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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThere’ve been great conversations in the media and blogs whether Andre should change his game to match the Lakers’ needs or whether the Lakers should take advantage of his unique strengths and adjust their approach?
Now that Andre has reached agreement to join the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s going to be fascinating to find out exactly what his role on the team will be and how much the Lakers’ strategy on offense and defense will change. Drummond brings skills the Lakers need to repeat as champs, including elite rebounding, low post scoring, physical size, and solid rim protection. But integrating him into a championship team is not a simple slam dunk.
Drummond is looking at the starting center position on the Lakers as the perfect team and situation to best showcase his talents to convince a team to offer him a max contract as an unrestricted free agent next summer. Ideally, he wants to start and close games, play big minutes, and be featured on offense. Money and even the lure of a championship are not paramount. Drummond is primarily focused on helping his career, brand, and future.
The Lakers, of course, know all of this but they also needed to sell Andre that joining the Lakers would give him the ideal stage and best opportunity to show the world what he can accomplish playing on a championship team. The Lakers goal is a championship with everybody pulling in the same direction. That means Andre and the Lakers had to reach an important meeting of the minds to balance the needs of the player and team.
So let’s take a look at the role Drummond and the Lakers could have agreed upon and highlight the areas where the needs of the player and team could have conflicted and how those conflicts might have been resolved.
STARTING AND CLOSING
There’s no question Andre Drummond will be the Lakers’ starting center. The more important question is will he close games, especially once we get into the playoffs when the Lakers prefer to close with AD at the five?
While there will be matchups where LA may need Drummond and Davis on the floor together to close games, there’s no way the Lakers promised Andre that he would automatically be on the team’s closing lineup for every game. While Frank Vogel has usually stayed with a consistent starting lineup, he’s also always preferred to adjust who closes games for the Lakers, depending on the matchups and who’s been playing well. That’s not going to change.
While Andre is likely to be the starter most of the time, there may be games where teams go small and the Lakers decide to matchup. In the end, the Lakers and Andre have likely agreed coach Vogel would make those calls.
FEATURED ON OFFENSE
The Lakers are first and foremost LeBron James’ and Anthony Davis’ team and Andre Drummond signing with them is not going to change that. Andre will get his share of touches but he’ll still be the Lakers’ third option.
Whether the Lakers feature Andre Drummond on offense will be another decision that has to be matchup driven. The Lakers won’t have a problem dumping the ball inside to Andre if he has a clear cut matchup advantage. However, they’re not going to suddenly turn into a team whose top priority is to feed the ball into the post as if Andre Drummond was Shaquille O’Neal. Andre will get his opportunities but only within the flow of the game.
Drummond is smart enough to understand this is LeBron’s and AD’s team and knows that proving he can play winning basketball on a championship team will be worth more in free agency this summer than inflated stats.
MINUTES AND SHOTS
Andre Drummond will average around 32 minutes per game depending on matchups, which is in line with his recent and career numbers. But there will be sporadic games where he’ll play fewer minutes due to matchups.
As for shots, Drummond averaged a career high 15.2 shots per game for the Cavs this season. He’s not going to get that many shots with the Lakers, who will be looking for him to improve both his shot selection and efficiency. LeBron James averages 18.4 and Anthony Davis 16.7 shots per game for a total of 35.1 or about 40% of the team’s 86 shots per game. The only way Andre is going to get 15 shots per game is dominating the offensive glass.
Andre Drummond will be the Lakers third star when it comes to minutes, shots, and points scored but playing on the Lakers with LeBron should enable him to discover and showcase his best possible version as a player.
IMPACT ON ROSTER
Andre Drummond’s arrival will have major consequences for the Lakers’ current two centers, Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell. Gasol will probably find himself playing rarely and Harrell his minutes dramatically reduced.
Vogel faces a daunting challenge distributing center minutes. Harrell is averaging 25.3 and Gasol 19.8 minutes per game. Without AD, that leaves just 16 minutes for the other centers if Andre plays 32 minutes per game. Until AD returns, Harrell should get most of the remaining minutes while Gasol sits. The big crunch will come when AD returns. Vogel may have to get creative to find minutes for Harrell with Davis to avoid losing his impact.
Once we’re in the playoffs and the Lakers go small and need Anthony Davis to play more minutes at the five defensively, Drummond and Harrell could both see their minutes and roles diminish significantly the deeper LA goes.
There’s no question signing Andre Drummond was a big and necessary move by the Lakers. They desperately needed more size and athleticism at the five than either Gasol or Harrell could provide to repeat as champions.
The big challenge now that Drummond is aboard is still finding a way to take advantage of Trezz’s great energy and scoring at the rim. Unfortunately, Drummond and Harrell together just doesn’t work in the modern NBA. Further complicating the situation, the Lakers may need Davis play the five in the playoffs even more this year than last year as neither Drummond or Harrell are great fits for the team’s championship defensive schemes.
The Lakers were fortunate to sign Andre Drummond and hopefully he and the team have agreed upon a role that will bring another championship but Frank Vogel and the coaches will have to figure out how to make it work.
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LAKERS DEPTH CHART – 14 PLAYERS:
PG – SCHRODER, Horton-Tucker
SG – CALDWELL-POPE, Caruso, Matthews
SF – JAMES. Kuzma, McKinnie
PF – DAVIS, Morris, Dudley
CE – DRUMMOND, Harrell, Gasol-
Pretty sure Dudley is done for the year. Rivers just came free, and some other buyout guys should probably be brought on to replace guys like McKinnie/Cacok who really aren’t ready at this level. Since the Drummond signing was always in the bag and the “visits” were more to lessen any tampering allegations, can he suit up tonight?
