Where do the Lakers go from here...?

[Wamu]

he still ballin' in China these days...?

Probably. Last I heard anything about him he got in a fight w/ Stephon Marbury (remember him? he likes to eat vasoline) over in China.

 

[tlance]

Lakers fans expect rings and trophies. Anything built around Lebron will be short-term.

And anything built around Ingram and Ball as your franchise players probably won't get you there either.

The Lakers are currently in a great spot because they have 3 things:

Young assets
Cap sPace
LA

The cap space will go away as players like Randle sign their 2nd contracts. The young assets may cease to be tradeable after they sign those contracts and before you know it, your "young talent" will turn into a bunch of overpaid Otto Porter types.

They can build a great team. If Ball and Ingram are the face, I got news for you. They are likely to be good, not great.

If you are really about rings and championships, LeBron and Kawhi is the way to go.

 

[trojanfan12]

Lakers wouldn't have their young core if they trade for Kawhi, which is the ideal get of the 3 IMO (but could wait for free agency if they want to chance it). They could potentially lose Randle chasing the Lebron/PG13 pairing. They already gave away 3 young players (but did get Kuzma with one pick obtained and have another this year) for short term rentals to keep the team competitive while maintaining cap space.

Yeah, my scenario is more about PG and Lebron. To get Kawhi, they'd have to give Ingram and Ball to do it, but they could keep Randle. In either scenario, they would still have Kuzma and Hart as well.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Yeah, my scenario is more about PG and Lebron. To get Kawhi, they'd have to give Ingram and Ball to do it, but they could keep Randle. In either scenario, they would still have Kuzma and Hart as well.

@trojanfan12

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Courtesy of Lakersnation

 

[Mecca]

As the Lakers head into a potentially franchise-changing offseason, their front office is keeping its options fully open. While they like their young core and would prefer to keep those players growing together, they have told teams no player is untouchable in trades, according to multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of trade and free-agent negotiations.

To be clear, the Lakers are not actively shopping any of their players. They are willing to listen to offers and could move one of them — even a member of the talented young cadre of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram or Josh Hart — if an offer blows them away.

– via Los Angeles Times

Lakers want to build around young core but have told teams no player is untouchable in trades

 

[trojanfan12]

@trojanfan12

View attachment 179407

Yeah, I wouldn't think so. I mean, they're not going to be trading them for just anybody.They'd have to get back something very significant.

But it would be stupid and shortsighted to not be willing to entertain proposals or look into trading for someone like Kawhi.

As I posted earlier, I know what Magic said and I believe he meant it at the time. But at the time no one thought Kawhi might be available.

I think that the Lakers would prefer to keep as much of the young core as possible, but Magic and Pelinka have worked too hard to set the Lakers up to be in position to make major moves, so I think they will leave no stone unturned this off-season.

It may not bear them any fruit, but at least they are in a position to have a legit shot.

 

[trojanfan12]

As the Lakers head into a potentially franchise-changing offseason, their front office is keeping its options fully open. While they like their young core and would prefer to keep those players growing together, they have told teams no player is untouchable in trades, according to multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of trade and free-agent negotiations.

To be clear, the Lakers are not actively shopping any of their players. They are willing to listen to offers and could move one of them — even a member of the talented young cadre of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram or Josh Hart — if an offer blows them away.

– via Los Angeles Times

Lakers want to build around young core but have told teams no player is untouchable in trades

I promise I made my post before reading this one. lol

 

[Mecca]

Yeah, I wouldn't think so. I mean, they're not going to be trading them for just anybody.They'd have to get back something very significant.

But it would be stupid and shortsighted to not be willing to entertain proposals or look into trading for someone like Kawhi.

As I posted earlier, I know what Magic said and I believe he meant it at the time. But at the time no one thought Kawhi might be available.

I think that the Lakers would prefer to keep as much of the young core as possible, but Magic and Pelinka have worked too hard to set the Lakers up to be in position to make major moves, so I think they will leave no stone unturned this off-season.

