Odds and ends and Stanley Too

Aloha,

As both the trade deadline and buyout season approaches I’m left with this uneasy feeling that there won’t be any moves available that can significantly improve the Lakers. There are a couple of reasons for my lack of optimism. The NBA made two changes that probably will change this time of year forever. First they lowered the odds for a tanking team gaining a top 3 pick by being awful. With no reward more teams will try to win. The 2nd is the play in format. In the past you might have 10 teams vying for the playoffs. This year there are 13 teams with a realistic shot of making the 10 team playoffs. Both the Kings and the Pelicans are currently on the outside looking in but are hungry to make the playoffs and have reasonable shots at making it.

These two things mean, first there will not be as many rebuilding teams dangling vets to try and gain assets. And 2nd this increases the competition for difference makers that do hit the open market. And the same things applies for the buyout market. Fewer vets hitting the market and more competition for those that do. This will make it extremely difficult for the Lakers to land a real difference maker with there
Limited resources.

Which brings me to Stanley. Sometimes you just get lucky. He had signed with the Bulls but went into Covid protocols and never played for them. He fell to the Lakers and he just might be the missing piece we have needed. He maybe better then trade or buyout options available. His defense up to this point has been outstanding. At 6’ 7” he has the size to guard big wings, power forwards and even centers as big as Rudy. His offense isn’t great but it’s been better than anticipated and he does one thing that has been lacking. He moves without the ball.

Stanley kind of reminds me of KCP. KCP like Stanley was also a high draft pick that never lived up to expectations. But he has become an excellent role player with his defense. Stanley’s offense has never caught up with the defense that made him a lottery pick. But while other teams gave up on him being a star the Lakers only need him to star in a role. Which I believe he is capable of. Stanley has shown me more then Bazemore or Trevor has. While Trevor might improve as he rounds into shape I don’t believe he can be better for this team than Stanley. For the reasons mentioned above it would be stupid not to sign him for the rest of this year and next. And if a buyout candidate comes along we can cut Bazemore or DJ. Just don’t be cheap Jeanie, sign him, we need this guy.

THT is in the unenviable position of being one of our few trade chips. He is the center of every trade imaginable. Unfortunately like most of the writers out there agree that he won’t be enough to land a big name. And names like Terrance Ross and Eric Gordon doesn’t move the needle for me. If the Lakers truly want to trade THT the best thing they can do is wait. Hopefully he can become consistently good over the 2nd half and raise his trade value. We just won’t get much of a return if we trade him now.

It also occurred to me today that we may actually have Nunn for next year. He has a player option and if he doesn’t play or comes back late he might be forced to exercise it in a tight free agent Market.

I would love to keep Malik but it would probably take Westbrook opting out and signing a 3 to 4 year deal for around 25mil. He could opt in but he might not get much the following year. So we will have to wait to see how that plays out.

For now if we are going to have a shot in the playoffs we need to get healthy, sign Stanley
And then play with the same energy and sense of urgency that he plays with.