July 4th has come and gone and, with that, some dominoes have started to fall. Gordon Hayward is a Celtic. George Hill is a King. As is Zach Randolph. Otto Porter signed a max offer sheet with the Nets and several other lower tiered free agents have also agreed to new deals. Of the eight players I covered in my free agency primer, only KJ McDaniels (#7) and Tyler Ennis (#8) remain unsigned.
This leaves the Lakers in an interesting, though not unpredictable place. Anyone with some foresight could have seen this exact scenario playing out.
The Lakers, strapped with good, but not great, cap space (a little over $16 million) and armed with only 1-year deals to offer voluntarily put themselves in a corner when negotiating with any target. JJ Redick signed a 1-year deal, but it was for $23 million — or about $7 million more than the Lakers have in total cap space. The team spoke with Hill about a 1-year deal, then he signed with the Kings for three years with an annual salary of $19 million. Even second tier targets like Justin Holiday and Darren Collison signed for two years. Omri Casspi was a player I wanted and he signed for 1-year for low dollars but did so with the world champion Warriors.
You see where I’m going with this. There’s really not a deal signed by FA’s to this point where the Lakers had any sort of an advantage in negotiations or where the final deal signed lined up at all with what the Lakers could offer.
So, what should the Lakers do with their cap space now? Let’s look at a few options:
1. Sign a FA (or multiple FA’s), likely in overpays, to one year deals. This has been the plan to this point and it’s produced nothing, but options remain. Maybe Dion Waiters is an option for a 1-year, $15 or $16 million deal (Update: Waiters re-signed with the Miami Heat for 4 years/$52 million). Maybe the team takes a chance on Rondo. The team can bring back Tyler Ennis. Maybe they reach out to veterans Arron Afflalo or Tony Allen. If Jamal Crawford ends up being bought out by the Hawks, reach out to him. There are options out there, some better (or worse) than others. I think as long as the team is honest about this being a rental, they can figure something out which could be beneficial in some way (even if it offers drawbacks too).
2. Do nothing and roll over their cap space into the regular season. Yes, the team has to fill out its roster with a few more players, but if those guys are minimum level players or G-League guys or training camp invites who show an aptitude for what Walton and his staff are teaching, snatch them up. But don’t sink big money into a guy just to say you signed someone. Unless the team signs Waiters, there’s little chance they actually pick someone up who is of starter quality and brings a needed skill set to a team with holes in multiple areas. If that’s the case, why spend the money at all?
3. Try to seek out trades to absorb salary into your cap space. We often look at cap space as a mechanism for FA’s only, but that’s not its only use. The Lakers have, in the past, used space to absorb unwanted salary while gaining an additional asset (usually a draft pick) in the process. How willing a team would be to do this is unknown, but some teams will surely have incentive to dump money based on future financial outlooks:
We could have half of the NBA in the luxury tax next summer.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 3, 2017
I don’t know if a team like Toronto would be willing to trade Cory Joseph — who has a team option for 2018-19 (something that might worry the Lakers too, by the way) — but I’d make that call and ask. Are the Nuggets looking to shed any of their lower priced players in order to open up space to sign another FA now? If so, maybe they’d give up Will Barton. The Celtics need to clear a small amount of salary to add Hayward, maybe a deal can be made with them. This is all speculation, but these are scenarios the Lakers should be (and, to be fair, probably are) exploring.
—
I think there are positives and negatives to each approach above and wouldn’t really be upset of the team went down any of those paths. Based on the talent available in free agency, I’d actively be looking at trade options — especially if Waiters goes somewhere else (he’s supposedly getting interest from the Knicks) as I just don’t see many other quality players worth spending on.
Whatever approach they take, though, I’m not going to sweat it too much. The team told us they were planning for 2018 now and once that plan was on the table, this summer became less meaningful from a team building perspective. And while the team has holes and needs to fill (remember Pelinka noted the desire to add shooting and defense), there’s only so much you can do when operating from the position the Lakers — willingly, I’ll add — put themselves in.
Ryan says
How about Marcus Smart?
LT Mitchell says
Yes please! Boston is desperate to move Smart after signing Hayward. He becomes a restricted free agent next summer. He’s a top 5 defensive PG in my book, and if his outside shot improves, watch out!
Avery Bradley is also available heading into the final year of his contract.
I would love to have one or both of these guys on the Lakers.
Vasheed says
Trades beyond blockbuster types tend to be overlooked as a means of improving. I’d gladly take a few assets off Boston’s hands for cap space. Even better though the teams imbalances are reversed meaning both teams could get deeper with a well thought out trade.
Clay Bertrand says
I heard rumblings about this before Hayward decided……but now it would totally make sense for Utah to do a sign and trade with Boston if all parties were willing. Sounds as if Utah may be willing…….. Boston would have to be more interested in sifting through offers for Bradley, Smart, Crowder, Rozier etc. than in packaging them to Utah for a guy they can sign outright if they can clear space.
Clay Bertrand says
Danny Ainge is NOT GIVING his players away to create a little bit of cap space. He is looking to TRADE them for assets. He doesn’t have Mozgov to unload forcing him to include items of value to get rid of a bad deal. ALL of his players have some value so its not a Fire Sale and he’s not really even under the gun to make a hasty trade at this point. So he will take his time to find a deal that benefits them AND clears cap space.
ONLY if there is NO MARKET for his players would they be tossed into salary dump deals. I don’t see it getting to that point.
Rick in Seattle says
Clay, you are probably correct on a couple fronts. Ainge is too smart to just ‘give’ these players away. However, if he can negotiate some return for them in the form of assets that he can use in the future, he will probably do that.
Remember, he is trading with a team in the Western Conference, so he will not see these players as often. Not like trading with an Eastern Conference team.
A well-constructed sign & trade may give both teams more cap breathing room to play with. If Boston remains interested in George this year, that could be a significant factor down the road,
With the moves Boston is making, I don’t see how Cleveland stays on top (baring some major trade moves. (Love/Carmello?) But, with Cleveland’s front office in disarray, it doesn’t look good for LeBron. No wonder there is growing speculation about him coming West.
As far as the Lakers go, Hill was clearly a lost opportunity (who I thought was a perfect fit), Unfortunately, their options are dwindling raidly. It might be wise for Magic to keep that cap money in his wallet for the time being until a better option comes along.
Rembeber, unexpected opportunities can come out of the blue. With most of the teams having spent their cap, it puts the Lakes in an advantageous position. Thay can (like Phoenix) use some of those cap dollars to take an unwanted contract (that may come with draft picks or other incentives) .
It is very likely that as each of the various NBA teams begin to assess what they have, there will be additional trade & free agent opportunities.
But, it’s still a bit frustrating that Hill signed with a competitor in our own Division (Kings).
Rick in Seattle says
How about Avery Bradley? Lakers reportedly “went hard” after Bradley, but Boston chose to deal with Detroit instead. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a player that fits the Lakers needs is NOW a UFA.
KCP is an even better option for Lakers than Hill or Waiters and would be a tremendous fit–IF he’s willing to take a 1-yr contract. This is a good example of the ‘unexpected opportunity’ that we talk about repeatedly. The Lakers front office must be prepared for these opportunities.
