My Trade Thoughts and Predictions, What's yours?

[tamaraw08]

Thoughts
*Lebron, AD, Rob, even Jeannie know that they badly need shooters, the problem is pretty much every team who wants to deal with the Lakers are demanding that precious FRP/s and Rob is aware that they will badly need them after Lebron leave the team.
*Jeannie is also very worried of absorbing long term contracts that will cost her to pay more luxury taxes.
*Rob is aware that Kyrie was very frustating with the Nets and Sean Marks would trade him but not for Westbrook. He and everyone knows the Lakers have about 1% chance of winning it all if the Lakers don't land Superstar shooting player who could complement AD and Lebron and now both teams are waiting on who will get blink and cave in.
* Lebron is getting inpatient and wants to trade for Kyrie now but I think the main reason Rob is not biting and willing to wait is because Coach Ham is very confident that he can turn Russ into a great defender and a better fit.
My prediction
Russ plays hard, works harder on defense, the whole team anchored by a healthier AD, will play inspired ball, diving for loose balls etc. Shooting and spacing would be a problem and I predict AD and Lebron would jack up at least 12 3's per game, they beat bad teams and would still struggle beating good teams.
Best case scenario.
Kyrie would wreak havoc in the Nets team, faking injuries to avoid Training camp and be very disruptive during film sessions, questioning Nash's strategies, forcing them to kick him out from their facilities. Marks caves in and trade him and Seth Curry for Westbrook and THT, fillers, no FRP's.
Worst case scenario
Lakers struggle early, Rob gets desperate and include a FRP, absorbs Kyrie and the not ready to play yet Harris. They get bounced in the playoffs and they let Kyrie walk.
What's yours?

[DanishLakerFan]

Thoughts: Lakers need shooters and depth at the 5. Kyrie for all his faults still has all-nba upside and they should try to make a deal for him - even if it means taking on money for next season.

Best case scenario 1: They turn Westbrook + protected first into Kyrie and Harris, both of whom play up to their best capabilities. Then flip THT+Christie+protected 1st for Jacob Poetl. All our new guys have breakthrough years and we manage to stay healthy for another couple of title-runs. And we sweep Boston in the finals.
Kyrie – Harris – Lebron – AD – Poetl
Nunn - Reeves – Lonnie – JTA – Johnson – TBJr – Bryant – Jones

Best case scenario 2: Westbrook, THT, picks and rooks is turned into Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

Worst case scenario: They do nothing. Kyrie is flipped to another team and the Lakers panic and flip Westbrook + way too much for another non-shooter. Miss the playoffs due to injuries. Lebron leaves in the summer.

Prediction: They probably end up giving up two unprotected first round picks for Kyrie and still take on Harris’ money. During the season i expect a couple of the new guys to play really well – probably JTA and Reeves. And a couple of them will be bad - probably Lonnie and Christie. They deal THT and one of the new guys during the season due to being to crowded on the wing for depth at the 5. They make a strong playoff run and possibly wins a title.

[loveshaq786]

I wish we could get KD for Westbrook and 2 FRPs

Than get Kyrie after he is bought out

[loveshaq786]

I wish we could get KD for Westbrook and 2 FRPs. Worst comes to worse... Trade AD,tht, nunn and one frp for KD and seth

Than get Kyrie after he is bought out

[Landsberger]

My guess is we will trade future picks with Westbrook for any marketable star to keep the hamster wheel moving... It's clear in the post Jerry era that it's about the appearance of relevancy over the reality of relevancy.

[JKiddy]

I wish we could get KD for Westbrook and 2 FRPs

Than get Kyrie after he is bought out

We all wish DOGECOIN would go to $100 today as well...

[stan francisco]

I predict the following:

Westbrook will not play a regular season game as a Laker.

[JKiddy]

I think the trade window for Kyrie is over the next 2 weeks before the Nets have the sit down. If I am Pelinka I find a 3rd team today to pawn Westbrook off to for a young possibly promising player or an All-Star level talent that might not be in the future plans for that team by offering a 1st to them and Westbrook, then ship the other 1st rounder and 2 2nd rounders to the Nets plus that player you got from the 3rd team to the Nets and see if they bite.

If not, I think there is a chance Kyrie and KD mend fences and have an agreement with the FO to move forward for the next 2 seasons to see how well they can do when the entire team plays.

Things change quickly. That is just what I would do...

[stan francisco]

Russ with picks for Hield and Turner. That’s my prediction today.

[Slava]

I don’t see a scenario where Russ starts the season in LA. His relationship with the fans has gone too far south for that to be a viable option. At worst, he’s getting moved to Utah for Beverley, Beasley and Bogdanovic.

