March 2017 Los Angeles Lakers Wiretap

Jeanie Buss Meets With Magic Johnson

Jan 18, 2017 10:10 AM

Jeanie Buss met with Magic Johnson on Tuesday evening.

While the exact nature of the meeting was not immediately clear, Buss has been soliciting opinions on the direction of the franchise moving forward.

Buss, Johnson, Lakers executive Linda Rambis and Johnson's longtime friend and business partner Lon Rosen were seen having dinner at a restaurant inside Staples Center before Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets.

Buss and Johnson sat next to each other to watch the game as well.

"She always wants to ask, 'What do you see, what do you think, what do you like?'" Johnson said. "We always get together. You know me. I'll break it down for her as much as I can. I love the Lakers."

The future of Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak running the basketball operations department is unclear.

Ramona Shelburne/ESPN

Tags: Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Damian Lillard: D'Angelo Russell 'Poked The Bear'

Jan 11, 2017 1:15 PM

D'Angelo Russell engaged Damian Lillard in a war of words and had to be separated. Lillard had shot 3 of 14 from the field and the Portland Trail Blazers held just a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Lakers. Lillard responded by scoring 13 points, including 11 in a row.

"[Russell] poked the bear and you seen what happened the rest of the game," Lillard said.

Lillard said that confrontation with Russell "absolutely" ignited his strong play.

"As far as that situation, since last game, he's been doing little slick elbows," Lillard said of Russell. "And I play the game clean. I'm from Oakland. I ain't with that extra stuff and nobody can just do what they want to me.

"I got called for a foul to start the third quarter for reaching in, but when I reached in the only reason there was contact is because his elbow came up again. After he blocked my shot, I was walking to my spot, and I felt like he went out of his way to get that elbow in there again. And I told him, 'That ain't gonna fly.' And I wasn't interested in anything else that was said after that. We ain't going to do it on the court so we'll be in the back and whatever happens, happens."

Baxter Holmes/ESPN

Tags: Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, NBA

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Luke Walton: Lamar Odom 'Would Be Great' In Coaching Role

Jan 11, 2017 11:29 AM

Lamar Odom reached out to Luke Walton to express interest in joining his staff with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Odom has been in and out of rehab after facing a near-death experience at a Las Vegas brothel in 2015. 

Odom and Walton were teammates on the Lakers from 2004 until 2011.

“Lamar would be great,” said Walton. “Anyone who knows Lamar, when he’s right, he is one of the most likeable people they’ve been around. He has a great knowledge of the game and has a great way of communicating with people.”

Odom originally shared his interest with joining Walton’s staff in an interview on Monday with TMZ. The possibility of Odom joining the Lakers at this point doesn't seem realistic. 

Walton currently has an associate head coach (Brian Shaw), four assistants (Jesse Mermuys, Brian Keefe, Mark Madsen, Theo Robertson), an advanced professional scout (Casey Owens) and director of basketball strategy (Clay Moser).

Mark Medina/Orange County Register

Tags: Los Angeles Lakers, NBA

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Lakers Unlikely To Make Trade Despite Not Having Any 'Untouchable' Players

Jan 6, 2017 4:46 PM

The Los Angeles Lakers are unlikely to be active in trade talks leading to the deadline.

"It’s actually a little active now and I know you read about it," said Mitch Kupchak. "You’ll see some names of players. You haven’t seen names of our players. We’re not actively trying to do something. I would guess that we would not end up doing anything.

"But you have seven weeks to walk it through and we’ll know more about our team certainly within seven weeks. We’ll know more about our team within the next two or three weeks. I mentioned earlier we’re not out of the playoff hunt."

Kupchak was asked if anyone on the current roster is untouchable.

"I don’t think anyone is untouchable. We had a player for 20 years who I guess would be untouchable, you know, Kobe Bryant. But we don’t have a Kobe Bryant right now. We’re hopeful some of those guys can have careers that approach what Kobe’s done, but we don’t know that right now."

Anthony Irwin/Silver Screen & Roll

Tags: Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, NBA Trade Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Donatas Motiejunas Agrees To Deal With Pelicans After Meeting With Lakers, Wolves

Jan 2, 2017 12:10 PM

The New Orleans Pelicans have agreed upon a one-year deal with Donatas Motiejunas.

Motiejunas will sign for the veteran's minimum after his four-year deal with the Houston Rockets dissolved. Motiejunas had agreed to a four-year, $35 million deal with the Rockets after months of negotiations Motiejunas also visited with the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Pelicans have stated a desire to add more spacing on the floor and Motiejunas will help in that regard.

Motiejunas was examined by Nets doctors earlier this season and Brooklyn was comfortable signing him to an offer sheet.

Shams Charania/The Vertical

Tags: Donatas Motiejunas, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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