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NBA Lakers’ Jim Buss On Free Agency, Luke Walton, More


The Los Angeles Lakers recently announced an agreement to hire former Golden State Warriors assistant Luke Walton to a multi-year contract as their head coach.

Out of respect for the Warriors, Lakers part owner and executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss was reluctant to talk about Walton at length, but was happy to praise him for his performance as Golden State’s interim coach earlier in the season.

“He was thrust into a situation. People might say, ‘Anyone could coach Golden State with their roster.’ No you couldn’t have,” said Buss in a phone interview with Basketball Insiders. “There’s a lot of pressure in that. There’s a lot of preparation for that.”

Walton posted a 39-4 record while Steve Kerr was sidelined with a back injury.

“It seemed like he had an incredible handle on relationships with players – how to build them, how to build trust and culture,” Buss continued.

Eleven days after the Lakers’ 17-65 season, their worst in franchise history, the team let go of Byron Scott, whose 38 wins over two years with the franchise is one short of the number Walton won on Kerr’s behalf.

“It was a fair amount of time,” said Buss on Scott’s dismissal. “There was a lot to go through before that decision was made. I’m not going to have a knee-jerk reaction because everybody says, ‘You won 17 games, he’s got to go.’ I made a promise to sit with him and [general manager] Mitch [Kupchak] and give him a fair shake.”

While the Lakers were deliberating, Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks signed deals to coach the Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards, respectively. Neither was higher than Walton on the Lakers’ list of candidates. An excellent interview sealed it, and Walton was hired the following day.

Of course, Walton will be joining the Lakers without All-Stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Instead, the Lakers have developing prospects D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson will be a restricted free agent in July, but the team expects him to re-sign.

Buss also listed forward Larry Nance Jr. and veteran guard Lou Williams as building blocks for the future.

“There’s five to me – solid, core players we can work with and build on,” said Buss. “I like Marcelo [Huertas], I think in the right system he might be a good fit.”

Huertas, who just finished his rookie NBA season as a 32-year-old after playing most of his career overseas, can also be a restricted free agent this summer.

Buss was also happy with veteran big man Brandon Bass, who may opt out of $3.1 million owed for the 2016-17 season to explore free agency.

“And Tarik Black, I like him. He could be a rotational player,” said Buss of the second-year forward, yet another potential restricted free agent.

The next milestone for the Lakers will be on May 17, when the NBA holds its draft lottery. The team has a 55.8 percent chance at a top-three pick, otherwise their selection will convey to the Philadelphia 76ers to close out the Steve Nash trade.

Walton may get help in the draft, perhaps with a forward like Ben Simmons of LSU or Brandon Ingram of Duke.

“Right now, I think our young guys are the perfect number and we will add solid veterans,” said Buss.

With Kobe Bryant retiring, Roy Hibbert’s contract coming off the team’s books and the NBA’s salary cap jumping this summer from $70 million to a projected $92 million, the Lakers could have in the neighborhood of $60 million in spending power.

The top free agents will be Kevin Durant, who is unrestricted, and LeBron James, who can opt out his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Either would be a boon to the Lakers, but neither should be expected.

Other quality free agents include guards DeMar DeRozan and Mike Conley, big men Hassan Whiteside, Al Horford and Joakim Noah, and forwards Nicolas Batum, Ryan Anderson, Kent Bazemore and Chandler Parsons (who has a player option with the Dallas Mavericks) among others.

Restricted free agents are generally more challenging to acquire, with standouts like center Andre Drummond, forward Harrison Barnes and guard Bradley Beal atop the list.

Buss hopes the Lakers will have greater success in persuading players to sign, compared to the past couple of summers, when the team could only boast unproven rookies and an aging Bryant.

“In the last two years, we had nothing to sell,” said Buss. “Trust me, it’s a whole different feeling when you walk into one of those pitches and we have a lot [more on the roster and cap room to add additional talent].”

The Lakers could have started the rebuilding effort after Bryant tore his Achilles’ tendon in April of 2013. Instead, the team awarded their long-time All-Star with a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension.

