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I kinda see the Kings going all-out vs the Warriors as a possible tune-up and message sending for the playoffs.
**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by licensed to ball,
- Start date
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Clipper line keeps moving. Ad def not playing. Lebron eithet is my guess. Might as well sit Mr Glass too
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I don’t think SAC cares all that much about the lakersIf they beat LAC, I believe they jump to 5th. But without Bron/AD, they prolly sit DLo too.
LAC finish with a now tanking POR and @ a PHX team which will probably be resting their starters.
GSW finish @ SAC and @ tanking POR.
I think they both win out. Need 2 of the last 3 and this one would be preferred. If they rest everyone here, they must win against PHX and UTA.
I could very easily see SAC with a big FU to LAL after all these years by resting everyone against GSW.They pretty much got 3 locked up and they legit may like their chances at home against GSW or LAC with Wiggins/PG status up in the air, rather than new look LAL.
Different owners. Different management. Some players weren’t even born yet. I think most of us old fans prob remember that series and that’s about it.
Sac hasn’t won anything to be resting guys lol. Go in hot was the Phil Jackson way and he is the goat.
Teams are dumb.
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I'm stuck i see why they would sit everyone tonight, but getting the 6 seed & having almost an extra week off would help this team so much
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Imagine all next season with our fragile Big 3 missing every other game
We’ll be saying things like “The Big 3 has only played 6 games together all season”
We’ll be saying things like “The Big 3 has only played 6 games together all season”
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The Big 3 imo is Bron, AD, and AR not Bron, AD, and DLo.
Russell just a role player. AR plays like a bonafide All Star, is always available, isn't fragile, will be top 3 in the league in free throw attempts, and is a born leader
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Woj reporting there's optimism that D'Lo could return tonight, but there's doubt that AD and Bron play tonight because of the minutes last night and medical staff.
This might be a game to get up 45-50 threes.
This might be a game to get up 45-50 threes.
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Six Lakers who reshaped the roster and how L.A. can keep them
With his team three games under .500 just past the halfway mark of the season, Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka knew his roster needed to change -- in a big way.
In the first stroke of reconstruction on Jan. 23, Pelinka sent guard Kendrick Nunn and three future second-round picks to the Wizards in a trade for forward Rui Hachimura, a former lottery pick with a polished offensive skill set who hadn't managed to develop in Washington.
Two and a half weeks later, with the Lakers stagnant in the standings and coming off a loss to Oklahoma City on the night LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's all-time leading scorer, Pelinka deconstructed some more.
In a flurry of trades, the Lakers parted with five more players -- Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, Thomas Bryant, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones -- along with two more second-round picks and their 2027 first-round selection (top-four protected), for a stockpile of new players and three second-round picks.
The players -- D'Angelo Russell from Minnesota; Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley from Utah; Mo Bamba from Orlando; and Davon Reed from Denver -- made an immediate impact.
"I'm happy for the changes we were able to make," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "It just so happened that Rob was able to pull the trigger on some things that made the most sense in the world and was able to balance out our lineup and really bring guys in that complement our top two dogs."
From their first game action through the team's four-game trip away from L.A. that ended with a 135-133 overtime win in Utah on Tuesday, the Lakers have gone 16-7, vaulting from No. 12 in the Western Conference on the day of the Hachimura acquisition to the No. 7 seed with three games remaining in the regular season.
Here's a look at how each of those six players have performed so far and a breakdown of what it will cost the Lakers to keep them, with help from ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks.
D'Angelo Russell | point guard | age: 27
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 17.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.0 RPG
The most pivotal of all the acquisitions due to his position and his diverse offensive package, Russell has been a great fit in Los Angeles despite missing nine games since Feb. 11. His shooting numbers since the trade (47.5% from the field, 39.8% from 3) are career bests and he's had some big moments already -- his 28 points and nine assists in a March 10 win against Toronto and 26 points and six assists in a March 22 win against Phoenix stand out. A free agent this summer, he's made it clear he's keeping his options open. "I've been traded midseason," Russell said, "so to get comfortable somewhere, it's not easy for me." There's another high-profile future free agent point guard who the Lakers had interest in trading for this season too: Kyrie Irving. When the two matched up last month, Irving was spectacular (38 points on 14-for-23 shooting) and Russell was pedestrian (11 points on 5-for-17 shooting) in a game the Dallas Mavericks won at the buzzer.
