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I’m curious to know why Loul Deng isn’t traveling with the team. For the last month or so, I haven’t seen Loul once with the team playing at Staples or on the road. This sort of bothers me. He’s not even behind the bench with the coaching staff.

Anyone else notice this? Maybe he’s there and I’m blind. I know he practices with the team..

I think Luke told him he's not going to play so he's been allowed to train and be ready on his own if anything changes or he gets a trade or buyout.

Man. While we all think he's living the life making 17 million to work out, he has to miss the game. I'm hopeful for a buy-out as I think a trade is unrealistic without doing the obvious.

He played pretty well in the playoffs a couple years ago. Maybe he could provide some minutes off the bench for a low tier team. I wonder what the rest of the team thinks of that. A vet making more than all of them without showing up to games. Interesting.

Jesus just stretch him already, it's not like anyone will take him for Zubac

He's living the life. I don't blame him at all. He's making 17 million to stay in shape. He won in life.

aaron_gray wrote:Jesus just stretch him already, it's not like anyone will take him for Zubac

can't extend him until july 7 2018

no point in stretching him beforehand either unless we got our fingers so far up the george/lebron/cousins free agency sweepstakes

Dr Aki wrote:

aaron_gray wrote:Jesus just stretch him already, it's not like anyone will take him for Zubac

can't extend him until july 7 2018

no point in stretching him beforehand either unless we got our fingers so far up the george/lebron/cousins free agency sweepstakes

Aaron Gray,

We shouldnt extend and use up that cap space unless we are for sure getting 2 MAX guys this summer. If not, we need to just eat the salary one more year and hope to trade him next year when he has less than 2 years left. Extending him will give us less per year but add 2 more years to the salary cap.

He hasn't been at Games since the begging of Last season. how much money are we paying him.

He's been saleing his tickets this whole season. for his floor seats lol.

Dloading99 wrote:He hasn't been at Games since the begging of Last season. how much money are we paying him.

He's been saleing his tickets this whole season. for his floor seats lol.

Salary:

2017-2018: $17.2
2018-2019: $18
2019-2020: $18.8

Departing gift from Mitch and Jimbo.

Deng with the Bynum move

17 mil, fully healthy, and get to workout on his own schedule... Um, sign me up for that please....

That's gotta be the best job in America.

He's making 18 million next season. and I thought Bobby Bonilla had the best deal. damn what it would be to play in the NBA. so practice with the Lakers get paid 17 million go to Games when you want. he'll probably check out the Cavs game and Warriors. does he get to come to all the Staples Concerts for free?

Wow just Wow. what were Jim and Mitch smoking? I always think did Jim know he was going to get canned and was like Yo Screw this franchise Mitch Sign Mozgoff sign Deng. I want to sign the worst guys to the worst contracts. that's the only logic I have. there was no Basketball smarts to this.

What makes sense about it? after the Mosgoff deal to. when Brandon Ingram was drafted and Ivicia Zubac drafted. with competent NBA people in the organization. that's why this deal made no sense cause we weren't giving money to guys like Isiah Thomas who wanted to be here. and Mitch was very open saying we don't want to spend our cap on mid level guys. so we want to get that superstar.

I'll always scratch my head about this Luol Deng should be siting on that bench smiling every game handing out water. he's getting a gift.

Dloading99 wrote:Wow just Wow. what were Jim and Mitch smoking? I always think did Jim know he was going to get canned and was like Yo Screw this franchise Mitch Sign Mozgoff sign Deng. I want to sign the worst guys to the worst contracts. that's the only logic I have. there was no Basketball smarts to this.

What makes sense about it?\

It wasn't to ruin the team. It was a desperation move. Jim and Mitch hadn't signed a FA of any note since they took over. Not one. And so fast-forward 3 years....and Jim's on the hot-seat (and he knows it)...so they massively overpaid for mid-level dribble. So far was their finger from the pulse of the modern NBA, that they thought those moves would be pretty good.

They weren''t gonna go down without a fight.......and that was it. I'm just glad they are gone. Worst chapter in Laker history.

danfantastk32 wrote:

Dloading99 wrote:Wow just Wow. what were Jim and Mitch smoking? I always think did Jim know he was going to get canned and was like Yo Screw this franchise Mitch Sign Mozgoff sign Deng. I want to sign the worst guys to the worst contracts. that's the only logic I have. there was no Basketball smarts to this.

What makes sense about it?\

It wasn't to ruin the team. It was a desperation move. Jim and Mitch hadn't signed a FA of any note since they took over. Not one. And so fast-forward 3 years....and Jim's on the hot-seat (and he knows it)...so they massively overpaid for mid-level dribble. So far was their finger from the pulse of the modern NBA, that they thought those moves would be pretty good.

They weren''t gonna go down without a fight.......and that was it. I'm just glad they are gone. Worst chapter in Laker history.

