I think a shorter contract for Bynum might be in his best interest if he can not get a max deal (which I don’t think he will get) Something where he can opt out after the third year and then resign for a max deal if he deserves one (which I think he will).Something like 4 years 50-55M. Thats what I would look for if I was his agent. That way he could cash in sooner.

Comment by ryan — July 1, 2008 @ 6:54 pm

Bynum stated earlier that he was willing to take less cash for to stay for the Lakers which is a good sign. He was really commited on improving his game last summer and he should be ready to begin training within the month. Hopefully next year he’ll be a 100 % ready to help win a championship.

Comment by Anonymous — July 1, 2008 @ 7:11 pm

Is anyone scared of the clippers lineup? B diddy, gordon, an improved thorton, brand, and improved kaman is a scary lineup. Although their bench is suspect.Listening to 570am they were talkin about putting an offer to posey and not resigning sasha..i thought that would be a good idea

Comment by mosdefinitely — July 1, 2008 @ 7:32 pm

Maggette is supposedly going to sign for the MLE with the Spurs.

Comment by robinred — July 1, 2008 @ 7:32 pm

a max deal? i really like bynum, but does barely a quarter season of fairly solid, albeit very promising performance really warrant $65-$70 million?

Comment by the other Stephen — July 1, 2008 @ 7:49 pm

If you’re going to make a shirt, I hope you use the guys down out Homeboy Industries. Those guys do great work rehabbing ex-gangmembers and run a silk-screening business.

http://www.homeboy-industries.org/homeboy-silkscreen.php

Bynum’s agent talking about a max deal has to be just a negotiations ploy. There’s no reasonable basis for demanding one at this point in his career in light of what little he’s done. Yes, he showed tremendous promise, but he really only played at a high level for about 2 months before he went down with the knee injury, and then has been really slow to recover from that injury. .I agree with 1/ryan that a short deal makes sense for both sides, but I think a 4 year deal is a year to long, since he’s under contract still for another year. A 2 or 3 year deal at ~ $12M per would be a great deal for both sides, and would give both sides flexibility down the line.

Maggette to the Spurs would be a stroke of genius on paper, but could Maggette handle being the 3d or 4th option? The guy thinks he should be mentioned in the same breath as Kobe; being lower on the pecking order than Parker and/or Manu may not sit well with him. If Maggette can keep his ego in check, then this would be a tremendous move on the Spurs part.

http://theartofsport.blogspot.com

Comment by RT — July 1, 2008 @ 7:54 pm

Lebron is going to be a free agent soon. How sick would it be if we had him? I mean why not? Why would we have any less chance? We just need to make a little bit of money to afford his contract.

Comment by Ben — July 1, 2008 @ 7:54 pm

Bynum on a max deal? Please, no way. NFL fans credit the pay system of the NBA as reasonable, but (though I love Andy) paying a guy who skipped college and was productive for what? 30-or-so games as a pro? I think those NFL people who want the NBA rookie system would find foul there. Keep him, but be smart about it. Maybe it will work out for both sides, short term deal, let him mesh and play a full year, win a title, then re-negotiate the big one.

6. LeBron? What? Dude….

Can anyone really ever be scared of the Clippers? I mean, really, The Bad News Bears was a cute movie and all, but it’s not reality. Aren’t they doomed to red-headed (er, red uniformed) stepchild status for eternity? By now, even die hard Clips fans (do they have those?) would agree the biggest thrill of their lives is an 8 seed and a dream. God bless ‘em.

Trade and free agent talk is moot. We sign the guys we have, which they’re trying to do, and add some small pieces from cast-offs and old guys to fight out the final positions on our deep roster. Posey ain’t comin’ unless Sasha signs elsewhere. Maybe Dennis Rodman would answer the phone when you wild prospectors came callin’ with crazy rumors of “goings on” that aren’t going on. Scotty Pippen? He knows the triangle, I hear. Anyway, kidding aside this is the most boring and fantastic off-season we could have hoped for without a parade. I think it’s a shame to try and make more of it than it is.

Comment by The Fanalyst — July 1, 2008 @ 8:17 pm

2) Problem is, his agent wants that max money. You can’t blame Drew.

As I mention here:
http://thanknaismith.blogspot.com/2008/07/andrew-bynum-or-his-agent-lobbying-for.html

Comment by anoni — July 1, 2008 @ 8:23 pm

6. Ben- its not just about affording his contract. We have to have sufficient cap space (especially Lebron) to sign an unrestricted free agent. At this point we would still be well over the cap. Thats why NJ and New York have to make moves a couple years prior just to have a shot at him…

Comment by lakeshow — July 1, 2008 @ 8:25 pm

Craig from the last thread…

Ok lets suppose for a moment we did what you suggested. Retain everyone and have Odom’s expiring expire and let him walk. Sasha will be signed 10m 3yrs, then Ronny 7m 3 yrs. By the summer of 09, we are not expecting Kobe to opt-out so that leaves us with: 55m + Ronny and Sasha’s 2nd yr of their contracts (about 6m), Ariza’s new contract (2-3m), Bynum’s 1st year (10-12m) and that leaves us with $75m still. With some rookies and some other guys needed to be added to reach the 12 minimum. Overall, I say we have a figure of 78m.

From what I am trying to suggest, this is what we do (without being too particular about names):

Trade Odom AND Radman/Walton for some win-now team that will do many things to keep its star player from not leaving. So, if this we did, we “converted” Odom’s expiring into another expiring, dumped Luuuke, got some value back for an otherwise “wasted” talent in letting Odom walk.

Comment by Warren Wee Lim — July 1, 2008 @ 8:27 pm

Top 11 on Clips depth chart, assuming they re-sign Brand:
Starters
PG-Davis
SG-Mobley
SF-Thornton
PF-Brand
C -Kaman

Bench
PG-Knight
SG-Gordon
SF/SG-Marcus Williams
PF-Tim Thomas, Nick Fazekas
C -DeAndre Jordan

This could very well be a playoff team, competing with Houston, Portland, Phoenix, Denver, Sacramento, and Dallas for the final four spots. The Kings will probably be on the outside looking in. I see the Lakers, Jazz, Spurs, and Hornets as the top four. I’m sure everyone else sees it that way, too. If Maggette goes to the Spurs for the MLE, look out, he’s their starting SG in place of Finley.

Comment by The Dude Abides — July 1, 2008 @ 8:53 pm

Bynum can patrol the lanes, get the tough rebounds and contribute a little bit on offense. He has an above average ability to pass and is apparently a very eager learner. These are all things to be proud of, but those alone do not make Bynum a max level (80 million) player. Add in the fact that he is now coming off injury and has only been consistent for roughly 40 percent of one season, and I don’t think he is worth 70 million either.
He is young and full of potential, so he may one day become good enough to be a max level player. The thing is that his agent wants him to get both a lot of money per year and a long term contract while the Lakers don’t know how healthy he is or how well he can mesh with Pau Gasol. The Safest bet in my opinion then is to give Bynum a two or three year extension. If he performs well, then hey he can reap the benefits by becoming a free agent earlier and then getting paid like a max player.
Another way to do it, which is similar is to have him sign for 5 years at say 50-55 million dollars, but to have him have a player option for year two or three. That way if he never improves he is still signed to a long term deal that the lakers will gladly live with, but if he does continue to improve he can opt out and be richly rewarded for his services. So how to convince him to do that? Remind him that its very similar to what Lebron, Wade, and Carmelo signed during their turn for extensions.

