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5 Things: Lakers win first preseason game in 2 seasons

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Frankly, it’s not about the wins or losses but the habits that are formed in preseason. You want to see your best players looking ready to play their best. You want to see role-players who look hungry when put into a situation where that role expands. Above all you want to see the team play hard and just compete at a high level. All those boxes got checked last night.

  1. Davis looking dominant. Between his legs still coming back into shape from the bubble-2020-21 season grind to his wrist injury it has been awhile since AD looked like AD. This preseason looks different. He’s moving better, playing stronger, and he’s looking smooth in every facet of the game. The best indicator of his legs and arms being right in terms of shooting has been his return to elite status from the free throw line. Davis imposed his will on whomever the Warriors sent his way scoring inside and out, making plays on the defensive end, and generally showing everyone he’s back. Bring that game into the regular season, stay healthy, and the narrative around this team changes instantly.
  2. Kendrick Nunn making everyone a believer. I love how Kendrick has showed up this preseason. Looking fully healed from The Bone Bruise That Would Not Heal we are seeing exactly what the Lakers were missing all of last season. I love the idea of Nunn coming off the bench and being the first option in that unit as opposed to Russ or Beverley. Nunn can get his own shot, is excellent on catch and shoot plays, and is decent enough on defense to be included in potential closing line ups. As the first option of the bench unit he can just go out and play freely and get buckets without worrying about stepping on anyone’s role.
  3. Both Two-Ways should focus on improving in the G league. I like the potential in both Christie’s and Pippen Jr’s game, but I don’t need to see them work out how to make it work on the game’s biggest stage this season. Both are too raw for significant roles on the real team, for now, but could certainly see some spot duty later this season. Pippen is crafty with the ball and, like his Pop, has a solid all-around game minus the elite size/skill combo. Christie has the tools and mind set of a potential elite defender but just needs to get reps in everything we’re doing which is exactly what the G league is for. Both can use time just getting shots up at real game speed.
  4. Thomas Bryant looking free and fiery. I just love how Thomas Bryant attacks the game of basketball. I well remember all the talk about his skills and abilities while he languished on the Laker bench only to see him get away for nothing (a common theme for the Laker front office) and sign with Washington. Back again but with some NBA pedigree and a fire that missing most of a season (but with a summer of work) gives a player, Bryant is the best player to start, in my opinion. It gives the first unit someone who wants to get down the court on the break every play. That’s not LeBron, anymore, and I want AD in the paint on defense as much as possible for altering shots and rebounding. Bryant is fast, he can score in a variety of ways in the paint with athletic finishes or nifty jump hooks and he has a three ball to help in the half court. Jones just has a less dynamic game and he picks up fouls. Fast. Let him be a solid addition to the second unit and let’s go.
  5. Wenyan Gabriel trying to stick. I like Wenyan’s hustle and he has the physical tools to be an impactful defender. He had some real nice plays last night but his attention to detail can wane, often in key moments when he gets caught looking. He’s still raw (77 NBA games played in total, not even a full season’s worth) and he needs the right role to give him the best chance to succeed, however. Is that on this team? We need guys with size and he’s quick enough to hang with most wings. I can see him being the primary backup to AD or I can see him as the 15th guy on the bench. He doesn’t have a great stroke but he’s athletic. I would put him in with the best second unit guys and see what he has early but could see his minutes go to someone with a more developed and specialized skillset (Ryan, Christie or Harrison, should he make the team over Ryan).

Kudos to Matt Ryan showing everyone who can shoot. Took 9 threes, made six and hit a couple from the stripe. Shaquille Harrison is making more money (due to service time) and is a far better defender but Ryan has the ability to suck a defense out of the paint when he’s hot, as he was last night. We’re talking about the last guy on the roster unless Gabriel is waived, which I don’t see happening but certainly could, so it’s not a team altering choice. Basically comes down to what coach Ham values more: shooting or defense.

The Five Reasons Why Lakers Should Trade Westbrook As Soon As Possible

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A few days before training camp, the Lakers suddenly called off a proposed trade that would have sent Russell Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 unprotected first round picks to Indiana for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

The repercussions of the decision not to pull the trigger on the Pacers’ trade could impact the present and future of the Los Angeles Lakers. Rather than decide, Pelinka and his front office team opted instead to do nothing.
Not only was that a poor decision but, unless immediately reversed, it undermines any chance the team has to be competitive this season and will force the Lakers to make major midseason changes to their roster.

