Tag: Klutch Sports

Haynes: Anthony Davis turns down extension, will become a free agent

The Los Angeles Lakers star can earn an extra $56 million by waiting to sign a contract in the offseason.

Anthony Davis isn’t giving anybody a hometown discount and in case that wasn’t already clear, Davis and his representatives sent that message to the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 7, the first day that Davis was eligible to be offered an extension.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported on Tuesday that the Lakers offered Davis a four-year, $146 million extension, but that Davis’ representatives turned it down in favor of heading into free agency this coming July. Davis can also sign for an extra year and an extra $56 million by waiting to sign a contract once he officially becomes a free agent.

This move is the fiscally responsible move for Davis and his reps and the same goes for the Lakers making the offer, even if they knew that Davis was unlikely to accept given the financial ramifications of accepting a deal now.

The Lakers and Davis will revisit these talks once the season ends, but now the story can be put to bed until then.

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Klutch Sports will represent Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah in NFL Draft

Rich Paul and Klutch Sports will represent Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah in NFL.

Rich Paul and Klutch Sports will be representing Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah in the upcoming NFL Draft. Okudah is an All-American and the No. 5 overall player on Mel Kiper’s big board as the top cornerback prospect coming out of college. He expects to be the first NFL player that Paul and Klutch will have in professional football and should enter the league as a top pick.

The Buckeyes best defensive back emerged as one of the premiere cornerbacks in the country during the 2019 season. He earned unanimous All-American honors this past season and also made the All-Big Ten first team while becoming a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

Okudah wrote in the Players Tribune about his team’s season under first-year coach Ryan Day.

“There’s Coach Day, who took over for Coach Meyer and made sure we didn’t miss a beat. That was huge. Coach Day’s trust in me really allowed me to develop over this past year as a leader — and he’s also been a great leader by example himself. He has this unique personability, this ability to bring a big group together, that I’ve learned a lot from.

“It’s like, yeah, football can be a cutthroat sport. It can get rough. But at the end of the day we all have love for each other. I want to make sure I keep some of that with me from Coach Day as I move on to the next level.”

Despite the loss in the semifinal, Okudah turned in one of his best games of the season during the College Football Playoff loss to Clemson. He helped slow down the Tigers talented receivers and keep the game within striking distance for the OSU offense in the 29-23 loss. As Klutch Sports continues to enter the professional football ranks, Okudah will always be the first player who helped the agency expand outside of basketball with his marquee commitment.

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Anthony Davis says second game against New Orleans much easier

Friday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and his former Pelicans squad was just another game for Anthony Davis.

Although Anthony Davis had 40 points in each of his first two games against his former New Orleans Pelicans squad, the manner in which he scored the points in each of the two games couldn’t be any more different. After the game, Davis acknowledged what the game and the box score showed, that he was much smoother and much more efficient than the game he took 30 shots in New Orleans.

Davis told ESPN’s Jorge Sedano that it was more like “just another game” during his walk-off interview and he later told reporters more of the same, according to The Athletic’s Brett Dawson.

“I think the first game in New Orleans was definitely a lot more emotional,” Davis said. “Not only going against my former team but playing in that arena again, and then tonight I think my teammates just gave me great opportunities and put me in a great position to score the basketball. I don’t think I did anything special; I didn’t prepare any differently. I just came out and played basketball.”

Compared to the force-feeding of the first game, the pressure seemed to be lifted off of Davis by both Frank Vogel’s gameplan and the fact that this second game didn’t elicit the same emotions of being back in the city that drafted Davis.

It seems like everything is working out for both teams as well. New Orleans is playing better basketball, aside from last night’s loss, with Lonzo Ball playing much better over the last few weeks in addition to a breakout season for Brandon Ingram. The Pelicans are also expected to get Zion Williamson back sooner rather than later.

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Report: Lakers focused on making moves around the edges, not major moves

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that teams are making calls about Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma.

Although the Los Angeles Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference, like everyone else in the NBA, they will be on the lookout for ways to improve their team between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline. One of the ways many believe the Lakers can improve their team is by trading Kyle Kuzma, who is easily the most attractive trade asset the Lakers have on their roster outside of the star duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

And several teams in the NBA are trying that logic, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. However, the Lakers aren’t interested in making any big moves.

