Will we be able to keep all the free agents next year

kevin_405 · Post #1 » by **kevin_405** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 5:41 am

Lamar, Ariza, Shannon and Josh are all free agents next year.

All of them look like solid contributers and important pieces of another dynasty in the making.

Will we be able to re sign them especially with the reduced Salary cap expected next year.

DEEP3CL · Post #2 » by **DEEP3CL** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 6:31 am

Can we just worry about the playoffs first then get to the off season when we get to it ? Right now this is just irrelevent.

TylersLakers · Post #3 » by **TylersLakers** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:44 am

Josh Powell will be with the Lakers next season. He has a contract of around 1m a year. He's not a free agent, despite some web sites that says he is.

I agree with Deep.

slifersd · Post #4 » by **slifersd** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:48 am

I think we have a team option on Powell, so he is coming back. I am not going to worry too much about Brown because he has only played like 10 good games, hardly justify a MLE yet. So our only potential problems are still Ariza and Odom.

Dr Aki · Post #5 » by **Dr Aki** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:20 am

its not a team option, its a 2nd unguaranteed year

and yes, this team will be kept together, dr buss wants those rings and is willing to keep the core together

kobe's opting out to sign a 135M/5yr, tacking on even more money onto the cap

meanwhile, lamar is probably going to take a 25% pay cut, ariza gets a nice pay raise and shannon might get a middle of the road contract using a portion of our MLE

lakersfanatic · Post #6 » by **lakersfanatic** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:20 pm

If we win the championship, i'm pretty sure they would all like to stay and repeat. But if we don't. most likely they'll go for more money.. and that's just business talking.

For some of them, they're future is more important IE turiaf. I prefer to keep the team intact but that would mean either LO takes a paycut or Ariza. Josh and Shannon.. we just have to wait and see...

That Nicka · Post #7 » by **That Nicka** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 5:04 pm

The great thiing about Shannon Brown is we can probably keep him for cheap... Ariza and Odom we will probably keep as well... We can get rid of Farmar and Morrison as expirings next season to lighten the load

Jajwanda · Post #8 » by **Jajwanda** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 6:53 pm

No it's not business talking when you say so and so may move on, because if they do we change from title favorite to title contender in a matter of seconds. Those home games, especially Finals games mean major money.

Detroit, Toronto, and New Jersey are the main candidates for Odom since we won't sign off on any sign and trade. Detroit will compete heavily with us but there are other candidates available and it's a C more than a PF that they need. Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell probably get the most attention for those guys and Boozer would be a better bet with his bulk. It can happen though. New Jersey is possible but I think New Jersey will hold out for bigger hopes in 2010. Toronto? Ehh, I think they'll hold onto Bargnani-Bosh for now and go after a SF scorer. Chances are Odom would get an offer of about 8m which we're likely to match. That'll mean about 6.5m in his first year.

Ariza won't get above the MLE, the only team who might give more would be Toronto and while he somewhat fits I still doubt they do it. There are so many options available for less money. Expect about 4.8m for Ariza in his first year. Shannon has plenty of available teams but he may want to just stay for 2 years/5m now that he's found a fit. First year should be 2.4m. 13.7m would be the total for all three players and once you figure that it'll be about 87.8m making it close to aa 99-100m payroll.

Management will get creative in trying to save cash in the mean time. Who knows maybe they dish off Walton+Farmar+the rights to our first to a non 2010 team. Orlando is likely to lose Turkoglu this year and it would make sense for them to simply send an expiring. Walton will feed Howard nicely off the bench and fix any ball flow problems they have. Farmar should be a nice moveable piece for them and a pick is a pick. They also do it to save a little cash in the mean time sending us the larger Battie contract. We have to pay more this year but we save major cash in future years. It's probably the best chance to get Luke on another team that we'll get. Morrison may be dealt+3m in cash to a team with a 3-3.5m expiring (we'd pay about 9m total, the other team would gain about 500-700k in the process) instead of close to 11m.

Sasha could always be another possible trade option. Maybe we deal him for a pure expiring since he has some value but can be replaced in the draft by a PG/SG. Options exist.