Hanging onto Westbrook until midseason in hopes the Pacers will drop their price or a new superstar will hit the trade market is a strategy the cost of which rises after every loss while hopes for a championship disappear.
Every day spent with the current roster is a day the Lakers should spend integrating Turner and Hield. Wait first twenty games and the season is 1/5 over. On December 15, it’s 1/3 over. By February 9 deadline, it’s 2/3 over.

The Lakers’ failure to resolve the Russell Westbrook conundrum before the season has put Lakers’ rookie head coach Darvin Ham in a tough position as the roster he’s been given is not good enough to make the NBA playoffs.
The smart move is to rethink the situation and restart talks with the Pacers. The Lakers cannot afford to be patient and should under no circumstances wait longer than the first twenty games before trading Westbrook.

Specifically, here are five reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers need to trade Russell Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 unprotected first round draft picks to the Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield as soon as possible.

1. Lakers Need Strong Start to Season Despite Tough Schedule

Getting off to a strong start is the single most important reason the Lakers need to trade Westbrook and their two first round picks now rather than waiting twenty games or more to see how they do and what comes up.

The simple reality is the Lakers will almost surely end up sacrificing this season if they persist with what appears to be their current plan of waiting to see how the team performs and what develops in the trade market.
Integrating two new starters like Myles Turner and Buddy Hield should be done before the start of the season, not halfway through the season when the team is fighting for playoff position and stability and continuity.

What we’re talking about here is the Lakers wasting twenty games or 1/5 of the season and the months October and November to see whether they can somehow win as currently constructed or if the trade winds might change.
Not making the trade before camp was a mistake but one easily rectified by reopening negotiations with Indiana. Every game the Pacers win hurts their chances of getting Wembanyama. Both teams need to move ASAP.

The Lakers front office should be encouraged by how LeBron James and Anthony Davis look but the Lakers need a legitimate stretch five starting center, a pair of wings to backup James and Davis, and more shooting.
Having Turner and Hield on the roster before the start of the season would make rookie head coach Darvin Ham’s job infinitely easier and the elevate the Lakers to legitimate contenders to win their 18th NBA Championship.

Not trading Westbrook before training camp was a big mistake but one that can be easily rectified by contacting the Pacers and closing a deal to trade Westbrook and the two picks for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield ASAP.

 2. Lakers Need Turner and Hield for Ham’s Systems to Work

No disrespect to Damian Jones or Thomas Bryant but, if the Lakers want to run Darvin Ham’s version of the Milwaukee Bucks’ offense and defense, they need to trade for the Pacers’ Myles Turner and Buddy Hield right now.

So far this preseason, the Lakers have lost all three games they have played, including two where their superstar big three started and played well. The good news is the Lakers’ starting lineup has posted a positive net rating.
The bad news is contribution from the center position has been the team’s weakest link as Damian Jones’ defense won the tentative starting role over Thomas Bryant, who is still struggling to return from his previous injury.

Rookie head coach Darvin Ham desperately needs the Lakers to make the Pacers’ trade as soon as possible. Ham has done a great job dealing with Westbrook and the team’s unfinished roster that lacks size and shooting.
Implementing entirely new offensive and defensive schemes is a job that needs to be done before the season rather than the middle of the year. The Lakers need to make rookie coach Darvin Ham’s job easier, not harder.

The spacing on offense from Ham’s new 4-out sets has already been a huge improvement over the spacing from Vogel’s 5-out sets from last season. James and Westbrook especially are seeing bigger lanes to the basket.
Darvin Ham needs the upgrade to the starting lineup in modern center that Myles Turner and elite volume 3-point specialist Buddy Hield can provide. There are no better fits for what the Lakers need than those two players.

The Lakers made a big mistake not pulling the trigger on the Westbrook to Indiana trade before the start of camp. If they want Darvin Ham to succeed as their head coach, the Lakers need to complete the Pacers trade ASAP.

