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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe reality is this season is toast and the Lakers brain trust of LeBron James, Rich Paul, Jeanie Buss, and Rob Pelinka that’s responsible for getting us into this dismal situation will be the same group charged with finding a solution.
There’s no question there’s enough blame to share with players, coaches, and front office for the situation the Lakers find themselves in even before trying to factor in the wave of injuries that have derailed the Lakers’ season. LeBron’s to blame for pushing the Westbrook trade; Rich Paul for vetoing trading THT for Lowry; Jeanie Buss for not paying the luxury taxes to keep Caruso; Rob Pelinka for being unwilling to take back long contracts.
As we wait for the season’s final gasps, let’s focus on what LeBron James, Rich Paul, Jeanie Buss, and Rob Pelinka can each do to fix the Lakers’ issues. Here is what each of them can specifically do this summer to fix the Lakers:
1. LeBron James Can Sign His Contract Extension
The Lakers top priority this summer is to lock up LeBron for two more years. While he won’t be eligible to sign an extension until August 4th, James needs to verbally commit to the Lakers when the season ends.
The roster moves the Lakers should make this summer if LeBron agrees to sign an extension could be dramatically different than if James declines to sign an extension and threatens to become a free agent the next season. Ironically, the Lakers could decide to trade James this summer were he unwilling to sign an extension so there’s no way Rob Pelinka can wait until August 4th or later to find out if LeBron was going to commit to the Lakers.
The single most important thing LeBron James can do to help fix the Lakers this summer is to commit early to signing a new 2-year extension to remain with the Lakers when he becomes eligible to do so on August 4th.
2. Rich Paul Can Help Lakers Rebuild Their Roster
Rich Paul and Klutch Sports need to work hard this offseason to heal any breaches in their alliance with the Lakers and help Rob Pelinka rebuild the roster with players who better complement Klutch clients LeBron and AD.
Rich can do that in several ways. First, the Lakers are going to be needing a point guard to replace Russell Westbrook. Klutch should work with Houston to get a buyout for John Wall so he could sign for the minimum with L.A. Second, the Lakers two biggest trading chips besides Russell Westbrook are Klutch clients Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn. Paul should have a good idea of which teams showed interest in THT and Nunn in the past.
The Lakers need to move guards THT and Nunn for bigger forwards and/or a center so their small ball lineups would work offensively and defensively. Rich Paul needs to help the Lakers find the right trading partners.
3. Jeanie Buss Can Loosen the Lakers’ Purse Strings
There’s been criticism of Jeanie Buss and Lakers’ ownership for not being willing to spend whatever it takes to win championships, especially when it comes to taking on long-term contracts or paying mega luxury taxes.
While Dr. Buss never incurred huge luxury taxes, he always understood that you have to spend money to make money in the entertainment business. Jeanie needs to understand the rules for winning have changed. Unlike during Jerry Buss’ tenure, NBA teams today are willing to incur $100 to 200 million in luxury taxes to win a championship, figures that no teams were ever willing to pay during Dr. Buss’ tenure as the Lakers owner.
Jeanie Buss needs to step up to the plate and guarantee LeBron James that she will be willing to accept reasonable long term contracts and mega luxury taxes needed to build a championship caliber roster in today’s NBA.
4. Rob Pelinka Can Make the Right Moves This Summer
As the head of basketball operations for the Lakers, Pelinka will get an opportunity this summer to reverse the Russell Westbrook trade and build a true championship caliber roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The challenge facing Pelinka will be less daunting than at the recent trade deadline where he opted to do nothing. This summer, Rob will not only have Russ’ $47 million expiring contract but also two first round draft picks. Lakers need to trade Russ’ expiring contract for multiple players who would upgrade the roster or could be flipped for other players. They’re better off waiving and stretching Russ than giving up draft picks to move him.
In the end, Rob Pelinka needs to turn Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, Nunn, Johnson, and our 2027 and 2029 first round picks into three championship quality new starters to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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LakerTom2 years, 8 months ago
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Lakers Front office Rules for This Summer:
1. Don’t waste draft picks to move Russ. Only trades where we give up a pick would have to give us two starters, like Brogdon and Hield from the Pacers or Rose and Randle from the Knicks.
2. Buyout, waive, and stretch Russ if we cannot find a trade for two starters. Then use the two picks to pursue Jerami Grant, whom the Pistons say they will trade for two first round picks.
2. While we need a point guard to replace Russ, the Lakers need a stretch big, either a center or forward, who can protect the rim and shoot the three. Ideally, a stretch five center like Myles Turner or Christian Wood would be perfect.
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OMG you keep harping on maintaining the unholy union with Lebron and Klutch to further empty the cupboard and be mired in mediocrity for a few more years. With a LeBron that’s come back down to the pack, who cares if you squeeze a all-star-in-name-only campaign out of him or two? Paying him upward of 50mil to get a mid-tier all-stars worth of performance to stay barely relevant doesn’t seem like a move anybody should be racing to make. And for the love of heaven, you are hereby banned from mentioning the names Wood or Turner ever again. I don’t know what’s got into about a guy over 6’10 who was for a brief moment in time a half-decent 3 point shooter, but as history’s shown us, every time they come to LA, they regress to their usual, mediocre selves. At least you’ve stopped talking about Bertans.
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LOL, Stan. All signs point to the Lakers still valuing LeBron James and the relationship with Klutch Sports. LeBron will let the Lakers know he is going to sign the extension so they can feel free going out and trading for players to surround him. Doubt any different outcome.
