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

Any sign and trade is a hard cap situation. Westbrooks contract has to be matched in any deal so I don't see how a S&T is realistic. Unless there is a team with a huge trade exemption, that could absorb some of that contract without sending salary back it's unlikely. What team has that cap space or trade exemption? Furthermore...which team has either and a player that we would want?

 

We need a stretch 5 and better wing support.

Lebron’s best position is currently PF. He can’t really defend elite SF’s anymore and he can’t drive by elite SF defenders night in night out. AD also prefers to play on the perimeter as a PF and likes having another big alongside him.

So to me a Myles Turner, Brook Lopez or Mo Bamba would be interesting. They provide shooting and defence. This spaces the floor for Westbrook and AD.

But if we go that direction, the other critical piece is a big SG that can play SF. To me, TJ Warren is perfect in that role while being low risk, high reward. He can play the 2/3 and is just in that sub elite tier. If he gets healthy you get max player output for the mmle.

We also need more SF’s because if either AD or Lebron miss time, we’ll need a SF to cover for them.

Ingles is an interesting piece here. He has never been super athletic where a serious injury will take away his game. His strengths are good team defence, anticipation, some of the best shooting in the league and knowing when to make the right pass. As a backup 3/4 he is excellent.

But I think we definitely need more SF’s. We have been weak on the wing for a few years and if we change that, we have more optionality on both sides of the ball.

 

I like Warren but I think he can get better than the min or MLE from us. I've wanted Turner for a couple of years, but he has his own injury concerns, and after moving Sabonis, it's up in air if he's even avaliable. For me AD's best position is PF, I'd rather look to enhance that over, what's best for Lebron. Besides Giannis, Kawhi and KD, I'm not convinced that there are really that many high end players at SF. Some of these guys are just big guards. Like Tatum or Butler. Lebron is a huge guard IMO. Lopez, Bamba and Wood, now those cats are the type I'd like to see. The salary is low, the upside of fitting next to AD, and letting him be a terror on D on the wing is high. Think back to the bubble team...Caruso and KCP were 6-5, Green around the same. We have three kids already in that size range. It's the length of Morris, Kuz and Javale that we don't have. It's not like either of them were exactly a defensive stopper or anything, but the length in rotations were useful. I know Javale was a 5 but he was very athletic and could show decently on a perimeter switch. Lebron is getting older true enough, but I don't think that we need to hide him on defense just yet. Not playing with AD affected his defense too. I like bigs, and there are some out there that I do believe, that we could aquire without trading Russ. That allows us the flexibility to use his contract if needed,to snag a bigger fish at the trade deadline or next summer. I think getting Anthony out of the 5 full-time, is the better short and long term goal. I'd sacrifice Talen for Wood in a heartbeat. Bamba is intriguing ,but as a RFA I'm not sure that can be done in a trade. If he didn't get a tender, he'd be a high priority for me. Batum and Ingles..bring them on if they will take a vet minimum deal.

 

TJ can get better from someone else for sure. But not much better - maybe the full MLE? At the end of the day he has missed two seasons in a row to a foot injury. There isn’t a better place to back yourself than LA. You have the starting spot with an ageing roster that will miss games, and allow you to feature heavily.

And best of all, we have 50m coming off the books, so it’s not a one and done. If you’re healthy you can play yourself into a long term piece. Or if others offer higher money, you go there. Either way win win.

Agree on the stretch 5. Turner is likely impossible. Lopez will be difficult. Wood and Bamba are trade targets.

 

I’d trade THT for Bamba too. When you take a talented player and minimise their role so it’s really clear what they need to focus on for the success of the team, you usually end up with good outcomes. I think Bamba could be that here. Similar to how Stan has had a good run here.

 

did i miss someone posting that lavine's supposed short list was lakers, mavs, portland, atlanta? interesting.

 

Have you watched the playoffs this year?


Didn't take minutes into consideration here, but just looking at the other playoff teams and the number of 6-5 to 6-9 players they had:
Grizz-8
Suns-7
Bucks-4
Philly-9
Min-7
Den-5
Jazz-8
Pelicans-8
Nets-4
Bulls-9
Raptors-11
Hawks-9

We had five players this year that fit into that height range. One doesn't cross half court (Bron). One is old and slow (Melo). One isn't at NBA conditioning and his body isn't ready for 82 games of this (AR). One didn't sign until Christmas eve (Stan). The other, not until March 1st (Gabriel). Only one of those five is a NBA small forward.

