If you remember last summer, after the Lakers missed out on Carmelo Anthony (and the rest of the big name free agents) they quickly moved on to signing other free agents, inking deals with Nick Young and Jordan Hill (and eventually Ed Davis). Well, this summer seems to be playing out quite similarly.
After it was announced yesterday LaMarcus Aldridge would sign with the Spurs, the Lakers have moved with accelerated pace in the market, agreeing to acquire Roy Hibbert in a trade and sign Lou Williams away from the Raptors as a free agent. They are not done, however, as it is now being reported they will ink another veteran free agent forward:
Celtics free agent forward Brandon Bass to sign with the Lakers, a source told Yahoo Sports
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 5, 2015
The Lakers have also released a statement on the ongoing negotiations with Brandon Bass (and Williams):
Los Angeles Lakers have engaged in negotiations with free agent guard Lou Williams and free agent forward Brandon Bass and intend to enter into player contracts with them at the conclusion of the NBA Moratorium Period, it was announced today by General Manger Mitch Kupchak.
A key part of the statement, of course, is “in negotiations with” as the exact terms of these deals are not yet determined — at least with Bass. For more on how the money might work for Bass, let’s turn to Eric Pincus of the LA Times:
Lakers either have $2.8 million for Brandon Bass – room exception – or they are clearing cap via other moves
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) July 5, 2015
The “room exception” makes sense for Bass as that is the cleanest way to sign him without having to make any additional roster adjustments. However, if it were as simple as Bass signing for the $2.8 million that exception would offer, we would likely have that information right now. Instead, then, might we see more roster moves to help clear space to sign Bass (as well as create more space to take on Hibbert’s large deal)?
If that is the case, Ramona Shelburne hints at what that might look like:
Before july1, the Lakers called 29 other teams to gauge interest in Ryan Kelly and Swaggy to create some extra cap room. Doing same now
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 6, 2015
Okay, let’s unpack all of this because we’re now at a place where all of these moves need to be put into bigger context:
- Bass is a veteran PF, and a PF only. He has little positional versatility and will need to be slotted accordingly. If he’s coming on and the Lakers did not make any moves, there would be quite the logjam at that spot with Bass, Randle, Kelly, rookie Larry Nance Jr. and (potentially) even Tarik Black in certain lineups. There is no viable way the Lakers enter the season with four PF’s on their roster — even if only three (sorry Nance) would likely require playing time. That might make Kelly the odd man out. Kelly is a player the Lakers liked a fair amount just as recently as last season (and a player I still like a fair amount), but with the drafting of Nance, Kelly could be seen as expendable.
- Kelly makes $1.7 million this season and would have a $2.1 million qualifying offer next summer. This isn’t a lot of money, but if the Lakers are trying to clear cap space and do not see Kelly as part of the future, his deal would be helpful to get off the books.
- I mentioned the prospect of trading Young when discussing Lou Williams, but it bares repeating here: with Williams on the roster, Young’s skill set becomes increasingly redundant. And with a salary at $5.2 million this season, $5.4 million next season, and a $5.6 million player option for the season after that, Young is a prime candidate to be shown the door.
Add up those factors and I could see the Lakers trying to explore all options available to them (including looking at S&T options involving players like Jeremy Lin and/or Jordan Hill) and tack on Young and Kelly as additional pieces to offload.
As for the Bass signing, it doesn’t move the needle a tremendous amount, but I like him as a player. He’s a hard working, pro’s-pro who competes every minute he’s on the floor. He’s a good mid-range shooter (45% from 16-24 feet) and finishes well inside (65% in the restricted area). And while he’s undersized, he will battle on the glass. He’s not a great defensive player — which is a theme of too many players the Lakers have been signing not named Hibbert — but he can help the team’s offense as a release valve mid-range option and as a weak side clean up man who can sneak inside for easy baskets.
Beyond the on court aspects of his game, I also think Bass will help in the locker room as another veteran presence to help guide the Lakers’ young players. Having him battle every day with Julius Randle in practice on the court to help aid in his development while also serving as a good example of how to be a professional, veteran in this league off the floor will be a nice addition.
