Deng to Lakers

[Flauge]

He's 31, Sparky.

How old will he be in the 4th year of this deal?

 

[Flauge]

According to ESPN - He is 31 years old - Not 35. It's not a great contract but the teams have to pay the players 50% of the revenues - so some one is going to get over paid thanks to the television revenue. That's the reason the NBA wanted to re-negotiate the salary cap and crap

It is insanely weird that I have had to explain this 3 times on the same thread. A 4 year deal to a31 year old means you are paying a 35 year old Deng 18 million. Maybe trojanfan/chiefs is right and there is an option clause on that season. It's a bad contract regardless.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

It is insanely weird that I have had to explain this 3 times on the same thread. A 4 year deal to a31 year old means you are paying a 35 year old Deng 18 million. Maybe trojanfan/chiefs is right and there is an option clause on that season. It's a bad contract regardless.

There is no question about that in four years, but by then the Lakers rookies will have come into their own and Deng will be easing to retirement assuming that one of those years isn't a team option

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I hate to burst your bubble @Flauge but I think Deng will be dung and done and 36. Right now he is 31, but if he plays the entire four years he will be 36 at the end of the fourth year. His birthday is 4 16th, so by the time April comes up in that last year he will hit 36

 

[ChrisGar15]

I hate to burst your bubble @Flauge but I think Deng will be dung and done and 36. Right now he is 31, but if he plays the entire four years he will be 36 at the end of the fourth year. His birthday is 4 16th, so by the time April comes up in that last year he will hit 36

I thought Deng had lost a step in his last year with the Bulls. (maybe moving to PF will help extend his effectiveness some)

I think a couple of the Lakers' moves has to do with Jerry B having to "go deep in the playoffs" by next summer or Jeanie gets to take over the player personnel side of the Lakers.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I thought Deng had lost a step in his last year with the Bulls.

I think a couple of the Lakers' moves has to do with Jerry B having to "go deep in the playoffs" by next summer or Jeanie gets to take over the player personnel side of the Lakers.

These moves right now may seem to be bad moves, and granted it's a gamble, but the Lakers only need to get better so that big free agents will come running. Next year if the Lakers have won 30+ games, the Lakers will be an attractive market again and the money these guys get will have resulted in that. It's not about winning today or the money. It's about winning enough games to attact the right players as the rookies get better

 

[Kold]

I keep saying it,it's not about next year, it's probably not even about 2-3 years.....look at that young core, and think long term. I'm not saying that we are these teams, but it took the Warriors, and Thunder YEARS before they were considered legit title contenders. It's gonna take any team, YEARS to contend if they build through the draft.

 

[GNG]

Luol Deng signs 4yr $72m deal

 

[DJ]

Yeah but if I could bet SportsHoopla cash on it I would bet Horford picks Celtics. Maybe we could ask bookie to make that a bet. That and where does KD go.

You nailed it. Horford to the C's.

SportsHoopla bookie is on a vacation through the 5th. I'm going through fucking withdrawls over here. Trying to set up some MLB bets for Sunday and MOnday on the betting exchange. You game? Cubs vs Mets has all the makings of a nice pitchers duel.

 

[Ritzarmy]

You nailed it. Horford to the C's.

SportsHoopla bookie is on a vacation through the 5th. I'm going through fucking withdrawls over here. Trying to set up some MLB bets for Sunday and MOnday on the betting exchange. You game? Cubs vs Mets has all the makings of a nice pitchers duel.

I was looking forward in seeing my Nats stud rookie Giolito pitch today (Sunday) for his 2nd major league start but stupid Nats took Strasburg off DL and he is starting today instead so I'm not a happy camper. I also am going threw betting withdrawals. I bet my wife when I thought my son would wake up. I said before 6:45am and she said after. If I win I get a 10min backscratch, if I lose I have to pick and make dinner. Hurry bookie get back from your vacation (actually gamblers rehab) and post some bets. Please

 

[trojanfan12]

It is insanely weird that I have had to explain this 3 times on the same thread. A 4 year deal to a31 year old means you are paying a 35 year old Deng 18 million. Maybe trojanfan/chiefs is right and there is an option clause on that season. It's a bad contract regardless.

I disagree. It's not a bad contract at all. He still has at least a couple of productive seasons left and for right now, he is exactly what the Lakers need. He will be a great leader for the young guys. For the next couple of seasons, when the Lakers will need him most, he should help them win games.

Also, looking at the contracts that are being handed out, what he got is not out of whack for what the current rates are. It may look like an overpay in a couple of seasons, but right now, he provides what they need. Also, even if it turns out there are no team options at the end of the contract, if the Lakers need to create cap space, there will be teams willing to take on expiring contracts for future cap space.

 

[trojanfan12]

I think a couple of the Lakers' moves has to do with Jerry B having to "go deep in the playoffs" by next summer or Jeanie gets to take over the player personnel side of the Lakers.

Actually, it's about getting solid vets to teach the young guys. This is what Mitch said a few days before FA started that explains why the Lakers have signed who they have:

"I think history tells us that having a bunch of young guys on a team is probably not a good thing. They look around for leadership and advice from somebody who's been through this a couple of times, and if there's nobody to talk to, then they really don't know how to handle the situation. So, I think we will look to add some veteran leadership, and hopefully not only leadership, but guys who can help us win games."

