In a move that is a salary dump, the Lakers have moved Vladimir Radmanovic to Charlotte. Here is the official announcement:
The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired forward Adam Morrison and guard Shannon Brown from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Vladimir Radmanovic, it was announced today.
Morrison, currently in his 3rd NBA season out of Gonzaga, was selected third overall by the Bobcats in the 2006 NBA Draft after earning unanimous First Team All-America honors and garnering multiple National Player of the Year awards his senior year. Named to the All-Rookie Second Team following the 2006-07 season, Morrison appeared in 78 games as rookie including 23 starts, averaging 11.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 29.8 minutes while earning T-Mobile Rookie of the Month honors for November 2006.
Missing the entire 2007-08 season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in an October 20 preseason game against the Lakers, Morrison has played in 44 games this season including five starts, averaging 4.5 points and 1.6 rebounds in 15.2 minutes with a high-game of 16 points November 11 vs. Denver.
Morrison is due the remainder of $4,159,200 this year and then $5,257,228 for next season. After that, the Lakers would have to pick up his option, something that is unlikely with Bynum’s new deal, plus potential deals for Ariza and Odom to be signed this offseason. Little used guard Brown has a one year deal for less than $800,000.
Radmanovic was due $6.5 million this year and next, and with the player option his deal went one year longer. Because the Lakers are in the luxury tax, this will save the team about $13 million.
This will not impact the Lakers on the floor, except during garbage time. Radmanovic could not crack the Lakers rotation, and he is an infinitely better player than Morrison. So far this season Morrison has a true shooting percentage of 45.2% (Radman is 60.4%), is shooting 33.7% from three (44.1%) and has a PER of 6 (11.8). Plus, at least by reputation, he is a considerably worse defender than Radmanovic.
As for Brown, well, if he couldn’t get off the bench behind Felton….
UPDATE: The official comments from Mitch:
“As the season wore on, it looked like Phil (Jackson) had settled into starting Luke (Walton) and bringing Trevor (Ariza) off the bench, and we are very pleased with both players. Vladi (Radmanovic) started the season (at small forward) and I thought he played well, but here it is early February and it looked like he wasn’t going to play much. You can tell by just watching and talking to Vladi that he did want to play, and he didn’t come here just to sit on the bench and collect a paycheck. So, part of the decision was to accommodate a player that wanted to play.
From our point of view we feel we pick up two players that are still young developing players (is valuable). As you know, Adam (Morrison) was their No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft and had an ACL injury against us last year. That injury takes more than a year (to recover from), so we think he would benefit from a situation that has less pressure, and our staff here in terms of our people downstairs medically and just a stable environment where he could progress and get back to where he was in college. Shannon Brown is a developing player as well – you may recall that he played really well against us in L.A. last week. So we picked up two players that have upside. If there was a third reason, we picked up some flexibility down the road with a shortened commitment versus Vladi’s (financial) commitment.”
# When asked if the Lakers were done on the trade front before the February 19 deadline, Kupchak responded in turn: “I wouldn’t say that I’m making a lot of calls. We have the best record in the league right now, we just had a great road trip and hopefully we can end it really strong tomorrow. The news on Andrew (Bynum) was not good, but it looks like he’ll have a better chance to return this year than he did last year, so I’m not sure we want to address anything more than continuing to win as many games as possible and hope to get Andrew back.
# More pointedly: “I don’t think there’s a deal out there that can make this a better team than the one we have or the one we potentially have.”
Goo says
I will now light my self on fire.
Anonymous says
I don’t like it.
emh101 says
Radmanovic was not being utilized and Morrison and Brown have potential. I think a very astute trade.
MannyP13 says
Am I crazy to think that this trade could also signal that the Lakers don’t think Bynum will be out the full 12 weeks?
Ryan says
I was a little confused at first with this deal, but when I looked at the numbers I think it is a good deal. As Craig W pointed out in the last thread, this will save the lakers approximately 13M after next year since they are in the luxury tax. Thats a lot of money, particularly when sales (merchandise) and advertising are down and likely to go down further over the next year or so.
The Joker says
This trade is on par with the Cook/Evans for Ariza trade last year. They shed some pretty heavy dead weight. I doubt Morrison or Brown will ever be significant pieces…but this trade is not about them. This trade is about signing Ariza and/or Odom in the offseason.
Craig W. says
Shannon Brown went to ‘underwater’ in Larry Brown’s doghouse last night. He used up 7 of the Bobcat’s last 10 seconds of game dribbling around, then tried a layup – it was blocked – when they needed 5pts quickly. I don’t think Phil will try to test out this guy on our team. Perhaps his only use would be to play when both Fish and Farmar are getting badly burned and he doesn’t want to use Kobe or Ariza on the PG – say Chris Paul anyone.
Adam Morrison is Vlade, only 2 inches shorter, and he doesn’t play the passing lanes as well. I just think Vlade plays much better when he starts and Phil sure as heck wasn’t going to start him on this team. Adam may be used to dump in 3ptrs when others are clogging the middle, but that’s about it.
Salary – pure and simple. We have more to spend on Lamar and Ariza.
Renato Afonso says
Space cadet had some problems, but he had length… He was useful… Don’t like it from a basketball point of view. Regarding salary, well, they know best…
The Dude Abides says
I like this deal. One more factor rendering Vlad superfluous is the team’s recent return to last year’s small lineup closing out certain games (Kobe at SF, Sasha at SG). I think Vlad will do well in Charlotte, as the Bobcats could use his outside shooting. It’s not like he’s been stinking up the court. He’s clearly the best player out of the three involved in this trade.
rhybread says
I think the inclusion of Shannon Brown is interesting. He hasn’t really shown much, but he’s played under some genius defensive coaches in Cleveland and Charlotte. He might just be another sleeper pick up like the Ariza trade was.
ANDRE says
I think it’s a good trade. You don’t need Vlad and Luke on the same team. Plus if it means we can keep odom and ariza long term I am all for it. We just have to hope that Sasha, our best 3 point shooter now stays healthy.
Archon says
I actually preferred Radmanovic over Walton until I saw the Celtic game and saw Walton do a reasonably good job on Pierce. My guess is that the staff and Kupchak noticed it too, and decided Walton was the guy.
CL says
I like how were saving money but i wish the players we got back were different. I keep thinking “would the Celtics get Morrison”? Hell no. We just got another softy :(. At the same time this gives us money to sign Ariza and Odom back and also Farmar in 2 years.
the other Stephen says
alright, how much playing time do you think the scrub with a moustache and the super athletic guard will get? between radmanovic and morrison, who’s worse on defense? i’m kind of intrigued by shannon and a number of his memorable dunks.
muddywood says
I think Adam Morrison will do well in The Triangle. He wouldn’t have to run around picks trying to get open and he wouldn’t have to try to create his own shot(which he can’t).
He will supply exactly what VladRad did. A spot up shooter to spread the floor that plays marginal D. And for less money.