[MAMBAEMD]

I don’t see a scenario where Russ starts the season in LA. His relationship with the fans has gone too far south for that to be a viable option. At worst, he’s getting moved to Utah for Beverley, Beasley and Bogdanovic.

That’s a definite upgrade for us and meets a few needs. It depends on how many other assets including picks would be involved

[Pointgod]

I’ve said this in multiple threads time and time again. The Lakers need to be patient. Trading Westbrook and two picks for Kyrie is an idiotic panic move. If we trade Westbrook it should be for smaller contracts but we shouldn’t trade picks.

Heading into next offseason we have the 2023 pick, either 2024 or 2025, pick swap 2026, 2027, pick swap 2028, 2029 etc.

From a salary standpoint I believe we’ll only have Lebron, Davis, Horton-Tucker and a couple minimum contracts on the books. I think we’ll have 20 million on the books depending on the salary cap. If Horton Tucker opts out then we have upwards of 30 million. My point is that next offseason is where we have a ton of ammo to trade for an all-star/superstar. 3-4 picks and 2 pick swaps. We also have roster flexibility to absorb a contract if a team doesn’t want to take back salary. The point is we have much better options and flexibility next offseason and we shouldn’t panic because there’s not a single Westbrook trade that will make us a title team this season.

In fact we should be going to asset accumulation mode. We should be showcasing Horton Tucker to try to get a first for him and make some minor trades for more seconds next year. We’ll need cheap, cost controlled talent if we make another superstar trade.

[TheHartBreakKid]

My guess is we will trade future picks with Westbrook for any marketable star to keep the hamster wheel moving... It's clear in the post Jerry era that it's about the appearance of relevancy over the reality of relevancy.

You're a poster who keeps it real, which I appreciate, but I respectfully disagree with the pessimism. I'm curious about what you consider "relevancy" if a championship just 2 seasons ago doesn't cut it for you.

[loveshaq786]

Any chance of Murray and Collins for AD?

[Landsberger]

My guess is we will trade future picks with Westbrook for any marketable star to keep the hamster wheel moving... It's clear in the post Jerry era that it's about the appearance of relevancy over the reality of relevancy.

You're a poster who keeps it real, which I appreciate, but I respectfully disagree with the pessimism. I'm curious about what you consider "relevancy" if a championship just 2 seasons ago doesn't cut it for you.

A full season of games and we’d most likely not have won that. We have an aging star who is fading fast at everything but scoring… we have a number 2 guy who disappears in big games, doesn’t play to his size or ability and misses a ton of games and then we basically nothing else.

I wanted to watch Kobe fade until the end…. Lebron? Not so much.

Beyond that the disfunction in the front office gives me no sense that they are interested in much beyond doing what Bron’s people want. Not really the way to run a team IMHO. They will trade everything we have for a 3rd star while what we really need is depth to back up our 2 best player who will most like miss a combined 40+ games next year.

I’m seeing the glass half full……. Because…. It’s half full and leaking.

[Ball so hard]

I’ve said this in multiple threads time and time again. The Lakers need to be patient. Trading Westbrook and two picks for Kyrie is an idiotic panic move. If we trade Westbrook it should be for smaller contracts but we shouldn’t trade picks.

Heading into next offseason we have the 2023 pick, either 2024 or 2025, pick swap 2026, 2027, pick swap 2028, 2029 etc.

From a salary standpoint I believe we’ll only have Lebron, Davis, Horton-Tucker and a couple minimum contracts on the books. I think we’ll have 20 million on the books depending on the salary cap. If Horton Tucker opts out then we have upwards of 30 million. My point is that next offseason is where we have a ton of ammo to trade for an all-star/superstar. 3-4 picks and 2 pick swaps. We also have roster flexibility to absorb a contract if a team doesn’t want to take back salary. The point is we have much better options and flexibility next offseason and we shouldn’t panic because there’s not a single Westbrook trade that will make us a title team this season.

In fact we should be going to asset accumulation mode. We should be showcasing Horton Tucker to try to get a first for him and make some minor trades for more seconds next year. We’ll need cheap, cost controlled talent if we make another superstar trade.

Agree with just about everything you said. However, there is no such thing as patience when you just extended a 37 year-old Lebron. Every year counts. The Lakers will, and likely have been doing anything and everything that Lebron wants. This is a strategy that can set a franchise back for a decade or more. Mortgage your future on a guy who may decide to leave anyway… we’ve seen this far too many times. Truly a catch-22. Player empowerment era in which star players have nearly unlimited powers.

[bb22]

My guess is we will trade future picks with Westbrook for any marketable star to keep the hamster wheel moving... It's clear in the post Jerry era that it's about the appearance of relevancy over the reality of relevancy.

You're a poster who keeps it real, which I appreciate, but I respectfully disagree with the pessimism. I'm curious about what you consider "relevancy" if a championship just 2 seasons ago doesn't cut it for you.

