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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreDominant size at every position was how the Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship in the bubble, playing a jumbo starting lineup that averaged 6′ 8″ or 2 inches taller at all five positions than the average NBA team.
Watching this season’s undersized version of those Lakers consistently lose the rebounding and points-in-the-paint battles will hopefully force the front office to reprioritize their roster building strategy to focus on getting bigger. What had been a fearsome small-ball-on-steroids attack that dominated at both ends of the court in the bubble has somehow evolved into undersized micro-ball lineups with Anthony Davis or LeBron James as the only big.
Positional size is not about prioritizing size over needed basketball skillsets. It’s about building a roster with players who are just as good at shooting, passing, rebounding, and defending as any at their position but are bigger. Having a size advantage at every position is game changing at both ends of the court, as Lakers’ opponents discovered in the bubble. The Lakers dominated the boards and paint playing two bigs and small-ball-on-steroids.
While size matters in the NBA, just being big is not enough and players need quickness, foot speed, and physicality to play and defend their position and not be constantly hunted by teams and played off the floor defensively. Heading into this summer, the Lakers’ top priority after hiring a head coach and trading Russell Westbrook should be to return to their winning strategy of positional size advantage when rebuilding around LeBron and AD.
Positional size is about creating a team-wide size advantage that translates into opposing teams getting worn out fighting against bigger players and frustrated as they give up more points, rebounds, blocked shots, and steals. It’s also about not just about size alone; it’s about how a player uses size. LeBron James and Anthony Davis, for example, both play bigger than their physical measurements as do players like P.J. Tucker and Bruce Brown.
Let’s take a look at why positional size is so important to the Lakers, how more positional size will impact the team offensively and defensively, and why greater positional size is the key to the purple and gold winning #18.
Why Is Positional Size Such a Key Factor in Lakers’ Rebuild?
Restoring the positional size advantage that helped them win the 2020 NBA championship should be the Los Angeles Lakers top priority this summer. Positional size is the strategic wild card the Lakers need to fully embrace.
The last two year’s injury plagued seasons should have convinced the Lakers’ front office that playing injury-prone Anthony Davis or 37-year old LeBron James extensively at center was not a smart strategic move to make. James at the four and Anthony at the five leave the Lakers undersized at both positions since at 6′ 9″ James is 1 inch shorter and at 6′ 10″ Davis 2 inches shorter than today’s average NBA power forward and center.
But were the Lakers to acquire a new enter like 6′ 11″ Myles Turner or 7′ 0″ Isaiah Hartenstein and move 6′ 10″ Anthony Davis to the four and 6′ 9″ LeBron James to the three, they’d have a size edge at all three positions. That’s why the smart way for the Lakers to get bigger is by adding a 6′ 11″ to 7′ 1″ center and moving 6′ 9″ James and 6′ 10″ Davis down a position rather than playing the four and five and adding size with a bigger small forward.
Making positional size part of the roster building strategy reflects that players at all positions have been and will continue to get bigger and their wingspans longer so it makes sense to prioritize size when the rest is equal. The other thing to remember is it’s how the player plays that matters more than his height measurement. Individual motor, vertical leap, and physicality can empower players to play greater than their physical size.
While LeBron James and Anthony Davis have the skill and talent to play bigger than they are, their best positions are most likely small and power forward where they have a definite size advantage over their competition.
How Will Positional Size Will Impact Lakers Offensively?
Offensively, having positional size advantage should enable the Lakers to dominate the paint, score at the rim, and control the boards, playing both a versatile bully-ball two-bigs and small-ball-on-steroids style of basketball.
Restoring the Lakers’ positional size advantage on offense starts with a young modern two-way center to start games to enable Anthony Davis to start at the four in regular season games like during the championship year. Starting a 6′ 11″ to 7′ 1″ young stud at center and sliding Anthony Davis and LeBron James down a position to power forward and small forward would give the Lakers a significant 2″ advantage at all three front court positions.
The only tweak the Lakers should make is adding a modern center who can not only block shots and protect the rim but can also stretch the court with 3-point shooting and defend well enough not to get played off the floor. Acquiring a modern two-way center like Turner or Hartenstein could also limit the wear-and-tear and potential injuries due to Anthony Davis having to deal with the raw physicality of playing center in the regular season.
By adding a stretch five center like Myles Turner or Isaiah Hartenstein, the Lakers can upgrade their positional size advantage in the front court and also improve their shooting, rebounding, and points-in-the-paint issues.
How Will Positional Size Impact Lakers Defensively?
Last season, the Lakers’ lack of positional size hurt them defensively in three areas: lack of front court size to control the boards, shot blockers to protect the rim, and guards or wings with the size to defend paint post ups.
Defensively, the Lakers need to get bigger at every position. They need a true starting center with the size to physically bang with Jokic, Embiid, Towns, and other NBA centers who are too big or too physical for Davis. They need bigger small forwards who can guard taller wing scorers like Durant, Antetokounmpo, and Doncic. And they need bigger guards who can switch everything and not be constantly hunted as easy prey on defense.
Adding a defensive center who can protect the rim and defend in space, a proven wing defender who can guard bigger wing scorers, and bigger guards who can switch everything will give Lakers a positional size edge. They may start games with a traditional two bigs lineup with Davis at the four and the new center at the five and close games by replacing the center with an elite wing defender and finishing with small-ball-on-steroids.
Defensively, having positional size advantage should enable the Lakers to transform poor rebounding, weak shot blocking, and easily hunted defenders from being their greatest weaknesses to their greatest strengths.
Why Could Positional Size Be Key to Lakers’ Championship?
Dominant positional size was the path the Los Angeles Lakers took to win their 17th NBA championship and, with a few modernizing tweaks, should be the same strategy they follow when rebuilding their roster this summer.
In many ways, the Lakers have bought in on the league-wide lack of respect for what the center position means to winning in an NBA where Rudy Gobert can win DPOY but can be played off the court by teams going small. The minutes and games that have been wasted with the forgettable and mostly over-the-hill rent-a-centers the Lakers have deployed over the last few seasons is almost criminal. Centers still matter, just like midrange shots.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis give the Lakers an advantage no other NBA team has in that they have two superstars who can play and defend all five positions on the court. They’re solid gold roster building wild cards. Getting bigger by adding a center instead of a forward enables the Lakers to take advantage of their stars’ versatility while reducing their workload and limiting some of the low post physicality that can lead to injuries.
Next to hiring a new head coach and trading Westbrook, bringing in a young modern two-way center to start alongside James and Davis would give the Lakers a significant size advantage at every position.
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21 Comments-
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Tom, I agree with both you and Jamie. But besides addressing the size issue I would also like to see the role players insert their will into the game instead of just deferring to LeBron and AD. Too often the players look hesitant as if they are not sure what to do in certain situations thereby making the whole scheme look putrid. I want players who can unleash themselves and are not afraid to make a difference, a la Jordan Poole.
