NBA notebook: Lakers eye James as
point guard
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[July 09, 2019]
LeBron James is preparing to
take on a new role with the Los Angeles Lakers this season as point
guard, according to a report Monday by Yahoo! Sports' Chris Haynes.
The 34-year-old James will take over floor general duties from Lonzo
Ball, who was traded to New Orleans, and Rajon Rondo, who remains
one of three other point guards on the Lakers' roster along with
Quinn Cook and Alex Caruso.
While James has started sparingly as a point guard in his career,
the job falls within his comfort zone since the 15-time All-Star and
four-time NBA MVP has functioned primarily as a point forward for
most of his career.
James is starting his 17th season in the league and will be
surrounded by several new faces looking to contend for a
championship thanks to the addition of All-Star forward Anthony
Davis and six-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.
--Russell Westbrook's 11-year run in Oklahoma City could be coming
to a close as the Thunder shift into rebuilding mode.
The latest move from Thunder general manager Sam Presti came as
forward Jerami Grant was traded to the Denver Nuggets for a 2020
first-round pick. Moving Grant saves the Thunder $39 million,
according to ESPN.
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Grant, 25, averaged 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 80
games (77 starts) for the Thunder last season.
--Point guard Avery Bradley signed a two-year deal with the Lakers
after officially clearing waivers.
Bradley joins a rebuilt roster around LeBron James that features a
multitude of newcomers including Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and
Danny Green.
Bradley, 28, was a target of the Lakers in trade talks in 2017 and
2018. He split time last season between the Los Angeles Clippers and
Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 16.1 points and 4.0 assists in Memphis.
--Jabari Parker agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the
Atlanta Hawks.
Parker, 24, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft but will be
starting over with his fourth team.
Injuries have limited Parker to 247 career games -- he suffered torn
anterior cruciate ligaments in 2014 and 2017 -- but he holds
averages of 15.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the NBA.
--Eight-year veteran point guard Ricky Rubio signed a multi-year
deal with the Phoenix Suns.
Rubio, who will pair in the backcourt with shooting guard Devin
Booker, averaged 12.7 points, 6.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds last
season, his second with the Utah Jazz. He helped Utah to consecutive
playoff appearances, averaging 14.6 points, 7.7 assists, 5.5
rebounds and 1.8 steals in the playoffs the past two seasons.
Rubio has career averages of 11.1 points, 7.7 assists and 4.2
rebounds in 498 games (477 starts). He ranks fifth among all active
players in assists per game (18th all-time) and second among active
players in steals per game (19th all-time) with five career seasons
ranking in the league's top 10 in assists per game and four seasons
in the top 10 in steals per game.
--The Clippers will re-sign forward JaMychal Green to a two-year,
$10 million deal, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported.
Green reportedly turned down more lucrative offers elsewhere to
return to the Clippers and try to win a championship.
Green, 29, split the 2018-19 season between Los Angeles and the
Grizzlies. With the Clippers, he played in 24 games and averaged 8.7
points and 6.5 rebounds in 19.6 minutes.
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![](../images/070919pics/sports57.jpg)
Lakers forward Lebron James reacts during the game against the Los
Angeles Clippers in the NBA Summer League at Thomas & Mack Center.
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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--The Golden State Warriors acquired forward/center Omari Spellman
in a trade with the Hawks and reportedly signed veteran guard Alec
Burks.
The Hawks received center Damian Jones and a 2026 second-round draft
pick from the Warriors in exchange for Spellman.
Spellman, 21, appeared in 46 games (11 starts) during his 2018-19
rookie season and averaged 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds. The
24-year-old Jones played in 49 regular season games during three
seasons with the Warriors, averaging 3.6 points and 2.3 rebounds.
--The Toronto Raptors re-signed Patrick McCaw on Monday.
The deal is for two seasons, according to The Athletic.
McCaw played in 29 games this past season for the Cleveland
Cavaliers and Toronto. McCaw signed with the Cavs on Dec. 30, 2018,
but was released on Jan. 7. Three days later, he was picked up by
the Raptors.
McCaw spent his first two years with the Golden State Warriors. He
played in 128 games (30 starts) with the Warriors, averaging 3.7
points and 1.5 rebounds.
In each of McCaw's three seasons, he was an NBA champion. His
personal three-peat was the first since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille
O'Neil accomplished the feat from 2000-2002.
--The Minnesota Timberwolves claimed point guard Tyrone Wallace off
waivers from the Clippers.
Wallace, 25, appeared in 92 games (19 starts) over the past two
seasons with the Clippers, averaging 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and
1.2 assists in 16.1 minutes.
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Wallace also played in 64 games (40 starts) in the G League during
the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns, averaging 17.9 points, 4.9
rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
--The Brooklyn Nets signed free-agent guard Garrett Temple and
re-signed guard/forward Theo Pinson.
Temple, 33, spent last season with the Memphis Grizzlies and Los
Angeles Clippers, appearing in 75 games (career-high 55 starts) and
averaging 7.8 points, a career-high 2.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and
1.0 steals in a career-high 27.2 minutes per game.
Pinson agreed to a deal with the Nets two days after the team
rescinded its qualifying offer to the 23-year-old to maximize cap
space.
Pinson appeared in 18 games with Brooklyn last season, averaging 4.5
points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 11.7 minutes per game. He
also appeared in three playoff games for the Nets, averaging 3.0
points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 7.3 minutes per contest.
--Field Level Media
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