RealGM

Say the Lakers miss out on AD trade (he goes to Boston for Tatum, Horford, picks), KD goes to NY, Kawhi stays or goes to LAC, Butler stays, Klay stays, Kemba stays. How can they become a contender? Also say POR still won't move Lillard. What stars or near stars are left to make this team a contender? This is a tough challenge, but easier to win without GSW having KD and they don't have depth like earlier.

Point guards: Conley, Jrue(can be pg on this team with Lebron handling ball), John Wall (contract is pretty bad), Cp3 (too injury prone and old even)
SG: Beal, Derozan (not good fit, so na)
Sf: Middleton(I bet MIL pays him whatever, unless they can get someone better with cap)
PF: Milsap (great small ball 5)
C: Marc G, LMA

We would need like two of these guys plus one or two of the main young guys with Lebron to have a chance, anyone think of any trades that make sense? Keep the salary cap in mind.

Cousins on the cheap 2 year deal 2nd year team option? ??? He may be coming off an injury but he'll be fine and we can put Mcgee off the bench and even have chandler as 3rd C??

Even though Mcgee and chandler are great, Center spot still our weakest - Chandler won't be around for ever and don't think Mcgee is a starter even though I do love him, better suited as a bench Center

probably gonna get my ass kicked for that one lols - just what I think

How is C the weak spot when both McGee and Chandler provide quality rebounding, screen setting and rim protection? It's like yall want an all star or big name at every position...nevermind roles and how the team fits

Boogie Cousins is also the last C this team needs.

EZ GG LOSER wrote:Cousins on the cheap 2 year deal 2nd year team option? ??? He may be coming off an injury but he'll be fine and we can put Mcgee off the bench and even have chandler as 3rd C??

Even though Mcgee and chandler are great, Center spot still our weakest - Chandler won't be around for ever and don't think Mcgee is a starter even though I do love him, better suited as a bench Center

probably gonna get my ass kicked for that one lols - just what I think

Jody Smokz wrote:How is C the weak spot when both McGee and Chandler provide quality rebounding, screen setting and rim protection? It's like yall want an all star or big name at every position...nevermind roles and how the team fits

Boogie Cousins is also the last C this team needs.

EZ GG LOSER wrote:Cousins on the cheap 2 year deal 2nd year team option? ??? He may be coming off an injury but he'll be fine and we can put Mcgee off the bench and even have chandler as 3rd C??

Even though Mcgee and chandler are great, Center spot still our weakest - Chandler won't be around for ever and don't think Mcgee is a starter even though I do love him, better suited as a bench Center

probably gonna get my ass kicked for that one lols - just what I think

Like I said Chandler isn't going to be around for much longer and I don't feel Mcgee is a full time 30min + center

I like them both don't ge me wrong though

Just my IMO

Out of those players I think only Middleton is young and good enough to be worth the investment.

Sent from my SM-G615F using RealGM mobile app

We roll with Lonzo, Ingram, Kuzma, Hart, Wagner, Svi, Bonga and Zu.

It's still a great future

Boogie isn't either unless you are looking to turn your defense into a layup drill

EZ GG LOSER wrote:

Jody Smokz wrote:How is C the weak spot when both McGee and Chandler provide quality rebounding, screen setting and rim protection? It's like yall want an all star or big name at every position...nevermind roles and how the team fits

Boogie Cousins is also the last C this team needs.

EZ GG LOSER wrote:Cousins on the cheap 2 year deal 2nd year team option? ??? He may be coming off an injury but he'll be fine and we can put Mcgee off the bench and even have chandler as 3rd C??

Even though Mcgee and chandler are great, Center spot still our weakest - Chandler won't be around for ever and don't think Mcgee is a starter even though I do love him, better suited as a bench Center

probably gonna get my ass kicked for that one lols - just what I think

Like I said Chandler isn't going to be around for much longer and I don't feel Mcgee is a full time 30min + center

I like them both don't ge me wrong though

Just my IMO

I think either Middleton, Brogdon or T.Harris would be nice additions to the current team. LAL would still have all there young players as trade bait.

Assuming we missed out on all of the big names, I wouldn’t mind landing Vucevic and Dinwiddie, while being back Javale.

Didn't Magic guarantee two big stars or he will quit? He will get someone somehow. We may not like the cost.

I think THIS team is a 20ppg two guard who can get to the hoop and finish while being a 3 point thread away from being very good. Kuzma has the look of a very good second fiddle guy and is filling in his gaps nicely. Ingram is the guy I'd move to get that 2 guard and then sign a Center in the offseason.

That said, I think Jeannie and Magic have a pact to get established stars here over growing our own.

Landsberger wrote:I think THIS team is a 20ppg two guard who can get to the hoop and finish while being a 3 point thread away from being very good. Kuzma has the look of a very good second fiddle guy and is filling in his gaps nicely. Ingram is the guy I'd move to get that 2 guard and then sign a Center in the offseason.