Artemis says
Agree with the last part. Not going to sweat too much even if the Lakers don’t sign anyone because at least the FO is sticking to the plan.
When Johnson and Pelinka were hired in February the Lakers had:
1. A 50% chance of losing their first round pick in the draft and no other pick.
2. Two of the worst contracts in the NBA (Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov).
3. Consequences of terrible decision making by the previous FO (like losing next year’s draft pick).
Since then this FO, has come in with a clear vision of picking up high character, talented assets and has:
1. Not only kept the pick, but gained THREE extra picks in a loaded draft.
2. Traded away one of the worst contracts in the NBA for an all-star caliber center (Lopez).
3. Gained potentially valuable assets (Hart, Kuzma, Bryant, Dozier).
4. Stuck to their vision of preserving cap space for the 2018 free agency.
The FO has done a decent job so far, while dealing with the Mitch/Jim mistakes of the last few years. I stand by their vision and will only re-evaluate this FO after 2018 free agency. Till then, win or lose, sign free agents or not, trades or no trades, I’m keeping my faith in Johnson and Pelinka.
Chris J says
You missed some points here… Johnson and Pelinka had zero impact on the Lakers keeping the pick this year, unless you believe a high-wattage smile somehow influenced the ping pong balls used for the lottery. Landing the No. 2 pick was more luck than anything tied to the new front office’s clear vision.
Likewise, like him or not, the J &P duo also traded away a 21-year-old former No. 2 pick whose initial NBA numbers suggest he’ll be an All-Star caliber player for years to come. Russell was arguably the Lakers best player last season and would conceivably have held that honor, such as it is, this coming season as well. Please don’t give J & P credit for dealing away one of the worst contracts in the NBA without mentioning the cost associated with that move, even if it brought back an All-Star caliber player in Lopez for what is expected to be a one-year rental and the ensuing cap space. I’m largely OK with the new regime’s moves to date, but you omitted some fairly relevant details in your seven bullet points.
R says
Yeah this post by “Artemis” sounds like it was written by a Lakers publicist!
What the deuce is an “All Star Caliber” player anyway? If by that you mean somebody who was named to the All Star game 4+ years ago as a alternate by the commisioner because Rondo ripped up an ACL, then I guess Lopez is “All Star Caliber” all right. Sounds like fluffy Marketing BS to me though.
Bob Loblaw says
I was a HUGE fan of D’angelo Russell I can’t exaggerate how upset I was when they traded him but it will honestly benefit us in the long run. I had his back even when everyone was calling him a snitch and I ignored comments that people made like Byron Scott who said he was immature and all that. But when you start getting criticized by the great Magic Johnson about not being a leader and players not wanting to play with D’angelo then you have to take Magic’s comments seriously. Put aside the fact that he has no front office experience, Magic still knows what it takes to win and his comments about D’angelo must have some credibility. He did put up pretty good numbers on the court but a players locker room presence is just as essential as his on court presence especially when it comes to team chemistry. Not only that but that HORRENDOUS MOZGOV contract was a huge issue coming into the off season and next off season. That trade was probably the best case scenario of getting rid of mozgov in order to be ready for the much more loaded off season next year where we can possibly get PG13 and LeBron. But this trade’s value will rely heavily on how Lonzo turns out to be and how Brook Lopez turns out. Plus Lonzo’s have supposedly elevates his teammate’s around him.
TD says
Get Pierre Jackson, PLEASE!
Steve says
I will never waver in being a Lakers fan – but this is going to be another tough year.
And the more that comes out about next July and all the money the team has – makes me even more nervous because we’ve been here before. I think at this point, given the current roster, the Lakers are the worst team in the Western Conference.
I don’t think we can offer enough to get Waiters to sign and I’m luke warm at best with adding Rondo. All that being said – I believe we’ll feature young team who will play hard but will be simply outmatched many nights on the talent meter.
Pbz06 says
Yes, and I’m fine with that. Lakers most prized players are 19 (Ingram, Ball, Zubac). Randle is also 22 or 23. It’s a young team, they need to keep developing while filling the gaps and building a foundation of strong core and management and culture. It has to be inviting for the prized free agents.
Anonymous says
What is the obsession with obtaining a starting point guard? First Hill now Rondo.
If the FO drafted Lonzo with the idea of moving him off point then we’re fooling ourselves that things will get better for this franchise. We can’t keep wasting lottery picks on players that don’t pan out.
There were plenty of better SGs/Wings down the draft, like Tatum who was drafted #3 and has a complete offensive game that is NBA ready.
I say let Lonzo roll at the point. The Lakers don’t have the luxury of breaking the kid in. Plus didn’t the team run Clarkson at the point the last 20 games of last season? If Lonzo struggles why can’t Jordan fill the gap?
What the Lakers need is wing shooting and scoring. Who is going to score points for this team? Magic wants an up tempo team but that is not this team’s strength. Up tempo is going to result in a lot of blow outs because this team can not score or defend. If the plan is for Paul George at the Two then let’s hope that really happens because we are going to have a huge hole there this year.
I get that everyone wants the Lakers to compete for the 8th seed. But reality says that is not going to happen. The West is freaking loaded and we have wasted much of these last four years.
Compare what Ainge has done in the four years since both the Celtics and the Lakers were awful in 2013/14. Its amazing what Danny accomplished by actually ‘working’ as opposed to Jim, whose idea of ‘working’ was planting favorable articles in the local press to hide the fact that not much progress was being made on the court.
RR says
I would try to sign a guy who can help with the D/exp–maybe Thabo Sefolosha, who I think is still out there. Nothing more than one year, obviously. Other than that, not much to do. And I would not sweat the salary floor–take the space into the season if need be.
The Lakers are are going to be bottom-feeders again, and the pick is gone, but Magic and Pelinka have made it clear what they want to do, so taking on any money beyond next year makes no sense from that POV. Two other points:
1. Bosh reached an accord with Miami, so he is off their cap. I expect that Miami will be recruiting George/Cousins/Westbrook very hard next summer.
2. The Lakers FO needs to explore all options to get Deng’s contract off the books now that they have chosen this path. They should be thinking about that all the time.
George Best says
the fact that a clown like swaggy p gets a deal to be on the Warriors tells you all that is wrong with the free agency set up. If anyone can ruin a championship team it is him but i doubt he sees the floor unless they are up by a ton and hes the garbage man with the fancy jump shot. Horrible example of a player.
Moto says
Coming from a long time Laker fan and Celtic hater…but the C’s are going to be good for a long time.
drrayeye says
What I like a great deal has been obvious efforts to continue building a team culture. Resigning Tyler Ennis and Thomas Robinson would be an effective way to continue building team culture with the most limited drain on cap space–but the Lakers still may be short a shooter.
That could be Jamal Crawford on the cheap.
But the most interesting scenarios continue to be improving flexibility. Limited cap flexibility is causing the Celtics to decimate team depth in order to land Hayward: Johnson, Zeller, Oylnyk, Jerebko,Young, Rosier, Mickey, Jackson–plus (probably) one of Smart, Bradley, and Crowder. Giving away Smart (first round #6)–if they do it–would be similar to the Lakers giving away Randle. It’s hard for me not to wonder what will happen to team culture next year in Boston.