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Thanks, Buba. I agree with you about the role players often being too passive. It’s one of the reasons why I’m hoping Ham will emulate what Bud has done and focus more on ball and player movement designed to get threes and layups and dunks and less isolation plays. Keep everybody engaged and moving as the norm. You can always iso LeBron or AD when they have advantages. That takes away the built in hesitancy that heavy superstar iso offenses cause role players to be passive.
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So you’re saying that everyone outside Lebron and AD needs to be upgraded. Whoa man, that’s a keen observation indeed. You keep throwing out those kindsa insights and you may be getting a call from Jeannie any day now.
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Solid article LT. As you know I don’t need to see the stretch five box checked but won’t gripe if it does. Need a quality big who can deter shots at the rim, set screens and roll, and grab boards. One of the things that smacks totally true is that you don’t always have to be big to play big. PJ Tucker, Draymond Green and others of their ilk prove that every season. A lot of Laker issues seemed to stem from a lack of guts and heart last season, nobody took the challenge to push themselves or the team to another level. THT is a perfect example of a guy with the kind of physical tools you like to see in a NBA player but lacks that extra chip that separates them from just another big dude in the court.
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Thanks for reading and commenting, Jamie. The Lakers clearly need to upgrade their 3rd through 6th players. Fortunately, I think they have the chips and path to do it by trading Russ, THT, and the two picks and hard capping to get $14.4M to spend on free agents.
Your point about players utilizing their assets to play bigger really applies when you look at P.J. Tucker and THT, who not only has to learn how to shoot but also how to play big at both ends. Part of the character test we should apply to candidates has to include being andplaying big.
Lakers need to get big across the board and adding a center and moving AD and LeBron down a position is the quickest way to get bigger in the front court. The Pacers trade is how we get bigger in the backcourt. The key could be the $10M MLE.
I still love going after a young physical center like Hartenstein, who’s kind of an Alex Caruso/Austin Reaves type of player at center. Works hard, plays bigger than he really is, has potential to become a stretch five since he shoots the three at 38% on low volume. Averages 1 block and 1 steal per game in just 19 minutes. He could just start games like JaVale with maybe a big wing like Grant or Hayward closing the game.
I’ve been kind of fascinated with the idea of prioritizing our needs by getting a modern center and big wing defender, ideally Hartenstein and maybe Hayward. Both would benefit from sharing the fifth starter/closer role with Hartenstein starting and Hayward closing. This summer would be an unqualified success if we hire Ham, trade Russ to get Hayward, and sign Hartenstein with the MLE. Fill those two big needs should be our top priority.
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Isiah Hartenstein is one heck of a young center I would go for. That guy keeps impressing me the more I watch him play. But are the Clippers going to let us have him? Your reference to JaVale’s role is exactly what I envisioned and makes a ton of sense.
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Aloha Tom,
For me it’s putting players in their best position to succeed and help the team. For me Lebrons best position is power forward. He is so much stronger then most players that an inch or two doesn’t matter. Like Jamies point its how they perform in the position is what counts, no matter how twll they are. While age hasnt affected Lebron much on offense, it has really hurt him on the defensive end. He cant keep up with these big wings anymore. I mean it was telling when we played the Clippers and in crunch time Russ was guarding PG. And we saw that all season. I want to preserve Lebron and having him chase these youn guys all over the court will wear him down. Defensively last year he was at his best when he could sit back and play free safety. He was able to use his high IQ and it resulted in a lot of steals and deflections. As for AD he is one of if not best defensive centers in the NBA. His injuries weren’t do to playing center. They were typical basketball injuries. He does just fine at 6’10. If he had played enough games to qualify he would have tied Jarren Jackson Jr as shot block leader at 2.3 a game. But offense is the main reason i want to keep him in the post. Over the last 2 seasons his jump shot has fallen off and his 3 point shot has fallen off a cliff. He was never great from 3 but 18%. isn’t going to cut it. The one area he still dominates is paint scoring. His combination of strenth and foot work make him unstoppable at times. i hope he can get his jump shot back but for me i cant build a roster assuming he will, after 2 years of poor shooting. This is why my main target would be a wing defender with size. when you have two guys that are the best at their positions, i want to leave them there, and fill other holes on the team.
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We’ll have to A2D, Michael. While I think it’s important to get a bigger 3&D wing, I also think it’s just as important to get an elite shot blocker at center, ideally a stretch five. I think we have the assets to get both this summer. I want Lakers to be able to play big or small.
Give me Hartenstein and Grant and it doesn’t matter who starts, we will have filled our top two defensive needs. Could even vary who starts depending on the matchup. I might even be willing to live with a small back court if we had some shot blocking and wing defense.
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I think we need to be able to adapt. How we start a game does not mean that’s how we finish a game. What I liked about the title winning team is we started with vets (Bradley, Green, LeBron, AD, McGee) and used youth and size off the bench (Caruso, KCP, Kuzma, Rondo, and Howard). Those were the main rotation guys in the regular season and we did a good job adapting combos of those players into workable line ups over the course of the playoffs. We need that kind of flexibility going forward. Might not get all the way there this summer or even next season but that has got to be the goal of the front office.
I think AD’s best use is not at the five, though. He’s always been better on defense as an elite weak-side shot blocker and not a primary rim-deterrent. He can’t muscle guys off the block and isn’t a great box out guy. He uses his athleticism and length. What I like about keeping Dwight and adding Hartenstein is having dudes on the roster who don’t mind mixing it up, set screens at an elite level, roll hard to the rim, and box out at a high level. That’s what we absolutely have to get out of the center position next season.
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Hartenstein is an unrestricted free agent so the Lakers can sign him with part or all of their MLE, which is $6.1M unless we decide to hardcap, in which case it’s $10.1M plus a $4.0M BAE.
I would use whatever part of the MLE we need to sign Hartenstein. He could anchor the center position and would likely only start games so his 19 mpg last season would be similar this year.
I would think we could get him for around $8M per year, more than the $6.4M taxpayer MLE, which would be the main competition.
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So Tom, you don’t consider AD an elite shot blocker? 2.3 per game would have been number one in the league if he played enough games. I just don’t know why you would want to spend our MLE on a 2nd string center that couldn’t beat out Zubac when we have one of the best defensive center in the league. I like Hartenstein. I wanted us to sign him last year. He is a great back up. But I’m not anxious to see LeBron get worn out chasing after wings.
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Aloha, Michael.
I do consider AD to be a terrific shot blocker and I still favor closing games with him at the five. However, I do worry about his durability and there are bigger centers who aren’t good matchups for him.
I think it makes a lot of sense for the Lakers to have a quality starting center like Hartenstein at the five during the regular season. His 7′ 0″ size gives the entire front court lineup a positional size advantage. That Hartenstein can shoot the three is another plus.
To close games, I would love to have a great 3&D wing like Grant or Hayward who could finish the game going small. Were we able to get Grant and decide to go small with AD at the five to start and close games, I would be fine.
Overall, I think we need a young dynamic center because that’s the best way to become dominant in size. But I also agree with you that we don’t want LeBron chasing threes, especially during the regular season, so we do need that bigger 3&D wing.
