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I have a sneaking suspicion several members of this Lakers team wont be here after this summer...

1) Lamar Odom - due to make $16 million next year, very inconsistent, no outside shot, Bynum replaces his rebounding and scoring. Odom will be traded IMO

2) Sasha - restricted FA but several teams will offer him the MLE. Buss needs to decide if Vujacic is worth $5.5 million a year. He wasn't worth 5.5 pennies the last couple of years, funny how the year his contract is up, he explodes

3) Turiaf - restricted FA but several teams will offer him a nice contract. $4 million at the least. Buss decides if his expensive roster can afford him.

4) Walton or VladRad - Lakers with a glut of small forwards, Ariza, Walton and VladRad all sharing minutes, Ariza will shine next year, one of these two SFs will be departing. VladRad harder to move because of his $7.5 million deal.

Who knows if Bynum will be the same after his injury? He's only 21 and has had a major injury this year, the same injury he had in high school. I hope he returns 100% but who knows if he will pull a D-Wade for his career and battle multiple knee injuries.

lamar will be back

theres too much potential in a triple tower front court not to give it a try at least once

sasha will be back, he has shown he is worth the MLE

turiaf may be back, depends how much other teams offer him but energy guys a dime a dozen

walton/radmanovic will most likely be back, unless mitch kupchak cons someone into taking on their long contracts

lakers just 1 MLE signing and bynum back from being the most talented and most stacked team in the NBA

Akiho wrote:lamar will be back

theres too much potential in a triple tower front court not to give it a try at least once

sasha will be back, he has shown he is worth the MLE

turiaf may be back, depends how much other teams offer him but energy guys a dime a dozen

walton/radmanovic will most likely be back, unless mitch kupchak cons someone into taking on their long contracts

lakers just 1 MLE signing and bynum back from being the most talented and most stacked team in the NBA

Doubt it. Lakers already at $75 million without Sasha and Ronny. Buss would be paying luxury tax for them - $11 million a year for Sasha, $9 million a year for Ronny.

If you think Buss ponies up $20 million for one year of Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf, pass me some of what youre smokin

artest is going to opt out and sign for full mle
im not joking
hes in boston right now watching the game
was in LA last game watching it

Black Sheep wrote:artest is going to opt out and sign for full mle
im not joking
hes in boston right now watching the game
was in LA last game watching it

Lakers used their MLE last year on Derek Fisher, NBA collective bargaining agreement states you cannot use the MLE two years in a row...looks like we're outta luck on that one, nice try tho

your wrong..
lakers have the MLE this summer

Why? Their roster is just fine...with Bynum back next year, they'll definitely go to the Finals again. But then again, it's an odd year next year so they aren't getting past the Spurs.

Buss has previously said that money was no object in building a championship team

yes, going overboard isnt what Dr. Buss has in mind

but then again, lamar isnt going to be re-signed to a max contract is he?, and i doubt after this finals performance (generally very good until boston), he'd want to sign a 3-4 year contract at around 10-13mil per depending how good his agent is

that is unless he wants to test his market value in the summer of 2009, which i doubt anyone will offer that much of their cap to sign a player who plays his best basketball as a third banana

a group like this has too much chemistry to break up and the deepest rotation in the NBA, which frankly is probably too deep

which is why luke walton and radmanovic are such problems

if you look at the roster (pending no trades and resigning LO, sasha and ronny) for next season:
bynum/gasol/mihm/turiaf
gasol/odom/turiaf/luke
odom/MLE/ariza/radman/luke
kobe/sasha/MLE
fisher/farmar/MLE

and obviously that MLE is going to spent on a defensive swingman with 3pt range

yes this is going to be a very expensive team, but tell me, is it worth that extra cost? the lakers would probably make it all back in revenue especially if it guaranteed rings

This team has a ton of talent and no heart.

Kobe will demand another trade.

At least he knows he can't win a title as the 1st option.

Lakersfan23 wrote:

Black Sheep wrote:artest is going to opt out and sign for full mle
im not joking
hes in boston right now watching the game
was in LA last game watching it

Lakers used their MLE last year on Derek Fisher, NBA collective bargaining agreement states you cannot use the MLE two years in a row...looks like we're outta luck on that one, nice try tho

lakers didnt use all of it, he is earning 4.7mil next season and 5mil the year after

the MLE is given once a year to teams over the CAP

the thing you're talking about is the LLE or the bi-annual exception (<----self-explanatory), and the lakers have that too

Black Sheep wrote:artest is going to opt out and sign for full mle
im not joking
hes in boston right now watching the game
was in LA last game watching it

Well I guess that just proves it.

Miami's Finest wrote:Kobe will demand another trade.

At least he knows he can't win a title as the 1st option.

Yeah buddy, he was shut down by the Celtics' defense.

Last time I checked, he's 29. He's shown no signs of decline. His team is young. So why can't they win a championship with him as the 1st option?

But then again, you're on Wade's jock so it's completely useless to reason with you.

The only core player I think may not be back is Lamar because of his salary, but even still I think they will wait and see how he mans the 3 spot with Bynum back... Turiaf and Sasha will re-signed.. Hopefully Ariza as well... No one will take on Luke or Radman so we are stuck with them....

Bulls_Dynasty6 wrote:

Miami's Finest wrote:Kobe will demand another trade.

At least he knows he can't win a title as the 1st option.

Yeah buddy, he was shut down by the Celtics' defense.

Last time I checked, he's 29. He's shown no signs of decline. His team is young. So why can't they win a championship with him as the 1st option?

But then again, you're on Wade's jock so it's completely useless to reason with you.

B.c when he's the #1 option in the finals he chokes, and shoots under 40% and disappears for entire halfs very often. But you're right i'm a Wade fan, i'm not use to the choking thing. He dominated in the finals and didn't settle for jumpers.

kobe got conned into playmaker kobe, obviously not enough ballhog kobe like we were all expecting

i really dont think so, its just toomuch money for buss, and correctme if im wrong, but buss has always been a cheap guy.

i see walton or vlad getting moved, i seee sasha signing somehere else OR sasha stays and odom is traded.

Miami's Finest wrote:But you're right i'm a Wade fan, i'm not use to the choking thing.

dude give it a break... Wade finished the last two seasons with a first round sweep and a 15 win season.

lukeridenour wrote:i really dont think so, its just toomuch money for buss, and correctme if im wrong, but buss has always been a cheap guy.

i see walton or vlad getting moved, i seee sasha signing somehere else OR sasha stays and odom is traded.

you're thinking of LA's other basketball owner Donald Sterling

Buss has always shown his wallet during championship runs but also shrewd money saving during rebuilding years

Miami's Finest wrote:

Bulls_Dynasty6 wrote:

Miami's Finest wrote:Kobe will demand another trade.

At least he knows he can't win a title as the 1st option.

Yeah buddy, he was shut down by the Celtics' defense.

Last time I checked, he's 29. He's shown no signs of decline. His team is young. So why can't they win a championship with him as the 1st option?

But then again, you're on Wade's jock so it's completely useless to reason with you.

B.c when he's the #1 option in the finals he chokes, and shoots under 40% and disappears for entire halfs very often. But you're right i'm a Wade fan, i'm not use to the choking thing. He dominated in the finals and didn't settle for jumpers.

That's because refs would call fouls before he shot the ball.

Wade lead your team to the 2nd pick in the draft. You must be proud. Kobe never disappears for an entire season.