Lakers OFF-SEASON IS A WRAP

How Many Regular Season Games Do You Think Kobe Will Play This Year?

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:pimp:
Looking forward to LTB polls, E defending Nick young, the signing of Dajon Dondo and countless gifs and lulz :pimp:
 
This was definitely the toughest season to sit through. Whole team full of clowns and weak dudes led by Nick Young and Jeremy Lin.



Just rig the draft for us Silver, Lakers have done a lot for the league.
 
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in 
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starting from the bottom now we're still at the bottom but hopefully that will change by the end of the summer 
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Towns or Winslow...gimme one that's all I ask.

The turn begins this year.
 
Ugh.
Now I feel bad :smh: :lol:

Gtb, didn't know you were that serious about it bro.
In all honesty, didn't mean to take that opportunity away from you. Ain't that big of a deal to me.

If you really want it just say so, and ill Be happy to hand it over to you bro. :smile:
 
I started working on a Free Agency round up. Why to avoid guys, why guys are not in play at all, etc.

Excluding Marc Gasol, Jimmy Butler & Kawhi Leonard who I want badly on the Lakers, and take if they were available, but they wont be.


Excluding those 3.... I have 3 tiers...

5 guys to chase with max or close to max offers
5 guys to chase with whatever cash is left under the cap
4 guys for vet's min / room exception / resurrection case.
 
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Avoid Love, Rondo, Dragic etc.

Bring in DeAndre or Tobias or both if possible.

Draft either Towns, WCS, Russell, Mudiay or Winslow depending on where we land.
 
Worked on it to get it done.

If you think about all the guys in play, or that we should look at… You can narrow it down to a handful.


All Stars:
Marc Gasol (Contract would be 30-34/35) – He’s the best fit for Julius Randle. But I doubt he is making a move from the Grizzles. They still have a solid team, and will still have one for a couple of years. BUT, if there’s some cause to think he does want to move on, then you go and offer a max to Marc Gasol., even if we drafted Karl-Anthony Towns. Could lower Marc’s minutes to 33-34, and prolong his career. And Randle/Towns/Gasol would give us all the minutes for PF & C for a while. He’s the one superstar that getting in 2015 would really put us in play for Kevin Durant. Only risk is that in the backend of the contract, could start a rapid decline. But unlike Pau, he has defense to fall back on.

LeBron James – He’s not leaving Cleveland, at least not yet. Let’s move on.

Kevin Love – Had this discussion been had in April/May 2014, I’d say this is the guy to go after and this is the guy to get. But, things change and I no longer care to have him. There’s a decent chance he leaves Cleveland, and it would be to come to LA or go to NY. But there’s reason to keep him away. 1. Julius Randle. We just drafted the kid 7th overall, seeing as how neither Love nor Randle can play the 3 or 5, we’d hold Julius to being a 14-15 minute a night backup with no room to grow until he’s 25/26. That’s wasteful of the few assets we actually have. We could trade Julius, but he’s off an injury that ended his season game 1 of his career, and people will try to bring up the high school injury to drive the asking price down. Trading Julius Randle will be like trading in a game at game stop. Sure it just came out last month for PS4, here’s $16 for your trade in. 2. If Kevin Love was a guy who can lead a team to the playoffs on his own, then it’d be okay to trade Julius in favor of Kevin Love. But he’s not. Sure the Minnesota teams had injuries, but they still were not a playoff team, and I don’t ever remember anybody picking them to make the playoffs as long as Love was there, even when he was Top 10 player. Relying on Kevin Love as the # 1 Scorer in Minny doesn’t work out, and if we have plans of Russ or KD, or other guys who demand the ball, 3rd option KLove isn’t particularly attractive at $20mil / year either.

LaMarcus Aldridge – Great player, but not worth investing $20mil / year on a guy who is about to turn 30, that you don’t see as taking you to the promise land. Could make it work with Julius, as LMA can play the 5 for about a dozen minutes a game and play the 4 for like 20 when Julius isn’t playing, but we have to economical with our money.

Paul Milsap – Going to be looking for a payday. Wouldn’t fit with Julius. Same kind of player that I hope/see Julius becoming, turned 30 years old. Let him chase a payday in New York if the Hawks don’t want to pay him.

Jimmy Butler (26-30 on next contract) – He’s number 2 on my list, but he’s not going anywhere. If there was a chance he was? Then I’d be all in on him. But even with the cheap Bulls, DRose is such a question mark that they won’t let Butler go.

