[MopgrassParticipant]

 Assuming the Lakers can’t pull in a Lebron or Carmelo (of course not), do they do the unthinkable and eat a bad contract? Josh Smith? Eric Gordon? Are they worth it? Steve Nash is owed 9 million and if traded, using the stretch provision, a team pays Nash 4.5 million for two years and it’s easier to take on other contracts.

However, trading such a player for Nash is a team admitting they were really wrong. Even so, in win-now mode, do the Lakers want 3 more years of Smith’s contract? Frankly, I don’t see other assets the Lakers have to get good players and free agency isn’t going to net them stars this year.

[HobbyOGParticipant]

 They will wait until next year when Rondo and Love are FA. 

[HobbyOGParticipant]

 They will wait until next year when Rondo and Love are FA. 

[llperez]

I highly doubt we get anyone elite this year. Would rather fill out the roster with solid role players and wait for next summer when love and Irving are free agents and make a run at them. Bringing on bad contracts because we don’t want to wait one more season seems silly.

[llperez]

I highly doubt we get anyone elite this year. Would rather fill out the roster with solid role players and wait for next summer when love and Irving are free agents and make a run at them. Bringing on bad contracts because we don’t want to wait one more season seems silly.

[tidhoParticipant]

If you’re targeting a RFA like Kyrie (who Cleveland eaily matches) you better add some B+ talent in free agency to make a sign and trade deal plausible. 

The Cavaliers don’t have any bad money to take on, and future Lakers picks will project too late to have significant value.  You’ll have this year’s draft pick, but you better have something else to move with it or the Kyrie’s of the world will simply be out of reach. 

[tidhoParticipant]

If you’re targeting a RFA like Kyrie (who Cleveland eaily matches) you better add some B+ talent in free agency to make a sign and trade deal plausible. 

The Cavaliers don’t have any bad money to take on, and future Lakers picks will project too late to have significant value.  You’ll have this year’s draft pick, but you better have something else to move with it or the Kyrie’s of the world will simply be out of reach. 

[juves4783Participant]

it’ll be interesting how the lakers draft also.  i’d think if they are looking at the big names in 2015, aaron gordon may be a good fit as a glue guy type developmental player.  i don’t think drafting marcus smart or julius randle would help bring in a rondo, irving or love.

[juves4783Participant]

it’ll be interesting how the lakers draft also.  i’d think if they are looking at the big names in 2015, aaron gordon may be a good fit as a glue guy type developmental player.  i don’t think drafting marcus smart or julius randle would help bring in a rondo, irving or love.

[MopgrassParticipant]

Considering that defense and energy are such a problem for PF’s on the Lakers, Aaron Gordon makes a lot of sense. However, D’Antoni wants every player shooting 3’s. I think he’d be a good pick at 7 and beyond, but I’m not sure about him in the system. If they can get a top 4 pick, I think they can pull in Exum.

[MopgrassParticipant]

Considering that defense and energy are such a problem for PF’s on the Lakers, Aaron Gordon makes a lot of sense. However, D’Antoni wants every player shooting 3’s. I think he’d be a good pick at 7 and beyond, but I’m not sure about him in the system. If they can get a top 4 pick, I think they can pull in Exum.

[Magic JordanParticipant]

 First things first the stretch provision is dished out over 3 years and you can’t trade a player so another team can use it, it can only be used by the team who signed the contract.  With that being said no you don’t use it, I hope they just eat the whole thing next year and let him be a mentor to Marcus Smart who I see as a real target with the number 6 pick.

2nd – I sure hope and don’t think they would trade for one of those contracts, otherwise their pitch of being patient is a waste.  Kobe wants to win now but I don’t think even he would back those moves.

3rd – Offer Kevin Love a contract next off season but not Rondo.  Be patient one more year.

4th – offer Durant a contract the following season and resign Kobe for one more year but only if he actually takes a pay cut this time to chase one more ring with that team.  

If that is not the Lakers plan I’ll be damned.  I am one of the few that thinks Durant will leave OKC.  He has to go somewhere that will spend money to put a team around him.

Then again most Laker fans don’t have the patience for this, I however do.  Most importantly Kobe won’t have the patience for this, and his fans are the ones always making noise so I can dee the front office getting pressured into a hurry up plan like signing Deng or offering a contract to Monroe or something dumb like that.

 

 

 

 

 

[Magic JordanParticipant]

 First things first the stretch provision is dished out over 3 years and you can’t trade a player so another team can use it, it can only be used by the team who signed the contract.  With that being said no you don’t use it, I hope they just eat the whole thing next year and let him be a mentor to Marcus Smart who I see as a real target with the number 6 pick.

2nd – I sure hope and don’t think they would trade for one of those contracts, otherwise their pitch of being patient is a waste.  Kobe wants to win now but I don’t think even he would back those moves.

3rd – Offer Kevin Love a contract next off season but not Rondo.  Be patient one more year.

4th – offer Durant a contract the following season and resign Kobe for one more year but only if he actually takes a pay cut this time to chase one more ring with that team.  