Kurt says
Here’s a few numbers for you, just added this to the post:
This will not impact the Lakers on the floor, except during garbage time. Radmanovic could not crack the Lakers rotation, and he is an infinitely better player than Morrison. So far this season Morrison has a true shooting percentage of 45.2% (Radman is 60.4%), is shooting 33.7% from three (44.1%) and has a PER of 6 (11.8). Plus, at least by reputation, he is a considerably worse defender than Radmanovic.
As for Brown, well, if he couldn’t get off the bench behind Felton….
bruinsfan says
Just wanted to say that I am extremely disappointed that the picture was not one of Morrison on the floor crying.
We weren’t using Radman, and we’re not going to use Morrison. Good deal from the standpoint that we get money to spend on LO and Ariza, which is important.
Mimsy says
In terms of pure salary dump, we just saved a comparatively large amount of money by trading a player that has not had a lot of minutes in the past few games, and who generally did not help out at all on defense. So the cost-benefit analysis looks okay to me so far.
Plus, we will now have one of the more disturbing mustaches in the league on our bench. You just can’t argue with that.
The Joker says
You know who is smiling right now (besides me)?
Trevor Ariza
inwit says
Morrison is still very young and has not been in a situation where he could show what he could really do.
Or, he could be the next Keith Van Horn.
T34 says
Like it as far as salary stuff goes. Vlade will get a nice chance in Charlotte hopefully, although not sure how much Larry Brown will be able to handle form Vlade.
Who knows, maybe Morrison will catch fire over the next few weeks (although clearly its unlikely he’ll be getting much time).
exhelodrvr says
Morrison might still turn out to be a decent player. He did OK his rookie season, was out all last year with an injury; hasn’t really gotten back into the flow this season, which isn’t unusual following a major injury. He has the type of game that could fit well with this system, if it doesn’t pan out, then this is still a money-saver for the Lakers, and they don’t lose anything on the court. Brown – who knows. Could be a surprise, and if not, again – no loss to the Lakers. The Lakers don’t have a first round pick this season, do they?
JD says
Radman is the better player in the trade, but his problem is he shows up to play once every four games. No consistency whatsoever. I know Morrison and Brown are not much from a talent perspective, but at the very least at least it looks like we’ll be able to keep some of our better players. Shortening up the rotation can be a good thing as well. While Brown went nuts in a bad way last night, I hope we’ll be pleasantly surprised by him. Remember the Lakers were said to be coveting him when he came out of college.
Craig W. says
Over on the Charlotte Observer the fans are celebrating the trade – they finally got rid of Morrison – sound familiar???
Vlade is clearly the best player in this trade (as well as the most expensive) and he could find a home in Charlotte. Larry Brown will love his shooting and I think he will see more time – starting on Sunday night against the Heat, if everyone reports.
This could be a good trade for both teams – salary dump vs talent need. The only player I see possibly getting any time is Shannon Brown, because he allows Kobe to play more at the SF.
The Dude Abides says
Isn’t the Charlotte team blog Queen City Hoops in the TrueHoop network? I don’t see it in the blogroll column.
kwame a. says
Dude Abides makes a great point. This is important for salary cap implications for sure, but it defintely helps Sasha and stablizes the rotation until Drew is back.
Fish/Jordan/Brown
Kobe/Sasha/Brown
Walton/Ariza/Kobe/Morrison
LO/Powell
Gasol/Powell/Mihm
dxmanners says
Win-win trade. Vlad wasn’t playing anyway-Lakers get to dump some salary, get a big guard to play some D and maybe get Fish fewer minutes. Morrison? Who knows. Wouldn’t you be motivated coming here to play with a team on a mission, with Phil and Kobe? He still looks a bit unsure on that knee, could be a good spot up guy. Let’s be patient and give him a chance…..
the other Stephen says
say what you want, but i believe in shannon. he was getting a little burn at the beginning of the year, but dj augustin was also competing for minutes. well, we’ll see how he plays out.
Ben says
From a salary perspective this is a good deal. From a basketball perspective, Vlad is obviously the best of the three, but I can’t forget how Morrison was a scoring machine in college. The potential is there, but he has obviously not taken advantage of it (single-digit PERs in the last two seasons). Maybe a change of scenery will do him some good. If not, he’s gone next year, so this is a low-risk proposition.
specialM says
listen, ever since we lost ronny the quality and quantity of our bench cheering has dropped considerably. morrison is here to fill that gap while providing some much needed facial hair.
also, vlad was not playing. and was never going to. a few weeks ago kurt had a post where he asked members to throw out trade possibilities. I don’t remember seeing any trade involving vlad seeming even remotely likely due to his salary. this IS about all he is worth.
and for it’s worth, I think it’s a fine trade. morrison will at least add a dna-injection project for kobe. something to watch in the next year…
kwame a. says
Oh yea, Mitch is a straigh witch, dude really has become one of the premier GM’s in all of sports. I can’t believe I typed that.
beyondblue says
I thought “salary dump” as soon as I saw this trade.
I am still semi-intrigued, I don’t think Charlotte was a place where Morrison could have developed. If what we heard about him in college – great shooter, high basketball iq – is true, then he could be useful in the triangle. Think of it this way – Phil got some impressive mileage out of the space cadet.
So Smush is in China, Rad, Evans, Kwame and Cook are off as scrubs on other teams. And these guys (with just Kobe and Odom) almost upset the suns in the first round! Think about that: How great are Kobe/Phil?
Mimsy says
#29:
Finally someone else who understands the importance of facial hair! 🙂
I don’t think Kobe likes projects. He is a loner in a team sport. He wants combats-in-arms, comrades on the court, not proteges or close friends.
I think both Morrison and Brown deserve a chance to show us what they can do before we write them off. I’m sure we all have flash-backs and relapses into the traumas the Kwame Brown trade brought us, but remember. In a worst case scenario, Kwame Brown got us Pau Gasol. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel!
TRad says
Forget the stats. This is what this trade is about:
………………………..09……10………11
Radmanovic …6.049…6.467…6.884*
Morrison………4.159…5.257
Brown…………..0.798
*player option
Lakers want to extend Ariza contract. Soon Bryant’s contract will be terminated, and another one, higher and longer will be signed. Getting rid with Radmanovic contract is huge. Now if only Morrison would accept the buy-out.
Thank you, mister Larry Brown.
cinz says
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_fyWxC-JKw
thought id share
Snoopy2006 says
Kind of sad to see Vlade go, even despite his brain farts. I think it Laker fans have more affection for this team than the 3-peat days. They’re more likeable, even the not-so-useful players. I hope Vlade is fully utilized in Charlotte and has a great future.
Has anyone seen either of these players lately and can comment on if they can provide anything? I loved Brown in college and was always puzzled why he couldn’t make it in the NBA, not even being able to crack rotations. But I haven’t watched him carefully.
Could Morrison have some usefulness as a spot up shooter? I know he’s had trouble creating off the dribble, but maybe as a Vujacic-type spark (offensively)? OK, I’m reaching now….
