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Montrezl Harrell

Behind the Lakers’ Decision to Dump Traditional Centers Howard & McGee

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One of the unanswered questions from the offseason is why the Lakers dumped traditional centers Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, whose elite rim protection had anchored the team’s third ranked NBA defense.

There have been extensive conversations about every move Rob Pelinka and the Lakers made this offseason but not a single word about why the Lakers decided to change course and dump Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee. While the team formally expressed its appreciation to both players for their contributions to winning the championship, the Lakers had clearly made a decision not to bring back either of the two centers this offseason.

While ‘dump’ might seem too pejorative to describe what happened to Howard and McGee this offseason, ‘dump’ is exactly what the Lakers did to the two traditional centers who had anchored their defense all season long. They declined to offer a contract to Howard even after he embarrassingly accepted an offer they hadn’t made and then gave the Cavaliers one of their few remaining second round picks to get them to trade for McGee.

What’s surprising about the Lakers’ decision is McGee and Howard had started 70 of the team’s 71 regular season games and 18 of their 21 playoff games, leading to a 52–19 regular season record and 16–5 playoff record. Even more puzzling is the Lakers appear to short handed at center as they get ready to open the 2021 season with only 36-year old Marc Gasol and 26-year old Montrezl Harrell listed on their depth chart as centers.

So what’s the story? Why did the Lakers dump Howard and McGee? Why did Frank Vogel suddenly sour on a center tandem who had done a good job all season long protecting the rim and anchoring the Lakers’ defense?

Analyzing the center position for the Los Angeles Lakers always has to begin with Anthony Davis, who said from the start of his career with the Lakers he preferred to play power forward rather than center most of the time.

While he’s not going to start and often not even play half his time there, Davis is still going to play center to close games for the Lakers, which is why they only carried two centers last season and only need two this season. There was speculation after signing Clippers’ backup center Montrezl Harrell that he’d play the four because of his subpar defense and inability to protect the rim but it’s obvious now the Lakers view him primarily as a five.

With Anthony Davis, Markieff Morris, and Jared Dudley at the four, there’s no question Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell will play the five and replace Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee as the Lakers two-man center tandem. While Harrell’s signing was controversial, the opportunity to sign him along with seeds of doubt planted in the playoffs regarding the value of Howard and McGee could have been what triggered the Lakers’ changes at center.

Trezz is a unicorn talent and his speed, quickness, and motor will be a nightmare matchup for most centers and playing him alongside Anthony Davis at power forward would enable the Lakers to protect him defensively. Pairing an attack dog offensive center like Harrell with an elite playmaking and stretch five center like Gasol dramatically transforms the Lakers’ center tandem offensively so they can afford to sacrifice a little defensively.

Meanwhile, Howard and McGee became increasingly unplayable during the playoffs. Their lack of scoring threat on offense allowed teams to pack the paint and their inability to defend in space became a liability on defense. The emergence of Markieff Morris in the playoffs convinced Frank Vogel that the ability to space the floor on offense and speed and quickness on defense were more important than pure size alone to protect the rim.

The Lakers clearly wanted to retain most of their championship team as 9 of the 14 players on this season’s roster are returnees from last season but the players they added are going to dramatically change how the team plays. Center is the position that will see the greatest change in style of play at both ends of the court for the Lakers as Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell replace traditional low post centers Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee.

Overall, the Lakers will be sacrifice size and rim protection on defense by losing Howard and McGee but should be able to more than make up for that with the elite offensive firepower Gasol and Harrell will be able to deliver. The additions of a playmaking modern stretch five like Marc Gasol and a high-energy aggressive low post scorer like Montrezl Harrell are going to transform the Lakers’ half court offense into an high-scoring juggernaut.

In the end, that’s why the Lakers dumped Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee. They saw an opportunity to significantly upgrade offensively with Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell that they just could not resist.

Rob Pelinka Has Provided Frank Vogel with the NBA’s Most Versatile Roster!

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Sometimes you have to wait until a masterpiece is complete to appreciate how great a job the artist did. That’s clearly the case with the Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason rebuild by their VP of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka.

Pelinka launched the offseason by trading for talented 18.9 points per game point guard and 6MOY runner-up Dennis Schroder and followed that by signing 18.6 points per game forward and 6MOY winner Montrezl Harrell. Happy Lakers fans could be forgiven for thinking Pelinka was only making sure the Lakers had enough offensive firepower to take over games when LeBron was resting on the bench or taking a night off for load management.

After all, replacing Rondo and Green’s 15.1 points per game with Schroder and Harrell’s 37.5 points per game was a massive injection of high powered scoring into an offensive roster that was anemic aside from LeBron and AD. Those two moves alone represented a major upgrade on what was already a proven championship roster and would have been enough most offseasons to win Lakers’ VP of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka votes for EOY.