I think our lack of rim protection was a bigger defensive issue than our lack of big wing defender. Maybe I will change my mind down the road but that’s where I am right now.
I want the versatility of being able to play big or small. No more Jordans and Drummonds. Time Lakers invest in a center who can make LeBron and AD better. That’s Hartenstein, my top target for our MLE this summer.
Bottom line, I want a bully-ball team that dominates sizewise and physicality wise at every position. I think that was the key to winning in the bubble and, with modern tweaks, is how we need to play going forward The only way we get positional size advantage is with a real center who allows AD and LeBron to play the four and three..
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I have to disagree with your assessment of AD Jamie. As a center last year he had as many blocks per game as he did as a PF for us. He matched his career average in blocks. I’ve also seen him dominate star center like Jokic and Embid. Last year Embid went 9 for 20 against him while AD had 31 points, 12 boards and 4 blocks. He also is our closer at the 5. It’s the offensive side that really makes me want him at center. His jump shot and 3 point shooting hasn’t been there for the last two years. He does most of his scoring inside. My bigger concern though is LeBron. Father Time has not been kind to him on the defensive side of the ball. He is not the same guy he was a few years ago. Frank hid him on defense last year. Even crunch time you never saw LeBron taking on small forward or big wings. Russ often drew that assignment which is sad. The value LeBron brought us on defense was when he could sit back and play free safety. I really don’t want LeBron chasing young guys like BI around all season. That would definitely wear him down. If LeBron could still bring the defense it wouldn’t matter as much to me, but he has proven that he cant. Besides we don’t have many assets. Using our MLE for a center when we have AD, doesn’t make much sense to me. I also would keep Howard around and look to bring back Damion Jones. I could see AD sliding to the 4 when LeBron rests but I want him at the 5 when LeBron is out there.
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I understand your point about LeBron guarding bigger wing scorers. There are times when I think our best use of our two draft picks could be to trade THT, Nunn, and the two picks for Jerami Grant. Then sign Hartenstein with the MLE and you solved your two biggest defensive issues. Then you go AD at the 5, LeBron at the 4, and Grant at the 3 with Hartenstein coming off the bench. That could work.
However, that could make it hard to move Russ, which is probably more important use of the pick to at least get quality in return. What do we do about a point guard then? Bottom line, I see a clear path to the Lakers getting Hartenstein. With full MLE, they should be a lock to sign him.
It’s the trade scenarios that bother me. Who is the small forward you’re going to get who would be better defending those threes than Anthony Davis? I agree LeBron can’t do that any more but there is nobody better in the league to shut down a three than AD. That’s why I’m not worried about running LeBron into the ground. He may start at the three but that’s not who he’s going to cover.
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Here’s the problem. With so many holes in our roster and so little capital to fill them…it’s gonna be extremely difficult to run the gauntlet that has become The Western Conference. Yeah, you need size to matchup with big wings like Luka & Kawhi (he still playing?…lol). But you also need quick dudes for when you inevitably face Steph, Jah, & D-Book in the playoffs as well. Brogdon & Heild don’t want nunna that smoke. It’s easy to build a roster to get through the regular season; we woulda been a shoe-in for the playoffs with this season’s squad albeit for the injuries. But the post-season is a different animal.
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I think as long as we have a healthy, rested, and motivated LeBron James and Anthony Davis, we should have a realistic shot at winning a championship. I don’t think that has changed in the last 18 months. We would still have to be lucky as that is another criteria to winning it all. So I’m not concerned with all the negative talk about how there’s no way the Lakers can rebuild a championship roster. It won’t be impossible and may be difficult but it can be done.
I see our roster broken up into three groups: 5 starters, 5 backups, and 4 reserves with one open roster spot.
We have 2 of the 5 starters with LeBron and AD and 4 of the 4 reserves with Reaves, Johnson, Gabriel, and Howard. What we need are the other 3 starters and 5 backups. I would try and keep Nunn as 1 of the 5 backups, meaning we need 7 more players who are better than the 4 reserves: 3 starters and 4 backups.
I think we can trade Russ and THT for 3 or 4 rotation payers and sign 2 or 3 with our MLE and BAE. That’s 5 to 7 players via trade and free agency to fill the 7 openings in the roster. And 1 less player if we bought a second round pick in the draft.
At any rate, I believe we have a shot at adding 5 to 7 new players who will be major upgrades over what we had last year as non-superstar starters and rotation players.
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Sooo…lets say all these dream scenarios magically come true and we end up with Hartenstein, Brogdon, Hield, & Grant, Or Wood, Eric Gordon, and whoever. Along with the dudes we found on the street this season. That squad won’t be favored over any of the current top 4 in The West in a 7 game series. No way. Only chance is if a team suffers a serious injury like MEM losing Jah in the middle of that series vs GSW. Lebron just simply isn’t that dude anymore who can carry a team on his back for 45 minutes of playoff basketball every other night. And we’ve only seen AD come close to being that dude ONE time in his entire career….that was in the impossible to duplicate Bubble environment. Needless to say, I just don’t see #18 happening next summer.
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Considering where we are right now, I would have to agree that we would be a longshot to win #18 next season. But I would love to go insto the season with Buddy and Malcolm at guard, Grant at the three, LeBron at the four, and AD at the five with Hartenstein coming off the bench. I think that could be a championship team that go big with two bigs or small with small ball on steroids.
The problem to me is that next season could be our best opportunity to win #18 this decade so we really have no choice but to go all-in to win it next season. Will be a challenge for sure, like threading a needle to make it all work but there’s no other option realistically. Going to have to hope for some balancing of the luck from the basketball gods for sure.
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That roster ain’t beating GSW, PHX, or MEM as currently constructed because they all have backcourts that’ll torch us every night with their quickness & superior ball movement. Not to mention their depth, versatility and continuity. We would have to seriously thread the needle to even have a shot. That means every trade & signing has to hit 100% (that never happens), all the new dudes need to adapt to LeBron (not easy to do), and the new coach needs to hit the ground running with everyone buying into his system. All that stuff coming to fruition in a single season is like trying to pass a camel through the eye of a needle (Bible reference…lol). Yeah…we have to make the moves and give it try but I feel like it’s just gonna make the rebuild that much harder in 2 years with no draft picks and a buncha old/slow dudes in the cupboard.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreLast season was a brutal reminder of how important picking the ‘right’ players is to success in professional sports. Rob Pelinka will have to do a better job this summer than he did last summer if the Lakers are to win.
Unfortunately, finding the ‘right’ players is difficult and more of an ‘art’ than ‘science,’ requiring a lethal instinct for player strengths and weaknesses and ability to envision how the different players will fit as a team. More than anything, Pelinka’s failure to properly assess the risk and cost of the Westbrook experiment failing was the kind of mistake that ends careers. He’s lucky he will get a second chance, even if it will be challenging.
Here are the Lakers’ player needs this summer: (1) point guard to run the offense, (2) shooting guard to space the floor, (3) modern physical center to protect the rim, and (4) defensive forward with size to guard bigger wings. Importantly, for these four players to be the ‘right’ players, three of them must be able to space the floor with 3-point shooting and three of them must be plus defenders capable of guarding multiple positions and levels.