I’m also firmly of the mind that the Lakers, while needing to rely heavily on their young players for production this season, cannot build a roster solely of young players without some veterans to help shape their growth. If you remember the 90’s “Lakeshow” teams, they too filled their roster by surrounding some of their young talent with veteran players who could help be leaders and be positive examples on and off the floor. Mitch Kupchak, much like Jerry West before him, seems to believe in this approach and Bass would fit into that philosophy well.
Asa says
Was a bit iffy on the Bass signing at first, but reading this gives me a little more comfort. Kind of sucks that R. Kelly is going to have to be the sacrificial lamb because of it, as I really like his skill set and his ability to stretch the floor is paramount in todays game, even if he’s just coming off the bench.
Oldtimer says
From silence to quantum leap – Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, more Brandom Bass. Hiding aces on the sleeves.
Is it Kelly or Young? I read it was Swaggy P
Rubenowski says
I really like our signings. While we definitely won’t be a playoff team, we are definitely not a bottom 3 team. We will lose our pick for sure, but Russell, Clarkson, Randle and Upshaw will develop into the players we need in the not-so-distant future, thanks to going up against Williams, Bass and Hibbert in practice, and this is something we should be happy about.
Can’t wait for summer league!
Tim A says
Not the sexiest move, but I agree wholeheartedly with the idea that veteran mentorship has great value.
As much as I liked Jordan Hill circa 2011, he’s just not a good fit on a rebuilding team. His skill set and his mental approach seem best suited for a playoff squad. Bass is coming to a situation he knows well. And I trust Mitch & co. have made a smart play here that should have long-term dividends in the form of shaping the attitudes of future franchise players.
Vasheed says
Nice pick up. From near silence while trying to sign a free agent, Mitch has been a near blur making trades in the after math. Really have to wait to see how all the details shape out.
Ko says
Last time I looked Kelly had the worst shooting percentage on the team. Onl y thing he stretched last year was my patience.
Mid-Wilshire says
Excellent summary, Darius.
You bring up an important point at the end when you mention bringing in veterans who can help mentor the young players. Let’s bear in mind that D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Larry Nance, Jr., Anthony Brown, and Robert Upshaw have no NBA experience whatsoever among them (with the exception of Randle’s lone game last year in which he broke his leg).
It would be entirely too much of a demand on these rookies to expect them to go out on to an NBA court and, somehow, miraculously, figure it out all by themselves. All rookies need a guiding hand. Brandon Bass, Roy Hibbert, and Kobe Bryant should, I would think, excel at that.
The Lakers, in order to get back to true relevance in the NBA, must take several important steps:
1) They must acquire talent (years 1 and 2);
2) They must develop talent (years 1-3);
3) They must build a sense of team unity and cohesion (years 1-4); and
4) They must put the finishing touches on to the team to carry them to the top (as Steve Kerr did with GS this last year).
If we are in stages 1 and 2, as I believe we are, then bringing on veterans such as Brandon Bass and Roy Hibbert is the right thing to do. Julius Randle will benefit from Bass’s presence. Robert Upshaw (if he makes the team) will benefit from Hibbert’s presence. And the guards and SFs will all benefit from Kobe’s tutelage.
It’s a process as I’ve said before (as all turn-arounds are). If that is part of the strategy, then I believe the Lakers are doing the right thing.
Austin says
So long as this signing means we are going to be rid of Sacre and keep Upshaw I am for it. I’m ambivalent about Kelly and Young, we could keep or trade I don’t think it matters. But, I really want us to keep Upshaw, think he could be good.
Oldtimer says
Correction on my post. Still on process, read attach on Kelly, Young and Sacre
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources–lakers-to-sign-brandon-bass–could-trade-nick-young-003359688.html
Michael says
Bass is a good signing. He’s a worker.
Shaun says
If we move enough guys out amd get gerald green or dorrel wright we have a fairly solid team of vets …. im guessing bass kils tue chance hill comes back ….. why did we pick up sacres option only to trade him … kind of dumb
R says
Seriously if all this means Ryan Kelly and the court jester aka swaggy p are gone I call it a plus.
