COUNTDOWN TO 2014!!!

[The_Trade_Seer]

First, let me be clear. I believe the Lakers have a great shot of not only winning the west but winning the NBA title each of the next three years, so don't mistake this post for some sort of "bury your heads in the sand until 2014" thread.

I simply see a huge changing of the guard coming for the Lakers in 2014. Come 2014 the contracts of every single current Laker will be up, with the exception of Morris, Goudelock and any rookie drafted over the next 3 years of course. However Kobe, Pau, Bynum, Odom, Artest, etc, are all set to be without a contract come 2014.

I definitely believe Kobe will re-sign with the purple and gold in the summer of 2014 but I see him taking a massive paycut to allow the Lakers the ability to surround him with some young, great talent that he can play out the twilight years of his career with. I could therefore see Kobe signing a 3-5 year deal for around $7-10mil per come the summer of 2014.

The question is, WHO ELSE will the Lakers focus on signing that summer? I believe Pau, Odom, Artest and most definitely Fisher will all be outside the Lakers plans and while Morris and Goudelock and perhaps other young recently drafted players may be on the roster, the Lakers brass' focus will be on 2014 free agents.

Players such as ...

Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Demar DeRozan, James Harden and a plethora of top flight PG's such as: Steph Curry, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings and Jru Holiday.

My question is, WHO would you like the Lakers to set their sights on?

I honestly believe that the 2014 free agent crop of PG's may be thee reason the Lakers do not make a push to try and trade for Chris Paul or Deron Williams this year. I look for the Lakers to pick up an amnesty cut PG such as Baron Davis, Gilbert Arenas, Jose Calderon or even (and hopefully) a player that is capable of running the point such as Brandon Roy. All those four players are capable of playing significant PG minutes for the next three season while Darius Morris develops and handles the bech PG minutes.

The above said, I do believe the Lakers primary focus this year should be on trading for Dwight Howard and not a PG, however 2014 is when the entire Lakers franchise could see a polar shift into a new era.

Since I believe that Kobe, like Jordan before him will realize the best way to extend his playing days and stay extremely dangerous is to bulk up and play the SF position rather than staying at the speed sensitive SG position, I believe the Lakers primary focus will be on either a PG, SG or PF, as I believe either Bynum or hopefully Dwight Howard will be in purple and gold come 2014.

Enter Blake Griffin, Demar DeRozan, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings and Jru Holiday ... and take your pick of two of sensational seven

For my money ... give me Blake ... and ... Harden (if Darius Morris is ready to run the point full-time) ... Stephen Curry (if Morris is a career backup level PG).

Your thoughts?

[hermes]

way too far down the road to worry about

not to mention that the world might end next year

[The_Trade_Seer]

Hahahaha, that's some funny stuff ... the world ain't ending on 12/21/2012 ... gotta wait at least 2 more months so the Detroit Lions can win their first ever superbowl, hahahaha.

[Jetset]

idk, in a world where the bills are 2-0, everything is up in the air. cats turn into dogs, the raptors turn into nba champions. if they beat the patriots then that clearly signals the end is near.


lets wait until about 2013 to talk about this topic......if we're still alive that is.

[Gek]

I heard from a reliable source that the world won't end until October of 2014, so I feel this topic is valid.

[The_Trade_Seer]

The Bills are not for real ... they'll lose by 14+ today I think.

The Lions are for real though and should win at least 10 games this year.

[H00PDREAMS]

Baron Davis hmmm interesting. Curry Very-Very interesting... Imagine Bynum will be gone and Pau & Odom might be retained. Everyone outside of Kobe will certainly be Bantha Fodder...

I think the Lakers will be after a stud once Bynum is gone and Kobe is in role-player mode. The next 2 drafts are supposed to be insanely deep. If the Lakers don't get rings this year I say they will be active to get something in the next 2 drafts.


THE AMISH RIFLE

[Jetset]

First, let me be clear. I believe the Lakers have a great shot of not only winning the west but winning the NBA title each of the next three years, so don't mistake this post for some sort of "bury your heads in the sand until 2014" thread.

I simply see a huge changing of the guard coming for the Lakers in 2014. Come 2014 the contracts of every single current Laker will be up, with the exception of Morris, Goudelock and any rookie drafted over the next 3 years of course. However Kobe, Pau, Bynum, Odom, Artest, etc, are all set to be without a contract come 2014.