IMO, the three Laker players that could be considered in serious trade scenarios would be Clarkson, Deng, and Randle. Their contracts could reduce Laker flexibility. Clarkson and Deng both have substantial 4 year contracts–and Randle either will become a free agent in 2018 or will be offered a substantial contract extension.
I hope that the Lakers continue to seek trades that increase flexibility for the future while improving balance. I’m optimistic that the Lakers will do this while improving team prospects for 2018.
Jeremy G. says
Monta Ellis was just waived by the Pacers. What do you think about him being a one year guy for us? He doesn’t strike me as the type to lead the young guys all that well but he’s got guts and can show some of our scorers how to be effective producing big numbers. I think he’d be worth it around the vet minimum price.
CraigW. says
Do we have absolutely no faith that the draft picks of the last few years will improve this coming year?
This is Luke’s 2nd year and the talent more closely fits the system he wants to run. Randle is making some fairly extreme changes to his body and, hopefully, improves his shooting. Nance also has a chance to improve his shooting. Ingram would seem to be primed for a very big jump. Zubac will take longer to develop – per most big men, but we also have Lopez ahead of him to help out. One of our rookies is a 4yr college player and this means he should be more ready to contribute in his 1st year.
All this doesn’t count the rookie who should be able to make each of these young players better with his court leadership and passing.
Even without any more new faces I feel our team won’t be ‘chopped liver’ in the coming year. I also don’t think we will finish at the bottom of the Western Conference, though I won’t try to guess who will be the big disappointments next year.
RR says
The Lakers will have the worst roster in the conference, on paper, going into the season, with the possible exception of Phoenix. Also, you and some other people here have made similar optimistic pronouncements about the team being better than the consensus each of the last four years. It has not happened yet.
This is one reason among many that I have qualms about the Russell deal. Magic and Pelinka will probably be attempting to persuade George and another All-Star level guy (probably Cousins, maybe Westbrook) to join a team with a win total in the 25-30 range, and the two guys on the team that people have the most hope invested in will both be playing their age-20 seasons. I do not see that scenario as being all that appealing to two guys in their late 20s who have not played on Finals teams (if it is Cousins) and almost certainly won’t again this year. I hope that I am proven wrong on all counts.
Vasheed says
I agree with RR’s comments. In the short term I think Lopez is an improvement over Mozgov. However, I’m concerned with fit. Luke often chose to go with Black, Randle, or Nance at center. Lopez will get the nod at to start but even with the shooting I question the fit with what Luke likes to run. Will there be minutes for Zubac to develop? I love Zubac’s game but, does even he fit in with what Luke likes to do?
If Ball turns out well, which I’m very dubious about, it is very unlikely he will be more productive than DLO this year.
Perhaps the brightest spot will be Ingram. His stats weren’t that impressive last year. However, he played much better towards the end of the year. He also played all over the roster year and I think he will play better if he plays within a defined role at SF.
I find the strategy of the F.O. troubling. There is little attempt to make significant upgrades this year meaning we will likely win about 30 games. Everything is dependent on George relentlessly coming to LA after a likely playoff run with Westbrook. Then we get into an overlap situation. George would play the same position as Ingram. Cousins would play the same position as Zubac. Westbrook would play the same position as Lonzo. There just aren’t synergies with the players we are developing with the big name superstars we are supposed to be hoarding cap space for.
A Horse With No Name says
Vasheed: I’m in agreement with much of our post (and by extension, rr’s) but I must quibble with your “overlap” assessment of George/Ingram. I mean, that’s so yesterday, dude! It’s position less basketball. Long armed guys who can switch and recover defensively, but also pass, shoot, and handle to one degree or another. That’s why I wasn’t so keen on Ball. I would’ve liked to see a ridiculous length line up of Ingram as Giannis, PG and Josh Jackson as wings, and maybe we trade for Ricky Rubio, plus whatever big works that night in limited minutes. I think that Ingram is much closer to being a Giannis than a Durant; that’s why I want him to grow into a creator/distributor role.
The only guy out there now worth a big one year is CJ Miles. Curious he hasn’t been signed yet . . . Otherwise preserve the cap space for trading purposes at the deadline should something present itself.
Vasheed says
I think today ideally everyone would be a 3 and D guy but, the positions still have specific skill sets. I had read an article about George playing PF at Indiana. They showed things like George didn’t know how to effectively box guys out to get boards and various other little things that you expect a PF to do. The short of it was George didn’t really know how to be an effective PF.
It’s also what concerns me so much about Ball. When we got Russell I pictured a big back court tandem of Russell and Clarkson being able to just switch seamlessly making for a relentless perimeter defense. Oh boy was I wrong about that. The modern PG is not just a floor general. He is a speed demon who can break down defenses and defend against opposing PG’s trying to do the same on the other end. It became pretty clear to me by the end of Russell’s run with the Lakers that he really he is a SG with great passing skills. Ball to me also sounds a lot more like a SG than a PG. His best 2p attempts come off receiving assists while slashing to the hoop. He spots up for 3’s. He likely better matches up defensively at the 2. However, like Russell he can really pass the ball. In my opinion Ball should be paired with a SG who can match up defensively against quick pg’s. If they trot him out there like Russell at the pg slot I think he will get torched too often. I would then pray this is the year Ingram starts breaking down defenses.
So the short of it is that position less basketball doesn’t really exist beyond long arms helping avoid mismatches on switches. BTW had the Lakers not landed a pick in a draft loaded with pg’s I too would have given a nod to a Rubio trade. I think he is better than often given credit for.
keith m@@n says
Please anybody but Jamal Crawford. Too old and too much of a shooter. Look how much the team improved w/o Lou Williams. Rather find someone between 24-27 to develop than JCrossover.
Ed says
I favor option three,the best chance of getting above avg. players,without impacting 2018. I just hope they stay away from Rondo.As for Laker prospects this year,I`m not as negative as some. Willing to see if the new regime and culture can actually get players to show improvement and over achieve.One problem is that I also have my doubts about the current coaching and player development personnel.
Chutch says
Lakers were an NBA worse -6.9 in scoring margin last year. And -9.6 the year before.
I’d be happy with a competitive team that brings it every night. Perhaps wins .350 of western conference games and .500 vs eastern conf. And have an entire season without any brutal blowouts vs other non playoff teams like the Mavs.
An average margin of victory no greater than-3. That would be a reasonable goal for next season.
Steve says
So far so good for the FO. Magic is under a self induced microscope that has a timer ticking away. His reputation will buy him time but this franchise has to get back to relevance and that path is the playoffs. I like the current roster and potential for FA moves in 2018 is off the charts. Luke has to show improvement in 2017 and my money says he will
Chris J says
ESPN’s reporting Waiters will stay with Heat, four years and north of $50 million.
Mid-Wilshire says
I rather like the idea of signing Tyler Ennis and T Robinson. In my view they both earned a shot at another season with the Lakers by virtue of their play last year.
If the Lakers sign Rondo, that could possibly relegate Lonzo Ball to the bench for the first half of the year. Since the Lakers will probably not be a playoff team this year, it might be best to let Lonzo start from the outset and take his lumps (which, to be realistic, will happen).
Ennis could come off the bench and play 16-18 minutes per game. After seeing him play last year, I’m comfortable with Ennis in that role. He can be had for a one-year deal. And, reportedly, he wants to play for Luke again.
