Aloha,
Of course the big topic of conversation is going to be trades going forward. There are a nauseating number of trade scenarios with the same players involved. One doesn’t know what will happen moving forward but when examining the usual suspects I can’t see trades alone as catapulting the Lakers into contention. If we had to give up picks to make these trades work, I would almost rather take the OKC option and send Russ there. We could waive and stretch Favors and maybe land a solid 3 and D wing in Kenrich Williams. That would leave us with around 20 mil in cap space plus the full MLE and the bi annual exception. We could retain Malik and still add someone like TJ Warren or Porter Jr, and have money left over to fill out the roster.
All of these other trades alone will not be enough. Even the OKC deal I mentioned won’t be enough. There is a lot of talk about turning THT and Nunn into a quality player. The problem is team control. Rob bowed to Klutch when he gave THT a player option in the 3rd year of his contract. So in essence he can be a free agent after this year. And Nunn will be a free agent with only early bird rights. So how much will another team be willing to give up? Yes THT has shown promise but if he has a great year he could be gone. So I’m not holding my breath.
But let’s say we do land one of these trade packages for Russ. I think a lot of other things would need to happen for us to contend. First, all of these young players we have under contract would need to take serious growth spurts, including THT if we keep him which at this point is at least even odds that we do. Nunn assuming he is here again even odds, will have to be healthy and realize the promise he showed in camp last fall.
Then there needs to be luck. Rob really needs to do a better job with free agents. With tight money this summer, quality may trickle down. We need to hit a home run with the mini MLE. Whether it’s keeping a Malik or a quality player slipping through the cracks we need a big score there. Then we need a big surprise like Malik was. Could that be a guy like a Kevin Knox? Like Malik, he has flashed potential but not enough for the Hawks to retain him. I expect he will hit free agency. I would like Rob to gamble on at least one roster spot. It would also be great to find a 2 way guy with Promise like Austin.
It will be an interesting summer for sure but it will take a lot more than trades and good health for this team to rise to serious contenders.
Aloha, Michael,
Execellent post and point about this summer. I agree 100% that the Lakers are going to need more than trades to contend next season. Frankly, they’re going to need a perfect storm of smart decisions, right players, good health, and lucky bounces like we had in the bubble to win it all. Not that that isn’t always a major but looking at the way the Lakers are going and the way the league is going, next year could be our best shot in this decade to win another title. And we’re going to be top ten candidate at best based on last year and our current situation.
But enough for reality. There’s no question the Lakers will have chances to move Russ. We’ll have to be lucky with the musical chairs but hopefully we’ll get a deal for Russ. I think if we can trade Russ for Hield and Brogdon, that could be the big move and maybe without a pick. There’s a part of me that also thinks looking for a sign-and-trade could open up chances to use the full MLE and BAE, which could get us two better rotation players.
Anyway, I’d feel a lot more comfortable if we had somebody other than Rob making the decisions and better contributors than Jeanie, Kurt, and Linda chiming in but it is what it is. Rob just needs to make smart moves. Hopefully, we’ll get dealt four aces and Rob will understand now is the time to go all in.
Great analysis, Michael. I like the suggestions, but I can only hope Rob works his magic and get us a roster next season.