I would have rather picked up a 1-dimensional defensive specialist than a 1-dimensional nothing. But those are hard to come by.
Zephid says
:'(, for all of his shortcomings, I liked VladRad, and I wish him the best. He is definitely a solid rotation player in this league, so I guess it’s better for him to get actual playing time instead of bench-warming on our loaded Lakers team.
If the Lakers want to, I’m pretty sure they can use the Larry Bird Exception on Lamar and the Early Bird Exception on Ariza in order to keep both without them counting against the salary cap. They’ll be paying a crap-ton of luxury tax, but if the Lakers really really wanted to, the salary won’t prevent them from keeping both.
I figured at least one, if not two of Luke, VladRad, and Ariza had to go, and I think at this point VladRad was the worst of the three. There goes my dream Danny Granger trade down the toilet 🙁
Gerrit says
From NBA.com
“Higgins said they were arranging for Radmanovic to fly from Cleveland, where the Lakers play the Cavaliers on Sunday, to Miami. The Bobcats play the Heat Sunday night.”
Translation: See ya later Vlade and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
MannyP13 says
Shannon Brown is a “shoot first” type player. Remember how many of us criticized Farmar’s shot selection before he went down? Well, Brown has horrible shot selection and has a far, far lower shooting percentage. However, at times he is a better defender than Farmar. While I doubt this guy will see any meaningful playing time, he is an upgrade from Sun Yue and is the type of guy that may spark some improvement from Farmar via competition. He also provides some insurance in the event Fish/Farmar get injured or get into foul trouble.
As far as Morrison, well, he does the rep of being “soft.” He also does not have the numbers that Vlad had and is much slower. In short, he is appears to be a downgrade in terms of skill. However, he has the upside that he is young and that playing for a title contender may spark him to be more aggressive and improve. As a salary move he is a great acquisition, but I don’t see the same applying in terms of fixing gaps in the Laker lineup for this season.
What I take away from this trade is that the Lakers are clearing space for Ariza and Lamar. I also think that this signals that the Lakers are either (1) not very concerned about Drew being out for 12 weeks or more .
Thoughts?
The Joker says
This trade is all about Morrison and his stache finally being close to Chatsworth.
the other Stephen says
well, we already know that lamar has a heart for staying in LA. at least this is some indication that we’re thinking the same.
Anonymous says
Morrison and Brown were never a good fit. Morrison’s defensive deficiencies didn’t mesh with Brown’s style, and Morrison had failed to hit shots consistently, struggling in a starting role the past four games after small forward Gerald Wallace suffered a partially collapsed lung and a broken rib against the Lakers on Jan. 27.
sound familiar? space cadet?
TRad says
Oh, and forget dreaming about Brown. He’s a PG who has more TOs than Assists. I hope he will be playing only as a mop-up reliever.
Goo says
Can Shannon Brown play anything resembling the point guard position?
CL says
Idk but if yes maybe he can back up farmar once fishers gone?
Craig W. says
the other Stephen,
I think you are exactly right. Lamar has all but said he would make some exceptions for the Lakers and now the Lakers are saying, “We are making some room so we can sign you – let’s meet in the middle.”
chibi says
i’m sorry vlad wasn’t able to reach his potential here. hopefully, he can hurt the celts and cavs as a bobcat.
kudos to mitch for merely ridding the payroll of vlad’s contract.
Gr8 Scott says
Here’s hoping that the change of scenery will help Morrison and Brown elevate their games when the time arises for them to play. Nice move for the books and hoping that it doesn’t impact the rest of this season’s journey. Vlad was a solid player…at times. If Morrison can step out and hit some shots to keep stretching the opponent’s D, we won’t have lost much.
kwame a. says
Goo-In the tri, I think he could. He is not an initator, but could probably play PG in the way Sasha does. He is a quick guard, and an insurance policy if any of our guards go-down.
Kurt says
For those of you wondering about Brown, think about it. He couldn’t get off the bench behind Felton, who is a poor man’s Farmar. If Brown could defend, do you think Larry Brown would have sat him?
Dr. Snuggles says
Felton is not that bad.
Simon says
I’m pretty convinced some kind of spat happened between Phil and Vlad. That plus the financial implications and a little more flexibility to sign our other players makes this a solid deal in my book, even if Vlade is the best player in the deal and will probably light us up for 30 now that he’s a former Laker on top of being a Charlotte Bobcat. We may not beat them for another 3 years.
Bill Bridges says
When facial hair is the most distinguishing characteristic of an NBA player you have to lower your expectations. Morrison is a poor man’s Ryan Bowen.
The only loser in this trade are the under privileged children of LA. The only winners: the same in Charlotte.
I really liked Vlade (just not with the ball trying to make plays). I think the universe is better off when multiple rain bow threes are constantly gathering condensation.
B Engvall says
This great, we finally have a starting SF that’s legit! Adam should mesh perfectly in the starting rotation as a spot up shooter. This puts Luke back with the Bench Mob.
Fish/Jordan
Kobe/Brown/Sasha
Morrison/Walton/Ariza/Kobe
LO/Powell
Gasol/Powell/Mihm
Googly Moogly says
The real losers of this trade are Mountain High and Snow Summit. Are there any good snow boarding trails near Charlotte?
Sean P. says
31.
Or in other words, the deal works out to a hair under $18.4 mil in luxury tax savings for Dr. Buss.
38.
Brown is shooting a perfectly acceptable .455 from the field this year.
43.
Brown lacks the mentality of PG and he does not possess the range of a SG. He is, however, a 22yo elite athlete who has the tools to be a Randy Brown-type of player for us.
Derek says
I won’t miss Vlad and not excited by the two we’re getting. But if this move lets us keep both LO and Ariza, then it’s damn brilliant.
Gerrit says
B Engvall, if Ammo is starting and Luke is on the bench then when does Ariza play?
Joel says
Salary dump!
I expect Brown to be cut with the quickness.
CL says
B Engvall,
Brown ahead of Sasha?
Morrison ahead of Walton and Ariza?
I wouldn’t go that far..
Ryan says
I agree with some of the other posters. Its all about the stache. Morrison’s stache is worst than Rambis’s ever was. I think he was tired of being known as the player with the worst facial hair in Lakers history (though if Divac didn’t shave 1 hour before the game he had a full length beard by the time the game started).
kobedominates says
Let’s be honest here, i think we all know what this is about. A lot of Western Conference teams are making moves to match the Lakers’ size (read: Clippers, Suns, etc.), but it was our turn to do a little matching of our own. The greenies had the leg up with Big Baby Davis–known for his crying antics. It was about damn time we got somebody to shed some tears from our bench. I feel way more comfortable about our finals odds. Good move, Lakers. Good move.
Mark says
numbers on morrisons contract:
$4,159,200
$5,257,228
$6,897,484***qualifying offer. which is unlikely to be extended.
Lateral move albeit a good one which frees up $$ for ariza and maybe odom, Vlads contributions wont be forgotten, and he’ll get his PT in Charlotte. Morrison is still young and might yet turn out to be a useful player while Brown is probably nothing more than filler..