Contract info: Russell is eligible to sign a two-year, $67.5 million extension through June 30. He is an unrestricted free agent if an agreement is not reached. Russell has established Bird rights, allowing the Lakers to sign the guard to a new contract and exceed the salary cap. -- Bobby Marks
Jarred Vanderbilt | power forward | age: 24
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 7.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.7 APG
While his statistical output as a Laker is nothing to dismiss, Vanderbilt is the definition of a player whose impact can't be quantified by scanning a box score. The rangy 6-foot-9 forward has taken to his role as L.A.'s defensive stopper, volunteering to smother the opposition's most potent offensive threat. "He plays with a sense of urgency, no matter who you put in front of him," Ham said.
Just 24 years old and on a cap-friendly deal for next season, it can't be overstated how important his performance in Dallas was just after the All-Star break on Feb. 26 -- locking down Mavericks star Luka Doncic while helping the Lakers climb out of a 27-point hole -- was in jump-starting the upswing the Lakers have been on.
Contract info: There is $300,000 guaranteed in Vanderbilt's $4.7 million contract for next season. The salary is fully guaranteed if the Lakers do not request waivers by June 30. Starting on Sept. 7, Vanderbilt is eligible to sign a four-year $71 million extension. -- Marks
Malik Beasley | shooting guard | age: 26
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 10.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.1 APG
James' first public comments on Beasley after the trade deadline said it all. "We got a laser in Malik that we just never had this season," James said. "A guy, whenever he's on the floor, no matter if he's making it or not, you have to respect him because of his ability to shoot the ball." L.A. opened the season with a loss at Golden State that left James lamenting the roster's lack of "lasers," and now, with the playoffs around the corner, Beasley has the skill set to fill it from deep, though he's struggling to show it. Beasley has been replaced by Austin Reaves in the starting lineup and has had nearly three times as many games in which he's missed five 3s or more (11), than he's made five 3s or more (four). Overall, he's shooting 38% from the field, 35.2% from 3 and 58.3% from the free throw line, but Ham has kept him in the rotation, even after shifting him to the bench. "I'm behind him 1,000 percent and he's going to continue to get his minutes and we just got to continue to set great screens for him, encourage him to continue to shoot the ball and to continue to compete defensively," Ham said.
Contract info: The Lakers have up until June 29 to exercise Beasley's $16.5 million team option for next season. If the option is exercised, Beasley is eligible to sign a two-year, $35.5 million extension. The extension increases to four years, $104 million starting on Aug. 9. -- Marks
Rui Hachimura | power forward | age: 25
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 9.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 0.6 APG
Much like Beasley, consistency has been Hachimura's biggest challenge since arriving in L.A. And, like Beasley, Hachimura has gone from the starting lineup to a reserve role and a recent DNP-CD. He's had more games scoring single digits off the bench (17) than double digits (12) but is arguably coming off his most productive game as a Laker on Sunday, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against the Houston Rockets. Hachimura's size gives the Lakers yet another defender to crowd the court with and can grow with the program at 25 years old.
Contract info: The Lakers have until June 29 to extend Hachimura a one-year, $7.7 million qualifying offer. If the offer is extended, Hachimura would become a restricted free agent. He has Bird rights and can sign a new contract exceeding the salary cap. -- Marks
Mo Bamba | center | age: 24
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 4.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.6 APG
When L.A. acquired Bamba, the front office likened his size and game at 7-feet, 230 pounds to Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, whom the Lakers nearly traded for before the season. There's been barely any sample size to back up the comparison, however, as the former No. 6 pick in the 2018 draft has played in just seven games for the Lakers. First, he had to serve a suspension stemming from an altercation he had when he was still with Orlando and then he suffered a high ankle sprain that has sidelined him since early March. The question is, when Bamba gets healthy, can he get back in the mix as Anthony Davis' backup and supplant Wenyen Gabriel in the rotation? Still only 24 years old, the Lakers could pick up his option for next season -- either to continue to develop him or simply to occupy a $10 million salary slot, which could be a helpful number the next time Pelinka canvasses the league for deals.
Contract info: Bamba has a $10.3 million nonguaranteed contract for next season. The contract is guaranteed if the Lakers do not request waivers by June 29. -- Marks
Davon Reed | shooting guard | age: 27
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 1.1 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.6 APG
The 27-year-old shooting guard hasn't cracked Ham's rotation, with Reaves, Beasley and Lonnie Walker IV all ahead of him on the depth chart. That said, he's made a good impression on the team in the eyes of Ham with his approach to practices and participation in the Lakers' scrimmages with the "stay ready" group of players who don't receive regular playing time.
Contract info: Reed has a $2.1 million nonguaranteed contract. The protection increases from $0 to $500K if Reed is not waived 10 days after the Lakers' last game. The salary is fully guaranteed if Reed is not waived by July 8. -- Marks
With his team three games under .500 just past the halfway mark of the season, Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka knew his roster needed to change -- in a big way.