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I suspect they won’t cut these guys because they don’t have any minutes for anybody but a wing defender and don’t want to hurt the team chemistry. Might change but I would bet on Otto Porter, Jr. as the last addition.
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We shouldn’t need him tonight but it would be great to have him next Wed for the Bucks and the rest of the schedule until AD and LeBron get back.
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Here’s the real wild card with respect to Drummond. How will finally playing for a winning team change his motivation and play? After years of playing for nothing but stats in Detroit and then Cleveland, how will Dre do under the bright lights of LA?
It’s a shame Andre won’t get to start his rental stint with the Lakers playing alongside LeBron James. I worry a little about him getting too many touches with our team so offensively challenged without LeBron and AD. Andre’s Achilles heel is poor shot selection and low percentage finishing on offense. The last thing the Lakers need is for him to get used to too many touches and then struggling to adjust to less opportunity once LeBron and AD return. This is where all the smart discussion about his role might get undermined. I don’t want to see us dropping the ball to Dre in the low post and standing around while he goes 1-on-1.
Defensively, I’m encouraged by his league best 1.6 steals per game for centers than his 1.2 blocks per game. The word is he is pretty quick for a 6′ 10″ 280 lbs player but has not always been motivated to play defense. Hopefully, he’ll quickly understand that won’t fly on the Lakers. It will be interesting to see if he can fit on a trapping, doubling, switching style of defense the Lakers want to play. That will go a long way towards determining what his role will be come the playoffs.
At any rate, landing Drummond was probably an essential move to stay in competition for the championship this year. I do believe there’s a chance he could turn out to be the difference maker but it will depend on whether he can learn to be a Laker, which is a lot different than being a Piston or Cavalier. In the end, it will up to Andre to play the right way.
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So…cool, exciting I suppose. Certainly not my first choice in terms of our needs but the best choice talent/health-wise. Not gonna lie, as soon as Mitchell Robinson went down in NYC I was fairly confident Drummond would head to the Big Apple. Perfect for Thibbs system, would start alongside Randle et al, going to be fans there quicker than here, they can afford him next season and we cannot. Or at least he’ll be bummed if he’s a Laker next season if money is his goal.
I see him as a 3rd option at best and more likely the 4th. Schroder is also looking for a big post-season deal. He’s going to play as he has and frankly that’s in the best interests of the team. Another reason I thought the fit on the Knicks was better. With an healthy Laker roster he’ll get some points off LBJ,as the team does, and clean the offensive glass. That’s it. We didn’t create post touches for Gasol or really ask him to anything but function from the top of the key down. I expect a similarly limited role for Drummond.
While AD is out I can even envision a world where Dre starts at the 4 next to Gasol. The biggest fear in Laker Land is that Davis won’t play to potential or, worse, not at all. Drummond is as good of an insurance policy as anything else out there for that potentiality. It means that, once LeBron gets healthy, he and Frank will have a bevvy of options at the 4 and 5. Between Gasol, Drummond, Harrell and Morris the Lakers have a lot of looks should AD continue to experience issues staying on the court.
Lastly, it’s not like the Lakers have been burning it up from three. Having a rebounder like Dre never hurts a team. Ever. Even if all he does is patrol the paint and corral rebounds it’ll help. So welcome to the team Mr. Drummond and go Lakers!
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The key for the Lakers may be to figure out how to keep Trezz going once Drummond is here. That probably means Marc gets DNPs and Trezz plays a lot of minutes with AD. Going to be tough to keep him playing at his best though/
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I can’t say how excited I am right now for us landing Drummond, a historically great rebounder who can also get you buckets on any given night. And not only that, he is also in his prime at age 27. The same age as AD.
Championship teams need rebounders. Remember Dennis Rodman? How he fits into the team’s style of play will be figured out. We landed a good center without having to trade anyone. That, to me, was all I was looking forward to. Great job by Rob Pelinka.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreYes, it’s a long shot but there’s something insanely karmic and stealthily savvy about the Lakers bringing back two former players who were both awarded championship rings by the team despite missing the playoffs.
The Lakers reportedly were interested in signing Boogie a few weeks ago but wanted to wait to see if Andre Drummond were bought out. While the Lakers are now the favorites to land Drummond, it’s still not a slam dunk. There are also serious questions whether Andre would be a good fit for the Lakers, especially in the playoffs when Anthony Davis will have to play a major share of the minutes at center if LA hopes to repeat as champions.
But aside from the karma of DeMarcus and Avery getting an opportunity to earn the championship rings they were awarded, there are three compelling reasons why they could be the best out-of-the-box options for the Lakers.
1. TEAM CHEMISTRY
Let’s be honest. One of the reasons the Lakers won the NBA championship last year was their strong team chemistry and involving key players in trade deadline discussions could have undermined and damaged that chemistry.
There’s also no question that DeMarcus Cousins and Avery Bradley were valued members of the Lakers’ championship team who would be eagerly and fully welcomed back and help repair any damage that had been done. Contrast that with the potential problems of bringing in an outsider like Andre Drummond or say Lou Williams, who don’t have the history and relationships that Boogie and Bradley have and might cause friction.
While Cousins and Bradley could be invaluable contributors to the Lakers repeating as champs, they would not likely start or dramatically change the team’s rotations but they would clearly strengthen the Lakers’ chemistry.
2. FLOOR SPACING
The proven formula for winning with LeBron has always been to surround him with high percentage, high volume 3-point shooting. Right now, the Lakers rank 25th in 3-point attempts and 22nd in 3-point percentage.
