01 Mar 2015 21:02:24
I made a Lakers offseason scenario a few weeks back (different account), and I don't quite remember all of the details-however I do remember I received a lot of positive feedback from not just my fellow Lakers fans, but from NBA fans as well. So here is another Lakers offseason scenario, more detailed with cap and contract notes. Enjoy
1. Draft day
IF and only IF the Lakers are able to keep their top 5 pick, let's say based off of mock drafts, they get pick #4; I think they should make this trade:
Lakers-Jazz
Lakers receive: Trey Burke (2.6M in 2016), Jazz possible 8th pick
Jazz receive: Lakers possible 4th pick
-Jazz already benched Burke in favors of Dante Exum. Next season, they will be getting back Alec Burks, who was seen to be the 6th man of the Jazz, a role and the position Burke is in. With the 4th pick, they have the possibility to get better by drafting D'Angelo Russell or Mudiay to be their future PG, and have the interchangeable back court.
Lakers Draft: Willy Cauley-Stein
2. Free Agency (available 30M)
Lakers have 30M available to spend BEFORE picking up the options of Jordan Clarkson, Tarik Black, Jordan Hill and the trade I mentioned above however the Lakers have trade exceptions worth nearly 3M (possibly expired).
Weaknesses: defense, wing scoring
Sign:
well, offer:
-Jimmy Butler (4y, 80m)
*Before Bulls fans start to say "He's staying" "Chicago is offering him the max" "He wants to stay in Chicago". Look at what's unfolding in your franchise. Your MVP point guard injures his knee EVERY season for the past 3-4 years! In other words, you guys are in a grey state: not a contending team and not a bad team. The Clippers of the East. You guys have a 61M payroll next season, the cap is expected to jump to 67M. The 61M payroll does not include the contracts of Kirk Hinrich (PO) and Aron Brooks (UFA) meaning you must either re-sign them or replace them. Even if you trade away Gibson (8.5M), that would place you guys at 53M, matching any max contract would place the Bulls salary above 75M. The expected luxury line is 77M. Is he worth limiting your movement or should you guys just try to go after Wes Mathews and develop Snell/Doug? It's just a scenario so don't panic.
-Rajon Rondo (3y, 33m - 1m less than current contract)
*Very possible, Kobe plans to recruit him heavily, and that spat with Carlisle isn't helping anything. I'm sure that wouldn't be the sole reason he leaves, but like I said, it surely doesn't help. Scott would give him freedom on offense as long as he defends because Scott has horrible offense strategy
3. Re-sign
-Ed Davis (2y, 8m)
Pick up TOs
-Jordan Clarkson
-Tarik Black
*Sadly, Robert Sacre would have to be let go (money, his contract steadily increases) and Jordan Hill would cost too much to keep--Lakers would have less money to spend
PG: Rajon Rondo/Trey Burke
SG: Kobe Bryant/Jordan Clarkson/(Rockets pick)
SF: Jimmy Butler/Nick Young/(Rockets pick)
PF: Julius Randle/Ryan Kelly/Tarik Black
C: Willy Cauley-Stein/Ed Davis
Notes:
-Rajon Rondo can make Cauley-Stein look like gold. a lot of lobs and easy baskets around the rim
-Trey Burke can be what Reggie Jackson was for OKC, except no one will blame him (maybe Kobe, jk)
-Lakers get a shot blocker, which is what they desperately needed.
-Front court chemistry with Randle and Cauley-Stein
-Good all around balance of defense/offense
I said the Lakers had 30M to spend, with all additions, they would have spent nearly 36M, Meaning they are 6M over but not entirely over the luxury line.
Rondo isn't going to play for lakers. He might sign with rockets. he's much older now and he wants to win not rebuild
Its funny that you mention look at what is happening with the bulls. yeah, without rose they are in the top 3. Even when the lakers had Kobe, they were in the bottom. i'd EASILY choose to stay with the bulls if I was butler.
Rondo. he's on an old contract. And now in his prime you want to offer him less. Or he can go to any of the 5-10 teams that would be willing to be more like 15 mill per year which hell get and have a supporting cast besides kobe throwing up 25 shots a game at 35%.
The jazz will not give up trey burke AND the 8th for the 4th. Its always amazing how lakers fans thinking works. Just because its la means nothing. The major markets are chicago, new york and la. The lakers have so little upside because of kobe holding everything down. Chicago is going strong and at least new york has phil jackson, a top scorer in his prime AND tons of cap space. This is a miserable post.
I do however love how you claim to have gotten so much love for a prior post with a different name for which you can't find now.
02 Mar 2015 01:44:32
Jimmy Butler is not worth 20 million a year
Harris more realistic then Butler
Everything is reasonable, and in the case of the draft day trade, creative and fair.
That said, and no matter how much you try to ration it, the Bulls will keep Butler. Yes, Rose is out of the lineup more than in, but that's why they need to hold on to a rising star like Butler. Yes, their cap situation is not favourable, but it wouldn't be with or without Butler.
For the team options of players, teams have to decide it whatever they will pick up or not, before June 30, 2015. Also, Lakers is going to have $22-23M cap space. If they would trade for T.Burke, it would be about $21M.
Possible max contract for Butler won't be more than 4-year, $72M. Anyway, we know Bulls will match any offer for Jimmy.
1) got to commend you simply for having the contrasting qualities of being a lakers fan in 2015 and being realistic in the moves potentially made.
2) as a bulls fan, IF lakers offer butler 18-20 mil a year, bulls say no and probably blow it up or give snell a larger role
3) I think davis starts over caulie-stien