What do the Lakers do now?

Wait until 2017 when Russell Westbrook becomes a FA and pray he wants to come back home. Also once Kobe is off the books they will have mucho cap space. They should realize that 2nd tier players aren’t going to get them into contention and be patient….but they aren’t the most patient organization because they have always had multiple star players. It will be interesting how quickly they try to reload since nobody has interest in playing in LA just because it is LA now. They tried that pitch with Aldridge and he laughed at them…it is about winning basketball games not lifestyle for these big name free agents. With social media you can be a star in Oklahoma…you don’t need a big city like LA or NY to make a name for yourself like you did 10-20 years ago.

Wait until 2017 when Russell Westbrook becomes a FA and pray he wants to come back home. Also once Kobe is off the books they will have mucho cap space. They should realize that 2nd tier players aren’t going to get them into contention and be patient….but they aren’t the most patient organization because they have always had multiple star players. It will be interesting how quickly they try to reload since nobody has interest in playing in LA just because it is LA now. They tried that pitch with Aldridge and he laughed at them…it is about winning basketball games not lifestyle for these big name free agents. With social media you can be a star in Oklahoma…you don’t need a big city like LA or NY to make a name for yourself like you did 10-20 years ago.

Pray they get a top 3 pick.

Not many impact players left who they could get. Maybe they have a small chance of signing Jordan, but unlikely. Tobias Harris and Robin Lopez would make some sense. Unlikely that Orlando wouldn’t match anything for Harris, though. 

If they end up with the 4th pick – with it going to Philly – how would that MCW trade look then? 

Pray they get a top 3 pick.

Not many impact players left who they could get. Maybe they have a small chance of signing Jordan, but unlikely. Tobias Harris and Robin Lopez would make some sense. Unlikely that Orlando wouldn’t match anything for Harris, though. 

If they end up with the 4th pick – with it going to Philly – how would that MCW trade look then? 

I really think the Lakers have to try to convince Deandre Jordan to stay in LA but in Purple and Gold, he’s the only guy that could make an Impact going forward,I just doubt he’ll be interested in that type of by lateral movement

Where do they end up in the standings if they can’t improve their roster via Free Agency? Can they make the Playoffs with Kobe, Randle and Russell? What kind of trades could they even make if all the other Free Agents bulk at LA? They have to be pretty low on assets outside of Clarkson, Russell and Randle(who should all be untradable unless it’s for Westbrook or Durant)

Philadelphia has to be watching the Lakers movements in loom of the 2016 Draft, where we own their pick outside the Top 3, the 76ers will be looking for Ben Simmons with their own pick and back court player with any additional Pick they land via LA, Miami or OKC…

I really think the Lakers have to try to convince Deandre Jordan to stay in LA but in Purple and Gold, he’s the only guy that could make an Impact going forward,I just doubt he’ll be interested in that type of by lateral movement

Where do they end up in the standings if they can’t improve their roster via Free Agency? Can they make the Playoffs with Kobe, Randle and Russell? What kind of trades could they even make if all the other Free Agents bulk at LA? They have to be pretty low on assets outside of Clarkson, Russell and Randle(who should all be untradable unless it’s for Westbrook or Durant)

Philadelphia has to be watching the Lakers movements in loom of the 2016 Draft, where we own their pick outside the Top 3, the 76ers will be looking for Ben Simmons with their own pick and back court player with any additional Pick they land via LA, Miami or OKC…

I hope two things:

1) Kobe stick around another couple years and keeps telling himself he can be the player he used to be and continues to alienate players around him and others in the league who might have come to LA if his selfish being wasn’t there,
2) they sign some second tier players so they end up around .500 and end up with a middling 1st round pick which would get sent to Phoenix.

This way they’ll be stuck in that NBA middle ground for the next few years and top players will continue to avoid them like the plague.

I hope two things:

1) Kobe stick around another couple years and keeps telling himself he can be the player he used to be and continues to alienate players around him and others in the league who might have come to LA if his selfish being wasn’t there,
2) they sign some second tier players so they end up around .500 and end up with a middling 1st round pick which would get sent to Phoenix.

This way they’ll be stuck in that NBA middle ground for the next few years and top players will continue to avoid them like the plague.

I think that they should finally realize what is going on.  Nobody wants to play on a team with little talent, it doesn’t matter where the team is located.  Start targeting role players and assembling a decent roster THEN go for superstars.  I love the Lakers but they just seem so lazy in their approach, no ingenuity.  