That said, I think Jeannie and Magic have a pact to get established stars here over growing our own.

Kuzma is not good enough to be the 2nd fiddle on a championship team. He’s more like a strong 3rd option.

I’m not against moving Ingram, but this last week showed me they missed his defense more than I realized. Swapping him out for a guy like Beal likely doesn’t raise the team's ceiling enough to warrant such a trade. Better to wait and see how FA shakes out and see if he can increase his value any further.

Vucevic, Middleton, and Rozier are all great options. All three can give all star level production.

what would jack bauer do? wrote:Vucevic, Middleton, and Rozier are all great options. All three can give all star level production.

Rozier?

Guys... Hear me out on this...

Boban

Pythagoras wrote:

Landsberger wrote:I think THIS team is a 20ppg two guard who can get to the hoop and finish while being a 3 point thread away from being very good. Kuzma has the look of a very good second fiddle guy and is filling in his gaps nicely. Ingram is the guy I'd move to get that 2 guard and then sign a Center in the offseason.

That said, I think Jeannie and Magic have a pact to get established stars here over growing our own.

Kuzma is not good enough to be the 2nd fiddle on a championship team. He’s more like a strong 3rd option.

I’m not against moving Ingram, but this last week showed me they missed his defense more than I realized. Swapping him out for a guy like Beal likely doesn’t raise the team's ceiling enough to warrant such a trade. Better to wait and see how FA shakes out and see if he can increase his value any further.

This isn't an Ingram or Kuzma thing. Kuz fits as a primary support player. Ingram is trying to be the lead player. My thoughts are that Ingram's growth will be that of a "best player" on a mediocre team. Numbers and all but not a true top 5 to 10 player. For every time he plays good defense on a front court guy another guard flies by him.

I'd move him to fill in the gaps and keep a guy like Kuzma who fills in really well around an alpha.

Beal would be a great option to open the floor.

Say the Lakers don’t miss out on big names because they won’t...?

But if they do, we still have our big five young lineup. Ball, Hart, Ingram, Kuzma, Zubac.

If nothing happens that brings on future salary until the off-season, we're sitting at $38M in cap space right now.

- Trade Ingram (7.3M), Hart (1.9M), 2020 1st rounder to Washington for Brad Beal (27.1M) = Still $20M remaining in cap space
- Re-sign Rondo, 2 year deal worth $5M a season = Still $15M remaining in cap space
- Sign Danny Green, 2 year deal worth $5M a season = Still $10M remaining in cap space
- Sign DeMarcus Cousins, 1 year deal worth $10M a season. A player option on Year 2. My expectation is he comes back, starts slowly, starts to look like 70-80% of old Cousins by the end of the year. Giving the player option on the 2nd year gets him to come.
- Sign Trevor Ariza, room exception.
- Sign McGee, Chandler, DeMarre Carroll to veteran minimum deals.

PG: Lonzo/Rondo/Bonga
SG: Beal/Green/Svi
SF: Kuzma/Ariza/(2019 1st)
PF: LeBron/Carroll/Wagner/
C: Cousins/McGee/Chandler

Pythagoras wrote:Assuming we missed out on all of the big names, I wouldn’t mind landing Vucevic and Dinwiddie, while being back Javale.

This! I like the idea of adding pieces that fit over just collecting superstars. Vucevic is a guy that would fit fantastic here IMHO. Dinwiddie will not be available IMHO. My guess its that they trade or not re-sign Russell and keep Dinwiddie. If we could get him it would be a great pick up as well.

Trading everyone and future picks for Davis nets us two superstars.... both of which are ball dominant. Not a great mix if you ask me. A front court of Vucevic, Kuzma and Bron is a hand in glove fit front court.

nzahir wrote:Say the Lakers miss out on AD trade (he goes to Boston for Tatum, Horford, picks), KD goes to NY, Kawhi stays or goes to LAC, Butler stays, Klay stays, Kemba stays. How can they become a contender? Also say POR still won't move Lillard. What stars or near stars are left to make this team a contender? This is a tough challenge, but easier to win without GSW having KD and they don't have depth like earlier.

Point guards: Conley, Jrue(can be pg on this team with Lebron handling ball), John Wall (contract is pretty bad), Cp3 (too injury prone and old even)
SG: Beal, Derozan (not good fit, so na)
Sf: Middleton(I bet MIL pays him whatever, unless they can get someone better with cap)
PF: Milsap (great small ball 5)
C: Marc G, LMA

We would need like two of these guys plus one or two of the main young guys with Lebron to have a chance, anyone think of any trades that make sense? Keep the salary cap in mind.

There would be a lot of different ways to go but i would look at Middleton as the primary target. He's more or less an ideal fit with the team we have although he isn't quite the star that we may be hoping for. If he's off the board, i'd go after two of Boogie, Bledsoe, Tobias Harris etc.

With AD gone from NO i think Jrue could be had more or less for free in a trade. Maybe a team decides to blow it up which woudl make their veterans available.