Lakers offseason 2023

[hoosierdaddy34]

Let’s look at Denver shooting by playoff series -

PHX

Jokic 59.4%
Murray 45.0%

Lakers

Jokic 50.6%
Murray 52.7%

Heat

Jokic 58.3%
Murray 45.2%

The biggest misnomer here is that the Lakers and AD couldn’t guard Jokic. In reality he did a hell of a job keeping Jokic under control.

Lakers issue was the did the worst job of anyone on Murray. He shot far above what he did against the Suns or the Heat. That was the killer in a series in which 3 games were decided by just 13 points.

While I’d like to get a big to play while AD needs a break? But the Lakers don’t need a starting center, they need a backup big. The primary focus should be perimeter defense, that is what failed them the most during the WCF.

[LAKESHOW]

We playing in the finals if DLo makes any sort of contribution. Dude was running from the basketball. Ain't no getting out of that

Uh no. The Nuggets washed the Lakers badly.

You can't just bring the simple fan analysis. On the surface you can see it 1 way. But in depth analysis one can see, we truly had the best chance to beat these guys. We ran out of gas amongst others, but DLo a No show was also a big part of it. Congrats to the nuggets. Deserving Champion. But they geared up and we're prepared to win this championship, and it was won when they got by the Lakers

[Spens1]

We playing in the finals if DLo makes any sort of contribution. Dude was running from the basketball. Ain't no getting out of that

Uh no. The Nuggets washed the Lakers badly.

I mean most of the games were really close despite d'lo playing some of the worst playoff basketball I've seen

Sent from my CPH1877 using RealGM mobile app

[zuju]

The most imminent project would be the draft which will affect the overall plan of the offseason. A few options here, what's your decision come draft night?

Question 1
Option 1 - Trade #17 - who are you targeting?
Option 2 - Keep #17
(a) Draft the best player available in terms of the players current level of play and skill
(b) Draft the most talented one with highest upside but may not have developed his game enough to contribute yet
(c) Draft someone who can already contribute but is still developing with potential lower than (b)

Question 2
Option 1 - Trade #47 - who are you targeting?
Option 2 - Keep #47
(a) Draft the best player available in terms of the players current level of play and skill
(b) Draft the most talented one with highest upside but may not have developed his game enough to contribute yet
(c) Draft someone who can already contribute but is still developing with potential lower than (b)

If you are to keep the pick, who will you draft?

[K9J]

We playing in the finals if DLo makes any sort of contribution. Dude was running from the basketball. Ain't no getting out of that

Uh no. The Nuggets washed the Lakers badly.

I mean most of the games were really close despite d'lo playing some of the worst playoff basketball I've seen

Sent from my CPH1877 using RealGM mobile app

but not only for dlo (i want him out 100%, he was cooked on deffense and play poor offense only taking contested jumpshots and trying 0 drives and layups)
if lebron had hit 2 more threes per game or davis would have hit 2 or 3 more hooks and layups of all which he failed, which were very good positions for him, after game 4 the series would have been 2-2 for sure.
We lost a great chance of get a ring and I'm still not over it

[bb22]

I love that we're having this run to the WCF right now and I'm absolutely hopeful we can carry this to a Championship. But I've thought ever since the trade deadline we were 1 wing/big guard short. LeBron and AD playing at their max should be enough to hide that but it's very likely this team has reached the end of the road. I hope I'm wrong and we win a Championship.

The question all comes down to the budget for the Buss family. If they want to pay, we can have a GREAT team next year. If they don't.. we'll have a team that looks similar to this.