The next step should be to offer Tobias Harris a max, Orlando may not match and he fits a positional need, is still young and at worst case, is another asset. Offer Koufos the remaining money and call it a day.  They need to stop waiting around for Deandre Jordan immediately because it’s just wasting time while they could be proactive like every other team this off season has been.  

Those two pieces aren’t going to move the needle,  But they would both be starters and they would both improve the team.  Both might be gettable which really should jump to the top priority for them.  Everyone is going to have cap space next summer, so unless you have a few promising pieces in place… it will be the same story again.  At this point, even if they made ANY move it would be progression, but banking this cap space for next summer again would be a terrible move.  

As one of the few realistic Laker fans I wasn’t expecting Aldridge or Deandre, it would seem that the FO is as delusional as some of these Laker fans and they need to quit trying to take shortcuts and build a team from the ground up… novel concept I know… it’s like who starts building a house from the roof….

The league is changing fast, Lakers need to adjust and quickly before it’s too late.  

Now what would I consder a progressive move?  With the cap rising the Lakers are losing a long advantage they have had with essentially having more money than other teams.  Alot of teams are going to have cap space now, and owners may be more willing to dip into the tax.  The Lakers still have an advantage in the amount of money that their brand generates though.  Their local television deal is still far and away the largest, so while they may not be able to spend that money in direct relation to the salary cap… it doesn’t mean it still can’t be useful.  It could still be used on a coach.  Why not bite the bullet and offer coach K a 15 mil per year salary to coach the Lakers… 20 mil if need me.  The point being they still do have an advantage, they wouldn’t even flinch at that kind of money if it produced results.  So what are they waiting for…. It could just be that they aren’t creative enough.

I think that they should finally realize what is going on.  Nobody wants to play on a team with little talent, it doesn’t matter where the team is located.  Start targeting role players and assembling a decent roster THEN go for superstars.  I love the Lakers but they just seem so lazy in their approach, no ingenuity.  

The next step should be to offer Tobias Harris a max, Orlando may not match and he fits a positional need, is still young and at worst case, is another asset. Offer Koufos the remaining money and call it a day.  They need to stop waiting around for Deandre Jordan immediately because it’s just wasting time while they could be proactive like every other team this off season has been.  

Those two pieces aren’t going to move the needle,  But they would both be starters and they would both improve the team.  Both might be gettable which really should jump to the top priority for them.  Everyone is going to have cap space next summer, so unless you have a few promising pieces in place… it will be the same story again.  At this point, even if they made ANY move it would be progression, but banking this cap space for next summer again would be a terrible move.  

As one of the few realistic Laker fans I wasn’t expecting Aldridge or Deandre, it would seem that the FO is as delusional as some of these Laker fans and they need to quit trying to take shortcuts and build a team from the ground up… novel concept I know… it’s like who starts building a house from the roof….

The league is changing fast, Lakers need to adjust and quickly before it’s too late.  

Now what would I consder a progressive move?  With the cap rising the Lakers are losing a long advantage they have had with essentially having more money than other teams.  Alot of teams are going to have cap space now, and owners may be more willing to dip into the tax.  The Lakers still have an advantage in the amount of money that their brand generates though.  Their local television deal is still far and away the largest, so while they may not be able to spend that money in direct relation to the salary cap… it doesn’t mean it still can’t be useful.  It could still be used on a coach.  Why not bite the bullet and offer coach K a 15 mil per year salary to coach the Lakers… 20 mil if need me.  The point being they still do have an advantage, they wouldn’t even flinch at that kind of money if it produced results.  So what are they waiting for…. It could just be that they aren’t creative enough.

I think they should heavily pursue Tobias Harris. They have a hole at sf (among others) and Harris is young enough to give them a substantial return on their investment. He is 22 and is a proven offensive weapon in the nba who still has loads of potential, he’s still younger than frank kaminsky. I’m hoping and praying that the Lakers keep their young assets. Russell, clarkson, harris, randle has the potential to be a great foundation for the post Kobe era. A lot of laker fans want them to go after robin Lopez, which I’m not completely opposed to, as long as it doesn’t lessen our prospective offer to Tobias Harris. Which by my calculation it most certainly would. I’d rather them not offer Lopez and just bring Ed Davis back if it means the lakers get Harris. This may be a bold presumption, but I believe Robert upshaw will be playing meaningful minutes for the lakers this year if he stays out of trouble and the Lakers don’t land a free agent big. He is a defensive savant and has yet to have the stability (much to his own fault) to develop his game, as he bounced around colleges and has been kicked off both of his respective teams. Hopefully the gravitas of being such a talented and gifted player that nobody wanted to draft will bring him to the epiphany that his life choices can easily end his career before it gets started if he doesn’t shape up. it is a sad day in lala land when we have to have faith in an unddrafted rookie to be a key contributor… If by some strike of luck deandre Jordan signs on, the prognosis changes drastically.