Yeah, but it's not over yet because there is no guarantee we'll sign anyone either with this group.

Dloading99 wrote:That's gotta be the best job in America.

He's making 18 million next season. and I thought Bobby Bonilla had the best deal. damn what it would be to play in the NBA. so practice with the Lakers get paid 17 million go to Games when you want. he'll probably check out the Cavs game and Warriors. does he get to come to all the Staples Concerts for free?

Wow just Wow. what were Jim and Mitch smoking? I always think did Jim know he was going to get canned and was like Yo Screw this franchise Mitch Sign Mozgoff sign Deng. I want to sign the worst guys to the worst contracts. that's the only logic I have. there was no Basketball smarts to this.

What makes sense about it? after the Mosgoff deal to. when Brandon Ingram was drafted and Ivicia Zubac drafted. with competent NBA people in the organization. that's why this deal made no sense cause we weren't giving money to guys like Isiah Thomas who wanted to be here. and Mitch was very open saying we don't want to spend our cap on mid level guys. so we want to get that superstar.

I'll always scratch my head about this Luol Deng should be siting on that bench smiling every game handing out water. he's getting a gift.

I'm glad they screwed up because we'll have no Ball and Ingram.

larry14r wrote:

Dloading99 wrote:That's gotta be the best job in America.

He's making 18 million next season. and I thought Bobby Bonilla had the best deal. damn what it would be to play in the NBA. so practice with the Lakers get paid 17 million go to Games when you want. he'll probably check out the Cavs game and Warriors. does he get to come to all the Staples Concerts for free?

Wow just Wow. what were Jim and Mitch smoking? I always think did Jim know he was going to get canned and was like Yo Screw this franchise Mitch Sign Mozgoff sign Deng. I want to sign the worst guys to the worst contracts. that's the only logic I have. there was no Basketball smarts to this.

What makes sense about it? after the Mosgoff deal to. when Brandon Ingram was drafted and Ivicia Zubac drafted. with competent NBA people in the organization. that's why this deal made no sense cause we weren't giving money to guys like Isiah Thomas who wanted to be here. and Mitch was very open saying we don't want to spend our cap on mid level guys. so we want to get that superstar.

I'll always scratch my head about this Luol Deng should be siting on that bench smiling every game handing out water. he's getting a gift.

I'm glad they screwed up because we'll have no Ball and Ingram.

We couldve easily been just as bad without those signings. Like last year, Deng and Mozgov didnt play much. Wouldve gotten the 2nd pick with or without them on the roster.

larry14r wrote:

danfantastk32 wrote:

Dloading99 wrote:Wow just Wow. what were Jim and Mitch smoking? I always think did Jim know he was going to get canned and was like Yo Screw this franchise Mitch Sign Mozgoff sign Deng. I want to sign the worst guys to the worst contracts. that's the only logic I have. there was no Basketball smarts to this.

What makes sense about it?\

It wasn't to ruin the team. It was a desperation move. Jim and Mitch hadn't signed a FA of any note since they took over. Not one. And so fast-forward 3 years....and Jim's on the hot-seat (and he knows it)...so they massively overpaid for mid-level dribble. So far was their finger from the pulse of the modern NBA, that they thought those moves would be pretty good.

They weren''t gonna go down without a fight.......and that was it. I'm just glad they are gone. Worst chapter in Laker history.

Yeah, but it's not over yet because there is no guarantee we'll sign anyone either with this group.

If no free agent signing, Lakers go forward with Ball, Kuzma, Ingram, Randle, Nance, Clarkson, Hart. Theres at least hope with that.

LakersSoul wrote:

Dr Aki wrote:

aaron_gray wrote:Jesus just stretch him already, it's not like anyone will take him for Zubac

can't extend him until july 7 2018

no point in stretching him beforehand either unless we got our fingers so far up the george/lebron/cousins free agency sweepstakes

Aaron Gray,

We shouldnt extend and use up that cap space unless we are for sure getting 2 MAX guys this summer. If not, we need to just eat the salary one more year and hope to trade him next year when he has less than 2 years left. Extending him will give us less per year but add 2 more years to the salary cap.

Agreed. Dont owe Deng anything except his paycheck, esp with how he has played in Laker uniform. Makes no sense for the Lakers to release or stretch him now.

I believe he is at the games. I know he's on all the road trips. I've seen his instagram stories and pictures at practice with him there. I saw him on an instagram story with Zubac after a game last week.

He should absolutely be sitting on the bench. No question. Even if it's in a row behind the coaches.

TylersLakers wrote:I believe he is at the games. I know he's on all the road trips. I've seen his instagram stories and pictures at practice with him there. I saw him on an instagram story with Zubac after a game last week.

He should absolutely be sitting on the bench. No question. Even if it's in a row behind the coaches.

You cannot tell him what he should or should not be doing. If he's not on the bench, I'm sure he and Luke came to an agreement. He's never be associated with being a bad teammate.