If this is a precursor to another trade, It is to my knowledge that Morrison cannot be packaged in a trade to another team for 2 months, however, can be dealt by himself for other players…
Simon says
I don’t care much for Morrison. He’s been a bust and I’m not sure even Phil and the Lakers can do much for him. Keeping my expectations low on that one.
Brown, however, seems like the typical not quite a PG but not quite an SG type player that Phil works wonders with. I think he’ll be solid for us if he finds a spot in the rotation, which, admittedly is unlikely.
exhelodrvr says
62) So this increases the Lakers sensitivity factor! Does Hollinger have a stat for that?
Bill Bridges says
63.
Correct. Brown or AMMO can be traded, but only as individuals. Highly unlikely as nobody with an ’09 expiring contract would trade for Ammo and the Lakers would only take on the longer contracts of players they want more than Ariza and Odom.
I expect Sun Yue to take Vladi’s seat and Ammo and Brown to show off their leisureware behind the bench.
Meet your ’09 Los Angeles Lakers.
The Dude Abides says
Guys, B Engvall (post 54) was clearly being facetious. It was a pretty funny comment (wish I had posted it).
The Dude Abides says
Forgot to add that Morrison’s moustache really ties the triangle offense together.
Anonymous says
i like shannon.
Mark says
[edited for trade speculation]
Mihm really hasnt shown to be the same player after all his injuries, and Powell has been ok, however, they could stand to add a proven veteran/tough big guy…
but overall im happy with the makeup of this team now and for the future..
Go Lakerss!!!!!
cinz says
phil is the best at making guys like these produce, i hope so anyway
Karl says
Yay for keeping Ariza next year!
hansoulfood says
The trade only means one thing: More pt for Sun Yue!
wondahbap says
How happy is Morrison?
He goes from not playing for a bad to team, to not playing for the best team (and a fresh start). He gets to learn from Phil and Kobe? He has to be ecstatic.
Let’s hope he can turn it around. I liked him at Gonzaga. I thought he had fire in him.
Reed says
I’m only happy about this if (i) he was causing chemistry issues, or (ii) it allows the team to sign a player (Ariza/Odom) they wouldn’t have otherwise. Vlad had a rough start and continued limitations, but he still was a valuable bench player and great insurance. He is 9th in the league in 3 point shooting (44%) this year and was over 40% last year. That’s a tremendous asset in the triangle. Even if he was out of the rotation, he was great insurance at the 3 and 4. That said, I’d rather Ariza and Sasha get the majority (or all) of the SF minutes, so if this facilitates that happening (and they stay healthy), then it’s worth the financial savings.
Yusuf says
I’m gonna miss Vlad Rad’s shooting (The arc on his shoot was a beauty to watch) and the uncertainty you get when he’s on the court. When he’s on and playing focused he’s a great player.
That being said, I love the salary dump it gives us a more realistic chance of keeping Odom and Ariza.
Im also looking forward to the trade possibilities for Morrisons expiring contract next year. Even if it doesn’t happen for cap reasons, we have some flexibility n a nice bargaining chip.
the economist says
i love the move, they get younger, more athletic and save money, Shyt i really think a change of pace will really help morrision. Coach Brown probally verbally raped him time and time again in char. He comesback to west coast, learns from the mvp and phil, get to pluck LA chicks, smoke great chiba………..aww the life
Googly Moogly says
Shannon Brown is basically a poor-man’s Kobe Bryant. This should be good!
Ryan says
OT, though it is about trades. PHX can’t seriously be considering trading Amar’e can they. I know they are struggling but Amar’e is their best player. He is an elite big and one of the best scorers in the NBA, even if he can’t play D. This must be media driven, I think Kerr loses his job if he does that.
wondahbap says
Reed,
I forwarded your post to someone who was quite impressed. Did they contact you?
Kurt says
Comments from Mitch, more were put in the post:
# When asked if the Lakers were done on the trade front before the February 19 deadline, Kupchak responded in turn: “I wouldn’t say that I’m making a lot of calls. We have the best record in the league right now, we just had a great road trip and hopefully we can end it really strong tomorrow. The news on Andrew (Bynum) was not good, but it looks like he’ll have a better chance to return this year than he did last year, so I’m not sure we want to address anything more than continuing to win as many games as possible and hope to get Andrew back.
# More pointedly: “I don’t think there’s a deal out there that can make this a better team than the one we have or the one we potentially have.”
Kurt says
80. Googly Moogly, Brown is not even a homeless man’s Kobe Bryant.
Travis Y. says
Glad to know that we’re always in the business of improving. To Bill Bridges that was talking about issues with team chemistry, Vlade was the only one being frustrated about not getting starters minutes. He treated his situation like a professional, but from the last few games Phil Jackson made it a point that Vlade not play a meaningful minute b/c of all the mental errors. In Charlotte I am positive he’ll flourish if granted the minutes. On how can I say this…less talented teams Vlade plays with reckless abandon (think Seattle and Clippers) so I’m sure he will get more touches, and his success will be determined by the freedom Larry Brown gives him on offense.
I welcome the two newbies, and the one thing I can tell them is work on your defense. That is the only way they’re seeing the light of day. Brown is horrible but he is INCREDIBLY athletic, if he can just learn to concentrate all of his energy on defense I think he’d be an excellent addition.
Because this is midway through the season, I’m sure Morrison is going to look lost. So I will hold judgment for a year. Morrison’s a competitor so I’m sure Kobe will challenge him. Hey maybe he can even learn to play some D…ok maybe I’m dreaming.
Yohim says
What can i say? I like the trade a lot.. as Phil Jackson said, Morrison is a developing player and i think the trade will do good for him as a player and we got Shannon as well…
Radmanovic didn’t had a place on the rotation anymore… so good trade.
Travis Y. says
sorry I mean Reed #75 not Bill Bridges… you guys usually both have excellent points so I got mixed up.
Derek says
82 – I wonder if they now wish they’d traded Amare last year instead of Matrix, and getting a different player in the exchange other than Shaq. It seemed that Kerr was trying to make the team more conventional with getting a traditional C, thinking that’d get them over the hump, when they might have been better off going more Golden State.
And if they blow-up the team by getting rid of Shaq and Amare, wouldn’t you ask to be traded to a contender if you were Nash (a la Kobe two summers ago)?
kc says
sort of ironic in that Morrison has to start behind Luke… whose fake pump from the baseline caused Morrison to tear his acl last year.
Ben says
Ryan,
It’s not all media-driven. IMO, Kerr is taking a good, hard look at this team, and probably is coming to the conclusion that their championship window has closed. Amar’e is simply his best trade chip to work with; if the Suns get expiring contracts, a young star, and draft picks, Kerr will pull the trigger. Nash is likely the only untouchable on the roster, as trading him would likely trigger a revolt by the Phoenix fanbase. I personally think that Phoenix’s window has closed. At best, they’re a seven or eight seed, and between them, Dallas, and Utah, I have Phoenix pegged to miss the playoffs. Even if they make it in, their first round is us or the Spurs.
