Lakers Summer plan

[MJallday59]

Should the Lakers keep Lamar Odom and consider signing Ron Artest for the MLE?

Gasol at the Center
Keep Odom at PF
Artest at SF
Kobe at SG


Bring Bynum off the bench to ensure his health. He'd be a front runner at 6th man next season. When he's 100 % healthy, then you could consider moving Odom.

Phil Jackson was able to handle Rodman, wouldn't he be able to Artest?

[Minhee]

I say lets how this squad do in the playoffs first and foremost.

Second, lets see how Odom does along with a healthy squad (Since Bynum most likely won't be back this season).

Third, I am sure we will wait until the Feb deadline to see the market rate for him as he will be an ending contract as well.

[Erik Eleven]

I say lets how this squad do in the playoffs first and foremost.

Second, lets see how Odom does along with a healthy squad (Since Bynum most likely won't be back this season).

Third, I am sure we will wait until the Feb deadline to see the market rate for him as he will be an ending contract as well.

+1

Isn't this very premature? For the first time in over two years, Odom is fully healthy. Don't you think we should wait at least until we know how he did in the playoffs before we discuss trading him?

I know it's a big if, but what if they win it all? What if they go to the finals and lose to the Celtics in six? In such a scenario, assuming that Bynum is healthy next season and that all the youngs improve, don't you think we should keep this squad together at all cost?

[Sedale Threatt]

With Bynum's long-term health in question, I don't see any reason to trade Odom at this point. Even if Andrew manages to come back, regain his form and make it through next season without any problems, the fact is he's had several major knee injuries at a young age. We need to keep Odom not just for his production but as an insurance policy if Drew goes down again.

[MJallday59]

I also think Odom should stay in LA...

I was responding to a previous topic asking whether or not he should be traded. My claim is that why not keep everyone and *then* add artest...


Sorry for the mix up

[TruSkool]

id rather keep odom than trade for artest...but if any laker is to leave, he may be the one unless he takes a paycut....other than that...how r we suppose to add artest without moving odom in the first place? we cant afford to do so...

however, i dont think artest is as big of a cancer as people say he is...hes a productive player...and i think jackson can get the best out of him....

but if we're to make any roster changes, i say try to bring fisher off the bench and search for a good pg, and let farmar go along with luke and radmanovich
(andre miller, baron davis, kirk hinrich come to mind)

[eckoner]

Free Agent List (All we have is MLE and Min)

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/stor ... freeagents

[djericho]

Bynum's knee will be fine. Odom isn't going anywhere. I don't know if Artest would be interested in coming off the bench. Could you attract a B.Diddy to come back home?

[b shaw20]

I'd pass...there's a risk that he would be not be a a good soldier on this team.

Prefer Odom.

[eckoner]

At this point i would say the general consensus is to hold onto Odom but the question is will Buss allow for Mitch to have 4 max type contracts at one time?

Odom is no fool he knows he wont have any problems getting max type money once he becomes a free agent, So do we let him walk and get nothing in return or do some sort of sign and trade taking back a few young guys and an expiring?

What a conundrum

One the other hand what about free agency? There are quite a few guys we might be able to attract for our MLE or even part of it

[Erik Eleven]

I've tried to make the same point, eckoner. The Lakers will be a free agent magnet this summer.

This team will best be improved this summer by using the MLE and LLE. We already have promising youth and so the draft doesn't matter much (unless we can get super lucky and land a player unlikely to plummet, a high school kid like OJ Mayo). We already have superstar power. In my opinion, what we need to do is to keep this developing roster intact and improve by adding veteran players with a high lowest level of performance.

I'd make an MLE offer to Baron Davis, Lindsey Hunter, Tyronne Lue and Jannero Pargo, in that order. Baron most likely won't take it but he should of course get first dibs. Championships are hard to come by for a player like Baron. The other ones on that list are all difference makers as well. Josh Childress would of course be a great addition and good backup for Kobe but then we'll be even more log-jammed at the swingman spots, and there is no chance in hell that his agent would agree to an MLE contract. I'd definitely entertain trading Sasha, Luke and Radman if we can get decent replacements via the MLE and LLE. We definitely have a lot of options this summer.

