2019 Los Angeles Lakers Off-Season Thread

[trojanfan12]

Ingram, Ball and #4 should be the absolute most the Lakers should offer.

I would be pissed if Kuz or Hart were included

Not me. I'll be pissed if the Lakers don't get him because they refused to include Kuzma or Hart.

I like them, but AD is a once a decade player.

 

[wildturkey]

Not me. I'll be pissed if the Lakers don't get him because they refused to include Kuzma or Hart.

I like them, but AD is a once a decade player.

They really need him going into free agency as well. None of the better free agents are interested in LA as is. If they can trade for AD before the start of free agency, it will dramatically flip the perception of the team. Even if they don't lure another top guy whether its Butler, Kyrie, etc, there's still plenty of quality starters and role players that would consider the Lakers more seriously with Lebron/AD. You can't throw that chance away because you ultimately chose Kuzma at the last minute

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

Now Klay has a torn ACL

The FA list is dwindling.

Feel bad for GS losing 2 stars like that. Very bad luck.

 

[trojanfan12]

They really need him going into free agency as well. None of the better free agents are interested in LA as is. If they can trade for AD before the start of free agency, it will dramatically flip the perception of the team. Even if they don't lure another top guy whether its Butler, Kyrie, etc, there's still plenty of quality starters and role players that would consider the Lakers more seriously with Lebron/AD. You can't throw that chance away because you ultimately chose Kuzma at the last minute

Yep. I'm sure they would love to be able to keep him. Of all of the kids, he was the one who actually fit best with Lebron.

But there seem to be 2 main reasons that FA's don't have the Lakers on their lists...Lebron's age with no younger star player and the FO looking like they have no clue what they're doing.

Getting the AD trade completed would go a long way towards fixing both of those issues.

 

[trojanfan12]

So, this was interesting:

I was listening to Dan Patrick this morning. He was interviewing Reggie Miller and told him that an oddsmaker (I didn't catch which one) has the Lakers at +450 favorites to win the title next season.

DP and Reggie said "that might mean that they know something we don't, or think they do."

 

[wildturkey]

So, this was interesting:

I was listening to Dan Patrick this morning. He was interviewing Reggie Miller and told him that an oddsmaker (I didn't catch which one) has the Lakers at +450 favorites to win the title next season.

DP and Reggie said "that might mean that they know something we don't, or think they do."

They also have the Warriors listed as the favorite this morning despite KD is going to miss the season and might not even be on the team and Klay will at least miss half the season. So I wouldn't read too much into it. A lot of times the Vegas odds aren't set so much on inside info but anticipating how the public is going to bet and adjusting accordingly.

So the Lakers example, they know that the Lakers are a "public team", meaning they have large fanbase and one that even casuals know about. They also know they have Lebron and that there's a possibility they might get some other player. So because the Lakers are so popular and those other reasons, they can't really afford to set the Lakers odds long. Like the book maker might think they don't really have a chance to win the title next year, but if they set the odds at +800 or +1000 along with other teams they don't think will win, they'd lose their ass if one of those scenarios broke right and the Lakers do get players and win

 

[DJ]

 

[Black Adam]

View attachment 207808

uh kaayyy...

would love to know how the fuck do they figure...

 

[shopson67]

uh kaayyy...

would love to know how the fuck do they figure...

Yeah, especially with the Clips and Raptors both still up there. Kawhi can only play for one team....

 

[Retroram52]

Well the Lakers are sticking to their demand that Kuzma stays. AD is the lynch pin here. He and Rich Paul have let it be known that AD is not going to play (sign any contract) for the Celtics no matter what they offer. What is going on is Griffen is using the Celtics as leverage to get the Lakers to fold and include just about anything he and the Pels want if they can get that ploy to work through the court of public opinion.

The Lakers are not buying it and it looks as though the deal is contingent on what or whom the Lakers select next Thursday. And I am quite sure that the deal has been consummated in principle with the Lakers receiving Griffen's marching orders for whom to select, if available.

The deal will probably be done by the end of June and AD will be a Laker. Thus, the Reggie Miller admission and the odds makers' BS. Gone will be Ball, Ingram, AND whomever the Lakers, in conjunction with Griffen's request, select next Thursday with the fourth pick.

 

[Retroram52]

A couple of players other than Kawhi finally got their rings. Jeremy Lin is one, who used to be a Laker and now is a champion. I suppose he gets the last laugh as the one of the many players the Lakers have jettisoned only to look back and question, if only for a minute, what-if?.

Another is Marc Gasol. Gasbag's little brother finally gets his long sought-after ring and he too was an ex-Laker I know the Lakers have thought about in the what-if motif. He started out as a Laker years ago at the very beginning of his career.

Congrats to both!!

 

[Retroram52]

Since the major story has been focused on the Lakers trade to get AD, has anyone seen or heard anything about the other story that def got buried since the finals were in full swing? Back in April I posted a guess that the guy that was going to replace Magic as President of Basketball Operations was the GM in Toronto, Ujiri. ,I also stated my opinion that Ujiri was headed to the Lakers with Kawhi in-tow. Apparently this is a dead issue now that Kawhi will probably remain in Toronto since they won their first championship and Ujiri has a penchant for hitting police officers, apparently.

Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri Under Investigation for Allegedly Hitting a Cop After Finals Victory

 

[Retroram52]

Another story re-emerging is the Derrick Favors player option signing. The Lakers have interest in this guy if the jazz don't re-sign or pick up his option. He fits well with LeBron. Another wait and see.

Another guy who is rapidly becoming available is DeAngelo Russell. Kyrie is most def headed to Brooklyn and the Nets have been speculated that they won't keep both players. If Ball leaves in the pending AD deal, bringing Russell back would be another coup. I know he is restricted at this point and with the rumors that Butler is staying in the East, Russell would make sense and would be a good signing if we indeed end-up with AD and lose everyone else.

NBA free agency 2019: Derrick Favors could be a target for Lakers if Jazz don't bring him back, per report

 

[wildturkey]

Boom. It's done. Keeping Kuzma, sending out extra 1st rounders and Hart instead

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Was worried for a second Boston would go the Kawhi route. Happy to see him go west.

 

[Retroram52]

Yep, we overpaid for AD. Ball, Ingram, Hart, and three number ones. Stupid. Well, at least they kept the last of the young core in Kuzma and some filler players mentioned like Bonga and Wagner. Now they can go after whomever to round out this year's addition. The Lakers should have just included Hart and let it go. But noooo. they got taken for two more years of first rounders.

Anthony Davis trade: Pelicans deal All-Star to Lakers in package including Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, per report

 

[DJ]

We did it, bitches!!!! And we targeting Kemba Walker in FA.....

#Hghonlife

#Hadsomegreatnews10daysago

 

[DJ]

We kept Kuz, @Retroram52

 

[DJ]

Those other 2 1st rounders won't be as valuable if we get the right supporting cast.

 

[Chilipepper]

Ingram is a very good player just below a big star. But is a one on one player. So no biggie. Hart after last season went down in value big time. I think he'll bounce back. But ? Lonzo was injury prone. So I love this deal. Kuzma, James, AD, Rondo, McGee, Bench is still strong too. I LOVE IT !