Archives For Free Agents

Report: Lakers To Sign Antawn Jamison

Darius Soriano —  July 18, 2012

On Monday, Rick Bonnel of the Charlotte Observer tipped us off that this was coming. And today, Marc Spears of Yahoo! confirmed that earlier report. When Antawn Jamison returns from his trip to Italy, he will sign with the Lakers for one season at the league minimum.

First and foremost, at this price, Jamison is a fantastic bargain. The quality of player that is typically nabbed for a minimum salary contract is low. There’s normally little expectation that he’d be a rotation player, much less one that can be depended on to contribute nightly. The Lakers know this well from some of their recent acquisitions using this exception (Troy Murphy and Jason Kapono are examples from last season) and have suffered from depending on them to fill real needs.

With Jamison, though, the Lakers have grabbed a player that can come in and instantly bolster their bench production. This was a hole that needed filling and the Lakers addressed it by grabbing one of the more accomplished players still available at this stage of free agency. Jamison’s stats from last season – 17 points and 6 rebounds in 33 minutes – show he’s still quite capable of contributing at an above average level (as does his 16.1 PER) and he instantly becomes the Lakers best bench scorer.

And, make no mistake, this is exactly what he’s going to be asked to do. His reputation as a boost to any offense is well earned, evidenced by the fact that last season the Cavs were 11 points better per 100 possessions when Jamison was on the floor versus when he was on the bench. Though his overall field goal percentage was the lowest of his career, his three point percentage was right in line with his career average. Most important, though, he provided a stabilizing force for the Cavs as a player that could hit spot up jumpers and still create shots for himself with his nifty in-between game that’s been a staple of his arsenal his entire career.

These are the same strengths he’ll bring to the Lakers, though without the constant pressure of having to be a go to player. Jamison can now do what he does best – spot up, make smart cuts, and finish off the open looks his teammates create for him. Add him to lineups that feature any combination of Kobe, Nash, Pau, or Bynum and Jamison bolsters the offense instantly. He’ll give those guys more space to work by occupying defenders and can serve as a capable outlet that can be depended on to make the right play when they give up the ball to him. His turnover rate his historically low and he ranked first in the entire league in points off open jumpers last year.

Where there are concerns, however, are on defense. Just as Jamison helped prop up the Cavs offense, he helped drag down their defense. The Cavs were 8 points worse per 100 possessions when Jamison was on the floor and is ability to lose his man off the ball and get beat while guarding it was pretty bad. And while his rebounding isn’t quite at that same lowly level, he posted his lowest total rebound rate in a decade. As a comparison, he had a lower defensive rebounding rate than Matt Barnes, while playing almost all his minutes as a PF compared to Barnes playing mostly SF and SG. Considering the responsibility bigs have in Mike Brown’s defensive schemes, playing Jamison will come with its issues on that side of the ball.

There’s some hope here, though. When Jamison was paired with Anderson Varejao, his defensive rebounding rate and  defensive efficiency metrics all improved. The hope is that if Jamison can be paired in the front court with a very good defensive big, he can respond similarly to what he did by playing next to Varejao. In Bynum and Gasol, the Lakers should be able to provide Jamison that partner. And, with some encouragement from his coaches and higher nightly stakes in swapping the Cavs for the Lakers, maybe Jamison will put forth a bit more effort on that side of the ball and produce results that go from bottom of the league bad to simply below average. Of course, time will tell if this is wishful thinking or not but he will be put in an environment where success is more possible.

Regardless of how the defensive issues play out, the Lakers will get better because of this signing. They’ve added a true offensive threat to a bench that ranked dead last in scoring last season. They’ve added a player that aids in lineup versatility; a player that can work off the strengths of his more talented teammates seamlessly. With Jamison on board they’ve shored up a weakness and have effectively replaced one of their lesser performers with an above average talent. And they did it via a minimum contract. You rarely get this good a player for that price and for his offense alone, he’ll be more than worth it.