“We could have expedited the rebuild, but I have no regrets,” said Buss of the Lakers’ decision to pay Bryant. “We have a tradition here of taking care of our players.”

Meanwhile, the rival Boston Celtics pulled the plug on their championship core earlier, dealing Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets in June of 2013. The Celtics are well ahead of the Lakers, winning 48 games this past season before falling in six games in the first round of the playoffs to the Atlanta Hawks.

“Boston did a great job because they also got a young coach that got to grow with their guys,” said Buss of head coach Brad Stevens. “When you have a coach that can grow with you, that’s pretty nice.”

That’s what the Lakers believe they have in Walton.

Buss also hopes the Lakers will be well past this rebuilding stage soon thanks to their young core and the pieces they add this summer (be it through the draft, free agency or trades).

“That’s bottom,” said Buss off the team’s most recent campaign. “Seventeen is the low, that’s for sure.”

The Lakers originally drafted Walton as a forward out of Arizona in 2003 with the 32nd overall pick. He spent over eight seasons with the Lakers, winning two NBA titles.

At just 36 years old, Walton is younger than a sizable list of active players including Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Manu Ginobili, Jason Terry and both Pierce and Garnett.

Now, he’ll leave the best regular season team in NBA history, boasting a 73-9 record, to join a Lakers franchise coming off a painful 17-win campaign.

It’s a leap of faith for Walton, just as it is for the Lakers, but the team is confident they’ve made the right hire.

Now it’s up to Buss and Kupchak, armed with more cap room in July than any other franchise, to build a roster that Walton can develop into a contender.

Source:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/lakers-jim-buss-on-free-agency-luke-walton-and-more/
 
Wow Byron Scott is really clueless. No wonder he couldn't see his firing coming. Just so clues with everything.
 
Amazing how like P said earlier how the Lakers really flubbed up last summer with not going after guys like Animu and retaining Boss at a fraction of what it's going to cost for similar guys this summer.
 
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I know players slip through the system all the time with every team, but does it not concern any of you that our supposed genius scout Mitch was able to let talent like Boss and Bazemore leave when all it would of taken was such cheap contracts to keep them around as Lakers? And not go after young obvious talent like Aminu? For such low costs

I know I know, they were pups and you couldn't see everything with such limited young minutes. But cmon... If he's as great as people say he is with scouting and talent evaluation why couldn't he keep them at such cheap costs instead of giving so much ridiculous cash to keep Swaggy P?

That's the kind of decision making y'all have faith in?

Just wondering.
Discuss.
 
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regarding boss,

wasnt the team in a holding pattern as they werent sure what they were gonna do with jordan hill's option ? 

boss, didnt wait and got his deal
 
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I think these past 2-3 offseasons it's been more of a poor planning and logistical thing than anything.

Mitch and Jim obviously have been trying to make a splash FA signing (Dwight in 2013, Melo in 2014, LMA in 2015) in that process you have to keep a certain amount of your cap open in case one of those guys decide to actually take the offer. But that also has left them susceptible for the lesser guys to get money elsewhere while the big guys make up their minds. Specifically with Baze and Boss this happened because they were either too late after getting rejected by the marquee guys or the player got an offer somewhere else that was adequate, more likely being a combination of the two. So you have Mitch and Jim sitting their with their ***** in their hand and now you have to spend that money somewhere...tada Nick Young gets a 4 year deal, or you sign Wes Johnson or Lou Williams.

I would hope they've learned their lesson, but some of the logistical constraints are alleviated this time with the amount of cap space we have. So they can pursue KD/Horford as well as the glue guys as well.
 
Boss, Bazemore and Aminu while nice, prevent us from getting DLo/Ingram type picks in the long term.

Winning 23 instead of 17, etc. No real benefit.
 
Replacing NY with Baze, Lou with Animu, and Bass with Boss isn't going to make us that much better with this roster and Byron still being the coach. Going forward though you have a nice toolbox of youth and guys who can actually contribute in a positive way. We'd still be the 2nd worst team in the league.
 
