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Jeanie Buss

How Can the Lakers Convince LeBron James to Sign Extension August 4th?

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The Los Angeles Lakers are hurtling towards what could be a major turning point in franchise history on August 4th as that is the first date that LeBron James and the Lakers can negotiate a possible 2-year $97 million extension.

Without an extension, LeBron would become an unrestricted free agent next summer and the Lakers could lose him for nothing. Uncertainty over the extension has left LeBron and the Lakers in an uncomfortable limbo. Leary of losing LeBron next summer, the Lakers unilaterally handcuffed themselves by refusing to sign or trade for players whose contracts are longer than the one year remaining on James’ contract regardless of value.

The Lakers have had a excellent offseason. They hired a charismatic young head coach in Darvin Ham, adopted a more modern approach to the game, and used the draft and free agency to become younger and more athletic. Now comes the challenging part of the offseason as the Lakers need to trade Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, and their two available first round draft picks to get three or four legitimate rotation players who can shoot.

As August 4 approaches, the Lakers must make some big decisions. Right now, they’re in a lose-lose situation. Don’t make major moves and LeBron could leave. Make moves LeBron doesn’t approve and he still could leave. What the Lakers need to do is change the dynamic of the situation into a win-win situation. They need make the major moves to rebuild the roster to championship quality and remain confident James wants to stay a Laker.

That means being smart and being willing to take back a reasonable 2 or 3-year contract for a legitimate starter or rotation player who is a good fit as part of the return from a Russell Westbrook or Talen Horton-Tucker trade.

1. Commit to Future with LeBron James

Let’s start by saying what everybody should know, which is LeBron has no intention of leaving the Los Angeles Lakers at this point in his career. So forget any ideas of LeBron demanding a trade or the Lakers pursuing one.

That doesn’t mean LeBron won’t pressure the Lakers as much as possible to surround him with a championship roster regardless of how difficult and challenging that might be, especially after the team traded for Westbrook. In the end, the Lakers must stay confident James is not going anywhere and focus their intention on making sure when August 4th arrives they’re ready to present LeBron with their best pitch why he should sign extension.

That means Rob Pelinka doing his job and making or setting the stage for major trades to complete the roster rebuilding job by adding three or four legitimate rotation players who are also elite 3-point shooters to the roster. What it doesn’t mean is Rob waiting for input from LeBron and Klutch on whom he should be pursuing. We saw how allowing LeBron James and Anthony Davis to push for a Russell Westbrook trade worked last season.

If that means the Lakers take back a little more annual salary in trade to get a player who is a better fit, then so be it. If it means the Lakers take back a rotation player on a reasonably valued three-year contract, then so be it. The worst thing the Lakers can do in the aftermath of last season’s disaster is to become hesitant, unconfident, uncertain, and afraid of making another mistake. Instead, they need to think clearly, act confidently and decisively.

As August 4th approaches, Pelinka needs to be able to present LeBron with a fait accompli when it comes to rebuilding the roster. Much like the Field of Dreams, Rob needs to build a winner to get LeBron to sign the extension

2. Trade Westbrook for Multiple Rotation Players

The single most important task facing Rob Pelinka this offseason is he must find a way to trade Russell Westbrook and Talen Horton-Tucker for three or four legitimate rotation players who are also elite 3-point shooters.

The problem is the Lakers aren’t content just to improve the roster. Despite missing the playoffs last season, Los Angeles’ front office is still shooting for the moon and hoping to pull off an improbable Westbrook for Irving trade. They are simply not going to consider Plan B with Indiana, Plan C with Utah, or Plan D with New York until they are 100% sure there is no chance to trade Russell Westbrook to the Nets for Kyrie Irving and other shooters.

So far, the Lakers appear to have four possible teams who have interest in trading for Russell Westbrook. In order of preference, these teams are the Brooklyn Nets, the Indiana Pacers, the Utah Jazz, and the New York Knicks. The Lakers’ targeted rotation players include the Nets’ Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris, the Pacers’ Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, the Jazz’ Mike Conley and Bogdan Bogdanovic, and the Knicks’ Julius Randle and Evan Fournier.

It also means that the Lakers need to be more flexible and realistic when it comes to taking back contracts that last beyond LeBron James’ contract. Refusing to take back any player contracts longer than one year is dumb. While the Lakers would love to free up cap space to sign Kyrie as a free agent next season, there is no way they’re going to be able to trade Russell Westbrook without taking back reasonably valued multi-year contracts.

Whether LeBron signs and extension or not, the Lakers must trade Russell Westbrook to one of the above four teams because there is no way in the world LeBron James wants to play with Russell Westbrook next season.

3. Sell LeBron on Finishing His Career with Lakers

There was a reason LeBron James wanted to join the Los Angeles Lakers and nothing that has happened in the four years he has worn purple and gold has changed that at this point. LeBron is destined to retire as a Laker.