Herbert says
Speak about Upshaw, I know u have to c him play in summer league, but u need a dynamic present at center an I believe u got him in upshaw
Laker fan D says
Kelly and Stinky P I agree with Austin. Plus I love the potential that Upshaw has but would not ship Sacre….yet
Tim says
Nance and A.brown and Kobe can cover the 3 spot. We have plenty of two way gaurds and all star potential now and in the future at both 4and 5
Monty says
Bass is not a liability defensively.
Huang says
If the logjam at PF can be solved, it’s a sensible pickup.
Sadly, it doesn’t solve our lack of D.
We need some kind of wing stopper to manage the Lebrons and Durants of the league. An aged Kobe and some rookies won’t cut it.
dxmanners says
I like it! Hard worker, character guy, > than Ed Davis. Only problem is we are still in the West. Stay the course people, solid young players surrounded by veterans, Kobe comes off the books soon. And best of all, Nick Young may be gone soon.
Tim says
Nance was defensive player of the year and A. Brown has enormous length.
dxmanners says
..and the best thing the Lakers ever did was not get Carmelo.
Kevin says
I like the Bass signing. Last year the Lakers had too many guys getting time that would normally fill spots 11 – 15 on a roster. Looks like they are trying to get legitimate veterans into the mix. Appears Scott will have the option of not starting the kids if he chooses to and because he is old school that wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Oldtimer says
I think Mitch was able to sign a good defensive duo on Hibbert and Bass. The former is 7’2″ who could cover the shaded lane while Bass is a banger that is hard to penetrate.
I see the biggest problem will be chemistry since this is a hodge podge group both veterans and youth that needs to gel in a short time. It takes a while before they get accustomed with each other. Hibbert and Bass are slow while the youth and Lou are quick, it will be an exciting season how Byron would apply his Princeton defense and mixture of slashers from Clarkson, Russell and Williams. Don’t forget a healthy Kobe, he could punish you too if you leave him alone. That’s uptempo basketball vs. formidable Redwood tree player supported by a UFC 4.This team will be more than a .500 record and could land in 7th or 8th seed if Scott can blend them well.
Gus says
Bass and Williams are the type of players every contending team needs. Veterans who get in, do their job and are good locker room presences. Now the more traditional road is you get your superstar (often via draft) then once you can add the right supplementary pieces you can become a contender – see warriors this year. I intend to live in the hope we are just doing the other way round – next offseason we can hopefully sign a star player maybe two, the young guys have more time to develop and we have guys like williams and bass in place to round out the championship contending picture – gotta have hope hey?
Tim says
Getting DJ or Aldridge would not have made this team better than it is now. A few wins short term maybe. We had no choice but to teach the rooks with vets. Kupcheck is on the right path
Monty says
Darius, in your article, you state that Bass is another signing of a free agent with poor defense, which isn’t really true of Bass. He was even ESPN defensive player of the year, for what it’s worth. I read he has a PER of 16.3.
pat oslon says
Sacre, Kelley, Swaggy are now all EXPENDABLES.
grumpy says
Agreed that these are solid moves on the surface, but I’m interested to see what the terms of the deal are (contract value and years).
Darius Soriano says
I did not say Bass is a “liability” defensively. I said that’s he’s “not great”, which, I suppose, isn’t a ringing endorsement and probably a bit overstated. He is “okay” defensively, but will battle and play hard which are two qualities I want in any player.
LakerGMC says
I like Bass as a starter and mentor for Randle, who will be playing his second game on opening night and will be much better served easing into his role on this team. I envision him starting out in the 15-20 minute range and ramping up to full minutes and taking over the starting job sometime around mid season. Bass gives us the flexibility to move him along at his own pace, without being forced to push him too fast just to win an extra game here or there. For the room, I can’t argue with this at all, gun to my head I might prefer a defensive swing forward but you probably don’t get that in this price range anyway.
Keno says
Not seeing the issues I read above. Seems like there can be a uptempo group and a slow it down and pound group. Russell, Clarkson, Randall,Black and Kobe quick
Williams, Bass, Abrown, Nance and Hibbert. pound.
Something like that
Looks to be a 40 win team to me.