The Lakers will be VERY young this coming season. As a result, this will still be a development season. Ennis, who will turn 23 on August 24, will fit right in with the youth movement.
MsWay says
At this point it looks like lonzo ball is not only just starting his career,He’s going to be counted on to produce along with josh hart.I,m glad we have Jordan Clarkson also,He,s not afraid to be the gunner we need and if he improves as I expect we may be able to generate enough scoring in the back court. I Do think we will sign a guard and i hope that it isn’t a head case, Because we have no margin for error, Maybe the MVP of the D league can come up here and fire away? The most important thing is that guys take the shots when they are open.
Alexander says
Newsflash – even if we don’t get a single additional player past Ennis, we already have a much improved team from last year. It’s time to shed the frenzy of this FA period and appreciate the organizational and roster progress we’ve made, which imho has been remarkable.
Any doubt Lonzo will add wins over last year’s DLo? Lopez over Moz/Black? Our four resident youngsters (BI, JR, IZ, LNJ) will be better than their synonyms from 2016. Each a year seasoned, a year under the coaching system and playing with each other, and in top notch physical shape before pre-season. All worked on off-hand skills and shooting, with some shooting forms visibly improved. I’m expecting more than one breakout season, but even if we get a disappointing none, all four will be way better in 2017. Even JC may improve a little.
Nwaba played well after a late season call-up, finishing as our top defender and +/- , just like he did with the DFenders. Let’s see what six months of working on his game with our staff and going through camp and pre-season will do for him. I expect we’ll get a good rotation player, a net positive whenever he’s on the floor, a better Laker than Nick Young ever could be.
Forget the other rooks, Deng, and fillers, or effing Rondo/Stucky/Ennis, they don’t move the needle. Our top 8 players get 99% of all meaningful season minutes and they will each be better than last year! We have good chemistry, good coach, inspiring FO, great new facilities, everyone is healthy. That’s literally as good as it gets from one season to the next- *Everyone and Everything will be Better to Much Better*. Me says, same will be true for our W/L record.
CraigW. says
Alexander,
Way to go. Totally agree. See my post earlier. Time to start looking on the bright side. If we can’t beat GWS more than once this year, then we should be looking at what we are developing.
Kareeme says
Alexander, Craig,
Just echoing what RR and others have said. 1) It is doubtful that Lonzo is an improvement over Russell as a first year player. Especially as we have lost our most prolific 3-pt shooters from last season in Nick Young and Lou Williams. 2) Brooke Lopez is an improvement over Mozgov and is statistically a better player than Russell. But he has major injury concerns and is nothing more than a stopgap. The only way he has value is if we trade him away to a team in February in exchange for draft picks or other assets. 3) Counting on significant improvements from our young players is folly. Especially as the two we are undoubtedly counting on the most in Ingram and Ball are only 19/20 years of age. Expect a 25-30 win season this year.
All of that said, I believe that we will have a team that is more exciting and moving in the right direction. I’m not overselling Magic and Pelinka here, I’m selling very low on Mitch/Jim. Nothing that the current FO has done is their fault. Mozgov and Deng are/were Albatrosses that are strangling the Lakers future. The Nash trade has left our cupboard empty. The current FO is selling us on 2018 because there is nothing else to sell us on.
Alexander says
Kareeme, I was strictly trying to compare the late 2016-17 season Lakers with the new team. I partially agree with your 1), in that we’ve lost shooters that could make spacing difficult and negate broader progress, although BL, LB and organic improvements may make us at least no worse from deep. But it is my hope and expectation that LB will be clearly superior to 2016 DLo, a better player *and* someone who can facilitate a better offense and make everyone else better. If that’s not the LB we get, trust me, the rest of our analyses is for naught, our rebuild has already failed.
Your 2) point is misplaced, even if true. From a 2017-18 basketball perspective *alone*, 30 min of Lopez will be a vast improvement in the center position over Moz/Black/2016Zu. The man even shot threes as well as DLo last year! I’m not trying to debate future years – which will be determined by BI/LB progress and FA signings, not Lopez.
MT87 says
I’m not nearly so optimistic. I think Lonzo is going to be a great pro but dlo next year is most likely > Lonzo next year. Lopez is better than Mozgov for sure but that is a low bar and Lopez is still an injury prone center who plays little defense, led the worst team in the league last year, and won’t be here two years from now. BI needs to take a huge leap just to get to replacement level while Julius and Larry both need to become much better shooters just to be viable starters in the modern NBA. None of this even touches the fact that we no longer have our best performer (Lou) and best shooter (Swaggy) and we didn’t replace them with anyone who can fill their shoes. I plan to root for the young guys and enjoy the process regardless but I’d be surprised if this team won more than thirty games next year.
Lakers Future says
I love your enthusiasm, Alexander. I don’t share it yet. First off the West just became brutal. So their competition has gotten better. Second I don’t see Ball as an improvement over Russell. Russell would have been going into his 3rd season. That experience is priceless. Ball has never seen the likes of Westbrook or Curry. Heck, he hasn’t seen Lillard and McCollum. His 160 lb frame still has to adjust to the grind of an 82 game season. It will take time for him to adjust to the NBA game. Plus, who will he be passing to? There are no real shooters left on the team.
I’m not sold on Lopez. He has slow feet on a team that want to emphasize movement. I just don’t see it. But I would love to be wrong.
Alan says
I’m certainly no caps space expert, but I’m inclined to use the players currently on the team. Maybe Lopez, Hart and Kuz can be the shooters and defenders the team lacked last year. Forget about signing free agents, is it a back breaker to play with the guys on the current roster, without further consideration at this point? Perhaps a player becomes available in a few weeks and we can pass on the Rondo of the world?
Wil says
Sign Monta Ellis to start along with Lonzo! Jamal Crawford as your 6th man. 2 veteran scorers that the team needs.
mattal says
RR: Mitch had the same problem, over the past four years, of overestimating the team’s talent by 20+ games a season.
Agree on multiple points:
1) Russell was traded too soon. The frustrating part of this is i believe that same deal is on the table at the deadline. I would have preferred a chance to see how a Ball/Russell backcourt could work. Additionally, the team now has nothing to show for all the losses that produced the Russell pick in the first place. Bad teams can not afford to blow high lottery picks and expect to get better.
2) The Lakers are looking at another long season. This team, as you point out is a 30’ish win team. It kills me to think the Celtics, of all teams, will benefit from our struggles.
—
A poster above mentioned that Ainge essentially kicked Jim/Mitch’s butt these last four years. I have to agree. The outlook of each franchise is markedly different. The Celtics, to a great extent, control their own destiny while the Lakers are left playing the hope card.
Ultimately, the blame of the previous FO and the current precarious state of the franchise falls at Jeanie’s feet. How could she see the continued poor performance on the floor and the dysfunction behind the scenes and not demand more oversight into what Jim/Mitch were doing? The duo should have been let go earlier and that’s not a ‘hindsight is 20/20’ call. Despite her claimed naïveté about player personnel she had to realize that Jim was in over his head and that Mitch was being made into a lap dog by her brother’s ‘sign multiple max free agents and all will be well’ approach.