3. Lakers Need Depth from Trade to Upgrade Quality of Rotation

While the Lakers starting lineup has posted a positive net rating so far, the Lakers’ three losses all came from the other team’s reserves dominating the second halves and demolishing the Lakers’ young backups and reserves.

Fortunately, trading Westbrook and two first round picks for Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and T.J. McConnell would enable the Lakers to upgrade their top five backups with the two players who used to start plus McConnell.
The Lakers could then start a lineup of Kendrick Nunn, Patrick Beverley, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Myles Turner backed by T.J. McConnell, Lonnie Walker, Austin Reaves, Jose Toscano-Anderson, and Damian Jones.

One thing that has apparently changed is the Lakers are not going to be pursuing Kyrie Irving either in trade or free agency, a decision that indicates the Lakers want to build around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Building a championship caliber roster with three max contract superstars has become almost impossible in today’s NBA. Making three superstars and a roster of minimum salary players work has not proven to be the answer.

The Lakers have no way of upgrading their roster other than trading Russell Westbrook. It’s not even a case of how Russ is playing, The Lakers simply need the three critical rotation players for whom they can trade him.
Fortunately, the addition of Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and T.J. McConnell helps fill the size and shooting holes in the Lakers’ roster, allowing Los Angeles to dramatically improve the quality of their backups and reserves.

Swapping Westbrook for three rotation players including two starters who are prefect fits for what the Lakers need transforms the Lakers’ subpar starting lineup and shallow bench into a legitimate championship rotation.

 4. Lakers Need Tradeable Contracts to Make Moves Next Summer

The one option the Lakers are unlikely to take is keeping Westbrook all season and allowing his contract to expire. If L.A. did that, they would end up with $30 million in cap space, 3 draft picks, but no tradeable contracts.

Despite talk about pursuing Draymond Green, Myles Turner, or Andrew Wiggins in free agency, the Lakers keeping Westbrook and allowing his contract to expire would likely mean writing off the entire 2022–23 season.
That’s something that’s hard to imagine the Lakers doing, especially after LeBron James signed a two-year extension and Rob Pelinka promised to trade the two picks to transform the Lakers into a legitimate contender.

As heady as having as many as three draft picks to trade for a potential third superstar, the Lakers would find themselves unable to make a major move because their only tradeable contracts would be for LeBron and AD.
That’s why during the season the Lakers need to convert Westbrook’s expiring contract into two or three non-expiring contracts that can be aggregated with draft picks to pull off a blockbuster trade next summer.

One of the strategic mistakes the Lakers have been guilty of is favoring cap space over tradeable contracts. The Lakers have been reluctant to give out multi-year contracts as they have tried to create cap space for free agents.
The result is the Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves seriously handicapped by not having available tradeable contracts to take advantage when unique opportunities to dramatically improve the team come up.

The Lakers need to accelerate their efforts to trade Russell Westbrook and their two draft picks to the Pacers as the team must convert Russ’ $47 million expiring contract in season into to two or three smaller contracts.

5. Lakers Need Pacers’ Trade to Become Championship Contender

Trading Russell Westbrook and their two first round draft picks to the Pacers for Turner, Hield, and McConnell is probably the only realistic path the Los Angeles Lakers have to winning their 18th NBA championship.

It’s mazing watching the Los Angeles Lakers essentially become paralyzed with indecision to the extent that Rob Pelinka wanted every participant in the Lakers front office to agree to support the decision to trade with Pacers.
Expanding the Lakers’ brain trust to include Joey and Jesse Buss as well as Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka, and Kurt Rambis only makes it more difficult to reach a consensus. The lack of leadership by Pelinka is a serious defect.

We’ve seen the Lakers fumble the ball before as they bounce back and forth between wanting to create cap space and save draft picks, ultimately deciding not to decide or making a dumb move like trading for Westbrook.
There had been hopes that hiring Darvin Ham would give them a visionary around whom they could focus their future moves via draft and trade. Unfortunately, the decision not to do the Pacers’ trade must be reversed.

The Lakers not only have a unique opportunity to jump right into the race for an NBA championship this season but also to add three players in Turner, Hield, and McConnell who would be perfect additions to the team. Not only do the Lakers add three invaluable rotation players but they also give LeBron James and Anthony Davis the type of starters and rotation players who can legitimately compete for an NBA championship.

