Team Direction

[LALifer49]

Where do you guys want this team to go? I hear lots of talks of Lebron, max FAs, etc. But what is the long term direction you want to see this team take?

For me, I want us to build a team around Lonzo Ball's strengths. I think he's gonna be a star and am not prone to homer assertions (like kuzma averaging 30 ppg or ingram putting up PG #s this year) but see things in him that make him a unique talent in the league. We have a lot of talented youth, and I think we should try and build around them, yes, lets sign big time fa if the opportunity presents itself, but the only fa i want are those who are younger than Curry and KD (let's be real, we aren't gonna be competing with GS), and I don't want to cash in all of our talent to throw together some half assed 50 win 2nd round team. There are tons of young teams on the rise that are gonna be real interesting in the post GS era, let's be one of them.

2nd note* say we throw together a super team next year with Lebron on it, you guys trust inexperienced Walton to steer that ship?

[Kilroy]

I'd love to see this team focus on building with what they have...
My favorites for the long term are:
Ball
Clarkson
Ingram
Randle
Zubac...

Surround them easy to keep vets like Bogut, and Brewer, along with guys like Carouso and Hart... And stop pipe dreaming about a quick championship and focus on building a solid foundation like the Spurs did.
Use Kuzma to dump Deng and create some cap space to add some complimentary talent... And start thinking long term.

But any time LeBron is rumored to want to come to your team, you have to keep that door open. Whether you like it or not, getting LeBron in LA would likely be a better long term option than keeping anyone not named Ball. Because he'll bring guys like PG, and maybe Cousins even... So as much as I'd like to just settle into my favorite young guys, realistically, there's no way we're going to pass on the opportunity to land LeBron or even some other true star players, so we can keep Ingram, Kuz, Nance, Randle, Clarkson, Zubacca...

[LALifer49]

I'd love to see this team focus on building with what they have...
My favorites for the long term are:
Ball
Clarkson
Ingram
Randle
Zubac...

Surround them easy to keep vets like Bogut, and Brewer, along with guys like Carouso and Hart... And stop pipe dreaming about a quick championship and focus on building a solid foundation like the Spurs did.
Use Kuzma to dump Deng and create some cap space to add some complimentary talent... And start thinking long term.

But any time LeBron is rumored to want to come to your team, you have to keep that door open. Whether you like it or not, getting LeBron in LA would likely be a better long term option than keeping anyone not named Ball. Because he'll bring guys like PG, and maybe Cousins even... So as much as I'd like to just settle into my favorite young guys, realistically, there's no way we're going to pass on the opportunity to land LeBron or even some other true star players, so we can keep Ingram, Kuz, Nance, Randle, Clarkson, Zubacca...

If there is one thing I don't trust its Lebron fa rumors. With him you gotta expect the unexpected. If he wants to come thats fine, but I am not gutting my team under b4 the summer starts with the assumption that he is coming. He burned cleveland in 2010, burned miami in 2014, and neither times was it expected or did he give his team warning. He is unpredictable. And as good as he is, signing a 34 yr old with as many miles as he has is scary.

[Kilroy]

If there is one thing I don't trust its Lebron fa rumors. With him you gotta expect the unexpected. If he wants to come thats fine, but I am not gutting my team under b4 the summer starts with the assumption that he is coming. He burned cleveland in 2010, burned miami in 2014, and neither times was it expected or did he give his team warning. He is unpredictable. And as good as he is, signing a 34 yr old with as many miles as he has is scary.

Oh there's a lot of unknowns for sure with clearing enough space to bring in LeBron... But the good thing about LeBron is, all you really have to do is clear enough space for him, and he'll essentially do the rest... You make room for him, secure an agreement to sign then let him dictate who he wants to play with... All you need to do at that point is execute a few plans you probably already had in place to gut the team to bring in his buddies...

If you can't secure the agreement from him, you don't need to do anything else... Just move down the list of free agents... Try for George... If he signs, maybe you see if that's enough to get one of the other guys like Cousins... Etc...