Personally, giving Bron the extension is the smart move for the Lakers. He may be just a top 10 player now but, with a healthy AD and three legitimate NBA starters, LeBron could win two more championships before he’s done. You don’t trade him. Especially since he’s still an elite player at 37. You give LeBron James the same respect you gave Kobe Bryant.
If you want to live in a fantasy universe where the Lakers are going to trade LeBron James with gas left in the tank, good luck, my friend. Going to be a long tough next two years.
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What signs are you talking about? The one where they didn’t take yet another useless Klutch client in Wall and give up the only asset they had left? The signs point to the Lakers quickly have gotten tired of Klutch’s and their real owner, Lebron’s M.O. Now that he’s unable to elevate a roster, THERE IS NO POINT in paying him what you have to pay him and having to constantly placate him. Man, it’s like you’ve gotten so old now you’ve forgotten what it was like when your body started to break down like his has.
The time has come where the league continue to be deferential to Lebron when secretly they know times up. The opponents certainly show him no respect on the court. Even the mediocre TWolves just laughed, paid him no mind, and stomped him on the court. I don’t even think you could find a decent trade for him if you wanted to, and teams are secretly hoping they don’t get a call from the dreaded Rich Paul gauging interest in his damaged goods, former superstar. That’s a dude who consistently overplayed his hand, and when his guy was the best in the league, he could get away with bs like the Simmons saga in Philly. Now, these owners will take great delight in sticking it to Klutch the same way players are laughing at Bron on the court.
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Problem is that we’re counting on the same folks who screwed this up in the 1st place to suddenly get smart and fix it. I’m not confident.
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Yep! Most likely result could be an overreaction. Rob has to take charge and not let all of the different influencers confuse him from doing what is needed, including LeGM and AD, Kurt and Linda Rambus. The Lakers need to get bigger and need three new starters. And they need to do that while dumping Russ. Tall order for Rob Pelinka.
Here’s what I’m hoping will happen. Rob understands he should have NOT made the Westbrook trade if for no other reason than everybody underestimated how bad it could get for the Lakers once you factored in the injuries. The Lakers and Russ marriage is headed for divorce this summer, even if LA has to waive and stretch Russ to get rid of him.
This time Rob will do his job and listen to all of the other stakeholders, the superstars, the coaches who are left, the ball boys, Lakerholics.com, etc. but he will then make the decision he’s paid to make, show he learned from last summer. This time he follows his gut instinct and remembers somebody has to be the one to make the call. So do your job, silence the noise, and make sure the Lakers make smart moves, Rob.
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I’ve never been sold on Rob. If he can guide himself out of this corner he’s painted himself into then I’ll be shocked. I’m guessing he’ll panic and make bad decisions trying to fit Lebron’s “championship window” that may already be closed. Could easily cripple us for years to come.
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The Westbrook trade has left Rob and the Lakers in a difficult position. He needs to pull off a trade for Russ’ expiring contract like the Clippers did with Bledsoe’s expiring contract to get Powell and Covington. We need two starters for Russ like Brogdon and Hield if we’re going to give up a pick. Otherwise, W&S him for 3-years. Don’t waste picks on moving him. Only use them when you get starters back.
If you W&S Russ, you can use both picks to go after Jerami Grant. There are usual expiring contract deals Rob can get done that at worst break up Russ $47M into two or three smaller more moveable contracts. If we can get a Grant or a Turner or Wood, that would go a long way to solving our small ball size issues.
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There are just so many overall problems and holes to be filled (both on & off the court) it’s hard to see it getting done in one summer. You’re gonna flip half the roster again, 3 new starters, bring in a new coach & system, and then hope & pray all the pieces gel and LeBron & AD stay healthy. All while racing the clock against Lebron’s inevitable retirement. That’s a helluva needle to thread. Not convinced Rob is the tailor to do it…which is why I’m beginning to lean towards tearing it down sooner rather than later.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe Los Angeles Lakers get a rare second chance this summer to surround superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis with three championship quality starters who possess critically needed 3-point shooting and defense.
Professional sports teams rarely get a second chance to do something right they did wrong last time, but that’s exactly where the Los Angeles Lakers will find themselves this summer as they get a mulligan of sorts for last summer. Committed to ending the Westbrook experiment, the Lakers decided at the deadline to hold onto all of their trading chips until summer to improve their chances of being able to swap Russ and pieces for three new starters.
Finding a trading partner for Westbrook should be easier this summer than at the deadline because Russ’ $47 salary suddenly becomes a huge expiring contract coveted by teams looking to clear cap space or dump contracts. Besides Russell Westbrook (Player Option), Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn (Player Option), Austin Reaves, and Stanley Johnson (Team Option), the Lakers will also be able to offer their 2027 and 2029 first round picks.
Whether the Lakers will be able to do this summer what they didn’t do last summer could well determine the future of the franchise. If the Lakers are forced to buyout, waive, and stretch Russ, it could cripple their cap space. On the other hand, if Pelinka can find a team desperate to move good players on long-term deals for expiring contracts, the Laker could have a legitimate chance to correct the mistake they made in trading for Russ.
The key to the Lakers being able to do right this summer what they should have done last summer will be their willingness as a franchise to accept back players with multiple year contracts to move Westbrook’s $47 million contract. That’s the only way the Lakers are going to turn Russ’ expiring contract into an asset and trading chip and not a liability that would cost them valuable draft capital or waive-and-stretch dead cap space to move.
Here are three possible scenarios where the Lakers get a second chance to do what they should have done last summer and surround LeBron and AD with with championship starting players who can shoot, pass, and defend.