Ryan says
Man when I left work for the long weekend I figure one more season of signing throw away scrubs to one year deals…now that the weekend is over we got 3 guys who can play solid to good ball in tbe league. This feels very mavs pre 2011ish where they just kept adding good name guys at every position. I’m happy.
AusPhil says
My primary concern with Bass is that at 6’10” he has never had a single season averaging even 7rpg or 1bpg. Even when he was playing 30+ mpg. As a mentor for Randle, I like the signing to a degree, but that depends on the value & length of the deal.
I’m less sure about Lou Williams, especially for 3 years at around $7m per. He basically Swaggy without the height, which makes him less versatile, and more of a defensive liability. If Nick Young does go, I’ll miss his love of being a Laker. Sure he had a bad season last year, but most of the team did, and he was dealing with injuries. I always love having guys on the roster who appreciate and enjoy being Lakers and pulling on that jersey.
Oldtimer says
Darius, may I ask for clarification on the sign and trade plans of Mavs in order to sign Lin. Does this mean we absorb 1). another player or 2) draft picks + cash or 3) trade exception on the remaining cap space of Mavs plus future draft pick?
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources–mavericks-discussing-sign-and-trade-options-for-jeremy-lin-with-lakers-233321414.html
Aaron says
I like Bass a lot to start. My philosophy is always to keep your young guys on the bench and keep them hungry while learning from the vets. As long as you don’t need to win games. And we clearly aren’t capable of winning a championship next year.
rr says
Looks to be a 40 win team to me
—
No offense, buddy, but you also predicted 47 wins for the 2013-14 team after they picked up some vets in a little flurry of off-season moves like this. Kupchak and Buss snagging three name guys in about 12 hours gets people pumped, but Hibbert, Williams, and BB probably will not move the W-L needle that much. The upsides of these moves are:
1. What the FO can get in terms of future considerations if/when they move some of Young, Lin, Hill, Sacre, and Kelly.
2. It may help acclimate the young guys to the NBA, as noted, through both mentoring and having guys to share the load during the long grind of the 82-game schedule.
3. Williams and/or Hibbert may be movable at the deadline and in Williams’ case, the off-season or next season.
But the future of the Buss/Kupchak FO depends almost entirely on D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, and the deals made today don’t change that.
Keno says
Well it’s like going to the casino thinking ” oh I hope I only lose $2000″.
For piece of mind I need to feel there is a chance. If not I might as well watch Dancing with the Stars instead of another 20 win crap feast.
rr says
Everybody’s fandom is different, and there is no right way to do it. If nothing else, Russell, Randle and Kobe’s Last Ride should be reasons to tune in.
Gian says
Love reading your articles, Darius. Very well written and objective. Will be sad to see Kelly go because i do like him. Ditto with Swaggy. You don’t currently see a lot of players being proud to be a Laker-wish he was a bit more serious though. No more tanking please. Let’s just compete with this line-up. Go Lakers!
Any_one_mouse says
Lou Williams is Nick Young all over again. Play them both together, and the results will be interesting, or is it exasperating?
Brandon Bass is a nothing signing. Ideally he should be be the fifth big off the bench.
Any_one_mouse says
I especially don’t like the fact that there are no options in Williams’ contract. Are we sure we want him to be our third guard (after Clarkson and Russell I presume) for the next THREE years??
KenOak says
I was seeing rumors of possibly Taj Gibson coming our way via S/T in a 3 team trade. Anyone else hearing this?
Vasheed says
The Lakers have improved at nearly every position. I think the playoffs may still be a stretch but, I would be very surprised if they are anywhere near as bad as last year.
grumpy says
I’m not quite sure why the Lakers would target Gibson unless he came with a desirable asset. Maybe they are going for the record of grabbing the most power forwards in one off season? He appears to have two years left on his contract.
Reed says
I want to go back to the Lou Williams signing because his statistical profile is unique and interesting. I am hoping that some who have watched him play extensively can provide insight into how he will fit with our roster.
At first glance, he appears a class high volume, low efficiency shooter — 40 FG% and 34 3P% each of the last two seasons.
But consider the following:
*He posted a 19.9 PER last year, 44th in the NBA; 5th among SG; and better than every Laker last year but Ed Davis (20.0).
