RealGM

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 2:43 am**

castKupchak sees bright future for current Lakers

By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register
Comments 0| Recommend 1

EL SEGUNDO -- Now that the Lakers' season is over without an NBA championship, Mitch Kupchak has his eye on a player who can take this team to the top.

" Andrew Bynum," Kupchak said Friday.

Kupchak, the Lakers' general manager, indicated he would rather keep his team intact for next season — getting healthy, re-signing restricted free agents Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf and probably letting his mid-level salary-cap exception go unspent in free agency for budgetary reasons.

"If we did nothing," Kupchak said, "and brought back the players that are our existing free agents, just by virtue of this team aging one more year and getting Trevor (Ariza) and Andrew back, I think we're right back in the hunt."

link

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 2:48 am**

Agreed. Can we get rid of the trade thread please?

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 2:53 am**

Thats what I'm talking bout.. scrap the thread... Bench Vlad and get the season started already...

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 2:55 am**

Fire Kupchak. Did he not see how we got embarassed by Boston? We have a good trading chip in Odom and the MLE to improve our team but he wants to do nothing? :wavefinger:

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:00 am**

I can't say that I am surprised, but it does tick me off that we can't talk smack about Mitch since he proved us wrong before.

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:05 am**

snaquille oatmeal wrote:I can't say that I am surprised, but it does tick me off that we can't talk smack about Mitch since he proved us wrong before.

How did he prove us wrong? The Gasol deal just fell in his lap. He wouldn't even have made the deal if Bynum wasn't injured. He thought we were already championship contenders. He's getting too much credit.

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:10 am**

he proved us wrong by waiting and not making deals in the past summers, when we all (including Kobe) were yelling at him to make major moves then Bynum started to develop and the Gasol deal fell on his lap.

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:12 am**

No problem Mitch, just do something about Kwame II! Please!

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:00 pm**

Sign Kwame brown to the vet minimum. We could us his interior defense. We will need someone to give Bynum a spell for about 15 min a game.

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:05 pm**

chris mihm will be back to reliable back up center form, book it.

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 4:22 pm**

"There are a handful of small forwards that are believed to be on the market including Richard Jefferson (New Jersey), Josh Howard (Dallas), Gerald Wallace (Charlotte) and Prince"

a bunch to pick from...but yeah..give me gerald

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:18 pm**

Leonidas wrote:Thats what I'm talking bout.. scrap the thread... Bench Vlad and get the season started already...

not so fast (from snaq's link)

It's even conceivable that Jackson — who concerns himself far more with having his best players on the floor at the end of games than the beginning — would start Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton or Vladimir Radmanovic at small forward and move Odom to the bench.

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:28 pm**

and phil jackson is looking forward to working with caron buter in 2004/5...

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:20 pm**

Re: Kupchak unclutters realgm Lakers board for the summer

Post by snaquille oatmeal on Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:10 am
he proved us wrong by waiting and not making deals in the past summers, when we all (including Kobe) were yelling at him to make major moves then Bynum started to develop and the Gasol deal fell on his lap.
he proved us wrong by waiting and not making deals in the past summers, when we all (including Kobe) were yelling at him to make major moves then Bynum started to develop and the Gasol deal fell on his lap.

* Quote wfiles

Re: Kupchak unclutters realgm Lakers board for the summer

Post by wfiles on Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:05 am

snaquille oatmeal wrote:I can't say that I am surprised, but it does tick me off that we can't talk smack about Mitch since he proved us wrong before.

How did he prove us wrong? The Gasol deal just fell in his lap. He wouldn't even have made the deal if Bynum wasn't injured. He thought we were already championship contenders. He's getting too much credit.

Wfiles,
Mitch has proved us wrong. When everyone wanted him fired last offseason for not doing anything for Kobe and with Kobe. He didnt pull the trigger for a chicago or detroit trade. He really kept his cool and stuck with his youngins, kept bynum instead of trading him for kidd. kept Lo and Farmar from the same trade. (remember these were the talks around last season because we wanted to get a proven all star). Everyone says Gasol was gifted to us, but once again it was a choice that Heisley decided to do because he wanted to sell his franchise. He wanted expiring contracts so that he didnt have to put more money into it. So we gave him small contracts and expiring contracts. But before that you forget Mitch got us out of one horrible contract with Cook and Evans for ariza. Most people wouldnt want cook because he doesnt play a lick of defense and just spots up and shoots. Evans was a little more useful then cook because he played defense and slashed to the hoop it was just that his shot was inconsistent. Although Mitch is saying that he doesnt want to mess with the roster and resign sasha and ronny, and not use the MLE; i do think he will see what is being placed on the table first and see if he wont hurt the finances unless it really helps us get the thing we all desire another championship.