1. Trade for Christian Wood, Buddy Hield, and Malcolm Brogdon
Christian Wood, 26-years old, 6′ 9″, 214 lbs
Averaging 17.9/10.1/2.2 in 31.2 mpg
Shooting 49.4%/38.1%/60.8% on 4.9 3PABuddy Hield, 29-years old 6′ 4″, 220 lbs
Averaging 15.2/4.3/2.5 in 39.2 mpg
Shooting 47.5%/36.8%/91.7% on 8.6 3PAMalcolm Brogdon, 29-years old, 6′ 5″, 229 lbs
Averaging 19.1/5.3/6.0 in 33.6 mpg
Shooting 44.6%/37.7%/88.1% on 5.2 3PA
The Lakers’ best option to redo what they did wrong last offseason is to trade Russ, THT, Nunn, and their 2027 and 2029 first round picks for three new starters in Christian Wood, Buddy Hield, and Malcolm Brogdon.
By trading Russ’ $47 million expiring contract and their 2027 first round pick to the Indiana Pacers in a salary dump for Buddy Hield and Malcolm Brogdon, the Lakers can miraculously reverse last summer’s big trade. They not only get out of Russ’ contract but get the perfect two-way point guard in Malcolm Brogdon and volume 3-point sharpshooter in Buddy Hield, the shooting guard the Lakers almost traded for instead of Russ last summer.
The best player in these trades and difference-maker in this Lakers’ rebuilding scenario is Christian Wood, whom the Lakers get from the Rockets in exchange for Horton-Tucker, Nunn, and their 2029 first round pick. Christian not only gives the Lakers the athletic big they were missing to make their small-ball-on-steroids lineups work but also a second elite shot-blocking stretch center to share the four and five with Anthony Davis.
A starting lineup for next season of Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Christian Wood would be the dramatic upgrade in offensive firepower and defensive rim protection the Lakers need. While they gave up THT and Nunn, the Lakers should still have a solid group of valuable young role players coming off the bench, including Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, and Stanley Johnson, along with veteran Carmelo Anthony.
Trading for Wood, Hield, and Brogdon should be the Lakers’ top option to upgrade next season’s starting lineup. They give the Lakers the 3-point shooting, rim protection, and perimeter defense they need to win it all.
2. Trade for Jerami Grant, Evan Fournier, and Kemba Walker
Jerami Grant, 27-years old, 6′ 8″, 210 lbs
Averaging 19.1/4.1/2.6 in 32.3 mpg
Shooting 42.0%/34.0%/83.9% on 5.3 3PAKemba Walker, 31-years old, 6′ 0″, 184 lbs
Averaging 11.6/3.0/3.5 in 25.6 mpg
Shooting 40.3%/36.7%/84.8% on 5.4 3PAEvan Fournier, 29-years old 6′ 6″, 205 lbs
Averaging 15.2/4.3/2.5 in 39.2 mpg
Shooting 42.0%/39.0%/69.9% on 7.6 3PA
The Lakers’ next option to redo what they did wrong last offseason is trade Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, Nunn, and their 2027 and 2029 first round picks for three new starters in Jerami Grant, Evan Fournier, and Kemba Walker.
By trading Russ’ $47 million expiring contract to the Knicks in a salary dump for Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, Nerlens Noel, and Cam Reddish, the Lakers could avoid sacrificing a first round pick to move Westbrook. Instead, they essentially break Westbrook’s $47 million contract into four separate contracts for $9.1 million, $10.0 million, $18.0 million, and $5.9 million that they can keep or flip or aggregate for different players.
The star player the Lakers land in this rebuilding scenario is 27-year old Jerami Grant, who is the bigger 3&D wing the Lakers desperately need to complement their LeBron James and Anthony Davis small ball lineups. Jerami gives the Lakers the small forward they have missed who can score from all three levels and, most importantly, give the Lakers the elite wing defender who can guard bigger scoring wings like Kawhi Leonard.
A starting lineup for next season of Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, Jerami Grant, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis would be a major upgrade over the Lakers’ current starters, especially in 3-point shooting and firepower. While they lost THT, Johnson, and Nunn, the Lakers still have solid help off the bench in returnees Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, and Carmelo Anthony and new additions from the Knicks in Cam Reddish and Alex Burks.
Trading for Grant, Fournier, and Walker should be a top option for Lakers to upgrade next season’s starting lineup. They give the starting lineup a huge boost in offensive firepower and high volume 3-point shooting.
3. Trade for Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, and John Wall
Christian Wood, 26-years old, 6′ 9″, 214 lbs
Averaging 17.9/10.1/2.2 in 31.2 mpg
Shooting 49.4%/38.1%/60.8% on 4.9 3PAEric Gordon, 33-years old, 6′ 3″, 215lbs
Averaging 13.9/2.0/2. 8 in 29.8 mpg
Shooting 47.6%/41.1%/77.1% on 5.4 3PAJohn Wall, 31-years old 6′ 3″, 210 lbs
Averaging 20.6/3.2/6.9 in 32.2 mpg
Shooting 40.4%/31.7%/74.9% on 6.2 3PA
The Lakers’ third option to redo what they did wrong last offseason is to trade Westbrook, THT, Nunn, Johnson, and their 2027 and 2029 first round picks for three new starters in Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, and John Wall.
The Lakers are essentially swapping Russell Westbrook and their 2027 first round pick for John Wall and Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, Stanley Johnson, and their 2029 first round pick for Eric Gordon and Christian Wood. Wood, Gordon, and Wall would be a massive upgrade for the Lakers’ starting lineup over this season. Suddenly, the Lakers would not only boast better spacing and 3-point shooting but also better interior and perimeter defense.
