A Little FA News

[trojanfan12]

I'm not trying to take over the Lakers board here, but do you think the Lakers would be better off if Kobe called it a career? I know this is all he knows.. But he's played 1 full season since 2010-2011. And while he is still a Laker, he's going to want the team built around him.

How do you rebuild while "Bad Grandpa" wants to keep winning championships? Even though it ain't gonna happen.

It's likely only one more season, so I really don't see it as a problem. It's not like he's standing in the way of the re-build. If his contract still had 3+ years left on it and he was going through this, then he'd be in the way, but it's one more season.

Actually, he's not looking for the team to be built around him. He understands that the Lakers are looking to get younger and more athletic. He's not demanding that they go after older vets and/or asking them to trade away draft picks for older vets so that he can have one last championship run.

The Lakers may not be able to improve enough to win a title next year, but they can improve enough to get to the playoffs and give him 1 last playoff run before he retires and they can do that with young guys.

Like I said in an earlier post, the Lakers could potentially have a roster next season that includes Okafor or Cauley-Stein, Randle, Kobe, Swaggy P and Dragic. With that and some of the guys they will bring back from this years team, you can win some games and make the playoffs and you're still a young team. Then you go into the 2016 FA period with Kobe's contract off the books to continue re-building the team.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

It's likely only one more season, so I really don't see it as a problem. It's not like he's standing in the way of the re-build. If his contract still had 3+ years left on it and he was going through this, then he'd be in the way, but it's one more season.

Actually, he's not looking for the team to be built around him. He understands that the Lakers are looking to get younger and more athletic. He's not demanding that they go after older vets and/or asking them to trade away draft picks for older vets so that he can have one last championship run.

The Lakers may not be able to improve enough to win a title next year, but they can improve enough to get to the playoffs and give him 1 last playoff run before he retires and they can do that with young guys.

Like I said in an earlier post, the Lakers could potentially have a roster next season that includes Okafor or Cauley-Stein, Randle, Kobe, Swaggy P and Dragic. With that and some of the guys they will bring back from this years team, you can win some games and make the playoffs and you're still a young team. Then you go into the 2016 FA period with Kobe's contract off the books to continue re-building the team.

And the good thing about this is Nash will finally be off the books next season too.

 

[wildturkey]

If I'm the Lakers, these are my top 3 choices in order of preference:

1.) Okafor
2.) Mudiay
3.) Cauley-Stein

Don't sleep on D'Angelo Russell from Ohio State. I'd have him rated #2 behind Okafor right now. I believe he's the same size as Mudiay, but he can play both guard spots (think James Harden) and his offensive game is more polished, displaying an array of attacking moves as well as a decent jump shot (Mudiay apparently can't shoot much at all right now according to reports). He also looks like an NBA player. Like if you didn't know anything about either team and you watched an OSU game, you'd say "Wow, who is that kid?".

I'd be wary on Cauley-Stein. He's athletic but that's basically it. It's his third year and I don't see much growth in his game. He's still pretty raw which is fine if he were a freshman but since he's not, that's why there is a bit of concern. If he came out last year, I'm not quite sure he'd be a 1st round pick but would ultimately be a late 1st rounder. Since the talent level drops off pretty big after 3 or 4 guys this year, Cauley-Stein has shot up the draft boards. I wouldn't take him in the Top 5 because I'm not sure his ceiling is much higher than it is now. If you're looking for a big man out of Kentucky, look at Karl Towns.

The Lakers are rumored to be going after everybody and their mothers!

That's what I said in an earlier post. If they draft a big, they'll pursue backcourt/wing players. Makes sense. My problem is that if they are considering a youth movement, why blow a big chunk of cap space on a 29yo?

29 isn't ancient. At the end of the max deal, he's still just 33 years old and could potentially play 3 or 4 more years after that. You aren't going to find many PGs younger than him that are better because teams have already locked them up with rookie deal extensions.

 

[trojanfan12]

And the good thing about this is Nash will finally be off the books next season too.

 

[trojanfan12]

Don't sleep on D'Angelo Russell from Ohio State. I'd have him rated #2 behind Okafor right now. I believe he's the same size as Mudiay, but he can play both guard spots (think James Harden) and his offensive game is more polished, displaying an array of attacking moves as well as a decent jump shot (Mudiay apparently can't shoot much at all right now according to reports). He also looks like an NBA player. Like if you didn't know anything about either team and you watched an OSU game, you'd say "Wow, who is that kid?".

I'd be wary on Cauley-Stein. He's athletic but that's basically it. It's his third year and I don't see much growth in his game. He's still pretty raw which is fine if he were a freshman but since he's not, that's why there is a bit of concern. If he came out last year, I'm not quite sure he'd be a 1st round pick but would ultimately be a late 1st rounder. Since the talent level drops off pretty big after 3 or 4 guys this year, Cauley-Stein has shot up the draft boards. I wouldn't take him in the Top 5 because I'm not sure his ceiling is much higher than it is now. If you're looking for a big man out of Kentucky, look at Karl Towns.



29 isn't ancient. At the end of the max deal, he's still just 33 years old and could potentially play 3 or 4 more years after that. You aren't going to find many PGs younger than him that are better because teams have already locked them up with rookie deal extensions.

