2014 cap space options.

[Dr Aki]

i know this is probably much too early to speculate... because we don't know what THIS team is capable of, obviously if we win a ring, that might make it worth chasing...

but what the hell...

the lakers have nearly 70 million dollars in expiring contracts (WOW!)
- kobe 30.5 mil
- pau - 19.3 mil
- MWP - 7.7 mil (assuming we don't amnesty him in summer of 2013 to save big bucks)
- blake - 4 mil
- duhon - 3.9 mil
- hill - 3.5 mil

assuming we re-sign dwight for the max, and assuming we re-up kobe and pau for something similar (hopefully a lot less, to afford us some cap flex).

so in summer 2014:
1. dwight - 22mil (or so)
2. nash - 9.7 mil
3. kobe - ??? mil (guestimate)
4. pau - ??? mil (guestimate)

the 2012/13 salary cap will be set at 58 mil and LT at 70 mil. let's assume they increase by 1 mil each, so by the 2014/15 season, the cap will be 60 mil even and at 72 mil for the LT. we also have our amnesty up our sleeve if we want to blow it on world peace (7.7mil, i'm assuming we definitely will)

what do you think jimmy and mitch can conjure up?
1. in terms of getting talent in return.
2. in terms of getting under that luxury tax threshold in 2014 (assuming kobe and pau re-sign) in the hope that we also stay under for the 2015/16 season as well?

do we go the FA route, try to convince kobe and pau to take really small contracts? and try to pick up a marquee FA (and there are a lot of them in 2014)? (damn look at the SF list)

or do we deal? we have 19.2 mil (inc. MWP), or 11.5 mil (exc. MWP) in expiring contracts and continue to eat that super tax??

As Coon mentions in Helin's report, starting in 2014-15 "a team $30 million over the tax line will pay—brace yourself—an additional $115 million in luxury tax" because of the repeat offender violations. Los Angeles' overages will add up, and they won't go away with things as they currently stand.

Thoughts?

[dockingsched]

without knowing what the hell is going to happen these next two yrs, i think its more realistic that the lakers give kobe/pau 1 yr deals in 2014 and give it another go, then go for cap space plan 2015 with just dwight on the books.

lebron ain't going nowhere, so 2014 seems pretty wack as a FA class.

[Dr Aki]

gay, granger, deng would look mighty good in a laker uni

maybe even dirk would like to ring chase for another before he hangs it up

[endless]

I hope we don't resign Kobe, unless he gives us hometown discount.

[DEEP3CL]

The key is to get Kobe and Pau to slim down their earnings and go from there. We'll be OK no matter what.

[dockingsched]

what do you expect kobe/pau to sign for?

with dwight/nash on the books, you're at 32~ mil. with only two players, you're looking at having 11 roster spot cap holds worth around 500k each, so you're down another 5.5 mil in cap space, putting you around ~37 mil. going off your 60 mil guesstimate, you're at 23 mil cap space. kobe/pau would need to sign very tiny deals to be able to afford a max contract, and are guys like gay/granger/deng ones you want to team up dwight with for the rest of his prime yrs.

i'm looking at 2015, with just dwight on the books at 22-23, you have about 30 mil in cap space after cap holds. go get me rajon rondo and lamarcus aldridge for another big 3

[DEEP3CL]

Aldridge won't be around in 2015, word has it that he'll be the next to put out claims of wanting out. Whoever trades for him will lock him up.

[Dr Aki]

okay, maybe getting a max FA was a pipedream.

my "bare minimum" plan was to at the very least get under that LT threshold so we reset out repeater tax offender status.

and who knows? maybe in summer 2014, LMA issues portland an ultimatum and we S&T him (we'd be allowed because we'd be non-tax payers) and we get him for a pau S&T and filler.

[TheHartBreakKid]

Aldridge won't be around in 2015, word has it that he'll be the next to put out claims of wanting out. Whoever trades for him will lock him up.

I'm sure Mitch already has a Duhon/Metta deal on the table


But I agree with the idea of waiting around for 2015. Give Kobe and Pau as much as they want for one year...Kobe will hopefully be looking for number 7 (or 8 ), so he might be convinced to stick around. Pau might be looking for a multiyear term though. But I think it makes perfect sense to completely rebuild around Dwight after 3 years rather than 2. Nash's contract and better FA being the reason for doing so.

[Stebo_SSK]

If Melo declines to opt into his last year then he would be on the market, not sure if he would be worth it tho. Star power yes but for winning, i'd pass.

[The Skyhook]

Wait it out until 2015 and bring in the Love Machine to pair alongside Dwight. You will never get out rebounded with Kevin Love and Dwight at the PF and C spots.

After reading Doc's comment I realize Rondo is also a free agent in 2015. I know Rondo is on the Celtics but I have a ton of respect for his game.

Rondo
Love
Dwight

That is one hell of a big 3.

[Penberthy]

Are the new higher end contracts going to be for less money because of the new cap deal?

[Bandwagon1]

Ill be a Laker guys dont worry

[Stebo_SSK]

gay, granger, deng would look mighty good in a laker uni

maybe even dirk would like to ring chase for another before he hangs it up

Dirk already stated this past week he wont ring chase. I wouldnt want to see him do that anyway at his age. Dirk should go out as the greatest Mav in history to date and leave it at that.

[Stebo_SSK]

what do you expect kobe/pau to sign for?

with dwight/nash on the books, you're at 32~ mil. with only two players, you're looking at having 11 roster spot cap holds worth around 500k each, so you're down another 5.5 mil in cap space, putting you around ~37 mil. going off your 60 mil guesstimate, you're at 23 mil cap space. kobe/pau would need to sign very tiny deals to be able to afford a max contract, and are guys like gay/granger/deng ones you want to team up dwight with for the rest of his prime yrs.

i'm looking at 2015, with just dwight on the books at 22-23, you have about 30 mil in cap space after cap holds. go get me rajon rondo and lamarcus aldridge for another big 3

Yea this is probably a better scenario. Highly doubt LA makes a splash after 13-14 season. The Heat players scenario is almost a no go so it shouldnt even be entertained. Melo is the only worthy player in the bunch worth throwing cash at and even then Im not sure about Melo being the best player to try to keep winning on.

[LApwnd]

I like the 2015 idea and would give Pau $10mill/yr and Kobe $15mill/yr so 25 on top of the 30 of Howard/Nash, so we'd be in around 50-55 between the 4 guys. Then use full MLE on a key contributor and fill out the rest of the roster with 1 yr contracts or 1yr with 2nd yr team options.

[Pablo Escobar]

If Melo declines to opt into his last year then he would be on the market, not sure if he would be worth it tho. Star power yes but for winning, i'd pass.

Melo sucks lol he can rot in NY

[Stebo_SSK]

If Melo declines to opt into his last year then he would be on the market, not sure if he would be worth it tho. Star power yes but for winning, i'd pass.

Melo sucks lol he can rot in NY

Dude, stop being a troll. Im the furthest from a Melo and think he is overrated but lets stop with the sucks talk. The dude is still a good player.

[TheHartBreakKid]

Melo is a good player, but I'm not giving him the max for 5 years when he's 30. I would much rather throw that money to Love, who I feel like would love to play in LA and could be ours if we want him at 2015. Love and Dwight are probably the best rebounding frontcourt ever, and they fit amazingly together on offense. Rondo is also a free agent that year. I'm not exactly sure the contracts (new cba) work, and if Rondo would ever want to be a Laker, but I'm pretty sure if we only re-sign Kobe/Pau for one more year, we should be able to add on two more max contracts..Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Wall is also a free agent that year, but I'm sure he'll be extended by then. Westbrook would be ideal since he's buddies with love, but he won't be a free agent for another year after that and I doubt he would leave the Thunder. But anyways a Love/Dwight combo is a good place to start, especially considering that the Heat's window will be closing by then, and the super-team will pretty much be ending due to the cba. But honestly the details don't really matter...the day that Dwight re-signs with us (knock on wood) will guarantee us being a powerhouse for another 3-5 years. 3-5 years is more than enough time for our front office to take the next step. Basically, we're the best.

[LAKESHOW]

i say slap down the BIG BUCKS for you know who from the clippers. Lock up him and howard, and build the rest around those 2 as our future. Not even the clippers will be able to match the big bucks we'll throw at a big time PG. Now if the clippers do match or go bigger, theyre locked in and cash strapped. Weve just tied them up for a few years where they cannot make many more moves. Whatever the cap situation will be, WE WILL STILL HAVE A GLARING NEED FOR A PG! Nash aint gettin any younger.