There’s a lot to like about this trade for the Lakers. They get a proven quality point guard replacement for Westbrook in John Wall, a starting stretch five center in Christian Wood to let LeBron and AD play their preferred positions. The Lakers get an elite high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter in veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon, who averaged over 40% on over five 3-point attempts per game while defending multiple positions at an elite level.
A starting lineup for next season of John Wall, Eric Gordon, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Christian Wood could be a championship team with the lethal firepower and rim protection and perimeter defense the Lakers need. While they gave up THT, Nunn, and Johnson, the Lakers should still have a solid group of valuable role players coming off the bench, including young Malik Monk and Austin Reaves and elite veteran Carmelo Anthony.
Trading for Wood, Gordon, and Wall should be one of the Lakers’ options to upgrade next season’s starting lineup. This is a deal the Lakers should seriously consider to add three championship quality starters.
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The one interesting option I did not address in my article was the benefit of buying out and then stretching and waiving Russ, which would then allow the Lakers to use their two first round draft picks on three new starters.
While I’m not a fan of W&S for as big a contract as Russ;, it could appeal to the Lakers because they could then re-sign Monk for $10.2M, which would hard cap the Lakers and save mucho tax dollars, which we know Jeanie loves to do.
A third option I like is John Wall buying out his contract with Houston and then signing for the minimum with the Lakers. That could be a great move for both Wall and the Lakers.
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Three trade scenarios where Lakers get second chance to redo last summer's Russ trade:
1. Trade for Christian Wood, Buddy Hield, Malcolm Brogdon
2. Trade for Jerami Grant, Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker
3. Trade for Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, John Wallhttps://t.co/j9yyUDB26z
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) March 11, 2022
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Imagine if the Lakers had three quality starters next season alongside LeBron and AD like Wood, Hield, and Brogdon or Grant, Fournier, and Walker. That would mean that Reaves, Monk, and Johnson would be our bench and not our other starters. Three new starters would be a monster upgrade for the Lakers.
That’s the big difference right now. The Lakers lack legitimate NBA championship starters and size at the 1, 2, and 3 positions. Fix that this summer and the Lakers will win #18.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read More
The Los Angeles Lakers need to win games and moving Russell Westbrook to the bench the rest of the season and staggering his minutes with James and Davis could make it easier to build a winning starting lineup and rotations.
One of the major reasons the Lakers have been unable to win many games this season has been their poor roster construction, which led head coach Frank Vogel to regularly deploy a collection of fundamentally flawed lineups. Rob Pelinka didn’t do Frank Vogel any favors when he gave him a James, Davis, Westbrook superstar big three. Russ hasn’t fit well and his presence makes it hard to surround LeBron and AD with shooting and defense.
The Lakers were desperate to find shooters and defenders to surround James and Davis but trading for Russell Westbrook, who is not a good shooter or defender, only exacerbated the situation and made it worse. Forget injuries to LeBron and AD. The reality is Lakers’ lineups with all three superstars LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook have played a total of 376 minutes this season with a negative net rating of -2.5.
The only strategy the Lakers haven’t tried is bringing Westbrook off the bench and staggering his minutes versus James and Davis to make it easer to surround them with shooters and defenders and let Russ feast against backups. The Lakers are desperate to win games and reverting to a starting lineup with just two superstars could be the catalyst to enable Frank Vogel to create more effective starting lineups and rotations and win more games.
Let’s take a look at how moving Russell Westbrook to the bench and staggering his minutes with LeBron and AD could help the Los Angeles Lakers win more games and maybe find success in the playoffs.
1. Lakers’ Starting Lineup Will Be Better Without Westbrook
Russell Westbrook starting not only takes possessions from LeBron James and Anthony Davis but Russ’ lack of gravity as a 3-point shooter makes it easy to pack the paint and prevent LeBron and AD from attacking the rim.
Even more distressing is the recent scuttlebutt we’re hearing behind the scenes that Westbrook has become almost defiant and pushed back “when coaches and teammates have tried to broach changes in his role or approach.” Word is both the Lakers and Westbrook are ready to move on next season, which raises the question of what the Lakers should do with Russ these last 20 games since the relationship may become adversarial.
Removing Russ from the starting lineup would give Lakers head coach Frank three instead of two starting positions to add the playmaking, shooting, and defense needed to complement superstars James and Davis. Building an elite starting lineup around three superstars is almost impossible as there is no way to ‘surround’ LeBron, AD, and Russ with playmakers, shooters, and defenders when you only have two starters available.
Frankly, the time’s come to stop treating Russ like he’s a legit third superstar on a championship caliber team. He’s now become the mistake the Lakers will likely have to sacrifice a couple of draft picks to fix this summer. Truth is Westbrook is just a poor fit as starter because what he brings to the table offensively or defensively does not complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis or make it easier for them excel at either end of the court.
Right now, the Lakers are losing the minutes when LeBron, AD, and Russ are on the court together. Benching Russ could be the solution to the Lakers winning the minutes the starters are on the floor together going forward.
2. Westbrook Will Be More Effective Player Coming Off Bench
While Westbrook will not be happy coming off the bench for the last 20 games of this season, it could be an chance for him to showcase his brand and what he’s capable of doing when not limited to being third option.