Recent All- Stars / Close to:
Roy Hibbert – There was a time I had him near the top of my list. Strictly from a defensive perspective, and fit with Randle because of that. But despite still putting up great numbers defensively. He’s just not worth $14-15mil at almost 29 for a guy that is only giving you defense when you have so many other holes to fix.

Rajon Rondo – He’s probably the most likely “big name” for us to get. But he’s no longer the player he was. Achilles injuries, 29 years old, horrid shooting. He just no longer produces efficiently in his other areas of strength to justify having him. Especially at the money he would want because he played at a bargain rate for most of his career. If he was at $8-9mil, then I could be talked into it if you add a young guy with him, but what are the odds? You’ll probably try to trade him in a couple years anyway. Pass on Rondo

Luol Deng – Still a solid player, and if this was 2012…. Yes please. But Thibs ran him into the ground, just like he’s doing with Jimmy Butler. So if Jimmy Butler is up in 4 years for Free Agency, and Thibs has coached him those 4 years? No to Jimmy Butler as well.

Brook Lopez – All offense, no defense. Too injury prone. No. Could have just signed Pau Gasol for 4 year / $40mil last year and had similar luck in the first couple seasons of the contract.

Tyson Chandler – Good fit with Randle, but won’t be worth the $10mil+ he’ll get to just play defense at his age.

Goran Dragic – I’m pretty sure he had an agreement with the Heat to stay for 3-5 seasons. At anything over $15mil, no thanks.

Al Jefferson – He’s 30 been in the league 11 seasons. Too old, and too much.

Guys on the Come-up:
Kawhi Leonard – I don’t want to hear about the Spurs never pay top dollar, don’t max out guys. They will max Kawhi Leonard. Manu is done in 2016, looking the same for Tim Duncan, may even be the last year for Pop. If all of that happens, they are not going to let Kawhi go, especially when Timmy & Manu are playing on cheaper contracts. As is Tony.

Brandon Knight (24-28) - 17/4/5 on the Bucks. He’s another Kentucky guy. If he was attainable, I’d say pull the trigger. But the Suns traded what could have been a # 6 pick, or a Top 10 next year to get Brandon Knight after Goran left. They are going to keep him. Even if it costs max.

Reggie Jackson (25-29) – Has put up similar stats on the Pistons compared to Knight on the Bucks, but there’s just something unpleasant about his game. There’s times he looks like he’s next up, and times he looks horrible or as if he isn’t giving it full effort. Has what seems to be some attitude issues, as seen by how he left OKC, and how happy Russ and KD seemed to be that he was gone. If that’s how they feel about Reggie then may be best to pass on him because of that. I also see SVG getting really close to max to keep him, especially since Monroe leaving is a big possibility.

Tristan Thompson – He’s a 4. Also turned down 4 year / $52mil from the Cavs. Soooo no.

Enes Kanter – Doesn’t really change anything if we get him, and who knows how much he’ll cost, so no thanks.


Role Players:
Jeremy Lin – Has market power. But he, his whining, his fans can go elsewhere with that. He’s a backup at best. If Clarkson’s current ceiling is a 6th man, which for now it is, no reason to spend $6-8mil on Lin to be another guard on the bench.

Wes Matthews – Looked great all season, like he’d be able to be a contributing starter for a while, but that Achilles tear means he’ll be out for 2-5 months of his first year on the contract and is turning 29 in October. Would have been a cool fall back option, but now? Can’t see it.

Monta Ellis – He’ll be 30, been in the league 10 seasons. He may have it all, but not what we need.

Aaron Afflalo – I think he’d be a solid option if we strike out everywhere, and he’s sub $10mil, but other than that, I’m really not too interested.

Danny Green – Good 3 & D guy. But it could be system driven? And he may be a guy who gets overpaid for it elsewhere.

Thad Young – Has been great for the Nets, not worth investing money into a 4.

Jeff Green – I like him. But still I have concerns about his medical issues. Also if he opts out of $9.2mil, he’d want to get that over 3-4 seasons. Have to see his pay drop.


Omer Asik – Great defender. But that’s about it. I’d rather try to keep Ed Davis, or decline Jordan Hill’s Team Option for a cheaper / longer contract.






Now that we got that out of the way, here's how I see it...


Out of reach guys –
1)Marc Gasol
2a)Jimmy Butler
2b)Kawhi Leonard


Guys who are more available -
1)Tobias Harris – I say that he is the best candidate for us. I don’t want to hear about the Magic GM saying he will do whatever it takes to keep him. Saying is one thing, doing it is another. Offer him a max, and call his bluff.