It's just important not to underestimate Buss' desire to win. He realizes that Odom's a critical part of the team. Turiaf on the other hand wasn't anymore and was easily replaceable. Be glad we didn't make that mistake. It's too bad though that we made one on Sasha. Letting him go would have produced 10m off of that total. If we do lose a guy like Odom don't fret. Could always sign a Rasheed Wallce for the full MLE instead. He'd be a nice fit at PF.

kevin_405 · Post #9 » by **kevin_405** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 6:55 pm

Expiring contracts usually require we take on something in return.. Looks like a difficult proposition considering we would be over the cap.

That Nicka wrote:The great thiing about Shannon Brown is we can probably keep him for cheap... Ariza and Odom we will probably keep as well... We can get rid of Farmar and Morrison as expirings next season to lighten the load

Erik Eleven · Post #10 » by **Erik Eleven** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:56 pm

The outcome of the playoffs is likely to change this discussion altogether. Premature.

kevin_405 · Post #11 » by **kevin_405** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:23 pm

I doubt it.. We will stay put and try to resign everyone regardless of the outcome.

Erik Eleven wrote:The outcome of the playoffs is likely to change this discussion altogether. Premature.

KingLakers · Post #12 » by **KingLakers** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:31 am

Considering the Magic may look to move Alston maybe the Lakers can send Farmar and Morrison to Olando for Battie. Farmar would be a better backup cause Alston will probably not like coming off the bench so he would want to go to a team where he can start. All of their contracts will be expiring in 2010.

Blazer_2458 · Post #13 » by **Blazer_2458** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:20 am

TO the poster above, i GUARANTEE that Toronto would offer the full MLE to Ariza. He is Exactly what they need at the 3.

Erik Eleven · Post #14 » by **Erik Eleven** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:54 am

Ariza will get paid this summer, indeed.

Dr Aki · Post #15 » by **Dr Aki** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:58 am

Blazer_2458 wrote:TO the poster above, i GUARANTEE that Toronto would offer the full MLE to Ariza. He is Exactly what they need at the 3.

you realise he cant create off his dribble, and is shooting at 31% from 3pt land? hes got long arms for playing passing lanes but isnt all that good at staying in front of his man?

im not sure toronto wants that, ariza is doing so well because he plays so well off kobe and pau. last time i looked, toronto dont have guys that attract that much attention

and im not sure a LA native would want to go play in canada either...

That Nicka · Post #16 » by **That Nicka** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:51 pm

kevin_405 wrote:Expiring contracts usually require we take on something in return.. Looks like a difficult proposition considering we would be over the cap.

We can trade Farmar for a 2nd round pick I'm sure... we might be able to trade them both for a trade exception... or we can just hold on to them both and let them expire at the end of the year

Dexmor · Post #17 » by **Dexmor** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:10 pm

I wanna say teams no better that great players make role players look better then they are but the Damon Jones of the world have shown me that there are some gm's who are just flat out (Please Use More Appropriate Word).
WIth that said with the economy being so bad Im not worried about the free agents. The only guy I could see leaving is Farmar when he has the chance if he is not starting by then. Teams think he is a starting pg and he probably does to and somebody will offer him money.
As for Ariza we know he is worth a decent contract and will probably want to stay with his california ties.
Odom has been nice enough to tell us he is gonna sign for cheap and stay with us so we don't worry so there is nothing to worry about with him either.
The Lakers can afford Josh Powell and Shannon Brown is so replaceable no matter what happens it isn't even funny.
I don't even think we should resign him though I would go after a Ben Gorden type guy at the pg spot. We should take advantage of the fact that our pg's don't need to be pg's and we can afford to have a undersized scoring sg which for some reason we never got or at least never got a good one.

CITYOFANGELSX3 · Post #18 » by **CITYOFANGELSX3** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:02 pm

Ariza should be #1, LO a close 2nd.

pooteeweet · Post #19 » by **pooteeweet** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:37 pm

daddyfivestar · Post #20 » by **daddyfivestar** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:00 pm

My guess is LA will keep only one of LO or Ariza, and the other will be gone.

Since the Lakers will already be over the TAX (not just Cap) with 10 players under contract next season, it's doubtful they will all be signed - - - Unless Buss wants to pay out all that lux tax and they take smaller offers to stay. Right now, LA is on the hook for almost 75 mill next year for their 10 guys. The tax threshold is going down a few mill which will also hurt this whole thing and give Buss a giant headache.

As for Brown, he'll probably get an offer but it'll be less than other ones he gets home and abroad. He'll have to decide whether he wants more cash or another shot at a ring.