Archives For Trades

Report: Lakers Acquire Steve Nash

Darius Soriano —  July 4, 2012

Exclamation Point.

ESPN is reporting that Steve Nash will be traded to the Lakers for multiple future draft picks:

In an unforeseen twist that could thrust the Los Angeles Lakers straight back into title contention, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash has successfully negotiated a sign-and-trade deal from the Phoenix Suns to the Los Angeles Lakers that will team him up with Kobe Bryant, according to sources with knowledge of the deal.

The report further states that Nash will sign a 3 year contract worth $25 million, with the Lakers absorbing his salary into the trade exception received in the Lamar Odom trade.

We’ll have further analysis about this trade a bit later but my initial thought is to simply say WOW. The Lakers nabbed a future hall of famer to play PG for them, a player that possesses the exact skill set that they seek. Nash is a pass first player who’s one of the best shooters of all time. Teaming him with offensive players the caliber of Kobe, Bynum, and Gasol instantly makes the Lakers – on paper – one of the best offensive teams that should be able to play fast or slow depending on who is flanking Nash.

More to come later, but right now what’s clear is that the Lakers wanted to get the fireworks started early on this July 4th.

In Laker News, Trades
permalink

Is Dwight Howard Really An Option? Yes And No.

Darius Soriano —  July 2, 2012

Free Agency has begun and with it, the rumor mill is running at full speed. The Lakers haven’t been active in the sense that they’ve gotten anyone to agree to a contract, but they’re reportedly showing interest in several players – both their own and ones from other teams.

This activity shouldn’t surprise anyone – the Lakers need to improve – and with their limited resources a shotgun approach that canvases the league in search of upgrades is one way to try to fill those holes. Plus, Mitch Kupchak has expressed his desire to hit a homerun this off-season and that requires aggression.

The player whose acquisition would most equate to hitting it out of the park is Dwight Howard. On Friday he met with the Magic’s GM and reiterated the fact that he’d like to be traded. Reports then put the Lakers in the conversation as one of the teams that would like to trade for him. However, since then, reports also state that he only wants to be traded to one team – the Brooklyn Nets – and that they’re the only team he’d commit to long term (either through a contract extension or as a FA when his contract expires). So, this would theoretically put the Lakers out of the equation. After all, if he won’t sign a contract extension with the Lakers (or re-sign with them after next season), the point is moot.

Theoretically.

Long story short, the team that owns Dwight’s Bird Rights is the team that will have the inside track to keeping him long term. The CBA has effectively done two things concerning player movement: First is that it’s made extending current contracts less lucrative than becoming a full fledged free agent and then using your Bird Rights to re-sign with your current team. Second, the CBA has made the difference in Bird Rights contracts and non-Bird Rights contracts bigger, meaning it’s more lucrative than ever before to stay on with the team that holds those rights.

If you had any doubts about this, look at Deron Williams’ stance right now. He’s reportedly deciding between staying in Brooklyn or leaving to play in Dallas. The difference in the contracts the Nets can offer versus the one the Mavs can offer is an extra year and roughly $25 million. Even though a star player can recoup that extra year in his next contract, the proverbial bird in the hand of that extra money and year right now is going to be appealing to any player. Which would explain the reports that Williams is leaning towards staying in Brooklyn.

As for Dwight, what further makes his proclamations about being all in for the Nets complicated is the fact that the Nets are reportedly interested in acquiring other players whose contracts will effectively remove their cap space moving forward. They’ve already inked Gerald Wallace to stay on for the next four years (at $10 million a year) and have Luis Scola and/or Joe Johnson on their radar as well. If either of those deals were to go through, there’s a strong possibility that the Nets wouldn’t have the cap space to sign Dwight outright next off-season. Said another way, if Brooklyn really is Dwight’s preferred destination the need to get there now via trade is very important because getting there as a free agent next summer may not be possible unless he takes less than the max (and potentially way less).