The Mozgov/Deng deals should have never happened because Jim/Mitch should already have been fired. Or, they should have been blocked as her sign off should have been required based upon the obvious thin ice their jobs were on.
Rick in Seattle says
Matt, yes there is an argument that can be made that Russel was traded too soon. But, there is also the argument that improving the Center position (with Lopez) and removing the remaining 3 years of Mozgov was a huge benefit. It certainly gives the Lakes cap room next summer when they will admittedly need it. And, that’s important, because if you wait until the last minute to try to trade ANY player, other teams know your position and likely low ball you.
Example: Once Hayward agreed to go to Boston, Boston started scrambling to find some additional cap space. It may work out, it may not. but it puts Boston in a less desirable position. Having cap space already arranged is a better solution. Plus it gives teams (like the Lakers) an opportunity to focus on other player moves in the meantime.
LT Mitchell says
With teams around the league desperate to clear cap space, Brooklyn was one of the few teams who had the means and was willing to absorb big contracts for the right assets. If the trade with the Lakers fell through, Brooklyn had another trade lined up for Lopez. That means come the trade deadline, there would be very few teams left willing to take on Mosgov’s contract. You are correct that the Lakers would have been in a desperate situation with their entire plan of clearing cap space for 2018 in major jeapordy.
The market estimation for DLo was somewhere around a top 15 to 20 pick in this year’s draft. Not only did the Lakers get the 27th pick, they got rid of Mosgov’s contract AND picked up a center who shoots threes as well as DLo. Add in DLo’s shaky knees which could further weaken his trade value, and it’s clear that the bigger gamble by far would have been to wait til the trade deadline.
Rick in Seattle says
BRK is probably smart to use their available cap space in this manner to selectively pick up young players and or draft picks, instead of trying to sign (and overpay) restricted free agents. It was recently mentioned that Phoenix is now planning to jetison their veterans and begin going this direction as well. Being a bottom dweller for a couple years is probably the most logical way to rebuild from the ground up with young cheap players–. as long as their respective front offices select wisely. Phoenix already has a couple nice young players to build around. Recently, Minnesota, Philadelphia and the Lakers have been the poster teams for this process. After 4 tough years, hopefully, the Lakers are now on their way out of the lottery. I am amazed at what Minnesota has been able to accomplish.
LALaker14 says
Sign Ennis & Robinson and let’s move on.
drrayeye says
Magic and Pelinka may think of themselves as unlucky, failing to land Paul George, Swaggy, Dion, and George Hill. Not me.
PG was too soon, and the three offerees all made better choices for themselves. They’ve left the Lakers with flexibility, cap space, and an emerging new team identity.
All things that Celtics Danny Ainge doesn’t have now that he’s “won” Hayward.
Sometimes you can win by losing . . .
R says
Heh, seriously doctor?
As a Lakers lover and Celtics hater, I’d take their outlook over the Lakers without a moments hesitation.
Sorry, it’s not even close. The Celtics are knocking on the door of title contention. The Lakers? Knocking on the cellar door.
drrayeye says
Hi R,
What Danny had was held together by bubble gum and bailing wire. Now, with the Hayward “win,” many pieces are dropping off . I’m not sure that Danny can put Humpty back together again so easily–but we’ll see.
Our Lakers machine is still being “fixed,” but we’re moving in the right direction.
It’s not even October yet–a bit too soon to put us in the cellar again.
Rick in Seattle says
Not sure Magic & Pelinka have been unlucky. While I was very disappointed that the Lakers could not sign Hill, I can understand his position (at age 31) in signing a multi-year contract.
Magic & Pelinka are not trying to work on the cheap. They are just trying to contain cap space for next summer. Two different issues. To demonstrate that, Basketball Insiders reported that the Lakers 1-year offer to Waiters was $17 mil. That’s not a low-ball offer by any means.
While options are slowly disappearing for the moment, there may be opportunities down the road. I would advise the front office to continue to be selective. Better opportunities may come about later in the summer.
The worst thing the front office could do is make a rash free agent decision (along the lines of the Deng-Mozgov spending last summer).
Don’t let that cap money burn a hole in our wallet, to the point that a poor decision is made.
Let’s learn from our mistakes!
RR says
Ainge is setting up Boston to get Anthony Davis, and I think there is a good chance that it will happen. As to the other point, Boston just added a Top-25 guy in his prime to a 53-win team (48 by PYTH) in a weak conference, and the other three teams at the top in the East have not done anything major to improve. So, other than Golden State and Cleveland (simply because they have James and he is not yet showing signs of aging) Boston is in as good a position as any franchise in the game.
The Lakers, by contrast, are an established bottom-feeder counting on two 20 year-olds and a speculative FA haul a year from now. I wish this were not the case, but it is.
mattal says
We tend to forget that in addition to their current roster of youngsters and the upcoming projected high lottery picks in 2018 & 2019 that the Celtics have a couple 2016 draft and stash NBA bigs on the near term horizon. Man, I hate the Celtics.
Ante Zizic is the most promising — based on my couch potato 016 NBA draft research I really wanted the Lakers to grab him. He’s a few months younger that Zubac. Ante is 6’11” and 250. He has a much better motor than Ivica but not nearly the offensive polish. He’s scheduled to be on next season’s roster and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he made Olynyck expendable this summer. Likely starter if not traded.
Guerschon Yabusele is a 6’9″ French PF who may need a little bit more seasoning. Not a starter but a rotation piece or trade fodder.
Here’s an article on them from a SB Nation Celtics fan site about them:
https://www.celticsblog.com/2017/1/9/14216426/boston-celtics-ante-zizic-yabusele-abdel-nader-draft-stash
RR says
BTW, Olynyk has signed with Miami for 4/50.
Moto says
RR you hit nail directly on the head. Boston is going to be very good for a long time. Lake show mean while are headed in the opposite direction.
Old Timer says
Sorry for the Lakers low bid and short in tenure. Lakers offer to McLemore, Hill and Dion became a barometer in grabbing these players. It is like playing poker with little money and open cards. If Rondo is given one more year, we lose him too. In the case of Crawford he want to stay in LA for his family and curious in playing with Ball. I think it’s ok just sign Ennis and Robinson. I was still longing for Tarik Black who was the face/center of the Lakers in their last string of victories. He is popular with Laker fans. If Magic is looking for character leader among Vets., that’s Tarik @ 6m!
Another area of consideration are Summer League participants, somebody there could be a diamond in a rough at low maintenance like Nwaba.
BigCitySid says
Just curious, what would it take for the Lakers to secure a top 10 1st round pick for 2018 since they’re losing their own due to a previous deal.
Clay Bertrand says
I don’t care if he’s the only guy who will sign with the Lakers, Jamal Crawford is not a great fit or much of a needle mover for this team. He is 37 year old isolation game gunner who needs the ball in his hands to do anything.
Crawford at this point is basically a Poor Man’s Lou Williams WITHOUT THE DEFENSE.
“But, Lou didn’t play ANY defense!!!!” Exactly.
Regarding the Rondo “interest”, am I the only one who understands that Rondo’s people reached out to the Lakers and not vice versa??? This is what I have read anyway.
I understand the FO strategy. Clearly, the ONE YEAR ONLY deals are only going to be acceptable for a handful of special circumstances players.
