The 2015-2016 LA Lakers

[Retroram52]

I like what I see with this roster going into training camp. Not too shabby and there are a lot of players gone from last year. Returnees include Clarkson, Jabari Brown, Kelly, Randle, Sacre, Swaggy, and Kobe.

Player, Position | 2015-16 salary

Kobe Bryant, SF/SG | $25 million

Roy Hibbert, C | $15.6 million

Lou Williams, PG/SG | $7 million

Nick Young, SF | $5.2 million

D’Angelo Russell, PG | $5.1 million

Julius Randle, PF | $3.1 million

Brandon Bass, PF/C | $3 million

Ryan Kelly, PF | $1.7 million

Larry Nance Jr., PF | $1.2 million

Robert Sacre, C | $981,348

Tarik Black, C/PF | $845,059

Jabari Brown, SG | $845,059

Jordan Clarkson, SG/PG | $845,059

Anthony Brown, SF | $700,000

I am not sure if the CBA is dictating the disparity in some of these salaries (I fairly sure that it is) but Clarkson is making less than Russell because of round and obviously we have the monolith salary sitting at the top which will be gone at the end of the year. This is Hibbert's chance to revive his career. If he fades, they'll move as well. The cap is supposed to be around $70 million and right now we are at $71 million with several contracts non-guaranteed. Folks better play well or they'll probably be goneso.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

This will be a fun team to watch. Like I said in a previous post, we're not winning the championship this year so we might as well solely concentrate on player development. Give the younger guys plenty of minutes and let them gain a ton of NBA experience.

 

[trojanfan12]

I agree. The team should be fun to watch. They will also be frustrating as hell because they are young and there will be growing pains.

No championship or even playoffs this year. But if they play well, they can make themselves attractive to top FA's going forward.

Heck, if they play really well, we may find that the Lakers don't need to target top FA's. We've seen both OKC and GSW become elite teams without really going after the big FA's.

 

[shopson67]

I agree. The team should be fun to watch. They will also be frustrating as hell because they are young and there will be growing pains.

No championship or even playoffs this year. But if they play well, they can make themselves attractive to top FA's going forward.

Heck, if they play really well, we may find that the Lakers don't need to target top FA's. We've seen both OKC and GSW become elite teams without really going after the big FA's.

Iggy really bolstered that GSW team though. Without him, no championship. Wouldn't consider him a top level FA, but definitely a second tier.

That may be what OKC is missing; that vet that knows how to win.

 

[jaz4u11]

I agree. The team should be fun to watch. They will also be frustrating as hell because they are young and there will be growing pains.

No championship or even playoffs this year. But if they play well, they can make themselves attractive to top FA's going forward.

Heck, if they play really well, we may find that the Lakers don't need to target top FA's. We've seen both OKC and GSW become elite teams without really going after the big FA's.

I agree. The goal should be to make themselves attractive for top FA's.

 

[trojanfan12]

Iggy really bolstered that GSW team though. Without him, no championship. Wouldn't consider him a top level FA, but definitely a second tier.

That may be what OKC is missing; that vet that knows how to win.

I agree. It was the emergence of Curry and Thompson that made them attractive to a guy like Iggy. Depending on how the youngsters develop, the Lakers could find themselves in a similar situation in a couple years where they only need that savvy, 2nd tier type FA to put them over the top.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I don't care what people say, the Lakers will always be a popular FA destination.

Despite the shit state of the current team, all the top FAs this year still listened what Mitch and Byron had to say.

 

[trojanfan12]

I don't care what people say, the Lakers will always be a popular FA destination.

Despite the shit state of the current team, all the top FAs this year still listened what Mitch and Byron had to say.

It's not that the Lakers aren't a destination franchise or that L.A. isn't a destination city. It's that they just aren't at the level they used to be.

For better or worse, players have learned that they don't HAVE to go to L.A. or New York if they want to build their "brand" anymore. If they are good enough, those companies who are going to pay them millions to endorse them will now come to them. In the past, the player would be expected to go to them.

Personally, I blame Larry Bird and Converse for this. Back when the NBA was all about Magic vs. Bird, Converse wanted a Magic vs. Bird commercial. Bird would have nothing to do with it unless it was filmed in French Lick.

If Converse was willing to go to French Lick, Indiana how could Nike or anyone else refuse to go to places like Cleveland, OKC, etc.?

Still, L.A. has weather and other amenities that those players can't get anyplace else, but with the way things are now, the Lakers can't just depend on L.A. and Hollywood anymore. They have to show that they have a roster that can win.

 

[wildturkey]

I like what I see with this roster going into training camp. Not too shabby and there are a lot of players gone from last year. Returnees include Clarkson, Jabari Brown, Kelly, Randle, Sacre, Swaggy, and Kobe.

