Lakers Plan To Explore Dragic Trade Or Offer Him $20m Per Year In Off-season

I just looked at the other teams he wants to be traded to. New York and Miami. Looks like he does want to be with a big marke team.

 

Dragic to NY would be a huge coup for the Lakers tank. Dragic to the Lakers...well that would nearly guarantee PHX would get the Lakers pick this year unless they can jettison anything resembling NBA talent in the deal (Hill, Lin, waive Boozer, etc)...which is unlikely.

 

If Dragic pushes hard enough maybe we can get the rights to our pick back...or at least amend the protection on it. Even with him, I think we can keep a top 5 pick. But I'd rather have the cushion of amending it to being lottery protected this year.

 

Marc Stein ✔ @ESPNSteinLine
If Dragic gets dealt this week, new team inherits Bird rights and will be able to offer five-year deal in July. If no trade materializes ...

 

Marc Stein ✔ @ESPNSteinLine
If no trade materializes, Dragic would head to free agency seeking a four-year max from Lakers or Knicks that could reach $80 million.

 

I'm all for it.

 

After informing the Phoenix Suns that Goran Dragic won't re-sign an extension this summer, agent Bill Duffy delivered the Phoenix Suns a list of preferred trade destinations that includes the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Miami Heat, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The Indiana Pacers are also a possible destination for Dragic, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Dragic, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, can dictate terms of a trade because teams will be cautious about acquiring him unless they believe they have a chance to re-sign him in July.

The Suns have until 3 p.m. ET at Thursday's trade deadline to make a deal, or risk losing Dragic without compensation this summer. Phoenix could still decide to hold onto Dragic, knowing it can offer more years and money than anyone else in July free agency.

Until Tuesday night, the Suns had been given hope that moving guard Isaiah Thomas would make Dragic more comfortable with re-signing, but it became clear in a meeting with management that he no longer wants to share a backcourt with Thomas and Eric Bledsoe, league sources said.

The Suns had been shopping Thomas and guard Gerald Green.

The Suns are in a difficult position to regain assets for Dragic, because three of the teams – the Lakers, Heat and Knicks – do not have significant trade pieces available for deals. If one of those teams believes they have an inside track on signing Dragic, they'll be even less apt to give away trade chips now when they could simply sign him into salary-cap space this summer.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/source...s-preferred-trade-destinations-040017423.html

 

Dragic's list is essentially any team without an established point guard in place, hence NY, Mia, LAL, Indy...can assume he'd go to Boston (Smart can be the 2), Orl (Payton still needs time), or Utah as well.

 

Hill, Kelly (or Davis), HOU pick

For

Dragic, Plumlee, altering pick protection

They've been looking for another big and they want a 1st in a Dragic deal. They get to audition Davis or Kelly and see how they fit. Dragic setting the terms limits the offers they'll get considerably, especially from one of the teams on his list. That's not a good deal, but it's better than letting him walk. Miami will offer Deng, I don't see how that helps them. Phil has nothing for the Knicks to offer. Those two factors makes our weak offer the best offer.

 

That works. Kelly fits within the makeup of how they are structured and ran, IMO. He's young, can play the stretch 4 in their system, and can spot up and shoot, etc; Hill, if he doesn't think he's LMA, can provide the rebounding, toughness, and can come off the bench or start in a pinch. I did some research on the number #27 (where the Houston pick currently is) pick the last 4-5 years; there were some busts but also some very good role players that developed. You scout right and you can end up with a gem. Might as well get something before he bolts...

 

By the way, JSM, lifting the protection on the pick is an awesome suggestion.

 

I wouldn't mind that deal at all. I am also not convinced that Dragic would translate to many extra wins if we got him now.

 

He wouldn't. However, as JSM pointed out, I'd like to have that extra 'security' knowing that we have landed Dragic and our pick without relying on the lottery...

 

Think about how many close games we were fortunate to lose this year, those games likely turn to wins if we had Dragic. Even if he only adds a win or two to what they would have finished with otherwise it might be enough to cost the Lakers their pick.

And I don't think the Suns will change the protection on the Lakers pick. Suns fans would riot of they lost a shot at the 6th or 7th pick AND gave Dragic to the Lakers in exchange for Hill and the 25th pick.

 

I think he meant a combination of Davis/Hill or Kelly/Hill for Plumlee/Dragic; Davis is getting paid next year, and Plumlee is a legit 7' footer who's on a rookie contract for the next 3 years so we keep some cap space flexibility going forward...as for Kelly, he is cheap, but he's replaceable.

 

One interesting option: should the Lakers trade for Dragic they would have more money to sign free agents this summer than if they simply signed him as a free agent.

His cap hold is low, so they would ideally add other players up to the cap, then exceed it to sign him.

The real question is whether Dragic would ruin the tank, and if risking losing the pick and parting with assets is worth the chance to have Dragic and s*** at adding another free agent.

If the Lakers go for it and luck out with losses they could end up adding Dragic, Randle, a top 5 pick, and whoever they can sign with their remaining cap space.

Intriguing, but extremely risky.

 

Don't forget; if we do lose this pick, we do have our pick in 2016. Not a top 5 because I think we will improve, but I still think it will be around top 15; remember, the Clarkson pick was bought for 1.8 million dollars and we traded for the Lin pick. Point? There's ways of getting picks. We'll be fine.