In the first stroke of reconstruction on Jan. 23, Pelinka sent guard Kendrick Nunn and three future second-round picks to the Wizards in a trade for forward Rui Hachimura, a former lottery pick with a polished offensive skill set who hadn't managed to develop in Washington.
Two and a half weeks later, with the Lakers stagnant in the standings and coming off a loss to Oklahoma City on the night LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's all-time leading scorer, Pelinka deconstructed some more.
In a flurry of trades, the Lakers parted with five more players -- Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, Thomas Bryant, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones -- along with two more second-round picks and their 2027 first-round selection (top-four protected), for a stockpile of new players and three second-round picks.
The players -- D'Angelo Russell from Minnesota; Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley from Utah; Mo Bamba from Orlando; and Davon Reed from Denver -- made an immediate impact.
"I'm happy for the changes we were able to make," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "It just so happened that Rob was able to pull the trigger on some things that made the most sense in the world and was able to balance out our lineup and really bring guys in that complement our top two dogs."
From their first game action through the team's four-game trip away from L.A. that ended with a 135-133 overtime win in Utah on Tuesday, the Lakers have gone 16-7, vaulting from No. 12 in the Western Conference on the day of the Hachimura acquisition to the No. 7 seed with three games remaining in the regular season.
Here's a look at how each of those six players have performed so far and a breakdown of what it will cost the Lakers to keep them, with help from ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks.
D'Angelo Russell | point guard | age: 27
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 17.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.0 RPG
The most pivotal of all the acquisitions due to his position and his diverse offensive package, Russell has been a great fit in Los Angeles despite missing nine games since Feb. 11. His shooting numbers since the trade (47.5% from the field, 39.8% from 3) are career bests and he's had some big moments already -- his 28 points and nine assists in a March 10 win against Toronto and 26 points and six assists in a March 22 win against Phoenix stand out. A free agent this summer, he's made it clear he's keeping his options open. "I've been traded midseason," Russell said, "so to get comfortable somewhere, it's not easy for me." There's another high-profile future free agent point guard who the Lakers had interest in trading for this season too: Kyrie Irving. When the two matched up last month, Irving was spectacular (38 points on 14-for-23 shooting) and Russell was pedestrian (11 points on 5-for-17 shooting) in a game the Dallas Mavericks won at the buzzer.
Contract info: Russell is eligible to sign a two-year, $67.5 million extension through June 30. He is an unrestricted free agent if an agreement is not reached. Russell has established Bird rights, allowing the Lakers to sign the guard to a new contract and exceed the salary cap. -- Bobby Marks
Jarred Vanderbilt | power forward | age: 24
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 7.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.7 APG
While his statistical output as a Laker is nothing to dismiss, Vanderbilt is the definition of a player whose impact can't be quantified by scanning a box score. The rangy 6-foot-9 forward has taken to his role as L.A.'s defensive stopper, volunteering to smother the opposition's most potent offensive threat. "He plays with a sense of urgency, no matter who you put in front of him," Ham said.
Just 24 years old and on a cap-friendly deal for next season, it can't be overstated how important his performance in Dallas was just after the All-Star break on Feb. 26 -- locking down Mavericks star Luka Doncic while helping the Lakers climb out of a 27-point hole -- was in jump-starting the upswing the Lakers have been on.
Contract info: There is $300,000 guaranteed in Vanderbilt's $4.7 million contract for next season. The salary is fully guaranteed if the Lakers do not request waivers by June 30. Starting on Sept. 7, Vanderbilt is eligible to sign a four-year $71 million extension. -- Marks
Malik Beasley | shooting guard | age: 26
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 10.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.1 APG
James' first public comments on Beasley after the trade deadline said it all. "We got a laser in Malik that we just never had this season," James said. "A guy, whenever he's on the floor, no matter if he's making it or not, you have to respect him because of his ability to shoot the ball." L.A. opened the season with a loss at Golden State that left James lamenting the roster's lack of "lasers," and now, with the playoffs around the corner, Beasley has the skill set to fill it from deep, though he's struggling to show it. Beasley has been replaced by Austin Reaves in the starting lineup and has had nearly three times as many games in which he's missed five 3s or more (11), than he's made five 3s or more (four). Overall, he's shooting 38% from the field, 35.2% from 3 and 58.3% from the free throw line, but Ham has kept him in the rotation, even after shifting him to the bench. "I'm behind him 1,000 percent and he's going to continue to get his minutes and we just got to continue to set great screens for him, encourage him to continue to shoot the ball and to continue to compete defensively," Ham said.
