IF the Lakers got Melo...

[Shanemansj13]

I can't believe Melo wants to go back to NY. He has no help. He wants out and this is the best opportunity of his career and the biggest decision of his career. He will regret it if he stays in NY.

 

[tlance]

Nah, about the only way that could happen would be if they hired Botslayer.

I was thinking Sman. Can you rule it out as a possibility though?

Maybe they will hire Jurgen Klinsman

 

[LAKERSUSCBAM]

If Melo leaves about $30 million on the table by signing with Lakers, my respect for him will spike knowing that Lakers scenario is only a bit more encouraging than with Knicks. My gut tells me he's resigning with NY and won't make the change of scenery. Too much dough to give up at his age....

Would Lakers make playoffs with him and nucleus mentioned? Hell yea(barring major injury)

 

[tlance]

If Melo leaves about $30 million on the table by signing with Lakers, my respect for him will spike knowing that Lakers scenario is only a bit more encouraging than with Knicks. My gut tells me he's resigning with NY and won't make the change of scenery. Too much dough to give up at his age....

Would Lakers make playoffs with him and nucleus mentioned? Hell yea(barring major injury)

These numbers are overblown. Yes, he gets to sign for an extra year if he stays in NY. The only way that Melo leaved that much $ on the table is if he is out of the NBA by the time his 4 year deal expires. He will sign another contract another contract after that, and it is entirely possible that he will actually make MORE $ in the long run by signing a shorter max deal today.

By the time his next deal is up, he will be declining. It is possible that he will be able to sign a significantly larger contract in 2018 than he would be able to sign in 2019. Melo has the type of game that could age pretty well, so I really don't think he is giving up that much to sign in LA.

 

[Shanemansj13]

If Melo leaves about $30 million on the table by signing with Lakers, my respect for him will spike knowing that Lakers scenario is only a bit more encouraging than with Knicks. My gut tells me he's resigning with NY and won't make the change of scenery. Too much dough to give up at his age....

Would Lakers make playoffs with him and nucleus mentioned? Hell yea(barring major injury)

To tell you the truth he is better in the East on the Knicks, then the West on LA. Yes, LA would be a more competitive team but they still aren't a championship team or really nothing close to it.

 

[Malibu]

Assuming this happens it depends all on Kobe and Pau staying healthy. If so they would make the playoffs but they sure wouldnt be the team to beat yet. Just my two cents.

 

[Malibu]

Somehow they have to unload Nash and Id like to see Hill back with the Lakers. I just dont see that happening.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Somehow they have to unload Nash and Id like to see Hill back with the Lakers. I just dont see that happening.

The cap is just an issue. I still think Kobe should of took less for the team to be more flexible in the offseason. It just didn't make sense to me IMO

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

The cap is just an issue. I still think Kobe should of took less for the team to be more flexible in the offseason. It just didn't make sense to me IMO

Lakers fans seem very quiet on that subject these days.

I've brought it up a few times.

How good would the Lakers chances of getting both James/Anthony and keeping Gasol look if Kobe was currently off the books?

I'd say the answer is very .

 

[Malibu]

Lakers fans seem very quiet on that subject these days.

I've brought it up a few times.

How good would the Lakers chances of getting both James/Anthony and keeping Gasol look if Kobe was currently off the books?

I'd say the answer is very .

Every player has the right to get as much money as they want or think theey deserve. Jim Buss could have said no to Kobe and that contract. This isnt on Kobe its on management. Congrats to Kobe getting a huge pay day and every other athlete in sports as well.

 

[trojanfan12]

These numbers are overblown. Yes, he gets to sign for an extra year if he stays in NY. The only way that Melo leaved that much $ on the table is if he is out of the NBA by the time his 4 year deal expires. He will sign another contract another contract after that, and it is entirely possible that he will actually make MORE $ in the long run by signing a shorter max deal today.

By the time his next deal is up, he will be declining. It is possible that he will be able to sign a significantly larger contract in 2018 than he would be able to sign in 2019. Melo has the type of game that could age pretty well, so I really don't think he is giving up that much to sign in LA.

I agree with this 100%. Additionally, the Lakers have shown as recently as this past season, that they will overpay an aging vet as a form of "thank you". With as much criticism as they received for the contract they gave Kobe, folks are crazy if they don't think that doesn't mean something to these guys.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Every player has the right to get as much money as they want or think theey deserve. Jim Buss could have said no to Kobe and that contract. This isnt on Kobe its on management. Congrats to Kobe getting a huge pay day and every other athlete in sports as well.