The default strategy to slow down LeBron is for defenders to sag off his teammates and clog the paint to prevent him from attacking the rim. The Lakers need willing shooters who can take and make more 3-point shots. Cousins and Bradley can do that. Drummond can’t. Boogie averaged 33.6% on 4.6 threes in 20.2 minutes while Bradley averaged 42.1% on 3.8 threes in 21.1 minutes. Drummond missed all 8 of the threes he took this year.
The offensive challenge the Lakers will face in this year’s playoffs is going to be winning or limiting the 3-point shooting differential. The Lakers need to take and make more threes than they’re doing now to repeat as champs.
3. OVERALL FIT
Once the Lakers get into the playoffs, Anthony Davis is going to play the five half the time like last year with Morris or Kuzma at the four against most opponents. Bradley can help those lineups. Cousins and Drummond can’t.
The issue then becomes what to do with the time when AD is not playing the five. What the Lakers don’t want to happen is the the team standing around force feeding the ball into the post for an inefficient Drummond to go 1-on-1. That time would be far better utilized by Boogie playing a stretch five and opening up lanes for LeBron and AD to attack the rim or by LeBron, Dennis, Avery, and THT running pick-and-rolls with Montrezl for layups and dunks.
The last thing the Lakers need right now is to add a player who needs the ball to showcase himself to earn a max contract this summer. The Lakers should focus on adding players who enhance the team and how we play.
The Lakers front office essentially gave this roster a vote of confidence with their decision to not make the trade for Lowry. They obviously believe the Lakers have the superstars and supporting cast to win the championship.
While we do need size and better rim protection, there’s a good argument that Cousins could be just as effective in that tole as Drummond and certainly a better fit offensively with his playmaking and shooting. There’s also the issue of expectation which could result in friction that could hurt the Lakers already stressed team chemistry. This may be the time for the Lakers to double down on tweaking rather than revamping how they play.
When you consider the importance of team chemistry, floor spacing, and overall fit, signing Cousins and Bradley and giving them the opportunity to earn another ring to go with the one we gave them last year makes sense. Cousins and Bradley would allow the Lakers to play the same style with AD at center that won the title last year and incorporate this season’s success with Gasol as a stretch five and Harrell as a pick-and-roll finisher.
While there’s something insanely karmic and stealthily savvy about the Lakers bringing back two players who were both awarded championship rings by the team despite missing the playoffs, here’s hoping it will happen.
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I spent a couple of hours thinking about Andre Drummond in preparation for writing an article about how he would fit on or work for the Lakers before coming to the inevitable conclusion that he wouldn’t be a good fit or work well. In fact, I’m actually worried that he could end up being a bust that damages team chemistry and focuses Vogel’s attention away from taking advantage of Gasol stretching defenses to open up lanes for LeBron and AD to attack the rim or from LeBron et al running pick-and-rolls to get dunks and layups for Trezz.
The problems start with the fact that our best lineups for the playoffs are going to be Anthony Davis at the five with Morris at the four, although I also think we should give Kuzma a chance to be the four too in certain matchups. That’s going to be the lineup that eats up 50% of the minutes and closes games against most opponents like it did last year. Whomever we bring in as a center is not going to change that, whether it’s Drummond or Cousins. AD is the shot blocker and rim protector that makes that scheme work. Drummond or Cousins would just be played off the floor defensively like McGee or Howard because they can’t switch and rotate and defend the perimeter. Oddly, I do think there will be situations where Trezz can function defensively in the AD small ball lineup. We’ve seen glimpse of that and he is mobile and athletic enough to pull it off.
That leaves the other half of the game where AD is not the center. I don’t want to see that half of the game turn into force feeding Drummond in the post, where he is an inefficient black hole, while everybody else stands around. Not when you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the team. Give me Boogie firing away from deep 5 times a game to stretch the defense or LeBron et al running pick-and-rolls to get Trezz going down hill for dunks and layups. Both of those are better offensive schemes for us than an inefficient back-to-the-basket low post scorer looking to rack up points to get a max contract from another team when he knows the Laker can’t give him that.
Bottom line, time for Boogie and Bradley to earn the ring we gave them for last year as well as another for this year. That’s what I’m hoping for. Of course, I expect the Lakers to sign Drummond and change how we play entirely, which only adds to my frustration over their doing nothing at the trade deadline.
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Well obviously anyone who’s not a “volume” 3 point chucker wouldn’t fit in your schemes. Clearly the best option is someone just taking a bunch of 3’s, regardless of percentage or efficiency. No doubt better options than a solid rim protector who’s a walking double-double regardless of any plays run for him. But hell, this is the Lakers, why not all 3?
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First, you can’t make them unless you take them and for the most part, you can’t stay on the floor in the NBA if you take a lot of threes but shoot a low percentage. Well, unless you’re Russell Westbrook. If you look at the top ten players in 3PA, you’ll not they all shoot above league average.
While I think a volume 3-point shooter is important, it’s partly that you can’t lose the 3-point war and win most games, it’s also about fitting with LeBron and AD. Having a center who’s willing and able to take and make a high volume of threes has always been part of how you win with LeBron James. Having everybody stand around while you pass the ball to Andre Drummond to score in the low post has not been part of the James winning strategy.
I do understand his rebounding and low post scoring can help but he’s also vulnerable to being played off the court just like JaVale and Dwight were last year. And he’s not the same level of rim protector they were.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe Los Angeles Lakers appeared to have outlasted first the Philadelphia 76ers and then the Miami Heat to pull off a mega trade for Kyle Lowry and win today’s NBA Trade Deadline Sweepstakes only to sadly fold their cards.