Russell Westbrook’s subpar season has clearly been =impacted by playing most of his minutes alongside LeBron James and/or Anthony Davis. He has a -4.0 Net Rating playing with James and a -2.3 Net Rating and with Davis. Russ has actually played better without LeBron James than with him this season, averaging 21.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.6 assists while shooting 44.8/345.7/72,2% in 35.5 minutes in 17 games without LeBron James.
Westbrook has struggled mightily when playing with LeBron and AD, often deferring to them rather than playing his normal super aggressive game. Bringing him off the bench will put Russ in situations where he can excel. Westbrook should realize his game is better suited to come off the bench, where he can once again be the alpha dog and his relentless attacking style will be able to take advantage of playing against a team’s backup players.
Now that the Lakers and Russ have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of this season, Russ needs to be sold on the idea this is the best way for him to show teams his subpar season is primarily due to his fit on the Lakers. He needs to understand that becoming a force off the bench without LeBron and AD could be the perfect opportunity to showcase his game over the next 20 games, the play-in tournament, and ultimately the NBA Playoffs.
Russ’ market value has taken a hard hit with the Lakers and a chance to be the Lakers’ alpha player who gets the touches and shots off the bench could benefit the Lakers need to win games and Russ to redeem his brand.
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I find it interesting that the front office wants Russ to come off the bench but it’s Vogel who doesn’t want to make that move, primarily because he thinks Russ could be a big positive factor down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Is there anything to be gained by playing Russ off the bench? Were AD healthy and playing, I would say there’s a lot to gain by moving Russ to the bench, including an upgraded starting lineup with enough shooting and defense to complement LeBron and AD. So hard to fill all the holes when there are only 2 other starters.
Lot depends on Russ. He had a relatively ‘good’ game last night, although more turnovers than assists again. It’s still the chaos and lack of effort defensively at times that destroys chemistry when he misses layups and turns the ball over.
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While it would have been better to have moved Russ to bench earlier, the Lakers should still make change now to give us an improved starting lineup with better defense and shooting to complement LeBron and AD and a full-throttle version of Russ coming off the bench surrounded by shooters feasting on reserves in the playoffs.
Lakers have 19 more games to go to figure out how to free up the starting lineup and setup Russ for success coming off the bench in the playoffs. That should be one of the regular season goals for the rest of the season.
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Back in high school, there was a Sr. who got to start out of respect and the fact he was pretty beloved by the squad. He was quickly sat down after playing 5-6 minutes and more skilled players would have to quickly step up. Give Russ those 5-6 minutes and quickly sit him.
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That’s a good idea, @therealhtj. I honestly think we are beginning to see the end of Russ’s career in the league at the end of his current contract unless he takes a significant pay cut. But, yeah, I like your idea, out of respect for his hall of fame career. Think of Melo as an example.
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ESPN Sources: There’s an increasing push among many in the Lakers organization to demote nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook from the starting lineup, but so far coach Frank Vogel has resisted bringing him off the bench: https://t.co/2CyO729oZW
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 6, 2022
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreWhile the chances the Los Angeles Lakers would trade their entire superstar big three are slim and none, it’s intriguing to consider what the purple and gold could get for Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James.
While there’s little question the Lakers will attempt to trade Westbrook and his $47 million expiring contract this summer, the idea of Los Angeles also trading LeBron James and Anthony Davis would be an extreme makeover. Although it’s been a tough last two seasons, trading a James and Davis duo that dominated every round of the playoffs and won their 17th NBA championship in the bubble less than 18 months ago would be stupid.
While the odds of a Lakers’ total rebuild seem remote, trading James and Davis would have to be motivated on expectation the 37-year old James and injury prone Davis are no longer good enough to win another championship. Hence, the smart move is to trade them while their value is still high enough to bring back not only younger potential stars and role players to enable the Lakers to avoid a complete overhaul and still compete for a title.
While Russ is the sure superstar the Lakers will trade, let’s look at what L.A. could conceivably receive for trading Russell Westbrook, then LeBron James, and finally Anthony Davis in an extreme makeover this summer.
1. Proposed Russell Westbrook Trade
The one superstar the Lakers do have to trade is Westbrook, whose $47 million expiring contract should finally become a valuable trading chip. The key is finding a trade partner looking to reduce long-term commitments.
The Pacers should be one of the Lakers’ possible trading partners as they have two players in Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield whose multi-year contracts they would like to move on from and who’d be Lakers upgrades. The salary dump trade that makes sense for the Lakers and Pacers is Russell Westbrook’s $47.1 million expiring contract for Malcolm Brogdon’s 3-year $67 million contract and Buddy Hield’s 2-year $40 million contract.
What’s great about this trade is it works whether the Lakers plan to trade Anthony Davis and/or LeBron James. If the Lakers do plan to trade either of them, they will need to expand this trade to include Pacers’ Myles Turner. The perfect solution for the Lakers would like to expand the Westbrook for Brogdon and Hield trade to include Horton-Tucker, Nunn, and the Lakers’ unprotected 2027 first round pick in return for Pacers center Myles Turner.
The expanded Westbrook trade would not only give the Lakers an elite stretch five shot-blocking center in Turner to replace Davis but also two high quality starters or backups in Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield.
2. Proposed LeBron James Trade
If the Lakers were able to get the Pacers to trade Turner, Brogdon, and Hield for Russ, THT, Nunn, and the 2027 pick, they might be smart to stop there. Those three new starters are a perfect fit with LeBron James and AD.
