Would you rather?

[Kupchak9]

1. Make the playoffs this year by keeping all our current players. Then stretch Deng at the end of the season. Taking the $7.4 mil cap hit.

2. Miss the playoffs this year but are able to shed Deng, Clarkson and Randles contracts.

[ROballer]

Barely making the playoffs is sooooo overrated.

We'd get embarrased by the Warriors or Rockets and then what?

Option 2 all day, everyday.

[Dr Aki]

Shed

[LAKESHOW]

True, we would get blown if we barely make it into the playoffs. But I'm more interested in the growth and maturation process. Make it into the playoffs, Ingram, kuz, ball etc.. would all return next year and explode in growth, chemistry experience and advance to the championship contention that we all are used to.(or closer that is) Also, it would also be appealing to potential agents. Knowing that this is a team with great potential.

[Spanish_Laker]

I'd rather win more than 35 games this season and keep both Randle and Clarkson if possible since no one is coming next summer.

[LakersSoul]

1. Make the playoffs this year by keeping all our current players. Then stretch Deng at the end of the season. Taking the $7.4 mil cap hit.

2. Miss the playoffs this year but are able to shed Deng, Clarkson and Randles contracts.

You are basically asking if we want to make the playoffs this year or trade some of the parts earlier than necessary and miss the playoffs. My answer is to make the playoffs then decide on Clarkson, Randle and Deng after the season or during trading deadline while giving the youn guns experience in the playoffs.

[dAdo dA dEvil]

Aim for the playoffs. It's time to grow now. So what if we face the Warriors in the first round? We've seen it before that #8 seed can beat #1 seed in a series. We lose, we learn. Bounce back stronger next season.

We don't have lottery pick next season anyways so it's best to aim for the playoffs.

[mcscotty]

I like the option of a buyout for Deng at the end of the year. I'm not in a hurry to dump Clarkson or Randle. I'll give you a more definitive answer at the ASB.

[iQon]

Well, Boston has our 1st, so I'd rather make the playoffs.

Regardless of outcome, we're chasing LeBron and PG13/Cousins, correct? I think they're more inclined to sign to a playoff team over a lottery team.

[Goudelock]

Playoffs. There's no pick to tank for so what's the point. On a slightly more irrational note, the team hasn't made the playoffs in half a decade and I want to see the purple and gold in the playoffs again.

[snaquille oatmeal]

Denying Boston our pick would be hilarious

[BBBKobe]

Surprised at some of the answers.

The obvious choice is #2. Playoffs are pointless if you're not contending. No one wants to be the 8th seed.

[meetbishop]

really what are we shedding for? If we don't play well this year nobody is coming here!!

But if we make the playoffs you can sell this team to somebody and get them to come. If we get only Lebron or PG for next year we can start gunning for the 5-6th seed next year and that will be progress. From there we can with just the growth of our young guys be gunning for 1-2 seed in the next 2 years.

What is your plan if we shed and tank?

[meetbishop]

Surprised at some of the answers.

The obvious choice is #2. Playoffs are pointless if you're not contending. No one wants to be the 8th seed.

The question is what do we gain if we start shipping off our young guys who are playing well current for cap space?

The assumption that just cap space can land us a star is very overrated . Trust me no star will come to a 25wins team when they can get the same money in a better team.

But if we are a playoff team regardless of our position we can start selling this team to stars.

Ask yourself this question will PG want to join an 8th seed Lakers or a 25wins Lakers? if you are PG what will you choose?

Sounds like some Laker fans just like Loosing.

[BBBKobe]

Surprised at some of the answers.

The obvious choice is #2. Playoffs are pointless if you're not contending. No one wants to be the 8th seed.

The question is what do we gain if we start shipping off our young guys who are playing well current for cap space?

The assumption that just cap space can land us a star is very overrated . Trust me no star will come to a 25wins team when they can get the same money in a better team.

But if we are a playoff team regardless of our position we can start selling this team to stars.

Ask yourself this question will PG want to join an 8th seed Lakers or a 25wins Lakers? if you are PG what will you choose?

Sounds like some Laker fans just like Loosing.

I went by the assumption we magically got rid of Deng, Clarkson, and Randle without losing any of our actual core players.

I think it's a well known fact PG is coming here, I mean.. look at what he did this past summer. He straight up told Kevin Pritchard he's Laker bound. What do the Pacers do? F over the Lakers by acting like they were going to trade him there (hence, the Mozgov Russell deal, which would ship Randle Clarkson and 27 and 28 to the Pacers) and then end up shipping him to OKC.


At this point, I'd consider Cousins and PG favoring the Lakers this summer regardless if we make the playoffs or not. Not many teams will have cap space like we could..

[meetbishop]

I went by the assumption we magically got rid of Deng, Clarkson, and Randle without losing any of our actual core players.

I think it's a well known fact PG is coming here, I mean.. look at what he did this past summer. He straight up told Kevin Pritchard he's Laker bound. What do the Pacers do? F over the Lakers by acting like they were going to trade him there (hence, the Mozgov Russell deal, which would ship Randle Clarkson and 27 and 28 to the Pacers) and then end up shipping him to OKC.


At this point, I'd consider Cousins and PG favoring the Lakers this summer regardless if we make the playoffs or not. Not many teams will have cap space like we could..

That is where a lot of people are wrong!! PG coming will depend very much on how OKC does this year. If they make conference finals you can count him out!! Lets pray that they continue doing bad like they are now. If we continue playing well then we can count on him choosing us over OKC.