It may not bear them any fruit, but at least they are in a position to have a legit shot.

Agree.


This is nothing we didn't already know.

They will move youngsters for the right guy(s).

 

[shopson67]

And anything built around Ingram and Ball as your franchise players probably won't get you there either.

The Lakers are currently in a great spot because they have 3 things:

Young assets
Cap sPace
LA

The cap space will go away as players like Randle sign their 2nd contracts. The young assets may cease to be tradeable after they sign those contracts and before you know it, your "young talent" will turn into a bunch of overpaid Otto Porter types.

They can build a great team. If Ball and Ingram are the face, I got news for you. They are likely to be good, not great.

If you are really about rings and championships, LeBron and Kawhi is the way to go.

Except for that rumor about Lebron and Kawhi....

 

[shopson67]

Well that's why LeBron to L.A. in my opinion is unrealistic right now. I know your team has a bunch of money but I can only see him in Purple & Gold if they get the players that would make him comfortable enough to sign there & be a title contender from day 1. All we are doing right now is playing a guessing game. It wouldn't surprise me if Lebron doesn't even know where he'll be next year right now.

That kind of rushed building is exactly why Lebron to LA isn't a great idea IMO. Obviously if he wants to come, it's likely a done deal, but his idea of ideal moves for "his guys" aren't necessarily very good. Who would even be one of his guys at this point? The only other guy on the Cavs that I would take right now would be Nance back really, and that would be a depth move only. Substitutes for anybody else could be had younger and/or cheaper elsewhere.

The biggest issue for the Lakers right now is center (if you assume they can get at least one of Lebron/PG13/Kawhi). Do they play undersized consistently with Randle there? Zubac would be OK prospect to move forward with if this were 10 years ago, otherwise he's just depth. That's where the KAT rumors perk your ears a bit. Trade price would likely be prohibitive, but that would be a move that fills a huge need AND keeps the core young.

 

[Shanemansj13]

I don't think he hates LeBron.

I think he doesn't want the Lakers throwing max money at a guy that will be 36 with alot of mileage on him.

He has been very fortunate to not get any major injuries, but father time is undefeated. At some point, he will break down regardless of how well he keeps in shape.

Saw it with Kobe. Lots of miles, and one freak injury while trying to drive to the basket, and nothing but injuries followed until he was a shell of himself.

It will happen to LeBron as well at some point during his next contract. Only question is, which team is left footing a max contract when it happens.

All this ^^^is opinion. Considering he has zero past injuries it is more likely he doesn’t get an injury. He pays $1-2 mil on personal trainers and is the hardest worker outside the court, his pregame excercises is insane.

What he really needs to lengthen his career is to start playing less minutes (mid 30’s) and a young team will help him do that. The Lakers and Sixers are both young teams. But if he has to he could play high minutes for the next couple seasons (2) and he will still be the best player in the league, it’s crazy the fact he has been to so many Finals in a row and that adds a ton of games and higher minutes on the floor.

 

[Shanemansj13]

If the Lakers have this need to sign the max player, just go with PG and be done with it continuing on with the roster of youngsters they already have developed that are really beginning to put together something good.

Well imo if you are going to build around a star with a young core do it with a star, a guy who has proven he can lead a team to a championship or close. If you get PG, you want another star-type of player around him bc he won’t get you a championship.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Yeah, my scenario is more about PG and Lebron. To get Kawhi, they'd have to give Ingram and Ball to do it, but they could keep Randle. In either scenario, they would still have Kuzma and Hart as well.

I think Kuzma could be the best of the 3 (Ingram, Ball, Kuzma). Ingram, is up for debate though. Keep Randle. If you can keep Randle and Kuzma to get Kawhi and Lebron, that is a no brainer. Kawhi is miles ahead of PG, if he is healthy.