The Lakers have guaranteed commitment from LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the next two years. Adding Turner and Hield will give them a legitimate opportunity to win their 18th NBA championship this season.

Comparing Lakers’ 2022-23 Roster to 2019-20 Bubble Championship Roster

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There is so much insane emotion surrounding Westbrook and the Lakers’ last season it made sense to objectively compare this season’s current and possible rosters with that of the 2019–20 bubble championship team.

Comparing the Lakers’ current roster with the bubble championship team’s roster is important to see how the current team stacks up against the best team the Lakers have had since James and Davis arrived in Los Angeles. Truthfully, there has been so much controversy over the Lakers’ roster decisions the past two seasons, everybody has forgotten that the 2019–20 bubble championship roster was simply LeBron, AD, and role players.

Frankly, the bubble championship team had many of the same strengths and weaknesses as the Lakers current roster, short on wings and 3-point shooting but long on exceptional athleticism and championship defense. Most importantly, however, this year’s Lakers roster will also have the big advantage of starting the season with a fully healthy and LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the first time in three years just like the bubble champs.

So Let’s compare the top-10 rotation players in the Lakers current roster as well as the same roster but after a potential trade with the Indiana Pacers and see how both stack up against the bubble championship roster.

Current 2022–23 Roster vs. Bubble Championship Roster

Not unsurprisingly, when you ignore the insane emotion surrounding Russell Westbrook and last season, the Los Angeles Lakers’ current roster stacks up very well against their 2019–20 bubble championship team.

Unspoken is the reality this season should be LeBron James’ and Anthony Davis’ best opportunity to win their second NBA championship because they’ll both be fully injury free and well rested just like in the bubble.
Missing the playoffs is the best thing that could have happened for the Lakers last season as it gave both of their superstars desperately needed time to recover and rest like the Covid shutdown did before the bubble.

Like every Lakers roster, a healthy and well rested James and Davis is the key to the Lakers’ championship hopes. Whether the Lakers go with what they have or make a trade to upgrade, it comes down to LeBron and AD.
The key to winning again for the Lakers is not necessarily having a third star but having multiple role players who not only can step up when needed but also complement and help James and Davis become better.

That’s why the Lakers need to trade Russ. Aside from the risk that he could implode and destroy team chemistry, the Lakers simply need the shooting and size they would get by trading him for multiple rotation players.
Topping the Lakers’ options should be trading Russ and a pick and a swap or 2 picks to the Pacers for Turner and Hield, followed by upgrading the forwards who backup superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

While the current Los Angeles Lakers’ roster could win a championship if James and Davis repeat their bubble performances, the competition this season will demand even more than when they won in the bubble.

Post-Trade 2022–23 roster vs. Bubble Championship Roster

The only reason the Lakers haven’t sent Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first round picks to the Pacers for Turner and Hield is they’re hoping to be able to wait and see if Kyrie Irving or another superstar hits the market.

Once Rob Pelinka decides that’s not going to happen or the Lakers start to struggle or Russ becomes in issue, expect the Lakers to make a quick decision to trade with Indy rather than allowing the team to fall behind. While giving up two unprotected picks is a high price, the Pacers trade gives the Lakers a chance to compete right now and to build a post-LeBron James Lakers’ team that can legitimately contend in 2027 and 2029 too.

It will be a tribute to Darvin Ham if he can really get Westbrook to be a positive factor long enough for the Lakers to have an opportunity to optimize what they can get in return for their two unprotected picks.
Should Rob Pelinka be able to pull off a trade for Irving or a trade for Turner and Hield that only cost a pick and a swap, it would be a coup for Lakers’ beleaguered VP of Basketball Operations and General Manager.

The thing that makes Myles Turner the perfect fit as the Lakers’ starting center is how he could be the key more than any other player on the Lakers to unlocking the greatness of Anthony Davis and his post LeBron upside. There is no bigger decision confronting the Lakers this season than can Davis take the baton from James. After the bubble, everybody expected that was what would happen but injuries and James’ durability said ‘not yet.’