I definitely believe Kobe will re-sign with the purple and gold in the summer of 2014 but I see him taking a massive paycut to allow the Lakers the ability to surround him with some young, great talent that he can play out the twilight years of his career with. I could therefore see Kobe signing a 3-5 year deal for around $7-10mil per come the summer of 2014.

The question is, WHO ELSE will the Lakers focus on signing that summer? I believe Pau, Odom, Artest and most definitely Fisher will all be outside the Lakers plans and while Morris and Goudelock and perhaps other young recently drafted players may be on the roster, the Lakers brass' focus will be on 2014 free agents.

Players such as ...

Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Demar DeRozan, James Harden and a plethora of top flight PG's such as: Steph Curry, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings and Jru Holiday.

My question is, WHO would you like the Lakers to set their sights on?

I honestly believe that the 2014 free agent crop of PG's may be thee reason the Lakers do not make a push to try and trade for Chris Paul or Deron Williams this year. I look for the Lakers to pick up an amnesty cut PG such as Baron Davis, Gilbert Arenas, Jose Calderon or even (and hopefully) a player that is capable of running the point such as Brandon Roy. All those four players are capable of playing significant PG minutes for the next three season while Darius Morris develops and handles the bech PG minutes.

The above said, I do believe the Lakers primary focus this year should be on trading for Dwight Howard and not a PG, however 2014 is when the entire Lakers franchise could see a polar shift into a new era.

Since I believe that Kobe, like Jordan before him will realize the best way to extend his playing days and stay extremely dangerous is to bulk up and play the SF position rather than staying at the speed sensitive SG position, I believe the Lakers primary focus will be on either a PG, SG or PF, as I believe either Bynum or hopefully Dwight Howard will be in purple and gold come 2014.

Enter Blake Griffin, Demar DeRozan, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings and Jru Holiday ... and take your pick of two of sensational seven

For my money ... give me Blake ... and ... Harden (if Darius Morris is ready to run the point full-time) ... Stephen Curry (if Morris is a career backup level PG).

Your thoughts?

As far as amnestied players go, I want Calderon.

Seeing as the Clippers had a huge year this past year, they'll do all they can to retain Griffin. Carmelo isn't the best fit, and I don't really see anyone else on that list outside of Curry being a high priority player.

As far as your theory on them not even attempting a trade for Paul or Deron if Howard falls through, it's pretty dim-witted. No one you mentioned comes close to even the level or impact of Paul or Deron. But if you have the opportunity of acquiring one of them you wouldn't do it because you'd want a younger "star" even though the players you named aren't even half the stars that Paul and Williams are.

In 3 years Paul will be 29, and Deron will be 30. They'd still be in their primes and be able to contribute at their maximum levels. While it's difficult to gauge how well Deron will transition, one could say that if Paul's knee is fine he could very well be the new Steve Nash. Either way I think it's safe to say that both of them in 3 years will still be infinitely better than anyone you had us overlooking them for.

All of this of course rests on the fact that Bynum's knee holds up long enough for us to trade him. And if we're to go with what the past tells us, then that means we won't be trading him for anyone making this thread worthless.


Oh and Bills won, so it looks like we won't live to see 2014 afterall.

[Frantik]

Well damn... Bills Won. I guess we might as well go to Raptors board and usher in an early congratulations...

[laduane1]

Of course there will be a change over in talent. Young teams will be on the rise like the clippers and thunder and a few others. Lakers and Mavs and Jazz and a few others will be rebuilding and it will be time before todays teams become what they are.

Got to remember the Lakers won 5 titles in the 1980's and not 1 in the 1990s. So that pattern could be seen again say 2015-2020 with out a ring.

Kobe is going to kill the Lakers future with 80 million in the next 3 years and others getting way to much. With 2011-12 looking like it will not happen. Lakers need to find ways to start to cut some money off these contracts.

[The_Trade_Seer]

As far as amnestied players go, I want Calderon.

Really? I'm surpirsed. I wouldn't mind Calderon at all as his connection with Pau would be great and he is extremely efficient offensively ... he'll have Laker fans screaming at their televisions every time he gives up a layup to an opposing PG.

Seeing as the Clippers had a huge year this past year, they'll do all they can to retain Griffin.

Which would be what ... Donald Sterling parading his "beautiful black body" around town? Give me a break, the Clips are a joke.

Carmelo isn't the best fit

I agree.

and I don't really see anyone else on that list outside of Curry being a high priority player.

Jennings and Tyreke are both bad boys.

As far as your theory on them not even attempting a trade for Paul or Deron if Howard falls through, it's pretty dim-witted.

