scorer.

But did it come at a price?

Bryant skipped a postgame media session after his 27-point performance, and was taken for further evaluation after he said he was “experiencing headaches.” The Lakers announced later that Bryant had suffered a nasal fracture and would be reevaluated Monday after he returned to Los Angeles by an ear, nose and throat specialist.

It’s believed Bryant was injured with 8 minutes 48 seconds to play in the third quarter when he received a hard foul from Dwyane Wade. Bryant sank the first free throw then went to the bench to have a trainer look at his bloody nose. He returned and made the second free throw.

About four minutes later he beat Jordan’s mark of 262 points on a breakaway slam off a pass from Kevin Durant. Bryant, who also played more than eight minutes in the fourth quarter, had 271 career points by game’s end.

— Reported by John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times

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