[bigdog_jonesParticipant]

Anyone think Lakers have a chance of repeating? What if Odom or Ariza leaves?

[Ch13f23Participant]

For God’s sake let them savor first the championship the’ve won today. Nice question though. haha

[llperez]

I really hope they keep both Odom and Ariza. Odom is one of my favorite players and he really wants to be in LA next year. But the reality is that the Lakers are already over the cap next year before they try to sign either of those guys. Every dollar those guys get will be in the luxury tax.

[OKCfanParticipant]

Trevor Ariza Get ready to get over paid.

[rvirsalParticipant]

i think they’ll try their best to keep all of the players in the championship team. some aging veterans would probably try to join the team, i’m not sure if there are any though (kidd? joe smith? rasheed? ai?). lakers have a big chance in repeating, spurs, nuggets, mavs, portland, houston and the jazz would be there but only the spurs and houston (if they’re healthy) could actually match up with the lakers (pick and roll is the weakness of the lakers if you don’t know). in the eastern conference, cavs would be back stronger, magic would be back, celtics would also be back. miami could surprise teams (beasely’s expanding his offensive arsenal this offseason).

as for the lakers, shannon brown would be better with a full training camp, ariza would only get better, he had some kobe-like perimeter shots in the finals, morrison could add some scoring of the bench (less pressure for him so he could have some good looks), bynum would learn more from kareem abdul-jabbar, mbenga would be mbenga.

i hope kobe takes a pay reduction like what odom plans to do. if they do that they could certainly keep the whole team and everyone is well compensated for.

[dwat4444Participant]

Agreed. I believe that any star that really wants to win a championship should take less money. I mean is there really a difference between 25 and 15 million? I know if I was Lebron or Kobe or Howard I would take less money in order to be able to get a really nice team around me.

[sheltwon3Participant]

We will see because if they can keep everyone and with them improving and with Brown a good perimeter defender getting more comfortable with their game, they could be very dangerous. Also with Bynum developing as well. They should trade Farmar and draft a young point or pick up a cheap vet. They should also let Morrison go because they have Luke Walton and Morrison can not defend pass or shoot well enough to get minutes behind Kobe Ariza, or Luke. If they can trade Vujacic they need to do it. Brown and some new young stud will take his minutes but then again he may step it up now.

[Stanford hoopsParticipant]

actually they did the numbers and they should be able toresign both and be under the cap..odom made alot of money this year and with the pay cut hes willing to take that will be added to arezias new contract..on hoopsworld they did the numbers and unless both ask for alot more then they are worth then the numbers work out perfectly

[STEVEDOT2Participant]

morrison can leave come on kidd or A.I

[llperez]

I checked out the roster and every players contracts for next year, and the whole team ,before they try to resign anybody, is currently at 74 million assuming Kobe Does’nt leave. Think about it Kobe makes about 22 mill, Gasol 15 mill, Bynum’s new contract kicks in next year at around 10 mill. Luke, Sasha, Derek, and Morrison are all at 5 mill. That’s about 67 million right there. Add in the few role players like Farmar who are under contract and it comes out to 74 million before they try to resign anybody. The salary cap has been around 70 mill for years now and it is expected to go down a little. It will be very difficult for the Lakers to sign Odom, Ariza, and Brown, unless Hoopsworld knows something I don’t.

[Stanford hoopsParticipant]

i think because some players wont be there and the salary between ariza and odom will be the same because odom will make less money next year then he did this year and arezia will be getting the money taken from odom and added to his contract.

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