*Statistical support for this post provided by NBA.com

In Free Agents, Laker News
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Wednesday Storylines

Dave Murphy —  July 18, 2012

While the Steve Nash signing was a giant step forward, there’s still holes to fill on the Lakers roster. And as the front office looks to do its business, the media’s merry go-round continues, with Dwight Howard scenarios tending toward the 24-hour news cycle variety. One day the Lakers are pushing hard. The next day Houston’s got a plan. There’s some truth to all of the rumors, given that discussions are as they say, fluid.  C.A. Clark at Silver Screen and Roll notes, it’s mostly reporting for reporting’s sake. Still, it’s hard not to buy in to some degree, and if we weren’t all hungry for spoon-fed items, there would be no need for links posts, right? Open wide!

Dave McMenamin and Ramona Shelburne at ESPNLA, offer up the latest on the Lakers attempts to sign the league’s top big man.

Mike Bresnahan at the L.A. Times also weighs in, on the complexities of completing a Howard swap.

The Antwan Jamison situation is still in limbo, as reported by Janis Carr at the OC Register.

Mike Trudell at NBA.com’s Lakers blog, writes about the team’s 4th straight loss last night in Summer League play, while noting Darius Morris’s improved effort.

NBA.com has video of Jim Buss chatting at the Summer League games.

Yannis Koutroupis at Hoopsworld has an extensive interview with Jermaine O’Neal, about where he feels his game, health and career is at.

Andrew Greif at Dime, has Kobe talking Olympic trash to Pau.

Suki Thind at Lakers Nation says Metta is here to stay, and it’s a good thing.

Sam Amick at Sports Illustrated, examines the closing days of the Jeremy Lin saga, and the unwritten rule that Houston broke to get him.

***

Between now and later, there will undoubtedly be something new to report – there’s simply too many balls in the air. Grant Hill’s off the list now that he signed with the Clippers. The Lakers haven’t yet signed Devin Ebanks, which offers a bit of additional flexibility as various matters are discussed and debated. Brandon Rush worked out for the Lakers yesterday (along with Jermaine O’Neal), but it’s hard to see Golden State letting him walk. And then there’s the various amnesty situations – the Birdman was dropped right before midnight last night. For now we wait, read and wonder.

- Dave Murphy

In Free Agents, Morning Links, Summer Pro League
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The Lakers Still Have Holes To Fill

Darius Soriano —  July 16, 2012

I have no complaints as to how the Lakers’ off-season has progressed.

Steve Nash has been acquired. The Lakers summer league team – though oh-fer through their first two contests – is showing some positive returns with their young players. Devin Ebanks’ return isn’t yet official, but reports say he’ll sign his qualifying offer soon to return for his third campaign with the team. And while there’s no other big move to report, the Lakers are, reportedly, actively exploring all their options to hit another homerun this summer. There’s no reason to feel bad at this point in the process.

There is still work to be done, however. In several recent interviews, Mitch Kupchak has mentioned that the Lakers must improve their bench and I couldn’t agree more. While getting Ebanks in the fold should provide a capable player on the wing, there’s still a need to find another player who can play behind Kobe and/or Ron to help give the Lakers proper depth. The same can be said of finding more help behind Pau and Andrew to help give the front court the bodies they need to keep everyone fresh next season. Because while rookie Robert Sacre has shown to be a banger in Las Vegas, he looks more like a 5th big man rather than one that can step in and fill any sort of meaningful role next year.

That leaves the Lakers wanting at least one wing and one big man to help fill out the roster going into next year. Who would be good fits, though? Let’s look at some options and gauge how realistic they may be.