The one thing that’s clear, though, is the Pacers’ trade would provide desperately needed size and shooting and elevate the Los Angeles Lakers from a projected 34-win team to a legitimate championship contender.

How Long Can Lakers Wait Before Trading Westbrook?

Pelinka has played hard ball on two picks so far, offering them only for superstar players like Kyrie Irving or Donovan Mitchell. While they covet Turner and Hield, they don’t believe that they should give up both picks.

Right now, the Lakers are likely to plow ahead with Westbrook getting a chance to start and fit. Unless the indecisive Pacers finally decide to tank instead of hover at mediocrity, the Lakers plan to play this out step by step. Meanwhile, the Lakers will try to deploy an updated version of the double big strategy that won them a championship in the bubble with an eye on how things are going for Kyrie in Brooklyn and Turner and Hield in Indy.

Hopefully, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will dominate and the Lakers will win enough, Russ will fit in, and Darvin will have them playing tough defense and buying time for options to clear and positions to improve. December 15, when most recently signed players can be traded, marks one third of the season. Unless the Lakers are doing very well, they’d be two thirds of the way through the season by the February 9 trade deadline.

There’s the fear Russ implodes, things blow up in Brooklyn or a new suitor emerges in Indiana. The Lakers need to remember very day spent waiting for Kyrie is a day they should have spent integrating Turner and Hield. Regardless of how well the team is playing with Westbrook, the Lakers need to understand that Turner and Hield will not only make them dramatically better but need as much of the season together as possible.

The Westbrook for Turner and Hield trade upgrades the Lakers 2022–23 roster to be better than the bubble championship roster and a legitimate contender this season and this decade, including in 2027 and 2029.

Can Pacers Trade Open Championship Window for Lakers This Year & Later?

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Despite the Lakers announcing Westbrook as their starting point guard and the Pacers declaring Turner to be their starting center, there’s still a good chance both may be traded for each other before the start of the season.

The Lakers and Pacers trade is still likely to happen because it’s a trade both teams need to top off a successful offseason and stay laser focused on their respective strategies, which is win now for Los Angeles and tank for Indiana. Frankly, the Lakers don’t want to start the season with rookie coach Darvin Ham trying to rehabilitate Russell Westbrook and the Pacers have nothing to gain by starting the season with Turner and Hield still on the roster.

With the Lakers’ regular season opening October 18th and the Pacers on October 19th, the two teams have a little over three weeks to haggle their way to a mutually acceptable deal, most likely including two first rounders. This is a trade that benefits both teams and needs to be made now rather than dragging into the season. The two sides are too close for a deal this important to fail because of a pick swap or protection on a second pick.

But even if the Pacers stubbornly stand firm and demand two unprotected picks, the Lakers need to make this trade. It’s their only move right now to open up a legitimate albeit small championship window for this season. Just as importantly, trading Westbrook for Turner and Hield puts the Lakers in a stronger position to pull off a possible midseason Irving trade with the Nets, should they struggle out-of-the-gate and look to move Kyrie.

The Nets currently don’t have a starting center but have long coveted Myles Turner as the prototype modern center. Should Nets’ chaos occur, the Lakers would be better positioned to take advantage of the opportunity. Nobody knows if Kyrie is going to be available but being able to offer Turner and Hield instead of Westbrook would probably win the trade for L.A. In fact, Lakers probably have no chance at swapping Russ for Kyrie,

No matter how much they like to talk about cap space, the Lakers know there’s no way they can create the amount of cap space needed to sign a superstar in free agency, which means their only option is trade for one. Come the trade deadline, teams will know the Lakers have to trade Russ, which will reduce what they will offer. The odds of a great trade appearing aren’t worth the risk of disaster Russ and the current roster represent.

Right now, the correct strategic response by the Lakers is to step back and see how camp turns out and specifically how Russ is working. Considering what’s at stake, I hope and expect to see positive reports from the Lakers. Regardless of intent, those camp reports will affect negotiations between the two teams, especially if things turn rocky with Russ. The start of the season is miles away in the condensed landscape of camp and preseason.

Everything the Lakers have done this season has been done assuming a Westbrook trade would fix the size and shooting issues. Rob now has three weeks to pull off the Pacers’ trade and win the Lakers’ summer and future.