On the subject of Morrison himself, I have realistic expectations — in other words, not that much. Guys who post single-digit PERs are either horrible or defensive stoppers, and Morrison falls into the former category. That said, the change in scenery might be good for him. His dominance at Gonzaga is obviously apparent, and it remains to be seen whether he can uncork all that potential he has. Even if he doesn’t pan out though, he’s gone next season. Really, any decent play we’re going to get from him is gravy.
wondahbap says
This is just more proof that if there is a rumor involving the Lakers, then it is never true.
The past few trades the Lakers have made came from left field. No one expected anything. The FO does a great job of keeping things in house.
cinz says
http://www.rufusonfire.com/2009/2/7/752693/shhhh-don-t-tell-anyone-th#comments
the other Stephen says
“I expect Sun Yue to take Vladi’s seat and Ammo and Brown to show off their leisureware behind the bench.”
you really think so, bridges? that would be so awesome.
Worthy J. says
I like this trade a lot and I’m a bigger fan of VRad than most. Just look at the worst case scenario. We lose a player that was pretty obviously not got gonna get too many minutes, Morrison and Brown both don’t pan out, and the Lakers save however many millions of dollars that goes into extending LO/Ariza. That’s the absolute worst thing that can happen from this trade and it seems pretty positive to me. If either Morrison or Brown develops and turn out to be solid rotation players then we won big from this trade.
Craig W. says
I think we all feel this trade is about a salary dump. However, the nice thing is that Mitch didn’t just dump the salary, but brought in two people that have some upside in the bargain.
No one expects either of these two to get any playing time on the Lakers, but the players are young and willing to work so…
1) AmMo could become a reasonably reliable 3pt shooter in the triangle system more easily than in Larry Brown’s offense. He has had more time to recover from his injury last year and, if his Bball IQ is reasonable he may just pick up some elementary aspects of the triangle and be able score for us in the middle of the 2nd qtr and end of the 3rd qtr.
2) Brown is an ideal sized guard (6’4″ 225lbs and athletic) for Phil’s offense if he can defend a lick. He could come in when moving Kobe down to the SF at the end of the 2nd and 3rd qtrs.
If either of these possibilities pans out, Mitch becomes a genius. If they don’t, then Mitch has still shed salary to sign Ariza and/or Odom.
There is no downside to this trade (Vlade was not going to play much) and there is quite a bit of upside.
Anonymous says
I think what really happened is that the Lakers tried to shop Luke and failed. Plan B was Vlad. They got the best deal they could, considering that most teams do not want to give a title contender anything of value.
specialM says
94-really? I doubt the lakers were shopping luke, whom they started at forward against the celts on thursday.
Joel says
Am I the only one who thinks Amare is just not the kind of player you build a championship team around?
– His defense is atrocious.
– He doesn’t rebound as well as he should given his size and athleticism.
– He can’t create for others because of his poor passing and decision-making.
– He is always moping about something (usually his lack of shots or touches).
This guy seems to be overly concerned about being ‘The Man’ on the stat sheet rather than on the court or in the locker room. He’s not good or mature enough to be a franchise player but he won’t accept being second banana.
I think Kerr should trade him if a good offer comes along. It’s not like Phoenix has too many other assets that can really be used to improve the team.
Zephid says
I honestly don’t think there are any “reasonable” trades that we can make that will improve our team. By reasonable I mean not “Lamar Odom and Luke Walton for Dwyane Wade,” or anything ridiculous like that.
We’ve got:
PG – Fisher, Farmar
SG – Bryant, Vujacic
SF – Walton, Ariza
PF – Odom, Powell
C – Gasol, Mihm
Notice that’s even leaving Andrew Bynum out. The only position I can see us needing anything is center, because Mihm seems really rusty whenever he’s out there, but with Andrew’s probable return, there’s no reason to pull the trigger on anything short-term.
Otherwise, this is one of the best possible types of trade we can hope for:
We trade our 10th man for 2 projects and cap space. The only thing that would’ve made it sweeter would’ve been a couple draft picks.
j. d. hastings says
I think this makes enough sense overall. Valde’s contract was never the best, especially next to Luke’s and with Ariza probably due for comparale money.
However, I do find it suspicious how Phil Jackson has now taken on a second of Michael Jordan’s atrocious draft picks to attempt to make a player of them. How much of this is PJ doing his old meal ticket a solid?
j. d. hastings says
Another possible take: I can’t believe we just managed to trade Vlade for THE NEXT LARRY BIRD!!!!!
DarthVmax says
Why this trade now??
The Lakers limited Vlad’s minutes to see if he’s expendible.
Morrison and Shannon don’t fit well with the lakers, it’s a salary dump, it’s easy to see that.
The lakers got even softer.
I smell another trade coming.
Craig W. says
j. d. hastings,
I hope you were joking about MJ’s draft picks. Mitch does the picking and PJ has objected several times over the years.
This one seem pretty downside proof.
alex v. says
I think this is a good trade for Vlade. Hopefully he’ll get some decent playing time. I kind of feel sorry for him, since I think he actually improved his defense from last year, but got beat out by circumstances as much as anything else (the first team needs what Luke brings more than they need Vlad’s shooting; the second team needs the speed and energy of Ariza).
It probably does take some pressure off of Walton, although Phil’s playing him at crunch time against Boston probably made it pretty clear.
I don’t think either of the new guys sees any PT unless they show a gift for the triangle.
87/kc: there’s more to it than that, since a big part of Charlotte’s motivation for the trade seems to have come from the loss of Wallace.
chearn says
The triangle really requires players to fit the system, Luke is a perfect example of that. I can not name one team in this league that would start him. He would be like a Casey Jacobsen playing in Europe somewhere.
Adam Morrison can shoot, has a high basketball IQ and he and Ronny Turiaf once had Gonzaga ranked higher than they should have been. Funny that while he was at Gonzaga he was considered tough, and a winner. He is by no means a guy that you build a team around (now who’s fault is that, dare I say!) but he is a player that can give you quality minutes off the bench.
In learning how to shoot in this league it seemed to have only taken Sasha four years to get comfortable with that skill. Morrison would have been given at least that much time if he had not been drafted so pre-maturely.
I think that young Morrison is going to be a Laker for years to come.
Would love to see a practice shoot out between Sasha, Kobe and Morrison.
kwame a. says
Something interesting to think about: Larry Brown, he who has given up on Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison once was the coach who gave up on Trevor Ariza (unless you completley blame Zeke for that)
drrayeye says
This deal is huge for the Bobcats and the Lakers for entirely different reasons.
For Larry Brown, VladRad might well punch Larry’s ticket to the Eastern Conference Playoffs. And then?
For the Lakers management, Odom’s redemption in Boston didn’t go unnoticed: an amazing clutch three pointer and, of course, two free throws to win the game–twenty points and a slap on the butt for KG.