Comment by Sid Singh — July 1, 2008 @ 8:58 pm

lakeshow, that is true. But what if we just sold Pau, leaving cap room and leaving us some extra money. If we had Lebron, Pau would be obsolete with a healthy Bynum. Here would be the lineup. Bynum at center, Lebron at PF, Lamar at SF, Kobe SG, D Fish PG

Comment by Ben — July 1, 2008 @ 9:18 pm

6. Ben, to afford LeBron the Lakers would have to get their $75 million payroll down to about $40 mil so they could offer a max deal. $40 mill is Kobe, Gasol and nobody else. I mean nobody, together they are $41 mil that year. So, what you are saying is you’d give up a couple titles in the next few years to get LeBron, maybe, in 2010? I’m not sure why I even responded to this…

Bottom line, that is never going to happen and that discussion is over.

Comment by Kurt — July 1, 2008 @ 9:26 pm

If we don’t sign Bynum to a contract extension this year will we be able to match any offers the following summer?

Comment by UCR Mike — July 1, 2008 @ 9:43 pm

Agents talk big and sports talk blowhards may throw full MLEs around like they’re popcorn,but in the real NBA,teams are far more frugal. Look at the contracts actually signed the past couple of yrs and you’ll notice an awful lot of them are between $2 and $3.5mil. Players getting the full MLE are solid starters or exceptional reserves. The NBA is starting to slot salaries and the heirarchy is getting pretty clear.
After the rookie contract,serviceable role player or borderline starter @$3mil,Solid starter,exceptional role player off bench MLE-type contract,borderline star,but not quite that marque player,$8mil and the lucky few who get the max.(And if you haven’t established a role for yourself during your rookie contract,take the min contract and get your butt in gear.)
Quite frankly,the NBA pot of gold is drying up. Before any FA’s are signed 9 teams are over the Lux Tax,2 are w/in a couple mil or so and 2 more have payrolls in excess of $60mil. That’s almost half the League that would have to think long and hard about signing a player to half the MLE,much less all of it.
Think about the Udrih signing. How many teams are desperate for a decent PG? He was the best one initially available,and all he got was the MLE. 4-5 yrs ago he’d get an offer of $7-8mil to start with. Couple yrs ago the only offer Bonzi got was 1/2 the MLE from Houston after rejecting his team’s offer. Stevenson got peanuts after opting out of his modest deal.
The point is,it’s highly unlikely Sasha and Ronny get full MLE offers from anybody else.Esp since neither one had the kind of head-snapping performance that causes desperate GMs to think they’ll do that during the reg season and put his team over the top.(See Posey for prime example of this thinking. Let’s ignore he sure didn’t help Memphis win ANY Playoff games and the previous yr in Miami he didn’t do much for them.)

It may be a tad late,but in the FA discussion a couple of names were mentioned that I’d like to comment on.
Motumbo had to be talked into coming back by his family. He’s not moving them for 1 yr. He signs w/Houston.
Bonzi Wells is done. He’s been sulking ever since he “only” got the Rockets offer,came into camp fat and out of shape,has lost much of his lift,and is bad cancer. His last 3 coaches-one of had success w/him in past-have all lost faith in him.

Comment by Stephen — July 1, 2008 @ 9:52 pm

15- Yes, assuming we give him his qualifying offer of 3.8 mil, which we will, we have the right to match any offer sheet he signs.

Comment by TCO — July 1, 2008 @ 9:54 pm

Guys, we are not entertaining trade discussions that are not underway, according to a reliable source. A few comments have been deleted and more will be if need be.

Comment by Kurt — July 1, 2008 @ 10:58 pm

Kurt, C’mon, you mean to say Lebron won’t come to LA for Odom, Luke, and Jeanie Buss? LOL

Comment by Aaron — July 1, 2008 @ 11:05 pm

I actually am a a little intimidated by the Clips. Obviously health is a big x factor, but at full strength, that’s about as potent a duo as is out there. I think a lot of their success will depend on how much Gordon and Thornton can contribute on a playoff team. I don’t think they could win as many games as us, but they could definitely provide some matchup problems for us. It would an exciting hallway series for sure.

Comment by carter blanchard — July 1, 2008 @ 11:41 pm

never thought the west would be this interesting. great, they must be following the lakers’ lead. amazing that just a year ago, no one would ink the lakers as part of the top four. now, they are the benchmark. i mean, teams are loading their frontlines and benches now and it’s no longer about a lethal combo but 3-4 players able to dominate. of course, no one has kobe other than LA.

i am happy for the clippers. man, both teams can pack the house and it’d be a great year for LA ball. imagine, two shots at something big. hands down Lakers are better but the Clippers should this push will make a big leap forward at least for the mid-term. the spurs can get scary with maggette.

somehow a part of me wants the lakers to make a move. i maintain that we still need a big enough 3 who can shoot, guard, pound on the boards, slash and pass. if odom is that man, then he easily has to work on his shooting (at least extend it to 20ft), guarding and slashing (i still think he is a bit sloppy). a part of me wants to see the big 5 run full steam ahead. anyhow, just one fan here who wants LA to succeed.

re: bynum, his agent is clearly fishing. re: not signing vujacic, okay if we can get a solid bench player with the same skill set via trade or mle. re: changes, we need at least one big man to hold the fort, a la kurt thomas. in this way, lamar won’t be reduced to some shooter when he holds the fort down for the bench. i think he can be a good 6th man. then again, imagining him as sg is something i can’t still grapple with.

exciting off-season. hope we could make the splash we need. bottomline, time to sharpen our pitchforks and for now, that may be enough for the title. =)

Comment by passerby — July 1, 2008 @ 11:42 pm

Warren,
If we could trade expiring contracts (LO) for expiring contracts I would not have any financial problem if I were Mitch. However, the only reason to do that is 1) LO is a problem player on the Lakers next year (not likely) 2) the incoming players will fit multiple team needs better 3) at least one of the incoming players will fill a need going forward at much less money.

What most of the discussion on this site is about is trading for players with 3-5 yrs left on their contract. That can’t happen without totally screwing up the current contract maturation process of our current, young team. We are not like the Celtics last year where we trade almost all of our young talent for a 2 year runs at the championship. Mitch and Buss have been trying to avoid that 5-8 yr window where the team was poor before a run of good years.

Think about Boston! Bad for 18yrs, good for probably 3 yrs and then what? Probably start over again without Pierce/Garnett/Allen.

