Aloha
Steins reporting that LeBron won’t sign an extension without a Kyrie trade. If true WTF is he thinking? Talk about killing your teams leverage. The Nets can hold out for more. Honestly I’m too the point where I could care less if he signs an extension. He wanted Westbrook and it left team on life support. Now he wants to finish the job, like he always does. Let him walk. Let’s see how much he gets on his next deal.
I put the blame on Jeanie rather than LeBron. Both know LeBron is going to sign the extension if they trade for Kyrie and won’t if they don’t. That makes Jeanie’s decision simple. Trade for Kyrie or get stuck with Russ. There is no parallel universe where you don’t take the risk. You’ve already cost us the MLE. Stop the baby crying. Do what is needed for Lakers to win. Don’t Ef up the Kyrie trade.
First, you know very well the Lakers can’t make wild or emotional decisions regarding superstars. This is just another rumor that probably matches what most pundits think is going on. There’s a battle between the Lakers and Klutch over the team direction.
Everybody knows LeBron wants the Kyrie trade. They also know Jeanie doesn’t want to commit to multiple years or increases in salary cap. In a way, In fact, if we’re going to start conspiracy theories, The Lakers have done such a great job convincing everybody that they’re difficult rather than desperate. It’s the best job I’ve seen them done this decade.
Of course, there’s a point where talking tough won’t work and the Lakers do desperately need the Russ/Kyrie trade and the last thing they need to do is make a mistake like declining to make the trade due to giving up a draft pick 5 or 7 years away. You have a chance to dump Russ for Kyrie and resurrect the Lakers chances for #18 this season.
Jeanie should sell the Lakers if they somehow screw up the gift from the basketball gods that this trade is. This is not a competition between your will and LeBron’s. It’s a chance to take advantage of a miraculous break that fell into your hands despite your gross mismangement of the team. It’s a slam dunk. Don’t blow it, Jeanie.
I would love it if the Lakers could keep everything behind closed doors. These leaks hurt our negotiating position. I’m not saying a deal won’t get done, but it could cost more then it needed to. Of course LeBron doesn’t care about draft picks or salary cap but do not give the Nets a negotiating advantage. it’s his team and he should be doing what he can for his team to make the best deal they can. And he always does this. He pressures his team to make a deal, regardless of what it does to the team.