*How is he posting such efficiency with such low shooting percentages? Dig deeper. 56.3 TS%. 74th in the league; 11th among SG. And better than … Kevin Love, DIRK, Lillard, Duncan, Marc Gasol, Conley, etc, etc. Better than every Laker last year but Davis and Black.
*Ok, so how the high TS% if he shoots 40/34%? Three reasons: (1) high FT% (86%), (2) high volume FTA (7.1 FTA/36 minutes), and (3) high volume 3PA. In other words, he shoots a high proportion of 3s and FTs.
*Per 36 minutes, he shoots 8.0 3s, 8.4 2s, and 7.1 FTs. This is exactly what you want, and an extremely high proportion of 3s/FTs per 2s. He shot more FTs per 36 minutes than any Laker last year, and more 3s per 36 than anyone but Nick Young (8.1 vs. 8.0 per 36).
*Another factor in his high PER? Low turnovers — only 1.8 per 36 minutes. Most players with his usage rate have double this turnover rate. He’s either getting a shot up or passing (usually shooting…).
*Another factor: high usage — 25.2%. This is more than any Laker but Kobe, and 11th in the league.
*Question: how does his high usage blend with our other high usage guards? We assume Kobe, Russell, and Clarkson all want the ball. Then consider that only 39.7% of his FGs last year came through assist. In other words, he’s a solo scorer; not through the flow of an offense (as we suspected). And per nba.com, he only scored 2.4 points per game off of catch and shoot situations.
*Can he change his game to play more off the ball? He was great shooting the 3 from the corner (nearly 50%). Can he shift to more catch and shoot?
*Or can Byron structure the rotations more to have him be the primary scorer or a second unit? I’d guess this will be the case, but I also think he’ll play a lot with Clarkson and Russell, with them essentially running a 3 guard rotation (I hope), so he’ll usually have one of them next to him, and we want those two to be the primary playmakers.
*I haven’t seen a ton of his games — anyone have observations/insights?
Keno says
Agreed Vasheed.
how can Russell, Randal, Kobe Hibbert, Clarkson and bench of Williams, Black And Brown Bass
Not be better then last years D league team.
Slappy says
“65% in the restricted area”
Darius, that was last year, a career year in that respect. Prior two seasons was .603 and .607 = meh. And since he has no 3 PT shot whatsoever, he’s the living definition of treading water, at best, on offense, at least if he goes back .603 and .607. He doesn’t rebound well either. It better be for the exception, i.e., one year deal only.
By the way, other than anecdote, what is the evidence that having veterans around actually helps?
Now for rr, re Deandre Jordan, he’s in Dallas because he’s been opining for most of the year that he isn’t featured enough in the Clips offense. So he’s going to Dallas to be THE guy. He’s delusional and the circumstance is hilarious. Cuban played him well:
“We think he is going to be our best player for years to come,” Dallas owner Mark Cuban told ESPN. “A franchise player for the rest of his career.”
***
Cuban said that Jordan was “like the eighth option” on the Clippers, and he could be the first option on the Mavericks because superstar 37-year-old Dirk Nowitzki was no longer interested in that role.
He’s gonna be Shaq, doncha know….
And the other hilarity here? After being a loser for most of his ownership days, Sterling finally built himself a winner. Got Griffin and Paul to re-up for the max 5 year extensions. Balmer in contrast is 0-1. This keeps up and they might have to bring back Sterling.
Now well and truly lastly, rr, be serious, mkay? Dirk isn’t going to be around for all that much longer. And even if he was hanging around, and they added another max FA, well, don’t they already have two max FA on the Clips with Paul and Griffin? Now back to the delusional once again, he won’t ever be THE guy, or even close to that on the O end, not when he shoots .397, .428, and .386 from the line. Doc turned him into what he is today owing to the FT% and the fact that he was woeful when it came to doing anything out of the double team. And it’s not like he had to be doubled that often in any event, since with that FT%, and as well all know, if you can’t and so don’t command the double team, then you just aren’t a franchise guy.