Boss, Bazemore and Aminu while nice, prevent us from getting DLo/Ingram type picks in the long term.

Winning 23 instead of 17, etc. No real benefit.

Bro not trying to be disrespectful but that's one of the worst posts you've made on this forum by far. Not even joking.

Doesn't coincide with anything you usually
Say about getting talent.

You want Derozan whose just going to chuck shots result in winning a few extra games and fill seats, and hamper development... Yeah those wins are worth the money. Even though they ruin our chances of building assets through the draft too... And not even make the playoffs while at it

, but you don't want solid rotational glue players like Aminu and Bazemore :lol: players who actually help make other players around them better? Nah... Those are pointless wins.

Players like Derozan who take up most of our salary cap and just chuck shots and play no defense and ruin the team moral? Yes, he's an all star. Bring him in.

I'm about to jump off a bridge.
I can't keep up with this logic. Help @DarthSka

bridge-jumping-o.gif
 
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He's saying that at that point where we needed to keep our draft picks licensed to ball licensed to ball those guys would have made us too good. I don't agree, not b/c of their own talents but b/c what wold be surrounding them these last 3 seasons. Theoretically we don't have to worry about that now, the tank should be over.

But overall his fascination with Derozan is hilarious at best contingent on more ifs that substance.
 
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DeRozan was just on a 56 win team. As the 1-2 option.

Baze, Boss, Aminu ever gonna be 1-2 winnin 50+?

You truly can't see a difference? :lol:

And we are done getting Top 3 picks. Hence, NOW you add.
 
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DeRozan was just on a 56 win team. As the 1-2 option.

Baze, Boss, Aminu ever gonna be 1-2 winnin 50+?

You truly can't see a difference?
laugh.gif
In the East really.....That ish dont count

Replace DeRozan with Khris Middleton that team still wins 50-55 games 
 
DeRozan was just on a 56 win team. As the 1-2 option.

Baze, Boss, Aminu ever gonna be 1-2 winnin 50+?

You truly can't see a difference? :lol:

And we are done getting Top 3 picks. Hence, NOW you add.

Your post quality is seriously getting worse.

Snap out of vacation mode bro, foreals.
 
3 lottery guys (DLo/Ingram/Randle)
3 quality rotation buys (Clarkson/Nance/Lou)
3 large money buys (FA)
3 rotation parts (#32/Brown/Black)

Tanking/building thru the draft is over after this top 3 pick.

DD by himself, sure, we don't win too many more games.

DD + 2 others + Ingram + Luke, we ain't a high lottery team anymore. Time to start tryna win again.

Easy to grasp.
 
If DD by himself ain't winning anymore games why the hell are you paying him like he will be?

Better yet why you paying him 25 million (don't keep pounding that BS about him getting less) which is still superstar money to be a #4 or #5 option?
 
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Guys like baze and Davis are solid but easy to replace at the end of the day. Notice we've been getting those type of guys every season. The FO has been getting really good at dumpster diving the past couple years. And I do think Davis would've hurt the tank hence why he was always getting benched in crunchtime in favor of the streak shooting 0 defense Jordan hill. Remember we were only like 4 wins from dropping to the 3 spot so even a slight improvement could've been drastic.
 
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Oh and P pointed out his max is actually 4 years/ 110 million. That's a lot of bread for someone who the moment he puts on that jersey ceases to ever be an All-Star again while subsequently only bringing chucking to the table unlike some of the other guys who'll get paid.
 
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Oh and P pointed out his max is actually 4 years/ 110 million. That's a lot of bread for someone who the moment he puts on that jersey ceases to ever be an All-Star again while subsequently only bringing chucking to the table unlike some of the other guys who'll get paid.
pimp.gif
 
I was completely fine before last summer to invest in talent (role players like Boss and Aminu) and ride it out. Didn't care about tanking until Byron unleashed his stupidity.
 
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