Rondo and Crawford play NO defense. So our Veteran Mentors will be poor examples in that regard if these two are signed. Not ideal IMO.
Afflalo and/or Mbah a Moute would fit the stated need for Defense and Afflalo when healthy and clicking can hit the corner 3 Luc can a little bit too shockingly. But these guys are really more 3s than 2s (although the positions are very much the same in many respects).
The Lakers need some Defense First guys and some shooting. Unfortunately, they really only have roster room in the back court meaning this 3 and D will have to come in the form of guards barring any further trades involving front court players.
THE HARSH REALITY
SO, to summarize, the Lakers want to sign 1-2 guys who:
1.) Are Veterans
2.) Are Back Court Players (Guards)
3.) Play Strong Defense
4.) Can Shoot Good (especially from 3pt land)
5.) Are Willing to come to a Last Place team of Very Young Players including 4 rookies
6.) Will play on only a ONE YEAR CONTRACT
7.) Do NOT get better offers from 29 other teams
Yeah…. like NO ONE fits into this complicated mold. Its no wonder the Lakers haven’t signed a soul and have missed out on EVERY decent player they have been connected with.
When you see these parameters in writing, its clear a needle mover who checks all 6 boxes does not currently roam this planet.
Maybe they should FORGET signing a significant player or at least, put this strategy on the back burner for now. Then exhaust all means of potentially absorbing other teams players (assuming they are expiring deals or Non Guaranteed in ’18) in order to gain a draft pick that can be packaged with another pick most likely to attach to a Deng deal. Deng will need BIG TIME sweeteners to be offloaded.
A Horse With No Name says
Solid post Clay! C.J. Miles *could* be that rare bird for a big lump sum 1 year deal.
Robert says
Clay – The last paragraph is hilarious.
As I have been saying many times – “The hole is very deep” and your paragraph demonstrates that.
Jim and Mitch gave us a whopper of a parting gift in the form of the Deng + Mosgov deals.
We just dealt away DAR to get rid of Mosgov and your last paragraph is basically concocting a scheme that will mean we mortgage the next year in order to get rid of Deng.
Not saying it is a bad plan – just that it illustrates what I have been saying.
The hole is very deep. But I am more optimistic than I have been in 4 years for obvious reasons. We have quit digging !
Rick in Seattle says
Well stated, Clay. We feel your angst! I think we all have similar feelings right now. Perhaps the front office should let things cool for awhile, rather than make a forced decision, that they later regret.
Alexander says
You pretty much nailed it. And what would we do with such a player? Doesn’t it make more sense to give the PT to Hart/Nwaba/Dozier/Ennis so they can develop, over a win or two (if any) from a Crawford/Rondo?
The price to move Deng exceeds an unprotected 1st and keeps going up, as there is little cap room left and lots of teams trying to dump salaries in the NBA. We may have to dump JC along with picks and stretch Deng next year to get close to two max slots.
Anonymous says
Vegas seems to believe that the Lakers will make a huge jump because of Lonzo: https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2017/7/5/15926610/la-lakers-news-betting-odds-over-under-season-wins-las-vegas
If I could make two additions to this year’s team it would be to resign Tarik Black, and find a way to get Lou Williams back.
Last year, the Lakers had the best bench in the NBA, finishing in the top three in points, steals, rebounds, efficiency and scoring differential.
This year’s starters have to be a huge upgrade defensively from last year: Lopez for Mozgov, Ingram for Deng, Ball for Russell, Brewer for Young and an improved Randall. They may not shoot as well, but they might avoid getting outscored by 26.7 points per game.
If they can cut that in half, the team may merit the over/under of 36.5 wins for next season.
FredP says
It might be time to look how another LA team is rebuilding their roster after the catastrophic loss of their superstar. It is a different world when one of the worst GM’s in the NBA is replaced by a legend with a track record assembling super teams.
dxmanners says
Could do worse than CJ Miles for a year… play some 2 and 3, adequate defender..
A Horse With No Name says
DX: I’m calling for the same signing (above). I’m puzzled he’s still unsigned. Do the Pacers want him back? He’d be a great fit for the offense and provide the NBA ready shooting this roster currently lacks.
Clay Bertrand says
Guys, CJ had a good year and he’s somewhat underrated. Teams want him. That said, he is looking for multiple years I believe like Waiters was. Dallas had some mild early interest and Minnesota does now.
The Lakers will basically get the scraps of what’s left and whoever is willing to take a 1 year overpay deal because, that’s pretty much the player’s best option. I don’t think CJ Miles will find himself in that situation.
But if he WAS open to coming to the Lakers, he’d be a nice addition indeed.
Rick in Seattle says
CJ is the type of player the Lakers could and should go after–a second tier veteran that’s not going to break the bank. He is 29, and can score and defend. So, why not make him a good 1-year offer, and see how he reacts. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. He who gets there the fastest, usually gets the prize.
But keep enough money in reserve because, the team also needs a veteran backup PG. Still not sure Rondo’s the right guy. But right now, is there anyone better who fits Clay’s 7-point criteria?
Minor Threatt says
+1. I can’t figure out why he hasn’t signed yet – unless he’s really trying to get that big payday he’s never had. By my reckoning, he’s by far the best remaining UFA for us – maybe the best one, period. Certainly the last real 3&D guy left. And just maybe a candidate for a big one-year deal.
He’s more a 2/3 swingman than a combo guard, which would mean we’d need to bring back Ennis, most likely. But when I hear names like Crawford (whom it sounds like they’re not interested in, thank goodness) or Stuckey, I shudder. Ball-stopping ISO guys who can’t shoot or play defense. Yuck. I’d rather just watch Clarkson play heroball – at least we’re already paying him.
SlyBly says
Free agents:
Re-sign Tyler Ennis on the cheap.
Take a chance on a few young guys (KJ McDaniels, One of Boston players to get waived like Demetrius Jackson or Rozier) and sign them to cheap deals.
And or sign CJ Miles, Thabo or someone similar like Aaron Aflallo for a nice cheap deal for under or around $5mil or I am okay if we don’t even do that and just play the young guys.
Leave enough room to absorb a $10-$12 mil contract of a player from someone in the luxury tax for a first round pick. That gives is an asset to use to get rid of Deng next off-season without losing any players as Deng’s contract will be easier to deal with two years left than now.
Let these young players get big minutes so we can find out exactly what we have going into next off-season.
Clay Bertrand says
Call me a skeptic but I just don’t believe these reports on Avery Bradley. So the Lakers were aggressive in the Bradley hunt huh???? What does THAT mean??? The FO offered Deng??? lol
If you know the Lakers’ parameters and put yourself in other people’s positions, you can see how much nonsensical BS is pumped through the media. Even Woj.
BRADLEY’s CONTRACT SITUATION:
Bradley is in line for a HUGE raise. Bradley is a better player than Clarkson in the modern NBA because he can cover both guard spots and hit the three now too. SO, that puts his market value in the Dion Waiters to Tim Hardaway Jr. range or likely, $13-$17Mil a year ON A MULTI YEAR DEAL. Who DOESN’T want to sign multi year deals OR have to Re-Up a role player to a large contract next summer???? THE LAKERS. Bradley would have to have been a rental. You don’t pay much for a rental. How aggressive could the Lakers be in this case???