Lawrence says
I wasn’t high on Kelly, as I think Bass is an upgrade. Swaggy P never took his game seriously, and I couldn’t understand why we gave him a three year contract, and Robert Sacre? He started to represent my anger on the team. So getting rid of these players isn’t a great loss. I think if we mesh together, the 8th spot might be there for us. But at least there’s hope with Lou (who can score, and has an uncanny ability to hit winning shots) and Bass. I doubt that we keep Roy Hibbert beyond this year. But at least SOME success would make the team look more attractive to two max players. Who those are? I have no idea.
Renato Afonso says
Well, I’m liking these moves but before knowing the final roster it will be hard to judge the record they can get. The idea of having a solid veteran at each position is a very good idea. The question that remains is who will be traded and who won’t. So far it’s safe to assume that Ryan Kelly is probably gone (and I won’t miss him a bit because he’s a “stretch four” who isn’t that good at shooting) and probably Young as well. But who is going to play SF? I think we’re still a player short from having a near complete roster…
I fully expect this team to be better than last season if Randle and Russell are anywhere near as good as we expect them to be.
LakerValentina says
Mitch showing again that getting creative you can add to the team without jeopardizing the future outlook.
Nice to get Hibbert on a 1 yr deal, he surely has some shot-blocking prowess, not a run and gun guy though but even if he doesn’t resurrect his former all-star career, hopefully can have a good year and help protecting the rim.
Lou is instant offense and his being 6-1 shouldn’t be much of an issue since our pg are both 6-5 and should be able to guard SGs.
BB is a good veteran who once had above average athletic abilities and is now more of a savvy guy, effort is going to be there every night.
That said, what worries me is we didn’t really fill the gap on the defensive end. Most of our players including your young and promising core do not excel on defense. Hopefully we end up making more moves to acquire those wing defenders and/or defense-first players we sorely need.
matt fields says
I like the pick up depending on the price. If you can get rid of your 3 worst players and upgrade them with 3 impact veterans, go for it. I think bringing back Jordan Hill for this role & less money, if it were possible, would’ve been the best move. He’d make an amazing back up, even starter, at the PF spot which is his natural position anyway. He was forced to the 5 the last 2 seasons but still managed to put up good numbers both ways. Hill would make them more complete, better defensively, and more aggressive & versatile in the front. But like I said, this is still a good pick up if the price is right.
rr says
Slappy,
The points about Jordan are simple: 1. Whatever you think of him, he is in Dallas. He’s not here. Now, if you didn’t want Jordan, that’s OK. But I think the Lakers FO did want him. 2. He bailed on a team anchored by two stars to play on a team that doesn’t have a star, which, we have been told, isn’t supposed to happen. That’s all I’m saying.
Aaron says
rr/Slappy,
Impossible to know what goes on behind closed doors… Who knows what if any contracts are offered. However you would have to believe if the Lakers wanted Jordan for the max they would have gotten him. He would have been able to stay in LA and would be on a up and coming team and not an old crumbling one like the Mavs. But again… Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. I have heard that at least part of the reason Jordan wanted out was because he and his teammates didn’t like being on a winning team and repeatedly be booed around town. If this is the case it wasn’t all CP3s fault. But it might also tell us that Blake is out of there also in two years.
Aaron says
rr,
Plenty of non stars recently and in the past have wanted to leave star studded teams to be able to have a bigger role. That’s always been very common. Non stars like Reggie Jackson and Deandre Jordan.., guys who have never been all stars have long wanted to live out their fantasies. It’s the star players and superstar players that 100 percent of the time want to play with other all stars. Even the Lone Ranger Kobe was asking for trades to get with other star players while begging the lakers to trade infant Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd and Melo.
And I also agree these moves don’t add wins. I really like the Hibbery move because I think it adds losses. But I’m not sure Williams or bass does anything besides keeping our young guys on the bench. Which is fine with me.
Jason says
Trading Away Nick Young aka SwaggyP might actually a Wrong Idea
This off season, the Lakers are “only” able to acquire Lou Williams, Brandon Bass, and Roy Hibbert (via trade). Well I said only is because I do think the Lakers went on the wrong direction and idea from the first day and trying to chase the big name, but not one that actually make sense to the current situation of the team.