All these potential issues conspire to give Dwight’s next team (even if it’s not the Nets) the leg up in keeping him long term, making the prospect of a Howard rental less daunting. That said, should a team still take that risk?

Last off-season I examined a potential trade for Dwight and all of those positives remain true today. While I remain a Bynum believer – his skill set, size, and improvement trajectory are all impressive – there’s no question that Dwight is the better player. If player A is a multi time all-star, 1st team all-NBA performer, top 5 MVP finisher, and 3 time DPOY while player B is a one time all star and has made the all-NBA 2nd team once, there’s no debate.

But even with all these factors potentially making a Dwight acquisition more than a worthwhile risk, the question still remains if the Lakers should make their push to get the best big man in the game. And that’s where things get murkier. Howard is currently recovering from back surgery – which is still a very big question mark for a player whose athleticism contributes to so much of his success. His recent PR gaffes speak to a person who either gets bad advice or has a hard time sticking to decisions he makes. We often vent about Bynum’s maturity issues, but it seems Howard has some of his own and he’s an even longer tenured player with more experience dealing with the demands of being an NBA superstar. When you combine these factors with his strong intimations that he’d prefer to play in Brooklyn long term (and, by inference, not in Los Angeles) those are a lot of variables to overlook if making him a priority acquisition.

How the Lakers weigh the pros and cons of trying to go after Howard aren’t known. Are they dissuaded enough by him preferring to ply his trade in New York? Does his back worry them? What about his recent run of regrettable flip-flops? Or, maybe they trust in their franchise history and the fact that they’d be able to offer the most money next off-season. Most free agents look at two things: where the most money is and what’s the best situation. When the former is in the Lakers’ favor, it’s been some time since the latter wasn’t also right at (or above) any other teams’ status.

My gut tells me Dwight finds a way to get where he wants. Superstars normally do. But the Lakers must still have the discussion as Dwight’s that good a player and having him means you have one of the best 5 players in the league. That can’t be ignored.

In NBA general, Trades
permalink

Saying Goodbye To A Favorite

Darius Soriano —  March 15, 2012

It’s never easy saying goodbye to one of your favorite players. When you root for a team, certain players become more than a jersey, their stats, or even their contributions. They’re more than someone you hope succeeds on the court. They become, even if it’s patently illogical, part of your extended family.

This is how I’ve felt about Derek Fisher.

Through the years, D-Fish has provided me with some of my most memorable moments as a Lakers fan. The countless big shots. The moments where he’d rise to the occasion where many others would wilt. The times where he’d gather his guys in the huddle and inspire his teammates with words that only come natural to people that are born leaders. This was Derek Fisher I rooted for.

When you think about it, Fisher is one of the more unique players in recent history. He was never the best player on the team, but he was respected like he was. He was never the most skilled player but he had a knack for making the right play at the right time. He willed himself to becoming a contributing player on multiple championship teams through hard work and desire.

He became a player that superstars looked to for guidance but role players saw as one of their own. He was part player, part coach. Part clutch performer and part motivational speaker. He was an iron man on the court (not missing a game in 6 straight seasons and counting) and iron willed off it. Competitive as all get out and willing to do whatever necessary to win. This endeared him to his teammates and Lakers’ fans, despised by other fanbases, but respected all the same.

During this past off-season, he led the players union with dignity and dogged determination. He spoke of sticking together, of fighting for what was fair, and for not backing down in the face of what would surely be a deal that would be remembered as a defeat. He did this not because he necessarily wanted to, but because he was chosen to by his peers. Chosen to represent all players as the head of their union and fight for their interests.Gaining such respect doesn’t just happen on accident. It happens because of an abundance of character and leadership ability. Players from opposing teams and those that shared a locker room with him saw these qualities in him.