Several teams are doing their due diligence on forward Kyle Kuzma and viewing whether they can pluck the talented 24-year-old as part of their future from the championship-contending Lakers, but the Lakers value Kuzma as a core part of the future and are focused on making moves around the edges and not a major one, league sources say.

Although Kuzma found himself in some headlines thanks to his trainer Clint Parks making comments about LeBron James, the Lakers still believe in Kuzma’s ability to play next to James and Anthony Davis. Kuzma played well after the comments and also made sure to make amends with LeBron and the family. Another more practical reason that makes Kuzma difficult to trade for the Lakers is his relatively low salary, making it harder to bring a veteran, impact player back who is on a bigger salary.

Teams are smartly seeing if they can get Kuzma since he appears to be redundant at power forward on a team with LeBron and Davis. But the Lakers aren’t ready to play that card yet. With a 27-7 record, it’s hard to blame them for avoiding a major change at this point in the season.

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LeBron James and Anthony Davis laugh way through birthday workout

Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis got some work in but also had a lot of fun for LeBron’s birthday workout.

LeBron James has a party planned for his 35th birthday, which happens to include a day off and another day before their next game on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns. But it wouldn’t be another day for LeBron James without a workout and he got in a workout with his Lakers superstar partner Anthony Davis, who also looked to be having a party himself in the weight room for his teammates birthday. The two continued to display the chemistry that has helped make the Lakers one of the favorites for the 2020 NBA Championship on LeBron’s birthday.

James and Davis jested to each other last night after a win over Dallas and they continued to mess around even while getting their work in.

According to James’ Instagram, he brought in his birthday by hanging out with his wife and kids late into the night before getting to his workout later today. He also told reporters he’s planning on having a party and given the way the Lakers have been a close unit, it would be a surprise to see highlights from the party without Davis and other members of the Lakers squad. After two wins and still holding the best record in the West, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy a rare night off.

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Kyle Kuzma says he told LeBron he can’t control what someone else says

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma tried to come clean with statements made by his trainer Clint Parks about LeBron James.

In case it was unclear before, Kyle Kuzma isn’t taking sides against the family. After making that clear to LeBron James at yesterday’s practice in Los Angeles, clarifying his role in comments from his trainer Clint Parks that went viral was, not at all a reflection of how he feels about his superstar teammate, Kuzma clarified that to the media. James told reporters on Saturday morning that he did not pay attention to the statements from Kuzma’s trainer Clint Parks, but Kuzma made the effort to clear the air with both LeBron and the media that he has no issues with James.

Kuzma told the Lakers core of beat reporters on Saturday that he can’t control what Parks says and it isn’t a reflection of his feelings, according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.

People also raised their eyebrows at a tweet from Kuzma that said “call a spade a spade” which he also said was not related to how LeBron played on Christmas Day.

The Lakers are in Portland to face off against the Trail Blazers on Saturday night. LeBron James is currently listed as questionable but did participate in the Lakers shootaround on Saturday morning.

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Woj: Jordan Clarkson traded to Jazz for Dante Exum, picks

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Utah Jazz have acquired Klutch Sports guard Jordan Clarkson from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Trade season is finally underway in the NBA, only a few days before Christmas and it involves a member of the Klutch Sports family.

The Utah Jazz made a move to add some scoring to their bench by trading for Cleveland’s Jordan Clarkson, who recently signed with Klutch Sports, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In exchange for Clarkson, the Cavs got two second-round picks from the Jazz and former lottery pick Dante Exum.

Clarkson, a free-agent at the end of this season, is having one of his better years in terms of shotting efficiency. His current 53.2% effective field goal would be his best single-season mark by a wide margin. The same goes for his 58.1% true shooting percentage.

The Jazz also needed the added scoring punch since Exum just never worked out for them and veteran guard Mike Conley was struggling, even before an injury that will keep him out for a few weeks.

This latest trade between the Jazz and Cavs is the first trade since Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul were traded for each other back in July.

The Jazz are 18-11, good enough for sixth place in the Western Conference. Cleveland is 8-21.

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LeBron James says Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has ‘been phenomenal’

Earlier in the season, Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard came to KCP’s defense on Instagram.

