LA Lakers News Roundup: Jalen Rose believes LeBron James will re-sign with the team, Kendrick Nunn yet to participate in a scrimmage, and more - August 4, 2022
The LA Lakers, one of the NBA's most successful franchises, have been on the airwaves with every move being scrutinized by the media. The likes of LeBron James and Russell Westbrook also haven't helped the cause as they are also constantly making headlines.
With the appointment of a new head coach in Darvin Ham, the Lakers are looking to take massive strides in improving from their horrendous 2021-22 season. The front office has overhauled the roster by going for young legs and athleticism, but shooting remains an issue.
With that said, here's the latest LA Lakers News Roundup for July 27, 2022, brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Jalen Rose believes LeBron James re-signs with the LA Lakers
LeBron James is eligible for a contract extension as his current deal expires in the summer of 2023. However, there has been no talk of any negotiations for now. It has been speculated that James is looking to see how much the Lakers can improve their roster and whether they will be in championship contention or not.
Former NBA player Jalen Rose believes that the four-time Finals MVP is not going anywhere due to his family being well-settled in LA. Rose, appearing on ESPN's NBA Today, said that he thinks James will re-sign with the Lakers.
“We always think about it as LeBron James the superstar, not always LeBron James the father, the dad, the human being. I don’t think he’s gonna necessarily wanna uproot to go play somewhere else.”
Shareef O'Neal hits back at Robert Horry
Shaquille O'Neal's son Shareef O'Neal came under immense criticism from seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry. The latter spoke about how Shareef doesn't have the grit and the go-get-it attitude to make into the NBA. The son of the former LA Lakers superstar took to Twitter to respond to Horry's comments.
"I know this outta love and no disrespect!!! I got you BIG SHOT but you know who raised me , I don’t quit. Always been taught to go get it and take it . Been heading in the right step …like I said I got you! Youll see," Shareef O'Neal wrote.
Shareef O'Neal did not pull up trees with his performances in the Summer League for the Lakers as he averaged just four points per game. However, he has been signed by the G-League team Ignite on a six-figure contract.
🏾 but you know who raised me , I don’t quit. Always been taught to go get it and take it . Been heading in the right step …like I said I got you! Youll see twitter.com/LakersDailyCom…
I know this outta love and no disrespect!!! I got you BIG SHOT🙏🏾 but you know who raised me , I don’t quit. Always been taught to go get it and take it . Been heading in the right step …like I said I got you! Youll see twitter.com/LakersDailyCom…
Kendrick Nunn yet to play five-on-five
LA Lakers guard Kendrick Nunn missed the entirety of the 2021-22 NBA season due to a bone bruise on his knee. The guard was supposed to bring much-needed defense and shooting to the Lakers backcourt but did not feature for the Lakers in their last campaign.
However, there were positive signs this summer, as Nunn said in an interview that he was close to being fully healthy. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Nunn has been training with the likes of Austin Reeves and Wenyen Gabriel but is yet to feature in a full five-on-five scrimmage.
"He has been training with the younger Lakers – Reaves, Johnson, Wenyen Gabriel, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Mason Jones – during their Monday through Thursday offseason workouts.
"He hasn’t resumed five-on-five play yet, which is the next big hurdle. It seems like he should be ready to go by the start of training camp, but recovery isn’t always linear," Buha wrote.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham will have more power to bench Russell Westbrook down the stretch of games, sources tell @jovanbuha.
Former head coach Frank Vogel did so a few times last season.
More: theathletic.com/3468119/?sourc… https://t.co/1wvAQjP5BW