But that’s the problem with judging a work of art before it is completed because basketball pundits and junkies needed to wait until Pelinka was finished to truly appreciate what an incredible masterpiece he had created. Rob wasn’t going to be satisfied with juicing up the Lakers’ offense at the cost of weakening their defense and losing elite defenders like Green and Howard left holes that needed filling in the Lakers’ championship defense.

The missing pieces of the Pelinka’s defensive solution quickly fell into place as the Lakers’ signed veteran 3&D guard Wesley Matthews to replace Danny Green and former DPOY Marc Gasol to replace Dwight Howard at center. The Lakers not only turbocharged their offense by adding last year’s 6MOY winner and runner-up but also elevated their defense by adding two elite defenders who ranked second and third in NBA defensive rating last season.

The result is Pelinka has given head coach Vogel the most versatile roster in the league. Vogel will have the power to use his deep and diverse roster to create nightmare defensive and offensive matchups court at every position. He can play a dominant defensive starting lineup featuring Caldwell-Pope, Matthews, James, Davis, and Gasol or a juggernaut offensive lineup with high-octane scorers in Schroder, Caldwell-Pope, James, Davis, and Harrell.

Last offseason, Rob was hindered by waiting for Kawhi to make a decision. This season, he made sure not to make the same mistake and the result is a Lakers championship team dramatically better at both ends of the court.

Three Reasons Why Rob Pelinka and the Lakers Won the NBA Offseason!

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Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers have won the NBA offseason by dramatically upgrading their championship roster, setting themselves up for a midseason mega trade, and keeping their cap space clear for 2021.

While there’s still work to do signing veteran centers to minimum contracts and maybe pulling off a blockbuster trade to land Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, Pelinka and the Lakers dominated the competition. Without the distraction of waiting for Kawhi, Pelinka was like a chessmaster in a checkers tournament not only filling all the Lakers’ major roster needs but also positioning the team perfectly for even bigger moves in the future.

1. Upgrading a Championship Roster.

Rob Pelinka kicked off the offseason by filling the Lakers’ need for a second playmaker and third scorer by trading shooting guard Danny Green and the 28th pick in the NBA draft for OKC Thunder point guard Dennis Schroder. Swapping 34-year old Green for the 27-year old Schroder not only gave the Lakers a player who fits Anthony Davis’ timeline but also a lightning quick point guard who shot better from deep and had a better defensive rating.

Pelinka then used free agency to fill the 3-and-D hole left by trading Green by signing Milwaukee Bucks’ free agent guard Wes Matthews, a better wing defender and 3-point shooter than Green, with the Bi-Annual Exception. Finally, the Lakers surprised the entire league by stealing backup center and Sixth Man of the Year winner Montrezl Harrell from their crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers with the full Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception.

Replacing Green, Howard, and Rondo with Schroder, Matthews, and Harrell dramatically upgrades the Lakers’ offense. While Schroder and Matthews are better defenders than Rondo and Green, Howard’s better than Harrell. The real bang for the Lakers is on the offensive side where the addition of Schroder, Matthews, and Harrell adds an astonishing 24.3 points per game, 44.9 points per game vs. 20.6 points per game Green, Howard, and Rondo.

And the Lakers may not be done. They’re still rumored to be working on a blockbuster trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic and looking to sign veteran players to minimum contracts to fill out their roster and center rotation.

2. Setting Up a Midseason Mega Trade.

By collecting attractive assets on favorable midsized contracts, Pelinka has the Lakers perfectly positioned to pull off a midseason blockbuster trade for a coveted third superstar to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis. With teams looking to move superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo who are slated to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, the midseason trade deadline could even be crazier than this wild offseason.

Last season, the Lakers lacked assets to make a move at the trade deadline. This season, between Schroder, Harrell, and KCP, Rob Pelinka will have almost $40 million in attractive tradable contracts to pull off a mega trade. That flexibility will also enable the Lakers to tweak their roster in case of injuries or players underperforming and take advantage of opportunities that might arise if the havoc of the coronavirus pandemic panics teams.

Making a midseason mega trade for a third superstar who’s going to be a free agent at the end of the season has big advantages for the Lakers. First, the risk of not being able to re-sign the player can reduce competitive offers. Second, the Lakers would receive Bird rights which would enable them to to over the cap to re-sign the player to a max contract. Realistically, that’s the only way the Lakers could end up with three superstars on max contracts.

Last offseason, waiting for Kawhi kept the Lakers from from positioning themselves for a midseason mega trade. This offseason Rob was able to fill the Lakers’ immediate needs and set the team up for a big midseason move.

3. Keeping Cap Space Clear for 2021.

If there’s been one overriding strategy since Rob Pelinka took over from Magic Johnson at VP of Basketball Operations for the Lakers, it was to clear max cap space for the 2021 offseason to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo. While the Lakers are not done building out their roster for 2021, there’s no doubt they’re still prioritizing keeping their cap sheet as clear as possible as none of the deals they’ve done so far has been for multiple year contracts.

