HoopsHype.com Rumors

One name that the team is reportedly interested in is Jordan Hill – the backup big man who played well for the Lakers in limited minutes since being acquired from the Houston Rockets in March. Beasley could help the Lakers’ small forward position, where they had some issues last season. With Matt Barnes not expected to return and an uncertain future facing Metta World Peace, expect the Lakers to consider this option if Kahn and Minnesota indeed come calling. Lakers Nation

Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Michael Beasley, Matt Barnes, Jordan Hill, Metta World Peace 

Jared Zwerling: Ex-Knick Matt Barnes could be intriguing FA for #Knicks. An asset off the bench, does a bit of everything. Not a given LA will re-sign him. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Matt Barnes 

"I know probably better than anybody this is a business," Barnes, who has played for nine teams in a nine year career said. "When you don’t win here, changes are made. With that said, I’d like to return but I have to sit down with my family and my agent, and kind of see what the cards hold. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Matt Barnes 

“I don’t know. The last few teams I’ve went to, it was in search of a ring, and have fallen short. I’ve always turned down a significant amount of money to do that. So that’s something we’ll have to sit down and see," he said. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Matt Barnes 

Matt Barnes returned to an empty arena. It was 11:15 p.m., about an hour after the Lakers' 104-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night, and there was Barnes back on the court doing something he had struggled with all night: shooting. Barnes has made only two of his 11 shots in the two playoff games, going 0 for 7 from three-point range. Though he described his sprained right ankle as only 75%-78% recovered, Barnes worked out with Lakers development coach Phil Handy, taking a wide range of jumpers from the baseline, the elbows at the top of the lane and from three-point range. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes, Injuries 

Kevin Ding: Tweet from @Matt Barnes reports his sprained ankle is sore but he will be ready for playoffs (probably starting Sunday). Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes, Injuries 

There's also the strange case of the disappearing Devin Ebanks. Ebanks' agent said a lack of playing time could affect his Lakers' future after the second-year player becomes a restricted free agent July 1 … especially if the incumbents returned. "If [Coach] Mike Brown is going to play with Matt Barnes and [World Peace] next season, Devin's not going to come back and do that," agent David Bauman told The Times. "He'll find an opportunity where he'll have a better chance to break into a rotation." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Devin Ebanks, Matt Barnes, Mike Brown 

Bynum left almost 30 minutes earlier after taking six rebounds in 33 minutes. The undersized Wizards outrebounded the Lakers, 51-42, and took a staggering 17 offensive rebounds to the Lakers' nine. "I was out there kind of loafing around, having a good time," Bynum said. "It caught up." That didn't sit well with reserve forward Matt Barnes. "That can't happen. He's an All-Star, he's one of our best players," Barnes said. "But it's not any one person. It's a collective effort. If he's tired, we have to pick him up. We've got people that are ready to play." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Andrew Bynum, Matt Barnes 

Kevin Ding: Fan was holding up record jacket of old "k.o.b.e" song, which amused Matt Barnes so much he pointed it out to Josh McRoberts. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Matt Barnes, Josh McRoberts 

But it's unclear whether they're willing to take on any salary in any such deal or simply land one of them merely by way of their $8.9 million trade exception acquired in the Lamar Odom trade with Dallas in December, as well as giving up the lesser of their two first-round draft picks (theirs or the one obtained from Dallas in the Odom deal that is top 20 protected through 2018). It's no secret that the Lakers are trying to prepare for the luxury tax hell that's coming in the 2013-14 season, when the more punitive system agreed on in the new collective bargaining agreement will finally be put into place. One source said Lakers small forward Matt Barnes was included in one version of a possible Beasley deal with Minnesota. SI.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Michael Beasley, Matt Barnes 

I think Kevin Hart was in more places All-Star Weekend than Dwight Howard. He was MVP of the Celebrity Game. He was the hardest working man in show business promoting his new movie, “Think Like a Man,” coming to a theater near you soon. With that guy who played Turtle in Entourage. NBCSports.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes, Metta World Peace 

To everyone, it seems, but former 76er Matt Barnes. Barnes clearly has quite a bit of pent up anger and clearly deserved resentment built up towards his former Philadelphia coach, and though dropping 25 points in this game obviously helped, Barnes didn't waste a second in dishing on Cheeks in his interview with Dan LeBatard on 'Dan LeBatard is Highly Questionable' on Tuesday: Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Maurice Cheeks, Matt Barnes 

Dave McMenamin: Barnes was subbed out of the game and is now cursing/gesturing towards one of the Lakers' assistants. I think Q. Chuck is peacemaker. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes 

Kevin Ding: Barnes remains supportive of team, cheering on Kobe after his consecutive 3-pointers. But he was yelling it was B.S. as he came out of game. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes 

Ethan J. Skolnick: Matt Barnes on @Dwyane Wade being out: "That's just one less headache." Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Matt Barnes 

A flagrant foul Type 1 given to Lakers forward Matt Barnes during the Lakers' 73-70 victory Monday over the Dallas Mavericks was rescinded by the league. Lakers Coach Mike Brown announced the news at the Lakers' All-Access event Tuesday night, which featured several Laker players and Brown speaking on a panel at Staples Center emceed by Lakers' play-by-play announcer Bill Macdonald. "I got an e-mail today from Stu Jackson," Brown said referring to the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations in charge of player discipline. "They downgraded Matt's flagrant 1 foul to just a foul yesterday. That was not a flagrant foul." Los Angeles Times

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes, Mike Brown, Stu Jackson 

Janis Carr: "I dont understand why he has to do these things," Barnes says of Blake Griffin's extra physicality Twitter

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Blake Griffin, Matt Barnes 

Barnes then won over Brown by scoring 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds during the Lakers' 90-82 victory over the Grizzlies at Staples Center. He also blocked three shots, including two in the fourth quarter. "He's my small forward for the foreseeable future," Brown said. "He earned it. He's held onto it and he's played the right way for us at that position. ... I thought Matt deserved to be out on the floor. "Matt Barnes played a whale of a game on both ends of the floor. He's playing within the system and it's exciting to see a guy his size, with his athleticism, with his energy and his quickness play the game the right way. He had 15 (points) and 10 (rebounds), but the defensive intensity he brought to the table tonight (also) was good to see." Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes 

Matt Barnes: Closing the chapter on the worst year of my life, know where to go but up in 2012!! God bless u & your family, hv a happy & safe new years.. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes 

It was just a preseason game, so the result of the Los Angeles Clippers' 108-103 win on Wednesday hardly mattered. Yet the Staples Center co-tenants renewed their rivalry with all the contentiousness of a playoff game. Things got a little chippy like they almost always seem to do when these teams meet. The physical play boiled over when Matt Barnes was called for a flagrant 1 foul for pushing Blake Griffin to the floor with 6:48 remaining in the third quarter. "I thought we had some pretty good fouls. I don't know about the [flagrant], I got to go back and watch the replay," said Lakers coach Mike Brown. "Hopefully we won't get flagrant fouls. What that does is gives them free shots and the ball back, but I thought we had some good, solid, hard fouls which is what we should do because we're deep. So, if a guy fouls out, we got another guy that can step in and play." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Blake Griffin, Matt Barnes, Mike Brown