Some are saying that this trde is good news for Ariza–but the Lakers were not about to let Trevor leave involuntarily under any circumstances anyway.
This trade is the first concrete sign that the Lakers want to get into the ballpark of a contract for Lamar. If it continues to be a pure salary dump, look for further trade action involving Morrison–to make his salary disappear altogether. Just making the trade already saved the Lakers about $3 million this year
Meanwhile, Adam may well be asked to come in if/when Luke goes down–or to hit a needed 3 as a pinch “gunner.” He’s our new insurance, but in comparison to VladRad, the insurance just got watered down.
Shannon Brown, with his lean salary, may well even play a meaningful role this year and stick with the Lakers.
He may well have been traded because the coach of the Bobcats may have objected strongly to his last name!
DarthVmax says
Ryan, regular season don’t mean much.
Go ask the Rocket’s 22 game winning streak last year.
Did the best regular season winning percentage mean automatic title?
How about the Championship Rockets with Olajuwan, did they have the best record.
YOU MUST LOOK DOWN THE LINE!!
Kurt says
Guys, keep posting follow up trade ideas and I’ll keep deleting them. We are not doing that here.
busterjonez says
Morrison? Didn’t he get picked #3 overall? Seems like a pretty good pickup for a salary dump. Plus, his contract expires in 2010, which plenty of teams are looking towards. It’s at least intrigue…
Glad to see Vlade, who is a talented basketball player, get some PT and earn his duckets. But not playing smart D for Larry Brown will result in more bench time for the Cadet.
Snoopy2006 says
I would have preferred to pick up a veteran in a salary dump, because even if somehow Morrison and Brown give quality minutes, neither one has even played in the playoffs (Brown might have watched). Their lack of seasoning will keep them from making any contribution in the playoffs, even if they give us something in the regular season.
For those of you who’ve watched recently, what does Mihm look like? I still remember his first peformance as a Laker. He may not be great defensively, but he has (or maybe had) great hands and quite a few offensive moves for a sub. Can he still give us a little something in limited minutes, playing with the Bench Mob?
mike says
i say we ship the latest jordan draft bust to memphis for another gasoll..LOL.
jk.
the other Stephen says
good stuff, mitch kupcakes.
lil' pau says
Count me as one more diehard who likes this trade, but I do worry about the playoffs when certain teams will certainly try to pack the lane against us and we’ll need a reliable shooter to spread the defense and create room for our bigs (and for kobe to slash). Sasha is still so unpredictable, esp. in big games on the road. I’ll happily say goodbye to the space cadet if it increases the likelihood of Trevor or LO staying around, but I absolutely anticipate certain (rare, but potentially huge) games in which I can imagine myself wishing we had vlade coming off the bench to make anyone pay for doubling off the SF into the post.
also, I do find it a bit sad that, after the snowboarding debacle, vladi really stepped up his game on both sides of the ball this season, several absolutely boneheaded plays notwithstanding.
Cory says
I like this trade, especially b/c watching VladRad play ball has taken at least 5 years off my liffe.
Mico says
NBA live/NBA 2k wise, this kinda sucks for me.
I miss vlad rad’s shooting
But as one poster mentioned above,
Phil really has a knack for getting the most out of players, Ammo had shown in college that he has the tools needed for scoring, while Shannon Brown kinda reminds me of smush.
So maybe PJ can squeeze some skills out of both.
palani says
just a rumor?
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=11480
[quote]
Recently the Phoenix Suns have shopped big men Amar’e Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal around the league. Sources say the Lakers had some rudimentary discussions with the Suns but that there isn’t much common ground between the two organizations.
[/quote]
George says
What a difference time makes. From being a free agent and being called by Kobe, Vlade Divac, and Mitch to express the interest on behalf of the Lakers. To being shipped out to the bobcats for “upside” and financial savings. I liked Vlade, but I like this trade too.
sT says
Geaorge, add Magic to thoses callers.
the other Stephen says
116. i really hope you are the only one.
Ian says
It is kinda interesting that the ESPN headline is “Morrison Traded” and claims that this “adds ammo” for the Lakers. They are aware that Morrison is widely considered a bust and that Vlade is one the best 3pt shooters in the league, right?
Andres says
Think Morrison could have a role as a spot up shooter as long as they keep his minutes down. I remember Kobe went to at least one of Morrison’s games back at Gonzaga.
fifth_rune says
Just a clarifier but Shannon Brown is NOT 6’4”. No way, dude is at most 6’2”, he’s a combo guard.’
JR says
I’d hate to see Lamar go, I think he gets way more hassle than he deserves. Shaq is in no way a better player than Lamar is right now. Lamar may have worse stats but I constantly notice Lamar doing little things that help us.
Its the same situation with Mihm now he is breaking back into the rotation. Give the guy a break, I’ve seen glimpses and think he can really round back into form.
There just aren’t enough shots to make many of our ‘disappointing’ players look good on the stat sheets, and there definitely aren’t enough shots to make Shaq look good. They just need to step up when they get given the ball, which I think Amare has shown is a lot harder to do than it may seem to be.
IMO these players have been doing a great job of hitting shots when asked to, and sacrificing a lot for the team good. We talk about how talented they all are yet don’t understand how frustrating it must be to play well and still see very little game time at times.
Odom is in a contract year and he accepted less minutes, think about that! He may not have had a choice but its still a big deal when someone takes it well and does their best without being bitter (I sensed some of this in Vlad). If Shaq was relegated to Odom minutes I guarantee you he would not fit in as well as Lamar does now.
Craig W. says
Everywhere I look I see Shannon Brown listed as 6’4″ and 225lbs.
Mark says
112. I like this trade, especially b/c watching VladRad play ball has taken at least 5 years off my liffe.
+1
chibi says
this is kind of trivial, but according this piece adam chews tobacco. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/story/523907.html
Darius says
I’m with Reed on this. Vlad, while a guy whose performance was not reliable, was a good insurance policy for this team. His shooting ability was a good asset to us where he could spread the floor and provide a scoring punch when he was on. However, when he could not get off the bench for us in scenarios like we saw against Boston (where Ariza was not playing well and Kobe was visibly tired and still forced to play minutes at SF) then I’m not sure if he had a role for this team. If Phil can’t find minutes for this guy as even a change of pace player or spark player (like how he used Jud Buechler in Chicago) then we might as well trade him because of his salary. It’d be one thing if he made 2-3 mil a year, but he was making 6.
I also second Reed in that if this is a move that gets Buss to open up his wallet this summer for Ariza and Odom, then I’m extremely excited for this move. This will not play itself out until the summer, but here’s hoping that Mitch and Buss have had some conversations about payroll and where we stand with 2 guys that I think we’d all like to keep if the price is reasonable.