If that is not the Lakers plan I’ll be damned.  I am one of the few that thinks Durant will leave OKC.  He has to go somewhere that will spend money to put a team around him.

Then again most Laker fans don’t have the patience for this, I however do.  Most importantly Kobe won’t have the patience for this, and his fans are the ones always making noise so I can dee the front office getting pressured into a hurry up plan like signing Deng or offering a contract to Monroe or something dumb like that.

 

 

 

 

 

[MopgrassParticipant]

Durant isn’t happening.

[MopgrassParticipant]

Durant isn’t happening.

[HitsterParticipant]

A lot depends if the Lakers get into the top 3 of the draft lottery, if they do they may well use whoever they select there to start rebuilding around for the post Kobe era. If they cannot land a top FA this summer they will likely resign a fair few of this year’s roster on one or two year deals with year two as a team option and possibly give longer deals to a couple of the better guys. Pau Gasol would probably want a longer deal but if the Lakers have cap room they could pay him more in year one or offer him a lucrative one year deal.

With guys on expiring deals it gives them something to play for and gives the Lakers trade options. If they resign Gasol and Kobe comes back sound plus a top 8 or 9 at worse draft pick then the Lakers won’t be lottery next year I think.

[HitsterParticipant]

A lot depends if the Lakers get into the top 3 of the draft lottery, if they do they may well use whoever they select there to start rebuilding around for the post Kobe era. If they cannot land a top FA this summer they will likely resign a fair few of this year’s roster on one or two year deals with year two as a team option and possibly give longer deals to a couple of the better guys. Pau Gasol would probably want a longer deal but if the Lakers have cap room they could pay him more in year one or offer him a lucrative one year deal.

With guys on expiring deals it gives them something to play for and gives the Lakers trade options. If they resign Gasol and Kobe comes back sound plus a top 8 or 9 at worse draft pick then the Lakers won’t be lottery next year I think.

[IhateusernamesParticipant]

Any conversation regarding the future of the Lakers depends on where they end up in the lottery.

[IhateusernamesParticipant]

Any conversation regarding the future of the Lakers depends on where they end up in the lottery.

[Rip255]

This is a bold prediction, but I actually see no way back for the Lakers. They wont contend in 2014/2015 as there is no free agents coming. Nash and Kobe are old and declining rapidly…I know they want to win now but their contracts and declining skills prevent this. 

The other thing is that Jim Buss isn’t a proven winner and I don’t know if he has the smarts to turn the team around like his father would have. 

Kevin Love still seems their best hope to me. But they don’t have the assets to trade for him, and waiting for him to become a free agent is a risky game because he’s not a lock to head to L.A. and if he chooses another destination they will be stuck in the basement again. 

On the plus side, the Lakers should get a player ranging from a future star to above-average starter in this years draft, depending on what pick they get. 

I must say though, I’d rather almost any other teams roster than the Lakers right now and they’re lucky they have the "allure" of L.A. because thats the only thing that will save them. Altho this didn’t help with Dwight Howard….

They need to look at the Boston Celtics approach and the way they let team legends go in the interests of a quicker rebuild. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[Rip255]

This is a bold prediction, but I actually see no way back for the Lakers. They wont contend in 2014/2015 as there is no free agents coming. Nash and Kobe are old and declining rapidly…I know they want to win now but their contracts and declining skills prevent this. 

The other thing is that Jim Buss isn’t a proven winner and I don’t know if he has the smarts to turn the team around like his father would have. 

Kevin Love still seems their best hope to me. But they don’t have the assets to trade for him, and waiting for him to become a free agent is a risky game because he’s not a lock to head to L.A. and if he chooses another destination they will be stuck in the basement again. 

On the plus side, the Lakers should get a player ranging from a future star to above-average starter in this years draft, depending on what pick they get. 

I must say though, I’d rather almost any other teams roster than the Lakers right now and they’re lucky they have the "allure" of L.A. because thats the only thing that will save them. Altho this didn’t help with Dwight Howard….

They need to look at the Boston Celtics approach and the way they let team legends go in the interests of a quicker rebuild. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[HitsterParticipant]

 The Lakers had 10th pick in 2005 and choose Bynum then but they had Phil Brown,a peak Kobe then, Odom etc and when they traded for Pau Gasol they became champions and contenders again. 

The Lakers will have to eventually start planning for AK- After Kobe and getting a good young prospect in this year will help, once Kobe retires then they will free up a load more cap space so they could make a few FA runs in the next 3 or so years.

 

[HitsterParticipant]

 The Lakers had 10th pick in 2005 and choose Bynum then but they had Phil Brown,a peak Kobe then, Odom etc and when they traded for Pau Gasol they became champions and contenders again. 

The Lakers will have to eventually start planning for AK- After Kobe and getting a good young prospect in this year will help, once Kobe retires then they will free up a load more cap space so they could make a few FA runs in the next 3 or so years.

 

[Author]

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