Defending champion Klay Thompson, Cavs’ Kyrie Iriving highlight All-Star Three-Point Contest

By Kurt HelinFeb 2, 2017, 8:11 PM EDT
4 Comments

Klay Thompson wants to prove a Warrior can go back-to-back. At something.

Kyrie Irving is going to try to stop him by hitting a few clutch threes.

Then again, Nick Young could spoil it all — and that would be the highlight of the night.

The NBA announced the lineup for the All-Star Saturday Three-Point Contest and there are some gunners. Below is the list, with their current three-point shooting percentage (this season only).

Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets (38.6%)
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers (39.5%)
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors (42.7%)
Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks (38.1%)
CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers (42.3%)
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors (40.3%)
Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets (40.2%)
Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers (42.4%)

Irving won this event in 2013, Thompson last year. (Before the Warriors fans point it out, yes the Warriors did go back-to-back in this contest as Stephen Curry did win it in 2015, but I said “Warrior” above, as in singular, as in a player. The last player to go back-to-back in this event was Jason Kapono in 2007-08.)

Any of these players could get hot and win it, McCollum is a great dark horse. I kind of like Eric Gordon for this. I’m rooting for Nick Young just for what the post-event press conference would be like. But this is going to be wide open.

Rumor: LeBron James hoping Kyrie Irving might join Lakers despite Nets talk

AP
By Dane DelgadoJun 16, 2019, 6:00 PM EDT
2 Comments

The Anthony Davis trade saga is finally over. The deal between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers hasn’t been completed yet, and is expected to be done on July 6.

For now, L.A. can move its attention elsewhere to look for another star. The Lakers will have significant cap space — $23.7 million, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks — and they’ll need another star.

Talk recently has been that former LeBron James running mate Kyrie Irving is headed to the Brooklyn Nets. But no deal is officially in place, and free agency hasn’t started. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, there are folks in LeBron’s camp who are hopeful that Irving could still join L.A.

Via The Athletic:

Just days before the Davis deal was done, a source close to James indicated some optimism that – Nets noise be darned – Irving was still in play for the Lakers.

Remember, Irving and James had a heart-to-heart talk earlier in the season. They hashed out what happened in Cleveland, with Irving apologizing to James for how he acted as a younger man.

That sparked speculation that Irving could be looking to join LeBron with the Lakers this summer when he had the ability to opt out of his contract with the Boston Celtics.

We haven’t even reached the 2019 NBA draft yet, and already free agency is ramping up and getting crazy. This July is going to be wild, and until the music stops and the butts are in the seats, don’t count anyone as being a sure thing for any team just yet.

There’s already an Anthony Davis Lakers mural up in Los Angeles (PHOTO)

Instagram
By Dane DelgadoJun 16, 2019, 4:00 PM EDT
1 Comment

Anthony Davis isn’t in Los Angeles yet. In fact the trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans hasn’t been completed, and reportedly won’t be completed until July 6.

But that doesn’t mean that Lakers fans aren’t already anticipating his arrival.

On Instagram Sunday, Venice muralist Gustavo Zermeño Jr. posted an incredible new rendering of Davis, draped in Forum blue and gold.

Via Twitter:

Zermeño is the artist who painted one of the LeBron James murals that was defaced in L.A. last summer.

The Lakers did nothing right last season, and are a train wreck of an organization. Despite that, they have landed one of the best players in the NBA and if he can stay healthy they should be able to find their way back to the playoffs next season. There’s lots of work to do on this Lakers roster, and as much as people want to jump to conclusions, it’ll take some filling out before they’re contenders.

Davis is a step in the right direction, but this whole thing could go in the direction of “Now This Is Going To Be Fun” very quickly.

Never put it past Lakers fans to go all in. Less than 24 hours from the announcement of the trade and we already have a mural of Davis.

Reports: Pelicans fielding calls from teams interested in No. 4 pick

AP
By Dane DelgadoJun 16, 2019, 2:00 PM EDT
5 Comments

The trade for Anthony Davis has not been completed yet. The New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers are apparently not expected to finalize the deal until July 6.

But one thing that could throw those plans out the window is if GM David Griffin gets another offer before Thursday’s NBA Draft. According to multiple reports, teams have been calling the Pelicans interested in the No. 4 overall pick they gleaned in the deal in principle for Davis.

Via Twitter:

From a distance it appears Griffin is not looking to completely rebuild from the bottom. His roster isn’t really set up for that, anyway. Jrue Holiday is already 29, and having two 19 or 20-year-olds would necessitate waiting longer to contend than perhaps Holiday’s contract lasts.

Still, it’s not as though Griffin couldn’t have another deal in principle in place by Thursday for that pick. Teams select for other teams all the time. A wink-and-handshake deal could be done so the Pelicans select for whomever a potential trade partner wants at that No. 4 spot.

The NBA is a weird place so I wouldn’t be surprised if this deal gets done earlier, or even later as Adrian Wojnarowski has suggested is possible. At the end of the day, the outcome is that Davis is on the Lakers despite that organization doing absolutely nothing right to get him there other than being in L.A.

Report: NBA asked Drake not to attend games in Oakland

Getty Images
By Kurt HelinJun 16, 2019, 12:00 PM EDT
4 Comments

Emotions were running high during the NBA Finals among the fan bases: The Raptors were on their way to their first-ever title and their fans were loud even on the road; In Oakland, there was a part-owner of the team shoving Kyle Lowry.

Drake giving Nick Nurse a shoulder massage on the sidelines at Oracle would not have gone over well.

So the NBA encouraged Drake not to come to the games in Oakland, according to a report from TMZ.

The NBA reached out to Drake and asked him not to travel to Oakland for any of the NBA Finals games at Oracle Arena due to “security concerns,” multiple sources tell TMZ Sports.

We’re told the league expressed concern about potentially angry Warriors fans doing something stupid like taunting Drake or throwing stuff at him … which wouldn’t just put Drake at risk, but also other people sitting near him.

In the end, they all agreed it was best for Drake to stay in Toronto for the away games — with Drake ultimately leading the Raptor fan watch party at Jurassic Park during Game 6.

They chose… wisely. I have no doubt the NBA encouraged this move, it only makes sense.

Besides, the last thing these Finals needed was more Drake.