The legacies of LeBron James and the Lakers are already strongly intertwined by his accepting the mantle from the great Kobe Bryant and then leading the purple and gold to their league best 17th championship. While injuries ended two of his four seasons with the Lakers, LeBron has cemented his place in Lakers history as Kobe’s rightful successor. That’s a bond that will always be there for both Jeanie Buss and LeBron James.

Part of the job of convincing LeBron to sign the extension is reminding him of his deep ties with Kobe and the franchise and inviting him to develop a friendship and relationship with Jeanie going forward just as Kobe did. Jeanie Buss and the Lakers have always been a star driven franchise and one of the reasons LeBron wanted to be a Los Angeles Laker was he saw and appreciated how the franchise treats its superstars like Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers should also strengthen their relationship with LeBron James by helping him achieve two of his personal goals: to play on the same team with his son Bronny and become an NBA team owner when he retires. The Lakers could promise to set aside a draft pick for Bronny or to look to trade for him if he is drafted and to help LeBron get an opportunity to buy into the Lakers the next time one of the minority owners wants to sell.

Rob needs to remind LeBron that his best opportunity to win more NBA championships, expand his legacy of greatness, and surpass Michael Jordan as the GOAT is to sign the extension and continue his career as a Laker.

Blockbuster Russ Trade With Pacers On Hold As Lakers Still Chase Kyrie

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With the draft, free agency, and summer league in our rear view mirror, the Lakers’ Russell Westbrook trade strategy is finally unveiled: Plan A is Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris. Plan B is Buddy Hield and Myles Turner.

The good news is the Lakers apparently now have a viable backup trade partner in the Indiana Pacers willing to trade Buddy Hield and Myles Turner for Russell Westbrook and both of L.A.’s available first round picks. The Lakers have offered a package of picks including one first round pick. The Pacers have countered they want two first round picks and will reopen negotiations if the Lakers increase their offer to two first round picks.

Conjecture is the Lakers still prefer Kyrie and a shooter from the Nets over Buddy Hield and Myles Turner because championships are won by superstars and Kyrie is a superstar while Buddy and Myles are role players. They’re also going to need LeBron to sign the 2-year extension when he is eligible on August 4th. Trading for Kyrie would likely guarantee LeBron signs the extension. Who knows if he would sign for Hield and Turner.

Besides wanting a backup in case they cannot complete a Westbrook for Irving trade with the Nets, the Lakers want to create leverage with the Nets by letting Brooklyn know they may lose their only Irving trade partner. Obviously, the big question right now is how long should the Lakers be willing to wait for the Nets to finally agree to trade Kyrie Irving and either Joe Harris or Seth Curry to the Lakers for Westbrook and Horton-Tucker.

August 4th could be a key date as that’s when James and the Lakers can open negotiations on a possible 2-year extension. Right now, James and the Lakers can’t discuss or negotiate the extension or be guilty of tampering. Once James and the Lakers can legally discuss his extension, they can determine whether to continue to wait for a Kyrie Irving trade or take the bird in hand and close the deal with the Pacers for Hield and Turner.

Still unknown is whether the Lakers will be willing to trade both of their available draft picks. Right now, Jeanie Buss has said they will only do that for a deal that returns them to championship caliber, like trading for Kyrie. When you weigh all of the pluses and minuses, you can make a good case that trading for Hield and Turner could ultimately be a smarter move both in the long and short term for Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the end, this is LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, which means shooting for the moon and waiting as long as it takes to get Kyrie Irving, and not settling for second best until there is no chance of getting him.

Has Jeanie Buss Forgotten Why Los Angeles Lakers Are Worth $5 Billion?

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Dr. Jerry Buss, who built the Los Angeles Lakers into one of the most successful sports franchises in the world must be rolling over in his grave watching daughter Jeanie forget what made the team worth over $5 billion.

What made Jerry special was he understood pro basketball at its best was simply entertainment and the main key to the business succeeding was to build teams with the star power to attract fans and win championships. The 17 championship banners and 11 retired jerseys of former Laker stars like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant hanging in the rafters are why the Lakers are worth over $5 billion.

While Jerry Buss was often a reckless gambler, he always knew winning solves everything in professional sports so he never allowed himself or the Laker to become complacent or less aggressive. Winning was the only goal. Unfortunately, Jeanie seems to have forgotten that lesson as reports now say the Lakers at this time are unwilling to sign free agents or take back contracts in trades longer than the one year left on LeBron’s contract.

Trying to execute a complete offseason rebuilding of the Lakers roster is challenging enough without having to do with your hands tied behind your back and your feet hogtied. Jeanie Buss must see the forest instead of trees. Investing in the present is investing in the future when it comes to LeBron or any other NBA superstar. LeBron is here today in many ways because of how Jeanie treated Kobe, which is exactly how she should treat LeBron.