A starting lineup of Brogdon, Hield, James, Davis, and Turner would solve the Lakers’ issues with size and give them the versatility to play small with Davis or James at five or go with two-bigs with Turner at five and Davis at four. Here’s where the Lakers’ worries about 37-year old LeBron James’ physical decline and his and Anthony Davis’ tendency to get injured become factors. The question is can LeBron and AD still lead the Lakers to championships?
LeBron at 37-years old is already starting to show signs of physical decline and more frequent and serious injuries. If the Lakers do not believe they can still win a title with LeBron, they should look to trade him and keep AD. Anthony Davis at 28-years old is still a top ten player and trading LeBron back to Cleveland for Sexton, Markkanen, and Okoro would give the Lakers two legitimate NBA starters along with a elite defensive role player.
The key to the James trade for the Lakers is Sexton and two first round draft picks to replenish their trade assets stockpile. The Lakers see Sexton as one of the team’s new young stars to replace LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
3. Proposed Anthony Davis Trade
After trading Westbrook and James, the Lakers have two options. They could stand pat by adding Turner, Sexton, Brogdon, Hield, Markkanen, and Okoro to complement Anthony Davis or take the final step and trade AD.
Trading LeBron James may have made trading Anthony Davis a necessity due to Klutch Sports. Anthony Davis may demand to be traded if LeBron is traded. Trading LeBron and AD would sever the alliance with Klutch Sports. The trade would be Anthony Davis to Boston for Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, giving the Lakers a second young star in Brown to pair with Sexton as the team’s future star duo to replace LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
While the Lakers lose AD, they receive two proven All-Star 3&D starters in return in Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. Smart is the lock-down defensive guard and Brown the All-Star defender and elite scorer the Lakers need. Today’s NBA is a guard and wing driven league and, like the Westbrook and James trades, the Davis trade helps the Lakers become a better, deeper, and younger team that should have a decades long championship window.
Trading Anthony Davis would signal the end of the Lakers/Klutch alliance and LeBron’s 4-year stint with the purple and gold. But the trade would also be the piece de resistance of a dramatic Lakers’ extreme makeover.
4. Roster After Trading Superstar Big Three
The above Westbrook, Davis, and James trades would give give the Lakers eight new players: Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and Isaac Okoro.
Five of those eight new players would be projected as starters, including Collin Sexton, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Lauri Markkanen, and Myles Turner. Brogdon, Hield, and Okoro would become backups to the starters. The Lakers would also bring back four players from this year’s team: Carmelo Anthony, Austin, Reaves, and Stanley Johnson. That would leave three rosters spots open for free agents and players from the NBA Draft.
The new Lakers roster would be extremely talented and deep at both guard and small forward positions with three All-Star starters in Sexton, Smart, and Brown and three starter quality backups in Brogdon, Hield, and Okoro. While Turner gives the Lakers a shot-blocking stretch five center, they also need to use empty roster spots and even a trade of a valued guard like Hield to upgrade their front court with a power forward like Christian Wood.
There’s no question the Lakers should be able to find trading partners for all three of their superstars should they decide to undergo an extreme makeover. The resulting roster could be good enough to be a contender. However, we’ve all seen how teams constructed on paper often don’t translate on the hardwood. It’s easy to see from above that there are logical stopping points for the Lakers after trading Russ and then LeBron.
The Lakers will try to trade Westbrook and explore what they might be able to get for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But there are scenarios where the dominos line up and the Lakers trade all three of their superstars.
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The expanded Westbrook trade would not only give the Lakers an elite stretch five shot-blocking center in Turner to replace Davis but also two high quality starters or backups in Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield.https://t.co/epzes24p8l pic.twitter.com/6oaIo8xpyE
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) March 2, 2022
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The key to the James trade for the Lakers is Sexton and two first round draft picks to replenish their trade assets stockpile. The Lakers see Sexton as one of the team’s new young stars to replace LeBron James and Anthony Davis.https://t.co/epzes24p8l pic.twitter.com/gSc8uto2eH
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) March 2, 2022
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The trade would be Anthony Davis to Boston for Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, giving the Lakers a second young star in Brown to pair with Sexton as the team’s future star duo to replace LeBron James and Anthony Davis.https://t.co/epzes24p8l pic.twitter.com/9taHPmPdWN
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) March 2, 2022
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Five of those eight new players would be projected as starters, including Collin Sexton, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Lauri Markkanen, and Myles Turner. Brogdon, Hield, and Okoro would become backups to the starters.https://t.co/epzes24p8l pic.twitter.com/0P9YunVSKP
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) March 2, 2022
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Ya’ll have to pay me to watch that team. No possible way a Chip. We are stuck unless we get KAT for AD and nearly anyone for Russ. Ya won’t find many LA peeps that will watch without a Super. Not sure how we go from West and Baylor to Kareem and Maigc to Kobe and Shaq and Pau to LeBron to plain ol?
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Sexton (23) and Brown (25) are young guards who will be the core of the Lakers future if they decide to build a championship roster organically.
What you’re missing is the net of two more draft picks and the collection of talented players on tradeable contracts. Trading the big three not only gets you two young studs but also the players and picks to compete when the next legitimate superstar comes on the market. Right now, we have zip trading chips and two superstars on rapid decline.
I’m not saying I would trade LeBron and/or AD but I do think there are pathways where you end up with a pretty damn good collection of talent that could be championship caliber faster and longer than sticking with LeBron and AD.
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I am with you, DJ. It is hard for me to say it, but I truly put the loss of this season on AD’s lack of availability. It is happening in the same way as last season.
After the team treaded water while he was injured for most of the season, he came back and we were leading the Suns 2-1 in the playoffs before he went down again and our season went down in flames.