A full season of games and we’d most likely not have won that. We have an aging star who is fading fast at everything but scoring… we have a number 2 guy who disappears in big games, doesn’t play to his size or ability and misses a ton of games and then we basically nothing else.

I wanted to watch Kobe fade until the end…. Lebron? Not so much.

Beyond that the disfunction in the front office gives me no sense that they are interested in much beyond doing what Bron’s people want. Not really the way to run a team IMHO. They will trade everything we have for a 3rd star while what we really need is depth to back up our 2 best player who will most like miss a combined 40+ games next year.

I’m seeing the glass half full……. Because…. It’s half full and leaking.

Lakers were first place in the west and getting better and better.
The “short” season was like 70 games or so.
I personally think the bubble being played in Orlando had a negative impact on the veteran Laker squad, but they still dominated.

[Pointgod]

I’ve said this in multiple threads time and time again. The Lakers need to be patient. Trading Westbrook and two picks for Kyrie is an idiotic panic move. If we trade Westbrook it should be for smaller contracts but we shouldn’t trade picks.

Heading into next offseason we have the 2023 pick, either 2024 or 2025, pick swap 2026, 2027, pick swap 2028, 2029 etc.

From a salary standpoint I believe we’ll only have Lebron, Davis, Horton-Tucker and a couple minimum contracts on the books. I think we’ll have 20 million on the books depending on the salary cap. If Horton Tucker opts out then we have upwards of 30 million. My point is that next offseason is where we have a ton of ammo to trade for an all-star/superstar. 3-4 picks and 2 pick swaps. We also have roster flexibility to absorb a contract if a team doesn’t want to take back salary. The point is we have much better options and flexibility next offseason and we shouldn’t panic because there’s not a single Westbrook trade that will make us a title team this season.

In fact we should be going to asset accumulation mode. We should be showcasing Horton Tucker to try to get a first for him and make some minor trades for more seconds next year. We’ll need cheap, cost controlled talent if we make another superstar trade.

Agree with just about everything you said. However, there is no such thing as patience when you just extended a 37 year-old Lebron. Every year counts. The Lakers will, and likely have been doing anything and everything that Lebron wants. This is a strategy that can set a franchise back for a decade or more. Mortgage your future on a guy who may decide to leave anyway… we’ve seen this far too many times. Truly a catch-22. Player empowerment era in which star players have nearly unlimited powers.

I think patience means not boxing ourselves into a bad deal that kills our flexibility like two first round picks for Kyrie. Rob needs to be very active looking for deals that will increase our chances of being a playoff team but doesn’t require giving up a first round pick. Look at deals like the Mavs did for Porzingis where they split his deal into two smaller deals, Jeanie needs to be willing to pay the luxury tax. Some deals I’ve heard like:

Westbrook for Kyrie and Joe Harris.
Westbrook for Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier
Westbrook for Buddy Hield and expiring contracts. We don’t get Turner without giving up a pick or two, Pacers will probably ask for a pick for Hield but maybe not.

The point is that we have to lay in wait because every offseason there is at least one superstar that becomes available and multiple all-stars become available. The front office just needs to tell Lebron that they’ll look to improve the team in season but the move the put us into championship contention gets done next offseason. This isn’t patience for patience sake but to actually give Lebron one last legit shot at a title.

[Ball so hard]

I’ve said this in multiple threads time and time again. The Lakers need to be patient. Trading Westbrook and two picks for Kyrie is an idiotic panic move. If we trade Westbrook it should be for smaller contracts but we shouldn’t trade picks.

Heading into next offseason we have the 2023 pick, either 2024 or 2025, pick swap 2026, 2027, pick swap 2028, 2029 etc.

From a salary standpoint I believe we’ll only have Lebron, Davis, Horton-Tucker and a couple minimum contracts on the books. I think we’ll have 20 million on the books depending on the salary cap. If Horton Tucker opts out then we have upwards of 30 million. My point is that next offseason is where we have a ton of ammo to trade for an all-star/superstar. 3-4 picks and 2 pick swaps. We also have roster flexibility to absorb a contract if a team doesn’t want to take back salary. The point is we have much better options and flexibility next offseason and we shouldn’t panic because there’s not a single Westbrook trade that will make us a title team this season.

In fact we should be going to asset accumulation mode. We should be showcasing Horton Tucker to try to get a first for him and make some minor trades for more seconds next year. We’ll need cheap, cost controlled talent if we make another superstar trade.

Agree with just about everything you said. However, there is no such thing as patience when you just extended a 37 year-old Lebron. Every year counts. The Lakers will, and likely have been doing anything and everything that Lebron wants. This is a strategy that can set a franchise back for a decade or more. Mortgage your future on a guy who may decide to leave anyway… we’ve seen this far too many times. Truly a catch-22. Player empowerment era in which star players have nearly unlimited powers.