Unless the Lakers dysfunction is an inspired scam designed to befuddle competitors and create illusive leverage, the Lakers and LeBron James are now at a standoff that’s paralyzed the franchise during a critical offseason. James’ camp seems to be saying show us you can build a championship team and we’ll sign the extension. The Lakers appear to be replying sign the extension and we’ll then go all-in to build a win-now championship roster.

Who’s right and who’s wrong is not as important as the right outcome, which is LeBron James signing the 2-year extension on August 4th and the Lakers then making the long-term sacrifices to win now with LeBron.

What LeBron, Rich, Jeanie, and Rob Can Do to Fix Lakers This Summer!

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The reality is this season is toast and the Lakers brain trust of LeBron James, Rich Paul, Jeanie Buss, and Rob Pelinka that’s responsible for getting us into this dismal situation will be the same group charged with finding a solution.

There’s no question there’s enough blame to share with players, coaches, and front office for the situation the Lakers find themselves in even before trying to factor in the wave of injuries that have derailed the Lakers’ season. LeBron’s to blame for pushing the Westbrook trade; Rich Paul for vetoing trading THT for Lowry; Jeanie Buss for not paying the luxury taxes to keep Caruso; Rob Pelinka for being unwilling to take back long contracts.

As we wait for the season’s final gasps, let’s focus on what LeBron James, Rich Paul, Jeanie Buss, and Rob Pelinka can each do to fix the Lakers’ issues. Here is what each of them can specifically do this summer to fix the Lakers:

1. LeBron James Can Sign His Contract Extension

The Lakers top priority this summer is to lock up LeBron for two more years. While he won’t be eligible to sign an extension until August 4th, James needs to verbally commit to the Lakers when the season ends.

The roster moves the Lakers should make this summer if LeBron agrees to sign an extension could be dramatically different than if James declines to sign an extension and threatens to become a free agent the next season. Ironically, the Lakers could decide to trade James this summer were he unwilling to sign an extension so there’s no way Rob Pelinka can wait until August 4th or later to find out if LeBron was going to commit to the Lakers.

The single most important thing LeBron James can do to help fix the Lakers this summer is to commit early to signing a new 2-year extension to remain with the Lakers when he becomes eligible to do so on August 4th.

2. Rich Paul Can Help Lakers Rebuild Their Roster

Rich Paul and Klutch Sports need to work hard this offseason to heal any breaches in their alliance with the Lakers and help Rob Pelinka rebuild the roster with players who better complement Klutch clients LeBron and AD.

Rich can do that in several ways. First, the Lakers are going to be needing a point guard to replace Russell Westbrook. Klutch should work with Houston to get a buyout for John Wall so he could sign for the minimum with L.A. Second, the Lakers two biggest trading chips besides Russell Westbrook are Klutch clients Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn. Paul should have a good idea of which teams showed interest in THT and Nunn in the past.

The Lakers need to move guards THT and Nunn for bigger forwards and/or a center so their small ball lineups would work offensively and defensively. Rich Paul needs to help the Lakers find the right trading partners.

3. Jeanie Buss Can Loosen the Lakers’ Purse Strings

There’s been criticism of Jeanie Buss and Lakers’ ownership for not being willing to spend whatever it takes to win championships, especially when it comes to taking on long-term contracts or paying mega luxury taxes.

While Dr. Buss never incurred huge luxury taxes, he always understood that you have to spend money to make money in the entertainment business. Jeanie needs to understand the rules for winning have changed. Unlike during Jerry Buss’ tenure, NBA teams today are willing to incur $100 to 200 million in luxury taxes to win a championship, figures that no teams were ever willing to pay during Dr. Buss’ tenure as the Lakers owner.

Jeanie Buss needs to step up to the plate and guarantee LeBron James that she will be willing to accept reasonable long term contracts and mega luxury taxes needed to build a championship caliber roster in today’s NBA.

4. Rob Pelinka Can Make the Right Moves This Summer

As the head of basketball operations for the Lakers, Pelinka will get an opportunity this summer to reverse the Russell Westbrook trade and build a true championship caliber roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The challenge facing Pelinka will be less daunting than at the recent trade deadline where he opted to do nothing. This summer, Rob will not only have Russ’ $47 million expiring contract but also two first round draft picks. Lakers need to trade Russ’ expiring contract for multiple players who would upgrade the roster or could be flipped for other players. They’re better off waiving and stretching Russ than giving up draft picks to move him.

In the end, Rob Pelinka needs to turn Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, Nunn, Johnson, and our 2027 and 2029 first round picks into three championship quality new starters to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Counting Our Blessings As Lakers Fans As We Head into a New Year!