Last season, the Lakers filled those needs with Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, DeAndre Jordan, and Talen Horton-Tucker. Unfortunately, Westbrook bombed, Jordan was cut, Nunn never played, and Horton-Tucker regressed. This season, with luck and blessings of the basketball gods, the four ‘right’ players filling those needs could be Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Nic Claxton, a major upgrade of Lakers’ roster.
The Lakers should be able to get Brogdon and Hield in a salary dump from the Pacers for Westbrook and 2027 first rounder, Hartenstein with their TP or NT MLE, and Claxton from the Nets for Horton-Tucker and 2029 first rounder. That’s 2 players and 2 picks from the Lakers for 4 players. They swap Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, 2027 first round pick, and 2029 first round pick for Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Nic Claxton.
So let’s take a closer look at what each of these four new players brings offensively and defensively and why they’re the ‘right’ picks to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis and transform the Lakers into a champs.
1. Malcolm Brogdon, Point Guard
Malcolm Brogdon, 29-years old, 6′ 5″, 229 lbs
19.1/5.1/5.9 and 44.8%/31.2% on 5.2 3PA/85.6While trading for a difference-making point guard to reduce LeBron James’ on-ball and playmaking workload didn’t work with Dennis Schroeder or Russell Westbrook, trading for Malcolm Brogdon should be a winning move.
Tyrese Haliburton and Chris Duarte are the Pacers’ backcourt of the future, which makes Malcolm Brogdon and his 3 years and $57.6 million an ideal chip to swap with Buddy Hield for Russell Westbrook’s expiring contract. Indiana has no interest in Westbrook as a player but are willing to take on his 1 year and $47.1 million to avoid Brogdon’s 3 years and $57.6 million and Hield’s 2 years and $39.1 million to save $49.6 million in long-term salaries.
One of the appeals to the Lakers of trading Westbrook and a first round pick to the Indiana Pacers is the opportunity to get a proven starting-quality two-way point guard like Malcolm Brogdon back as part of the trade return package. While the Lakers have to gamble Malcolm can stay healthy, they’re getting an All-Star point guard who is an elite 3-point shooter and playmaker with the size and physicality to defend multiple positions.
Brogdon is the ‘right pick’ for the Lakers to trade for as their new starting point guard. His size, 3-point shooting, and solid defense elevate him over other trade candidates like Terry Rozier, Derrick Rose, or Kemba Walker.
2. Buddy Hield, Shooting Guard
Buddy Hield, 29-years old, 6′ 4″, 220 lbs
15.6/4.4/2.8 and 44.7%/36.2% on 8.5 3PA/89.6%Buddy Hield to the Lakers should have and almost did happen last summer but the Lakers changed course at the last minute and traded for Westbrook. Now, in a sweet shift of fate, the Lakers may have a chance for a do-over.
Most NBA pundits were surprised the Lakers did not go through with a proposed trade with the Kings for Hield last summer as he is the perfect high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter to complement LeBron and AD. Hield, part of Indy’s bounty from the Sabonis trade to Sacramento, makes too much to come off the bench. With Haliburton and Duarte set as their backcourt of the future, the Pacers need to trade Hield and Brogdon.
While not an elite defender, Buddy Hield has the size, strength, and quickness to be a plus defender, especially in a switch-everything defense with rim protection. Hield averaged 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks last season. Pairing the 6′ 4″ Hield with the 6′ 5″ point guard Brogdon gives the Lakers a big high-scoring backcourt with the range to rain threes, willingness to share the ball, and size and toughness to play physical defense.
Buddy Hield is the ‘right’ pick as the starting shooting guard for the Lakers because his high volume, high percentage 3-point shooting will create more space than candidates like Eric Gordon, Evan Fournier, or Kelly Oubre, Jr.
3. Isaiah Hartenstein, Center
Isaiah Hartenstein, 24-years old, 7′ 0″, 250 lbs
8.3/4.9/24 and 62.6%/46.7% on 0.3 3PA/68.9%There may be no attainable player who could have a greater impact to unleash the beast in superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and help the Lakers become a legitimate contender than Isaiah Hartenstein.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis struggling to stay healthy in an increasingly physical NBA, the Lakers need to commit to signing a bully-ball modern center who will allow James and Davis to slide down one position. Hartenstein is the perfect fit for what the Lakers need, a mobile young center who can protect the rim and defend out to the 3-point line. In 17.9 minutes per game last season, Isaiah averaged 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals.
Hartenstein is the Clippers’ version of Malik Monk in that the most they can offer him next season is just $2.3 million, 120% of what he earned last year. Salary cap experts expect Hartenstein to fetch $7 to $8 million this summer. With a little salary cap magic, the Lakers should be able to keep their total payroll under the $155.2 million hard cap, which means they could offer Hartenstein up to the full $10.3 million of their MLE.
After a revolving door of failed ‘rent-a-centers.’ the Lakers have an opportunity this summer to sign Isaiah Hartenstein as their next great center. Hartenstein is the ‘right’ center at the ‘right’ price for the Lakers.
4. Nic Claxton, Power Forward
Nic Claxton, 23-years old, 6′ 11″, 215 lbs
8.7/5.6/0.9 and 67.4%/0.0% on 0.03PA/58.1%There is no player more in demand in the NBA than a 6′ 8″ to 6′ 10″ mobile forward who can defend bigger wing scorers like Jason Tatum, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, or Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Claxton is defensive jack-of-all-trades in that he can play all three front court positions — small forward, power forward, and center — and defend all five positions at al three levels of the court-paint, midrange, beyond the arc. While a great lob but not shooting threat, Nic gives the Lakers a defensive tool who can protect the rim and defend the perimeter so well he cannot be played off the court like so many traditional low post bigs.
Fortunately for the Lakers, the Nets have too many centers and appear unlikely to want to extend Claxton at this time, which mean they would probably be willing to trade him for Horton-Tucker and a first round pick. Trading for Claxton also gives the Lakers the defensive specialist they need to play any style of basketball, especially during the regular season when the Lakers want to save playing Anthony Davis at the five for the playoffs.
While he can’t stretch the floor, Claxton is the fourth ‘right’ player for the Lakers to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He gives the Lakers an elite defensive center and shut-down wing defender to guard big scorers.
5. Four ‘Right’ Players Transform Lakers into Championship Team
When healthy, no team in the NBA has two better superstars than the Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The problem has always been finding the ‘right’ three players to start alongside their two superstars.
The four new players — Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Nic Claxton— should give LeBron James and Anthony Davis the high volume 3-point shooting and versatile positional size to unleash their games. Brogdon, Hield, Hartenstein, and Claxton should be the best four players on the Lakers after James and Davis. While Brogdon and Hield are 29-years old, 23-year old Hartenstein and Claxton make the Lakers younger.