[BBBKobe]

I went by the assumption we magically got rid of Deng, Clarkson, and Randle without losing any of our actual core players.

I think it's a well known fact PG is coming here, I mean.. look at what he did this past summer. He straight up told Kevin Pritchard he's Laker bound. What do the Pacers do? F over the Lakers by acting like they were going to trade him there (hence, the Mozgov Russell deal, which would ship Randle Clarkson and 27 and 28 to the Pacers) and then end up shipping him to OKC.


At this point, I'd consider Cousins and PG favoring the Lakers this summer regardless if we make the playoffs or not. Not many teams will have cap space like we could..

That is where a lot of people are wrong!! PG coming will depend very much on how OKC does this year. If they make conference finals you can count him out!! Lets pray that they continue doing bad like they are now. If we continue playing well then we can count on him choosing us over OKC.

OKC clearly isn't working. They'll win big games here and there, but those 3 players don't work together. It didn't even work on 2k.

[danfantastk32]

1. Make the playoffs this year by keeping all our current players. Then stretch Deng at the end of the season. Taking the $7.4 mil cap hit.

2. Miss the playoffs this year but are able to shed Deng, Clarkson and Randles contracts.

We can let Randle walk...so that doesn't matter. As far as Deng/Clarkson go, I'd much rather be focusing on our young guys, and what's best for them over Salary space.

Clarkson is holding his own...and at $12 mil, he's prob a good deal. It was really the combination of Deng/Moz/Clarkson that made things rough....as it was almost $50mil (half our damn cap space!) spent on 3 guys who were not even starter level (you can debate clarkson...but whatever. You get the gist of what I'm saying)

This team making the playoffs means (A) we're good enough to even make them....which is awesome in itself. B) wonderful experience for the young guys c)makes this team incredibly appealing to the guns for hire out there.

If this team makes the playoffs, it will be centered around a core of rookies and 2nd/3rd year players....which would be huge. Your gonna give that team another year or two....and throw a Lebron in there??

All ifs....and quite unlikely....but I'd also add that I'm sick and tired of watchin 20-25 win BS. Give me playoffs. We'll stretch Deng, or wait it out.

[Kilroy]

This just seems like such a weird Either/Or, I have no idea how to begin to answer it...

[TheHartBreakKid]

I voted for number 2, but this is definitely a very unclear would you rather. I voted for two under the assumption that we barely miss the playoff, and that Randle doesn't show more significant improvements through out this season. Also, I'm assuming that next year's FA info will remain around the same (Lebron/PG remain uncommited all season,both officially and unofficially). Finally, I'm assuming that option 1 means we keep Randle and Clarkson for sure even during the next off season, basically commiting the idea of just pursuing one FA. As good as Randle has been, and as good as it would be for our young guys to get some playoff experience, I don't know if that's enough for me to give up on the idea of pursuing two max guys.



That said, with Randle's potential as a small ball Center, and our teams overall improvement, option 1 wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, assuming that we could still land someone like PG with our one max spot...of course, making the playoffs definitely makes that more likely, but it's still not easy to assume that PG will leave playing with Westbrook to come here without another star. BUT lets say that a strong possibility...option 1 wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but one huge factor would be if we were to retain Lopez or not.


If option one means our team looks like this next year....I'll take it. I'm not an expert in salary cap details so correct me if I'm wrong, but our salary situation will look like this next year under option 1:

Ingram- 7.5
Lonzo- 7.5
Zubac- 1.5( assuming he is picked up)
Kuz- 1.7
Hart- 1.7(assuming he is picked up)
Bryant- 1.4 (assuming he is picked up)
Nance- 2.3 (assuming he is picked up)
Clarkson- 12.5
Randle's cap hold- 12
Deng after being stretched- 7.4
Plus 3 minimum player capholds- 1.5

That totals to be around 57 million in salary...with the cap estimitated at 102 that gives u 45m in capspace. This is certainly not enough for two max players, but giving up either Clarkson or Randle makes it very close (which is also a very likely third scenario...where we give up only one of them and try to sign two max guys with 57m in capspace with them taking minor paycuts possibly).


But anyways, under scenario 1, we have 45 in capspace. PG's Max is around 31 million, which would leave lopez around 14 million. Would Lopez give us a discount and take a 4/56 year offer, while he can probably get around 18-20/year in the open market? Seems unlikely. Maybe George take a slight paycut leaving Lopez something more reasonable...Maybe we open up a couple million more by not picking up some of the less important younger guys...but either way, option 1 doesn't seem all that bad IF we keep lopez, because if we were to make the playoffs, that probably would have to do a lot with him. I agree that the two max dream is a little far fetched, and option one is more realistic.

our ideal lineup under option a is this, in my opinion:

Lonzo-Clarkson
Hart- Clarkson
Ingram- George
George- Kuz- Nance
Lopez- Randle- Zubac- Bryant.

We would of course use the room exception and sign veterans to boost up the backcourt. Hart would start to play a lesser version of the current KCP role. George/Ingram/Kuz pretty much play all the minutes at the 3-4, and Randle and Lopez pretty much split all the minutes in the 5. Clarkson backs up both the guard positions.

I guess under option one, we can let Lopez go and start Randle at the 5, and with his money retain KCP...but to me, that's a far weaker team.



Honestly, I think we just need to accept that the FO will have some tough decisions to make in the next year, and this team will look very different next year. That kinda sucks because so far I've loved watching this team play, but that's the process when building a contender.