[::OFFSEASON OVER. Lock Please.::]

[vtotheinay]

ive got the solution. amnesty kobe, trade pau to clear cap space, resign dwight, push to sign cp3 with the new cap space. (not srs)
im a huge kobe fan i dont want them to amnesty him haha i hope theres something we can do to get this team a little better for next year though!

 

[darthska]

I will never get over that we were supposed to have CP3, Kobe, and Dwight. Like, we were right there, man.

 

[mrdieselfuel09]

I will never get over that we were supposed to have CP3, Kobe, and Dwight. Like, we were right there, man.

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Sigh...Was there

 

[essential1]

He said he is opting out this year. unlikely he only takes a 1 year deal.

Yo, he really said that????

I honestly had not heard. That dude stupid for that one, nevermind.

In that case, I wish he would take the one year, and we could swap him for Gasol. He's the type of player we're looking to grab, we may not get more for Pau than him, still need shooters, but if Kobe can be anything close to hisself, and we add Wright (your guy) and get Metta to the bench on a lowered contract, might have somethin.

* I don't think he's opting out to do anything for one year, so surely this is a moot point, but maybe he sees a bare market and gets desperate. Then Mitch happens.

He hates Denver.. He hates George Karl. Wants long term security.



Had a day dream about adding Lowry & Iggy to this team..

Would adding them affect the plans for a clean slate in 2014-15? (assuming Iggy agrees to a one year deal, which he wouldn't unless there's no market).

Only way we could get Iggy is if he opted for his last year.. Only way that happens is if a deal was already made to trade him somewhere he wanted that he'd value over long term security.

As for 2014, no. Both would be in the final year of their contract..

Also, I really wish we would punt 2014 and focus on 2015 instead..

Doesn't matter. We won't get either.

 

[noblekane]

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Sigh...Was there

lol stop posting that

 

[CHAOSE57]

What could have been

 

[pmatic]

Lakers must maintain their future cap space this Summer

TThe 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of questions to consider as they move forward from the carnage was left in their path. Battered and broken bodies, extreme expectations buried in the ground, and the overarching question of whether it's worth it to try it all over again.

Above all else, though, the Lakers can't rush into any decisions. The front office is walking a high-wire and a large crowd has amassed under them. On the other end of the wire is freedom in the form of cap space, and the wire they're walking on is the pressure to patch the roster to see how far out into the ocean they can sail before another leak springs. Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss have a rare opportunity to press the reset button their salary situation and roster in one season, and have to resist the temptation to alter their plans.

Once the 2013-2014 season ends the Lakers are currently looking at only the $9.7 million expiring contract of Steve Nash. Whether or not Dwight Howard returns, L.A. is in position to finally create a team that isn't akin to digging through a bargain bin of DVD's at Wal-Mart to find your favorite awful movies. The Lakers' window with this core was only a two-year span, concluding with the expiration of Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant's contracts. That has to remain the plan if they want to be a player in the free agent market.

Let's look at a brief history of the free agent signings the Lakers have made to patch up the roster over the last three seasons:

Josh McDaniels
Troy Murphy
Metta World Peace
Jodie Meeks
Antawn Jamison
Jason Kapono
Matt Barnes
Theo Ratliff
Steve Nash
Steve Blake
Probably more guys who now play at the Y

The Lakers have had limited resources to add pieces to their roster and have had to settle on their lineup since the arrival of Gasol and emergence of Andrew Bynum. Finally, after years of being stuck with a bench and lineup that has been spread so thin on talent, age, and abilities, they will have the opportunity to clean the slate and build a new team.

Remember when the Lakers were "shopping" all of their bench players for cap space and second round draft picks at the trade deadline and they couldn't even fetch that price? They need better players on the payroll than that.

The obstacle for the Lakers will be finding a talented enough group of players during free agency who will accept one-year contracts. How many young, quality players will want to be rentals for a team that is preparing for a complete overhaul the following season? While the Lakers underperformed in their last go-round with this core, the expectation of improvement will still be high from fans of the organization.