Yeah, I agree about Russell. Learned about him a little later than Mudiay, but he looks good too. Maybe Cauley-Stein is a late bloomer? Hadn't heard much about him until he recently started rising in the draft speculation and for some reason I thought he was a freshman. Must have just assumed it because Kentucky takes all of those one and dones. Maybe he's worth taking a shot on with the 1st round pick from Houston if he's still available?

Yeah, point guards can be around for a long time. Especially when they are a guy like Dragic. He doesn't rely on being a great athlete and isn't driving to the hole all the time. He plays a lot like Steve Nash did.

 

[Retroram52]

Maybe Nash will come of his year-long pout and actually want to join the coaching staff.

 

[SJ76]

Okafor > Cauley-Stein


Another kid from Illinois wins POY

 

[wildturkey]

Yeah, I agree about Russell. Learned about him a little later than Mudiay, but he looks good too. Maybe Cauley-Stein is a late bloomer? Hadn't heard much about him until he recently started rising in the draft speculation and for some reason I thought he was a freshman. Must have just assumed it because Kentucky takes all of those one and dones. Maybe he's worth taking a shot on with the 1st round pick from Houston if he's still available?

Yeah, point guards can be around for a long time. Especially when they are a guy like Dragic. He doesn't rely on being a great athlete and isn't driving to the hole all the time. He plays a lot like Steve Nash did.

I doubt Cauley-Stein will be around by the time we get to the Houston pick. My guess is he'll go in the Top 10. He's just really raw, especially offensively. Pretty much all he can do is dunk. If we owned a pick there, I wouldn't mind taking him, but since we'll only be picking in the Top 5, he just isn't worth it to me. We gotta nail this pick if we get it. Okafor, Russell, Mudiay, and I'd throw Towns in there as well have multi-year all-star ceilings imo. Cauley-Stein's ceiling is probably a poor man's Tyson Chandler. Nice player to have but you get what I'm saying.

 

[trojanfan12]

I doubt Cauley-Stein will be around by the time we get to the Houston pick. My guess is he'll go in the Top 10. He's just really raw, especially offensively. Pretty much all he can do is dunk. If we owned a pick there, I wouldn't mind taking him, but since we'll only be picking in the Top 5, he just isn't worth it to me. We gotta nail this pick if we get it. Okafor, Russell, Mudiay, and I'd throw Towns in there as well have multi-year all-star ceilings imo. Cauley-Stein's ceiling is probably a poor man's Tyson Chandler. Nice player to have but you get what I'm saying.

Yeah, sounds like Cauley-Stein projects as a player that you add, not a player that you build around.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I'll be honest, I haven't paid much attention to this years potential draft class but no player really stands out for me.

Personally i'd see what kind of player we could trade the pick for (once the order has been set and it officially becomes the Lakers and not the Suns).

We have two promising guys in Randle and Clarkson and i'd rather have a couple of proven players on the team rather than build it full of rookies!

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

In other words, work with:

C -(?)
PF- Randle
SF - Swaggy ?
SG - Kobe with Clarkson getting the majority of minutes off the bench
PG - Dragic ?

Then fill in the gaps.

 

[Retroram52]

Hey Vita: I see your man out of UCLA, LaVine won the dunk competition this week-end. Everyone is touting him an unknown. The Wolves rookie is the youngest to win the dunk comp. You had mentioned him last year before the draft. Now I know why. An incredible talent or so it seems.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Lavine is the youngest now? Bout time someone broke Kobe's record.

 

[Retroram52]

I believe so Outlaw. All of 19 and is going to be a good one if he stays healthy. Would not mind seeing at some point in the future in a Lakers Uni.

 

[wildturkey]

I thought they said last night Kobe won it when he was 18. Lavine is 19 and turns 20 in a week or so.

 

[Retroram52]

I maybe wrong Turkey on Lavine being the youngest to win the dunk competition. Kobe may have been younger by a year. I just saw a yahoo article that stated Lavine was the youngest. They are not the most reliable venue on the planet.

 

[lakersrule]

What would you offer for Dragic, if anything? I wouldn't offer much. Phoenix is trading from the weak position and there's a real possibility that they can sign him this summer.

Nash's expiring contract, Houston's 2015 first rounder, and a second rounder. I wouldn't give up anymore than that. The protection on the Lakers' first rounder would also have to be extended to at least top-10.

I'm not sure I'd make the trade anyway. $20mil per year for Dragic seems a bit much.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

What would you offer for Dragic, if anything? I wouldn't offer much. Phoenix is trading from the weak position and there's a real possibility that they can sign him this summer.

Nash's expiring contract, Houston's 2015 first rounder, and a second rounder. I wouldn't give up anymore than that. The protection on the Lakers' first rounder would also have to be extended to at least top-10.

I'm not sure I'd make the trade anyway. $20mil per year for Dragic seems a bit much.

This exactly. Maybe throw in Lin or Sacre just for the hell of it.

And make sure it's a sign-and-trade deal so we're not stuck with a 2 month loaner!

 

[Retroram52]

I wouldn't do any trade. I'd wait till the summer when he is a free agent. We are so close to a great set of picks and potential FAs. I sure hope they don't screw this up.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I wouldn't do any trade. I'd wait till the summer when he is a free agent. We are so close to a great set of picks and potential FAs. I sure hope they don't screw this up.

Only problem I have with that is that if he moves to the likes of NY or Miami (one of his preferred destinations), he likely re-signs for them in the summer!