He was yin to Kobe’s yang of leadership style. The one that could smooth off the rough edges of a biting critique. The person that could turn a harsh phrase into a useful plan of attack to implement in the next game, on the next possession. And now, with him gone. A void must be filled. Who steps in at this point is anyone’s guess. Maybe Gasol – a player of long tenure and equal thoughtfulness is the guy. Maybe Bynum’s youthful honesty and emerging game will command the respect of his peers. And, of course, Mike Brown and Kobe will need to step in and be the guides that move this team forward.

Of course Fisher had his flaws. I mean, he’s been replaced in the lineup for real reasons and some other Laker will be looked to fill in what was missing from his game; to provide what he wasn’t in tangible production. But right now, it’s not really about harping on what he wasn’t and more about appreciating him for what he was and what he did provide. Which, for the time he wore a Lakers uniform was so much more good than bad.

It will be strange not having Fisher around. He was, for all intents and purposes, the definition of a professional. And I, for one, will miss him dearly. Though I’m sure I’m not alone there.

In Laker News, Trades
permalink

Changing Of The Guard: Lakers Acquire Sessions, Trade Fisher

Darius Soriano —  March 15, 2012

The trade deadline has come and gone and it’s bitter-sweet to be sure as the Lakers added a player that should help them a great deal but traded a player that has meant so much to their organization for so long.

In a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Lakers acquired the point guard help they’ve sought, adding Ramon Sessions. Sessions has a variety of useful skills that will help this team. He’s a penetrating guard that can work in the pick and roll both as a set up man and as a finisher. When he turns the corner he’s a threat to get all the way to the rim to finish and that skill alone means the defense will need to make hard choices in terms of helping, especially those players guarding Pau and/or Bynum. He’s also a very good passer that reads plays ahead of time, meaning he rewards his teammates that move off the ball and dash into open space by hitting them on time with passes that allow them to finish easily. Basically, he’s a PG in the truest sense and for a team that’s moved to a more traditional offense this season, his skill set is a nice match for this team.

Of course, Sessions isn’t the perfect player and there’s a reason the Lakers could get him in the deal they did. Though he’s making over 40% of his three pointers this season, historically his jumper is shaky. If teams don’t respect his ability to hit the open J, the already dicey spacing exhibited on many Laker possessions will only be worse. This can be off-set somewhat by his ability to attack off the dribble because when defenses don’t close out he can hurt them but getting into paint or forcing help when he puts the ball on the floor, but he’ll need to make defenses pay with his jumper to truly be the player the Lakers need on offense. Defensively, his reputation is also of someone that doesn’t have good instincts and will make mistakes on that side of the floor. He’s not known to navigate screens well and his thin frame allows him to be overpowered by stronger guards. Of course, defending the elite class of PG’s in this league is a team effort and if Sessions can be brought up to speed on that side of the floor he may end up being a neutral defender. Which, if he’s helping on offense as much as he’s capable of, will be a net positive in the end.

Where Sessions acquisition would have caused the most issues was how he got integrated into a lineup that already had Derek Fisher and Steve Blake at his position. By my math, without trading or demoting one of those players, the Lakers had one PG too many and would need to sort that out. The Lakers, though, must have been thinking the same thing when right before the trade deadline came to pass it was announced that the team traded Derek Fisher and the Mavericks 1st round pick acquired in the Odom trade to the Rockets for PF/C Jordan Hill.

At this point, it’s safe to assume that the Lakers simply did not want to deal with the politics of demoting Fisher, a player whose voice is respected in the lockerroom and who provided leadership as both a veteran and a champion. Fisher is a prideful player and while his play has been in decline, he was still a key figure that his team rallied around when times got hard. With Sessions now in the fold and Steve Blake not dealt away, Fisher suddenly became the least productive player in a three man PG rotation and would have surely been the player whose minutes got cut.