Comment by Craig W. — July 1, 2008 @ 11:46 pm

I love the way some Lakers fans (and apparently talk radio hosts, although I barely listen to that anymore) think if the Lakers make a decent offer to Posey he will drop everything and come running. He was a great fit on a team that just won a title and wants to keep him, why should he come here? Because we’re the Lakers? That is not the way the world works. He’d only come here for more money/years than the Celtics would offer him, and as the Lakers can at most offer him the MLE (and he is not worth all of it) there is little or no chance he comes. If I were Mitch I’d make the call, but don’t hold out hope for that.

And the idea of letting Sasha walk while you flirt with Posey is nuts. You get both if you can, but you bring Sasha back regardless.

Wow, we really are into the silly season.

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 12:29 am

The Lakers have invested a lot in Bynum (bringing in Kareem to be his personal coach, for instance) and they have been very patient with his development (ignoring lucrative trades, sitting pat through multiple injuries, not pushing him to contribute before he was ready, overlooking Kobe’s demands to “ship” him). As a result, Bynum is a hot commodity. Had he been drafted by a lesser organization, he likely would not have developed into a player that anyone would consider offering a max contract to. In a perfect world, Bynum’s agent would acknowledge these facts and negotiate a shorter contract, pushing back his big payday a few years to ensure that the Lakers can keep the pieces in place to make him a champion. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world.

Comment by DMo — July 2, 2008 @ 12:30 am

I know that Ben is interested in speculating about bidding for “pie in the sky bye and bye” Labron, and many of you are fascinated by expected negotiated terms between Bynum’s agent and the Lakers.

Hold those thoughts!

We got trouble. Right now. Right here. A Los Angeles boy–once a UCLA superstar–is coming home–he’ll be playing in Staples–and he won’t be a Laker.

He saw what the Celtics did last year–and he’s gonna do the same thing. Right here. With the Clippers.

This is not the time to laugh knowingly.

If what Brand and Davis have done catches on, it could start a revolution.

We better get with it.

The times they are a-changin’.

Now go back to discussing what free agent we can steal from the defenseless Clips–they’ve shot their wad on two superstars.

Let me help. Smush Parker is an unrestricted free agent.

Comment by drrayeye — July 2, 2008 @ 12:55 am

#16 UCR Mike, I was wondering/thinking about that also. Does anyone know the answer to that question.

Comment by sT — July 2, 2008 @ 1:01 am

16,27: Yeah, we will get to match any offers the next summer if we don’t get him signed to an extension..there will be a decent number of teams with cap space unlike this year so I could really see a team throwing out some ridiculous contract to atleast make the Lakers pay some money

Comment by Goo — July 2, 2008 @ 3:20 am

the reports have been vague. i believe the lakers are inviting marcelus kemp to training camp.

http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/marceluskemp.html

Comment by chibi — July 2, 2008 @ 7:01 am

Shaun Livingston would be an intriguing consideration for the Lakers. Assuming he can recover from his injury, SL is the type of big guard that Phil prefers. Moreover, he is a solid defender. If he can be signed for a reasonable amount, SL may be worth taking a flier on.
A line up of SL, Kobe, Bynum, Odom and Gasol would be solid defensively.

Comment by Big Dave — July 2, 2008 @ 7:28 am

chibi,

Don;t mean to sound rude, but condsidering the level the Lakers are at right now, it doesn’t matter who gets invited to camp. They’ll really only be competing for a spot on the Defenders. I honestly don’t see them giving Coby Karl’s seat on the bench up. Why start all over with a player who has ZERO shot at seeing the floor. CDR said it correctly, “…I looked at it in a positive way. Because it’s a blessing to be here (New Jersey). I could have ended up on the Lakers, you know? Somewhere like that, where there’s no playing time.”
(http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-33-7/Chris-Douglas-Roberts-With-a–Big-Chip–on-His-Shoulder.html)

Comment by wondahbap — July 2, 2008 @ 7:52 am

WTS season is apparently open…

Comment by Renato Afonso — July 2, 2008 @ 8:30 am

Oh by the way…..apparently I’m not the only loon who sees the possiblity of a 72+ win season. Even Celtic homer, Kobe hater Bill Simmons thinks so. Look what I found:

“I will say that LA is in much better position for the next 6-7 years than Boston. In my opinion, the Celtics will never have a better chance to win the title than right now. For LA, they get Ariza and Bynum back next year, plus their midlevel exception… I mean, that might be a 72-win team next year. If you’re beating them, it has to happen this year. ”

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=20902

haha…just thought I mention that.

Comment by wondahbap — July 2, 2008 @ 8:32 am

Hey you guys. Now that the Clippers have renounced Maggette, Maggette’s sign and trade options have gone out the window. So outside of signing with Philadelphia, he can only get a mid-level deal. Don’t know if the Lakers are interested or not, but they should get in the mix just to prevent him from signing with the Spurs for the mid-level. Playing in L.A. would be best for him. He wouldn’t have to move, and would be on the league’s marquee team, while making the same money he would anywhere else.

Comment by JONESONTHENBA — July 2, 2008 @ 8:34 am

Any word with Sun Yue? I heard Mitch is really interested in him and he thinks he will make the roster. If he can play in the league, the lineup that will run you to hell is:

PG Farmar
SG Sun Yue
SF Bryant
PF Odom
C Gasol/Bynum (they both could run)

I just hope he can play some defense….

I like me some FB and G t-shirts.

Comment by hansoulfood — July 2, 2008 @ 8:36 am

Maggette’s guns and Fisher’s guns?? That is a very muscular lineup.

I was afraid of this. Just when I was willing to count them out for a second, the Spurs might be the one’s actually benefiting from the Clippers trade and can get Maggette. This will make them very HARD to beat next year. I hope this doesn’t happen.

Comment by aB — July 2, 2008 @ 8:40 am

I believe the Clippers also let go of Shaun Livingston’s contract. I believe the Lakers should look into adding him. He could probably be had on the cheap.

Livingston can defend and has great court vision. I don’t know how well he shoots, but if we can get him on the cheap. (Less than 2.5 mil) He would be worth the gamble and we can develop him. The kid has a lot of potential, just needs to have a couple healthy seasons.

Comment by Brian P. — July 2, 2008 @ 8:41 am

I would love to see Shaun Livingston as a Laker… talk about a tall PG for the triangle… And the shooting can improve in the off-season. The only question is how is his knee? And how much money is he willing to get to play in LA?

It would be a solution for a long term problems at PG, with Fisher tutoring Livingston and Farmar for a couple of years before retiring. But again, this is still just a dream… (He’s not worth the full MLE, imo)

Comment by Renato Afonso — July 2, 2008 @ 8:48 am

If the Spurs are able to sign Maggette for the MLE (though I suspect Philly will offer him 10M/yr or so) they will be really scary. They will have 4 guys that can put up 20 pts a night plus they will be able to keep Manu’s minutes down and really save him for the play offs. I think that they would instantly become the favorites in the west and perhaps the league. I agree I’d offer him the MLE just to prevent him from going to the Spurs (but the spurs can guarantee him a starting job) but its not my money.

