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So the Lakers need to clearly make some big moves, but they are limited on assets they will likely want to move.....so what can they do?

I think they need to make a high risk high reward move (or even multiple of them) for guys that shouldn't cost much (or anything, besides salary)

In what order would you rank these guys for them?

Lavine: Best offensive scoring fit next to Bron and AD, but can the defense be good enough? Dlo, Rui, and Vincent work salary wise for Lavine and filler (craig?). Then need to bank on Vando coming back or moving him and JHS for DFS (merged into a 3 way deal.). Throw in a 29 1st and 1-2 2nds for DFS and Sharpe. This is the most common sense deal

Lavine, Knecht, Vando, Bron, AD
Reaves, Christie, Craig/Cam, Wood, Koloko/Hayes

or

Lavine, Knecht, DFS, Bron, AD
Reaves, Christie, Cam, Wood, Sharpe

Lonzo: If he can get back to the guy a couple seasons back, could work out very well since he can take some ball handling responsibilites on, but also be a very disruptive guard defender. Dlo, Hayes and a 2nd?

Lonzo, Reaves, Vando, Bron, AD
Vincent, Christie, Cam, Rui, Wood/Koloko

Can also make it bigger and include BKN and try and get CamJ or DFS. Would need a 1st+more depending on the deal

Ben Simmons: This is the most strange deal as Ben is a non shooter, but he is a very good defender, playmaker, and rebounder.
Dlo, Rui, Vando, and Vincent are 58m. Add in JHS and Hayes and its 64m. Is a 1st and some 2nds enough to get DFS, Sharpe, and filler?

Simmons, Knecht, DFS, Bron, AD
Reaves, Christie, Cam, Wood, Sharpe

Rw3: Similar to Lonzo deal where its small salary wise and shouldnt cost much. Vando and JHS/Hayes could literally work if POrtland wants to take a gamble on Vando. Can add 1-2 2nds if needed.

But requires another 1-2 other pieces in other deals.

BI: Can be a secondary ball handler in the starting lineup. But is his defense, 3 point shooting, and off ball playability enough?
Rui+Dlo+29 1st with light protections and maybe a swap or 2nds. Is that enough? Shoudlnt have high value since he will want big money this summer

Christie, Knecht, BI, Bron, AD
Vincent, Reaves, Vando, Wood

Need to make another move still for a backup C and maybe a better starting pg/backup pg

Ayton: We go back to being big and Ayton can shoot the mid range well.

Unsure what the deal is though. We still need a defensive minded guard as well.

LaVine: Too risky. Even when healthy he's never helped a team win.
Simmons: Too risky.

Lonzo: Worth the risk. But depends on price. D'Lo and minor assets, sure. Maybe expand to include Vuc.

BI. Worth the risk, but since he's getting paid in the summer, there has to be a plan in place to round out the rest of the team.

nzahir wrote:Rw3: Similar to Lonzo deal where its small salary wise and shouldnt cost much. Vando and JHS/Hayes could literally work if POrtland wants to take a gamble on Vando. Can add 1-2 2nds if needed.
.

Pass for Portland even with multiple 2nds. Don’t want Vando’s contract nor any of the players involved. The 2nds don’t cut it to make up that difference. And I certainly don’t want to give Lakers a needle mover when healthy. I’d easily rather Portland keeps RWIII to show the current young Squad the value of defense via example and/or mentorship.

Ayton: We go back to being big and Ayton can shoot the mid range well.

I’m much more open to moving him. What do you have in mind?

Lakers looking for their own Porzingis move like Celts did?

Bring Miles Bridges. It might cost a first rd pick with dumping Gabe and D'lo but if it works, 2nd scorer upside, two way wings are hard to get these days. Can see Lakers to make a run with Davis, Miles, LBJ, Rui and Reeves

They are better off blowing it up, trading AD to start a proper rebuild. LeBron can stick around and retire or he can leave and ring chase in Cleveland. They don't really have a path to contention with this roster and not really any assets to get there.

The last time the Lakers went for a high risk player (Russ) it ended badly for them.

As I keep saying there is no possible part for contending for a ring in the remaining Lebron/AD years

Lakers need to be sellers not buyers and try get young players and picks back for the long painful rebuild to come

What's the incentive for Chicago?

Not really that high risk, but why isn’t PJ Tucker already there? Has his defense fallen off a cliff or is he just a forgotten vet across town?

Dez wrote:What's the incentive for Chicago?

Incentive for Chicago.

LaVine: Getting off LaVine's albatros deal should be incentive enough.

Lonzo: depends on what they're getting back. D'Lo swap does nothing, so LA has to add incentive, which would be 2nd rounders or other minor assets.

Jordan Poole. Shooting the 3 well, gets his own shot if LeBron is sitting, working hard on defense, back to the player he was before Draymond Green punched him. There is a risk that Draymond will punch him again, but he might be worth a shot.

McCullom makes some sense. 'Peofessional high character vet leader ' and basketball IQ type that Coach Reddick would love to add. Off ball scorer and 3pt spacer. How much of an upgrade is he to DLo and Reaves? Debatable. Wouldn't need any 1sts, some combo of DLo, Rui, Vincent, may need a 3rd team.