  • OJ Mayo/Courtney Lee: I’m grouping these two together because they represent the types of players fans should realistically forget about. After Eric Gordon’s contract is resolved (after signing an offer sheet with the Suns, the Hornets have said they will match), these two players represent the best names on the SG market. They will command more money than the Lakers can pay and it’s really that simple. Coming off their rookie contracts, these two would both be wise to find contracts that can maximize their earnings on teams that are competitive. The Lakers offer the latter, but can’t pony up the dollars.
  • Grant Hill: Hill is said to be deciding between several teams or simply retiring. As a minimum contract player, he’s certainly in the Lakers’ price range and his familiarity/friendship with Steve Nash could help the Lakers snag him. Hill could be a good reserve SF in 15-20 minutes a game – playing defense, hitting mid range jumpers, and filling the lane on the break. He’s old, but doesn’t have as much mileage on his legs due to the multiple injuries that robbed him of his prime years. I’d think the Lakers have a realistic shot of signing him if he decides he wants to play next year.
  • Mickael Pietrus: I’ve read that there’s mutual interest for him to return to the Celtics so his inclusion here may be all for naught. However, last year Pietrus played for the league minimum and may fall into that category again next year. Even at a little bit more than that (say $2 million), he’s a good value as a defensive wing that can shoot the three pointer fairly well (35.7% career average). He has playoff experience, has shown is not scared of big moments, and by all accounts is a good teammate. If he wiggles loose from the C’s, I wouldn’t mind looking at him closely.
  • Brandon Rush: Rush is a restricted free agent so signing him away from the Warriors seems unlikely. Stealing a RFA from a team typically means overpaying and the Lakers have no such luxuries. That said, seeing what it would take to get him would be worth while. He’s one of the best three point shooters in the league (41% career average, 45% last season), has good size, and can play either wing position. His defense isn’t especially strong but he has the physical  tools to at least be passable on that end of the floor & will be held accountable to do so on the Lakers. Again, it seems unlikely the Lakers could sign him outright and his price tag may end up being too high even if they could. However, he’s the type of player that could really help the team and if there’s not a lot of interest for him on the open market (combined with the glut of wings the Warriors have on their roster), exploring trying to secure him would be nice.
  • Other names that fit the guard/forward profile are Carlos Delfino, Martell Webster, and CJ Miles. If any of them could be signed for the minimum, I’d be okay with any of this trio. They’re all capable pros that offer solid skill sets that can help the team. I’d prefer the guys mentioned earlier over them, but I’m not so picky that I’d turn any of these guys down.
  • UPDATE: In the comments, Jodie Meeks and Ronnie Brewer were mentioned so I’ll touch on them here. I’d be happy with Meeks, though he’s a SG prospect only and isn’t that strong a defender. His shooting ability would definitely help the Lakers  and I’d welcome the floor spacing his presence could add. As for Brewer, he’s an intriguing defender because he can swing between SG and SF on that end of the floor, guarding the other team’s primary threat. He’s not a floor spacer at all but his slashing and ability to make smart cuts would help an offense – especially one with one on one threats that occupy the D like the Lakers have. If either could be had for the minimum, I’d welcome either with open arms as both could help – though in different ways.
  • As for Big men, the pickings aren’t nearly as deep (which, in itself, is saying something), especially when you consider the Lakers are likely looking only at minimum salaried players. Recent reports have the Lakers interested in Antawn Jamison and Jermaine O’Neal. The former could provide a nice offensive boost to a reserve unit that sorely lacked punch. Jamison can still score and still has some range on his jumper (though his efficiency has decreased steadily in recent years). What Jamison doesn’t do is guard anyone and considering the level of responsibility big men have in Mike Brown’s defensive schemes that would be a problem. Jermaine O’Neal does play defense, but he’s perpetually injured. He’d help the Lakers if their quest is to acquire more players from the 1996 draft to go with Kobe and Nash, but beyond that I’d question how dependable he’d be. The Lakers need dependable bodies to back up their bigs (remember Theo Ratliff?) and O’Neal has more questions than answers when analyzing if he could do so. If I had to choose between these two, I’d choose Jamison for his shooting and scoring pop and hope that the Lakers’ D wouldn’t suffer so much since he’d likely be flanked by either Pau or Bynum at all times. Even he has his risks, though.
  • The player the Lakers would likely be best off getting to fill the role as the additional big man would be their own free agent Jordan Hill. He’s as known a commodity the Lakers can realistically get at this point and has already proven he can play next to either Bynum or Gasol as the third big man in the rotation. When you add him to Josh McRoberts (who I haven’t given up on at all), the Lakers could have a decent duo of back ups that offer a nice cross-section of skills teamed with high activity. If the only big man the Lakers signed this summer were Hill, it wouldn’t be all that exciting but it would be useful.