The Lakers can't fall into short-term decision making and need to take the long-view with the future of the franchise. Arguably the most important asset they have on their roster to send out in a trade is Gasol, but as a $19 million expiring what will he fetch after a season where he played only 49 games? There may be calls on Gasol, but teams will be looking for cap relief if they take on his large expiring contract. The Lakers cannot provide long-term cap relief.

There is a list of needs for the roster. Athleticism continues to be a need after three seasons of beating that dead horse, perimeter defense is a must and has already emerged as a focus for the team as Mike D'Antoni wants to add a defensive assistant, they still need a three-point specialist to stretch the floor consistently, an injection of quality youth, and a player who can create his own shot outside of Bryant are all on the docket. That's a tall order for any front office to pull off in one Summer, let alone one with as little to get there with as the Lakers.

Nothing that promises next season will be any more successful for the Lakers. Bryant's recovery from a torn Achilles may make or break the season even if Howard decides to re-sign with L.A. in the Summer. Nash will give it another shot after making Derek Fisher look like a man who found the fountain of youth at point guard. Steve Blake has the worst luck in the NBA and can't stay on the floor through the various roll-of-the-dice injuries he has dealt with. World Peace had his most efficient season for L.A. but still isn't a reliable option on offense.

We don't know if next season is worth taking another shot at with the same players, but preserving the future is far more important than adding long-term salary sinks to try to win a couple more games and try to avoid another disappointing playoff run.

And, maybe in the Summer of 2014 they bring Bryant back. Maybe Gasol isn't traded and comes back on a discount for the Lakers. The Lakers don't necessarily need to walk away from it all to move on, but they need to keep their options open for an important turning point for the franchise.

Look no further than Howard's previous team, the Orlando Magic, to see an example of a team that never let the reset button hit. By the time they were starting to move in a different direction, they had to move their superstar player make up for their mistakes. The attempts to quick-fix their roster fell short and were never lateral additions. They floated where they were, desperately trying to tread water instead of creating a path for the future. Sometimes, there aren't enough bandages to patch every hole up.

Sometimes, the ship has to sink so a vision for a new one can come to life.

Other times, the other boats are just too damn fast to keep up with. The Lakers will be facing both issues this Summer, and barring another home run from the bat of Magic Mitch, there's no clear path to improving the present without hurting the future. While watching the Lakers succeed is far greater than watching them struggle through every step of a season, that may be the trade-off the front office makes in order to keep a new future alive.

There will always be pressure from the fan base to turn water into wine. The Lakers are a winning franchise, and three seasons of early playoff exits have created doubts. Can the Lakers organization make big decisions without Jerry Buss? Is Jim Buss someone worth believing in? Is it the coach, the players, or everybody involved? The right decision for the Lakers this Summer is to play it slow and keep that 2014 salary cap intact. Even if it means minor changes and another uphill season.

The Lakers can't have it all, but they can have freedom from the cap space nightmare they've maneuvered through for the last five seasons. It takes patience, vision, and confidence. Something we could use a glimpse of.

Link

 

[pmatic]

Four Questions From Lakers’ Exit Interviews

The aftermath of a disappointing season is always difficult. And, for the third straight season, the Lakers’ season ended in a manner that not only qualifies as disappointing but also leaves everyone grasping for answers as to what went wrong and what the future holds in terms of fixes to try and ensure these results don’t repeat themselves next season.

In the exit interviews the Lakers players, head coach, and general manager had earlier this week, there were many different topics discussed. Everyone reflected on the season that was and touched on various topics of import related to next season. In watching all those interviews with the media, there were several questions raised that linger without answer at this time. Here are a few that I think are most pertinent in terms of preparing for next season…

1. When will Dwight Howard make a decision? The Lakers’ stance on Dwight was reiterated several times by all the key people. Mitch Kupchak, Mike D’Antoni, and Kobe all issued the same talking points in reference to Dwight: they all want him back, the all think Los Angeles is the place for him to be, and they all respect his space in making this decision.