I don't disagree in premise, but Kobe said the most important thing to him was ring #6, not earn 48M.
By taking 48M, he all but eliminated chance for ring 6 as the 1st or 2nd option on his team.

I was just bringing up the fact that many here said THEY had no problem with it even though FA scenarios like what is happening now were being thrown around back then.

Now that it is reality, and you see what you might have been able to pull off, it has to sting.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

It's not like Kobe took the max, he was eligible for a 32 million dollar extension if he really wanted it. He took 23 million and Mitch's assurance that the contract wouldn't be a problem moving forward. It's been addressed many, many times.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

To tell you the truth he is better in the East on the Knicks, then the West on LA. Yes, LA would be a more competitive team but they still aren't a championship team or really nothing close to it.

Championship...no, playoffs, yes.

A lot would have to happen for the LAL to be on the same level as SA, OKC, LAC... Randle would need to be a NBA ready out the gates, Kobe @ at least 85%.

If he wants to win, the Lakers would be a better option than the Knicks...short term you're on a playoff caliber team. The east is easier, but the Knicks are working with less.

 

[lakersrule]

I don't disagree in premise, but Kobe said the most important thing to him was ring #6, not earn 48M.
By taking 48M, he all but eliminated chance for ring 6 as the 1st or 2nd option on his team.

I was just bringing up the fact that many here said THEY had no problem with it even though FA scenarios like what is happening now were being thrown around back then.

Now that it is reality, and you see what you might have been able to pull off, it has to sting.

Let's not be a revisionist here. Most everyone said that it was bad deal regarding the salary cap but a good business deal (Lakers made way more than any other team last season and they sucked).

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Let's not be a revisionist here. Most everyone said that it was bad deal regarding the salary cap but a good business deal (Lakers made way more than any other team last season and they sucked).

We're splitting hairs.

It's either you are happy with it or not. The reason doesn't really matter when the end result had to be the same.

As a fan, I don't care how much profit my teams owner made, especially if we sucked and his decision to line his pockets by overpaying Kobe might have cost them James/Anthony.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

It's not like Kobe took the max, he was eligible for a 32 million dollar extension if he really wanted it. He took 23 million and Mitch's assurance that the contract wouldn't be a problem moving forward. It's been addressed many, many times.

Talk about looking at the bright side ....

 

[OutlawImmortal]

I don't disagree in premise, but Kobe said the most important thing to him was ring #6, not earn 48M.
By taking 48M, he all but eliminated chance for ring 6 as the 1st or 2nd option on his team.

I was just bringing up the fact that many here said THEY had no problem with it even though FA scenarios like what is happening now were being thrown around back then.

Now that it is reality, and you see what you might have been able to pull off, it has to sting.

We're splitting hairs.

It's either you are happy with it or not. The reason doesn't really matter when the end result had to be the same.

As a fan, I don't care how much profit my teams owner made, especially if we sucked and his decision to line his pockets by overpaying Kobe might have cost them James/Anthony.

To speak to Kold's point, I think I was about the only one who didn't care about the contract.

'Might' being the keyword here because we just don't know. There is a ton of speculation about where Melo and LBJ end up, we really don't know what's going through their heads. Maybe LBJ would avoid another scenario where it seems like he was colluding with another free agent superstar and avoids going to LA with Melo. Maybe LBJ would prefer Riley, Wade and Bosh (and the championships they've won recently) over Melo in LA. So to answer your question, no, hypotheticals don't sting.

Even with the Achilles rupture, Kobe was still considered one of the top upcoming free agents at the time of his signing.

 

[anotheridiot]

The nba is just not right unless the lakers are a good team. Somehow the Lakers have usually been the biggest spenders being over the cap until the russians got the nets. That is what these guys are looking for, an organization that wont mind paying 40-80 million in cap fees and find a way to get there.

That is not gonna happen in chicago. I believe birds rights would have been signing the heat guys before they opted out. I really dont know who is right and who is wrong, just think lebron and melo like to hear their names and stories on how they are holding up the entire nba.

 

[mick7-1961]

We are talking about the playoffs...playoffs. Not a championship

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq7BYOnDrM]Jim Mora Playoffs ! ? Long Version - YouTube[/ame]