Why do I want him? He’s played 4 years.. Will be 23 for the whole season next year. Presumably you could offer him 2 contracts, a 4 year and then a 5 year, and by the end of that he would only be 31 years old. And there is still room for him to grow. His 3P% has drastically improved, and is taking more shots from there (shot 25% in 2013/14, then took 1.5 more 3s and averaged 36%). Averaged 17 & 6.

The versatility between the 3 & 4 is HUGE. Let’s say Randle develops nicely, and Clarkson trends upward, we get Towns.. And suddenly we are in play for KD in 2016… Guess what, we can move Harris to the bench and get him all the backup minutes at the 3 & 4. Conserve KD’s career and prolong it by lessening his minutes, and have a guy that talent wise would be one of the best bench players in the league. And could rely on him for 30+ minutes per game.


2)DeAndre Jordan – I think he likely stays with the Clippers, but I think he could be persuaded if we give him a max offer, and the Clippers balk at the price. Has happened before to guys. The only problem is that if we offer a max to DeAndre it makes it tougher to make a secondary move in Free Agency.

Why I want him? It’s the same reason why I’m high on WCS. Great defender. And doesn’t take up a large chunk of the offense by needing the ball. Yet still gets you over 10 points a game, in easy and efficient ways (minus the FT shooting). Last 2 years he’s averaged 69% shooting from the field. Shows he gets easy looks on putbacks, alleyoops, in transition, and stepping up for an easy dump off pass.

Fits with Randle because he provides interior defense. Would pull the 4 further away from the basket, where I think Randle could excel defensively. Also he would give room for Randle to get his touches in the post, and play a Point Forward role because he doesn’t demand the ball on offense.

Turns 27 years old in July, so a 4 year deal would be his prime years.



3)Khris Middleton – Turns 24 in August, has played 3 years. So you would get at least 1-1/2 good contracts out of him in terms of production (hopefully).

Played more 4 than 3, would need him to translate to more time at the 3. His offense slipped a lot playing as a SF, but as a 3 & 4 was a monster defensively.

A very good 3 point shooter, 40% in last two years 3.4 & 3.5 3PA / game respectively. Shoots well from the field & the line.

The difference between he & Tobias is that Middleton is not a very good rebounder.

But like Tobias, if we are in play for KD.. We got a guy who plays both positions, plays them well, and would be one of the best talents playing off the bench and getting 30+ minutes.

He’s an upside guy. Can get a whole lot better.

My only worry is the Bucks are more likely to match a max offer than Magic are with Tobias because they traded away Brandon Knight to avoid having to max out both of them.



4)Greg Monroe

I don’t like his fit with Randle because he’s an offensive guy, not much defense , doesn’t protect the rim (relied on Drummond). But is a guy who averaged 16 & 10, and will be 25.

Unlike the first 3, I wouldn’t give him a max deal. But I’d get close. Let the Knicks max him out and be the LOL defensive team of the year.



5)Draymond Green

Is the ultimate glue guy. Turns 26 next March. Warriors probably max him out because they have a friendly Steph deal, and Bogut deal going forward.

But the hope is that they can’t get rid of Lee, and can’t afford to max him.

He would be like what Tobias & Middleton are. 3s who are good at the 4. And can eat up all the backup minutes.

Also his defense was Top 5 in the league this year that is invaluable. We could certainly use that going forward.



Secondary Guys:
Now we move on to secondary guys. I’ve found we have about $8-9mil left if we max out a Tobias, Middleton, Green. (If we max DeAndre, can’t afford any of these guys).

1. Patrick Beverley – Will be 27 in July. Originally a Lakers pick. If we don’t draft a PG, PatBev is the perfect guy for us. He can be our wing defender. Play with Clarkson, and be off-ball on offense like he is with Harden and put Bev on the tougher matchup at PG or SG. Or play with Kobe, and do the same. Not a good offensive player or PG, he’s your Derek Fisher, shoots well enough from 3 to be passable. But the real reason you have him is for his defense.

Morey wants to keep him, but with the exception of Harden & Dwight he has a number for every player that he refuses to match. See Parsons. His metrics plays heavily into how much he’ll give a player. Who knows what that number is for Bev… But there is a number for him.


2. Ed Davis – Is a solid defender. Gets a lot of rebounds, plays very efficiently. Would be nice to keep him if Bev is not in play. Turns 26 in June. 8.3 & 7.5 with 1.2 BPG. I’d sign him to a 3 year deal worth $26-27mil is the highest I’d go.. Hope it’d be around $21mil for 3 years.

If we draft a PG, and get a SF in Free Agency, I’d be fine if he was our starting Center for a season, Black as the backup, and then address it in 2016 alongside making a run at KD.