The Lakers not only traded Russell Westbrook and a first round pick for two quality starters also swapped Talen Horton-Tucker and a first round pick for a starter and signed Hartenstein with their full MLE for a fourth starter. Signing Hartenstein for the full $10.3 million MLE requires the Lakers to be hardcapped for the rest of this season. Being able to stay under the $155.2 million hard cap gives the Lakers another $8.2 million in MLE and BAE.
Here’s a breakdown of how the Lakers get under the NBA hard cap:
Rob Pelinka is facing a difficult challenge to rebuild the Lakers to championship level with few trading chips but there are multiple legitimate rotation players who would transform the Lakers into a contender.
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Picking the four ‘right’ players is a challenge for any GM.
-Picking the right two players in a Westbrook + Pick trade
-Picking the right one player for a THT + Pick trade
– Hardcapping to get one player with full MLE.Not going to be easy but this is a good pathway for how to do it.
Lakers get bigger and younger and can now play bullyball bigs or small ball on steroids. Hartenstein and Claxton are the key to transforming how this team plays and unleashing LeBron and AD.
Who are your four ‘right’ players.
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They’ll totally elevate this same squad. They’ll win around 37 games.
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37 games? Man, I don’t want to see any Lakers team with wins in the 30s again. Better have a team that can give us 50 wins at least. I am done with 30 wins Lakers team. That’s why I can’t wait to see what the next roster looks like. Rob has his work cut out for him.
For us Lakers fans, winning isn’t just everything it is the only thing.
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With Lebron another year older, AD being a big question mark, and the rest of the roster swapping one batch of journeymen or otherwise flawed players for some others, a new coach, and shaky management, yeah, that team might be slightly better than this year’s version. Could even sneak into the playin if the bottom of the west is as lacking as it was this past season.
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1) Is LeBron James. Still don’t get why people keep trying to take the ball out of the best Laker’s hands. Didn’t work with Kobe, wouldn’t have been asked of Magic and shouldn’t be asked of LeBron. Not learning that mistake from last season will be just another error in judgement. Having said that, I like Brogdon but don’t see much of a path for him to become a Laker this summer.
2) Like Buddy’s fit on offense and, depending on the next coach, his defense may or may not be an issue. Same as Malcom, though. Don’t see a clear path for him to get a purple and gold uniform this summer.
3) Love this notion and certainly hope it happens. Seems possible, as well so can see this as a solid potential move Rob could make. It’s nigh-incredible to me to see you actually advocating for a non-stretch five, lol. $10 mil is a vaaaaaaaast overpay, though.
4) I like adding Nic but not sure it’s worth trading THT and a 1st rounder for…especially since it looks like he’s not under contract next season and made the vet minimum.
All in all it’s funny because you basically just added all players that would have done well in a Frank Vogel system. Not going to lie, I fear that the Vogel firing will be just another mistake as I don’t really see a coaching candidate that will be all that better. Will they have a voice that sounds different? Sure. But we took away all of the defenders and guys who knew how to play with LeBron and AD for…well, that all doesn’t need to be rehashed.
Suffice to say but there are a ton of holes to plug this summer from mostly self-inflicted holes. Here’s hoping Rob can get creative and find a way to move Westbrook to Indy for the players above. I think you’re smart to take Turner out of that equation, as well. Love Myles, don’t see that trade going down.
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I don’t see the Nets trading Claxton for another SG. They don’t have a lot of size. They don’t have one center under contract. Aldridge didn’t even play in the playoffs. He’s done. Blake got 24 minutes. He’s also done. Clayton is a restricted free agent. In a tight money environment they will probably keep him at a reasonable price. and Hartenstein is a good young player but he also was Zubac’s back up. i really doubts he gets a huge offer. if we had the bi annual, he might be had for that. I like him but not at 10 mil. Rather sign Damien Jones for far less.
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The sign-and-trade for Claxton would really be for the Lakers draft pick than for THT or Nunn or any player. The Nets’ problem is they’re already paying so much in salaries that their luxury tax bill was over $100 million. That’s the main reason why they’re not likely to be willing to pay to keep Claxton. Like many tax paying teams, cheap vets at center seem to be the solution.
What I love about Claxton is he can play any of the three front court positions and guard all five positions. He is a backup defensive center who cannot be played off the court like Rudy Gobert because he can defend out at the 3-point line. Led the league in blocked threes. Problem is, like the Lakers, all of the players on Nets are free agents. Guys like Brown will get priority over guys like Claxton.
While I’m confident the Lakers could win the battle to sign Hartenstein to most or all of the full MLE, the problem with Claxton would likely be other teams with better offers. Nets won’t pay him but somebody else will. I’m just surprised at how undervalued Nic has been. He was the Nets best center when given the chance.
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Hartenstein actually does shoot threes, just not any volumem but hit 38%. But he’s defense first with potential to stretch.
Again, it’s positional size and defense. It’s about more than just the center position. When you put a great young defensive center in the lineup, all of a sudden you get much bigger at power forward and small forward.
Position size is key to Lakers winning #17 and will be for us to win #18.
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Gonna take all the stars, literally and figuratively, to compete with Boston, Dallas, Memphis, Golden State, and others with young studs .
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe smartest move Rob Pelinka made as VP of Basketball Operations and General Manager for the Los Angeles Lakers was to forge an alliance with Rich Paul and the Klutch Sports Group, who represent James and Davis.
With LeBron James’ seemingly never-ending career approaching its end, the biggest mistake Pelinka and the Lakers could make would be to assume the Klutch alliance was no longer important and end the partnership. Ending a unique advantageous relationship that brought the Lakers two superstars and their 17th NBA championship would be a foolhardy move considering Klutch Sports is on the way to being the #1 agency in the NBA.
Right now, whether the Lakers should end their alliance with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports since LeBron James is nearing retirement has become the most controversial NSFW NBA topic dominating sports blogs and bars. Many supporters of ending the partnership blame LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the unnecessary season-killing trade for Russell Westbrook and are worried about LeBron bolting the Lakers like the Cavs.
What those critics are ignoring is the Klutch relationship is about a lot more than just LeBron James. Rich Paul is also the agent for Anthony Davis and taking a dramatic step like trading LeBron could end up alienating AD. Right now, Klutch has 31 NBA players under contract for total salaries of $389,208,200, including 5 All-Stars and two players with max contracts. Jeff Schwartz is only agent with more players, total salaries, or All-Stars.
Klutch Sports just signed Zach LaVine to join their stable of NBA stars that includes LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, Draymond Green, Lonzo Ball, Trae Young, Miles Bridges, Malik Beasley, and Darius Garland. Having potential access to Klutch Sports valuable portfolio of players is an advantage the Lakers should treasure and carefully manage. It’s an edge no other NBA team has and could directly contribute to future championships.
One of the advantages for the Lakers of having an alliance with Klutch Sports is the insight it gives Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office and scouting department when it comes to player evaluation, a Klutch strength. Rich Paul and Klutch Sports Group have become champions of NBA player empowerment and movement and that is not like to stop in the future. At some point, Klutch is going to make another move to help the Lakers.
