CSN Insiders Notebook: Magic Johnson Returns to the Lakers?

AN ARENA NEAR YOU – Welcome to another edition of the CSN Insider notebook with lots trade rumors, injury updates as well the latest on players on the floor putting in work while players in the background start to emerge for struggling franchises looking to shake things up.

Our CSN Bay Area Insider Monte Poole writes about the Los Angeles Lakers reaching out to former Laker great Magic Johnson to take on a more official role with the team and help them navigate through what has been one of the worst stretches in the franchise's illustrious history.

MAGIC IS BACK  ‘TO HELP RETURN THE LAKERS' TO BEING AN ELITE TEAM
One week after one Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant, offered his assistance to the team, franchise shot-caller Jeanie Buss turned to another legend in hopes of pulling the team out of its four-year tailspin.

She brought back Magic Johnson, who will serve as an adviser.

Johnson will work with ownership and coaches, and even mentor and study players on the roster or those who might be considered.

"Everyone knows my love for the Lakers,'' Johnson said in a statement released by the team. ''Over the years, I have considered other management opportunities, however my devotion to the game and Los Angeles make the Lakers my first and only choice.

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"I will do everything in my power to help return the Lakers to their rightful place among the elite teams of the NBA.''

It's a big job, as the Lakers are on a trajectory to win 26 games and miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season for the first time in franchise history.

PACIFIC DIVISION

CLIPPERS STRUGGLE WITHOUT THEIR LEADER CHRIS PAUL
After losing star point guard Chris Paul to a ligament tear in his left thumb on Jan. 17, the Clippers lost six of their next eight games, with four of the six by double-digit margins.

So, yes, they desperately miss the man who orchestrates their offense and sets the tone for their defense.

"When you've got a guy out like Chris," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said, "you don't have a margin for error."

When the Clippers opened the season by winning 14 of their first 16 games, there was growing belief they could push the Warriors for Western Conference supremacy. That hope is history. The Warriors have won nine in a row over LA, including three games this season.

"We're playing and figuring out how to play without a guy who has the ball in his hands probably 80 percent of the time on offense," said Blake Griffin, who after a five-week absence returned Jan. 31. "That changes a lot of things for us." – by Monte Poole

KINGS BEAT THE BEST, BEATEN BY THE WORST
The Kings joined rare company Saturday night. They are now one of just three teams who have beat both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors this season. To confuse matters, Sacramento has also lost to the Suns, 76ers, Magic, Lakers and Heat (twice).

DeMarcus Cousins missed a triple-double by just one assist in Sacramento's overtime win over the Warriors on Saturday night. The All-Star big man is averaging 6.5 assists per game over his last 22 contests.

Injuries are piling up for the Kings. Both Omri Casspi (right calf) and Garrett Temple (left hamstring) are out until after the All-Star break. They join Rudy Gay on the injured list, who is done for the season with a torn left Achilles. – by James Ham

BOOKER BREAKS SUNS LOSING SKID
Devin Booker broke the heart of Kings fans Friday night with a 20-foot bank shot at the buzzer over the outstretched arms of Matt Barnes. The shot gave the Suns a two-point victory and snapped their five-game losing streak. Booker finished the game with 33 points and backed that up with 31 in the Suns loss to the Bucks on Saturday night. Over his last two games, the sharpshooting wing has dropped in 9-of-16 from long range. … Rookie Dragan Bender has missed two straight games with a contusion on his right ankle.- by James Ham

SOUTHWEST DIVISION

POPOVICH ACHIEVES ANOTHER COACHING MILESTONE
After back-to-back losses last week, the Spurs have rattled off three straight wins and look primed for a deep playoff run. With their victory over the Nuggets on Saturday, Gregg Popovich surpassed Jerry Sloan for most wins with one team in NBA history. He now has 1,128 regular season victories as the head coach of the Spurs. … Pau Gasol is out until after the All-Star break after undergoing surgery on his left hand, but he is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation.- by James Ham

REPORTS: FERRELL INKS TWO-YEAR DEAL
OK, so let me get this straight. Yogi Ferrell wasn't good enough to stick with the Brooklyn Nets (they're the only team in the NBA that still has a single digit win total this season), but can lead the lottery-bound Dallas Mavericks (although his play is making that more and more unlikely) to becoming one of the hottest teams out West?

 Ferrell, who has reportedly come to terms on a two-year deal with the Mavericks instead of having him sign another 10-day contract, has led the Mavericks to four straight wins which has put them within striking distance of being in the back-end of the playoff picture.