Johnson can. Gabriel, absolutely not. He can switch defensively, but he is in no way, shape or form a small forward. AR doesn't have the size or build and will be gassed if you try that. The only lineup that works for him there is if AD and Bron are in the front court and you bring equal size to the SG spot. Bron is a PF at this stage in his career. It works the best with his floor spacing, who's covering him, and who he doesn't have to try to guard. He's not crossing half court if he doesn't have to and there are several more dangerous SFs offensively than there are PFs.

Agree a 4/5 is needed for spacing, that's why I'm in favor of getting Kief back for cheap. But I don't think it's nearly as much of a need because with Bron and AD at the spots, if healthy, there's only so many minutes there. Gabriel is a better fit at PF, Melo can return and play there, Stan can play up a spot when needed. But a SF can walk into a starting role, making it the biggest and most glaring need. There's a reason that Stan looked like prime Artest to us... the bar was underwater before that from non existent contributions.

Ingles is as slow as Melo. Hard pass. Batum is my fall back option, but with the need on the market there's no way he can be had for the minimum. Market price for wings who aren't a liability is steep. Covington, the playoffs and limited available options will set that tag very early in free agency.

I think we can realistically address C, PF, and SF with McGee, Kief, and Batum and we're in a much more favorable spot than last season at those positions. Two of those are my plan B options at the position and that's just accounting for demand and price. Sure... I'd love to get younger there but beggars can't be choosers and make no mistake about it, we're beggars.

 

Saw the Chicago writer float that, don't think it's been discussed since Lavar said that LaVine was coming to LA.

Only way we are in the mix if it's a one team list and even then we're priced out by lack of assets and by being hard capped. They'd laugh at Russ and we're not given them AD. Stalemate.

Portland can sign him out right. Hawks could give them Collins. Mavs could do something involving Brunson, TH Jr., and Kleber. Both those are better compensation packages than whatever we could cook up.

 

Kief is shot man..he was done before he left here. Like I said Batum is cool on a minimum, but making a play for Wood, Bamba and a stab at Javale or Lopez or any 5 that can move more than addresses the situation IMO. I'm not even considering Melo and Dwight coming back. AD, Wood, Bamba or take another big..Reaves, Johnson, Gabriel and Bron. And it can be done on the cheap. I'm good with that..there will still be a few slots open on the roster. AD and Wood would change the whole dynamics of the perimeter situation. Two guys with length and agility to get on the wings, with a shot blocker in the paint to throw in the mix. There are many ways that could work..zone or man to man. AD and Wood are both just as mobile as Kief and both moreso than Javale. We are better off looking to upgrade through a trade over some FA signing. I don't see any difference makers at SF that we could afford. Batum and a FA are good support but we need a trade to get a true impact player .

 

The only way I want to see Melo back is on the end of the bench. If he's OK with that..cool. If not he can go..Dwight too.If Bron is old, those two are artifacts.

 

not that i think it's happening, but just to devil's advocate:

portland is being used for leverage.

dallas wouldn't sign and trade brunson for lavine (brunson may actually be as or more valuable), and thj has just missed a bunch of time, is getting older, and has three full years left on his contract at 20 per. dallas also can't afford to trade kleber and not get a starting c back.

i think the hawks wouldn't trade collins for lavine.

donovan has coached russ before and may believe he can harness the power.

but yeah, you're probably right.

 

Yeah, I don't think he'll end up in Portland. They're better off focusing their attention on getting a real big man there and let Dame and Simons cook in the back court.

Cuban is the boldest of the group and after GS takes them out, Zach is a splashy get. Brunson is a great piece and has greatly helped his value with this playoff run but I don't think he's in the same zip code as Lavine. Brunson is potentially a solid number two, who dips to a #3 at times (back when Dinwiddie was more engaged). LaVine is a 1b who can carry you on a lot of nights. Just for a quick comp:
Brunson games this season with 10-19 points -- 48 games. Games with 20-29 points -- 20 games. Lavine had 39 games with 20-29 points. He had 17 games with 30-39 points. It's also a depth play for the Bulls. While some of their young guys flashed at times, they had 6 reliable NBA players this season. They need to strengthen their depth. If they move Lavine, I think they try to get a few players out of it. I think it would have to be THJ/Dinwiddie and Kleber/Powell. To get to Zach's $42m max salary, it would take some combo of those three. Mavs do need to get them another center option this summer. They have $10m trade X from the Richardson trade or they can see what their mid level could bring in.

