01 Oct 2015 11:40:14
Lakers 2016-
Offseason:
Sign - Kevin Durant and Zaza Pachulia
SnT Jordan Clarkson, Nick Young, Larry Nance Jr, and future picks for Carmelo Anthony
- Knicks have made it clear that Melo doesn't fit the direction that the Knicks are going towards. Knicks are rebuilding. Clarkson is one of the young point guards in the game and made the NBA all rookie team. I can't see many teams wanting him.
Resign - Kobe Bryant and Roy Hibbert
(Both to hometown discounts)
D'Angelo Russell - Marcelo Huertas
Kobe Bryant - Lou Williams - Michael Frazier
Kevin Durant - Anthony Brown
Carmelo Anthony - Julius Randle
Roy Hibbert - Tarik Black - Robert Upshaw
Can you image Mamba, Melo, and KD playing together? If not trade for Melo they can always recruit Horford which IMO would be a better fit and more realistic.
SAS reported that KD has mutual interest in LA and is targeting LA if he doesn't resign in OKC.
01 Oct 2015 13:31:34
As discussed in a prior package, the knicks wouldn't have any interest in that trade. Nance and Young don't have much if any positive value, Clarkson is not nearly valuable enough for the knicks to consider him a center piece of a trade. Yes he is a young and plays pg. And yes he made 1st team all rookie. But the knicks have someone just as young, who made 2nd team, and now that guy is clinging to just make the roster. The rookie team is not of much importance. Rookie of the year, clearly is. To give you an understanding, Clarkson finished 6th in rookie of the year votes. He received 2. Ahead of him with 3. Jusuf Nurik. Winner was wiggens with 604. Not saying clarkson isn't decent, just no where near great.
As far as draft picks, the lakers don't have a 1st until 2020, so that helps no one.
Additionally, Kobe is on his last legs. Itll be fun to watch from a nostalgia standpoint, otherwise, probably not a real contender.
SAS ALWAYS reports everythiung is NY or LA. that's what he does.
01 Oct 2015 13:50:25
This is ridiculously one-sided.
The rest of the board thinks Russell and Randle and a pick might be enough for Melo.
Durant is far more likely to stay in OKC or go to his hometown in WAS than to go to the Lakers.
Stephen A Smith is always going to make up extreme things to say about LAL and NYK because those are big markets and get him attention. For example, last year didn't he talk about how hard it would be for the Lakers to choose whether to sign Kevin Love or LaMarcus Aldridge when they'd both want to be a Laker?
Finally, you even add "hometown discounts?" Excuse me, this is Kobe Bryant, who risked hamstringing your organization by demanding the MOST expensive salary in the entire NBA, when he was clearly not close to the best player in the NBA any more.
This whole thing is a pipe dream, and you should have woke up after last season.
01 Oct 2015 15:07:01
Shrink.
Damn that was so spot on!
01 Oct 2015 15:14:06
I just have one point of contention Shrink.
Kobe didn't demand the MOST expensive salary in the NBA. He simply didn't turn it down. The Lakers were foolish enough to offer him that extension before he returned from his achilles injury. On a business and competitive level, that was foolish to do. On a loyalty and personal level, I have respect for the Lakers paying him for what he's done for the organization.
01 Oct 2015 16:31:46
Can we stop calling clarkson one of the best young PGs in the NBA? He's not one of the ten best PGs under 25.
Lillard, wall, Irving, walker, Bledsoe, knight, MCW, holiday, and Rubio are all in another league to clarkson. And I'd take the future of Payton, smart, and exum over clarkson too. He's not even top 30 among point guards in three point percent or assist to turnover ratio.
And yeah, others hit on it, but that trade is terrible. Hibbert isn't taking a "home town discount" to play for a team he plays one year for and a city he's not from. Kobe isn't taking a home town discount cause he's Kobe.
01 Oct 2015 17:21:04
Any trade for Melo would demand young players to grow with Zinger and Grant. In addition, the Knicks would probably also try to restock their depleted draft situation. That makes the Lakers a bad partner in a bilateral trade since they also have a depleted draft situation.
Sixers, Boston, Denver, Toronto and Phoenix have an abundance of future picks so I think you'd have to include them in as a multilateral partner in order to satisfy the Knicks.
In addition, keep in mind that Melo has a no trade clause so he's not going to any of the above teams since he would want to be traded to a win-now situation or be part of a new Big 3 situation (as you're trying to do here).
Here's a link for who has what as far as future draft picks:
http://goo.gl/JH8Mu
01 Oct 2015 17:22:02
Actually, I think you're both wrong about Kobe and his contract. And believe me, I'm no Kobe fan. Here's an article about what he could have demanded. But that's not what he's getting.
http://goo.gl/LBuim2
As for Shrink's perspective on Carmello, yeah, the Knicks should be very happy if they get an offer of Russell and Randall and a 1st rounder for Melo.
Also agree that LA is not the top drawl that it once was. Still think studs that want the LA limelight would prefer the Clippers. Kobe is kind of a shadow on the organization right now. Too much unknown. He's not a long term solution.