It could even happen this summer with Zach LaVine, an unrestricted free agent, whom Klutch Sports could have demand a sign-and-trade to the Los Angeles Lakers or he will sign elsewhere and the Bulls will get nothing. Rich is not afraid to be a trend setting in getting his clients the best deals with the best teams. Pairing LaVine with James and Davis would certainly enhance the brand of the Lakers as well as the three Kutch Sports Group superstars.
The relationship between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Klutch Sports Group has been a point of contention with other NBA teams and agents, who say the relationship gives the Lakers an unfair competitive advantage. The league so far has not been able to find a legal basis for preventing the Lakers and Klutch collaboration. Nor has any other NBA team been able to forge a similar relationship with any of Klutch Sports competitors.
The smartest move Pelinka can make this summer is make sure to embrace and reinforce the Los Angeles Lakers’ close alliance with the Klutch Sports Group to help the purple and gold win more NBA championships.
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Lakers appear to be willing to work with LeBron regardless of status of extension, which is smarter than making trade threats or moves to alienate LeBron. Instead, the Lakers appear ready to move forward when free agency start to rebuild the starting lineup and roster around LeBron and AD as if LeBron were going to sign the extension.
This hopefully is a signa the extension is not going to be an issue as both the player and the team are moving forward following without discussing the extension until 8/4 as per the tampering rules. I would read this as saying they’ve already agreed on the extension come Aug 4th.
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Again, they’ll keep Lebron only to remain (barely) relevant in the NBA world. Lebron/AD keeps them on the national radar and a newsworthy team, until it all goes down like it has in every non-bubble season. Every non-Laker/non-Lebron fan enjoys their taste of schadenfreude until it just becomes pathetic. Or even worse, apathetic. Seems like Jeannie is happy to just stay in the national discussion moreso than make the right moves to get back to the mountaintop as quickly as possible. I’m hoping Lebron and his yes man actually do care about winning another for the legacy and force their way out, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Look forward to another season of hoping everything just breaks right, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
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I see this sword as cutting two ways. While it’s no coincidence that this…arrangement…came from our initial signing of LeBron it was cemented when we enabled Anthony Davis and Klutch to force his way out of New Orleans. While that enabled the Lakers to win a ring it seemingly has come with some notion of fealty. That we somehow owe a banner to Klutch sports which is absurd and asinine. Yes, LeBron and AD were the best players on that team but I didn’t see Rich Paul catch a pass or Maverick Carter take a shot or anyone else who works for Klutch on the floor when the confetti fell in the Bubble.
There’s an actual timeline to this series of events that sheds actual logic on both the beginning and present of this “relationship”. Has little to do with Klutch at the beginning., actually, other than they rep The King. LeBron chose the Lakers in free agency when Magic was still President and the face of the franchise, he was coming here to be close to his family and film Space Jam. Maybe he saw a world where we traded for someone like AD but I do think he was intrigued with the Lakers as they were built at the time and the record they assembled when he was healthy is all you need to look at to confirm that.
Anthony Davis had wanted out of NOLA pretty much since Boogie’s Achilles injury. Maybe even before that. He wanted to play on a bigger stage and couldn’t wait until his deal was up to do so. Let’s all have a collective “Ahhhhhh, poor baby” for AD. Enter the Lakers with an injured LeBron and a host of young players and (at the time) draft picks). Not to be bullied by player or outsider the Pelicans waited until the summer to make a deal for Davis and got some good players in the doing. Proof is in the pudding as AD and LeBron were unable to get to the playoffs and the Pelicans, without Zion, were. Did Klutch help facilitate that deal with it’s strong arm tactics? Yes, but it also left a mark on the Laker franchise that won’t go away any time soon.
Now all of the above is semi-justifiable in the name of winning. The summer we traded for AD we also signed veteran and perennial playoff player Danny Green, hoops savant Rajon Rondo, locker room glue guy Jared Dudley and found diamond in the rough Alex Caruso while holding onto Kyle Kuzma and KCP. After a back-asswards coaching search conducted by Rob Pelinka (after Magic’s abrupt, televised departure from his role the season prior) we landed on Frank Vogel who cobbled together a solid defense and got out of LeBron’s way on offense. Result: banner.
So, really, Klutch has had one minute aspect in helping us win the title which was the least honorable of them all: strong arming a player out of a small market team before his deal was up and he could leave organically in free agency. Other than that? Klutch’s contributions to anything the Lakers have done is equal to diddle squat.
So, thanks but no thanks to getting in deeper with the Klutch mob. We don’t need to further sully the franchise to win, that’s been done enough and we have some work to do in getting it undone, in my opinion. If LaVine and Klutch want to try and strong arm the Chicago Bulls I think we’ll see a very different turn of events and one that might start to further erode the player/organization “peace” we enjoy now.
Player movement is great but so is honoring the deal you signed. Everyone gets sick of a job, comes with being human. But to endorse an NBA where a fickle moment here or a bad turn of events there kicks off an exodus from this team or that with a bunch of whining from millionaires? No thanks, that’s not sports that’s a tele novella, or worse politics, and I can watch that with or without the English subtitles. Frankly, there has been a little too much player catering in the NBA. It’s nigh impossible to build a team that lasts and there’s no better experiment to watch right now than the Grizzlies and Pelicans. What happens with Zion and NOLA vs. what happens in Memphis will be quite interesting to see unfold.
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Glad to see you were so inspired to respond. Such a bias against Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. We wouldn’t have AD or #17 were it not for Klutch forcing the trade of AD to the Lakers. Yet, you want to end the relationship?
Would you change your mind if the Lakers were able to sign Zach LaVine as a player or Nick Nurse as head coach? Are you ready to trade both LeBron and AD? The alliance with Klutch helped us win #17 and has not hurt us in any situation.
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We won’t be able to without strong arm tactics which aren’t likely to work since we have naught but crap to offer.
Not really, also don’t buy the whole narrative that we wouldn’t have won #17 w/o AD and Klutch. Obviously we won #17 in circumstances that will never be replicated so it’s a biiiiig stretch to say that we’ve won anything with AD the actual NBA player. If anything we’ve just served as his personal rehab station. Defense won that championship as much as antying else and that comes down to the actual team, not a couple players.
I don’t see LBJ and AD winning another title in LA based on how the future was mortaged to make last season happen. Going further down the road to placate the whole mess that comes with them is bad for business, bad for the future and will just make it harder for those running things to accept reality. We’re not a playoff team right now. Excuses can be found everywhere, tough leaders take the hit on the chin and reload in a manner that makes some semblance of sense, does that feel like what’s happening right now? No.
We don’t have what the Bulls want in a trade, ditching a 1st rounder for Nick Nurse won’t be enough, and would probbaly have to take on a bad deal, as well. Toss in Reaves or some other terrible idea. All of these flights of fancy are lovely for the stretch before the playoffs end but should not really be taken very seriously. We’re just as likely to have Westbrook on the roster as not next season, should really look at some younger coaches and not retreads and we should be looking at working the Charlotte trade to the max since it feels like the best offer we might (miiiiight) get for Russ. If they hire Mike D’Antoni I can all but guarantee that deal comes off the theory table. Russ ain’t a Mike D’Antoni kind of PG.
