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.
https://twitter.com/LakerTom/status/1504548053285421060
Lakers Front office Rules for This Summer:
1. Don’t waste draft picks to move Russ. Only trades where we give up a pick would have to give us two starters, like Brogdon and Hield from the Pacers or Rose and Randle from the Knicks.
2. Buyout, waive, and stretch Russ if we cannot find a trade for two starters. Then use the two picks to pursue Jerami Grant, whom the Pistons say they will trade for two first round picks.
2. While we need a point guard to replace Russ, the Lakers need a stretch big, either a center or forward, who can protect the rim and shoot the three. Ideally, a stretch five center like Myles Turner or Christian Wood would be perfect.
OMG you keep harping on maintaining the unholy union with Lebron and Klutch to further empty the cupboard and be mired in mediocrity for a few more years. With a LeBron that’s come back down to the pack, who cares if you squeeze a all-star-in-name-only campaign out of him or two? Paying him upward of 50mil to get a mid-tier all-stars worth of performance to stay barely relevant doesn’t seem like a move anybody should be racing to make. And for the love of heaven, you are hereby banned from mentioning the names Wood or Turner ever again. I don’t know what’s got into about a guy over 6’10 who was for a brief moment in time a half-decent 3 point shooter, but as history’s shown us, every time they come to LA, they regress to their usual, mediocre selves. At least you’ve stopped talking about Bertans.
LOL, Stan. All signs point to the Lakers still valuing LeBron James and the relationship with Klutch Sports. LeBron will let the Lakers know he is going to sign the extension so they can feel free going out and trading for players to surround him. Doubt any different outcome.
Personally, giving Bron the extension is the smart move for the Lakers. He may be just a top 10 player now but, with a healthy AD and three legitimate NBA starters, LeBron could win two more championships before he’s done. You don’t trade him. Especially since he’s still an elite player at 37. You give LeBron James the same respect you gave Kobe Bryant.
If you want to live in a fantasy universe where the Lakers are going to trade LeBron James with gas left in the tank, good luck, my friend. Going to be a long tough next two years.
What signs are you talking about? The one where they didn’t take yet another useless Klutch client in Wall and give up the only asset they had left? The signs point to the Lakers quickly have gotten tired of Klutch’s and their real owner, Lebron’s M.O. Now that he’s unable to elevate a roster, THERE IS NO POINT in paying him what you have to pay him and having to constantly placate him. Man, it’s like you’ve gotten so old now you’ve forgotten what it was like when your body started to break down like his has.
The time has come where the league continue to be deferential to Lebron when secretly they know times up. The opponents certainly show him no respect on the court. Even the mediocre TWolves just laughed, paid him no mind, and stomped him on the court. I don’t even think you could find a decent trade for him if you wanted to, and teams are secretly hoping they don’t get a call from the dreaded Rich Paul gauging interest in his damaged goods, former superstar. That’s a dude who consistently overplayed his hand, and when his guy was the best in the league, he could get away with bs like the Simmons saga in Philly. Now, these owners will take great delight in sticking it to Klutch the same way players are laughing at Bron on the court.
Problem is that we’re counting on the same folks who screwed this up in the 1st place to suddenly get smart and fix it. I’m not confident.
Yep! Most likely result could be an overreaction. Rob has to take charge and not let all of the different influencers confuse him from doing what is needed, including LeGM and AD, Kurt and Linda Rambus. The Lakers need to get bigger and need three new starters. And they need to do that while dumping Russ. Tall order for Rob Pelinka.
Here’s what I’m hoping will happen. Rob understands he should have NOT made the Westbrook trade if for no other reason than everybody underestimated how bad it could get for the Lakers once you factored in the injuries. The Lakers and Russ marriage is headed for divorce this summer, even if LA has to waive and stretch Russ to get rid of him.
This time Rob will do his job and listen to all of the other stakeholders, the superstars, the coaches who are left, the ball boys, Lakerholics.com, etc. but he will then make the decision he’s paid to make, show he learned from last summer. This time he follows his gut instinct and remembers somebody has to be the one to make the call. So do your job, silence the noise, and make sure the Lakers make smart moves, Rob.
I’ve never been sold on Rob. If he can guide himself out of this corner he’s painted himself into then I’ll be shocked. I’m guessing he’ll panic and make bad decisions trying to fit Lebron’s “championship window” that may already be closed. Could easily cripple us for years to come.
The Westbrook trade has left Rob and the Lakers in a difficult position. He needs to pull off a trade for Russ’ expiring contract like the Clippers did with Bledsoe’s expiring contract to get Powell and Covington. We need two starters for Russ like Brogdon and Hield if we’re going to give up a pick. Otherwise, W&S him for 3-years. Don’t waste picks on moving him. Only use them when you get starters back.
If you W&S Russ, you can use both picks to go after Jerami Grant. There are usual expiring contract deals Rob can get done that at worst break up Russ $47M into two or three smaller more moveable contracts. If we can get a Grant or a Turner or Wood, that would go a long way to solving our small ball size issues.
There are just so many overall problems and holes to be filled (both on & off the court) it’s hard to see it getting done in one summer. You’re gonna flip half the roster again, 3 new starters, bring in a new coach & system, and then hope & pray all the pieces gel and LeBron & AD stay healthy. All while racing the clock against Lebron’s inevitable retirement. That’s a helluva needle to thread. Not convinced Rob is the tailor to do it…which is why I’m beginning to lean towards tearing it down sooner rather than later.