For the Lakers to be attractive to top FA's, there are 2 things that have to happen: the young guys have to show improvement and the team has to win more games. Guys like Deng and Mozgov can help with both. No stars are going to be signing with a 17 win team that has a roster full of undeveloped teenagers.

 

[Flauge]

There is no question about that in four years, but by then the Lakers rookies will have come into their own and Deng will be easing to retirement assuming that one of those years isn't a team option

I get why they signed Deng. They have to spend the money. He is a reliable veteran for young players to learn exactly what it means to be an NBA player. But, IMHO, 18 a year for Deng is way to high. I get the Lakers may very well have been forced into this spending spree because of the amount of youth on the team.. but it still is a bad contract.

 

[trojanfan12]

I get why they signed Deng. They have to spend the money. He is a reliable veteran for young players to learn exactly what it means to be an NBA player. But, IMHO, 18 a year for Deng is way to high. I get the Lakers may very well have been forced into this spending spree because of the amount of youth on the team.. but it still is a bad contract.

I think you are looking at it from what he is worth to the Heat vs. what he is worth to the Lakers. If he provides exactly what the Lakers need for their roster, it's not a bad contract.

The worth of a contract is determined by that players value to the team at that time. With the youth that the Lakers have, Deng is very valuable for them.

The Heat are a player or 2 away from being contenders, so Deng isn't worth as much to them because to pay him what the Lakers are paying him would have seriously hurt their chances of retaining Whiteside and would have ended any shot they had at Durant.

If Deng does what the Lakers are bringing him in for (teach the young guys and help them to win more games and be more competitive so that they can be more attractive to top FA's) he will have been worth what he's being paid.

 

[DJ]

Deng is a bad contract?

I can see why some would say Mozgov is a bad contract but not Deng. Not at all. He's only 31 and he fills a need at SF since Ingram will be brought off the bench like Kobe was his first season as they ease him in slowly. Deng can still play defense and he provides valuable veteran leadership in a starting lineup full of diaper dandies.

 

[DJ]

Bazemore got 17.5 million......Turner got the same. Fournier got 17 a year. Deng isn't worth a little more?

It's a new day in the NBA.....players are getting richer than they did before. It's not our money.

 

[Flauge]

I think you are looking at it from what he is worth to the Heat vs. what he is worth to the Lakers. If he provides exactly what the Lakers need for their roster, it's not a bad contract.

The worth of a contract is determined by that players value to the team at that time. With the youth that the Lakers have, Deng is very valuable for them.

The Heat are a player or 2 away from being contenders, so Deng isn't worth as much to them because to pay him what the Lakers are paying him would have seriously hurt their chances of retaining Whiteside and would have ended any shot they had at Durant.

If Deng does what the Lakers are bringing him in for (teach the young guys and help them to win more games and be more competitive so that they can be more attractive to top FA's) he will have been worth what he's being paid.

I get why you got him. He is a good veteran and will teach young guys what it really means to be an NBA player as far as preparation and dealing with all the non court BS that makes a team a team. I just question whether 18 million a year is the price for that. There are other veterans in the NBA. He is a 12-13 ppg and 6 boards guy a game. You handed over 18 million for that to a guy who is on the wrong side of 30 and has some Tom Thibs mileage on him. I think you guys could have gotten what Deng brings cheaper. But then again, I am not a GM or involved in any of these contract talks.

 

[ChrisGar15]

The following is from theringer ... their explanation is mainly that Dong/Mozgov was the best the Lakers could do with their $$$.


It doesn’t matter all that much if Mozgov and Deng are overpaid, because the Lakers didn’t have many other places to spend their money. They couldn’t even get a meeting with Kevin Durant. The best players in the NBA do not want to play for bad teams, no matter what market they play in or how much history they have. The Lakers have nothing to sell to guys who want to compete for a championship, as they found out last year in their meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge, which made them a punch line around the league.

 

[ChrisGar15]

...

The Heat are a player or 2 away from being contenders, so Deng isn't worth as much to them because to pay him what the Lakers are paying him would have seriously hurt their chances of retaining Whiteside and would have ended any shot they had at Durant.

...

If the Heat are only 1 or 2 players away -- seems like he would be worth more to them. (compared to just being a mentor to younger players)

I think the Lakers had to spend something like $40M-$50M / year on players ... and if they didn't spend it on Deng/Mozgov, they could have been screwed to somehow meet the league minimum. Another approach could have been to absorb bad contracts while getting assets for doing it.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I get why they signed Deng. They have to spend the money. He is a reliable veteran for young players to learn exactly what it means to be an NBA player. But, IMHO, 18 a year for Deng is way to high. I get the Lakers may very well have been forced into this spending spree because of the amount of youth on the team.. but it still is a bad contract.

It's a bad contract -but what are you going to do when you're suddenly handed a salary cap of 92 million instead of 72 million and the CBA says you have spend 50% of your revenue on the players? Not sure how much the revenue for the Lakers is each year, but clearly they had to spend more than the 23 million that was on the books. It's not like other players were jumping into line to sign with the Lakers