I think they should heavily pursue Tobias Harris. They have a hole at sf (among others) and Harris is young enough to give them a substantial return on their investment. He is 22 and is a proven offensive weapon in the nba who still has loads of potential, he’s still younger than frank kaminsky. I’m hoping and praying that the Lakers keep their young assets. Russell, clarkson, harris, randle has the potential to be a great foundation for the post Kobe era. A lot of laker fans want them to go after robin Lopez, which I’m not completely opposed to, as long as it doesn’t lessen our prospective offer to Tobias Harris. Which by my calculation it most certainly would. I’d rather them not offer Lopez and just bring Ed Davis back if it means the lakers get Harris. This may be a bold presumption, but I believe Robert upshaw will be playing meaningful minutes for the lakers this year if he stays out of trouble and the Lakers don’t land a free agent big. He is a defensive savant and has yet to have the stability (much to his own fault) to develop his game, as he bounced around colleges and has been kicked off both of his respective teams. Hopefully the gravitas of being such a talented and gifted player that nobody wanted to draft will bring him to the epiphany that his life choices can easily end his career before it gets started if he doesn’t shape up. it is a sad day in lala land when we have to have faith in an unddrafted rookie to be a key contributor… If by some strike of luck deandre Jordan signs on, the prognosis changes drastically.

 hoping we could bring ed davis back for a decent price..+7mill/year is a bit much though

 hoping we could bring ed davis back for a decent price..+7mill/year is a bit much though

 dont panic and overspend just to say you did something. Try and get defensive minded guys. If russell and randle are two of the teams building blocks going forward, thye need to add some defensive minded guys around them. Im honestly glad the monroe thing didnt go through, i know the way money is getting spent this summer is just crazy and you have to be willing to open the checkbook to stay relevent but i do not view him as 20 mill a year type guy.

 dont panic and overspend just to say you did something. Try and get defensive minded guys. If russell and randle are two of the teams building blocks going forward, thye need to add some defensive minded guys around them. Im honestly glad the monroe thing didnt go through, i know the way money is getting spent this summer is just crazy and you have to be willing to open the checkbook to stay relevent but i do not view him as 20 mill a year type guy.

 and ed davis is now off the board, just signed with portland, about 7 mill per i believe

 and ed davis is now off the board, just signed with portland, about 7 mill per i believe

Maybe it’s just me, but I think they should build around D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle instead of having these pipe dreams that the bright lights of LA will attract starts despite the Lakers being terrible the past couple seasons. Players are starting to realize that you don’t have to be in a big market to win. If you look around the league, just about every team in the playoffs (Cavs, Mavs, and Rockets might be the only exceptions) built the core of their team through the draft with a couple more guys added through free agency/trades.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think they should build around D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle instead of having these pipe dreams that the bright lights of LA will attract starts despite the Lakers being terrible the past couple seasons. Players are starting to realize that you don’t have to be in a big market to win. If you look around the league, just about every team in the playoffs (Cavs, Mavs, and Rockets might be the only exceptions) built the core of their team through the draft with a couple more guys added through free agency/trades.

the way money is being thrown around 7 mil a year imo isn’t bad at all for ed davis hes a solid backup at the 4 or 5 and can start if needed

the way money is being thrown around 7 mil a year imo isn’t bad at all for ed davis hes a solid backup at the 4 or 5 and can start if needed

Question: Since the Sixers only get the Lakers draft pick if it falls outside the top 3, does this make tanking a viable option?

Finishing with the Worst Record in the NBA (a distinct possibility) would give them a 65% chance of getting a really good pick. 

Although if Lady Luck is not on their side, they’re gifting Philly another top-3 pick.

Question: Since the Sixers only get the Lakers draft pick if it falls outside the top 3, does this make tanking a viable option?

