Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 104 – NBA Blog

No big Timberwolves trade expected

Pau Gasol

Was in Wolves-related rumors

The NBA trade deadline is March 15. Don’t expect a major deal, Timberwolves’ basketball president David Kahn says.

“The likelihood of us doing something dramatic is miniscule,” Kahn said after the Wolves’ victory over Charlotte on Wednesday night at Target Center that moved them to within two games of a playoff spot.

“That doesn’t mean that maybe we do something minor. But the last thing I want to do is send a message to our players that they should be looking over their shoulders right now.”

The Wolves (14-16) are just three victories away from their total of last season. A rumor that has resurfaced is the Lakers trading Pau Gasol to Minnesota. The Pioneer Press reported last month that the Lakers offered Gasol to the Wolves as part of a proposed trade for Kevin Love before Love signed a $62 million contract extension. The Wolves never considered the deal.

— Reported by Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press

Lakers assign Devin Ebanks to D-League

Devin Ebanks

Very lanky

The 17-12 Los Angeles Lakers have decided they don’t need Devin Ebanks and might as well provide him with some game minutes down in the D-League.

The team today assigned the second-year forward to the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment marks the 37th time an NBA player has been assigned to his NBA D-League affiliate during the 2011-12 season and is the second assignment for Ebanks of his career.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News blog, “The moves comes a week after the Lakers waived backup power forward Derrick Caracter in a move to open a roster spot and also save the on payroll. Caracter’s contract of roughly $750,000 would have become guaranteed had he been on the roster as of last Friday.

Ebanks (6-9, 215, West Virginia) has appeared in 12 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 2.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 12.6 minutes.

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

Ebanks returns to the NBA D-League following a six-game assignment to the Bakersfield Jam last season when he averaged 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 27.7 minutes.

Shaq says Dwight Howard leaving Orlando would be a travesty

Shaquille O’Neal

Never leaves teams or pushes for trades

Shaquille O’Neal says it would be a “travesty” if Dwight Howard leaves the Orlando Magic.

O’Neal also says Howard’s situation is not like his was when he left for the Lakers in 1996, because he says he wanted to stay with the Magic but had a better option.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Mark Cuban rips league over Chris Paul trade

Chris Paul

Was almost Kobe’s teammate

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who was vocal in his opposition to the proposed trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, still doesn’t think the NBA-owned New Orleans Hornets ended up with a decent deal.

The right deal, in Cuban’s opinion, would have been none at all, even if that meant losing Paul for nothing at the end of the season.

“You’re better off just taking the cap room, or whatever,” Cuban said.

Paul ended up being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, who visited the Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Monday night.

“I don’t think it was about the Lakers, per se,” Cuban said before the game. “I think it was just the way they did the deal, which was ridiculous. I don’t think it was about which team. I think it was the fact that, even with the Clippers, we just went through this whole (collective bargaining agreement) and said the incumbent team still has the advantage and then the team the league owns (wimps) out. And look how it’s worked out for them.

“Bad management gets you bad results.”

— Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

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Kobe Bryant says right wrist injury has healed

Kobe Bryant

Rather competitive

Kobe Bryant told me after Lakers practice on Wednesday the torn ligament in his right wrist is completely behind him. “I got through it,” Bryant said.

When I asked him if he would use the term “healed,” Bryant said: “Yes.”

Bryant said he stopped using the pregame injection that would numb the wrist to pain two games ago in Utah on Saturday night. He then played in Philadelphia on Monday night without the supportive tape he has used all season on the wrist. Without the tape, Bryant can return to his usual shooting mechanics with full follow-through, which is particularly helpful to him on 3-pointers.

“I’ve got more flexibility on the shot,” Bryant said.

— Reported by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register

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Arena in Anaheim ready, waiting for NBA team

If they renovate it, will the NBA come?

The groundbreaking ceremony outside Honda Center on Wednesday was for a $20 million arena renovation project, which will benefit customers who attend NHL games, concerts and other events in a building that will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.

But there also appeared to be a not-so-hidden message behind the carefully staged photo op in which Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli, arena executives and Anaheim politicians wearing yellow hardhats posed with gold-plated shovels:

Let’s show the NBA we’re ready and waiting.

And it’s safe to assume the photos and video already have reached Sacramento and the NBA offices in New York.

It was nine months ago that the Sacramento Kings owners ended protracted negotiations with Anaheim Arena Management, the Samueli-owned company that owns and operates Honda Center for the City of Anaheim, on the morning of the relocation deadline in May.

But Henry Samueli made it clear Wednesday that he remains committed to bringing an NBA franchise to Anaheim, even if it’s not the Kings.

— Reported by Randy Youngman of the Orange County Register

Lakers waive forward Derrick Caracter

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived forward Derrick Caracter, it was announced today.

Caracter, who was assigned to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League on January 25, has played 4 games (1 start) with the D-Fenders this season, averaging 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 23.5 minutes.

Selected by the Lakers in the second round (58th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Caracter appeared in 41 games last season, averaging 2.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 5.2 minutes. Caracter was assigned to the Bakersfield Jam twice last season, averaging 8.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 20.0 minutes in three regular season games. In two playoff games with the Jam, he averaged 7.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.50 blocks in 21.5 minutes.

The 6-9 forward 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. Ranked as the best player in the country by some recruiting services heading into his senior year of high school, Caracter averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 53 games (14 starts) over two seasons at Louisville. For his college career, Caracter averaged 10.2 points (.560 FG%) and 5.6 rebounds in 80 games (36 starts).

Kobe passes Shaq for 5th on NBA career scoring list

Kobe Bryant

Scoring assassin

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has passed former teammate Shaquille O’Neal and moved into fifth place on the NBA’s career scoring list.

Bryant needed 24 points to pass O’Neal entering Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. O’Neal retired with 28,596 points. Bryant nailed a long jumper late in the first half to give him 24 points.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Lakers coach Mike Brown fined, suspended

Mike Brown

Better listen to Kobe

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown has been suspended one game without pay and fined $25,000 for making contact with a game official and failure to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 8:41 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 96-87 loss to the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City on Feb. 4.

Brown will serve his suspension Monday when the Lakers play the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.

Rafer Alston signs with Los Angeles D-Fenders in D-League

The Los Angeles D-Fenders have acquired guard Rafer Alston, it was announced today. The acquisition comes one day after Ishmael Smith signed with the Orlando Magic to become the D-Fenders’ fourth NBA Call-Up of the season and the seventh Call-Up in franchise history.

InsideHoops.com first-reported this news late last night on Twitter.

“We’re excited to add a player with as much experience as Rafer to the D-Fenders’ backcourt and believe he will undoubtedly help us continue towards our ultimate goal of an NBA Development League Championship,” D-Fenders Head Coach Eric Musselman said.

Alston, selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (39th overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft, has played in a total of 671 career NBA games with Milwaukee, Toronto, Miami, Houston, Orlando and New Jersey, averaging 10.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 28.9 minutes.

Additionally, the 6-2, 175-pound guard has appeared in 51 career NBA playoff games (34 starts) combined with Milwaukee, Miami, Houston and Orlando, averaging 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 29.1 minutes. Appearing in all five games during the 2009 NBA Finals with the Magic, Alston averaged 10.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29.4 minutes.

Alston most recently played in China for Zhejiang Guangsha during the 2010-11 season where he averaged 19.6 points and 3.8 assists in eight games.

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