Contract info: The Lakers have up until June 29 to exercise Beasley's $16.5 million team option for next season. If the option is exercised, Beasley is eligible to sign a two-year, $35.5 million extension. The extension increases to four years, $104 million starting on Aug. 9. -- Marks
Rui Hachimura | power forward | age: 25
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 9.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 0.6 APG
Much like Beasley, consistency has been Hachimura's biggest challenge since arriving in L.A. And, like Beasley, Hachimura has gone from the starting lineup to a reserve role and a recent DNP-CD. He's had more games scoring single digits off the bench (17) than double digits (12) but is arguably coming off his most productive game as a Laker on Sunday, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against the Houston Rockets. Hachimura's size gives the Lakers yet another defender to crowd the court with and can grow with the program at 25 years old.
Contract info: The Lakers have until June 29 to extend Hachimura a one-year, $7.7 million qualifying offer. If the offer is extended, Hachimura would become a restricted free agent. He has Bird rights and can sign a new contract exceeding the salary cap. -- Marks
Mo Bamba | center | age: 24
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 4.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.6 APG
When L.A. acquired Bamba, the front office likened his size and game at 7-feet, 230 pounds to Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, whom the Lakers nearly traded for before the season. There's been barely any sample size to back up the comparison, however, as the former No. 6 pick in the 2018 draft has played in just seven games for the Lakers. First, he had to serve a suspension stemming from an altercation he had when he was still with Orlando and then he suffered a high ankle sprain that has sidelined him since early March. The question is, when Bamba gets healthy, can he get back in the mix as Anthony Davis' backup and supplant Wenyen Gabriel in the rotation? Still only 24 years old, the Lakers could pick up his option for next season -- either to continue to develop him or simply to occupy a $10 million salary slot, which could be a helpful number the next time Pelinka canvasses the league for deals.
Contract info: Bamba has a $10.3 million nonguaranteed contract for next season. The contract is guaranteed if the Lakers do not request waivers by June 29. -- Marks
Davon Reed | shooting guard | age: 27
Stats since coming to the Lakers: 1.1 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.6 APG
The 27-year-old shooting guard hasn't cracked Ham's rotation, with Reaves, Beasley and Lonnie Walker IV all ahead of him on the depth chart. That said, he's made a good impression on the team in the eyes of Ham with his approach to practices and participation in the Lakers' scrimmages with the "stay ready" group of players who don't receive regular playing time.
Contract info: Reed has a $2.1 million nonguaranteed contract. The protection increases from $0 to $500K if Reed is not waived 10 days after the Lakers' last game. The salary is fully guaranteed if Reed is not waived by July 8. -- Marks
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Sign and trade D’lo this summer if he keeps up this mr glass thing
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i mostly think kings will play and try to beat gsw
they got little brother syndrome (both under nbc sports bay area umbrella lol)
they got little brother syndrome (both under nbc sports bay area umbrella lol)
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This is what don't make sense. If you get the 6th seed you can rest and not play in the play-in. This has been a mismanaged season all-around. AD single handedly lost the Rockets game and the Dallas game. That's 2 wins gone right there. If Austin ain't turn into Jerry West post all break who knows where we would be right now.
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They rest tonight, team ain't serious about doing anything in the postseason.
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kings still have a chance to get the 2 seed no?
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This is the move. Play/win now to rest MORE later. Play-in games will be playoff atmosphere and need to go all-out. Rest now and they’ll need to play extra games in play-in
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Yea makes little sense to rest tonite when this is a winnable game. Then to put 100% of their energy into a suns game that is most likely a loss. Same philosophy as that HOU game that AD sat 
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Sit out tonight then followed with an L; back to 9-10 seed they go. Just like that 10 pt lead that instantly dispappeared last night smh
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I don't like what AD was saying after the game. "I haven't b2b in a while, I played 42 minutes, this is the most I've played since I been back".
That's what you supposed to do.
I swear I don't get these dudes. We need to hear "Yes I'm playing, these games are important".
That's what you supposed to do.
I swear I don't get these dudes. We need to hear "Yes I'm playing, these games are important".
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I’m anxious that if they all play tonight they’re gassed and have clunkers, it’d just be wasted cardio.
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I mean you're supposed to do your job... I feel you, but you can't think like that
They get paid to play, so if they're not injured they need to lace the **** up and get outta this play-in
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NT: stop getting hurt AD. I hate you.
Also NT: what!? AD resting to prevent injury as recommended by science. Soft
Can’t win
Also NT: what!? AD resting to prevent injury as recommended by science. Soft
Can’t win
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so sacramento can still sneak into the 2 spot if they win out and memphis drops 2 games?
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They win this game that's all but assured an extra week of rest. If they're serious about trying to make a run it starts today.
