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NBA star Steve Nash and his former wife have reached a settlement in an Arizona court in their child custody case.
Judge Ray Ryan Adelman of Maricopa County Superior Court on Sept. 25 signed an order accepting the settlement and ordering it sealed…
Nash and Alejandra Amarilla Menrath divorced in late 2011.
Reported by the Associated Press
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Blake’s team mindset, scrappiness and comfort level in both running pick-and-rolls and looking for his own shot under D’Antoni’s system will play a critical role heading into the 2013-14 season for multiple reasons. Uncertainty looms on when Kobe Bryant will fully heal from his surgically repaired left Achilles tendon. D’Antoni hopes to limit Steve Nash’s minutes at starting point guard in hopes of preserving the 39-year-old’s body. And with the Lakers acquiring Jordan Farmar this offseason, Blake will compete for minutes for plenty of scenarios.
“With coach’s system, you can play a lot of guards,” Blake said. “We’ll be rotating in and out a lot, especially myself going to the shooting guard some and point guard. I’m going to be prepared for that. Whatever they ask of me, I’ll be willing to do.”
Blake’s answer shouldn’t be surprising. He’s always shown a team mindset and deferential to the Lakers’ coaching staff in his three seasons here. But he enters the final year of a $4 million contract with the Lakers, Blake’s flexibility and proven success under D’Antoni will be needed at a time when the Lakers’ backcourt depth could offset looming health uncertainties surrounding Bryant and Nash.
Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)
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Pau Gasol has seemingly showed he has nine lives with the Lakers, staying on the franchise he loves despite demoted roles and endless trade rumors.
But even if Gasol arrived to Lakers’ media day on Saturday full of good spirits in having a chance to complete his fifth season donning purple and gold, there remains yet another hurdle he will have to climb.
He reported at full health after having a procedures this offseason to treat the painful tendons in both of his knees, but Gasol has yet to complete basketball-related drills.
“I’m getting there,” Gasol said. “Now training camp is going to be important with how we manage practices and how the knee reacts to the load of work.”
Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)
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The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Dan Gadzuric, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. We assume this is a non-guaranteed deal that merely brings Gadzuric to training camp.
A ten-year NBA veteran, Gadzuric spent the 2012-13 season playing with Marinos de Anzoátegui in Venezuela. In 30 games with the team he averaged 10.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 19.4 minutes. Selected in the second round (34th overall) by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2002 NBA Draft, the 6-11 center out of UCLA has played in 527 career NBA games with Milwaukee, Golden State, New Jersey (now Brooklyn), Toronto and New York, averaging 4.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 14.8 minutes.
The Lakers training camp roster now stands at 19 players.
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Pau Gasol recently stepped foot in Los Angeles in high spirits for reasons including a new season and a likely increased role.
There’s another reason, too.
Gasol visited with Dr. Steve Yoon of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic Thursday for an evaluation after rehabbing this offseason the tendinosis in both of his knees. Gasol then turned to Twitter to deliver a positive assessment in 140 characters.
Gasol: “Great news! My knees are a lot better thanks to the procedure, the rest & the hard work during the summer! Let’s go!”
Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)
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The former USC and Cleveland High of Reseda standout revealed D’Antoni’s intentions that both he and Wesley Johnson are spending part of training camp competing for the starting spot at small forward.
“I think it’s going to be a little bit of both,” Young said. “Wesley is young and athletic and could fit in that Shawn Marion type game. That’s what they like about him.”
They like Young, of course, because of his athleticism and scoring mentality. Meanwhile, the Lakers see potential in Johnson as a solid perimeter defender. Still, the fourth selection in the 2010 NBA Draft has only averaged 7.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 23.1 minutes in three uneventful seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns.
Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)
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Bryant is entering the last nine months of his contract, a season worth $30.45 million before he can become a free agent in July.
He has known only one team in his 17-year career and often says he’ll be a Laker for life, but will that be the case?
The Lakers haven’t opened contract negotiations with Bryant, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, taking a wait-and-see approach as he recovers from his injury.
Bryant, 35, has done incredible things for the franchise, pushing it to five championships and two other NBA Finals appearances in his 17 seasons. His jersey is continually among the league’s top sellers, his first name easily recognizable even with non-sports fans.
But the Lakers are already salivating over their salary-cap space next summer. Only Steve Nash, Robert Sacre and Nick Young are on the books for 2014-15, meaning a spending spree awaits with potential free agents LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay, Luol Deng, Dirk Nowitzki, Danny Granger and Marcin Gortat. Restricted free agents next July include Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins and Greg Monroe.
Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times
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The Los Angeles Lakers have signed rookie forward Ryan Kelly, it was announced today.
Kelly, a 6-11 forward out of Duke, was selected by the Lakers in the second round (48th overall pick) in the 2013 NBA draft. The former McDonald’s All-American, who earned a 2010 NCAA Championship as well as two ACC Championships with Duke, played all four seasons for the Blue Devils where he averaged 7.5 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 46 % from the field. As a senior, Kelly was named ACC Player of the Week twice and earned honorable mention All-ACC honors despite missing 13 games due to injury. Kelly finished his final season with the Blue Devils averaging 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocked shots in 28.9 minutes.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News blog, “The Lakers selected Kelly, however, because the 6’11′ Duke forward could space the floor with his trusty shooting. That skill enabled Kelly his senior season with the Blue Devils to average 12.9 points with a 42 percent mark from three-point range. Should Kelly fully heal, he would compete for a roster spot during training camp against Marcus Landry, Elias Harris, Xavier Henry and Shawne Williams, all whom signed one-year deals this summer with the Lakers. The Lakers have a league-maximum 15 players under contract, though they’re expected to field 18-20 players during training camp.”
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Knicks forward Metta World Peace expects his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, to play for the right to hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy this season.
“I think the Lakers are going to go to the NBA Finals,” World Peace said during a signing for his children’s book “Metta’s Bedtime Stories” in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday.
“I think Kobe [Bryant’s] gonna be healthy, they’re gonna get Pau [Gasol]. The Lakers are gonna make a big trade like they always do. They’re gonna get another good player, boom, boom, and they’re gonna go to the Finals. I believe it. Kobe’s gonna come back, he’s gonna play team ball, and Pau’s gonna play well.”
According to ESPN.com’s conference projections, the Lakers will finish 12th in the West, which prompted Bryant to tweet earlier this offseason, “12th I see..”
Reported by Mike Mazzeo, special to ESPN New York
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Carmelo Anthony can become a free agent after the upcoming season, but he gave the strongest indication yet that his plan is to re-sign with the Knicks.
“I’m not going nowhere,” Anthony said during an interview Tuesday with Bloomberg Television’s “Market Markers.”
Anthony is due to make $23.3 million in the 2014-15 season. If he were to opt out, the Lakers likely would pursue him, but the Knicks can offer him significantly more. Under the collective bargaining agreement, the most the Lakers could offer is four years and roughly $96 million. Anthony could get a maximum five-year contract worth about $129 million from the Knicks, who can start negotiating with him in February.
Money aside, Anthony pushed for the February 2011 trade from Denver to be in the spotlight and try to help the Knicks win their first championship since 1973. He led them to 54 wins last season and their first Atlantic Division title in 19 years, but they lost to Indiana in the second round.
Reported by Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday
