Incipio wrote:Whole Truth wrote:facothomas22 wrote:Very easy.The Lakers and it's not even close. They have zero 1st round draft picks until 2027(yes you're reading that correctly). They have Lebron James,who will opt out for Free Agency after next season. Russell Westbrook will be a Free Agent after next season.That leave them with a injury prome Anthony Davis and bunch of low tier role player/scrubs until Davis expire in 2025,which at that point,he will opt out for free agency. I wouldn't be suprised if from the 2025/26-2027/28 seasons,their best players end up being someone like Austin Reeves or Horton Tucker who both have ceiling of a low tier role players. Even the 80s Clippers or the 2010s Kings weren't this awful position wise and had some actual good players to work with despite of being terrible overall.
Lakers don't have their pick potentially till 2027 because NO's own the right to swap yrs in 24/25 which ties up an additional yr. If Lakers are lottery in 24 & NO's like their draft position, Lakers will have their 25th pick & can trade their 26th pick. So essentially if LA is bad in the recent future & convey in 24, it would be the last yr they owe a pick restricting future trade. Same yr they possible shed most of their salary obligation.
If Davis is relatively healthy next season, Lakers will IMO have a bounce back yr.. Lebron didn't take the 2 yr extension & Russ is coming off the books in 24. One last run with Lebron/AD 23, one thow away season 24, they clear their cap, their picks owed & still have Davs in his prime if he's not traded for assets.
I wouldb't put money on their demise, though it's possible.
Agree.
Lakers have a first round pick in 2023, a pick in 2024 or 2025, and then all their first round picks 2026 and onward. Whoever said Lakers have no first round picks until 2027 is straight up lying.
Lakers also don't have any terrible long term contracts. They can easily add a max free agent to pair with AD if Lebron is gone.
That poster used a poor choice of words. Due to the draft rule, a team can't trade a first B2B yrs. So the fact Pelicans reserve the right to swap yr 24 for 25, until they convert that pick, Lakers can't trade a first till 27, which is what that poster was most likely getting at, though worded poorly, saying no pick till, when he should have said, can't trade a pick till. Even then that's not exactly correct either. In the case NO's take the Lakers pick in 24, the earliest, is 26.
NO's have the RTS in 23.
NO's have the RTS yrs 24/25.
Lakers at worse settle debt in 25, if they don't worsen their current situation. Use a FRP to move WB, to add a player, or to clear cap in order to sign Monk, etc.
Lakers really only lose one more pick after this year. So his statement is not true as stated but the intent in his post was to say they can't trade a pick till 27, which will handcuff the trade avenue to improve the team for at least 4-5yrs & though they only lose one pick over that span, NO's control the next 3 Lakers drafts where they will get the best of 2 picks available to the Lakers.
Their cap situation as I stated isn't bad either if they don't force the WB situation. By 24 It's basically AD & a fairly clean slate but they could worsen the cap situation by trade or by stretch provision, possibly used to sign/retain Monk.
I think LA will have a bounce back yr next yr even if they do little over the offseason, they only need a healthy Davis in reality. Then it's potentially one down season to clear cap, settle debt & it's AD + a clean slate. Money off the books & pick debt settled.
OF course this is dependent on Lakers not forcing the issue which is yet to be seen.