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The image of LeBron’s evolution from high school prodigy to Cavs rookie to Heatles hero to Cavs redeemer to Lakers savior is a reminder of the long and winding road that finally brought the King to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sometimes it’s hard to smile and feel good about anything when everything around you seems to be falling apart and the world we used to know seems like a distant memory until you remember the Lakers are NBA champions. For die hard fans like me, the Lakers winning the championship in the bubble in October was better than even my Yankees winning a World Series. I can say with no exaggeration that it was the greatest championship ever.

With Covid-19 killing thousands every day, millions out of work and unable to support their families, and children going hungry, the idea something as trivial and unimportant as sports can be a blessing is almost inconceivable. But that’s what’s special about human fortitude and resilience, the ability see past disaster and dismay, to smile in the face of fate and misfortune, to persevere and believe things will get better and good times will return.

Sports has always been our safety valve, our escape vehicle when everyday life became suffocating. Whether an endless war or now a never ending pandemic, America has always been able to turn to sports for needed relief. That’s what millions of Lakers fans did less than three months ago as the purple and gold survived unprecedented challenges to win their 17th NBA championship in an arena without fans in the bubble in Orlando, Florida.

And don’t believe for a moment the Lakers finally winning that elusive 17th championship the same year we lost Kobe Bryant to tragedy was simple coincidence. The Lakers were inspired to win that title for Kobe Bryant.

Now, as we prepare to usher in a new year as the pandemic rages wild, the Lakers once again may be our only respite from the daily horrors Covid-19 continues to inflict on our families, friends, neighbors, and communities.

While the Lakers face another championship campaign transformed by the pandemic, it’s important we count our blessings as fans and ignore the never satisfied ‘what-have-you-done-for-me-lately’ Twitter fed universe. Don’t let the sluggish start to the season after the shortest offseason in professional sports history dim the bright reality that the Lakers had the best offseason and are even better than last season’s championship team.

Those blessings start with LeBron James, still at 36-years old the best player on the planet showing no signs of slowing down and unquestionably the catalyst behind the Lakers’ resurrection after ten years of disappointment. Earvin Johnson’s brief reign running the Lakers’ front office was definitely flawed but his free agent signing of LeBron James triggered the team’s revival and earned him the team’s gratitude and a 2020 championship ring.

After Magic Johnson and LeBron James, next on or list of Lakers’ blessings come owner Jeanie Buss and the late Kobe Bryant, the duo responsible for hiring, promoting, and trusting Rob Pelinka to run the team’s front office. When Rob took over, the Lakers had become a laughing stock in the media with daily stories regaling the dysfunction and incompetence of the front office and predicting a franchise destined for a doom and gloom future.

Jeanie’s decision to trust Kobe and empower Rob despite critics was the turning point as it took Pelinka just six months to steady the ship, trade for Anthony Davis, hire Frank Vogel as coach, and build a championship team. The rest is history: Vogel was the perfect coach, LeBron and AD the best superstar pairing in the league, and the supporting cast Pelinka assembled after being spurned by Kawhi the ideal roster to prevail in the bubble.

Watching the Lakers receive their championship rings last week in an empty Staples Center was a bittersweet reminder of the daunting challenge they overcame and the bright beacon of hope they shone in a world gone dark.

As we prepare to say goodbye to 2020, the Lakers face a challenge similar to what they confronted in the bubble but also different. While there are still no fans in the arenas, there’s also no bubble to protect teams from Covid. Players are left like the rest of us to create their own bubbles, to make smart decisions how to protect themselves and their teammates. How they handle this responsibility will determine their fate and the next NBA champion.

Like in the bubble, strong leadership, chemistry, culture, and commitment and a deeper and more talented roster than last season will give the Lakers an edge that should bode well for their chances or repeating as champions. While the new season started just 71 days after last season ended with a compressed and shortened to 72-games schedule and a raging pandemic, I’m smiling because the Lakers remain the odds on favorites to win again.

Frank Vogel is still the perfect coach, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are still the best two players, and the roster Rob Pelinka and the front office assembled a dramatic upgrade and the best and deepest in the league. While politics are still a mess, the states are struggling to vaccinate millions, and the economy years from full recovery, Lakers fans are again blessed by the ultimate distraction from everyday worries: a championship quest.

The old normal is long gone and nobody knows for sure what the new normal will end up being and we still keep hearing we’re not out of the woods and the next few months could well be the darkest yet to come. While the new year won’t end the pandemic, the vaccines promise light at the end of the tunnel and the Lakers’ quest for an 18th NBA championship will give us another chance to escape all the the gloom and celebrate.

So please build your own smart bubble and safely celebrate the new year by watching the Lakers continue their quest for their 18th NBA championship. That’s the way to be sure you’ll here in July when we hoist the banner.

Happy New Year, Lakerholics!