I think patience means not boxing ourselves into a bad deal that kills our flexibility like two first round picks for Kyrie. Rob needs to be very active looking for deals that will increase our chances of being a playoff team but doesn’t require giving up a first round pick. Look at deals like the Mavs did for Porzingis where they split his deal into two smaller deals, Jeanie needs to be willing to pay the luxury tax. Some deals I’ve heard like:

Westbrook for Kyrie and Joe Harris.
Westbrook for Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier
Westbrook for Buddy Hield and expiring contracts. We don’t get Turner without giving up a pick or two, Pacers will probably ask for a pick for Hield but maybe not.

The point is that we have to lay in wait because every offseason there is at least one superstar that becomes available and multiple all-stars become available. The front office just needs to tell Lebron that they’ll look to improve the team in season but the move the put us into championship contention gets done next offseason. This isn’t patience for patience sake but to actually give Lebron one last legit shot at a title.

Not as optimistic as you are. Sorry. None of those trades you mentioned are happening unless we give up at least 1 first round pick. It should be pretty clear to everyone by now that Russ has negative value, expiring contract notwithstanding.

I wouldn’t blame Jeanie for not wanting to pay luxury tax for Hayward and Rozier. These two barely move the needle. Same goes for a deal that only land us Buddy. What exactly do we have to offer next off-season for a star?

[Pointgod]

Agree with just about everything you said. However, there is no such thing as patience when you just extended a 37 year-old Lebron. Every year counts. The Lakers will, and likely have been doing anything and everything that Lebron wants. This is a strategy that can set a franchise back for a decade or more. Mortgage your future on a guy who may decide to leave anyway… we’ve seen this far too many times. Truly a catch-22. Player empowerment era in which star players have nearly unlimited powers.

I think patience means not boxing ourselves into a bad deal that kills our flexibility like two first round picks for Kyrie. Rob needs to be very active looking for deals that will increase our chances of being a playoff team but doesn’t require giving up a first round pick. Look at deals like the Mavs did for Porzingis where they split his deal into two smaller deals, Jeanie needs to be willing to pay the luxury tax. Some deals I’ve heard like:

Westbrook for Kyrie and Joe Harris.
Westbrook for Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier
Westbrook for Buddy Hield and expiring contracts. We don’t get Turner without giving up a pick or two, Pacers will probably ask for a pick for Hield but maybe not.

The point is that we have to lay in wait because every offseason there is at least one superstar that becomes available and multiple all-stars become available. The front office just needs to tell Lebron that they’ll look to improve the team in season but the move the put us into championship contention gets done next offseason. This isn’t patience for patience sake but to actually give Lebron one last legit shot at a title.

Not as optimistic as you are. Sorry. None of those trades you mentioned are happening unless we give up at least 1 first round pick. It should be pretty clear to everyone by now that Russ has negative value, expiring contract notwithstanding.

I wouldn’t blame Jeanie for not wanting to pay luxury tax for Hayward and Rozier. These two barely move the needle. Same goes for a deal that only land us Buddy. What exactly do we have to offer next off-season for a star?

You’re looking at Russ from a player perspective when you should be looking at him strictly from an expiring contract standpoint. What do expiring contracts get traded for? Either longer contracts or luxury tax savings. At the end of the day if the cost is too much just don’t do the trade but we’ve seen really good players traded for a lot less than their perceived value.

Rozier is objectively just flat out better than Russ at this point and fits in perfectly with Lebron. He can play off the ball but also is a creator, scorer, okay defender. He’s way more efficient and less turnover prone than Westbrook as well. The point is that we can move Rozier, Hayward, Hield, Harris or any contracts we take back for Westbrook in the offseason along with picks. I laid it out in my post below.

Heading into next offseason we have the 2023 pick, either 2024 or 2025, pick swap 2026, 2027, pick swap 2028, 2029 pick, 2010 pick swap.

From a salary standpoint I believe we’ll only have Lebron, Davis, Horton-Tucker and a couple minimum contracts on the books. I think we’ll have 20 million on the books depending on the salary cap. If Horton Tucker opts out then we have upwards of 30 million. My point is that next offseason is where we have a ton of ammo to trade for an all-star/superstar. 3-4 picks and 2 pick swaps. We also have roster flexibility to absorb a contract if a team doesn’t want to take back salary. The point is we have much better options and flexibility next offseason and we shouldn’t panic because there’s not a single Westbrook trade that will make us a title team this season.

In fact we should be going to asset accumulation mode. We should be showcasing Horton Tucker to try to get a first for him and make some minor trades for more seconds next year. We’ll need cheap, cost controlled talent if we make another superstar trade.