But it all hinges on LeBron... And with how he's been acting, you have to think he's already got a plan.

[Dr Aki]

We've already shown our hand by trading Russell to dump Mozgov.

We need to land at least one big fish in 2018

[Penberthy]

I still get the feeling that after back to back chips, durant will want to prove that he can do it "on his own." Ball is the anti-westbrook, and durant can average career highs with him. He's also 3 years younger than Lebron. He took less to play with GS, he might take less with us, in order to have a supporting cast.

Clarkson for a 2018 pick at deadline
BI or Kuz + Deng + Randle for space (Nets again?)

Ball (32) Vet Min (16) Ennis/Caruso
George (18) Hart (30) 2018 Pick
BIorKuz (32) George (16)
Durant (32) Nance (16)
Boogie (32) BogutZuBryant (16)

Hire Ron and Barnes as Boogie Psychologists.

[Pythagoras]

I'd love to see this team focus on building with what they have...
My favorites for the long term are:
Ball
Clarkson
Ingram
Randle
Zubac...

Surround them easy to keep vets like Bogut, and Brewer, along with guys like Carouso and Hart... And stop pipe dreaming about a quick championship and focus on building a solid foundation like the Spurs did.
Use Kuzma to dump Deng and create some cap space to add some complimentary talent... And start thinking long term.

But any time LeBron is rumored to want to come to your team, you have to keep that door open. Whether you like it or not, getting LeBron in LA would likely be a better long term option than keeping anyone not named Ball. Because he'll bring guys like PG, and maybe Cousins even... So as much as I'd like to just settle into my favorite young guys, realistically, there's no way we're going to pass on the opportunity to land LeBron or even some other true star players, so we can keep Ingram, Kuz, Nance, Randle, Clarkson, Zubacca...

If there is one thing I don't trust its Lebron fa rumors. With him you gotta expect the unexpected. If he wants to come thats fine, but I am not gutting my team under b4 the summer starts with the assumption that he is coming. He burned cleveland in 2010, burned miami in 2014, and neither times was it expected or did he give his team warning. He is unpredictable. And as good as he is, signing a 34 yr old with as many miles as he has is scary.

This. Not only that, he completely used the Knicks during the 2010 FA fiasco. I just feel like the Laker brand is strong enough that we don’t necessarily need Lebron as much as Magic might think.

I’m starting to think Cousins might be in play. I’d be content to build around him, the lotto picks, and a couple other solid FA pieces.

[JohnVancouver]

Lwt's not talk about dealing Kooz for cap sapace - we have a nice young player on the cheap. Let's just be thankful and see what we can add to the mix. I'm now ready to let Julius go - too inconsistent, maddeningly so. Also Brewer is much, much better this year than last, when he was so out of control. And Clarkson is passing the damn ball for a change? These are strange times indeed

[danfantastk32]

I'm fine with not getting a top FA this year....but some of that will depend on how guys look at end of season. I just wanna see GROWTH. If Ingram, Randle, Ball, KCP, Clarkson, Lopez, Nance and the rest gel...and go somewhere (individually, as well as team) and we flirt with a playoff spot....I'm totally fine with keeping the band together.

If Ingram's still struggling, and Nance get's hurt 8 times a season, Randle keeps up his bull-charge offense...and we're a bottom 4 defensive team again...with 25-28 wins...then screw this. We need to get some proven talent.

Would love to build around this team....but it's gotta be something you can actually build around, you know?

If Lebron wants to come, I think it would be great. Would shoulder the expectations....is a good teammate. Great player, makes others better. He'd know he'd be coming to mentor, and I think he'd embrace it. We'd immediately be a playoff team....and the next 3-years of playoff battles would be an enormous opportunity for these young guys.

I'm not sure we will get free agents. It's a catch 22. If we play good....we kinda don't need em. If we really need em, they prob wont want to come here.