Comment by ryan — July 2, 2008 @ 8:51 am

The Olympics will be a good measuring stick for the pgoress of Sun Yue. He’s a big guard - and Phil likes big guards. The issue with him is how well he will adjust to the triangle.

Assuming he makes the roster, I think he would take Newble spot on the team in terms of open spots. Assuming the Lakers keep Coby Karl, then hte only other open spot would be Mbenga’s….. and you all know I think we can get Kwame in there for somehwere near veterans minimum. Sure, he’s not a great player, but for the minimum and as a third backup I don’t think you will find a better deal.

Comment by MannyP — July 2, 2008 @ 8:52 am

39. Sorry for the double post. But how is Livingstons knee? does he have any hope of playing ball again in the NBA or his career basically over? Don’t know how many people have seen the footage of him getting hurt (I wouldn’t recommend watching it) but it was painful to watch.

Comment by ryan — July 2, 2008 @ 8:53 am

I agree he is not worth the MLE because our team is solid and we don’t need to further our salary cap woes. But for 2.5 mil or less he is very intriguing.

Again the questions are how healthy is he and will he be willing to accept that kind of money.

Comment by Brian P. — July 2, 2008 @ 9:01 am

Sorry for the double post,

I would sign Maggette in a heartbeat the for the full MLE. I would then let Odom walk at the end of the year and possibly re-sign on the cheap if he is willing (6-9mil).

With Maggette he because expendable. We would have our 3 that is great on offense and a very good defender.

I just don’t see him signing with the Lakers for that money.

Comment by Brian P. — July 2, 2008 @ 9:03 am

When did Bynum become a 12 million/year player? He has a grand total of about 30 good games under his belt and 13/10 and good defense ain’t all that impressive. He still has yet to develop interior post moves outside of “accept dump off pass from Kobe….catch and dunk ali-oop from Farmar” and his defensive rotations are still shaky. PLUS (and a big plus), he’s coming off a knee injury that debilitated him for a couple months longer than it was supposed to…..we have no idea if he’ll even play with any sort of effectiveness EVER again (it could certainly happen).

I say, if we give him an extension, it should be for around 3 years at TOPS 9 million a year. It’ll appease him because he can get his long-term max deal at his still very young age, and it’ll work for us because by that time we’ll have cap space to get him a nice, long-term Max deal (hopefully we’ll be paying Kobe less by that time and Odom will definitely be off the books).

Comment by Ap — July 2, 2008 @ 9:26 am

Just curious, but what is being done to eliminate the problem of Kobe being able to opt out after next year. As good as things look, you can assume he wont if have a bad playoffs next year. Free agency is not even a discussion for us. Get our own players resigned including Kobe.

Comment by George Best — July 2, 2008 @ 9:28 am

Interesting, Two weeks ago we all said we needed a defensive stopper at the three, Now people are interested in Maggettee. Have you watched him play defense? Well, of course you haven’t, because nobody has. For the record, opposing threes shot 52% against him and had a PER of 17.4. How is that going to play in San Antonio?

I really think our best long term hope at the three may be Ariza developing a jumper.

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 9:39 am

For all the success we have had this year, this summer’s discussions are starting to sound like last summer’s discussions.

Comment by Craig W. — July 2, 2008 @ 9:41 am

Kurt: Honestly, I don’t like Maggette for the Lakers at all. I just don’t want him going to the Celtics or the Spurs. Don’t know how bright that is. But if Maggette signs with the Celtics, that would make Posey more available.

Comment by JONESONTHENBA — July 2, 2008 @ 9:43 am

If Maggette is willing to consider the Spurs for the MLE, the Lakers have to make a play for him. Benefits the Lakers, and keeps him off the Spurs (or any other contender).

Comment by 91601guy — July 2, 2008 @ 9:44 am

(11) (17) (23) (30) Craig W, Warren, Stephen,

You’ve all done a great job of articulating some of the deeper contract problems facing the Lakers (and many other NBA teams). The Lakers are currently committed financially to three veteran “stars” (read high salaries): Kobe, Pau, and Lamar. They would like to retain their entire team–or at least the present salary structure. If everyone’s salary stays flat, they might be able to pay an incremental increase and remain within range of the luxury tax threshold–even though they are already paying a $4 million penalty.

Adding a full mid level exception this year could add that amount to the penalty. Negotiated increases with Sasha and Ronny would also contribute to the penalty. This year, the Lakers might well be $7 or $8 million OVER the cap without any mid level exception. That means they might be paying a total in the $80+ million range if one includes a penalty payout for the luxury tax. The mid range exception could push the total payout into the $90’s.

Now comes the bad news. The Lakers intend to negotiate a long term deal with Andrew that would start in 2009. If all the other commitments remained, the Lakers could be negotiated into the $100 million range with no end in sight!

They would lose all flexibility–except by trade.

With the loss of Kwame Brown’s expiring contract, there is only one way the Lakers could continue to honor their commitments to other players, keep Andrew, and have some semblance of flexibility: either radically renegotiate a reduced salary for Lamar (in the range of $6 million) or let him become an unrestricted free agent and leave after this year. Increases above that $6 million amount for Lamar could lead to losses of key younger Laker players–but it could happen.

Given these realities, the Lakers may try to find a trade for Lamar for another expiring contract, negotiate a reduced salary for the future, or release Lamar outright.

These considerations don’t determine trade decisions, but they certainly play a strong role. Finding the right trade for Lamar is like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s not going to be easy.

In addition, the Lakers must meet competitive challenges from all the other teams.

Mitch does not have an easy job.

Comment by drrayeye — July 2, 2008 @ 9:45 am

Follow up on Maggette, I asked Kevin from Clipperblog if my memory of his defense was accurate. He said Maggette is a decent man defender but “a space cadet” when it comes to team defense.

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 9:54 am

In the LA Times today, they say the Lakers have talked to Posey and Brent Barry, as fallbacks if Sasha and Ronny fall through. Posey we have discussed plenty.

But what are everyone’s thoughts on Barry?

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 10:03 am

Actually I take that back. Who cares where Maggette signs. This Lakers team (without injuries) will still jack up the Maggette version of the Spurs.

Comment by JONESONTHENBA — July 2, 2008 @ 10:04 am

49) I like Barry for veteran leadership and his shooting and passing ability. But only for the vet minimum.

Comment by JONESONTHENBA — July 2, 2008 @ 10:05 am

The Jazz have also contacted Turiaf’s agent along with another slew of players. How much should we match for Turiaf? $3 M? I would rather re-sign Turiaf and let Vujacic go if he gets offered the MLE by another team.

Comment by 81 Witness — July 2, 2008 @ 10:13 am

If you wondered who has the worst management in the NBA, you may have to consider Golden State:

http://ballhype.com/story/nothing_in_return/

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 10:22 am

Can’t the lakes somehow grab Zo? What would that entail? You know it would bolster the interior defense and rebounding. Also, he’s a tough player, maybe a little rubs off on Gasol and Odom? I don’t see his ego clashing much with KB24’s either. What do y’all think?