In the end, the Lakers refused to include 20-year old Talen Horton-Tucker in their offer of Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Kyle Lowry and the Raptors’ Masai Ujuri called Rob Pelinka’s bluff and nixed the trade. The Raptors kept the 35-year old Lowry and the Lakers came up empty, even failing to make tweaks to what is a seriously flawed roster desperately in need of a playmaking guard, rim protecting center, and 3-point shooting.
As a longtime resident of THT Island, I’m glad Talen is still wearing purple and gold but also disappointed Rob did not pull the trigger on the trade for Kyle Lowry, whom I think could have made the Lakers dramatically better. But as I’ve said many times, I trust Rob Pelinka to make the right decisions for the Lakers and understand, as fans, we never have the benefit of the inside information, insights, or expertise of our front office professionals.
While I’m sure will learn more about what happened the next few days, here are my thoughts about the decision not to trade for Lowry and the questions it raises for the rest of the Lakers’ season and next summer:
The first question is why did the Lakers refuse to include 20-year old Talen Horton-Tucker in the trade since his contribution over the next two years was unlikely to be as great as that of a 35-year old All-Star like Kyle Lowry?
To start with, the Lakers may not have wanted to commit to giving Lowry the 2-year $50 million extension he wanted if traded. The reason they were willing to trade Schroder was the 4-year $100 million extension he wanted. Further, part of the reason they were willing to trade Caldwell-Pope was his 3-year $40 million extension. The Lakers clearly wanted to cut salary with Caruso and Horton-Tucker entering free agency and luxury taxes looming.
Then there’s the obvious reluctance to part with 20-year old Talen Horton-Tucker, whom the Lakers believe has legitimate star potential. Pelinka has done a great job balancing the demands to win now with the Lakers’ future. Horton-Tucker is a Klutch Sports client and a player the Lakers drafted on the specific recommendation of LeBron James. It’s entirely possible James and Davis were participants in a decision not to include THT in any trades.
In the end, the Lakers obviously felt confident that they could still win the championship with their current roster and a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis plus whomever they could sign from the buyout market.
The next question is what does not making a trade mean for the Lakers, both for the 2 to 3 weeks remaining before AD returns and the 3 to 5 weeks left before LeBron returns, as well as down the stretch and in the playoffs?
The good news is Marc Gasol will return for tonight’s game against the 76ers, although on a 15-minute limit. With Embiid still injured and trade deadline in the rear view mirror, the Lakers will need to be ready to play. The front office just made a huge bet on them to be able to do the job. Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Talen Horton-Tucker need to show everybody the confidence shown in them was not misplaced.
The Lakers are 5.5 point underdogs tonight. They have 28 games left in the regular season, probably 10 more games before Davis returns, another 10 more before James returns, and then a final 8 before the playoffs begin. They’re currently in 4th place in the West, just two losses ahead of the 6th place Trail Blazers. To finish in the top 6 in the West, the 28–16 Lakers will have to finish close to 42–30, which means finishing the season 14–14.
Assuming they sign Drummond and another rotation player in the buyout market and James and Davis return when expected, the Lakers should be able to play .500 ball the rest of the way and avoid the play-in tourney.
Assuming LeBron James and Anthony Davis are rested and healthy for the playoffs, the Lakers should have a good chance of repeating even though the competition will be much tougher this year than last year in the bubble.
The key could be how well Frank Vogel can integrate Andre Drummond into the Lakers’ offense and defense and whether they can sign a quality high volume 3-point shooter in the buyout market to increase their made threes. We saw promising signs from the Harrell, Kuzma, and Horton-Tucker bench before James went down with the injury and the Lakers are going to need that trio to grow and develop down the stretch and in the playoffs to repeat.
They’re also going to need Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Markieff Morris, and Anthony Davis to play like they did in last year’s playoffs to have any chance of winning four playoff series and repeating as NBA champions this year. Schroder and Horton-Tucker are going to have to replace the magic Playoff Rondo provided last season and Anthony Davis is going to have match the hot long range shooting and dominating defense he provided last year.
Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office bet this team could still win the championship without making a major trade. I’m hoping they were right and I was wrong because that’s what today’s decision was really about.
Finally, the biggest worry may be how today’s decision not to make any trades will impact the Lakers this summer as they basically kicked the can on making critically needed improvement down the road until this offseason.
As a taxpayer, they will not be able to take advantage of the non-taxpayer MLE or BAE or sign-and-trades as there’s no way they can keep Caruso and Horton-Tucker in free agency if they become hard capped like this season. The built-in raises for James, Davis, and Caldwell-Pope, Kuzma’s extension kicking in, and re-signing Caruso and Horton-Tucker will push the Lakers into the luxury tax. Win or lose, trades will be the only way to improve.
The Lakers prospects next summer will depend heavily on whether or not they repeat as champions. If they did, the goal will be to threepeat and the bet on the current roster and maybe Talen Horton-Tucker paid off big. Unfortunately, if they lose, everybody will look back at the decision to not trade for Kyle Lowry, LeBron will be a year older, and the Lakers may face tough decision about how to get their championship mojo back.
Right now, the next big battle is to sign Andre Drummond and a second rotation player who is a volume 3-point shooter and plus defender to help the Lakers weather the storm and win games until LeBron and AD get back.
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Tonight’s game is going to be extremely important. This team has been given a huge vote of confidence by Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office, coaching staff, and superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Make no mistake, Rob did not make the decision not to include THT in the trade for Lowry in a vacuum. It was obviously a decision made in advance and with everybody’s support. Whether fair or not, the team better come out tonight and play their asses off and show the confidence was warranted. Otherwise, things could go sideways in a hurry.
As I said in the article, I thought not pulling the trigger was a big mistake that could cost this championship and the future of the franchise for the rest of LeBron James career. Show me how wrong I was, Lakers, because I’m worried we missed a golden opportunity. I especially need to see Dennis, Kenny, and Talen play the best games of their careers and the Lakers to win. Otherwise, I’m going to go to bed haunted that I may have seen the last Lakers championship of my long and happy life.