Back to the main point, trading away Nick Young is a bad idea, how so? The current depth chart (not accurate) would be the following:
PG: D’Angelo Russell, Luo Williams
SG: Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown
SF: Kobe Bryant, Nick Young, Anthony Brown
PF: Julius Randle, Brandon Bass, Larry Nance Jr., Ryan Kelly
C: Roy Hibbert, Tarik Black, Robert Sacre, (Robert Upshaw)
We the starting 5 will like be Russell, Clarkson, Bryant, Randle, and Hibbert. However, this might or will not be the line up that can play 82 games no matter how good or bad it is. We know Kobe came back from 3 season ending injury and with his age and the amount of years that he single handedly carried the Lakers (between Shaq leaving and Pau joining), there is no way Kobe should play 82 games nor me as a big Lakers fan wanted to see that. Therefore Young have to stay on the team. He might be a shooting guard, but with his size and the depth and the players that Lakers has, he will be playing SF with a lot of minutes. He should be the one that play as a starter if Kobe is taking a game of from situation like the second game of back to back games.
From the depth chart, PF and C is actually crowded with loads of players, which most are young players that does not have much experience, but 7/8 players there? I don’t think it’s a good idea. I do think Larry Nance Jr. and Ryan Kelly are similar players where both are face up 4s and can shoot the 3, even though Nance Jr. might need some time to improve. They have a salary difference of almost 800k, so to make some cap room for Bass, why not keep the cheaper, but identical man.
In terms of the centre position, Robert Sacre is not “redundant”, but rather I can’t see him being that attractive to keep even with a salary under $1 million due to the situation. He might be a fun guy to watch just like Brian Scalabrine use to, while he does have up side with his size, but is he a game changer? I don’t think so. Can he solve the lack of SFs in the team? I don’t think so as well. Therefore, trading him to gain space for Bass is a better idea. Also, I do think centre like Tarik Black plays much better than him even if Tarik does not have the height that Sacre has.
As if the Lakers got Kelly and Sacre off the books, Lakers will have another $2.7 million to spend. That wouldn’t be enough for Bass even if he plans to get a pay cut. Thats because the Lakers will be barely under the $27.1 million cap (around $1.5 million). However, if the cap increase to $69.1 million, then it means the Lakers would have $3.5 million of cap space. I am not sure about the exception, however according to basketballinsiders, the Lakers have $2.8 million of exception to use, and that means Bass might be able to get $6.3 million if that is able to be used this way. Also there is the mid level exceptions, but I don’t have information if the Lakers can use that, but all of this shows that it is possible for the Lakers to acquire Bass without trading away Young, and I do think Nick Young is a player needed for the next season not because of his ability, but a player that can play at SF.
tankyou says
@Aaron, Why would we “have to believe” D. Jordan would have come to the Lakers for the max? There is more logic to suggest he would want to go elswhere. Outside of the Lakers Bubble that many on this forum post, Lakers clearly aren’t a hot destination right now–regardless of Russel and Randle, Clarkson. The proof is in the pudding, we got Hibbert dumped here, and Bass/Williams–that doesn’t scream people want to come here b/c we have young talent.
Also, how are the Mavs “old crumbling” as you state? Have you looked at their roster, they are plenty young, beyond Dirk. Yeah they aren’t rookie young, but if you want up and coming youth, you can go to the 76ers they have far more youth, and its a roll of the dice at this point if Okafor becomes a better player than Russel.
@Jason, I’m completely with you on Young, for the most part I want him gone, but at this point we really need more SF depth desperately. You honestly can’t just slot Kobe in at SF in some hypothetical manner, if recent history is telling, its unlikely he makes it through much of the season. No way Clarkson can play the 3, dude is just too scrawny he will get owned. Williams is freaking 6’1, so he can’t even cover 2 guards. So you have what Nance? Or apparently some think Randle will be a SF? Maybe Randle could become a SF if so that would be AWESOME, he is so strong, but he best be able to shoot the 3 ball.
LakerGMC says
Guys, Lou Williams is vastly superior to Nick Young. The only thing Young is as good at is comedy.
LakerGMC says
Jason, like all exceptions the room exception can not be combined, it is a $2.8m cap slot that can be used on a player or split among two.