Series Thread: 2023 Western Conference Finals: 1) Nuggets vs 7) Lakers (Bubble Rematch)

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Yeah, but he's far less of headache. Plus much easier to keep Rui in the fold keep Dlo than it is to keep Rui and get Kyrie.

Rui is easy, full bird rights.

Austin is the bigger obstacle because Kyrie wouldn’t be able to get the max.

 

[wildturkey]

Rui is easy, full bird rights.

Austin is the bigger obstacle because Kyrie wouldn’t be able to get the max.

He wouldn't be at the max, but he won't be cheap. And the Lakers, like all teams, are gonna have to factor in the heavy tax payer penalty via the new CBA. Rui, Reavs, and Kyrie would likely keep them in the penalty. Now maybe if Kyrie is dumb enough to take a short term deal to where it expires the same time as Lebron/AD and the Lakers can wash their hands of the run at the end and start over, but that's very unlikely. Kyrie is at a point of his career where you can't turn down long term money.

There's also the factor that a D'lo contract is easier to move in general. They have more flexibility there than with Kyrie, who would be harder to move if it doesn't work out.

There's just far more negatives to bringing in Kyrie than there are positives. Really the only positive is he's an all star quality offensive player. But the Lakers don't actually need that. They aren't far off from a championship as is. What they need most is health and consistency from role players. Lebron is playing on one leg right now. It's why he has zero lift on any of his jump shots, especially 3s. AD will require surgery on his bone spur. They can get healthy in the offseason. They can get consistency in role players with smaller moves and roster tweaks. Bring back Reaves and Rui. Find a vet that can give you spot minutes in the front court so all of the defensive load isn't on AD all the time. Use Beasley, Bamba, D'lo the picks available to get more flexible rotation players. These are moves that are very do-able that don't come with any of the downside risk of bringing in a player like Kyrie Irving

 

[DJ Fieri]

Rui is easy, full bird rights.

Austin is the bigger obstacle because Kyrie wouldn’t be able to get the max.

I absolutely love Reaves and his development.....but he should not be the obstacle to getting Irving. As much of a headcase as Irving is? He is a prolific scorer and he eases a lot of the burden on James.

Let Reaves walk if we get Irving, let TBJ and Walker go. Bring back Schroder and Hach. See if we could package Beasley and Bamba plus the 19th pick (after we select him) to another team? Both have just 1 year left.....if we opt in on Beasley.

Plus sign a few vets that wanna chase a ring.

 

[msgkings322]

Surprisingly, D’Lo isn’t much better the last few years, attendance wise.

View attachment 329130

Interesting he scored the most on GS, but I guess his role was bigger

 

[redseat]

Thanks for the response.

Been a long time since I've been in downtown Cleveland and was never that familiar with things.

The only place I can think of for @redseat is Little Italy. Assuming it's still around. Guessing that it is.

I will have to check that out possibly

 

[DJ Fieri]

Lakers fans....LOL.

 

[bksballer89]

 

[dtgold88]

I absolutely love Reaves and his development.....but he should not be the obstacle to getting Irving. As much of a headcase as Irving is? He is a prolific scorer and he eases a lot of the burden on James.

Let Reaves walk if we get Irving, let TBJ and Walker go. Bring back Schroder and Hach. See if we could package Beasley and Bamba plus the 19th pick (after we select him) to another team? Both have just 1 year left.....if we opt in on Beasley.

Plus sign a few vets that wanna chase a ring.

Man I don't know. Sounds like name **** to me going after Kyire at the expense of the emerging Reaves if that's what it took.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Man I don't know. Sounds like name **** to me going after Kyire at the expense of the emerging Reaves if that's what it took.

All warts aside.....Irving is bona fide scoring star....I think he would be the best we could do and he relieves a lot of the load off Bron's shoulders. Luka and Irving were never going to work. They both need the ball. Bron and Irving have played together before and Irving was in effect a SG when they played with the Cavs.

Bron could play 33mpg or so since he is almost 39 and Irving and AD could shoulder the load at 38mpg since they are a lot younger and have less miles on their bodies than Bron.