NO ASSETS TO TRADE:
Bradley also played for Foston and b*itchboy Danny Ainge. Unlike Mitchy y Jimmy, Ainge actually seeks to GET SOMETHING for his outgoing Free Agents and shockingly, he also tries to get assets back when he trades guys even on expiring contracts. SO, exactly what, were the asset poor Lakers throwing in the trade pot for Bradley at this point KNOWING they were not going to use their precious ’18 Cap Space to re-sign him??? Deng??? 2 Second Rounders??? Corey Brewer??? The Lakers have few spare trade assets and need to keep full cap space open for the 2018 strategy yet according to ESPN, they were “aggressive” and “prominent” in pursuing Bradley to the end. I don’t buy it. They’ve SUPPOSEDLY been in on SEVERAL FAs and the guy NEVER signs with the Lakers because—ONE YEAR DEALS ONLY.
“Aggressive/Prominent” = Used for Leverage
WHERE THEY ARE NOW:
The Lakers are pretty much STUCKey here…..as in Rodney Stuckey. He’s a shooter IF you like guys that shoot in the high 30s percent wise. Rodney Stuckey might as well be Chucky Atkins or Ronnie Price or Aaron McKie or Laron Profit or whatever place holding “GLUE GUY” token “veteran” we’ve seen in the past on ho hum Laker teams that you don’t remember.
Does Stuckey mentor the young guys??? Does Stuckey provide a steadying influence??? Does Stuckey really do anything more than simply take up some back court minutes??? Stuckey is like a #4 journeyman pitcher signed just because he’s durable and can eat up innings. He has a 5.34 ERA and was 8-14 last season but we need a guy and Stuckey is……A GUY.
This is what it’s come to: The Lakers HOPING to get Rodney Stuckey. Whatever.
SUMMER LEAGUE is here finally…………..I am trying to temper my expectations…… I forget sometimes that the other teams play in other summer leagues beforehand and come in to Vegas ahead of the curve compared to the Lakers. I fear Ball will underwhelm because he’s dinged up, rusty from not playing since the Kentucky game, he’s going to be playing with unfamiliar players of varying talent levels in a ragged type of game and he will be compared to Tatum and Fultz who have already played in the Utah summer league and done pretty well at least statistically.
Lonzo seems supremely, quietly confident. I hope I’m wrong and he really dazzles but the stage is set too big and bright too early. Welcome to Laker Nation Lonzo!!!!!!!!! The Land of Stratospheric Expectations……..Vegas is a Laker Home Game.
I predict Josh Hart will open some eyes. I wanna see what Kuzma brings………..I see a little bit of Robert Horry in his game somehow…….I can’t put my finger on it but he’s a little Horryesque to me—-some early career Horry—some later career Horry.
It’s all HAPPENINGGGGGGGGGG!!!!! Gonna be fun to watch this weekend!!!!!
GO LAKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rick in Seattle says
What about Shabezz Mohammad? He is about the same size as Miles, but about 6 years younger. Streaky shooter. Weak defender. Might be a decent Lou Williams replacement on second unit.
Quinten Hawkins says
I say we find a way to absorb that huge contract Dwayne Wade opted into. Reason number 1 – 100 is if the Lakers are serious about adding Lebron James next summer. Who better to bring a championship mindset and a good word or two about playing with Alonzo than D Wade. I think LA can really be the spot for the 2018 version of the banana boat ??
EuropeanLaker says
I don’t understand why people want another “player who can create off the dribble”. Sure, the only guy on the roster that fits this description is Jordan Clarkson but I think that is a good thing! Last year we all complained that Lou was a ball stopper and that he was stealing minutes from the young guy. This year we have even more young guys at the 1 and 2 in the need of minutes and the clear vision expressively laid out by Luke and the FO of a team moving the ball.
The only positives that can emerge from such a signing are Lou Williams like trade to a contender in the need of scoring for a pick and a couple of more Wins to be more attraktive for FAs in 2018.
But it is very difficult to predict what kind of guy (from the few ones that are still on the market) will perform that well (Tyreke Evans might be such a guy) and I doubt that there is someone out there that is that much of a needle mover regarding the win column that a Westbrook, LeBron and even a hell bent PG will think differently about going to LA in 2018.
The success of this season (=the number of wins) is very important because it heavily influences tthe success of the 2018 offseason (=singing two superstars) and the success of the FO and the deals they made (=trading DLo for cap space in 2018). Also there is no 2018 draft pick as a reward for a bad season. If at the end of the season the team doesn’t look good enough so that FAs would think with their addition it would be a sure bet for a deep playoff run, it will be interesting what the FO does. We might get another Deng/Mozgov out of the expectation of a big 2018 offseason and the wish of making the way back to relevance by signing Superstars.
Where this success should come from?
I could see Clarkson making a bigger step than people expect him to. He is a very hard worker and a gym rat. He worked excessively on his 3 pointer last offseason but it didn’t translate. Maybe it does this season. Lonzo Ball could help tis developement. And Clarkson is as noted above the only shot creator so he might be up for big numbers this season. Esp. if no one else on this position / with his skill set is signed. He even might be that guy that gets traded at the deadline for some value (probably draft picks) which would be ideal because he might have to be moved anyway to make enough room for two max deals.
I could even see Deng playing better next season. He is and never will be worth the money he is owed nor good enough another team wants to pick up his contract. But he can surely put up better numbers than last season. Although this would come at the expense of minutes for Nance and Randle. *sigh*
I just hope that Lonzo, Lopez, the culture, the improvement of the young guys (Randle, Nance, Ingram) and magics big smile are enough to beat eastern conference teams and some in the west.
Vasheed says
Ball stoppers only look to score in iso. Ideally you want a guy who can penetrate and score or if the defense reacts pass the ball for an open look. The creating open looks is the key.
Alan says
It’s clear the Lakers are not going anywhere in free agency this year so how do they fill up the roster? I have never seen Vander Blue (not sure I spelled it correctly) play but he plays guard for the Lakers D League and was awarded the MVP award? Does he fill out the roster?
Etaf says
Adding Aaron Afflalo and Tyreke Evans would give us decent veteran scoring and defense at a possible discount. It also gives those guys an opportunity to raise their stock.
Old Timer says
The next on the radar is Rodney Stuckey, of which another team will grab by offering multiple year contract! It appears Lakers as recruiter and duplicates with counter offer. I still read a lot of fandom on Dlo. Magic was right he’s an ordinary PG overstated by Mitch/Jim. Because of Dlo/Moz Lakers got Lopez + Hart and Bryant. Undeniably doubt occurs when you’re not familiar with the exchange. Secondly, more doubts occur when Lakers lost the talents since 2011 and got ineptitude and inefficiency for the last 6 years. It is time to write off ’16, ’15 & ’14 bec the objectives of those years were to tank which was absolutely unfair to paying fans. The actual culprit was trusting vision on Howard and old Nash thereby gutting all 1st rd picks. Be optimistic Laker fans and trust the new vision of Magic/Rob, Lakers are taking baby steps to Jack start a moribund team. I’ll take Lopez anytime over Dlo. I’ll take empty cap space over easy going Swaggy P.