Vuc, Lonzo, and Craig for Rui, DLo, Vincent, and a top 10 protected 29 1st?

meatwad4343 wrote:They are better off blowing it up, trading AD to start a proper rebuild. LeBron can stick around and retire or he can leave and ring chase in Cleveland. They don't really have a path to contention with this roster and not really any assets to get there.

100%

Dez wrote:What's the incentive for Chicago?

Like ALL Laker trades the other team is of no concern. People continue to send the same all or parts of DLo, Rui, Vincent, JHS, occasionally Hayes, Christie, Wood, and some magical future 2nd round pick

They don't seem to see that the Bulls have no minutes for DLo so he's going to be a malconent
Vincent and Javon Carter are clones including the length of their contracts except Vincent makes twice what Carter does
JHS is just another guard who doesn't jump ahead of Giddey, White, Dosunmu, Ball or even Terry or THT maybe Carter and Duarte

YayBasketball wrote:McCullom makes some sense. 'Peofessional high character vet leader ' and basketball IQ type that Coach Reddick would love to add. Off ball scorer and 3pt spacer. How much of an upgrade is he to DLo and Reaves? Debatable. Wouldn't need any 1sts, some combo of DLo, Rui, Vincent, may need a 3rd team.

NO OUT - CJ
NO IN - Ayton + Reath

LAL OUT - Russell + Vincent + higher of LAL/LAC SRP + future SRP?
LAL IN - CJ + Reath

PDX OUT - Ayton + Reath
PDX IN - Russell + Vincent + higher of LAL/LAC SRP + future SRP?

doogie_hauser wrote:The last time the Lakers went for a high risk player (Russ) it ended badly for them.

As I keep saying there is no possible part for contending for a ring in the remaining Lebron/AD years

Lakers need to be sellers not buyers and try get young players and picks back for the long painful rebuild to come

Russ wasn't considered high risk at the time.

I_Love_This_Game!! wrote:

meatwad4343 wrote:They are better off blowing it up, trading AD to start a proper rebuild. LeBron can stick around and retire or he can leave and ring chase in Cleveland. They don't really have a path to contention with this roster and not really any assets to get there.

100%

Blowing it up when you don't own your draft picks sounds terrible lol

kobe_vs_jordan wrote:

I_Love_This_Game!! wrote:

meatwad4343 wrote:They are better off blowing it up, trading AD to start a proper rebuild. LeBron can stick around and retire or he can leave and ring chase in Cleveland. They don't really have a path to contention with this roster and not really any assets to get there.

100%

Blowing it up when you don't own your draft picks sounds terrible lol

It really depends on what other teams are willing to offer for AD.

The picks have been traded and there's no changing that. LBJ is 40, declining, and there's no changing that. The Lakers have no meaningful cap space next season, and assuming LBJ opts in, that's not changing.

Reaves, Rui, and Knecht are the only non-essential trade pieces with positive value and it's difficult to envision realistic trades that improve the overall roster involving those guys. The Lakers aren't a lateral move away from contending.

With the new lottery odds, the Lakers could end up conveying really good picks even if everyone stays healthy, and with AD, there's always the risk he won't. The smart play is to move him. The smart play was for the Heat to move Butler this summer. I get the *culture* surrounding both organizations, but that doesn't make it smart.

BI is probably the best player that LA can reasonably get with the assets they have available. Dlo + Rui + any minimum contract works $ wise, and then they can just haggle over picks.

Is BI + Reaves + Bron + AD + a bunch of scrubs enough? Maybe, if AD is healthy and Bron can hold off Father Time for one last run.

BlazersBroncos wrote:

YayBasketball wrote:McCullom makes some sense. 'Peofessional high character vet leader ' and basketball IQ type that Coach Reddick would love to add. Off ball scorer and 3pt spacer. How much of an upgrade is he to DLo and Reaves? Debatable. Wouldn't need any 1sts, some combo of DLo, Rui, Vincent, may need a 3rd team.

NO OUT - CJ
NO IN - Ayton + Reath

LAL OUT - Russell + Vincent + higher of LAL/LAC SRP + future SRP?
LAL IN - CJ + Reath

PDX OUT - Ayton + Reath
PDX IN - Russell + Vincent + higher of LAL/LAC SRP + future SRP?

I know you don't value Ayton... but Lakers are getting a hell of a deal here. Also, this will not work under the CBA due to how close the Lakers are to the hardcap.


I like the framework & think it could work.

Pels
CJ
for
Ayton

Near identical contracts. Pels just reshuffle their lineup.


Lakers
Russell + Rui + 2 seconds
for
CJ + Reath

Both Russell and Rui would need to be included to make the salary work. Swapping Vincent for Rui makes things much more palatable/equitable.


Blazers
Ayton + Reath
for
Russell + Rui + 2 seconds

Blazers only do this if they have additional trades lined up to for Russell & Rui. (Maybe Rui to Chicago for Vučević? or to Phoenix for Nurk?)