True. However this plays out for the Thunder, they still won. I wonder if this might go down as the worst trade in NBA history. Indiana didn't even get a Marc Gasol-ish NBA prospect out of it.
That would be awesome and have butt hurt Bird and Pritchards's names forever attached. I'll take spiteful NBA stupidity for $500 Alex.
I don't want this to happen but it will be hilarious if it does: OKC flips PG to Boston for Nets' and Lakers' 2018 first round picks.
THIS post right, thank you Savory Griddles! You just nailed everything I'm thinking about this trade this morning. Number 3 particularly when it comes to the C Bags because number one they are the C Bags and number two they would be a near lock to make that ECF with him.
If the Thunder struggle, I think there's a fantastic chance that Oklahoma trades him to us at the deadline for the pieces we'd need to get rid of in order to make room for George + friends anyway. I think the situation would be: the Lakers get off to a solid start, maybe .400 ball with Ball, Randle, and Ingram leading the way. Oklahoma gets off to a relatively rocky start maybe .500 ball and things just don't seem to mesh with Westbrook and George. If by February the Thunder aren't in the 4-6 playoff range and things aren't going well, I could absolutely see them just calling the Lakers and saying, "give us whatever you were offering Indiana." The Lakers may not make that deal, but I could see OKC making that call. The key now though for the Lakers honestly is finding a way out of the Deng contract. At the end of FA, the Lakers need to put in calls to all the really bad teams that missed out on veterans. We'll give them Deng/unprotected 2020/2018 2nd/2019 2nd. I'd even through in one of our project picks from this year in Kuzma or Bryant. Shedding Deng's deal asap is going to really put out the red carpet for anyone willing to join up on our team. Clarkson and/or Randle can be moved at the deadline for picks.
Bayless is just jumping on other people's points, but it's correct. This was the same argument we all would have had with Cleveland. It's possible that, barring a Finals loss (I'll elaborate later), both players in those cities could come to LA. Why wouldn't they? As long as we can provide what looks like a good network of role players, a two-star team could step into LA and run this thing with as much (or more) competence as a small market team with all the large market benefits. I say a Finals loss, because say Westbrook and George pulled off the impossible and won a title. Why wait around? They did their part. They won a ring for a small city, now let's go get paid and do the same thing in a better market!
i mean, i wouldn't be against it but are magic/pelinka willing to make lonzo a backup if they were to acquire westbrook? don't think lonzo or lavar would be too happy about that
Lonzo won't be a backup. He'll be the starting PG in Los Angeles for the next decade. Move Westbrook to the 2. Positions don't matter much anymore. Look at the Warriors they have any number of guys handling the ball on a given possession such as Draymond, Steph, KD, and Iguodala. Lakers can have a similar situation with the likes of Lonzo, Westbrook, George, and Brandon. Right now where this team is at if there are superstars willing to sign with this team you find a way to make it work. Wade & LeBron found a way to make it work and they were both like Westbrook the primary ball handler and playmaker for their team. All it does really is lessen the load on the player and makes the team more difficult to defend.
Indy mgmt gona be hated in by agents for yrs....not only did your star tell you earlier hes doesnt want to be back but then you trade him for a poor return amd send him to the last place he would go out of spite
Man I never thought I'd feel so good about Paul George being traded to a team not named the Los Angeles Lakers. Just feels like the stars are aligning for us.
- Need to dump Randle/Clarkson/Deng for future picks or just straight salary dump.... RW (31) / Hart (1.4) Ball (6.2) / Ingram (5.8) PG (31) / Kuzma (1.4) Bron (36) / Nance (2.2) Zu (1.3) / Bryant (1) 2 cap holds -1.6 Total - 119 million Say if those three took a 5 million paycut each, we would be cooking with something. Would be a Nance trade away from being really close to next year's salary cap ~101-102.