The market has slowed down and it seems that all teams have taken a step back to reexamine needs while trying to best sort out player values. This may ultimately be to the Lakers’ benefit as players and their agents find that the money they seek isn’t there for them. If you recall, this happened two years ago with Matt Barnes and the Lakers ended up with a solid contributor for a very good price. If they same thing shakes out this year, the Lakers could find themselves with two (or more) contributors added to their roster for minimum (or slightly more) value contracts who end up being rotation players.

Considering the payroll issues the Lakers face and the fact that they may not want to use their mini-MLE this year, spending little but getting viable contributors is the best case scenario. That said, getting those contributors isn’t an option. The Lakers must find some in order to be on comfortable footing with the other top teams (namely Miami and OKC) next year.

In Free Agents, Laker Analysis
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Friday Forum

Dave Murphy —  July 13, 2012

The ink on Steve Nash’s contract has had time to dry, and talk has turned to systematic issues. Yesterday, Darius used a Henry Abbott article as an entry point in the conversation about Nash’s offensive modus operandi, and how to find the balance. The topic will be revisited many times, in many ways. We’re now officially into the Nash era, and if you missed his presser on Wednesday, take some time to watch. In a word, it was impressive.

Andy Kamenetzky at the Land O’Lakers, offers the purple and gold butterfly effect, a chronicling of the many twists and fortuitous turns that it took to put Nash in a Lakers uniform.

Yesterday, Kobe Bryant tossed out an off the cuff assertion that the 2012 USA Team, could pull out a win against the Dream Team. In its essence, it’s one of life’s most common observations, that one could beat another. Yet in this heightened snapshot age, the comment went instantly viral. Here’s a take from Dan Devine at Yahoo’s Fourth Place Medal, incorporating the one and only Barkley.

Alex Dewey at Gothic Ginobili, takes a hilarious look at a Mike Brown plan of action for newcomer Nash – the Circle Offense.

Kevin Ding at the OC Register, brings the Nash conversation back to earth, and the idea of reaching a point in life where priorities change and realities crystallize.

Mike Trudell at the NBA.com Lakers blog, has an in-depth look at how Mitch Kupchak was able to bring Steve Nash into the fold.

The saga of Dwight continues, with Houston gaining momentum. Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo, has the story.

An AP report covers the U.S. Team’s win against the Dominican Republic, Durant’s 24 points, Blake Griffin’s injury, and a great, extended video of Kyrie Irving trash-talking Kobe.

On the subject of Kobe and the Olympics, this SB Nation article by Andrew Sharp, is well worth the read.

Apart from the home run sweepstakes, there’s still a lot of small pieces of the Lakers puzzle that need to be put together. Royce Young at Eye on Basketball writes about Grant Hill who turns 40 this year, and is looking at the Lakers, Thunder, and Heat.

Mark Medina at the L.A. Times Lakers Now, profiles Jordie Meeks, the 76ers free agent shooting guard.

Suki Thind at Lakers Nation asks if Antawn Jamison would be a good fit for the Lakers.

And finally, Tim Gossett from the terrific Eight Points, Nine Seconds blog, has an article about our old friend Brian Shaw, a leading candidate for head coaching positions in both Orlando and Portland.

***

Summers are often a slow time of the year. Not so this one – summer league is upon us and it’s time to get a look at rookies, hopefuls, and the eternal chasers of the dream. The Olympics are also around the corner, always a momentous occasion, filled with personal stories of triumph over adversity. From free agency to fall training camp, there’s a palpable energy in the air. And for Lakers fans, anticipation for a season and a team that promises to be very different, thanks to the arrival of a 38 year-old soccer enthuiast from British Columbia.