Dwight Howard move not working out for Lakers was a real setback. He was supposed to be the guy to take over and it didn't work out. Time for the Lakers to be reborn under a new brand not called Kobe.
01 Oct 2015 17:38:51
The reason Kobe was on a $30 mil deal two years ago, far higher than anyone else, is because he's taken max deals, with max raises, for so many consecutive years.
I don't believe $25 mil was any sort of discount that Kobe, his agent, and the Lakers agreed upon. Most other players in his age group that had already made their fortunes took lower amounts commensurate with their ability, and some took major dicounts (Tim Duncan springs to mind). Kobe didn't, and his decision to sign that deal and suck up all that extra payroll was good for Kobe but clearly not good for the success of his team.
01 Oct 2015 18:18:29
Im not following you Shrink? $25M wasn't a discount? (The first year of his extension was actually for $23.5M, it went up to $25M this year). He took an $8.5M discount for what his max could have been. I understand that's not earth shattering, but in the article they said they had about $50M in cap space. With Kobe taking $23.5M, that left them about $26.5M left. That was enough to sign a max contract and a solid role player.
Before LeBron, Wade, & Bosh all took less to play together, I can't think of anybody taking a huge paycut to add more cap space. I don't know why Kobe is the only one who gets accused of being greedy.
Again, the Lakers offered him that extension and he accepted. He didn't demand max money. The Lakers probably had a plan with the remaining cap space and things didn't work out like they didn't again this last offseason.
01 Oct 2015 19:48:24
We are fair-minded people that disagree on what a discount is.
You believe that taking less than the max - only in his last deal - was a discount. However, that is not what he is worth. $23.5 and $25 mil is not what his market value is either - no team in the league would have offered him close to that. To me, that is the opposite of a "discount." He is costing the team by getting paid for production he can't produce.
When Kobe signed his $23.5 and $25 mil deal, several superstars had already taken discounts for far under $20 mil. I believe the LeBron, Bosh, Wade discounts came at the same time Kobe did not.
If he wanted to help the Lakers, he would not have taken the max deal five years ago, and he certainly would not have taken that much money last year.
01 Oct 2015 20:38:12
NLD. Dirk Nowitski. Tim Duncan. to name a couple.
Kobe is so prideful, it would be dillusional to believe he would play for what, less than Roy "Too Slow" Hibbert?
The prior post talking about home town discounts had kobe at like 12 mil and hibbert at 15 mill. Kobe would resign AND give a discount at best, 20 mill a year. He'd rather retire than take a 50% pay cut.
01 Oct 2015 21:01:59
Shrink, all I'm saying is that he didn't take the MAX this current contract. He got quite a bit, that's for sure. I'm not certain but the article said something about Dwight Howard. Maybe Kobe took less so Howard could take more and stay in LA while leaving some breathing room for the rest of the roster?
That Dwight Howard/Bynum deal with Orlando involved was a complete disaster. Did any team get better? Orlando got a couple picks from Sixers and Vucovic but they're still lottery fodder too.
01 Oct 2015 21:18:13
Duncan yes, Nowitzki has declined quite a bit and signed that discounted contract last year. Even so, you gave me 2 players. It's still not common practice for any player to leave money on the table.
Bosh & LeBron went on to sign max deals and LeBron keeps opting out and resigning for max after each year. Nobody's hating on him or Bosh.
My point is Dallas offered Dirk less and told him they would go after FA to help him win. They'll be lucky to make the playoffs this year. From what I read when Kobe signed his extension, that's what the Lakers offered him. They didn't approach him and ask him to take a discount so they could put more talent around him. That's the Laker's fault for doing that, not Kobe's.
How do you know he would have said no if they asked him to take less l? How do you know he wouldn't take a 50% paycut if he wanted to play longer and remain a Laker? You have no clue how much he'd be willing to resign for.
01 Oct 2015 23:24:06
Bosh and Lebron took a paycut and so did dirk and that was at the time of free agency. If the Lakers had signed him to an extension at the time of free agency they would've offered him less. Let melo stay on thee knicks. I would rather see Russell and randle traded for Cousins. If Durant comes to la I think Kobe wouldn't mind coming back at less than 12.5 mill. If now free agents come he will retire and live happy. Let this offseason talk take place after the year besides stephen a smith say the knicks might team melo up with kobe and durant and reports something else each week.
01 Oct 2015 23:48:49
A) Kings won't trade Cousins for russell and randle. so just stop.
B) LeBron and Bosh took less money in the PRIME of their careers.
C) LeBron is the best in the game. End of story. Where he goes, they get to the finals. He can do what he wants and there's nothing wrong with it.
D) Durant isn't going to LA. I would say 40% OKC. 40% Washington. 10% some wild card. He has no ties with the lakers. Besdies liking kobe. why else would he go? Kobe is going on his what, 20th season? that's like signing a long term contract to play 1 year with Jordan on the wizards. It doesn't make sense. Once Kobe is gone, he's there with Hibbert and some rookies. that's lovely.