 

[dtgold88]

All warts aside.....Irving is bona fide scoring star....I think he would be the best we could do and he relieves a lot of the load off Bron's shoulders. Luka and Irving were never going to work. They both need the ball. Bron and Irving have played together before and Irving was in effect a SG when they played with the Cavs.

Bron could play 33mpg or so since he is almost 39 and Irving and AD could shoulder the load at 38mpg since they are a lot younger and have less miles on their bodies than Bron.

and when Irving's teammates get tired of his act as eventually seems to happen with him?

 

[DJ Fieri]

and when Irving's teammates get tired of his act as eventually seems to happen with him?

Get him on the same timeline as Bron.

 

[thunderc]

Get him on the same timeline as Bron.

When Irving goes haywire it doesn’t matter who thinks they know him, they don’t.

 

[dtgold88]

Get him on the same timeline as Bron.

And if Lebron and/or AD get tired of him? Or the coach, FO, etc?

 

[tlance]

Yeah, but he's far less of headache. Plus much easier to keep Rui in the fold keep Dlo than it is to keep Rui and get Kyrie.

DLo is less of an obvious headache.

But in all honesty the results on that front are about the same.

Kyrie just a lot better. And the waves he makes are headline news.

People here talking about benching DLo in the biggest games of the season.

Can’t have that man back on the team if you question whether or not it is a good idea to play him in big moments.

 

[wildturkey]

DLo is less of an obvious headache.

But in all honesty the results on that front are about the same.

Kyrie just a lot better. And the waves he makes are headline news.

People here talking about benching DLo in the biggest games of the season.

Can’t have that man back on the team if you question whether or not it is a good idea to play him in big moments.

It's just been this series though. He was fine up until this point. It's not like he's a complete disaster. That's just recency bias. And again, with all the headaches and toxicity that Kyrie Irving brings to the team on top of the fact that to get him you'd have to do a sign and trade*, which will hard cap the team, it's not worth it. In a vacuum on a strictly player basis, Kyrie would work best. But with everything that goes into constructing a team, its not worth it.

*Unless Kyrie is willing to sign for something stupid cheap, but that's extremely unlikely.

 

[The Q]

It's just been this series though. He was fine up until this point. It's not like he's a complete disaster. That's just recency bias. And again, with all the headaches and toxicity that Kyrie Irving brings to the team on top of the fact that to get him you'd have to do a sign and trade*, which will hard cap the team, it's not worth it. In a vacuum on a strictly player basis, Kyrie would work best. But with everything that goes into constructing a team, its not worth it.

*Unless Kyrie is willing to sign for something stupid cheap, but that's extremely unlikely.

This is why I said I would’ve kept Conley rather than 3 team

Kyrie is a pipe dream unless he does something monumentally dumb

 

[wildturkey]

This is why I said I would’ve kept Conley rather than 3 team

Kyrie is a pipe dream unless he does something monumentally dumb

I don't think Minny does the trade if they didn't get Conley though. Ideally yes. I can remember saying I'd rather have Conley in all kinds of Westbrook trades I dreamed up in the months prior, but I don't remember reading anything that said that deal could have gotten done with the Lakers getting Conley and D'lo staying put or going to Utah. Right now they're better off re-signing him and waiting until he's eligible to be traded (December, maybe January depending the CBA rules) and moving him then

 

[Duffman]

Is that a good thing?

 

[DJ Fieri]

DLo is less of an obvious headache.

But in all honesty the results on that front are about the same.

Kyrie just a lot better. And the waves he makes are headline news.

People here talking about benching DLo in the biggest games of the season.

Can’t have that man back on the team if you question whether or not it is a good idea to play him in big moments.

Exactly.

Irving is way better.

 

[trojanfan12]

@DJ , @Black Adam , @wildturkey , @Shaqdaddy11 , @Retroram52 , @trojanfan12

Look, I’d definitely do this if I’m the Lakers.

Yes, you want to preserve the D’Lo salary slot.

But, fuck paying him or Beasley if you don’t actually have to.

Thoughts?

Possibility that Lakers land Kyrie Irving, keep Austin Reaves?

Grant Afeseth: Brian Windhorst on “The Hoop Collective” podcast discussing Mavericks’ impending free agent Kyrie Irving as a Lakers target: “It would take a little bit of ma…

hoopshype.com

No. The Lakers need to stay out of the Kyrie business.