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Nah LT, “keep Hope Alive!” Who knows, perhaps Drummond joins. Also alot of really good Stars up for Free Agency after the season.
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Kyle would’ve been great. If Schroder isn’t retained ( likely outcome, who knows)…maybe free agency. There was no way Riles was giving up Tyler and no way Rob was giving away THT. It would’ve been a giveaway. Those tend to slow burn like ether. When you let a diamond in the rough fall through quicksand.
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Right now, I feel like taking every positive comment back that I made in the above article. The idea that we did not need any help via a trade is ridiculous. The fact that we didn’t make a single move is indefensible. Any front office that could not see this team is seriously flawed and changes needed to be made is incompetent.
The defense was horrible. I’m so tired of seeing Caruso play poorly, make bad passes, take bad shots, make dumb plays. 1 point, 3 turnovers, terrible defense. Team worst -10 along with Gasol, the only center who can’t score on a 6′ 7″ forward guarding him 2 feet from the basket. We refuse to trade THT, who showed tonight why he should have been traded. 1-6 from the field, more turnovers than points and assists. This is the guy we refused to trade. LMAO. Count me off of THT Island.
Schroder at least show some heart as well as Trezz. KCP and Kuzma were OK but inefficient. Morris is a shell of his last year version. Overall, 76ers are almost as flawed as the Lakers. Two G-League teams without their superstars. Lakers have about as much chance of going 14-14 in these last 28 games as we have of finding any real help in the buyout market. Competition all got better while Lakers talking themselves into a fantasy for which we’ll pay not only this year in the playoffs but also in a tough offseason.
Season’s over. Lakers suck!
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hi Tom..hope everything is good in your end..i would not declare the season over..we have been high with this roster before the season begun..yes others may not have fit well as we have anticipated but still, they are playing right now without 2 of the very best players in the nba..without their 2 leaders for sure we would expect the outcome of how these players will be playing..LBJ makes everyone better..there is a reason why rob did not make a single move..he might not want to salvage the future of the organization by giving away a potential gem..so i guess the important thing that should happen is to be patient and hope that the team wins winnable games..i also guess that any other team will crumble when their leader is not playing for a long period of time..so don”t lose hope..we can still win it all this year..the ball is round.
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Thanks, Havoc. Appreciate the concern. LOL. Like it or not, reasonable or unreasonable, my mental health often does fluctuate based on how and what the Lakers do. I do trust Rob but think he made a big mistake by not including THT and trading for Lowry or even making a deal for Oladipo or other options. Standing pat will be a big mistake imo. Hope I’m wrong and I’ll have no problem eating crow. Done a lot of that in my life. One of the costs of wearing your heart on your sleeve. Anyway, not going to stop rooting for the Lakers. Man, we need LeBron and AD back and healthy. Hope all is well with you and yours. The sun will hopefully break through for all of us, including the Lakers.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe clock is ticking and the Lakers have 24 hours left to find a playmaking, volume 3-point shooting, impact guard to replace LeBron James and a big rim protecting, athletic, shot blocking center to replace Anthony Davis.
The recent media take is the Lakers are willing to move some combination of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and Marc Gasol to find a playmaking, 3-point shooting guard to turbo charge their flailing offense. While their current position is they’re not willing to part with young Talen Horton-Tucker or their 2027 first round pick as part of any deal, it’s hard to see that preventing them from pulling the trigger on a promising trade.
The Lakers also seem committed to waiting for the buyout market after the trade deadline to sign Andre Drummond to protect the rim and stop the bleeding of opponent points in the paint that’s undermined their defense. The Cavs are almost certainly going to have to buyout Drummond and the opportunity to become the Lakers’ starting center and win a championship alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis make LA the heavy favorite.
So let’s take a closer look at the guards whom the Lakers may be targeting, how they would help solve the team’s current offensive woes, who are the major competitors, and what it might take for the Lakers to trade for them.
1. LONZO BALL
New Orleans Pelicans, PG, 23 yrs, 6′ 6,” 190 lbs
TYR$11,003,782, NYR $14,359,936 QO
14.2/4.2/5.6, 42.5/38.5/76.7%, 7.8 3PA
Lonzo is perfect point guard for the Lakers without or with LeBron. Adds playmaking and volume 3-point shooting. KCP is better option than Bledsoe or Redick at shooting guard and brings defense for 28th ranked Pelicans. If needed, Lakers should be willing to include THT or 2027 first round pick.
2. VICTOR OLADIPO
Houston Rockets, SG, 28 yes, 6′ 4,” 210 lbs
TYR $21,000,000
20.8/5.0/4.7, 41.1/33.3/76.7%, 7.7 3PA
Victor would be a great fit on both ends of court short and long term for Lakers if healthy. Playmaker, volume 3-point shooter, and elite defender. KCP is able replacement at the two and Rockets have cap space to re-sign Trezz. Trading for Oladipo is a gamble but could get coveted third superstar.
3. TERRY ROZIER
Charlotte Hornets, 27 yrs, SG, 6′ 1,” 190 lbs
TYR $18,900,000, NYR $17,905,263
20.2/3.8/3.3, 47.3/41.8/84.7%, 7.9 3PA
Terry would give the Lakers a playmaking, high scoring, high volume 3-point shooting guard they need to pair with Schroder. Harrell would give the Hornets the front court scorer they need and KCP an able replacement for Rozier. Trade could be expanded to include centers Gasol and Biyombo.