However, it was that last part where Mitch Kupchak also gave a bit of a nudge in stating that the sooner Dwight does decide the better it is for everyone. Mitch specifically referenced how a quick decision would allow the organization to plan better for next season while also stating it would allow Dwight to establish roots in the community and make the contacts outside of basketball that could benefit him in a market like L.A.’s.

Dwight, however, doesn’t seem in that big a hurry. He said he wanted to get away from the game for a while and tune out everyone around him when trying to make this decision. In the past he’s also hinted at wanting to get a sense for the market for him and to hear the pitches of the various teams that would court him.

This creates a bit of a dilemma for the Lakers in that there are ways to make over a team that come well before when free agency begins on July 1st. Draft day, for example, is in June and is a time where trades can be made to change the landscape of a roster. If the Lakers had a commitment from Dwight before the draft, that could change how they approach that day and could lead to a reworking of their personnel. Conversely, not knowing could leave them without the solid footing they’d need to makeover their roster on a day when a lot of teams are willing to deal.

This is just one example, but it’s true no matter what the date is. The Lakers want to know what Dwight’s going to do because it’s difficult to build a roster when you don’t know if one of your foundational building blocks will be playing for the team in the coming season or not. It’s Dwight’s right to make the choice in whatever manner he sees fit, but delays may end up being problematic.

2. What will happen with Pau? The Spaniard’s exit interview offered good insight into the organization’s thinking about his future. In short, Pau is the Lakers’ best trade asset and will be treated as such. If a team wants him, he’s available and if the right offer is made he could easily be on another team next season. I for one, wouldn’t be happy about this, but it’s the reality of the situation. I see Pau as a fantastic teammate and a championship level player. That said, I also see him as a player with positional overlap with Howard and someone who needs to be a focal point of the team’s offense to be at his absolute best.

If that can’t happen with the Lakers — be it due to coaching, the other players on the team, or any other factor — it may be best that he’s moved.

Needless to say, it will be interesting to see which direction the organization goes in when it comes to Pau. He’s an expiring contract and the fact that his deal expires the same year as Kobe’s offers an opportunity for what would be a $50 million commitment to two players turn into a lot of financial flexibility in the summer of 2014. That said, cap space is just that: cap space. It’s not a contributing player and isn’t a key part of the future. The Lakers will need to figure out what matters more to them between Pau the player with the expiring contract and the financial flexibility they’ll achieve a year from now when his contract comes off the books and Pau the asset who could net a player via trade who could potentially be a nice fitting part for the future success of the franchise.

There’s no perfect answer here, only a preference. Which way the Lakers’ lean isn’t yet known and it will all be complicated by what other teams try to offer for Gasol, but it is clear the Lakers will listen.

3. When will Kobe be back and how well will he play when he does get on the floor? This is probably the greatest unknown and any answer at this point is speculation. History tells us that few players come back as good or better than they did before this type of injury. History also tells us there are few players as dedicated to training and who have had the type of success working back from injury as Kobe Bryant. These truths will collide at some point and the outcome will shape next year’s roster and, potentially, ones for the next few years.

If I were to guess, I’d say Kobe comes back as less the athlete but the same level a competitor with the same refinement and craft in his game. When it’s all combined, I see a very effective player who can still be a cornerstone piece to a contender. Of course, that may just be wishful thinking. But I’d add that no one has, historically, come out looking smarter for doubting what Kobe can accomplish.

4. Will someone get amnestied? The Lakers only have 4 candidates for the amnesty provision: Kobe, Pau, Ron, and Steve Blake. Kobe isn’t getting amnestied. Pau is the team’s best trade asset and can be of value as a contributor while Kobe heals. He’s not getting amnestied either. That leaves Ron and Blake. Dealing with the latter first, Blake is coming off his best season as a Laker. He shot over 40% from behind the arc and really took well to Mike D’Antoni’s system. He also showed solid defense in the playoffs and down the stretch of the season. For $4 million next season, I could see the Lakers hoping he duplicates that effort and holding onto him.