The Absolute Musts:

- Re-sign Reaves (whether he's matched or re-signs with us, he'll count for 12M next year. Book him in)
- Re-sign Russell (Not sure which teams are out there wanting D-Lo that have cap space. Orlando? But I'd try to come to an agreement with him for 20M a season over 3-4 years)
- Re-sign Hachimura (He will easily be someone's MLE signing next year, which means we're going to have pay him $12M at least. Book him in)

LeBron: $47M
AD: $41M
Russell: $20M
Reaves: $12M
Hachimura: $12M
Vando: $4.7M
Christie: $1.7M

Total: $138.4 ($5M over salary cap)

The next decision comes down to Beasley and Bamba. They both have team options:

Beasley: $16M
Bamba: $10.3M

I'd negotiate with Beasley and get him on a cheaper deal. His value has plummeted because of the playoffs but in October-April, he's going to be a player that plays 20-25 MPG and make 2-4 3 pointers a night. It's just hard to play him in the wrong playoff match-up. Could we get him at a 2-3 year deal starting at the tax-payer MLE range at around $8M? I think we could.

Beasley: 8M
Total: $146.4M ($12M over salary cap - S16M away from luxury tax)

Bamba - I'd accept him with the sole purpose of trading him. Which leads me to my next #1 focus:

BRING ALEX CARUSO HOME:

Bamba, Christie, #17, #47, whatever is needed for Alex Caruso, Andre Drummond.

Caruso: $9.5M
Drummond: $3.4M
- Christie (1.7)
Total: $158.6M

Lonnie Walker:

We can give him basically the same contract that he has now with a little bit of a pay increase. I'd do it if he's willing to return and doesn't have offers that high. It ain't my money though. Would the Buss family force management to essentially make him our tax-MLE signing or will they allow the front office to use both?

- Re-sign Wenyen Gabriel to his raise ($3M)
- Re-sign Troy Brown to his raise ($3M)

Roster:

Russell/Caruso/
Reaves/Beasley/
Rui/Brown Jr/
LeBron/Vando/
Davis/Drummond/Gabriel

With the ability to add Lonnie Walker to that + a tax-MLE signing. Plus a vet minimum or two.

We could also combine Christie with Bamba and Beasley, and trade for someone like DeMar DeRozan. Is that a path the Lakers management would want to go down considering LeBron's age?

Russell/Schroder (tax MLE)/
Reaves/Walker/
DeRozan/Vando/
LeBron/Rui/
AD/Gabriel/

Either way - if I'm the Lakers management, the second this season is over with - I'm canvasing the league and figuring out what I can get for Bamba, Beasley, 1st, Christie and adjusting off that.

This is fantastic.

I must say that we need an allstar guard to get to the next level. It does open us up for a mid season trade… I can’t rely on DLo/Schroder at PG throughout the playoffs, and Lebron just can’t carry the load anymore.

I wonder how AR looks this season. I think he’s got it, but can he become even more productive, or did we max him out?

[dAdo dA dEvil]

Uh no. The Nuggets washed the Lakers badly.

I mean most of the games were really close despite d'lo playing some of the worst playoff basketball I've seen

Sent from my CPH1877 using RealGM mobile app

but not only for dlo (i want him out 100%, he was cooked on deffense and play poor offense only taking contested jumpshots and trying 0 drives and layups)
if lebron had hit 2 more threes per game or davis would have hit 2 or 3 more hooks and layups of all which he failed, which were very good positions for him, after game 4 the series would have been 2-2 for sure.
We lost a great chance of get a ring and I'm still not over it

We are bound to lose that series against Denver. When Jokic hit that awkward 3 point shot to beat the shot clock late in the 4th quarter of game 4 there is no way we are winning. Denver was good and they have luck on their side.

[Showtime:Part2]

Let’s look at Denver shooting by playoff series -

PHX

Jokic 59.4%
Murray 45.0%

Lakers

Jokic 50.6%
Murray 52.7%

Heat

Jokic 58.3%
Murray 45.2%

The biggest misnomer here is that the Lakers and AD couldn’t guard Jokic. In reality he did a hell of a job keeping Jokic under control.

Lakers issue was the did the worst job of anyone on Murray. He shot far above what he did against the Suns or the Heat. That was the killer in a series in which 3 games were decided by just 13 points.