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Trade Russ, LeBron, and Anthony or just Russ?
What do you think?In the end, I would stop after the Russ trade. I think that team would be pretty damn good. And able to pay super big or super small. Versatile and dangerous.
Hard to predict what you could get for Russ, LeBron, and AD but I might not be willing to trade all three but if the Lakers could get the players in my trades, that would be a great young roster that could win a lot of games and be a contender for a decade.
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No way the Pacers will throw Turner into a trade. If one followed the NBA chatter the Pacers were looking to break Sabonis and Turner up. Not trade them both. Turner got hurt and they were able to get Halliburton for Sabonis. Turner is only 25 and creates a nice young core with Halaburtan and Duarte. When Pincus mentioned trading Russ and 2 first rounders for Buddy and Brogdon, Turner was not part of theat conversation. You just threw him in because you like him. The Pacer will not just toss in Turner just because Laker fans would love it.
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Maybe, maybe not. They’re still not sure how much of a rebuild they want. They might have traded Myles too had he not gotten injured.
Anyway, THT, Nunn, and the two picks are essentially trading chips to be used to get a new front court. I would go after centers like Turner and Wood and 3&D power forwards like Redding and Grant so we can play small or big.
If Pacers wouldn’t accept what we have for Turner, then I would move on Christian Wood. We need a stretch five center who can protect the rim. And we should end up with two more picks via the LeBron trade.
Aso I never claimed any of the trades proposed were anybody’s ideas other than my own. Nor was I trying to claim credit for anybody’s previously proposed trades. I may have stolen ideas from others but the deals I proposed was all mine. Not sure what the problem is.All these ideas were just proposed trades to see if what the Lakers might be able to get for Russ, LeBron, and AD. Not predicting any specific trade. Just trying to illustrate a point, which is you could build a pretty good young roster by trading Russ, LeBron, and AD;
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No problem, other than the amount of return you think you can get on that trade.
It’s funny, I purposed trades myself in a post. And here is your comment.“The only problem with that is the same you always have with trades. Not going to happen. I can’t envision a scenario where the Lakers trade LeBron and AD.”
Just thought it’s interesting change of heart.
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Aloha, Michael,
That was right after the initial scares that Lakers and Kutch were fighting.
I still don’t think the Lakers will trade LeBron or AD, especially now that the two sides have met and hopefully buried the hatchet.
The purpose of the article was to see what kinds of players they might be able to get in best scenario.
There’s an argument to be made to trade all three and just Russ and LeBron. But only Russ is probably the smartest move right now for the Lakers.
Truth is we don’t know what the next two years of LeBron is going to look like although we’ve had some scary possible previews with the injuries slowing LeBron down. Still think the best and only bet we have for a title the next two years would be to keep LeBron and AD.
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They’re not going to trade LBJ unless he back channel demands it. I think that could happen, honestly. Depending on how a Russ trade goes or what they choose to do with Frank in terms of who replaces him. Also, if AD is on the block (which i think is just fan fiction fun right now, not legit) that would also mean that, on some level, LBJ doesn’t believe he can stay on the floor ad help his cause.
When this season finally, mercifully, concludes it will be interesting to see how quickly the Lakers move. If you’re going to fire Rob best to do it prior to the end of the season so your new front office can hit he ground running right away and not burn a month or so getting up to organizational speed.
That fact that Rob still has a job means that he’s likely to stay employed for at least one more season (his last under his current contract) and the Lakers will give him another shot at reaching the highest branch.
I want to guarantee they’ll fire frank but I can also see a world where James and Davis assure Rob and Jeannie Frank wasn’t the problem, that trading away Rondo was a bad idea (it was, no coincidence we got even worse after that) and that they should bring the band back together (hopefully sans Russ but no guarantee from me on that one, either). This would be my personal doomsday scenario.
Realistically I think we just move on from Russ and Frank. AD and LBJ get healthy and we cross our fingers regarding luck one more time.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreLess than a year and a half after winning their 17th NBA championship, the Lakers are finally entering what amounts to the end-game of the LeBron James era as the King only has one year remaining on his contract.
As their championship hopes fade to reality, the Lakers appear to be destined at best to be a play-in team this season, making it two straight years of poor roster construction and extensive injuries to their superstars. But the challenges facing the Lakers this offseason are going to determine whether the franchise can regain its footing as a legitimate championship contender or whether they will be forced into some form of a rebuild.
Heading into the final third of this disappointing season, here are the five major franchise-defining questions the Los Angeles Lakers must answer as the team enters into the end-game of the LeBron James era.
1. Can LeBron James Still Carry the Los Angeles Lakers to Title?
When you look at the stats for the Lakers this season, what jumps out other than the disappointing 27–33 record is LeBron James’ negative net rating for the season. The Lakers are actually losing the minutes LeBron James plays.
LeBron James’ 109.7 offensive rating less his 111.4 defensive rating give him a -1.7 net rating for this season, which is the first time in 18 seasons he’s had a negative net rating since a -2.0 net rating in his 2003–04 rookie season. Winning the LeBron minutes has never been the Lakers problem until this year. Last year, LeBron’s net rating was +9.2 and the year before +8.5. The Last five games, LeBron’s net rating has been a -10.2, 12th on the Lakers.
Other than the heroic fourth quarter in the Utah Jazz win, LeBron James has struggled by his standard over the last five games, posting 28.4/9.4/5.4 but shooting just 48.7/32.4/80.0% and averaging a Westbrookish 5.2 turnovers. Assuming Davis is out for next 12 to 18 games, the Lakers need to be careful not to overwork LeBron and risk him suffering a major injury like happened to Kobe Bryant. Truth is LeBron James needs to rest the knee now.