Ron is a trickier player to evaluate. If you look at some of the more advanced metrics that measure team performance and lineup construction, Ron was one of the more important players on the team last year. Numbers that measure on/off court team production show Ron having nearly as much a positive impact on defense as Dwight Howard. And when you look at lineup data, Ron is part of nearly every single one of the team’s best performing lineups. That said, Ron is aging and his individual production is slipping. His defense isn’t at the elite level it was in 2010 and he doesn’t have the same ability to lock up wing scorers. His versatility on that end is still impressive, but that doesn’t completely override the fact that he gets beat more now than he did in the past.

If the Lakers do amnesty anyone, Ron is the likely target. His salary is nearly double what Blake makes and when you add in the luxury tax payment, a lot of money could be saved from making that move. However, the Lakers are in a position where they have major holes on the wing already. To willingly give up a wing player for nothing weakens the roster with no ability to bring in a replacement besides using one of their free agency exceptions (which, theoretically, would already be used to try and sure up the roster they have, not to replace a player they pay to go away).

I can see both sides of this argument, but if the team is really looking to save the money, I’d imagine they make the move to cut him loose. We shall see.

Link

 

[goldmember]

I ran into Dwight last night when going to see Iron Man 3 in Century City. He was not in a good mood and was being real standoffish in general even to little kids

All I said to him was "We want Phil" and he replied "It's not up to me".

Because it really isn't


I mean you could have asked the obvious question whether he's coming back next season....

 

[knightngale]

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The hornets were only going to get 1 first round pick?

Lakers gave up 2 first rounder and 2 second rounders for Nash. Lakers should have thrown in as many first round picks as possible.

 

[essential1]

^ There are a few different components you are overlooking

1. Hornets were getting players / Suns were not getting players
2. Hornets are not a Lakers rival / Suns are a Lakers rival
3. Suns didn't want to take on contracts. Nor did they want anyone the Lakers had.
4. Lakers were competing with Toronto & New York for Nash

In hindsight the deal was meh because we didn't keep a top flight backup or get a top flight backup (At the same time, unless we put $5+ mil on Sessions we couldnt do it any other way).. At the time though, it was a good deal..

 

[acbboyz84]

4 more months until the new season.

 

[crime wave]

:x :x

 

[DCAllAfrican]

^ Sebull you are a Damn fool

 

[thehealthinspector]

 

[kobe24bp]

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[Johnny_Cakes]

They can do NOTHING with this group of players. People are still trying to convince themselves that D'Antoni can learn to utilize Dwight and Pau together; it's never, ever happening, guys.

 

[essential1]

I don't hate the move.. I don't like it either..


A better coach makes keeping Pau a smarter idea..
Getting rid of Nash for a younger PG makes it a better idea.


But I don't think that is any more than speculation.. They are going to shop Pau. They have to.. Now if they can't get any quality for him, it's dumb to trade him.

 

[essential1]

Double

 

[pmatic]

No.

 

[scotthallwithapick]

Or maybe saying they're gonna keep him will increase trade value and people throwing stuff at yall?

 

[knightngale]

Are they serious? I knew they were gonna say that.

This is the third year in a row that they want to wait on Gasol getting his act together.

It is not a good look to rely on Gasol for your title hopes. He is done.

So next season will start the same as this season but worse. Same team but Kobe on the sidelines. At this point it is better for them to tank next season.

 

[WhatisLove]

They have to say that they are planning on keeping him, whether they are going to or not. And they will keep him if Dwight leaves, no question.

 

[noblekane]

They can do NOTHING with this group of players. People are still trying to convince themselves that D'Antoni can learn to utilize Dwight and Pau together; it's never, ever happening, guys.

well they were 28-12 in their last 40 regular season games so.... true they got completely squashed by the spurs in the playoffs but come on. nobody is winning anything with your point guard being darius morris and your back up being chris duhon...

nash, blake, kobe, artest all out for half if not all of the games

 

[teamlakers909]

Problem with our situation is that it doesn't matter if we get a couple more good players - dantoni won't know how to play them. We saw that with Clark. He was playing great, then pau comes back and his minutes go from 30+ to 7 and he's never the same after that.