02 Oct 2015 00:09:26
Russell and Randle are a good package for the kings considering they would rebuild. It was a no brainier for lebron to take less money to team up with an all star because he was focused on "winning". Not a lebron fan at all. If kobe was going to get a key free agent he would've taken less money but the lakers decide to offer him one during the season and you can blame that mostly on JIM BUSS WHO NEEDS TO GO. Just because they don't have ties with the city doesn't mean they can't go there, look at monroe and what al jefferson did. With signing Durant lakers would still have cap space to sign their center not just hibbert. I think someone would want to team up with durant.
02 Oct 2015 02:21:48
Russell and Randle is a good package, just no where near the value for Cousins. Most teams don't see Randle as this all star level pro. And Russell is a big who knows as of now.
What did monroe do? He took the MAX with the bucks. What did al jefferson do? He opted in to the final year of a large contract for the specific reason to capitalize on the cap boom in a year. Your references really don't deal with anything.
Fianlly, to the last point. DURANT isn't LEAVING OKC, SAYING NO TO PLAYING IN DC FOR HIS HOME, SAYING NO TO PLAYING IN NYC WITH MELO, TO GO TO A REBUILD IN LA WITH THE HOPES AND PRAYERS THAT SOMEONE WILL WANT TO BE HIS FRIEND AND COME PLAY CENTER.
Im glad we can all talk about how forfeiting millions is a no brainer. LeBron was in a special situation in that he is so marketable. Yes, these people are still making 10, 12, 15 million a year. But really. its still MILLIONS they are leaving behind. And why? Because we think they should be nice? It doesn't happen. Not with people like Kobe. Deal with it.
02 Oct 2015 03:08:22
I think it's the Lakers who need to rebuild, not the Kings.
02 Oct 2015 04:42:31
"how do I know Kobe wouldn't have taken less if the Lakers offered less?" seriously?
You know, he or his agent could have offered to take less at any time!
Some players take contracts that hurt their team and that they won't be able to produce at that level. Those are selfish players - selfish to the owner, selfish to the team by using up payroll that could bring in more talent, and therefore selfish to the fans.
If you are saying Kobe was not aware that taking more money than he deserved would hurt the team, then you or he must be very naive.
Finally, Philly, the Collective Bargaining Agreement provides the rules that allow every player to get a max deal. Every player that is not on a max deal is not taking a "discount." If you say, "well, some don't deserve a max deal," that's true -- and Kobe was one of those players.
02 Oct 2015 14:51:12
Mr sluggo must have high hopes for the Kings team. Lakers are rebuilding and the Kings have been rebuilding for 10 years and need to do something or the fans in sactown who are loyal. Pizza you brought up that durant has no ties with la. So then I said that Monroe and al Jefferson had no ties but they signed in free agency.
02 Oct 2015 15:38:10
King, you REALLY need to read the posts accurately. I said Hibbert has zero connections thus he wouldn't give a hometown discount. The other doesn't even make sense. So you think I was saying players don't switch teams, ever? So you decide to give me examples of players that signed elsewhere?
Again. the thought is that Hibbert and Kobe will give a huge "home town discount" so the lakers can then max out Durant, trade for the maxed out Melo, or potentially sign a maxed out Center. Its unrealistic. Everyone, minus "king" and NLD have come to that conclusion.
Side note. I read the SAS article in which he said LA is the choice. Apparently, the part which was missed was the second more telling part in which he said he just keeps hearing "kobe, Melo, Durant" And seeing as P jaxson is in NYC, and the subtle hints of Kobe leaving LA(which I don't necessarily buy) that NY could be a landing spot. SAS is the king of inaccurate speculation, so stop listening and preaching his nonsense.
02 Oct 2015 16:39:30
Oh, as for the Kings.
I think they're lottery fodder and actually get the ping pong balls to land in their favor and get a top 3 pick- only to be forced to swap it with the Sixers.
Just have a wave of karma washing over me for some reason.
02 Oct 2015 23:23:28
Pizza Ben Miller was the person who said Hibbert wouldn't take a homeoptown discount and he wouldn't because it's not his hometown and he's only going to play one year there. You weren't the one to say it so stop accusing me of not reading it all the way when you don't. You said durant has no connections to la so he shouldn't sign there so I brought up some people who had NO connections to those teams and they signed. Understand?
03 Oct 2015 05:27:25
Didn't realize I apparently claimed ownership of that observation. Also didn't realize you could possibly think anyone would truly believe that players don't switch teams. I'll be clearer next time to make sure you get the point. I know people switch teams in free agency. I also know people don't give home town discounts when they have been around for 6 months. Or when they are Kobe.
03 Oct 2015 15:35:12
Kobe would take less than 15 mill this year if he were to come back and sorry you don't understand my point. I know Hibbert won't give a discount unless he really really likes it la.
03 Oct 2015 20:12:49
Alright King. I'm done with this. Clearly you are friends with those two to know Kobe will suddenly take half his salary and hibbert will potentially give a discount to sign with a team. Makes no sense. But hey, clearly you must know them and have insider info to be able to so strongly stake claim to moves that go against all typical and rational moves.
03 Oct 2015 20:43:14
I SAID that HIBBERT WOULD NOT TAKE A DISCOUNT. Maybe in all caps you will get the point.