Comment by Hassan — July 2, 2008 @ 10:25 am

Sweet! I’m down for shirts! Let us know when you get them ready. I will definitely floss it in the Bay Area!

Comment by Young — July 2, 2008 @ 10:29 am

56. Zo is done as a player. If you can get a Delorian that travels through time and bring back the guy from a decade ago he’s a great fit. But Zo now is just toast.

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 10:31 am

Barry is too old to be consistently dependable. Signing him is basically telling Luke Walton that he’s getting more minutes. If for whatever reason the Lakers can’t sign Sasha and the Celtics do resign Posey as is to be expected, then the swingmen to target for roughly half or less of the MLE should be Mickael Pietrus, Maurice Evans, Devean George, or James Jones. At least one is going to get a market unwilling to pay him what he wants. If thats the case why not swoop in as the team with a winning situation that can give them the chance to showcase their talents deep into the playoffs? Again this is only if we can’t resign Sasha.

Comment by Sid Singh — July 2, 2008 @ 10:36 am

I hope Maggette goes to the C’s. Anyways, the Lakers then wouuldn’t have to deal with a better spurs team. This lets them have exemption from what could be an even longer and windy road throughout the playoffs in the West. Orlando is not the right destination, and they have already locked up $$ on Rashard Lewis. Maybe the Spurs will then rebuild, or just get another year older and not so much a championship-caliber team.

Also, Philly probably wants good perimeter shooters instead, having their weaknesses already exposed (no 3 pt shooting).

Comment by Ooh Lakers. — July 2, 2008 @ 11:06 am

RE Barry: If Sasha leaves, I’m all for it. We’ll lose out on defense, but hold steady in the shooting dept. Barry is also a veteran that has been through some wars, and that type of experience is one thing we lacked in the Finals (but hope to gain from those same Finals).

RE Maggette: Please no. I don’t think we need a slasher or a guy who loves to operate with the ball in his hands or a guy who is suspect on defense. If we add anyone on the wing, it should be a guy that is comfortable moving w/o the ball and playing off of others and a guy who can get a stop or have a good team d mentality. With Kobe, Pau, Andrew, and LO we have plenty of guys who will be using the ball in half court sets. While Maggette is a talented player, let another team work him in.

RE FB&G Shirts: XL please.

RE Golden State management: This is what happens when you lowball your players. I was reading somewhere how they consistently offer below market contracts….ultimately if you continue to offer guys less that gets guys upset (not only on your team, but it discourages guys from other teams from even considering you as a FA destination). Plus, Nellie can really grate on players. Reminds me of when they lost Webber….Nellie and Webber weren’t getting along, they trade Webber and the next year they fire Nellie. Now, Nellie benches Baron in that Phoenix game, Baron opts out and leaves, and Nellie will probably retire after next season. Bad times in the Bay.

Comment by Darius — July 2, 2008 @ 11:10 am

I saw some comments about LeBron. I know they sound crazy to some, and I think it’s a remote possibilty, but I don’t think whoever mentioned it sounds as crazy as everyone thinks.
Not saying it would, or should happen, but if managemant really wanted to try, they might be able to by eventually having Lamar’s salary off the books, dealing Pau (and Vlad Rad) in 2 years for expiring contracts, meanwhile having Bynum signed on until, and probably having Kobe re-up in 2-3 years for a 6 year deal worth 17 mill per (maybe).
It just doesn’t seem impossible to me. That’s all. Not crazy talk. The Lakers are the one of the few teams, who, if they were very smart and played their cards right, would have a shot. If LeBron leaves Cleveland, it would only be for a MAJOR market. NY, LA, or Chicago. that’s it.

Comment by wondahbap — July 2, 2008 @ 11:11 am

(56)

Zo might look decent playing for some other team, but as soon as he wore the Forum Blue and Gold, bet you he’s look 38, 39, 40 (whatever) real fast. It’s the way of the world. Ever watch some players, and say, why can’t we get a guy like that, but then realize, that he probably never play like that for us. That’d be him.

Comment by wondahbap — July 2, 2008 @ 11:18 am

Lebron on the Lakers is a Cheech and Chong sized pipe dream. Hella Smoke… Doing everything necessary just to have that *chance*? No thanks. It’s just not sound business or basketball. It’s one thing to clear cap space when you aren’t competing for anything more than a playoff spot or the avoidance of last place, like the Lakers were in the seasons after Magic/Worthy/Scott when they went after Shaq. So I have to disagree wondahbap, this team is built to win now and for the next 5 years. Dismantle all that for a chance at the King? When we’d be competing with Jay-Z and the Nets (and possibly the Knicks)? I’d rather roll the dice with what we’ve got while trying to make incremental changes on the edges of the team that can compliment the core of the team. So while the idea of pursuing the (potential) FA class of 2010 isn’t *crazy*, it’s not exactly the most sane thing to do either when we were just in the Finals and have a window to go back for the next 5 seasons.

Comment by Darius — July 2, 2008 @ 11:32 am

Drray, nice of you to join the convo on this one…

So the plan I suggested fits that perfectly. Ok its gone now… but for what its worth, this is something that needs to be addressed and one solution to it is: rookie scale contracts. How the heck would we achieve this if we keep trading our rookies? Ok I dont question the Gasol deal AT ALL but at some point, the Lakers need to address the financials.

Say that Buss is “willing to pay” for a contender all you want, but bottomline, this is business people. As much as we wanna get a run at this one more time, its a matter of time that reality will set in and Odom will don a new uniform. As I said, who wants to give us 1st round picks and expirings? well some team that would move heaven and earth just to keep its star from being too big of a Jay Z fan.

Comment by Warren Wee Lim — July 2, 2008 @ 11:36 am

I see Corey Maggette as an uber-talented Maurice Evans. He won’t work in the triangle though, just no way…we don’t need anymore offense anyway, we just need more defense and veteran leadership…Maggette would provide neither at an expensive price…

Comment by anoni — July 2, 2008 @ 11:42 am

Guys. I’m killing a lot of trade talk. Some of it rational, reasonable stuff, but I don’t want to start moving the line around. I suppose on one hand allowing the crazy LeBron talk and killing reasonable trade stuff seems a little out of whack, but I think the LeBron talk will die. I just am not going to let the trade talk get a foothold. Even when it’s from quality posters.

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 11:49 am

I’m not saying it was something we should do. I agree with the rest of you. I just don’t think it was as crazy as it sounded. Things like that don’t happen by chance. Like the “wink, wink” Shaq signing. It was widely assumed he was coming to LA, and he did. My point is, if the Lkaers wanted to make it so, it could be so. That all. I don’t want to sound like I’m proposing these wild trade scenarios, etc.

Comment by wondahbap — July 2, 2008 @ 11:54 am

Also….I didn’t mention LeBron in the 1st place. I was responding to someone else’s comment…..”I just want everyone here to know, that there won’t be any trouble outta me….” Did I get that right? No more Lebron talk from me.