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I find it interesting that you both acknowledge that the Bubble title was won in a way that can never be replicated and then turn around and heap the priase on the entity that, outside of the faces on the screens on the wall in the Bubble, had the least to do with any of it. You’re generally more imaginative and outside-the-box with your ideas but this “go all in on Klutch!” is one of the…I dunno..lazier ones? Or just doesn’t really feel well-reasoned because it kind of ignores a lot of the facts that happened. At any rate, I wholly disagree on the idea that we will impriove our lot by limiting our agency to options to one, or a few. Do they rep great players? Yes, and we should prusue the players that we can. Do we need to sell our souls to Rich Paul to make the franchise playoff worthy?
No.
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And after the last 2 seasons every idea should be on the table. That’s what a good franchise would do. They wouldn’t cow to a player, they’d work with them…without leaking it to the media or referrencing it like a child asking for praise after going potty like Rob does. “I talked to LeBron and AD!” It’s irksome. Own your choices, Rob, don’t just be a husk or a placeholder.
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There isn’t a realistic way that Klutch can force a Levin trade to the Lakers. First there are not many winning teams that can sign him as a free agent. Maybe the Griz? There are only two trades the Lakers could make with the Bulls. AD which won’t happen or Westbrook. What do the Griz get? Perhaps two distant picks? Would they really take on Westbrooks 47mil for that? That’s 23.5 mil for each pick. If I’m the Bulls I pass on that.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe Lakers have a problem. They desperately need to hire a new coach before the NBA draft but their top two candidates are under already under contract and the none of the remaining candidates inspire optimism.
Yet the Lakers seem to be slow-walking the process of finding a new coach. While stressing they want to have a new head coach in place before the playoffs, Pelinka seems to be deliberately taking time to search for a coach. The plan per Woj is for the Lakers to interview groups of three candidates at a time to be able to go deeper with each candidate and not have good candidates get lost in the process of a wide-spread initial search process.
The question that immediately jumps to mind is why would the Lakers want to slow down the search for a new head coach, especially since there are two other teams actively looking for a coach and limited candidates. The Lakers were heavily criticized for doing a poor job during the coaching search that ended up with Frank Vogel as the new head coach, possibly ending up with the least impressive of three serious coaching candidates.
Here are four possible reasons why the Lakers are slow-walking their head coaching search and not concerned tweaking the normal head coach hiring process will result in their missing out on the best coaching candidate.
1. Lakers Need LeBron to Approve Extension Before Choosing Coach
The reason the Lakers don’t appear to be in a hurry to decide on a new head coach could be Rob Pelinka and team want to know if LeBron James will sign an extension before deciding who to hire as next head coach.
Legally, the Lakers cannot discuss an extension with LeBron James until August 4th although it would be naïve to think a decision as critical as the King’s extension had not been discussed extensively by Pelinka and Paul. The Lakers’ entire season and near-term future depend on LeBron James signing an extension, even a 1+1 extension, so L.A. will know they will have at the least two more seasons to build a championship team around LeBron.
The assumption was the alliance between the Lakers and Klutch Sports was solid after Klutch and the Lakers both shot down the stories about LeBron possibly leaving the Lakers when his current contract is up next summer. Suddenly we now hear LeBron may not be willing to sign an extension and could prefer continuing to play for the Lakers but on a series of 1-year contracts like he did during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Frankly, that may not be acceptable to the Lakers as not having a commitment from LeBron could mean they wouldn’t be willing to take back long-term deals they could be stuck with if James were to decide to leave.
2. Lakers’ Preferred Pick Could Be Rookie Head Coach Candidate
The Lakers could be slow-walking their coaching search because they plan to follow the lead of the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets by hiring a rookie head coach and interviewing other candidates is just due diligence.
The rookie head coach the Lakers would hire is Rajon Rondo, the future Hall of Fame point guard extraordinaire whose big-game smarts, fierce competitiveness, and respect as a basketball savant is unchallenged. After nineteen NBA seasons, the timing and opportunity is perfect for Rondo to become the Los Angeles Lakers’ new head coach and to lead LeBron James and Anthony Davis to the franchise’s eighteenth NBA championship.
Rondo has all of the key attributes the Lakers need in their new head coach. He obviously has a great relationship and mutual respect with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, having been the third star in their championship. As former 1st and 2nd team All-Defensive and 3rd team All-NBA player, Rondo shared a similar history and rep as a savvy player as Steve Kerr and Steve Nash and has everything the Lakers need and want in a head coach.
Everybody knows Rondo has the smarts to be a great NBA coach. As a rookie, you’d have to surround him with veteran coaches like the Warriors and Nets did for Kerr and Nash but the timing and opportunity are right.
3. Lakers Already Have a Solid Back Up Candidate for Head Coach
The other reason the Lakers don’t appear to be in a hurry to decide on a new head coach is they already have a solid backup candidate for head coach in assistant coach Phil Handy in case they don’t find anyone better.
NBA Insider Chris Haynes, on an episode of the Dan Patrick Show, revealed a name that has been quietly gaining momentum to replace Frank Vogel when he said “Somebody that they can look at in-house is Phil Handy.” Phil’s “one of the best or arguably the best skill development coaches but he wants to be a head coach in this league. He’s somebody who I’ve seen go at, cuss out LeBron James, Anthony Davis. He has the respect of that duo.”
There’s no question the Lakers’ front office respects Phil Handy. When rumors of Vogel’s firing started back in January, Phil Handy was the man everybody expected to be named as Interim Coach, not David Fizdale. When you look around the league at the assistants who are most in demand and garner the most respect from the players themselves, Phil Handy is going to be near the top of every single list of future NBA head coaches.
While the Lakers are not ready to declare Handy as their next head coach, look for him to be included in upcoming coaching interviews. With Phil as backup, the Lakers feel comfortable slow-walking their coaching search.
4. Lakers Know They Can Always Turn to Kurt Rambis to Coach
The only other possible reason why the Lakers are slow-walking their head coaching search is they believe as a last resort, as crazy as it may seem, they could have Kurt Rambis take over the reigns as the team’s next head coach.
The problem is we can’t use the norms from any large well-run company or organization in predicting whom the Lakers will hire as their next head coach because they run their franchise like a ‘mom and pop’ business. Every general manager or coach they hired since the Buss family took over control of the Lakers had some link or relationship that made them part of the Lakers family. Candidates without that connection don’t count.
We see this in the coaches the Lakers supposedly have some interest, which includes former Lakers’ assistant coach Quin Snyder, Phil Jackson protégé Nick Nurse, former Laker’s coaches Mike D’Antoni and Mike Brown. Each candidate has a connection to one of the members of the Lakers’ brain trust, which includes owner Jeanie Buss, brothers Joey and Jesse Buss, GM Rob Pelinka, Kurt and Linda Rambis, and Magic Johnson and Phil Jackson.
There is a scenario where none of the Lakers’ desired candidates take the coaching gig and the Lakers are forced to take Kurt Rambis away from his important front office duties and have him be the team’s next head coach.