But how do you ease him out of the lineup? How do you tell one of your leaders that his time as an on court performer is up and that he must recede to background while other, younger options take his minutes and his role? The fact is that for a first year coach and someone that doesn’t have nearly the clout in the locker room as the player he’d be demoting, there’s no good way to do this. At least not one that doesn’t risk a divided locker room with players potentially taking sides. The easiest thing to do, then, is to trade that player away and save yourself the difficult conversation and potential repercussions of demotion.

And so, the Lakers have traded away one of their leaders. Derek Fisher contributed to 5 championship teams. His shots against the Magic in game 4 of the 2009 Finals that forced overtime and then won the game will live forever. As will his game 3 performance against the Celtics a year later that clinched the game and put the Lakers up 2-1 in a Finals they ultimately won. Add in his historically hot shooting in 2001 that helped carry his team to an unprecedented 15-1 record in the playoffs and Fisher is a Laker legend. He’s on the Mt. Rushmore of Lakers role players. And now he’s headed to Houston for a serviceable big man.

There was a changing of the guard today for the Lakers. They’re probably better on paper than they’ve been in a year and a half and that’s certainly worth something. However, they’re certainly also lighter in the leadership department and definitely in the intangible qualities of having a guy on board that’s not only been there before but made sure the team left with the hardware. As I said earlier, it’s a bitter-sweet day to be a Lakers fan.

In Trades
permalink

It’s Deadline Day

Darius Soriano —  March 15, 2012

UPDATE: Well, the Lakers got the point guard they’ve been linked to for weeks, acquiring Ramon Sessions from the Cavs according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The deal also includes forward Christian Eyenga coming to the Lakers in exchange for Luke Walton and the Lakers 2012 1st round draft pick. (UPDATE #2: Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Jason Kapono was also part of this deal and is headed to Cleveland.) The inclusion of Walton means that the Lakers trade exception from the Lamar Odom trade is still intact and could be used in another deal before the trade deadline comes at noon PT today.

We’ll have more on this acquisition a bit later, but for now you can all feel good about this trade. Sessions is a solid PG that will help this Lakers team this season.

As an aside, my best wishes go out to Luke Walton. I know he’s been a whipping boy for years among the Lakers fan base. His salary was too high and his productivity too low. However, he was a pro’s pro and by all accounts a great teammate. His body betrayed him in recent seasons and injuries robbed him of having a more productive career. He was best suited to the Triangle offense but his instincts as a passer and his want to help his teammates get good shots always left a mark on me.

——————————————-

The trade deadline is finally here. Today is the day that all the rumors and whispers of deals come to fruition or whither on the vine and die. And we’ll be hear to cover the news the best we can.

From the Lakers side, we’ll see if any of the deals being speculated on actually happen. Reports still point to the Lakers having strong interest in both Michael Beasley and Ramon Sessions. To acquire Beasley, the  rumored deal is a three-team trade between the Lakers, Blazers, and Timberwolves where the principle players moving would be Steve Blake (to the Blazers), Jamal Crawford (to the T’Wolves), and Beasley (to the Lakers). What many aren’t mentioning is that this trade doesn’t work under the collective bargaining agreement unless the Lakers either include another player to match salaries or they absorb Beasley into the Lamar Odom TPE. I’d guess the Lakers would try to include more salary, as that would fit their m.o. of not wanting to take on additional payroll.

As for Sessions, the rumored deal is either a three team trade between the Lakers, Rockets, and Cavs where Jonny Flynn and draft picks would be on the move between the three teams with the Lakers landing Sessions or a straight up trade between the Lakers and Cavs in which the Lakers give up a first round pick for the Cavalier guard. Sessions’ ability to opt out of his contract at the end of this season complicates things as the Lakers may not bee keen on giving up a first round pick for a rental lasting through the end of the year. That said, if the team actually deals Blake in the aforementioned Beasley trade, they’ll need another PG on the roster by the end of the day.

Ultimately, though, these are all still just rumors. Whether or not the Lakers actually make a move remains to be seen. What we do know, however, is that there will be actual moves made today by other teams and we’ll be here to talk about those.

In Trades
permalink