[warren weel im]

Using Kuzma or Ingram to dump Deng is exactly what we shouldn't do. As is, we have Max and a half on board.

Waive/Stretch Deng (5yrs, 7.4M per season) and you have 2 mini maxes already. Use one on Cousins and use the other on George.

5: Cousins, Zubac, Bryant
4: Kuzma, Nance Jr.,
3: Ingram,
2: George, Hart
1: Ball, Clarkson

By then, you've figured out that we already renounced the rights to KCP, Lopez and Randle.

[One Love]

Yeah, we don't dump Nance or Kuzz to get rid of Deng... Clarkson is movable if necessary... I am down to stretch Deng... We should have beat Toronto...

Lakeshow Baby...

[Landsberger]

I like the idea of building through a mix of youth and experience. That doesn't necessarily mean I'm for a "nuclear super team" however. I think you have to "sell" on young guys who may be ok to decent on a last place team as well if they appear to have limited ceilings as complete players while lacking the correct mental approach to be great.

Rebuilding is a crapshoot if you just rely on the draft. We've had a few top 5 picks and so far no super stars look to be emerging. If Kuzma keeps up this level of play to the All Star break he could very well be the best pick we've made of the last 5 years and he's not a future superstar. That's the crapshoot.

Getting good emerging players to come here is the biggest problem. They all seem to want to go to an "instant contender". We've been so far from that and dysfunctional in the front office at the same time.

For me, it's way too early to say anyone on this team is untouchable if getting back into contention is truly the goal. Ball has some pretty big holes in his game and ball dominant pass only PG's, no matter how good can be liabilities when it comes to playing 7 games against the top teams. He's got a couple years to fill in those holes and appears to have the mentality to do it to the degree it's possible however.

Ingram, to me, is being pushed in a direction that he's not naturally made for. I think he's a very valuable fill in the gaps type of player not a primary scorer but for some reason the leadership sees him as a 25ppg guy for us. I think his struggles at times are less to do with his body composition and more to do with that.

Randle, to me, is easily replaceable. What he brings that is unique (Point PF) is duplicated in Ingram and Kuzma. If we get Paul it's again duplicated. LeBron... duplicated again. Add in that Ball is most effective with the ball and it becomes a detriment. He's got a limited inside game and he's spotty at best from midrange. Consistency is a huge issue and the only improvement we've seen is in a contract year.

Clarkson is a frustrating one. I think he's capable, in a different system, of being a 15 to 18 point per game guy off the bench that has a lot of value. This system isn't built for him. I do think that some of the "selfish" things fans are seeing in him are misunderstood. I think he's being told to score. On this team, he's one of very few that can create his own shot and he can put pressure on defenses. He's also out of control and is ready, fire aim in stretches. He is what he is at this point. He's got a decent deal in today's market as well. My guess is that he'd be better on a much better team.

Kuzma is really a refreshing surprise. He's fundamentally sound (a rarity in today's game) and he's able to score from just about anywhere. He has an innate feel for the game and makes it look easy at times. It's only 5 games but unless he falls apart he looks like the steal of the draft. Trading him this year would be borderline crazy unless it's part of something brining in a top 5 player.

The rest. Zubac has a feel for the game and has advanced fundamentals for a young guy. He's in the wrong system and appears to be in limbo. I'd play him 12 minutes a game rather than make him inactive for a guy like Bogut. Bogut is a guy you go and get if you are a contender.... why we did it is a mystery. Ennis, Caruso, Hart, KCP and Brewer are all here because we don't have better choices. KCP just hasn't shown me anything we didn't already have. Nance is a hustle, fill in the gaps guy but he's better suited to be on the floor with much better players. Lopez is here until he isn't.

I'd move anyone other than Ball and Kuzma if it brought in better talent. They need another year or so before we know enough about them. I will add that I don't see this group "growing/developing" into a top tier team by just giving them time. I think you can see that some of these guys are a lot closer to their ceiling than some think.