While the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to get an update after they get back to L.A. on the status of guard Avery Bradley, the good news for them is that his replacement has performed amicably in his stead, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

KCP, at several points during his Lakers tenure, has been someone that many fans and media often harped on via social media (usually unfairly) to the point that Dwight Howard defended him on Instagram earlier this season. That moment was representative of the current Lakers group, a complete juxtaposition to the squad that performed well at times last year but truly never looked in-sync.

After Wednesday night’s win, LeBron James was asked about Caldwell-Pope, whom he said has “been phenomenal,” as transcribed by Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll.

Caldwell-Pope has usually had the task of guarding opposing team’s primary ball-handler, as Bradley did. He’s done an excellent job, using his 6-5 frame and length to put pressure on the ball. Offensively, he’s found his stroke as LeBron mentioned above.

Over the last 10 games, Caldwell-Pope is averaging 10.3 points per game on 52% shooting from the field and a scorching 45.9% from the 3-point line. He’s also thrown in nearly two assists per game to go with it.

When Bradley returns, Vogel may have to make a decision on whether he wants to keep KCP in the lineup and bring Bradley off the bench. The team has played very well when both have started, so it will be hard for the team to be upset no matter which way he goes. As far as problems go, this is one that you want to have as an NBA coach.

 

Lakers Anthony Davis hopes to ‘find the game’ in return to New Orleans

Los Angeles Lakers star big man Anthony Davis is making his return to New Orleans and LeBron James shared his experiences with him.

Like all successful teams, there’s a variety of factors playing into how the Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves with a 15-2 record atop the NBA standings. But a foundational part of their success has been the strong connection between their two superstars: LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Davis’ ability to score is helping LeBron James have the greatest season of his career when it comes to assisting the ball and Davis’ defensive prowess, as well as his vocal establishment that defense must be important, has helped LeBron rediscover a defensive form not seen since his Miami Heat days. But in moments like Wednesday’s return to New Orleans, the wealth of experience James has, as much as his great play, can be a resource for Davis.

Davis has already leaned on LeBron’s experience in being in this position when he made his first return to Cleveland with the Miami Heat in 2010, according to USA TODAY’s Mark Medina.

“We talked about his first game and the stuff he was going through and how the game ended up,” Davis following morning shootaround. “He ended up finding the game and just being comfortable within the game of basketball. So, that’s kind of the same for me.”

James has discussed the nerves that Davis is likely feeling and going to feel as the day goes on heading into the game, but also expects when the ball is tipped that things will feel more normal for Davis. While Davis and LeBron see themselves in equals in leadership, tonight is one of the nights in which LeBron can take the lead for Davis until Davis feels normal.

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LeBron James believes Anthony Davis is handling New Orleans return ‘exceptionally well’

LeBron James knows what it’s like to return to an old place where you left and he thinks Anthony Davis is doing just fine.

When it comes to situations like Wednesday night’s return to New Orleans for Anthony Davis, LeBron James is the NBA’s foremost expert. So to hear that he believes Davis is doing a good job of handling his nerves in anticipation of his first game in New Orleans as a visitor should be an encouraging sign for Lakers fans hoping their team picks up their ninth straight win.

James was approached about how he felt like Davis was handling the situation, which James believed he is handling “exceptionally well.” To him, the most important thing that Davis can do is stay in the moment and let basketball become the focus, according to USA TODAY’s Mark Medina.

“He’s been anticipating that moment, and now the moment is here,” James said. “So I think he’s handled it exceptionally well, and the excitement, the jitters, the butterflies and everything like that will grow as the day goes on. But once that tip-off begins, that’s the main thing. Just try to win the basketball game.”

As we’ve written here before but it bears repeating, there’s no chance that what happens in New Orleans will be anything like what happened to LeBron when he came back to Cleveland in 2010. While Davis did leave the Pelicans in an awkward exit, New Orleans is not his hometown and the Pelicans came out with a King’s ransom in return for Davis, including their leading scorer this season Brandon Ingram. Not to mention the fact they won the lottery and are still waiting on No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson to play.

Things may have ended poorly but rare is the NBA break up that ends well. All things considered, the Lakers have a chance to win their ninth straight and move to 16-2. And that’s a story even the most optimistic of Lakers fans wouldn’t have expected heading into Thanksgiving.