As of Sunday, they were 10th in the West but only two games outside of the eighth and final playoff spot that's currently being held down by the Denver Nuggets.

"Our guys love him and we are thrilled by how well he has been playing," Mavs owner Mark Cuban told ESPN via the Dust messaging app.

In his four-game career with Dallas, Ferrell has averaged 17.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 52 percent on 3's. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

ROCKETS HONOR YAO
The Rockets commemorated Yao Ming's Hall of Fame career by retiring his number to the rafters. Ming was honored with a halftime ceremony. Among those in attendance wereHakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Tracy McGrady, Dikembe Mutombo and Shane Battier.

"I feel old to see that," Yao said, via ESPN.com (http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18615456/houston-rockets-retire-yao-ming-no11-jersey-friday-night ). "The guys up there, Rudy T (Tomjanovich) was my coach, and then to have a statue for Hakeem. I remember my first game for the Rockets was when we retired his jersey. We watched it in the locker room and I remember saying that was motivation to play hard."

Yao is one of only six players in the Rockets franchise to have his number retired. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this past September.  – by Jessica Camerato

NORTHWEST DIVISION

‘ISO JOE' SCORING POINTS WITH JAZZ AS A PASSER
When the Jazz brought Joe Johnson in this summer, the idea was that the 15-year veteran would bring scoring and leadership off the bench at the wing position.

Well he can still get buckets in bunches, for sure.

But injuries and just a general evolution of the game have led to him playing more at the power forward position, and in doing he's become more of a playmaker.

In a recent win over Milwaukee, Johnson had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists off the bench with a lot of Utah's offense being run through him.

"It's almost like we sometimes forget about Joe until he makes a great shot, or in this case has a great game," Utah head coach Quin Snyder told reporters after the game. "With the injuries on the wing, the opportunity for Joe to play minutes at the four hasn't been as prevalent. But the times that he's done it, he's done it very well. When he plays the four for us, he's a playmaker more than a stretch. He's known for creating shots for himself, but he's taken that threat and created for other people." – by A. Sherrod Blakely

LAVINE (ACL) OUT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON
The breakout season for Zach LaVine has ended after the third-year guard suffered a torn ACL injury last week. The injury occurred during Minnesota's 116-108 loss to Detroit on Feb. 3.

LaVine, better known for his above-the-rim exploits, displayed the kind of growth you like to see in a player striving to prove there's more to his game than just highlight plays.

In 47 games this season, the two-time Slam Dunk champion averaged a career-high 18.9 points while shooting a career-high 45.9 percent from the field. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

JOKIC'S STRONG PLAY OF LATE IS NO JOKING MATTER
It's understandable how a big man can get overlooked when your rookie season coincides with that of Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns and New York's Kristaps Porzingis. But the days of not knowing who Nikola Jokic is, well they're not going to last much longer. Not with the way he has been giving teams the business, blending in a solid offensive game that's built around a strong knack for knocking folks around at the rim for rebounds. In the Nugget's last 25 games (they are 13-12 in that span, and were 9-16 before), he has been a near double-double machine with a 19.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists while shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from 3-point range. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

ATLANTIC DIVISION

PASSING OF THE TORCH
For 15 years, the Boston Celtics were Paul Pierce's team even after Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen came aboard. After he was traded to Brooklyn in 2013, they became the post-Big Three/Pierce Celtics.

Well Isaiah Thomas has made this his team, and Pierce is behind that changing of the guard 100 percent.

Before Pierce's final game at the TD Garden on Sunday (he's retiring after this season), he had a chance to sit down for dinner with Thomas on Saturday.

Pierce praised the two-time all-star for the player he was becoming, and the role as the franchise's leader he was stepping into.

"He's taken the torch, man," Pierce said. "He's … the city is proud of him for what he's doing. You know, I keep up. I've been watching him. And especially where he's come from. I mean, he's been on like three or four different teams and now he's finally established himself as an NBA MVP candidate, all-star. Just the route that he took: he wasn't projected to really be much in the NBA as a small guy, and so he's … he's taken a different route than a lot of us and he definitely could carry the torch in his time here." – by A. Sherrod Blakely

RAPTORS LOOKING TO UPGRADE BACKUP POINT GUARD TOO?
There has been a lot of talk about the Raptors' search for another big man. But they're also in the market for better play from their backup guards, too. Corey Joseph has been Kyle Lowry's backup and while he has shown himself to be a decent shooter, his defense this season has left a lot to be desired. And as we all know, it's a team's defense that more often than not factors heavily in their ability to navigate from one round of the playoffs to the next. Joseph isn't the only option they have in-house.