Comment by wondahbap — July 2, 2008 @ 11:58 am

Wow…rumor has it the Warriors offered a deal to Brand…

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/la-sp-clips3-2008jul03,0,6618180.story

Comment by raymeister — July 2, 2008 @ 12:01 pm

67-Kurt, that’s ok, just as long as you promise to acknowledge my post if the trade happens.

Comment by The Dude Abides — July 2, 2008 @ 12:01 pm

If we can’t resign Vujacic I rather look at Duhon than look at Barry. Duhon would actually be cheaper than Vujacic as well.

I believe Barry has good games left in him, but brings no value on defense and would not be consistent. Not to mention the extra injury worries we would have at his age.

Comment by Brian P. — July 2, 2008 @ 12:04 pm

71. Dude, it actually is a pretty reasonable idea. And I promise to give credit. In the near future I may again throw open a post to allow some speculation. Just right now, seeing what is coming in, I feel if I give an inch it will fast become a mile. It’s never personal.

70. No way Brand does not come back to the Clips. Credit due to Falk, who clearly engineered this whole thing behind the scenes.

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 12:09 pm

Warriors offering a contract to Brand looks like saving face. “Hey, well, WE wanted to pair Brand and Baron, and Boom Dizzle burned us. We tried. Don’t blame us…..” Right. Like Brand would fit Nellie’s system. hard to run, run, run when Elton wants to put his back to the basket and back you down.

Comment by wondahbap — July 2, 2008 @ 12:15 pm

There is no way Bynum gets a maximum contract extension this summer. That is just ridiculous. All of the players to ever receive a max contract have had at least ONE full season as an all star caliber player. Take a look for yourself: http://www.realgm.com/src_maxplayers.php.

If his agent has half of a brain, as I am sure he does, he will negotiate a reasonable contract extension in the $10M range. Or he would risk Bynum never reaching his full potential and have to settle for whatever the market offers next year, which the Lakers would obviously match. I have never have heard of David Lee before, so I decided to look him up. I guess you can’t blame the guy for trying to max out his star player, while there are only two NBA players that he represents. The other one is only going to make about $3M next year, our very own Trevor Ariza. If he improves his jump shot and stays healthy, I wonder what Lee will be asking next year…

I am happy for the Clippers. I have always liked getting a discount for my Lakers tickets, by going to the game when it says Clippers on their floor.

Comment by S.Nicholson — July 2, 2008 @ 12:21 pm

Just wondering: anyone have a reasonable idea when we should hear about a potential Sasha or Turiaf deal? Do we assume no news just means they’re taking their time working things out? I know this isn’t exactly “Countdown 2004: Will Kobe Resign with the Lakers?” but it’s summer, baseball isn’t even at the all-star break, and…….

Comment by phineas — July 2, 2008 @ 12:23 pm

Kemp close to NBA deal with Lakers
=====================
Staff report • July 2, 2008
Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this?
Marcelus Kemp is close to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent said Tuesday.
Kemp, a former Nevada shooting guard, was not selected in the NBA draft last week.
“We haven’t closed on a deal,” agent John Grieg said. “We are essentially headed that route with the Lakers, but I really can’t discuss it at the moment.”
Grieg said a deal should be finalized in the next 10 days to two weeks.
“The Lakers have liked him and have been watching him for a while,” Grieg said. “They’re feeling fortunate to get him where they have, in a sense. He’ll leave on Sunday to head to L.A. to begin his journey.
“He fits in with their kind of style. The triangle (offense) is a multipurpose guard format. I think he can fit in well with that.”
Grieg said Kemp, who is from Seattle and did not immediately return a call seeking comment, made a strong impression on NBA teams.
http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080702/SPORTS06/807020451/1018/SPORTS

Comment by Gr8dunk — July 2, 2008 @ 12:27 pm

All this speculation is getting ridiculous. You are all talking as if the Lakers just lost in the 1st round of the playoffs or something. Seriously? Stop with all the crazy talk…PLEASE!

Doesn’t anybody want to see how the Lakers will fare the way they’re constructed right now…but with a healthy Bynum? Anybody? Bueller?

Comment by Paydawg — July 2, 2008 @ 12:36 pm

Paydawg,
Those of us who think the team is fine the way it is - pretty much - are generally not saying much about trades, just options. Many people just can’t avoid continuously looking in the cookie jar. Of course that’s how most of us get all our cavities, but that never seems to stop us.

Comment by Craig W. — July 2, 2008 @ 12:41 pm

Look, I think KWAME is a space-cadet (moreso than VLAD) and he has some of the worst offensive abilities in the league. At 25, he has been given too many chances and disappointed time and time again.

HOWEVER, he is a strong post defender, something the Lakers sorely lacked in the post season. If he gets no other offers, I say offer him the Bi-Annual Exception for $1.8 million as a defensive bigman. Gotta be better than MIHM.

Comment by ERIC — July 2, 2008 @ 12:56 pm

I agree lets see the improvement of the young guys if Farmar improves at the same rate he did last summer and Ariza works on his shot …we should be fine. i love Posey’s game …he scared me most on the celts .IF we trade Odom has to be a great deal his expiring contract is too valuable …plus he would be a great 6th man with his versatlity …

Comment by killakobe81 — July 2, 2008 @ 12:59 pm

78. For a second there, I thought the Lakers had signed SHAWN Kemp. Lol!

Comment by anoni — July 2, 2008 @ 1:00 pm

I also agree Kwame could be better than Mbenga or Mihm plus we dont know how health bynum is

Comment by killakobe81 — July 2, 2008 @ 1:00 pm

Plus we have Gasol bynum or bacup should be all about defense ..if Kwame ever embraced that role he could contribute to a winner

Comment by killakobe81 — July 2, 2008 @ 1:02 pm

Unless Mihm is not recovered from his injury, I don’t see the point in signing Kawame. When they were both healthy Chris outplayed Kwame and started in front of him.

Comment by Craig W. — July 2, 2008 @ 1:03 pm

Talk of Kwame baffles me. Completely.

Comment by wondahbap — July 2, 2008 @ 1:10 pm

Lakers top FA priorities:

1. Posey
2. If no Posey, Pietrus
3. Vet Big Man
4. Shooters: Barry, Jones, etc.

Comment by SC — July 2, 2008 @ 1:15 pm

The Warriors management isn’t exactly stellar, but they have some reasonable long-term options in light of the Davis situation. If they bite the bullet and offer Monta Ellis a market value long-term deal, they can let a few of their mediocre players walk after this year, draft high in the lottery and turn themselves into free agent players next summer (which will be a good time to have available money on hand). It’s not the worst cards a team could be dealt, but I have little confidence in the organization to see it through.

Comment by DMo — July 2, 2008 @ 1:32 pm

What’s crazy when you think about the Warriors is that now they have let Gilbert Arenas and Barron Davis get away with nothing in return. How do you let that happen?