As for the guys we got, I’ve got little to no expectations for either player. As Kurt said, Brown will not play for us. I really don’t care if he’s a super athlete, he’s probably 4th on the depth chart at PG (Fish, Farmar, Sasha, Sun) and he won’t see any minutes at any other position. When it comes to Ammo, I have no expectations for any contribution. He’s not proven himself to be a useful player at this point, and I don’t expect him to get his sea legs with us half way through the season. Next season, after a full training camp and him learning our offense and defensive schemes, then maybe he could be a contributor, but it’s still doubtful. I know he has a good BBIQ, but in reality he’s supposedly a scorer that has not shot the ball well and isn’t contributing in any other facet of the game…he’s not rebounding, creating shots for others, nor drawing attention to himself where he opens up the paint for Okafor on the block or Wallace on his slashes to the basket. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love for him to turn it around and be useful, but if he plays well for us and his contract expires he’ll probably earn a contract from some other team that we would not want to match and if he continues to be bad we won’t want him. The only way he’s on this team long term, imo, is if he plays well and then takes a big paycut to stay with us. Is that possible? Sure, but I would not put money on that.
Gr8 Scott says
Note – I’m not trying to jinx the Cleveland game, but should our Lakers win, doesn’t this place this road trip near the top of all-time Laker regular season trips? 6-0 with wins over the two best East teams after losing Bynum in game 2 says a lot.
Joe says
Hey, they cant be any worse than Sun right? lol
Anonymous says
F.Y.I. other (potentially less level-headed) Lakers discussion sites are salivating at the prospect of Morrison taking over Luke’s starting spot. Thank you FB&G for the daily dose of reality…
beyondblue says
A few have noted that Vladi was the best player in the trade… however, we have to believe this is about the best the lakers could get while dumping his salary.
So while he may be useful, its still 6 mil.
Also, either the Lakers could not get a useful veteran, or they preferred the… well… “upside” of Morrison/Brown.
129. – I love this site. Others are already talking about that and Brown taking over for Farmar. Really? Does anyone watch these games?
Googly Moogly says
If you look at Adam Morrison pre-injury, he was capable of scoring points in bunches in the NBA. In his first month on the job, he had 27 points in a win over the Spurs!
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4131/gamelog;_ylt=As4j8_VIs7ZtJvDQfcvxs8BVPaB4?year=2006
I just added him to my fantasy team. Let the good times (and championships) roll!
Darius says
Another thing. Kupchak pointed out that Radman lost his minutes to Luke (and implied had lost all his favor with Phil) and that Ariza is going to be a key player for us that plays good minutes. In the last eight games, Vlad has been averaging less than 8 minutes per. It’s been discussed extensively that he’s not the type of player that has a strong focus in the first place. And now Phil and the staff ask him to perform in limited minutes AND do so when even those minutes are jerked around or in mop up time? This is not only a waste of financial resources but it minimizes the already limited predictability of his erratic game. I mean, here’s a guy that is giving you exactly what you need in one game and in another he’s playing like he’s confused about some of our schemes or like his instincts are turned off. And now we reduce his minutes to less than 10 a game and even those minutes don’t come during the same part of the game (like Phil substitutes for most players) or in any set fashion or particular situation. I really don’t expect a player like Rad to play well in those circumstances. Maybe a veteran *professional* like a Joe Smith (or some other player who relies on his smarts and savvy) or even a guy that relies on hustle (like a Reggie Evans), but Vlad is not *that* guy. So, I think it was a good idea to trade him. I understand Reed that Vlad’s insurance for us and that as a contingency a 6’10” shooter with understanding of our offense and skill set that helps on that end of the court is a useful player to have. However, with the way that we’re using him + the fact that he is (mentally) the type of player that he is, I think it’s best that we trade him. Even if we don’t use the guys that we got in return for him (which I think is what will happen…though I did think the article that cinz linked to in #90 is an interesting thought), I’m fine with us taking away a player that, in the end, is on the lower end of the dependable scale.
Kurt says
129. Anyone who thinks Morrison is taking over Luke’s starting spot hasn’t watched a Bobcat game in a while.
J says
Here’s a scouting report for Brown coming out of college
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Shannon-Brown-172/
I like the part where he’s coachable. For as much as Larry Brown is lauded as a great coach, I always thought he didn’t do a great job on young players. He was always better with slightly older vets who needed tweaking to improve.
I’m of the camp that it’s a complete salary dump and all the Trev and LO salary resigning already discussed. But Shannon represents a low risk high reward gamble along with that dump. If there’s a decent amount of accuracy in that scouting report, Brown could fit in limited spots this year and possibly more next year. Lots of people have screamed for a doberman defender at the point. Realistically that wasn’t going to happen in any kind of trade with the assets Mitch was willing to let go. But Brown has the tools to be that kind of stopper. Put him in that second unit where he doesn’t need to know as much of the tri right away and he could give spot minutes defending the quick PGs. So for a salary dump, it was great that Mitch was able to pick up a guy that could help shore up that weakneess.
If he is that coachable and has the bball IQ, then he could develop into a rotation player to fill the guard needs this team desires. Spot up jump shooter and athletic defender. If he doesn’t show enough, no big loss in not bringing him back next year. Even then, he’ll probably get only a camp invite.
Just a solid move. I truly believe it’s how these kinds of trades are handled is what separates the good gm’s from the great ones. Anyone can spot the great or bad trades. It’s how you do with the small trades that are good gambles and fill in holes that make a difference in the long run. It’s like poker. Yeah, playing the AA or folding the 7-2 is a no brainer. How you play the middling hands is what makes money in the long run. Just like here, yeah, dumping salary is a solid move, but managing to pick up a potential contributor at no risk? That makes the trade even better.
1331 says
my first impression of this trade was i don’t see any downside of this trade.
i think we have reached a conclusion where we are pretty firm that vlad won’t be playing much in the current scheme. (i think that’s what kupchack is saying in his interview)
and since we’re not using him, it means that we can live without him.
as far as vlad becomes our insurance if someone injured, now SF in the current team is quite unique because we have many options but not one of them is the ideal choice (maybe lukamir waltanovic =p)
so either way, we know even then, vlad won’t be the ideal choice.
ammo is a high draft choice, as bogus as mj’s draft pick. I think ammo still has an upside. remember, he went down injured all last season, so this really could be something.
on top all that, we get some salary relief
and i think vlad could be on the verge of blowing up due to his lack of PT
in the end, i think this is a win-win; no lose situation for the lakers.
i am glad we made this trade.
btw, any news on whether ammo will be available for tonight’s game?
justmy2cents
wondahbap says
This was the ONLY move we’ve been waiting for all season. Who was going to get traded, Luke or Vlad? It was Vlad.
I hope he does well.
I hope we see a spike in Luke’s play, due to the heightened sense of security. The Lakers did this at a good time.
drrayeye says
The analogy that comes to mind when thinking about Vladimir is Glenn Rice: they both have that kind of pure shot you never quite forget. Vladimir is a truly great shooter who was never afforded the special opportunities with the Lakers that a Ray Allen might expect. He deserved better.
VladRad’s defense was often unfairly criticized. He clearly shared a team wide inability to correctly switch with teammates on defense–which was not corrected when he was out if the lineup. He could be a very good rebounder, but he seldom had the opportunity or the assignment. He was big enough to block shots. He could make steals by anticipating in passing lanes–or sometimes even providing sudden pressure when someone was dribbling the ball.