3. Robin Lopez - LA guy. Just turned 27. Think he gets upwards of $12mil because he’s been that good. But just a guy I really like, don’t think we’ll get him, but a guy I’d certainly make inquires about. Maybe if we strike out on the 5 max/near max guys, we go after 2 of these lesser guys for long term deals? Then makes him more in play.



4. Jordan Hill – Not for his option money. Absolutely not. But if we decline his option, and he’s available for about 3 years / maximum of $20mil, I’d be okay with that as maybe a 1 year starter, and couple year backup. Or as trade bait after that first year. :lol: Yes I know he’s worthless.



5. Amir Johnson – LA guy. 9 & 6 but will be 28 in a couple of weeks. I take all of the guys at higher price over him, but maybe we can get him for a discount? Is a 4, but has played so much better as a 5. Could get him some minutes at the 4 & 5. But unlike Lopez, Davis or Hill, I wouldn’t be comfortable with him starting at Center.




Cheap or Reclamation Projects:

1. Wayne Ellington – Probably would go as high as $2mil on him. Very good 3 point shooter. Plays hard. Okay defensively. Would be 28. He’s a good guy to have on a bench maybe as your 10th man.


2. Thomas Robinson - Only 24 has been on 4 teams, was drafted in 2012. And it’s not because he’s got a bad attitude or is a bad locker room presence. He just never gets a chance to get engrained into a system. It really sucks because he seems like a really good guy based on the stories about him. I think he’ll still get a decent deal because he’s young, but if he falls through the cracks. I’d take him on as a reclamation project.


3. Wes Johnson – Yes. He’s a frustrating player. I’m starting out there :lol: So I know why I want him gone, but I also know why I’d keep him for cheap. Not over Ellington, but if Ellington gets a good deal, I wish him the best of luck. Wes is basically a guy who looks like a good basketball player but isn’t. If there was a movie about basketball, I’d sign Wes up for lead role. Didn’t deserve to be the 4th pick. But he also hasn’t been that bad for us. His numbers the past 2 years a pretty consistent, the biggest problem is he was cast for a role he didn’t deserve, and was destined to make him fail. A starter, he’s not one. A defensive stopper, he’s not bad on defense, he just shouldn’t be your best defensive player. If you sign him again for $1mil, and put him 10th in the rotation. A guy to bring energy, athleticism, and decent shooting? He will look better than as a your starting forward.

I'll add it one time, so you don't think I think Wes Johnson is great.... He stinks.


4. Derrick Williams – He stinks, but also 24 years old. His stink is because he’s too big to be a 3, and doesn’t shoot well enough, but too small to be a 4 and get in the paint and grab rebounds. I honestly think he could be a guy that just loses money, and ends up as a minimum player, and if the first 3 options are gone? For a 1-year minimum? Roll the dice, and see if we can get anything from him.
 
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Time to focus on the draft. I really dont care where they pick so long as they KEEP the pick :lol:
 
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happy this season is over.  

hope more then half the people on this roster dont come back. trade ny for a 2nd rounder ....

..... we going to win on draft day.,...,..,. 
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Imagine getting (un)lucky and dropping one spot to 5.

But getting "lucky" in FA and pulling DeAndre.


Clarkson
Kobe
Winslow
Randle
Jordan

Houston pick, Kelly, maybe Jabari Brown sticks, Nick Young, Black and if they bring back Ed Davis and/or Wayne Ellington, hell.......we could play some ball next year.

:smokin
 
:pimp: happy this season is over.  
hope more then half the people on this roster dont come back. trade ny for a 2nd rounder ....
..... we going to win on draft day.,...,..,. :pimp:

Nick Young isn't worth a diet coke, let alone a NBA asset.
 
Imagine getting (un)lucky and dropping one spot to 5.

But getting "lucky" in FA and pulling DeAndre.


Clarkson
Kobe
Winslow
Randle
Jordan

Houston pick, Kelly, maybe Jabari Brown sticks, Nick Young, Black and if they bring back Ed Davis and/or Wayne Ellington, hell.......we could play some ball next year.

:smokin


Certainly possible. I do think Clippers would think twice about maxing DeAndre... He's worth it in this NBA. But it locks the Clippers in to that team, and nothing better. Maybe they do it anyway because you can't just let him walk, but would certainly make their building very interesting.


Still would think hard about trading that Rockets pick and our 2nd to move up if we were 5th. Definitely think it'd be worth 2 spots, MAYBE 3 in the right scenario.
 
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Baxter Holmes @BaxterHolmes 1m
Bryon Scott said the Lakers' worst season ever will make for a "remarkable story when we turn this thing around."
 
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