**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins

[MIKE LOWERY]

The same ones complaining about giving up picks now

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Well that part matters... because inevitably when it's time to start pointing fingers, you know who won't be catching the majority of the blame? The dude that everybody likes. JJ is smart enough to know to take accountability when the team "comes up short", even when it's not necessarily his fault... fans, media and players will respect him for that.

How do we know that?

 

[CP1708]

"building around" = roster
paying =/= roster
Jesus Herbert Christ
"Think, McFly."

You can't actually believe what you're typing.

 

[MVP]

And I also remember fans complaining about giving up picks 5 years down the road... like the guys who'll be entering that draft weren't 8th graders at the time.

Eh, would be nice to have that pick that became Garland.

 

[grittyman]

How do we know that?

How do we know what exactly?

That JJ is going to do the typical coaching thing of placing most of the accountability on themselves?

Obviously that's just an assumption, but based off the fact that he understands the media game I think it's fair to say that's something that he'd do instead of never falling on the sword publicly like Ham. And because he's liked, him taking accountability will be received differently. We're seeing this already... Ham said something about Rui, the response is he's throwing him under the bus. JJ says basically the same thing about Rui.... the response is he's going to unlock, motivate and bring out the best in him.

Or maybe you meant how do we know that the team losing won't be JJ's fault?

Well JJ didn't put together the roster, nor is he on the floor... so the "blame" starts and ends there. His job is to simply get the best out of the pieces that are given to him. Looking back at last season I think it was obvious that Ham didn't get the best out of that roster during the regular season... but to be fair to him I also think that the regular season is fool's gold, and that the goal should be towards building a foundation that's going to work in the playoffs. For example, there's a very low ceiling defensively if your starting backcourt is AR and DLO... so yeah continuity is great, but this ain't working against most of the other elite teams in the west so we might as well start preparing now.

Anyway, hopefully that answers your question.

 

[grittyman]

Eh, would be nice to have that pick that became Garland.

Sure

But to be honest not sure how much complaint was done about the current pick from that draft

I just recall all the things that were said about giving up all the picks down the road

 

[essential1]

the difference of the pick now 5 years down the line versus AD trade of 5 years down the line.

AD was and will likely be in LA a decade the day he got traded.
Dejounte Murray, anybody else available is not.

Both sides have valid points. But trading almost all control of picks going forward for one guy who isn’t even a superstar, let alone an all-star could lead to a rough decade to prop up a shaky run.
You want to throw protections. Split them up amongst multiple guys. Sure.
1 guy who isn’t significantly better, ehh

 

[grittyman]

Trading multiple firsts for someone like Murray would be a terrible move…

I’d rather keep player #1 if that’s the case

 

[WAKKO!]

any chance we can get BI?

 

[geno90221]

any chance we can get BI?

No Crips Allowed!

 

[essential1]

Trading multiple firsts for someone like Murray would be a terrible move…

I’d rather keep player #1 if that’s the case

Only way it could move to 1 first is if they trade AR.

Also would like to point out AR will be a free agent after 2025-26, has a 26-27 player option. I know their rational.
But in 2 years, the AR discussion is entirely different. And I don’t know if the FO is accounting for it.

 

[pmatic]

I'd prefer to take the 2029 and 2031 picks into the season. I wouldn't mind trading #17, but it have to be for a player under contract control and not a player with an expiring.

 

[essential1]

Only if they take salary back.

If they let DLo walk and aggregate it with Rui and Gabe, they probably would need to split the MLE between Max and someone else, just to be safe.
But they would have bet everything on Dejounte being the missing piece.


All roads point to the same thing.

 

[pmatic]

May have to use one of the cap space teams as a salary dumping zone.

 

[essential1]

They probably could clear a bit of space to be able to keep Max and MLE separated. And maybe circle back to Chris Paul.

But is
Dejounte, Drummond?, Chris Paul
better than
DLo, Gabe, Rui, 2 firsts, (Biyombo or Miles Plumlee)

And they still could sign Chris Paul anyway.


I’d say no. If you say yes, that’s fine. But it isn’t a world of difference if you think it’s better. Because Drummond could end up taking a minimum as well. Who knows with the CBA

 

[darthska]

All roads point to the same thing.

Yep: Bron's fault.

 

[essential1]

Yep: Bron's fault.

It’s really Boston’s fault.

No matter the weather, Boston sucks.

 

[essential1]

The other part about all of this.

Lakers really can't hold themselves to staying under the first apron. If they want to give themselves as much chance of winning as possible, they'll need every dollar of that $10mil more that they get from apron 1, to apron 2.

 

[tay1]

I'm not mad at getting rid of Gabe. He's good on a team with multiple pieces and he's not needed to be depended on as a main option. He's not a good fit for us with the roster the way it is.

 

[pmatic]

The other part about all of this.

Lakers really can't hold themselves to staying under the first apron. If they want to give themselves as much chance of winning as possible, they'll need every dollar of that $10mil more that they get from apron 1, to apron 2.

Don't think there's any shot of keeping below the first apron. I'll be impressed if they can even stay under the second apron.

 

[grittyman]

The Hawks player they should be trying to get is not Trae or Murray, it's Johnson.

Not that it will happen though...

 

[essential1]

Don't think there's any shot of keeping below the first apron. I'll be impressed if they can even stay under the second apron.

Every time I've run the numbers (I need a life). I was able to keep it under the 2nd Apron. And do some outside the box stuff.

 

[MIKE LOWERY]

IF/When Bron opts out, can they operate under the 2nd apron until he resigns?

 

[tupac003]

 

[darthska]

No matter the weather, Boston sucks.

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