On offense, he had moves to the basket which rarely had time to develop in a game against his outside shooting. He was not even close to being a “go to guy” here. Vladimir reminded me very much of a Peja when he was with the Kings–or even now with the Hornets–but with more upside. All great shooters are inconsistent from game to game, and Vladimir was no exception.
I think that Vlade will get his minutes with the Bobcats and will do very well. They will find him enthusiastic and raring to go! I expect that he will get the respect and appreciation that did not come to him sufficiently with the Lakers. Larry Brown must be laughing in his sleep at this one!
I wish him well.
John says
I really liked Vladi’s 3-point shooting, and his defense actually has improved this year and part of last year. I hope we don’t regret losing a player who can spread the floor like him.
But….
Obviously, the salary dump implications are very good.
Both new players have upside potential.
Both are willing to work hard.
Brown is being brought in as a potentially very good defender, not for any offensive potential. We need somebody who is willing to work hard on keeping up with the faster guards in the league.
Obviously, the Lakers are looking to be even more athletic, and younger, should these players actually pan out. Vladi is 29 years old.
There could be another trade on the horizon.
The Lakers already have given Radman “one more chance” after the snowboarding incident. Now he decides to skip almost all of the shootaround??? Now he is complaining about playing time??? Where is the humility he was displaying after the first mistake??? As much as this was letting go a player that was getting paid a lot and be wasted on the bench, at the same time it also has to do with the last-nail-in-the coffin scenario. No distractions are going to be allowed during this once-in-a-lifetime chance for an NBA Championship.
Darius says
I haven’t said this yet, but it should have been the first thing that I said: I really hope that Rad does well in Charlotte or wherever he ends up playing. Like Mitch said, he came to the Lakers wanting to do more than what his role became this season. He is a talented player and does deserve to play a role on whatever team he’s on. I just think that, over time, his inability to play at a consistent level tainted him with Phil.
mr. basket says
Adam Morrison is far better player than almost everybody think. He was injured last year, with a major injury, and has not find his game yet.
Phil Jackson will find the way of make him better, and with some times, Morrison is going to shine, like the star he was at Gonzaga (28 points per game, senior year). Don’t underestimate him, he’ll be a surprise.
Ryan says
Joel (96) you may be right about Amar’e and it may actually be in PHX’s best interest to trade him especially if he is becoming a distraction by complaining about not being the center of the offense. Supposedly NJ has made an offer to PHX for Amar’e. So maybe they are at least taking offers. Maybe if they get an offer built around a couple draft picks, an expiring deal and a young talent, like Marion and Bealsy or something, than they go for it. But I still think Kerr loses his job over it, isn’t Amar’e the most popular player behind Nash.
Zephid says
135, lukamir waltanovic!! oh ye who shall never be…
137, much as I would love to agree with all of what you’ve said, I don’t think Vlade has the lateral quickness to do any of those things well. How many times have we seen him go up to block a shot and instead give up an And-1. Yes, his defense was underrated, but he still had major deficiencies that he could not overcome.
wondahbap says
Ryan,
Kerr won’t lose his job. Everyone dumps on Steve Kerr, but the moves he;s made don’t get made without Robert Sarver’s say so.
PHX was selling draft picks and trading away young talent long before Kerr came into town.
Kerr is the whipping boy, but Sarver is the real reason.
Craig W. says
wondahbap,
Sarver may be the real reason, but – like Al Davis – the owner doesn’t get fired. Actually, I think of Sarver being more like the old Donald Sterling; in that the only real measure is that the bottom line be black – not red. In that scenario Kerr doesn’t get fired because he would cost the owner more money.
chibi says
why did they schedule the boston-spurs game first? if *that* game ends on time, i’ll eat my hat.
Anonymous says
space cadet is a terrible defender. gives us some d and frees up cash for L.O.
Kurt says
Cavs post up
Ginger says
I am very sad about all this . I love Vladi. I think he was a good player who got a really bad deal by being taken off the starting lineup. Having his minutes cut so bad that he didn’t even have a chance to show his skills. I will miss him, loved his 3 point “rainbow” shots and as a woman I will miss his big sad beautiful dark Serbian eyes and sexy lips!!
Steve says
I say good ridence…Rad was to inconsistent and did not play with heart or intensity. Clearly, if he wanted to be a Laker, the had his fair chance to show it. I don’t think this trade went through without Kobe’s OK…so if Kobe’s happy then everyone is happy. I think the trade was a wash with the salary cap dump being the “key.”
This trade is all about the future but for now the present is my concern…we need Bynum back to win the Championship this year. Does anyone have some info about whether he’ll actually return this year???
Steve says
I say good riddance…Rad was too inconsistent and did not play with heart or intensity. Clearly, if he wanted to be a Laker, he had his fair chance to show it. I don’t think this trade went through without Kobe’s OK…so if Kobe’s happy then everyone is happy. I think the trade was a wash with the salary cap dump being the “key.”
This trade is all about the future but for now the present is at hand…we need Bynum back to win the Championship this year. Does anyone have some info about whether he’ll actually return this year???
Kurt says
Um, Steve, did you watch the last two Lakers games?
terence says
vlad was one guy who scared me on the floor, bad passes and ill-advised shots. was virtually a non factor in the second half of games, even when he was a starter. secondly, i think kobe has the same effect on players as mj had (paxson, bj, kerr, etc). And our staff is great!
dgdgaa says
I like that they are trying to simplify rotation and resign Ariza, however at the SF glut Vladmir is a lot more valuable the Walton, honestly he may be the best 3 point shooter on the team, at least at uncontested threes. To behonest I dont think it matters, I would of preferred trying to find an expiring contract and save a lot more money though.
Steve says
Yeah Kurt…I watched the last two games!! We proved last year we could go deep into the playoffs without him…I said WIN the championship…not just get there…and yeah, I know we have Riza healthy this year also but Gasol & LO have yet to prove they can get it done on the biggest of stages…
Bynum provides the presence in the middle that will allow both of them to relax more on offense and be more confident defensively…
I’m all about the 3-Peat but not losing our third championship in a row.
Kurt says
154. So your argument is the that Gasol and LO are not good enough to win a title until they are good enough to prove you wrong by winning a title?
I don’t think I can say this enough: People should enjoy the ride and not just worry about reaching the destination.
Steve says
Enjoy the ride…that’s funny. You sound like a Maverick or Hawk fan or some team whose fans should “just be happy to be there.” Lakers are about winning Championships…tell Magic and Jabber…hey don’t sweat it guys…just enjoy the ride. Certain franchises are know for and are all about winning Championships…Steelers…Yankees…Cowboys…Patriots…Celtics and of course the Lakers. You enjoy the ride…there’s still some of last year’s Championship series T shirts you can get for cheap. Maybe you can patent the phrase on them…”we may have lost but I enjoyed the ride. “