 

[trojanfan12]

Well that's why LeBron to L.A. in my opinion is unrealistic right now. I know your team has a bunch of money but I can only see him in Purple & Gold if they get the players that would make him comfortable enough to sign there & be a title contender from day 1. All we are doing right now is playing a guessing game. It wouldn't surprise me if Lebron doesn't even know where he'll be next year right now.

If he were coming to the Lakers by himself, I'd agree. But he isn't. It will be with PG or another max player. That, plus what the Lakers already have would put him on a much better team than the Cav are now.

 

[Shanemansj13]

If he were coming to the Lakers by by himself, I'd agree. But he isn't. It will be with PG or another max player. That, plus what the Lakers already have would put him on a much better team than the Cav are now.

Yes. The ONLY way Lebron goes to the Lakers is with another max player—PG or Kawhi. Looks like the main two options at this point, I don’t even see a third option.

 

[trojanfan12]

Well imo if you are going to build around a star with a young core do it with a star, a guy who has proven he can lead a team to a championship or close. If you get PG, you want another star-type of player around him bc he won’t get you a championship.

Exactly.With the exception of CL who wouldn't want Lebron on the team if he came with a guarantee of 5 straight titles, I really don't understand some of my fellow Lakers fans comments.

The idea isn't to replace the young core with Lebron, it's to add Lebron and another max guy to the young core. This way, they get the benefit of Lebron's playoff/championship experience while he can still do more than tell them about it and adding another, younger max guy who also has experience they can learn from.

Then, when Lebron leaves/retires, you have a young core with playoff and maybe championship experience, plus the younger max guy going forward.

This has been Magic and Pelinka's plan since before they took over. To develop a promising young core and open slots for 2 max guys. It's literally the worst kept "secret" in the league.

Hell, Magic's had his hand slapped twice for tampering over it. It's not like this is some new idea that they just threw together. It's been the plan since before day 1.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yes. The ONLY way Lebron goes to the Lakers is with another max player—PG or Kawhi. Looks like the main two options at this point, I don’t even see a third option.

IF (and given his injury, it's a huge IF) there are assurances that Boogie can be as good or real close to it as he was before the injury, I could see Lebron at least being interested in playing with Boogie if the Lakers decided to take a shot at him (which likely only happens if PG stays in OKC or goes somewhere else). Lebron's never played with a big that has Boogies skills.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Exactly.With the exception of CL who wouldn't want Lebron on the team if he came with a guarantee of 5 straight titles, I really don't understand some of my fellow Lakers fans comments.

The idea isn't to replace the young core with Lebron, it's to add Lebron and another max guy to the young core. This way, they get the benefit of Lebron's playoff/championship experience while he can still do more than tell them about it and adding another, younger max guy who also has experience they can learn from.

Then, when Lebron leaves/retires, you have a young core with playoff and maybe championship experience, plus the younger max guy going forward.

This has been Magic and Pelinka's plan since before they took over. To develop a promising young core and open slots for 2 max guys. It's literally the worst kept "secret" in the league.

Hell, Magic's had his hand slapped twice for tampering over it. It's not like this is some new idea that they just threw together. It's been the plan since before day 1.

Well if you go PG and Lebron you won’t have to give up anything but you still have to make the cap fit. If you get Lebron and Kawhi, you have to give up some of that young core but you get another true star next to Lebron. So it just depends on what they want and what the Spurs want in return for Kawhi

 

[trojanfan12]

I think Kuzma could be the best of the 3 (Ingram, Ball, Kuzma). Ingram, is up for debate though. Keep Randle. If you can keep Randle and Kuzma to get Kawhi and Lebron, that is a no brainer. Kawhi is miles ahead of PG, if he is healthy.

Kuzma is the best right now, but he also is the oldest and played 3 or 4 years in college. So he has the smallest upside of the 3. Ingram improved enough from his rookie year and Ball showed enough flashes that I think both will end up being a fair bit better than Kuzma.

Kuzma also came in with a gown mans body. Ingram and Ball need some cheeseburgers and weight training. lol