It kinda comes down to a few definitive questions of the FO for me.
Do you believe you can actually contend this season with Turner & Buddy?
If so, make the deal and give em the 2 picks. We’ll deal with 2029 somewhere down the road.
Do you think you can land Kyrie next summer?
If so, then why send away picks for Turner/Buddy if you’re gonna have to let them go at the end of the season for cap space anyway? Keep both picks, punt the season, give D.Ham a redshirt season, and go for broke with Kyrie.
I’m not really considering the flotsam & jetsam from the Jazz & Knicks…that mess doesn’t solve anything.
Also…none of these decicions are “fatal”. We were the worst team in the league for 5 years before we ended up with Lebron & AD and that bogus tournament win. Time marches on and The Lakers will still be here long after we’re all dead & buried. The franchise ain’t gonna disband if we have to suffer through a bad season with Russ. We’ve done it before (and worse). And don’t forget…these are the same people who wasted multiple years of Kobe in his prime and towards the end of his career as well. If they did it to Kobe, they’ll have no problem doing it to Lebron…nor should they.
Reason and logic thats hard to argue with. Turner is an URFA next summer, why not just sign him w/cap space for what price the market bears? Or, if the numbers team and the coaching team and so on all agree, then yeah, get’er done. Otherwise, ride it out unless a no-brainer deal comes along at some point.
I completely agree with your analysis, MongoSlade. That’s pretty much my thoughts all along.
Great take, Mongo. I still think the Lakers are going to make the Pacers trade. Just hope all the posturing has NOT been real takes rather than negotiating positions by Lakers. Frankly, I suspect the Lakers may prefer a Jazz trade that includes just one pick. Then the question is will the Pacers give up Turner for the Lakers pick. If they believe it has great value like Ainge, they might.
My dilemma is this…if the picks are so great & valuable (which I don’t necessarily agree with) then why should we give them away to field a mediocre team this year? Especially if we turn around and let a buncha dudes walk in order to get Kyrie next summer…
Here’s my take on the picks. First, the value of a post LeBron James unprotected first round pick could be at it’s peak and should be traded right now when the future of the Lakers looks the murkiest. Time to strike is now.
If the Lakers trade those picks right now and then have a great season and make it to the conference finals, the value of those picks may actually decrease significantly as they’re based on the Lakers falling into losing disarray.
The Lakers are not going to use those picks for players. The only reason to keep them is to have trading chips at the deadline and next summer. Frankly, that is a valid reason were it not for the fact that we only have two years guaranteed for LeBron and AD and that would waste one year. Don’t see that happening. Lakers will trade Russ and at least one pick.
I will never concede a CHIP WIN that is on the books! If AD didn’t go down might have had another.
LMAO…the “chip” happened like 5 months after the season was over.
Banner in the Rafters my friend? And the answer, besides AI is. YES : )
Which year is the “banner” actually for? Cuz it happened closer to the 2021 season…lol
Some cities have zero professional sports championships, while we Laker fans discuss the merits of our embarrassing riches. Wouldn’t have it any other way:))
If it was our only so-called title, it would still have an asterisk in my book.