Player, Position | 2015-16 salary

Kobe Bryant, SF/SG | $25 million

Roy Hibbert, C | $15.6 million

Lou Williams, PG/SG | $7 million

Nick Young, SF | $5.2 million

D’Angelo Russell, PG | $5.1 million

Julius Randle, PF | $3.1 million

Brandon Bass, PF/C | $3 million

Ryan Kelly, PF | $1.7 million

Larry Nance Jr., PF | $1.2 million

Robert Sacre, C | $981,348

Tarik Black, C/PF | $845,059

Jabari Brown, SG | $845,059

Jordan Clarkson, SG/PG | $845,059

Anthony Brown, SF | $700,000

I am not sure if the CBA is dictating the disparity in some of these salaries (I fairly sure that it is) but Clarkson is making less than Russell because of round and obviously we have the monolith salary sitting at the top which will be gone at the end of the year. This is Hibbert's chance to revive his career. If he fades, they'll move as well. The cap is supposed to be around $70 million and right now we are at $71 million with several contracts non-guaranteed. Folks better play well or they'll probably be goneso.

Yeah, its the CBA so it should be no surprise about Clarkson making less than Russell. It's not like they sat down and said "you're worth this, he's what we're paying you". Rookies salaries are determined by where they are drafted. 1st round picks have their salaries guaranteed for the length of his deal (which is also predetermined by the CBA). 2nd rounders don't have any of that and its up to the team to decide if they want to guarantee them or not. You can see that's why lots of teams that have a pick 25 thru 30 often trade down if they're strapped for cash. They're guaranteeing cash to a guy that talent wise has statiscally the same chance as panning out as 2nd rounders picked 31st thru 40. Those 2nd rounders are a lot cheaper.

A player like Clarkson does have some benefit though if they're good. Since he's a 2nd rounder, he has the opportunity to get paid quicker on his next contract (like what happened with Chandler Parsons and Draymond Green). He'll be a restricted free agent next year, which will give him a shot at a 8 figure salary a couple of years ahead of what he could have been able to do had he been a 1st round pick. He could also bet on himself, just take a low salary qualifying offer next year, and enter 2017 as an unrestricted free agent, giving the benefit of a large salary and the ability to pick wherever he wants to go.

And I wouldn't even acknowledge the cap number this year. It doesn't matter much at all if they're right at the cap line. It's jumping to close to 100 mil next year so that's an extra 30 mil to go along with Kobe's 25 mil and Hibbert's 15 mil coming off the books. They'll have a shit ton of cash to spend. So much so they'll probably have to dish out cash to guys just to hit the salary floor.

 

[tomodach10]

I don't care what people say, the Lakers will always be a popular FA destination.

Despite the shit state of the current team, all the top FAs this year still listened what Mitch and Byron had to say.

Yea that worked out well for us the last two years. LOL They sure did listen..

 

[trojanfan12]

So apparently, Carlos Boozer is still available. The Lakers still have a $2.8 million exception left. Look at bringing him back?

My vote would be yes. He wasn't the Utah Jazz version of himself. But he played fairly well given his age and seemed to be a steadying influence on the young guys last season.

What do you guys think?

 

[Black Adam]

So apparently, Carlos Boozer is still available. The Lakers still have a $2.8 million exception left. Look at bringing him back?

My vote would be yes. He wasn't the Utah Jazz version of himself. But he played fairly well given his age and seemed to be a steadying influence on the young guys last season.

What do you guys think?

if he's coming in on the cheap it ain't a bad idea. he did ok in spot duty...

 

[lakersrule]

So apparently, Carlos Boozer is still available. The Lakers still have a $2.8 million exception left. Look at bringing him back?

My vote would be yes. He wasn't the Utah Jazz version of himself. But he played fairly well given his age and seemed to be a steadying influence on the young guys last season.

What do you guys think?

There might not be any room for him if they want Upshaw around. Upshaw makes it 15 on the roster.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

There might not be any room for him if they want Upshaw around. Upshaw makes it 15 on the roster.

Upshaw would instantly go to D-league

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

So apparently, Carlos Boozer is still available. The Lakers still have a $2.8 million exception left. Look at bringing him back?

My vote would be yes. He wasn't the Utah Jazz version of himself. But he played fairly well given his age and seemed to be a steadying influence on the young guys last season.

What do you guys think?

I'd be happy with it.

Be fun to see him and Hibbert meet at practice for the first time

 

[DJ]

So apparently, Carlos Boozer is still available. The Lakers still have a $2.8 million exception left. Look at bringing him back?

My vote would be yes. He wasn't the Utah Jazz version of himself. But he played fairly well given his age and seemed to be a steadying influence on the young guys last season.

What do you guys think?

Yes.

 

[DJ]

There might not be any room for him if they want Upshaw around. Upshaw makes it 15 on the roster.

I'd take Upshaw over Sacre as the 3rd string center/towel waver. Upshaw has more upside than Sacre who has reached his ceiling imo.

 

[Retroram52]

Nah, Boozer is in that window of on the downside of his career. Keep Upshaw.

 

[shopson67]

Upshaw would instantly go to D-league

That may be so, but he still counts towards 15. Of course, he has yet to sign a contract.

 

[Black Adam]

That may be so, but he still counts towards 15. Of course, he has yet to sign a contract.

thought they signed him up...?