Lakers 2017-2018 Season Thread

[trojanfan12]

Send Randle and Deng away. I think we've seen Clarkson and Randle hit their ceiling. Now, Kuzma, Ball and Ingram on the other hand....

The problem I see with sending Randle away is that he brings an edge that the Lakers need. Also, he has looked good at the 5 in small ball lineups. If they keep developing, they could have their own version of the Warriors "death lineup."

The problem with keeping him is that there is already a logjam at forward and if the Lakers get Lebron and PG, it just gets worse (although I expect PG would play the 2).

 

[trojanfan12]

Stephen A says he's starting to see bust in Lonzo Ball.

Why are these sports guys so quick to label guys busts? Crying out loud, they are a dozen games into the season.

He probably said the same thing about Goff last season- oops!

Why do they continue to give these guys a platform to spew this ridiculous garbage and we get stuck listening to it because supposedly they are the "experts".

Hey, Stephen A, why don't you give the guy a year or two or three before throwing out the bust label instead of 12 games in.

Stephen A. is upset because Lonzo's Dad is the only person on the planet louder and more annoying than he is.

 

[wildturkey]

I am not talking about max contract for the off season. I am just talking about getting rid of Deng now. The core players IMO are: ball, Ingram, Kuzma, Randle, Clarkson. We don't need two max players next year IMO thanks to the core we already have.

I get that but the FO has already made their intentions clear that they want max cap space. That's why D'lo was moved to get out from under Mozgov. That's why they've been shopping Deng all last summer till now. Personally, I'm not a fan of going that route because you have to gut the team to do it. That's why I hated the D'lo trade. You moved him a full year before you need to, what if PG goes elsewhere? You don't move assets until you absolutely have to. This is just more of the same. They'll have to move everyone but those first and second year guys first. If they miss in FA, you shot yourself in the foot. But this is the direction they've chosen. They've given no indication they've changed their minds

 

[tomodach10]

Whether or not the Lakers need George, or any top FA, just depends on how patient one is willing to be. It's a choice between becoming contenders right away...or waiting for the kids to develop into contenders.

If your from the "it's been long enough, become contenders now" crowd, then you want them to go hard after Lebron, PG and any other top FA's they can.

If you want to let the kids develop into a contender organically, you want to leave them alone and not worry about FA's.

Both have their risks. The FA's may not gel and the kids may not develop.

I was just using George and Lebron as examples since they are the 2 FA's that most seem to think the Lakers will land.

We know Lebron won't come without another top FA. I would assume the same with George, although I think you are correct that there are no quotes from him saying he wouldn't come. Just an assumption on my part based on how things are working these days.

I'm not sure about needing a defensive big at this point. They seem to be doing fairly well defensively just playing team defense. With the league moving to "positionless basketball" I think team defense is going to be more important than guys who are great one on one defenders or rim protectors.

Not that having either of those is bad thing, lol. I just they are becoming less important.

Great post of the options we have and points about the fans and management perspectives.

 

[tomodach10]

I get that but the FO has already made their intentions clear that they want max cap space. That's why D'lo was moved to get out from under Mozgov. That's why they've been shopping Deng all last summer till now. Personally, I'm not a fan of going that route because you have to gut the team to do it. That's why I hated the D'lo trade. You moved him a full year before you need to, what if PG goes elsewhere? You don't move assets until you absolutely have to. This is just more of the same. They'll have to move everyone but those first and second year guys first. If they miss in FA, you shot yourself in the foot. But this is the direction they've chosen. They've given no indication they've changed their minds

I see your point. However, i disagree with moving D'lo and Mosgov for Lopez and cap space. That was brilliant. D'lo was not the future pg for the lakers, if we kept him, we may not have gotten Kuzma and we dumped that stupid Mozgov contract. We are in a much better position for the future prior to that trade.

 

[trojanfan12]

I see your point. However, i disagree with moving D'lo and Mosgov for Lopez and cap space. That was brilliant. D'lo was not the future pg for the lakers, if we kept him, we may not have gotten Kuzma and we dumped that stupid Mozgov contract. We are in a much better position for the future prior to that trade.

I agree.

Given how D'Lo played last year when Luke moved him to the 2 spot, I would have been fine if they decided to keep him (which would have effectively ended them going after top FA's in the off season) and continue to let the kids develop.

But since they intend to go after top FA's, then moving him, unloading Mozgov's contract and turning that into Kuzma and Lopez was a great move.

 

[trojanfan12]

Does anyone know what the rules are around buying out Deng?

Does his salary or part of it still count against the cap? Does it count unless and until he signs with another team or retires?

I understand the Lakers wanting to get something for him, but they aren't playing him, so he can't show whether or not he has anything left and with that contract, they aren't likely to get much anyway.

Maybe the best move is to just buy him out and be done with it if it clears cap space?

 

[Retroram52]

Here is the explanation article for a buy-out. Basically, if the team and the player agree on a buy-out, the team can exercise two options: either pay the player the full-amount of the remaining contract or what the player and the team can negotiate as a protected sum OR the team can utilize the stretch provision to pay a lower amount. From what I have read, the Lakers are exploring all three options and whichever the two parties will come to an equitable agreement will be what happens to the Deng contract because even Deng no longer wants to be with the Lakers.

Also, the reason Randle has been rumored to be the door is because he has been mentioned in some trades with the Knicks for example. In reality, the probability of Randle being traded at this time is pretty low. I would never say never but I doubt Randle is going anywhere.

 

[wildturkey]

I see your point. However, i disagree with moving D'lo and Mosgov for Lopez and cap space. That was brilliant. D'lo was not the future pg for the lakers, if we kept him, we may not have gotten Kuzma and we dumped that stupid Mozgov contract. We are in a much better position for the future prior to that trade.

Lopez is just a cap number. They won't retain him because they need the cap space. Kuzma could have been obtained with the Rockets pick (which was 1 pick later than where we ended up getting him anyway). D'lo is a talented combo guard, he could play either guard spot easily. There's no significant upgrade here from that trade until they actually sign a big time free agent next summer. It's not a great move, it's not a bad move. It's just a risky move that hasn't entirely played itself out yet.

 

[Retroram52]

Shoot, I forgot the article. Duh?

How it Works: The Waiver Procedure and Contract Buyouts

 

[Retroram52]

With two minutes to go in the fourth we are down by 4. Three losses in-a-row would suck.

 

[Retroram52]

Our outside shooting is just terrible tonight so far.

 

[Retroram52]

Shoot, Clarkson is missing free throws.

 

[Retroram52]

Down by 7 after the first quarter.

 

[Retroram52]

Now we are picking up the pace and we are back within three.

 

[Retroram52]

Kyle Kuzma and Randle bringing us back. The lead is just two.

 

[Retroram52]

Clarkson for the deuce and we take the lead. The Lakers are out-hustling the Bucks right now.

 

[Retroram52]

Ball with the three and we are up by five!

 

[Retroram52]

Ball has the chance to set a record (again) with the youngest player to get a triple double. He is three rebounds short of that tonight.

 

[Retroram52]

We are down by 6 with three left in the third.