While I’d like to get a big to play while AD needs a break? But the Lakers don’t need a starting center, they need a backup big. The primary focus should be perimeter defense, that is what failed them the most during the WCF.

This is because lakers foolishly doubled jokic more than any of these other teams and played dlo over Schroeder for way too long. Now go look at jokic apg by series and he averaged 12 against us lol. 9, 10, and 7 were his apg averaged in the other series. Do you not remember us crucifying ham for doubling joker and giving mpj open looks and allowing Murray to go off (or maybe that was on Reddit lakers board I forget)? You need a guy who will bang w him at the 5 one on one with AD cheating off Aaron Gordon/covering both joker as a help man and Aaron Gordon simultaneously, which frankly not that many others can do outside of AD. We need size to beat Denver, don’t get it twisted. We should be focused on a starting caliber 5 that would also allow AD to rest during the season. Why go away from the 2020 formula that worked? Do you recall this same team struggling to beat the rockets and other lowly teams whenever AD sat? How can you have gone through the second half of the season and think what we need is more guards lol. Schroeder is one of the best defensive Pgs in the league. It’s not gonna matter tho if ham plays dlo 30mpg over him for 3 games and doubles joker every time he touches the ball. You simply won’t win. This team needs a 5 and a new coach

[Showtime:Part2]

With the news of Washington rebuilding I wonder if we can get KP and at what cost?

[dAdo dA dEvil]

With the news of Washington rebuilding I wonder if we can get KP and at what cost?

Is KP still injury prone? If we can get him for DLo as the main piece then it will be good. I think KP and AD playing together is awesome. Both can be our 4 and 5 and I really like the idea of us going big.

[LAKESHOW]

With the news of Washington rebuilding I wonder if we can get KP and at what cost?

KP would address the Bigs situation. But then we would have to hope our guard play would be enough as it currently stands. But this is an interesting scenario. Goin Bigs vs what everyone has been saying, get a playmaking guard.

[NCHeels2008]

With the news of Washington rebuilding I wonder if we can get KP and at what cost?

KP would address the Bigs situation. But then we would have to hope our guard play would be enough as it currently stands. But this is an interesting scenario. Goin Bigs vs what everyone has been saying, get a playmaking guard.

Reaves, Schroeder, LeBron, Rui is a solid ass 1-3 rotation, then the question is does Beasley heat back up? Is D'Lo/Walker back? Any 2 of those 3 you have 6 guys for the 1-3 with Vando, KP and AD. With Christie and 17 as upside guys who could surprise

[DNP-Old]

I would decline Beasley and renounce Russell & Walker and trade Bamba #17 & #47 to Indy for #26 #29 & #32 (I would try to get #55 as well but not a deal breaker). Sign Bruce Brown with the cap space and Jock Landale with the room exception; match Rui & Reaves; resign Troy Brown and draft Ben Sheppard, Olivier-Maxence Prosper & Jordan Walsh. If I have the #55 I would take Tubelis, Ivisic or Timme. If I don't have #55 I would hope one of the three goes undrafted and sign them to the 3rd 2-way spot. I would try to get either CP3 or Schroeder on a Vet min, if not, pick up some other vet PG.

Reaves - Vet PG - Pippen (2-way)
B.Brown - Christie - Sheppard (R)
Rui - T.Brown - Walsh (R)
James - Vandy - Prosper (R) - Swider (2-way)
Davis - Landale - Rookie Big (2-way)

[hoosierdaddy34]

Let’s look at Denver shooting by playoff series -

PHX

Jokic 59.4%
Murray 45.0%

Lakers

Jokic 50.6%
Murray 52.7%

Heat

Jokic 58.3%
Murray 45.2%

The biggest misnomer here is that the Lakers and AD couldn’t guard Jokic. In reality he did a hell of a job keeping Jokic under control.