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 1:37 pm

Perhaps what defines the Warriors FO failures is that they gamble on the players resigning (like most other clubs), but also insult them on the way out with low ball offers - increasing the odds the player will not decide to stay and take more money in the short term.

Comment by Craig W. — July 2, 2008 @ 1:45 pm

Antwan Jaminson too.

The Warriors managment has simply been terrible. Chris Mullin is arguably the new most incompetent GM now that Thomas and Knight are gone.

And its not like they’ll have significant cap room next year as Monta and Biedrins will be getting good paydays. They’ll probably also pay Azabuke, further taking up cap space. Can you say they are better than the Kings or Wolves? Or have more promise than the ?Griz or Sonics? I am not sure that the answer to either is yes.

Comment by TCO — July 2, 2008 @ 1:49 pm

The mid level exception is a big deal for the Lakers this year.

See my post and the posts of others about Salary Cap realities and Laker future choices. Think again about signing a free agent for as much as $6 million–at least until the Lakers deal with their priorities.

Lakers top free agent priorities:

1. Sasha
2. Ronny

Mbenga is now unrestricted
Ira Newble is unrestricted

Only one of these slots is likely to be filled by a free agent any time soon–and not for big bucks.

Things change if Sasha and/or Ronny come in dramatically over budget and are allowed to sign with another team–but that seems unlikely.

Comment by drrayeye — July 2, 2008 @ 2:00 pm

Brent Barry, huh? I say do it for the all-legacy team:

Kobe (Jelly Bean)
Luke (Bill Walton)
Coby (George Karl)
Brent (Rick Barry)

Comment by Don Ford — July 2, 2008 @ 2:03 pm

Hey Don Ford,
You effectively got traded for James Worthy. Sort of the Kwame Brown of the 80’s. Of course the league finally had to implement a restriction on trading away 1st round draft choices just to reign in your owner, but what the heck.

Comment by Craig W. — July 2, 2008 @ 2:16 pm

(94) Don, is this an indirect trade suggestion for Mike Dunleavy to make it a quintet?

Comment by drrayeye — July 2, 2008 @ 2:18 pm

79. i’m with you till the end, paydawg. but adding one cheap piece wouldn’t hurt me. but what can we afford? not adding one would be fine too, i guess.

Comment by the other Stephen — July 2, 2008 @ 2:39 pm

What about Quentin Ross or Mickael Pietrus as FA signings for the Lakers? Both can shoot the 3 and play defense. We don’t need much but I think either could be a great fit for a decent price.

Comment by Pig Miller — July 2, 2008 @ 2:46 pm

To be fair to Warriors’ management, a lot of that was just pretty bad luck. Look at the contracts Cardinal and Dampier came away and you could argue they were lucky to have dodged those bullets. Arenas was a very unlucky situation, and you have to give them at least a little credit for having picked him in the first place (and Monta). And it’s hard to criticize them too harshly for low-balling Baron when similar negotiation strategies saved them from overypaying Barnes, Pietrus, and even Nelson for that matter. That the Clippers materialized suddenly with capspace was hard to see coming because few saw Brand opting out. They’ve had plenty of mistakes and bad contracts in the past, but they did a pretty marvelous job in the past couple years making up for those mistakes, particularly the awesome Jackson/Harrington trade that made last year’s magical playoff run possible.

Also, count me in the group that loves hearing updates about the Summer League. I know it might not mean much (or anything) in the long run, but I’m excited about watching Marcellus and Crawford for a few weeks. Last summer’s team was pretty boring in comparison to how this year’s looks to be shaping up.

Finally, why are people not higher on trying to bring back Mo? His 3pt shooting is just as good as Posey’s, he might not be quite as good a defender, but his chemistry with our bench guys was great, and he’s younger and will be much much cheaper. I have no idea if he’d consider returning, but I definitely hope we try at least.

Comment by carter blanchard — July 2, 2008 @ 2:50 pm

Carter, I’ll be doing a bunch of Summer League stuff. I love it too, I just wish I could get out to Vegas for it (man, I miss it being in LB). Now I need to depend on NBA TV.

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 3:00 pm

Boy….did you see that Golden State is offering up a max contract to Elton Brand? Sweet Revenge!!

Comment by Paydawg — July 2, 2008 @ 3:13 pm

(99) Carter,

I can’t imagine the Lakers forgetting Mo Evans. He did very well for Orlando last year. If Sasha gets too expensive, Mo may get his job back.

Comment by drrayeye — July 2, 2008 @ 3:28 pm

I think the Brand offering just shows that GS reacts to things and doesn’t have a proactive strategy. Brand doesn’t fit Nellie’s style and seems to be a post-Nellie move. Yes, we should give them credit for drafting well, but…

I would have thought the GM would have had a conditional trade worked out in case Davis opted out. That way they wouldn’t have lost the $10M trade exemption - or was that invalid on 30 June when Barron chose to opt out?

Remember Mitch had been talking to Memphis for a year prior to the Gasol trade and it went through very quickly after Bynum was injured, in part because of this.

Comment by Craig W. — July 2, 2008 @ 3:38 pm

I don’t blame the W’s too much for Arenas’ departure because they were pretty much handcuffed by the rules in place. Based off his status as a 2nd rd. pick, they had only had him for 2 seasons and thus only held his “Early Bird” rights. In that scenario, they could only offer him a deal at around the mid-level exception and weren’t allowed to go over the cap to re-sign him while any team with the salary cap space could offer him much more. I think they even restructured how 2nd round picks’ contracts are written to make sure that this didn’t happen again and it’s hence been called the “Arenas Rule” in some articles that I’ve read.

But as for the other low-ball offers, I totally blame their FO. Baron leaving is all on them. They could have negotiated with high dollars/low years and tried to get it done that way, but from all the reports/rumors that I read, they were trying to lowball him AND make it a 5 year deal. I don’t know how they expected him to react when not only are they offering short cash, but doing it when he’s 29 and having him be 34 at the end with no way to really recoup the money he’d have left on the table. And while lowballing Barnes and Pietrus may have kept them on the team, it also made them disgruntled and now those 2 are destined to leave as well and they’ll see nothing in compensation for letting them go either. On Barnes, that’s kind of understandable in that they took a FA flyer on him and it paid off. But Pietrus was a first round pick who actually played well for them and is a player that can help them. To alienate him with poor offers and then refusing to deal him to a team that would pay him is just bad business (in that other guys notice how you treat your players). So while I’m sure they can find a silver lining with some cap space or rationalize this with more money for Ellis/Biedrins, I don’t envision any FA coming to the W’s with a shady front office and a coaching situation that’s in flux. I just remember all the reports after Dunleavy and Murphy re-upped and how the FO was saying that “these are our guys” only to turn around and deal them when Nellie said they were trash. I could go on forever about this, but lets just say, I’m not impressed with what they’re doing in my backyard with the pro hoops team…

Comment by Darius — July 2, 2008 @ 3:39 pm

The ‘talking heads’ are now playing the what if Brand leaves game - as if this entire scenario wasn’t orchestrated by his agent (David Faulk). These people really don’t have a clue.