Finishing with the Worst Record in the NBA (a distinct possibility) would give them a 65% chance of getting a really good pick. 

Although if Lady Luck is not on their side, they’re gifting Philly another top-3 pick.

I guess you meet with him a second time.

I guess you meet with him a second time.

 If they can’t get either Aldridge or DeAndre (preferably BOTH), I think they should wait until the free agency market cools off a bit.

then lock in your top 3 or 4 guys on your board to 4 year deals.  When the cap goes up the contracts will look like bargains.

first get Kosta Koufos.  Just a solid center who can defend, rebound, block some shots, guard the pick and roll, and get you some points inside.  He also has played with the Grit/Grind Griz which should help bring along Julius Randle.  Then you can roll out Clarkson, Russell, Kobe, Randle, and Koufos which is decent.

Get the best young 3 and D guy on the table.  Acquire solid assets.  Russell, Randle, and Clarkson are the future anyway so at least they have a long term strategy… Guys like Koufos would help them bridge the gap between the short term and long term while not costing too much money.  He’s also only 26.

 If they can’t get either Aldridge or DeAndre (preferably BOTH), I think they should wait until the free agency market cools off a bit.

then lock in your top 3 or 4 guys on your board to 4 year deals.  When the cap goes up the contracts will look like bargains.

first get Kosta Koufos.  Just a solid center who can defend, rebound, block some shots, guard the pick and roll, and get you some points inside.  He also has played with the Grit/Grind Griz which should help bring along Julius Randle.  Then you can roll out Clarkson, Russell, Kobe, Randle, and Koufos which is decent.

Get the best young 3 and D guy on the table.  Acquire solid assets.  Russell, Randle, and Clarkson are the future anyway so at least they have a long term strategy… Guys like Koufos would help them bridge the gap between the short term and long term while not costing too much money.  He’s also only 26.

I feel the Lakers should throw a 1yr contract at Javale Mcgee they’ll be able to get him for cheap coming off a injury he’s value is a bit down he’s still a good shot blocker which Lakers desperately need hell give us 20-25 min the rest of the minutes can be split between Sacre and Upshaw. Koufas should be option 2 I feel should be the last resort reason being I don’t see him as a long term solution and he’ll demand more money. While choosing between the two make sure we develop Upshaw.

SF I say go after KJ McDaniels his the cheapest option available and might be a diamond in the ruff. Tobias Harris I see him as the best fit for the Lakers.

Lakers FA targets should be

1.Tobias Harris

2. Javale Mcgee

3. Kosta Koufas

4. KJ McDaniels

I feel the Lakers should throw a 1yr contract at Javale Mcgee they’ll be able to get him for cheap coming off a injury he’s value is a bit down he’s still a good shot blocker which Lakers desperately need hell give us 20-25 min the rest of the minutes can be split between Sacre and Upshaw. Koufas should be option 2 I feel should be the last resort reason being I don’t see him as a long term solution and he’ll demand more money. While choosing between the two make sure we develop Upshaw.

SF I say go after KJ McDaniels his the cheapest option available and might be a diamond in the ruff. Tobias Harris I see him as the best fit for the Lakers.

Lakers FA targets should be

1.Tobias Harris

2. Javale Mcgee

3. Kosta Koufas

4. KJ McDaniels

 It gets complicated, they owe one first rounder to the 76ers via the Suns, and maybe another to the Magic.

38 minutes a game for Randle and Russell and saving huge space to sign players next year might make sense, unless the Lakers are trying to really make the playoffs this season with Bryant.

There are restricted free agents, but paying too much and then having the offer matches is likely there.

The best idea might be to really give up on this year, but their fans and Kobe won’t want that so might as well spend but on short deals.  Overpay players on 2-year deals but with a team option for the second year.

But they are running out of free agents to talk to.  No matter what they do they might end up giving the 76ers pick 4 in the draft.

 It gets complicated, they owe one first rounder to the 76ers via the Suns, and maybe another to the Magic.

38 minutes a game for Randle and Russell and saving huge space to sign players next year might make sense, unless the Lakers are trying to really make the playoffs this season with Bryant.

There are restricted free agents, but paying too much and then having the offer matches is likely there.

The best idea might be to really give up on this year, but their fans and Kobe won’t want that so might as well spend but on short deals.  Overpay players on 2-year deals but with a team option for the second year.

But they are running out of free agents to talk to.  No matter what they do they might end up giving the 76ers pick 4 in the draft.