4. MALCOLM BROGDON
Indiana Pacers, 28 yrs, PG, 6′ 5,” 229 lbs
TYR $20,700,000, YR2 $21,700,000, YR3 $22,600,000
21.6/4.7/6.1, 46.0/39.8/87.7%, 6.5 3PA
Brogdon would be a terrific fit on the Lakers for the season and the playoffs. Excellent playmaker, volume 3-point shooter, and defender. KCP would be a good 3&D addition to the Pacers and Harrell the scoring backup to Sabonis and Turner they need. Lakers take advantage of Pacers cutting payroll.
5. KYLE LOWRY
Toronto Raptors, 34 yrs, 6′ 0,” 196 lbs
TYR $30,500,000
17.6/5.6/7.4, 43.8/39.1/88.4%, 7.2 3PA
Lowry would be the perfect point guard for the Lakers. True point guard who’s also a volume 3-point shooter, team leader, and proven defender. Raptors get young point guard replacement in Schroder, elite backup in Harrell, dump Baynes for return of Gasol, and quality guard depth in KCP.
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Problem with writing an article with just 24 hours left until the trade deadline is it’s like you’re in an earthquake and things are changing almost as fast as you can write.
Now seems Lakers are in the Lowry sweepstakes and are willing to trade Schroder rather than look to re-sign him for $25 million per year for 4 years. The right package for Lowry is Dennis, KCP, Trezz, and Marc. Laker also get Baynes as a bonus.
This trade makes great sense for both teams. Lakers get the elite true volume 3-point shooting point guard they need to replace Schroder and Bird rights to re-sign him next season, a backup center who’s a potential volume stretch five in Baynes to replace Harrell, whom might be a poor fit in the playoffs and whom they would lose to free agency this summer for sure, an open spot for Damian Jones to return on a minimum contract by moving Gasol, and a spot to sign Isaiah Thomas by trading KCP, who no longer was good enough to be a starter.
Raps get a younger point guard in Schroder, replace Baynes with Gasol who can mentor Boucher, a great backup center who can score in Harrell and whom they have the cap space next summer to re-sign, and a championship proven 3&D guard in KCP. Win-win for both teams. Would love to see it. The only question is will the Raptors demand THT or our 2027 pick to be included?
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Trade for Lowry and sign Drummond and you get…
PG; LOWRY, THT, Thomas
SG; KUZMA, CARUSO, Matthews
SF: JAMES, McKinnie
PF: DAVIS, MORRIS, Dudley
CE: DRUMMOND, BAYNES, JonesThat’s a great starting lineup and 9 man (ALL CAPS) playoff rotation.
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5. KYLE LOWRY TRADE
Lowry would be perfect for Lakers. True point guard, volume 3-point shooter, team leader, proven defender.
Raptors get young replacement in Schroder, elite backup in Harrell, dump Baynes for return of Gasol, and quality depth in KCPhttps://t.co/wjdbUX0GTN pic.twitter.com/gjI5RdQN9v
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) March 24, 2021
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Kyle Lowry turns 35 tomorrow. One thing to note is he is still playing at a championship level.
Averaging 17.6/5.6/7.4 – all better than career averages
Shooting 43.8/39.1/88.4% – all better than career averages
Taking 7.2 3PA per game – also higher than career average. -
Heat’s offer for Lowry is Goran Dragic, Avery Bradley, and Duncan Robinson. Lakers could easily better than offer with Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell.
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GO BIG OR GO HOME! That’s where Lakers are at right now.
I’ve looked at what is being proposed by the 76ers and Heat and the Lakers can certainly beat those offers if they want. Bottom line, it’s up to Rob Pelinka to complete this trade and set the Lakers up for a three-peat and LeBron’s fifth and six rings and team’s 18th and 19th championships.
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I’m not with ya LT on giving up too much for Lowery. Not sure why you want to rid of Harrell? He plays harder and better than anyone on the team, besides LBJ.
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With you there. Old guards are risky. And why trade for Dennis if you’re going to dump him for a rental? And doesn’t Jeanie’s hug count?
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreMultiple NBA cognoscenti have confirmed centers Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell have been put on the trading block, which means Andre Drummond has agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers once his Cavs’ buyout is complete.
While the timing could still be tricky, there’s no way the Lakers would be shopping the only two centers on their roster unless they were completely confident Andre Drummond was going to be available and sign with them. While nothing is certain until all the contracts are signed, it appears the Lakers are looking to go all-in on revamping their roster in the wake of the recent ankle injury that’s likely going to keep LeBron James our for weeks.
In addition to Gasol and Harrell, reports confirm the Lakers have also been shopping starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who signed a 3-year extension this offseason but has been mired in a horrendous slump. While Gasol’s and KCP’s trade values have plummeted, Montrezl Harrell’s value as a trading chip has never been higher as he’s expanded his game at both ends of the court and will be in line for a major raise in free agency.
The big question now is what will Rob Pelinka to be able to acquire in trade for Montrezl Harrell, Marc Gasol, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to help the Lakers both until LeBron and AD return and to repeat as NBA champions? Assuming Drummond solves the starting center rim protection issues, the Lakers’ top priority short term has to be a true lead or point guard to run the offense and make plays for teammates until LeBron James returns.
Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Marc Gasol represent $23.8 million in potential outgoing salary. Since the Lakers are only $2 million below the hard cap, they can bring back $25.8 million in salary. With the Lakers looking for a true point guard and extension talks with Schroder possibly stalled, it’s not impossible the Lakers might be willing to include Dennis’ $15.5 million salary to pursue a player like Kyle Lowry.
Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Marc Gasol to the Raptors for Kyle Lowry might be a real possibility. Lowry and Drummond could keep the Lakers winning in the short term until LeBron and AD can come back. The Lakers could then trade Harrell, Matthews, McKinnie, and Dudley to the Hornets for Terry Rozier. Lowry and Rozier would be give the Lakers a dramatically upgraded backcourt with two volume 3-point shooters.
The Lakers would not only be able to thrive in the short term but would be better positioned to repeat as NBA champions with a starting lineup of Kyle Lowry, Terry Rozier, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Andre Drummond. They’d also have a strong bench and deep roster by keeping Talen Horton-Tucker, Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma, and Markieff Morris to back up the guard and forward positions and re-signing Damian Jones to backup center.
These are, of course, just two of the options Rob Pelinka and the Lakers might be considering. They would be smart to be looking at Lonzo Ball at point guard and Bogdan Bogdanovic and Victor Oladipo at shooting guard. The one thing that seems certain is the Lakers appear to have reached an agreement in principle with Andre Drummond and have now put Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Marc Gasol on the trading block.
And that is great news for Lakers fans as it show that Rob Pelinka realizes they simply cannot stand pat in the wake of LeBron’s injury. Instead, they must embrace this as a chance to rebuild the roster short and long term. While you never want to see a superstar player suffer an injury, this could turn out to be a blessing for the Lakers. The silver lining could be LeBron getting needed time off and the Lakers getting a roster building mulligan.
There’s nothing more exciting than NBA free agency and the trade deadline. Rob Pelinka has an opportunity to turn what appeared to be disaster that threatened the Lakers championship hopes into a brilliant transformation.
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I have to say I’m impressed with the logic and process behind the moves being attributed to the Lakers. We would not be shopping Trezz and Marc unless we had Andre in the bag.
Like that Klutch relationship is not stopping KCP from being shopped. Most importantly, nobody but LBJ and AD are untouchable. If we need to move THT or Caruso, so be it. This is about not wasting a championship opportunity.
I think we have some great opportunities to get a guard to help carry the load until LeBron and AD return. Would love to see both guard spots upgraded with volume 3-point shooters. Two guys who shoot the three, defend well, and are playmakers would transform this team. Along with Drummond.
I’m excited about the possibilities. Next two days going to very exciting. Hopefully, even better than the offseason. We’re lucky Bron got injured before the deadline. This is going to end up helping the team repeat rather than hurting us. BB gods on Lakers side last season and in the end this season.
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Not trying to ruin the party or dim your vibe but the Lowry trade will not work per NBA roster rules. Once we ship out 3, or 4, players we are well below the league roster minimum…which we are already at: 14. We have 14 players on the roster which is the lowest we can carry (there is a 2 week grace period once you drop below 14). We can’t add any salary of any kind once we hit the hard cap so the Lowry trade wouldn’t even allow us to sign Drummond. You seem to gloss over this and throw out these home run trades that won’t make it to the warning track my man.
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per Larry Coon’s CBA FAQ:
79. What roster size limits exist? What is the Inactive List? What is Injured Reserve? Do any other such lists exist?
Normally an NBA team can have a maximum of 15 players on its roster during a season (and up to 201 during the offseason, starting on the day after the team’s season ends). A team normally has 12 or 13 players on its Active List, who are eligible to play in games, and can have as few as 11 for up to two weeks at a time. Any remaining players must be on the team’s Inactive List, and are ineligible to play in games. Teams temporarily can have four players on their Inactive List (bringing their roster size to 16) with league approval in the event of a hardship2.
Teams must suit-up at least eight players and have two players on its Inactive List for every game. The following table summarizes the allowable compositions of team Active and Inactive Lists:
Inactive
Active With 0 Two-Way With 1 Two-Way With 2 Two-Ways Notes
13 2 3 4
13 1 2 3
13 0 1 2 Two week limit
12 3 4 5
12 2 3 4
12 1 2 3 Two week limit
11 2 3 4 Two week limit
11 1 2 3 Two week limit
A team gets two roster spots exclusively for Two-Way players (see question number 82). A Two-Way player must be on his team’s Active List or Inactive List while playing in the NBA. For each Two-Way player on the team’s Active List or Inactive List, the number of players required to be on the team’s Inactive List increases by one, as indicated in the above chart. For example, if a team can have 13 active and two inactive players if it does not have any Two-Way players; 13 and three if it has one Two-Way player; or 13 and four if it has two Two-Way players.———-
The vet min Drummond can sign for is $2,564,753 due to his NBA service time (10 years unless they don’t count the current season, not sure on that one…) but let’s say it doesn’t count. Still it’s $2,331,593, not a big difference. Kyle Lowry makes $30 million (plus a $500,000 incentive bonus which I believe must be accounted for in regards to the hard cap). With 2 million dollars in wiggle as currently stands the Lakers would need to send out more salary than they take back to even have a shot at signing a Drummond or IT. So in regards to your trade:
Gasol: $2,564,753
KCP: $12,073,020
Schroder: $15,500,000
Total: $30, 137, 773That doesn’t even cover Lowry’s incentive of 500K, nor is it enough after the fact to sign a 9 or 10 year service NBA player. That’s Isaiah Thomas, too, btw. All of that and you’re below the roster size limit by 2 players. The Lowry trade will be vetoed in every scenario one can conjure. Any trade that sends out more players than it brings back and doesn’t include the cap space for X number of vet minimum contracts will get vetoed. If you don’t account for the roster size rules a lot of these trades w/multiple players going out are just pipe dreams.
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LMAO. You always want to rain on any parade. There are always solutions. As I said above, these were just examples of the kinds of trade the Lakers might make. I wasn’t trying to get into a detailed salary cap rules discussion. However…if you insist, consider the following:
First, all the Lakers have to do is adjust the trade to include another player. So let’s say it’s KCP, Schroder, Gasol, and Matthews. That’s $33.7M out and 30.0M in. Creates another $3.7M below the hard cap. Or $3.2M if Lowry has a 500K incentive.