- Dave Murphy

In Free Agents, International/Team USA, Morning Links
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Fast Break Thoughts

Darius Soriano —  July 3, 2012

With free agency in full swing and the repercussions starting to set the landscape for how the Summer may play out, there’s plenty to discuss…

  • The Dwight Howard situation has been complicated greatly by the Nets’ trade for Joe Johnson. They no longer have the cap space to sign Dwight outright. And while they’re still working to try and trade for the league’s best big man, they lack the assets to make the type of offer that is likely to sway the Magic to deal with them.
  • With a trade to Brooklyn looking less likely, the team that trades for Dwight now will have the inside track to keep him. The teams that are (reportedly) still interested are the Rockets, the Hawks, and the Lakers. The Mavs would be interested as well, of course, but they lack the assets (like the Nets) to make a compelling offer. If you’re one of that Lakers/Rockets/Hawks trio, now is the time to truly evaluate what you’re willing to give up and push your chips into the center of the table. For the Hawks that may mean dangling Horford. For the Rockets that may mean a lot of their stockpiled young talent. And for the Lakers, that likely means Andrew Bynum. What package the Magic would prefer isn’t known, but all three would have their pros and cons.
  • From the Lakers side, even with all the risks associated with trading for Dwight, parting with Bynum for him is worth it. Lets remove the variables of injury concern and whether or not either will commit long term (after all, those concerns apply to both players). Dwight Howard is the better player. He represents an upgrade in nearly all ways (including star power). This really isn’t a worthwhile debate. The argument that the Lakers problem wasn’t their big men and that improving in that area doesn’t fix their problems misses the bigger point: you always want the better player. Always. Those that feel differently remind me of the Blazers and the decision they made in the 1984 draft when they drafted Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan because Clyde Drexler was already on their roster. Both MJ and Clyde had stellar careers and both went to the Hall of Fame, so obviously the Blazers knew they had a great talent. But Jordan was the better prospect and, to state the obvious, ended up being the better player. So, again, you take the better player and deal with the other stuff later. Whether or not the Lakers can make such a deal is a different story that depends on the Magic. But even with the risk involved, I’d support that type of move. As Kevin Ding said today:

It’s time for the Lakers to get back to the pioneer spirit that brought Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal together and enabled the Lakers’ brass to hold but not fold when Bryant was so frustrated he was bouncing off the planets before pulling the Gasol trade on the river. The Lakers need a healthy dose of gambling’s fear to bring out the best in them – and the prospect of trading for Howard and losing him for nothing in a year is certainly plenty scary. But the reality is that there are benefits awaiting the Lakers even in that worst-case scenario that could easily be explained by Dwight again being a loon who fails to listen to reason: What can you do if the goofy dude walks away from far more money from the Lakers because he wants to dress up like a cowboy in Dallas or curl all the way up into the fetal position in hometown Atlanta?

The Lakers have long been a patient team that takes strategic gambles on players with extraordinary talent. This could be another opportunity to make a bold move.

  • The rest of the free agent market is also taking shape and there are some interesting deals already out there. Bulls back up Center Omer Asik has been signed to an offer-sheet by the Rockets for 3 years/$24 million. Some might think he’s overpaid, but John Hollinger did a good job breaking down why that’s not the case (as well as shedding light on the loophole that allowed the Rockets to make an offer). (Insider article $.)
  • Speaking of Houston, it looks like they’re going to lose Goran Dragic in free agency. He wants $10 million, they’re offering $8 million and the Suns are offering $9 million. If Dragic does bolt, Kyle Lowry is likely off the trade market which means he and Kevin McHale are going to need to do some making up. After all, it was a conflict between those two that had Lowry on the market in the first place.
  • KG is staying with the Celtics and honestly, this is what’s best for everyone. For all my dislike of the C’s, KG’s been great for them and should end his career on his terms with the team he won a title with.
  • Roy Hibbert has signed a max level offer sheet with Portland. The Suns are potentially looking to make an offer to Eric Gordon for the max as well. Both players are restricted free agents so the Pacers and Hornets, respectively, will have the right to match those offers but that’s a lot of cash to throw out to players that likely aren’t worth that much. And, this is why the lockout bothered me so much. Arguments were devised with lines drawn in the sand over player compensation but here we are in the off-season following those battles with nothing having changed. Until owners realize that there’s not a max-level player in every free agent class their cries about losing money should fall on deaf ears. They’re willing to shell out the cash so let them. But don’t complain about how it affects your bottom line after the fact.

 

In Fast Break Thoughts, Free Agents, rumor mill
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