UPDATE: I just got back from the Summer Pro League kickoff press conference where little happened, but there is this quote from Mitch Kupchak:
“We hope to add a player in the next week or so in our backcourt, and it won’t be a young player.”
He emphasized something similar later. Also, in regards to J.R. Pinnock, Mitch called him potentially a poor man’s Byron Scott (not in those words), but said he will have a hard time cracking the already full Laker roster.
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Some more news and notes as we wait for Summer League to tip off…
• It’s not a perfect system, but one great thing about the NBA’s deal with the union is the rookie pay structure — no holdouts, no huge deals just because you got drafted. If you’re LeBron or Wade or Bosh you will get paid because you earned it, but there are no Ryan Leaf deals that cap strap a team because of a rookie deal.
I thought of that when I saw the Lakers inked Jordan Farmar — he’s guaranteed $1.9 million total for the next two seasons, then the Lakers have a one-year option at $1.1 million for 08-09 and then another one year for $1.9 million for 09-10. If he performs, he’ll get paid after that. (Not that $1.9 mil isn’t getting paid by my standards.)
• By the way, it’s funny when the Lakers put in the official press release on the Farmar signing that “Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.†This is a rookie deal with the amounts basically dictated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. There are no secrets, why not just put the numbers in the release? Plus, the numbers get made public as the season wears on for all deals. There are things in the world worth keeping secret, but when you try to keep everything secret you look like you’re hiding something. (That’s all the basketball talk with political overtones here for today.)
• Really, there can’t be enough good Laker voices and blogs out there, so it’s good to see a new one with a great name out there — The Jello is Jiggling.
• By the way, you all know Roland Lazenby has a blog, right? Great stuff from maybe the best Laker writer, including details on what seemed obvious if you watched Phil Jackson on the bench this season — his hip is bothering him.
• I guess I’m rooting for France Sunday. My reasoning is this — the Italians play such a defensive, often dull, brand of soccer. I’d rather have the guys with the great midfielder and striker win, not the great goaltender. But what I really want is a great match.
• With the signing of Radmanovic, the odds of Cook being involved in any trades went up.
go0db0i says
Hello All – I will try and make it out to the SPL this year – does anybody have the laker schedule? If so, please email me the schedule or post a link. Email: kelee2283@yahoo.com
ian says
Bill Simmon’s just released his 40 most untradeable players. I found his comment that Kobe needed 505 more shots to to average 6 more points than Gilbert Arenas somewhat perplexing. Since that translates to roughly 6 shots a game, which would mean he was scoring with a 50% clip. Which last time I checked was a good shooting percentage.
Dennis_D says
The CBA specifies a rookie salary and a rookie can sign for 80-120% of that amount. See the fourth paragraph of http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#41
kwame a. says
hey kurt, im with you france, not only does itlay play a boring style, they also beat ghana.
i’d trade cook for a pick in next year’s deep draft to clear some clutter off this roster
quick question: WHY HASNT LEBRON SIGNED HIS EXTENSION. i wish he just would, so i could stop with this ridiculous dream of a bynum, kwame, lebron, kobe, farmar starting lineup in two seasons
Kurt says
4. The best theory I have heard is that “LeBron likes drama.” I still think he stays but he likes the big splash of making people wait then doing a big press conference. Not sure if that holds water, but it makes more sense to me than trying to move to Chicago/LA/NY.
Kurt says
By the way, my thoughts on what Mitch said at the press conference: It struck me as if he was thinking of someone specific. Maybe that is someone for the LLE, or maybe it is a trade (or sign-and-trade) that can’t happen until after the signing day of July 12. That is some specularion, however.
kwame a. says
i sincerely hope it is NOT SHAMMOND WILLIAMS!
kwame a. says
also, we damn well better keep pinnock, we traded a pick in a deeper draft for the 58th pick, so i hope that mitch saw something worth keeping, probably means bye bye to devin green and von wafer. hey, picture the spl games with those three on the same team all knowing theyre playing for eachothers jobs, should be entertaining
kwame a. says
now if its someone else, tony delk or even, gasp, doug christie, ill be happier
Kurt says
What about Lindsay Hunter? Old, hasn’t played a lot in recent years, but still a good on-bal defender.
kwame a. says
kurt, how appropriate you speak of secrecy, and then bam, mitch alludes to a signing he will divulge no details about
LakerS says
When Mitch said we would like to add a VET Pg, what sense did you get? you think we can possibly S&T?
Kevin Pelton says
Kurt, that “team policy” business isn’t really team policy. Teams are prohibited by the league from disclosing their players’ salaries.
The league lays out the ground rules (rookie contracts, mid-level exceptions) but not the specific contracts, which, as noted above, can go 20% up or down from the baseline.
Kurt says
12. I’m not sure what he meant, save to say the way he said “old” did not imply Marcus Banks. I fear it will be Tony Delk or Lindsay Hunter for the bi-anual. Both of those guys are at best players who should be coming off the bench and we need a starter. Neither has played starters minutes in years (or for Delk, ever). So, I’m hoping for the sign-and-trade, or that there is something I’m not seeing out there.
MC says
Kurt, not sure if you saw the trade scenarios on my site, but I think that two potential Laker PG acquisitions could be Antonio Daniels or my personal favorite Earl Watson.
k_swagger8 says
How about trading cook, or mihm and cook, or mihm cook and george for a sign and trade to toronto for mike james? then use the LLE on either antonio davis, Mourning or othella harrington?
Giopurle says
hopefully the new guard will be a defensive-minded tough guy like Antonio Daniels, Earl Watson or Marcus Banks… those are acquisitions which would make sense. Hoopsworld’s Steve Kyler is saying we might get someone through a sign-and-trade involving Devean George. That would be great as it would allow the lakers to keep Chris Mihm and have a deep frontcourt.
Just can’t agree with you Kurt on soccer issues… just don’t underestimate Italy’s midfielders and forwards… (we have 3 great strikers on the bench named: Gilardino, Inzaghi and Del Piero) anyway we are not bothered to be considered a maily built-on-defense team… as long as “Defense wins you championships… offense sells tickets”… Really need revenge on France… FORZA AZZURRI.