No ... I think it's pretty true, though I sure hope not.

No one you mentioned comes close to even the level or impact of Paul or Deron.

I agree 100%

But if you have the opportunity of acquiring one of them you wouldn't do it because you'd want a younger "star" even though the players you named aren't even half the stars that Paul and Williams are.

No, no, no ... I think that Jim Buss may pass, I woud not. I would trade Bynum and change right now for either CP3 or Deron and smile all the way to the title parade.

In 3 years Paul will be 29, and Deron will be 30. They'd still be in their primes and be able to contribute at their maximum levels. While it's difficult to gauge how well Deron will transition, one could say that if Paul's knee is fine he could very well be the new Steve Nash. Either way I think it's safe to say that both of them in 3 years will still be infinitely better than anyone you had us overlooking them for.

I agree with you 100%

All of this of course rests on the fact that Bynum's knee holds up long enough for us to trade him.

YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT, hence the need for us to alwayss be talking trade possibilities and the need for the Lakers brass to move Bynum NOW!

And if we're to go with what the past tells us, then that means we won't be trading him for anyone making this thread worthless.

I hope not ...

Oh and Bills won, so it looks like we won't live to see 2014 afterall.

Hahahaha, YES! That is one prediciton I am so happy to have been wrong about. I HATE the Patriots! I still think they'll win their division and the Bills will miss the playoff but for this week I can celebrate

And the Lions are indeed for real ... 3-0 and followed up a 48-3 win by coming back from a 20-0 3rd quarter deficit to win on the road ... wow.

[LaLa]

way too far down the road to worry about

not to mention that the world might end next year

[Jetset]

Which would be what ... Donald Sterling parading his "beautiful black body" around town? Give me a break, the Clips are a joke

Signing him for however much he wants (as long as it's reasonable). Griffin's already in LA, he's already got the commercials and endorsements, I could understand if he played in Indiana or Minnesota. Plus the Clippers have a great young core and enough cap space to sign a Howard/Paul/Williams, so it would be in Griffin's best interest to stay put.

Sterling wouldn't have a "beautiful black body" to parade around, he'd have a pasty ginger one. Less appealing.

No homo.

[tugs]

Signing him for however much he wants (as long as it's reasonable). Griffin's already in LA, he's already got the commercials and endorsements, I could understand if he played in Indiana or Minnesota. Plus the Clippers have a great young core and enough cap space to sign a Howard/Paul/Williams, so it would be in Griffin's best interest to stay put.

I agree with this one, especially if Blake's the type of player that has a mentality of "I'll be the franchise player of the Clippers" or "I'll build my legacy as a Clipper outside the shadow of the greats in LA but wore P&G".

[Kilroy]

Players usually start matriculating out a year or so before their contract is up if they aren't in the plans for a team's future...

So there isn't likely to be a big 2014 Lakers Rebuild. Fish will probably retire a Laker, maybe when his contract is up or maybe after a short vet minimum stint.
Artest is as good as gone in my opinion... He needs to really come into camp focused and in awesome shape for him to make it past the trade deadline IMO...
And I think Pau and Odom might be packaged as they get closer to expiring status, I have no idea for who, but it's a gut feeling... I think this next season is the final decider about whether Bynum can be a big enough part of our future or if he's destined to be too fragile for that. If Bynum can be a reliable anchor inside, I think Pau and all his talent, are destined to be under-utilized, so I think he might be traded.
If Odom can keep his focus and tenacity from last season, I think he might continue on but if he has any significant let-down, I think he'll be shipped while he still has some value...

So I think by the time 2014 rolls around, we'll already have much of our future roster nailed down. And there probably won't be any significant 2014 money to throw at any big free agents.

Especially since the lockout is likely to dictate some changes to the salary structures of teams.

[Leor_77]

Why look into the future that far? Chances are, substantial changes will be made sooner than that (i.e. CP3, Deron, Howard free agencies in 2012).

Just chill out, and cross your bridges when you get to them.

[Imadogg]

Is 2014 when the lockout is finally over

[TruSkool]

kobe will remain a laker
bynum will become the first option
odom, artest, and fisher will be gone by then
gasol will remain a laker as a 3rd option.
the lakers will get a stud PG

[The_Trade_Seer]

^ The above is very possible though Gasol will have to take a monster reduction in pay ... and ... who would that "stud PG" be? Curry, Jennings, Evans?

[Gek]

Is 2014 when the lockout is finally over

Don't even joke about that.