Second, “a team subject to the hard cap can also sign players to Rest-of-Season contracts during the season, as long as the salary pro-ration keeps the team below the Apron.” So Drummond, Thomas, and Cousins or guys the Lakers sign to replace open roster spots will only count for percentage of games remaining.
Third, “for players who have been in the NBA for three or more seasons and are playing under a one-year, 10-day or Rest-of-Season contract at the minimum salary, the minimum salary for a two-year veteran is used in place of the player’s actual salary (see question number 22).” FYI, that amount is $1,517,981. So all Drummond, Thomas, Cousins, or any vet the Lakers sign to fill out their roster will only cost $1,517,981 each. The NBA pays the rest of their salaries.
My point, as I said in the article, is “These are, of course, just two of the options Rob Pelinka and the Lakers might be considering.”
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Not always. Just when you make propositions and hypothesis sound like final products. I just want to make sure we all stay grounded in reality. I think we all agree SOME kind of move has to be made. I’m sure the Lakers have some lines in the water, now to see who bites on which one.
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Also all of the above is exactly why I don’t really dabble in trades. It gets complex and burdensome. I’ll change the rain to a light drizzle 😉
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Always funny to see (and hear if you listen to our show) LakerTom swing one way or another depending on which way the trade (or buyout) winds go. One week he doesn’t want Andre Drummond on the team, the next week he does. Now mind you as fans, we all do a flip-flop at some time (Heck even I did on Rondo at the VERY end). If Drummond does come it’s an upgrade from what we have now, so if it does happen it will be welcomed.
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LOL. The difference, as you obviously know, Gerald, is what’s potentially available at each point in time and the ‘inside’ information to which we have access. Is Andre Drummond a viable or available long term fit for the Lakers as a center? Definitely not on both counts, which is why my focus long term has always been on Myles Turner or Nerlens Noels, two modern centers each of whom is a significantly better fit as a rim protector than Andre. Myles has the offensive advantage of being a stretch 5 while Nerlens’ switch-ability keeps him from being played off the floor.
Right now, however, we’re leaking points in the paint badly because we have no size and don’t want to commit to Damian Jones for the rest of the year. Drummond can help fix that problem on both ends. He has the size to limit opponent points in the paint and the score a lot of points on the other hand. Plus he can swing the rebounds back into our favor.
While he can’t defend on the perimeter, he can at least match points in the paint at the other end, something neither McGee or Howard could do, which helps keep him from being able to be played off the floor. Will he get as many minutes in the playoffs? Probably not but I still think he will help and, bottom line, he’s the best option we have at this point.
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There’s literally nothing this team can do to increase its odds of winning even a single game until at least one of its superstars comes back. Gutting what little nba-caliber players the have to get a capable starter back in the short term changes nothing.
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I disagree, Stan. First, the absence of LeBron and AD have exposed both short term needs until they return, which could be another 4 weeks, and long term needs that could derail us in the playoffs.
We need a playmaker who can run the offense right now. That’s not Dennis, Caruso, or THT. And we will need that in the playoffs unless you’ve forgotten about the impact of Playoff Rondo. So trading for a player like that is in my mind our number one priority.
Second, we need volume 3-point shooting. Last year, we shot 30 threes per game during the regular season but jumped that to 34 per game in the playoffs. This year, we’re shooting less than 30 per game and making fewer of them. Meanwhile, the teams we’re going to have to go through this year – Clippers, Jazz, and Nets – shoot 40 threes per game. Other than the Rockets last year, our competition was only averaging 35 threes per game. This year’s playoffs won’t be as easy as last year.
Third, we’re getting killed by opponent points in the paint this year because Gasol and Harrell can’t protect the rim as well as McGee and Howard did. In the short term, we need Drummond to solve that. In the long term, AD will have to carry the load but he’s going to need more help as we know he can’t and won’t play center all the time. So we need Drummond badly both short and long term.
Bottom line, there’s a lot we not only need to do to help in the short term but that will be absolutely necessary if we want to win in the playoffs and repeat as champs.
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While the circumstances are completely different, I think Lakers fans can look at how the team integrated Dwight Howard as an example of how the team is going work Andre Drummond into their rotations and schemes.
There’s no question in my mind that the Lakers discussed in great detail how they planned to use Drummond and what his role would be as a Laker. He and they both know he is a rental so I think besides selling Andre on joining the Lakers, Rob and his team wanted to make sure both sides were on the same page.
The Lakers aren’t looking to Drummond to be a low post scoring threat ala Shaquille O’Neal. For one thing, Andre is not really an efficient scorer in the low post. He’s going to get some great passes from LeBron but he’s also going to have to get the ball himself off the offensive glass if he wants to average 15 shots per game like he did in Cleveland.
What the Lakers want from Dre is dominant rebounding at both ends of the court, efficient scoring and crashing the glass on offense, and physical size and rim protection on defense. Anything else they get like a little playmaking is just gravy. His model as far as team chemistry goes is to emulate the great job JaVale and Dwight did in the bubble last season.
The key is Andre accepting that he is the third option on this Lakers team and focussing on doing what the team needs him to do rather on playing the same game he’s played his entire career. That means focusing on defense and understanding his limited role on offense. That’s the difference playing on a championship rather than lottery team.
If Andre can do that, he can help the Lakers win the championship and showcase the best possible version of himself as an elite center, resurrect his career at 27, and get the new max contract he believes he deserves. I’ll be rooting for him to do that.