But, assuming that Sasha, Luke and Radman stay, since we're pretty well stocked at SF and PF, I'd say we should first look to add an MLE PG and an LLE backup Center. My LLE would probably end up going to Kwame Brown, but first I'd run it by Francisco Elson, Kurt Thomas, Robert Horry, Michael Finley and Brent Barry. Elson is MLE worthy, in my opinion. I wanted him here before the Spurs snagged him.

Allow me to salivate a little;

Baron (MLE), Fisher, Farmar
Kobe, Sasha, Karl
Odom, Ariza, Radman
Gasol, Turiaf, Mihm
Bynum, Thomas (LLE), Mbenga

Pipe? Probably. Only Baron Davis knows.


What about:

Fisher, Farmar, Hunter (LLE)
Kobe, Sasha, Karl
Odom, Ariza, Luke
Gasol, Turiaf, Radman
Bynum, Elson (MLE), Mbenga

or

Fisher, Farmar, Karl (I think he can play PG in the future, Shaw style)
Kobe, Sasha, Barry (LLE)
Odom, Ariza, Finley (S&T for Luke to improve their ball movement)
Gasol, Turiaf, Radman
Bynum, Elson (MLE), Mihm


^ Not to be taken too literally, just trying to make the point that we're in a sweet spot for this summer and the MLE/LLE will now play to our advantage. We're once again a free agent magnet due to being a legit contender.

[Sedale Threatt]

I have to disagree on Elson. I got a pretty good chance to see him up close in San Antonio, and I wouldn't spend a dime on him. Can't really say why, there just isn't anything about his game that I like.

Other than landing a definitive 35-minute-a-night, clear-cut starter at small forward, or possibly even point guard, I don't see how adding fringe players is going to significantly improve our team. I also wonder, considering the huge salary structure we've ammassed, if we're even going to spend our exceptions this summer.

Maybe if it's too good to pass up, like the 0.1% chance that Davis will opt out and take a deal with us at less than half his market value. But most of the names that are on that list and in our price range don't really get my blood pumping.

[Erik Eleven]

Me neither, but at this point it's not about getting pivotal players that make us a different team. To me, it's about repairing the cracks, making the unknowns certainties, improving the lowest level of performance, a la the Spurs and the Celtics. We can do that with the MLE and the LLE.

[Sedale Threatt]

I see what you're saying, but I think that money would be, and will be, much better spent retaining our own free agents -- Vujacic and Turiaf are better than anybody on that list that we have any reasonable hope of getting -- and on the massive luxury tax bill we'll be paying into the near future.

[Erik Eleven]

I think Elson would be a good fit with our second unit. For being a big, he runs the floor like a deer which would fit our second unit perfectly.

[dockingsched]

the plan is to get healthy. that simple.

[Erik Eleven]

^ You're right. 100% health would take care of everything, wouldn't it?

[KingLakers]

The Lakers will probably stand pat this summer. Why do you guys want to add Baron Davis and bury Farmer on the bench he's going to be a good player if it isn't completely obvious by now. The most the Lakers will do is resign Sasha and Ronny, maybe trade Vlad and maybe add vet big man like a Ratliff to be a third C, PF and probably bring in Yue to see if he's ready for the NBA. This team will not be at full strength until Bynum returns which probably won't be till next season lets wait and see how it turns out before adding a guy like B. Davis.

[eckoner]

My guess is we are on the lookout for someone to replace Odom, I just dont see us extending him or re-signing him to a new contract over 10 mill per year which he totally deserves.

I would say were looking for a young SF (traditional) who will look for MLE type money.

As EE stated were pretty good in all positions right now but could also be looking to add depth to our PG and C/PF positions.

This is all dependent on us keeping Sasha, Vlade, and Ronny.

But as any GM is going to say "we're always looking to improve our roster" and if the right opportunity to do so come along some of those guys might be wearing some other uni next season

I'm really high on Jamario Moon at the 3 spot but he just might get more than the MLE, other than that my wants list might mirror EE's

[Erik Eleven]

If Baron accepts the MLE, you don't think we should jump all over it? I'm all for defense, but talk about showtime offense! What team will stop us? Who to double team? Kobe? Baron? Gasol? Bynum? Odom? Who to leave open?