2022-23 Team Developments: News / Trades / Free Agents / Rumors

Since the Lakers season is officially over, let's talk about how they can improve!

Use this for a list of free agents:
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/

To my understanding, Lakers have a guaranteed salary contract with LeBron, AD, KCP, Marc, Kuzma, and McKinnie for the amount of $106 million. With Deng's $5 million cap hold and the 22nd pick not being trade-able + worth around $2 million, Lakers only have around $10 million to play with in the free agency using their Mid-level exception.

Expiring contracts:

• Drummond
• Caruso
• Schroder
• Matthews
• THT
• McLemore
• Markieff
• Dudley

We can go over the cap to sign these players so unless the Lakers make some trades with KCP/Kuzma or a S&T with a current player, it is unlikely that there will be significant changes which is why Rob is leaning towards keeping much of the roster in-tact. There simply isn't enough cap space to wiggle around with that would get us better players in return.

Marc Gasol is also not going anywhere since he's on a vet minimum contract and doesn't have much trade value right now. Unless he agrees to a buy-out, I think he's staying with the team next season.

Trezz has a $10 million dollar player option. I think he's opting out because staying will only hurt the value of his next contract and he won't be getting consistent minutes.

Barring any miracle that Rob pulls off, it is nearly impossible for the Lakers to get a third star so any talk about that is just an unrealistic hypothetical. Lakers will still have the $10 million MLE to spend so hopefully they can find a good shooter who can also create occasionally. There is also the vet minimum contracts so hopefully some decent vets will take that into consideration.

 

What's the catch? Led the league in blocks but doesn't seem to be a good rebounder or scorer.

 

Bigs don't matter much with AD on the roster .

 

Disagree about bigs not mattering. AD gets too beat up when he plays center all the time, his body cannot take the beating.

Honestly, I think we should mostly gut the team. Keep Caruso and THT, sign and trade Denis, find a way to sign Turner, trade Gasol, if Drummond wants to be a backup center and will sign for cheap, otherwise let him walk. Trade Pope, Matthews and Kuzma. We had NO depth this year. Need to find a third star. At any cost. Someone who can truly carry the team when either AD or Lebron needs to sit. Not sure anyone on the team matters not named Lebron, Davis or Caruso.

 

Hello to all.

While a disappointing end to the season, I am looking forward to much more exciting news over the next few months. With the entertainment and promotional side ramping back up, I expect the information to slowly start trickling in.

Currently, have very few, mostly uninteresting tidbits to share that came in tonight.

• AD was brought back because the defensive game plan for the Suns hinged on him being the anchor to neutralize penetration from Booker and Paul. With AD out, there was not enough time and practices to create another strategy, and Vogel knew the series was likely over. So they took the risk and unfortunately it did not pay off.
• Next season, they are looking to potentially load manage (Kawhi style) or put AD on minutes restriction (during regular season). Will hire folks onto training staff who understand this methodology. Unclear how AD's camp feels about this. Has also been proposed to LBJ also but he is not interested (possibly chasing scoring record).
  
• Key goals for offseason are another play maker and center (especially if Drummond leaves).
• Pipe dreams for these include Turner and Lowry, but fairly unlikely.
  
• Organization is high on Drummond.
• We (promotional side) have been told to expect "significant" roster turnover.
  
• That being said, some contention w/in organization about not trading players when their value is at a low point. For example, moving Kuzma for a good piece will likely necessitate losing KCP as well.
• Overall, optimism that with a healthy roster and longer offseason, the championship window is still open.

 

You didn’t mention AEG and the Lakers signing for another 20 years in partnership at Staples? Would have thought that should have begun the current news as a positive event for both organizations and making you very happy? Odd. Come to think of it I don’t recall having seen it mentioned on lakersball either. Why do you believe the organization is high on Drummond and if true what kind of monetary deal is being planned to try to keep him here, and with so many on this forum recognizing how currently with the game he possesses that he is a bad fit .... how would they plan to work with him to make it not so?

 

As well it would be interesting to hear, beyond the simple catch phrases of load managing and minutes restriction, especially if additional people are being hired onto the training staff, whether there will be a serious attempt to make AD’s body actually stronger physically to better withstand the rigors of the season. Which would “seem” more important than simply load managing the same body makeup. We have talked about this here and have some common sense observations of what should happen in that regard with training focus. What do the “pros” plan on doing? It’s something that leaves many fans frustrated in that he does seem to be injury prone.

 

Kurt Rambis ? I did missed something here . I thought him and his wife were "only " people Jeanie trusted . Yikes

 

What are you saying? That Jeanie doesn’t trust Rob as well, or is the way it’s worded not what you mean?

 

ugh on the drummond stuff. i've seen enough there. agree that having a firesale is a bad idea right now. everybody just looked their worst. i really think we could essentially return the team next year and be the best team in the west.

 

i really don't get why the organization is so high on drummond

 

Marcus Smart available. Give me that Defense and toughness any day of the week. If you have Smart, KCP, and AC chasing around guys on the perimeter... thats scary.

 

Kuzma & THT for Lavine. Do it Mitch.

 

vultures circling, but i don't see why portland does anything. he's under contract until 2025! i'm sure ny is going to get him for like, rj barrett or the clippers for marcus morris, though.

would definitely move kuz or kcp for smart, but why would boston do it?