Basketball Crazy says
I think the Lakers should try to focus their goals on the young talents they have this year, because right now there is no high-caliber free agent who can become the team leader.
Los Angeles should set the stage for the free agency of 2018, where there will be excellent players available, and one of them is Paul George.
This season is a chance that could use the coach Luke Walton to bring together that young talent………
Minor Threatt says
Too bad we missed out on Avery Bradley. Exactly the kind of guy we need. Nice to hear we were in the hunt, but I have to wonder what we were offering (Brewer’s expiring deal + a pick or two?), and how much Ainge’s desire to not make us better next year might have played into the decision.
It just may be we couldn’t match Detroit’s offer, though I would have thought very hard about offering Randle. It would have given Boston the salary savings they needed; maybe the deal could have been expanded with some picks either way.
There’s a reason guys like Rose and Stuckey and Evans are still out there. They’re ball-dominant and can’t play defense (like Lou Williams), but they also can’t shoot. In Luke’s system – in lots of systems – they have little value, especially relative to their contracts. A G-Leaguer could give you most of what they bring for pennies on the dollar. I really hope we stay away from any guys who fit this description, including Crawford if he’s bought out.
Anonymous says
Randle for Avery Bradley? Good Lord that’s an awful deal.
MinorThreatt says
Not if we don’t resign Randle — which we might not. Two-way guys who can shoot, like Bradley, are actually harder to find than guys like Randle, at least the version of Randle we have now.
Yes, he has a killer first step. Yes, he is a good ballhandler and passer. Yes, he racks up big rebounding numbers. But if he can’t shoot and defend at a reasonably high level, his skillset becomes more frustrating than useful.
He’s still young, and might learn to do one or both of those things; if he does, then he really could become a unicorn, and unicorns are hugely valuable. At the moment, he’s like a unicorn without a horn. That’s a horse. And if we’re talking horses, I’d be tempted to take Bradley — especially if I might have been able to get a pick back.
MsWay says
Very important that we make sure we don,t break down lonzo’s body. Mentally and physically this kid is facing an 82 game season out of the gate . We all know that he will ware down then hit a wall without pro conditioning.We will need a back up point guard to keep lonzo;s minutes from injury producers,I think a seasoned pro would be the best choise for lonzo to see game situations and catch some air at the same time.In smaller 4 to 8 minute stints Ennis started to nock down some shots ,I wonder if he has improved this summer, has a good head on his shoulders and will take the job.If the front office does decide to aquire a young point guard , he needs to be in the gym sooner rather than later with all of the players who are there now to start developing chemistry early on .
Alexander says
That’s an important point, to manage Lonzo’s minutes, even if he’s adapting well. We already have several players who can man the point, in addition to Ennis, whom I consider a near certainty to be signed: Ingram, Clarkson, Hart. Interestingly enough, the FO had asked Nwaba to work on ball handling over the summer, perhaps anticipating him filling in as a 1/2 with the intent of guarding some of the speedsters.
Anonymous says
It might not be a bad idea to target KCP after Piston’s let him go.
Problem could be he wants big money (not much out there anymore) & he’ll probably want more than one year.
Minor Threatt says
Guessing we won’t hear about KCP until the Wizards match the Nets for Otto Porter. If they do, I expect Brooklyn to throw something like 4/$100 at KCP. Which sucks, but with the cap projected to shrink, and with so many teams projected to be up against it, I don’t see how he could turn down that offer now. Even if it is the Nets.
One thing: if KCP does somehow end up with us on a balloon deal, the fact that he shares an agent with a certain Cleveland Cavalier will make the conspiracy theorists’ heads explode.
Anonymous says
No way KCP is coming here. If he turned down 5 year 80 mil from the Pistons, why would he take a 1 year, 17 mil from us?
Old Timer says
Exactly Anon, like Jamaal Crawford whose rights have not been bought yet by Hawks, kept on putting a lot of confusing signals that he prefers to stay in LA so as not uproot his kid’s education. However, rumors are circling around that four more teams are bidding on him and greenies are saying he is moving toward joining the Celtics bandwagon, being close to Isaiah. Why not just keep that mouth shut? JC is old by Laker standards in 2017. How many agents of these players used Lakers inquiry as a “bait” to get into rich contracts? My suggestion to Magic/Rob, give them the offer for one year, either they accept it now or leave that indecisive player and move on to Summer League applicants like: P. Dozier, Vander Blue, Gabe York, Travis Wear, Thomas Robinson and Tyler Ennis.they are eager to wear purple and gold for one at a good price. What are we looking for? the 14th or 15th player on the bench. Why pay a mentor for $ 17M? As stated in other posts, Lakers have a lot of players who could play multiple positions 1, 2, 3.
Minor Threatt says
Pretty clear now, per Woj, that Nets will be all in on KCP. I can’t see us competing unless 1) we dump Brewer + picks to clear more space or 2) the fix is in, thanks to Rich Paul.
Fern says
People talk like the Lakers took a step backwards or something. I see an improved team. We got rid of DAR sure, that kinda stings but his style of play isn’t what the Lakers wanted moving foward. I wish they gave that backourt a chance, i really did. But on the bright side we got rid of Mozgov and his stupid contract. That’s the legacy of the former regime. We had the biggest capspace in the entire league last summer and we squandered in the worst way possible. Trading DAR was the cost of those catastrophic decisions or people here think that any team was willing to swallow Mozgov contract without a sweteener? If they did what this new regime is doing with the one year deals they might saved their jobs, maybe. This is the conundrum, this dumpster fire this new FO inherited. People forgot already? People talk like this team is in an ideal situation. Newsflash!! Its not!! I think the FO has done an amazing job with very limited options. There aren’t many players willing to take a one year deal when they can get a multi year one elsewhere. It’s that simple. As the team is we should expect a 30+ win season, which as this stage is all that we can hope for.And would keep moving the team in the right direction. I expect a lot of improvement from Brandon, i expect improvement from Julius and Zubac. We are gonna get those 20 ppg from Lopez which we didnt had last year. If Lonzo come out of the gate productive and i dont even want to put the pressure of “face of the franchise” on him but apparently he can be REALLY good. Just a solid rookie season from him and the Lakers are going to be a pretty interesting and fun team. We still have a hell of a shot of getting PG13 next summer and i trust the FO make the moves necessary to free up even more cap space when the time is right. Im tired of reading about the damn Celtics. Ainge’s rebuild has been longer than our and all those vaunted picks have produced absolutely ZILCH. This remind me of a couple of years ago when people here talked about how great was Phil in NY and how the Lakers were insane to let him walk. Well, jokes on them. Despite all the limitations (mess) left over by the old regime the team is moving forward. Thats all we as fans can ask for.
Clay Bertrand says
Ray Felton woulda been a decent signing under the circumstances……………..
Clay Bertrand says
To me, this KCP story spawned by Woj comments somehow ignores the Nets. Why take a one year $17 mil deal with the Lakers when the Nets are offering the same 4 year deal they offered Otto Porter once Washington matches his offer sheet.
https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2017/7/7/15940274/nba-free-agency-rumors-la-lakers-kentavious-caldwell-pope-lebron-james-rich-paul-agent-espn
KCP and Rich Paul will gain more from a 4 year deal with Brooklyn. I don’t see him going the one year route with the Lakers.