Could the San Antonio Spurs Be the Lakers’ Russell Westbrook Offramp?

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While it won’t make them championship contenders this year, trading Russ and one unprotected first round pick to the Spurs could help the Lakers enjoy a winning year while also setting them up for a mega next summer.

The Lakers trade strategy this offseason has evolved to not giving up both draft picks, not taking back more salary than sending out, and not taking back long-term contracts that would reduce open cap space next summer. Sticking to that strategy and refusing to include a second first round pick cost the Los Angeles Lakers a chance to trade with the Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield or trade with the Jazz for Bojan Bogdanovic.

While it lacks the big names of the Pacers or Jazz trades, the Spurs trade would only cost Lakers one pick, enable them to win more games this year, and better position them to enjoy a blockbuster offseason next summer.

1. Spurs Provide Lakers’ Westbrook Offramp

This trade has the Los Angeles Lakers trading Russell Westbrook and their 2027 unprotected first round draft pick to the San Antonio Spurs for Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and a $25.4 million Traded Player Exception.

By adding Poeltl, who would be the starting center, and Richardson, who would be the starting shooting guard, the Lakers would immediately upgrade their starting lineup and improve their shot at a winning season. Just as importantly, dumping Westbrook would have left them with two key trading chips in the form of the $25.4 million TPE and their 2029 first round draft pick to use for a mega upgrade at the trade deadline or next summer.

The $25.4 million TPE would give the Lakers incredible financial flexibility. They could use it all on one star or split it up between two or three players. They could allow part of it to expire to avoid the luxury tax repeater status. The Lakers could use the TPE to acquire players on expiring contracts so they could create as much open cap space as possible for free agents next summer. Or sign players on two-year deals to sync with James and Davis.

Best of all, the Spurs trade provides the Los Angeles Lakers with an offramp from Russell Westbrook and the inevitable chaos that bringing him back would put the team and their new head coach through.

2. How the Spurs Trade Helps the Lakers Win Now

While it doesn’t make the Lakers championship favorites, the Spurs trade provides the Lakers with two perfect plug-and-play players in Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson who dramatically upgrade their starting lineup.

Poeltl and Richardson slot perfectly into the Lakers’ rotation as starting center and shooting guard. Though a budget version of Turner and Hield, Poeltl and Richardson dramatically improve the Lakers’ starting lineup. While he’s not a stretch five and a poor free-throw shooter, Poeltl is an elite defensive center who ranked 7th in the league in blocked shots. Richardson gives the Lakers desperately needed 3-point shooting and wing size.

The $25.4 million TPE, however, is the grand prize from the trade as it will allow the Lakers to take one or more players in trade without having to send our salary in return. The TPE is good for one year from date of trade. At trade deadline, there will be teams looking to move players to avoid luxury taxes. The Lakers will have the option of only accepting players on minimum contracts to preserve cap space or multi-year contracts.

The Lakers have to trade Russell Westbrook as allowing his contract to expire make him a free agent and leave L.A. with James and Davis as their only tradeable contracts, which would leave them unable to make a trade.

3. How the Spurs Trade Helps the Lakers Next Summer

The Lakers could enter next summer with either $35 million in open cap space to pursue free agents or a trade portfolio with two first round draft picks and $45 million in tradeable contracts for a blockbuster upgrade.

Unfortunately, the Lakers can’t have their cake and eat it too. They will have to decide which route to go before the February 9, 2023 trade deadline so they can aggregate a portfolio of expiring or tradeable player contracts. Should they decide to pursue free agents, they will then need to convert all of their contracts other than James and Davis into expiring contracts to create cap space or multi-year contracts to to match salaries in a trade.

Unspoken but surely a factor in the Lakers’ overall strategy is finding a superstar replacement for Russell Westbrook and for 237-year old LeBron James. Still at the top of the Lakers’ most coveted list is Kyrie Irving. Pursuing Irving via free agency seems like a remote chance since he will demand far more than the $ 35 million the Lakers could offer. Lakers would have a better chance of acquiring Irving via a sign-and-trade deal.

In the end, the Lakers best option for a mega makeover next summer would be to use their two picks and $45 million in tradeable long-term contracts to trade for a third superstar to take over when LeBron retires.