The Lakers should seriously consider shutting down LeBron for a week or two rather than risking him getting injured. The remote chance the Lakers could win #18 this season is not worth risking the health of LeBron James.
2. Should the Lakers Continue the Close Alliance with Klutch Sports?
Fortunately, I believe any question about the future of the relationship between the Lakers and Klutch Sports has been already been addressed by LeBron James and Rich Paul meeting with Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss.
The next step would be confirmation from Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss that the Lakers/Klutch alliance was in good standing and they’re looking forward to making moves this summer to rebuild roster to championship level. Getting LeBron to sign an extension will require the Lakers to be willing to trade first round picks, take back players with multiple-year contracts, and pay whatever luxury taxes it takes to compete and win NBA championships.
There’s always will be some friction between LeBron James and whatever team he plays for because they often have different agendas, usually LeBron in total win-now mode and the team not wanting to sacrifice their future. Franky, it’s telling the news about LeBron and Rich meeting with Rob and Jeanie all came from Klutch Sports rather than from the Lakers. LeBron and Rich smartly understanding they can’t push the Lakers like other teams.
The close alliance with Klutch Sport has been a big advantage for the Lakers over other NBA teams. Klutch delivered a message but so did the Lakers. The Lakers/Klutch alliance should continue even after LeBron James retires.
3. Is Anthony Davis Still Right Superstar to Take Baton from LeBron?
Just 18 months ago, we were talking about AD taking the baton from LeBron as the Lakers’ best player. If a Davis injury ends a second straight Lakers season, the discussion about AD may be whether to trade him.
Now that it looks like Davis will have just 6 to 9 regular season games left after returning from injury to get ready for the playoffs, the Lakers should hope for a replay of the bubble, where AD had only 8 regular season games. While the Lakers/Klutch breakup story was hot, everyone talked about what a haul the Lakers could get trading LeBron and AD. The true value of both these players is elite. They’re generational. You don’t trade them away.
But we can’t ignore the how injuries to LeBron and AD have hurt the team. For LeBron, it’s Father Time and personal load management limiting him. Before this injury, AD was getting back to playing like the bubble AD. Part of the decision of whom the Lakers pursue to replace LeBron will depend on how well Anthony Davis plays the rest of this season and next. Injury worry could impact how the Lakers use AD but he’s still LeBron’s heir apparent.
We’re not yet at the point of figuring out how to position to draft Bronny or how exactly Giannis will replace LeBron on the Lakers but for now Anthony Davis, for at least next year, will be the Lakers’ future alpha star.
4. Should Lakers Rethink Their Total Commitment to Small Ball?
While the Lakers won their 17th championship playing small with James at the four and Davis the five, they should rethink committing entirely to small ball going forward to save wear-and-tear on LeBron and AD.
While AD may be the best small ball five and LeBron the best small ball four, having an injury prone center and overworked 37-year old power forward playing the two most physical lineup positions might not be so smart. With Davis out for four to five more weeks, the Lakers need to play Dwight Howard at the five more to avoid burning out or injuring LeBron James at the five. That’s a strategy the Lakers should adopting next season.
The problem with the Lakers playing small is the lack of a third 3&D front court player to complement James and Davis, either a small forward who can guard big wings or stretch four or five who can protect the rim. The best solution could be to go big and trade for a stretch center like Myles Turner or Christian Wood, who would allow the Lakers to play five-out small ball on offense but with the size to protect the rim on defense.
Having a modern stretch five center like Turner or Wood would make the Lakers more versatile and dangerous in the playoff and reduce the banging and physicality that could wear down LeBron or AD and lead to their injury.
5. What Should the Lakers Be Looking for in Next Head Coach?
There’s a consensus in the media that Frank Vogel will not return as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Short of a miraculous postseason finish by the Lakers, this year will probably be Vogel’s last as the Lakers’ head coach.
Firing Vogel raises the question of what should the Lakers be looking for in their next head coach. They need a coach who knows the game at a high level and whom superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis will respect. Ultimately, it would also help if the next head coach had played for or had a connection to the Lakers as that would make it easier to hire him and having played in the league is often an advantage when coaching players.
The Lakers should avoid bringing in another recycled coach like David Fizdale. Ideally, they should look to make a bold hire like the Brooklyn Nets did with Steve Nash and consider Rajon Rondo as the Lakers’ next head coach. Rondo is not only one of the smartest players who ever put on an NBA jersey but also a fiery competitor who knows the Lakers’ front office and has played with LeBron and AD and many of the players on the team.
The Lakers would need to supplement Rondo’s staff with proven former head coaches but by choosing someone with his background and potential, the Lakers could make a quick, smooth transition from Frank Vogel.
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5 Questions Could Change Lakers’ Future:
1. Can LeBron Still Carry Lakers?
2. Should Lakers Continue Klutch Alliance?
3. Is AD Superstar to Take Baton from LeBron?
4. Should Lakers Rethink Small Ball Only?
5. What Should Lakers Want in New Head Coach?https://t.co/Q1F8I69sGc— LakerTom (@LakerTom) February 28, 2022
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Rondo as the Lakers coach would be very interesting. I am very intrigued by that idea. Sounds like something to go for.
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Thanks, Buba. Has to be a move that LeBron and AD would accept and with somebody who knows spacing and offense as well as defense. Not many option but I like what the Nets did with Nash. Lakers should do same with Rondo.
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