Comment by Craig W. — July 2, 2008 @ 3:40 pm

Has there been any update on the Asian guy the lakers took in the second round last year? Is he supposed to come over anytime soon?

Comment by Brimshine — July 2, 2008 @ 3:42 pm

106. Mitch said all the right things about wanting to sign him a few days ago. Now, whether he really meant that or not…..

We’ll get a chance to see Sun in the Olympics playing for China. For most of us, that will be the first chance to see him in real action.

Comment by Kurt — July 2, 2008 @ 3:44 pm

Kurt-I would rather watch replays of Tim Thomas’ 3pter in Game 6 than the ESPYs.

Its good to be a Laker fan, we can just hang back and let teams scramble, while we tinker if we wish to. I would seriously think about letting Turiaf walk though, if a team (like Utah) offers more than 2.5-3 million. I would turn my attention to Craig Smith, who is stronger and a more physical presence. However, I think Ronny will want to stay, and Sasha as well.

As far as Drew, we have to wait and see, then we can talk extension

Posey-This guy was my dream….last summer, we missed the boat on that, unless the C’s get Maggettee and we (Dr. Buss) decides to pay the tax, big-time.

Clippers (with Baron and Brand) are still only a bottom-half playoff team and that is assuming good health. Also, if Baron got tired of Don Nelson, wow, he will hate Dunleavy by December

Comment by kwame a. — July 2, 2008 @ 4:08 pm

Kurt,

Federer is playing great tennis right now. I wouldn’t mind seeing Nadal win, but I wouldn’t bet against Federer either. But Nadal is in really great form too.

How’s that for hedging your bets?

One more round to go and then perhaps a real classic on Sunday. If Nadal and Federer meet in the final, it will be historic (either Roger breaks Borg’s record of 5 straight Wimbledons, or Nadal breaks the streak).

The Federer/Nadal rivalry (3 straight years of French/Wimbledon finals) is putting the Sampras/Agassi rivalry to shame.

Comment by inwit — July 2, 2008 @ 4:12 pm

I am interested in the details of the Seattle settlement. Its a real shame what is happening to that city. If the Lakers were taken away Los Angeles would riot like no other.

Comment by Brian P. — July 2, 2008 @ 5:08 pm

Kurt, I hope you will offer medium sizes (of the shirts) for the kids of the FB&G commenters.

Comment by sT — July 2, 2008 @ 5:37 pm

Seattle news….

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3471503

Very sad. Looks like I’ll be heading to Portland twice next year…

Comment by beyondblue — July 2, 2008 @ 5:40 pm

Why don’t we sign Kwame again and then trade him for Dwight Howard this time? haha

Comment by Jai — July 2, 2008 @ 6:01 pm

Anyone has a suggestion to what the Sonic’s new name is going to be when they move to OKC. The only saving grace of the settlement was that Seattle keeps the Sonic name and the team colors.

Comment by Bernie — July 2, 2008 @ 6:03 pm

(114) Off the top of my head:

Okies

Outlaws

Carpetbaggers

Stealaways

Subsonics

Comment by drrayeye — July 2, 2008 @ 6:33 pm

Unless they uproot the grass at Wimbledon and fill the court with clay, I like Federer over Nadal in the final.

Comment by DMo — July 2, 2008 @ 6:57 pm

Every Laker fan should justifiably be scared of an injured Bynum getting a max contract. (Injured 7-footers don’t seem to bounce back all that well, do they?) The problem is, big, young, athletic centres aren’t exactly falling off trees. He looks like an All-Star talent. There are plenty of shite teams in the league who will be willing to take a max contract punt on his potential, which could force our hand.
All y’all talking about trading Pau Gasol need your heads checked. Show some freakin’ gratitude. OK, he’s not as good as KG, clearly, but he’s pretty damn good - good enough to help us waltz past the Spurs.
We hadn’t even won a playoff series since Shaq left until Pau arrived. That was one of our greatest trades of all time and he’s a perfect fit for Kobe and Lamar. I love Lamar too, he’d a matchup nightmare (just ask Utah), but he could be gone next season.

Comment by Kevin — July 2, 2008 @ 7:01 pm

The most pressing issue now is what you do with Odom, not whether you give Bynum the max. Bynum is going to get a max contract regardless of whether the Lakers extend him now or wait until next summer. We need to find out how Odom, Bynum, and Gasol play together. Mitch must wait until January to make that decision, because if the front line has trouble then Odom is the most tradeable asset at the deadline.

Comment by Lilfella — July 2, 2008 @ 7:03 pm

I’m a Laker fan, not a Sonics fan, but following all that’s happened to them over the past two+ years by the owners, the city officials, and the NBA - it’s just heartbreaking to watch. That along with Donaghy has drastically reduced the appeal of the NBA to me. Of course I’ll still watch games, esp Laker games (won’t miss one if I can help it), but I do wish a curse or something like that on the OKC team so long as Bennett owns it. And obviously I hope the Lakers crush them every time we play, but there’s nothing unique about that.

But as much as I get annoyed by Bennett, the Shultz/Nickles/Stern collective come off as villainous as Bush/Cheney/Rove (with apologies to Kurt for politics in the forum). The NBA needs to retool it economic model, which I’d be happy to delve into and give my thoughts on, but that’d be way too cumbersome. I will say this though, any team in any city that requires public financing for arenas is at risk of the same thing happening and since half the teams or so don’t make a profit, it’s unlikely that any of those teams’ owner(s) will want to put up such an investment all on their own.

Comment by Derek — July 2, 2008 @ 7:08 pm

I’m not ecstatic with how Game 6 of the Finals went.

But… the Lakers only lost 1 game at home throughout the entire playoffs. (OK, so Atlanta can make the same claim, but we played Utah, San Antonio, Denver and Boston).

We finished top of the toughest Western Conference EVER.

We were favoured by many to beat Boston. A little more luck and we could’ve won Game 1,2 and 4. (Damn, Game 4 hurt - it really, really hurt).

DON’T BREAK UP THE LAKERS. THEY’RE NOT BROKEN.

We are about to kick off another dynasty - another three-peat of Championships. 2009, 2010, 2011 are all Laker banners.

We will have three guys on the All Star team this year.
We are a lock for the best record in the NBA and home court throughout the playoffs.
We were way ahead of the curve to win the West and even make the Finals after not even winning a playoff series in 4 years.

Show your team some love !!!

Comment by Kevin — July 2, 2008 @ 7:13 pm

With Baron and Brand do they have to change the team’s name to Los Angeles Cripples?

Comment by Pipo — July 2, 2008 @ 7:25 pm

The owners of sports teams want, repeat want, public financing of all stadiums. This is one of the big reasons LA cannot get an NFL team. The owners can make more money if this is the case.

Then they also want to dictate to the city when to build a new stadium. After 14 yrs with no NFL team I can say I miss them not one bit - screw the NFL. I can see better games every Sunday than I could before our teams left - I am happier and will not vote for any stadium to be funded with public money in LA.

This is my position with any sports t