Official 2016 Free Agency Thread

How much cap room do we have left?

 

I'd spend the rest of the cap on Wade. 3 years/70 million. That's the only way we become a playoff team next season.

 

$23 million.

 

The Lakers value Lou; and I don't know what Nick fetches if anything. In short, you're right.

 

Doesn't that kill our cap space for Westbrook?

Not really a fan of doing that just to sign a 34 year old Wade and maybe be an eight seed.

 

Westbrook isn't coming here. How many years have we been saying so and so is coming? We (Speaking to the FO) need to stop acting like top players are locks to come here. The Lakers don't have the same aura, that's gone. Players are going where they have the best chance to win and that's to ready made teams already winning. Max slots don't mean anything without the team being in a position to take the next step once that player gets there.

We aren't winning 50 games next year and the playoffs seem like a long shot right now. Get what you can now, because no one is a lock to come here next season, especially Westbrook.

 

Westbrook may not come here, but if we win at least 30 games maybe more and if Durant leaves I think he'll at least give us a shot especially because by then Jim will likely be stepping down. I'm just saying I don't think we should waste away that cap room for an aging Wade. Even if it's an outside shot for getting Westbrook.

Westbrook has always seemed like a guy to me who would love the challenge of coming home and living up to that legacy. I don't know what he'll do, but I'm not rule out that he'd come back to Los Angeles and take on the challenge of getting a great, young core to the next level.

I never said he's a lock, but if we win 30 games or so I feel like we at least have a 20 percent chance. For a guy like Westbrook that's enough to keep that slot open for him. He's special. He'll be an MVP down the road. He's the closest thing to Kobe we have in the NBA right now. I'm just not comfortable not having that kind of money available to him.

 

I got that quote off another site not related to Ding so he didn't get my hit. Suck it Ding!

 

I think 30 wins is a reasonable expectation. Not necessarily optimistic, but realistic. Having Luke instead of Byron makes us ten games better or so. If Russell and the rest of the three kids beside Ingram progress and Ingram at least has a solid rookie year and Luol/Mozgov are at least serviceable I think 30 wins should be the expectation.

Byron cost us at least ten along with Kobe's decline and taking a lot of shots away from the young guys. As much as I love him Luol is a big upgrade.

 

The 2017 free agent class for the exception of Westbrook is trash. It's the 2018 class that we MUST land a bigtime player in (Cousins, Favors and many, many more). We've got two years to right the ship and get in the playoffs. The future of this franchise depends on us getting in the playoffs by 2018. It has to happen.

 

Luke instead of byron should be 10 wins.
Youngsters progression should be 5 wins.
Deng and Mozgov should be 5 wins.

I'm saying 37 wins.

 

Trash?

You realize Durant, LeBron, Steph, and Hayward are all free agents right? Others include Lowry, Iggy, Milsap, Griffin, and Livingston. There are also some intriguing restricted guys. CJ, Shroder, and Adams. None are likely to leave, but what if Durant and Westbrook leave? Is OKC gonna match a max offer sheet for Adams when they've got Sabonis waiting in the wings? Not so sure.

 

Understood. I agree.

 

I look at it this way..

4 months ago, if you would have said that the Lakers:

- Replaced Byron Scott with Luke Walton & Brian Shaw.
- Retained their Draft Pick & selected Brandon Ingram
- Kept the young core together & Added Loul Deng & Mosgov.
- & still have $23 Mil in Cap Space..

I would be thrilled.. So.. I'm Happy