If Joseph's defense continues to be a problem, Toronto head coach Dwane Casey may turn to Fred VanVleet who is smaller in size, but has shown the ability to be a solid defender and decent playmaker.

The Raptors also have Delon Wright from Utah. The second-year guard has not seen any action with the Raptors this season. His 6-foot-5 frame gives Toronto some flexibility when he's on the floor defensively. He would be an ideal defensive-minded point guard which could certainly compliment Kyle Lowry's game. But his shooting needs lots of work, and as we've seen more and more with the league these days, teams want guards who are at a minimum, adequate shooters. Wright isn't there yet. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

CENTRAL DIVISION

PACERS RACING PAST BAD TEAMS, WON SIX STRAIGHT
One of the hottest teams no one is really talking about much is the Indiana Pacers. They have won six in a row, doing so by an 11.5 point per margin which is impressive; that is until you see who they've been beating up on. Of the six wins, only one (Houston) came over a team with a winning record. And at the time, the Rockets had lost two of their previous three. That's why the Pacers are cautiously optimistic about their recent run of success.

"We talked about the importance right now of being mentally tough and not being happy with what we've done the last couple of weeks," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan told reporters after a recent win against Detroit.<http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2017/02/04/short-handed-pacers-rally-second-half-beat-pistons-win-sixth-straight/96943224/ >  "I just see us improving every game. Our focus mentally, as well as physically, is getting better." – by A. Sherrod Blakely

VAREJAO BACK TO CLEVELAND?
When the Golden State Warriors waived Anderson Varejao, the rumor mill immediately focused on the veteran big man returning to Cleveland, the team that drafted him and later traded him away.

While there's no doubt Cleveland could use him as an additional big man, the Cavaliers aren't likely to jump on him immediately.

For starters, he's unlikely to clear waivers, not with a handful of teams still needing to get to the NBA salary floor which is $84.7 million. And even if he does, they couldn't re-acquire him until Feb. 18 because league rules prevent players from returning to the team that traded them away for at least one year.

A bigger need (at least in LeBron James' eyes) for Cleveland is to acquire another playmaker. The Cavs aren't eager to trade for one, but could land a good one (Rajon Rondo?) if a player is waived or becomes available after agreeing to a buyout. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

IBAKA ON THE MOVE?
Their offseason restocking of the roster hasn't worked for the Orlando Magic, and apparently Serge Ibaka who was traded from Oklahoma City last summer, could be traded again.

Ibaka is making $12 million in the final year of his contract and while he has posted solid numbers in Orlando he hasn't been a difference-maker in the win column.

One team listed as having "interest" in Ibaka – the Wizards – is incorrect. They already have a starter power forward in Markieff Morris who is significantly more affordable, better because he has a post-up game, playing the best basketball of his career and is under contract through 2019.

Ibaka will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will command a hefty raise that's out of their price range.

Just like with Ryan Anderson last year at this time, the Wizards weren't going to gamble with picks or rotation players for a rising unrestricted free agent who they're not willing to enter a bidding war to retain. Ibaka wouldn't start for the Wizards in such a scenario which would be problematic and they don't have attractive enough assets on the bench they're willing to part with to facilitate such a deal.

The Wizards are waiting for Ian Mahinmi to return to action, which should occur before All-Star break, to determine their next move. If the backup center isn't able to be effective coming off platelet-rich plasma therapy to both knees, they'll be in the market for a big to slot behind Marcin Gortat, 32, who is playing a career-high 34.5 minutes. – by J. Michael

HARDAWAY BENEFITS FROM KORVER TRADE
The trading of Kyle Korver has done wonders for Tim Hardaway, and his stock is at the highest of his career.

Coach Mike Budenholzer still keeps him coming off the bench because of the offensive spark, but Hardaway has been exceptional. He scored a career-high 33 points in a 20-point comeback over the Houston Rockets. He's averaging 17 points as a starter.

Hardaway is making $2.2 million so keeping him restricted won't be a problem for Atlanta. They're in the thick of the playoff race and thin at guard so unloading him for a player of comparable salary doesn't add up. There are plenty of teams that believe they are one bench scorer away from reaching the next level and because of that players such as Hardaway always will create interest. – by J. Michael

PLUMLEE: ‘BREATH OF FRESH AIR' IN TRADE TO HORNETS
A trade with the Bucks brought in Miles Plumlee and his $50 million contract to back up Cody Zeller.while Roy Hibbert was shipped out of Charlotte.

Plumlee was averaging 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10 minute.

"It's no secret I wasn't really playing there, so it was a big breath of fresh air," Plumlee said. – by J. Michael

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