Lakers issue was the did the worst job of anyone on Murray. He shot far above what he did against the Suns or the Heat. That was the killer in a series in which 3 games were decided by just 13 points.

While I’d like to get a big to play while AD needs a break? But the Lakers don’t need a starting center, they need a backup big. The primary focus should be perimeter defense, that is what failed them the most during the WCF.

This is because lakers foolishly doubled jokic more than any of these other teams and played dlo over Schroeder for way too long. Now go look at jokic apg by series and he averaged 12 against us lol. 9, 10, and 7 were his apg averaged in the other series. Do you not remember us crucifying ham for doubling joker and giving mpj open looks and allowing Murray to go off (or maybe that was on Reddit lakers board I forget)? You need a guy who will bang w him at the 5 one on one with AD cheating off Aaron Gordon/covering both joker as a help man and Aaron Gordon simultaneously, which frankly not that many others can do outside of AD. We need size to beat Denver, don’t get it twisted. We should be focused on a starting caliber 5 that would also allow AD to rest during the season. Why go away from the 2020 formula that worked? Do you recall this same team struggling to beat the rockets and other lowly teams whenever AD sat? How can you have gone through the second half of the season and think what we need is more guards lol. Schroeder is one of the best defensive Pgs in the league. It’s not gonna matter tho if ham plays dlo 30mpg over him for 3 games and doubles joker every time he touches the ball. You simply won’t win. This team needs a 5 and a new coach

Unless that size comes in the form of an agile, versatile player like AD? It causes way too many problems on offense spacing wise, plus Denver causes these dudes to have to guard in space too often. Big immobile centers often get played right off the floor against Denver. And mobile, active ones are fairly pricey and hard to find. I’m not starting a dude like Zubac or Nurkic just because they are big because it causes far more other problems than it actually solves. But sure you figure out a way to land Bam, or Mobley or JJJ…of course. But really all we needed was a very good point of attack defender, and a bench big to give AD a break, to make Murray’s life harder and we win games 2, 3 and 4.

[stan francisco]

Any roster suggestion with D No in it is a no starter, imho. We already tried that.

If CP3 goes to Memphis to be Ja’s mentor, let’s try to pry Tyus Jones off of their hands. D Lo (S&T), Beasley, Bamba, Schroeder (S&T).

[LAKESHOW]

Nice discussion. We may possibly have to go Big. Looking at competitors, Memphis. Denver. Celtics. Suns with their centers. So it is a scenario to look at

[stan francisco]

Nice discussion. We may possibly have to go Big. Looking at competitors, Memphis. Denver. Celtics. Suns with their centers. So it is a scenario to look at

The Spurs. The fact that they will draft Victor Wenbanyaba tells me first that we have to draft Lively. To go big is something that I’ve always wanted. GSW is the only exception ever and that’s officially over.

Tyus Jones, Shaq Harrison, Pippen
Austin Reaves, Walker IV, Max Christie,
Vando, Swider, #17 K Johnson
LeBron James, Hachimura, Thompson
Anthony Davis, Landale, #47 Lively

Maybe we need to keep Schroeder for his one on one defense.

[LAKESHOW]

I mean we had the run and gun small ball era come thru, we as a franchise have seen many of such differing eras of basketball. We may be headed back to the era of the Big Man. We may have to adjust

[zuju]

I mean we had the run and gun small ball era come thru, we as a franchise have seen many of such differing eras of basketball. We may be headed back to the era of the Big Man. We may have to adjust

It may be an era with length and quickness. You want long and fast players to play multiple positions. Of course skillset and basketball IQ always matter

[LAKESHOW]

I didn't mention Porzingis, someone else did. However, think about it. What do we get with AD? No back to backs. Loss of games due to injury. Loss of games due to whatever reasons. KP is young, can shoot, has length, would be a formidable duo whenever AD returns back from whatever. Can still fill the role whenever AD is out. Can Man The middle. Can run a 2 man game with Bron, rebound etc...