Dennis Schroder, for whom the Lakers traded Green, has one year left on his contract, Wesley Matthews signed a 1-year contract with the Lakers and Montrezl Harrell signed a below market 2-year deal with a player option. While other teams have signed players to multiple year contracts, the Lakers have stuck to their grand plan to create the max cap space possible to pursue a third superstar to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

That strategy may face its first real test should the Lakers be successful in convincing the Sacramento Kings and Bogdan Bogdanovic to mutually agree to a two-sided sign-and-trade for Kuzma, McGee, and Caldwell-Pope. Bogdanovic and Caldwell-Pope are both looking for long term contracts so the Lakers may have to make an exception if they want to trade for Bogdan or re-sign Kenny. Either way, both would still be valuable trading chips.

While the lower salary cap numbers for next offseason due to the expected lost revenue from the pandemic will make it near impossible to sign a third max contract superstar, the Lakers want the most cap flexibility possible.

Four Top NBA Free Agents the Lakers Could Steal with Sign-&-Trade Deals!

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The Los Angeles Lakers could have a unique opportunity to steal a top free agent this offseason due to a perfect storm of events that could give several elite players leverage to force their teams to make sign-and-trade deals.

The key events unlocking this opportunity for the Lakers teams are the presence of teams unwilling to reward their free agents and the absence of winning teams with the cap space to sign them as unrestricted free agents. The only way for these free agents to get paid what they’re worth and end up playing for a winning team is to use the threat of signing as free agents to force their teams to sign-and-trade them to avoid losing them for nothing.

Because all of these players are unrestricted free agents, there are no rules preventing the Lakers from contacting their agents and offering more than their teams would be willing to pay to set the stage for a sign-and-trade. With Kyle Kuzma’s rookie contract, $20 million in expiring contracts, and their 2020 first round pick, the Lakers have exactly what teams looking to avoid long term commitments would want to make a sign-and-trade deal.

Here are the four top free agents the Lakers could steal with sign-and-trade deals. All four are proven young players with upside who could be valuable trading chips in a future sign-and-trade deal for an available superstar.

1. Toronto Raptors Point Guard Fred Van Fleet

Fred VanVleet is a 26-year old point guard who averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 35.8 minutes per game for the Toronto Raptors. He earned $9.3M last year and should see that jump to $15M to $18M.

VanVleet would fill the Lakers need for a 3rd scorer and 2nd playmaker. Lakers could offer Fred $21M per year for 3 years in a sign-and-trade for Kyle Kuzma ($2M), Danny Green ($15M), and their 2020 first round pick.

2. Brooklyn Nets Shooting Guard Joe Harris

Joe Harris is a 28-year old shooting guard who averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 30.9 minutes per game for the Brooklyn Nets. He earned $7.7M last year and should see that jump to $12M to 15M.

Harris is an elite 3-point shooter who’d fill the Lakers need for a 3rd scorer. Lakers could offer Joe $18M per year for 3 years in a sign and trade deal for Kyle Kuzma ($2M), Danny Green ($15M), and their 2020 first round pick.

3. Detroit Pistons Power Forward Christian Wood

Christian Wood is a 24-year old power forward who averaged 13.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 21.4 minutes per game for the Detroit Pistons. He earned $1.6M last year and that could jump to $15M to $18M.

Wood is the biggest gamble but also has potential to be a star. The Lakers could offer Christian $20M per year for 3 years in a sign-and-trade for Kyle Kuzma ($2M), Danny Green ($15M), and their 2020 first round pick.

4. Los Angeles Clippers Power Forward Montrezl Harrell

Montrezl Harrell is a 26-year old power forward who averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 27.8 minutes per game for the LA Clippers. He earned $6M last year and that could jump to $18M to $20M.

Harrell is a Klutch Sports client and top candidate for 6MOY. The Lakers could offer Montrezl $22M per year for 3 years in a sign-and-trade for Kyle Kuzma ($2M), Danny Green ($15M), and their 2020 first round pick.

The Miami Heat and perennial losing teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, and Phoenix Suns are the only NBA teams with the cap space to sign a $20M free agent this offseason. That means top free agent players like Fred VanVleet, Joe Harris, Christian Wood, and Montrezl Harrell are going to have to get creative if they want to get paid and play for an NBA team with a chance to win a championship.

While the Raptors, Nets, Pistons, and Clippers have Bird rights to sign VanVleet, Harris, Wood, and Harrell, the Pistons are the only team that is likely to offer a market value contract to their talented young free agent. That opens the door for the Lakers and other playoff teams to steal one of these young stars by offering their team the opportunity to get something back via a sign-and-trade instead of losing the player for nothing.

With revenues plummeting due the Covid-19 pandemic and recession, the rich teams in the NBA are just going to get richer and the poor teams poorer. This offseason, the Lakers will be hungry sharks on the prowl.