RealGM

Our Lakers didn't do too well in the playoffs...
Obviously, the team will look at its options for the future. The options will be effected by current contracts, the (non-)existence of 2011-12 season, future coach + style choice etc. The remaining contracts length per Shamsports:
(in parenthesis are any last-year options: PO = player option, TO = team option, UG = unguaranteed)

Kobe, Gasol, Blake, Artest ... 3 years until 2014 (Artest "early termination")
Bynum, Fisher, Odom, Walton ... 2 years till 2013 (Bynum TO, Fisher PO, Odom UG)
Barnes, Brown ... PO for 2011 - 2012
Caracter, Ebanks ... UG for 2011 - 2012, qualified option for 2012-13
Johnson ... qualified option for 2011 - 2012
Ratliff, Smith ... nothing

That's 8 guaranteed contracts for the next season (if there's one) + 2 POs + 2 UGs.
If all 4 'options' are exercised (all fairly likely, I think), that's 12 players under contract, leaving UP TO 3 positions to improve. Not too shabby, but perhaps offering Fisher + Walton jobs with the team could free 2 more, for the total of 5. Lakers could definitely improve a lot with that.

If next season is canceled, only 8 (+2 QOs) would remain for the following one. Not having people under contract could save money...?

If you were Dr. Buss or Mitch Kupchak, what would be your thoughts / wishes?

We're not gonna be under the cap. The only way we can improve is through trades.

StarneyBinston wrote:We're not gonna be under the cap. The only way we can improve is through trades.

With Dr. Buss the poker king at the helm, and Lakers revenue?
I think - and hope - that you are wrong

He's not wrong... we can't go and sign players if we're over the cap. It's as simple as that. We have an MLE, LLE and vet mins plus what's on our roster. We'll need to trade our way to a better roster.

He's not. Has nothing to do with revenue.

I expect that Barnes will use his option next year, while Shannon Brown will attempt to get a S and T from L.A. especially if there is no MLE. Brown for Brandon Rush would be a fair deal.

This is who we have under contract next season and for how much.

Kobe = 25.2 Mil
Pau = 18.7 Mil
Drew = 15.1 Mil
LO = 8.9 Mil
Ron = 6.7 Mil
Luke = 5.6 Mil
Blake = 4.0 Mil
Fisher = 3.4 Mil
Ebanks = 736 Thousand

Players with Player Options

Brown = 2.4 Mil (Has already said that he is going to opt out and test the FA market)
Barnes = 1.9 Mil (Has already said that he is going to opt in and stay in LA)

Team Option

Character = 788 Thousand. (No word on what LA's going to do with him)

The 2 dinasoaurs Joe Smith & Theo Ratliff are gone and Trey Johnson is not under contract next season.

I dont no what FO and Mitch are going to do, but 1 thing I wanna see is Luke and his horrible 5.6 gone. There are so many better players out there who deserve that money, who actually contribute, but are underpained, and this idiot played around 9 minutes a game for us this season for only 54 games not contribuing much, and getting that money.

Some players the Lakers should consider:
Leandro Barbosa (Very quick, aggressivly drives to the hole, streaky shooter and a good creater)
Mo Petterson (Would be a great backup for Kobe)
Jannero Pargo (Young, quick, defensive PG but lacks playmaking)
Anthony Parker (Nice backup for Kobe. Nice jumper, plays good D & overall a good role player)
Ryan Hollins (Nice young big with rebounding, defence and scoring ability)
Gary Forbes (Would be a good backup for KB, but I dont see Denver letting him go)
Chris Wilcox (Good contributer, does a bit of everything)
T-Mac (Seems to have a bit left in him)
Lou Amundson (No offence, a hustle player & great rebounder)
Reggie Williams from GSW would be a nice backup for KB
Jared Jefferies (Very long and a good defender)
Chuck Hayes (Would love to add him!!!)
Jamaal Tinsley (Good point guard with good passing skills and a nice jumper, but injury prone)
Jeff Foster (Would be a nice backup for our bigs)
DeAndre Jordan (Would be nice to steal him from the Clippers)
Quinton Ross (Nice big guard, plays good D but doesnt have much offence)
Willie Green from NOH (Can drive to the hole, nice outside shot and a good defender)
Grant Hill (Mr. Fountain of Youth. Can still play great)
Earl Watson (Would be a steal if we could get him)

if they can develop ebanks and make him the slasher (pretty much the same role ariza had), this team will be way better off.

anthony parker sounds nice. we need 3's. if u got good bigs, u need shooters to spread the court. i say sign 3-4 guys who can hit the 3. maybe make some low risk medium reward signings. kapono could be a potential help. drill like 2-3 3's a game. we NEED some dudes like that. imo we dont have time to develop talent. we're not getting rid of the whole team so the teams still gonna be older. ebanks and caracter prolly going somewhere else.

I would love to sign Tmac to the vet minimum as our backup PG and have fisher retire. Then we could try and sign a PG with the MLE, trade for one, or worst case scenario, start Blake.

kobe bryant earning 30mil says no

Anyone interested in Mario Chalmers if we run the triangle again? He's not ideal, but he can defend better than Fisher and is athletic. He's a UFA and would cost nothing.

Trade Blake+??? for Felton! George Karl likes Blake.

Trade the TPE for a useful player Kirk Hinrich style. There are a few teams that would like to add a free agent like Nene but don't have the cap room to do so. I would love to get a high draft pick by doing so perhaps from a late lottery team. Perhaps Detroit considers it if the Lakers take on Jason Maxiell.

Chris Douglas-Roberts
J.R. Smith
Michael Redd
Jeff Green
Earl Watson
Jeff Foster
Earl Clark
Thaddeus Young
Spencer Hawes
Shane Battier

the one in bold are the one I want.


SF:Artest/Barnes
PF:Gasol/Odom
C:Bynum
SG:Bryant/Smith
PG:

I think I'm the only one happy that the Lakers have all these players locked up.

Luke is the only truly awful contract. LO is bargain. Barnes and Blake are fair. Artest is a litte high but he is worth the MLE in my opinion. He just waited too long to get physical. Do it at the beginning of the game like what he did w/ Pierce in the Finals last year.