Yes, this option would be the equivalent of big market franchise suicide.
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I’ve become more and more convinced that whom the Lakers pick to coach this team could be as important if not more important than whom whey get in return for Russell Westbrook.
Can Pelinka find a way to avoid hiring another retread NBA coach? Can he promote Handy or hire a rookie like Rondo? Would we really give up a first round pick for Nick Nurse?
Predicting what this ownership and front office are going to do is almost impossible. The only hope is they’re presented with an easy solution, like Nurse, Snyder, Handy and Rondo all come out strongly wanting the job.
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It all hinges on that tightrope we were talking about with Lebron. If they’re trying to get one last push with him in his final years (which is really their only realistic option) then you don’t really have time for Rondo to go through the growing pains necessary to make the transition directly from the court to the bench. He would be the perfect choice for a full-on rebuild with a buncha young dudes & draft picks (think Green in NO, Jenkins in MEM, or Baby Bernie in CLE) but that ain’t where we’re at right now. Handy is also a good dude but he’s never been a lead assistant. The best option could be to hire a top well-regarded assistant that has some real experience (think Udoka in BOS) and that could be why Darvin Ham & Adrian Griffin have been among their first calls so far.
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Good point about Rondo being a rookie, Mongo.
Going to be interesting seeing what happens.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreLet’s play connect the dots. Bull’s superstar Zach LaVine will be a free agent this summer. LaVine’s agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports represents LeBron James and Anthony Davis and has an alliance with the Lakers front office.
Could Zach LaVine become this year’s version of Klutch Sports forcing a trade of another superstar player to the Los Angeles Lakers? What’s to stop Paul from demanding the Bulls sign-and-trade LaVine to Lakers for Russ? While it’s a long shot, would the Lakers double down on trying to create a Superstar Big Three with James, Davis, and LaVine in the immediate aftermath of the James, Davis, and Westbrook Big Three cratering badly?
Knowing the Lakers penchant for stars, Rob Pelinka and Rich Paul would likely salivate at the idea of Zack LaVine joining LeBron James and Anthony Davis to create a Superstar Big Three and expand Klutch/Lakers alliance. With LeBron turning 38 next season, the Lakers pursuit of a third superstar like Zach LaVine could also be viewed as a savvy preemptive step towards finding a needed superstar replacement for James before he retires.
The question is how can the Lakers and Klutch leverage LaVine’s unrestricted free agency status to force the Bulls to trade Zach to the Lakers? Unlike with AD, there’s no way the Lakers can sign him outright. What the Lakers and Klutch can do is ask the Bulls to sign-and-trade Zach LaVine to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Russell Westbrook with their 2027 and 2029 unprotected first round picks as carrots.
The stick would be the threat of LaVine signing as an unrestricted free agent with a third team putting the Bulls in the position of losing their superstar shooting guard to free agency with receiving nothing in return. While there will be several teams with cap space to sign LaVine as a free agent, all Zach has to do to give Los Angeles the leverage it needs to close the deal is to say he will only agree to a sign-and-trade with the Lakers.
That would put the Bulls in the position where they either lose LaVine for nothing or get Westbrook’s valuable expiring contract and two unprotected Post-LeBron James Lakers’ first round picks that could be highly valuable. Alternatively, the Bulls may decide the open cap space now is better than Westbrook and the two picks and pass or negotiate with the Lakers for a sweetener or two, maybe expanding the trade to other teams and players.
The Lakers would be hard capped at $155.2 million in salaries for the year due to receiving LaVine in a sign-and-trade. Swapping Russ’ $47 million for Zach’s $38 million would leave L.A.’s payroll at $141.7 million for 8 players. That would leave them $13.5 million to fill out the roster to at least 14 players. Because they’re hard capped, they would also be able to use the full MLE for $10.2 million and the BAE for $4.0 million up to the hard cap.
The Lakers would then move Horton-Tucker’s $10 million and Kendrick Nunn’s $5 million salaries for a player making around $10 million per year, which would free up cap space so they could use their full MLE and BAE. Being able to add a second new rotation player via a THT trade and third and fourth new rotation players via the $10.2 million MLE and $4.0 million BAE would enable the Lakers to build a better roster around this Big Three.
After the bad press on the Lakers and Klutch after orchestrating the Anthony Davis trade, it’s probably a long shot that Rob Pelinka and Rich Paul would try to force another superstar to be traded to the Lakers. However, there’s probably no other NBA superstar who is better positioned right now than Zach LaVine to pull off a blockbuster strategic move like forcing the Bulls to trade him to the Lakers for Russell Westbrook and picks.
The Lakers and Klutch Sports can double down on their alliance by choreographing a trade with the Chicago Bulls with L.A. getting LaVine and Chicago getting Westbrook and two unprotected first round draft picks.
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Obviously a long shot but this is a situation that Kutch and the Lakers could take advantage of and there is no better fit at a third star on the Lakers next to LeBron and AD than Zach.
Perfect replacement for LeBron when he retires and gives the Lakers another shot at making the big three work but this time with an elite 3-point shooting guard in his prime.
I also love we could get the $10.2M MLE to use on players like Hartenstein, Otto Porter, Jr., Gary Payton II, Malik Monk. Lakers could have 7 or 8 players making more than the minimum. And still be hardcapped and have a superstar big three.
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I’ll take Zach for sure. Keep Monk then we have 2 really good shooters. We will keep Melo cheap?
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NBA Observations- Big Money Spent For The Clippers And Heat, Are The Lakers Next?
The guys from the Lakers Fast Break return for some NBA Observation as they share thoughts on the recent big-money extensions for Miami coach Erik Spoelstra and the Clipper’s Kawhi Leonard. Does this mean the Lakers will be opening up their wallet a little more as well? Plus after Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic’s huge rant after the Lakers game because of the fourth-quarter free throw disparity, we ponder if Darvin Ham will ever show that kind of energy if he remains as the guys on the sidelines for LA. We’re back talking some big $$$, and wondering if the Lakers are ready to go on a spending spree? Find out our thoughts on the latest Lakers Fast Break podcast!
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The Lakers four most important players are the three players who will start alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the first player off the bench.
Last season, those four players were supposed to be Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, and Malik Monk. Russ was a disaster, THT regressed, Nunn never played, and Monk surpassed all expectations.
Because of poor play, the Lakers often had two or three minimum salary players filling key starting and rotation roles, which was why they were also outgunned by the competition.
The key this season is getting four quality rotation players who can shoot and play defense but have plus positional size. We need a young two-way modern center who can protect the rim and stretch the floor. We need a couple of bigger wing defenders who can guard bigger wing scorers like Kawhi and Durant. And we need a pair of bigger 3&D guards who can stop easy midrange post ups by bigger wing scorers.
We can get two rotation players in a Westbrook trade, one in a THT trade, and two or three via the full MLE and BAE. The key to the summer will be finding four or five legitimate rotation players to complement LeBron and AD. A great GM could pull this off. The big question is can Rob pull this off.