Hawks are at an interesting spot. Collins wasn't happy this year with role and financial discussions. I don't think that current roster can do much better. Teams like Hunter and Huerter. They have all their own picks + Charlotte's next year. If there's someone on the trade block they like, they could easily throw Collins, Hunter/Huerter, and picks and I think that gets them into meetings with most teams. They can't lure top flight FAs to play next to Trae. Got to go trade for your guy. I don't know if Lavine is that guy for them, but they need to shake it up soon.

 

Brunson is a classic contract year player. Fools gold that will get overpaid by some team and the regret signing him in a year.

 

Don't think Kief is done at all. The injury from Joker derailed his season. It's all a matter of role and expectations. For my theoretical roster, he's going to see two shifts a game with 5-6 minutes a shift. He and Melo would tag team the rotational minutes depending on matchup, need, whether it's a back to back, etc. Again, I would expect AD, Bron, Melo, Stan, Gabe, Kief, and Batum to all see minutes at the PF spot from time to time. I don't need much from Kief. Bring a little physicality, nastiness and be able to pull the opposing big out of the paint. I want someone ok with DNPs, cause they're going to get them.

I'm in on a McGee return. I don't see a path to Brook, Robin was on my target list but I'm not sure what's important to him at this stage (if it's Disney Land, we have a shot). I like Bamba, just don't think it's workable with his contract status. Wood I'm not a fan of. I think he's put up empty stats on awful teams. He's had attitude problems, was a locker room disruption in Houston, and has low hoops IQ. Too many red flags.

I agree that a trade is needed. Preferably Russ, if not him then THT and Nunn need to go. But you have to treat free agency like it's just as important. Can't punt anything or we'll be a play in at best. There's not any one single move to right this ship. It's several and a completely different approach than we went into last season with.

 

No dice on Kief..I don't think he brings anything to the table besides end of the bench spot minutes. Melo is in the same boat, he can't guard anybody and he is one year older next season, when he was already old. He's not Lebron or Chris Paul. I'd rather move on with some younger players.Melo is cool if he's willing to ride the pine, but if he epects to be in the rotation...negative he can go.

Wood played in Detroit and Houston, that's not his fault. I don't grasp this empty stats stuff, the guy is 26 he avg 18 pts and 10 rebs and shot 40% from 3point range.Id take those empty stats all day, we aren't looking for him to be a star here. He's only played meaningful minutes in this league over his last 3 seasons. I'm not punishing a guy for putting up numbers when he's given the opportunity to play. I live in Houston and from what I hear , Wood clashed with some of those other knuckleheads in that locker room, and some of that energy may have rubbed off on him. I'm not concerned with that here for multiple reasons. Lebron isn't having any foolishness from some young guy, AD either. He's on an expiring deal, he'd be going to a team that has a need at his position, a team that will have the cap space to pay him, if he performs ,over the following offseason. Plus he's from Long Beach, I think he'd be ultra motivated on this squad. On a 13 million dollar contract? I see a lot of value there. Bamba is intriguing..he's on a 6 million dollar contract and there seems to be chatter about Orlando simply letting him walk without a tender. They have until June 29th to make that call, so I'd keep an eye on his situation. Hard to say on Javale or Brook, both are minimum guys at this point. If we don't get Mo..playing time can be had here, Javale was liked by Lebron and AD and if we hire Darvin, Brook could be open to returning to LA. I flat out don't see Russ getting moved before the trade deadline if at all. That 47 million dollar expiring contract is the biggest asset we have besides James and Davis going into this season. I wouldn't be in a hurry to give it up for some mediocre trade.Id like to see the trio play more than 21 games, damn sure more than 4 straight all season too. Back to free agency ..weak crop out there in our price range IMO. Batum..I can get with that idea but I'm a hard pass on Kief.

 

to be clear on brunson/lavine: i meant better value at their price point. brunson's going to get 20-25 per, lavine's looking for 35-40 per. and he's not worth two brunson-level players. i agree that dallas would offer thj/dinwiddie/kleber, but i don't see chicago doing that because thj, in particular, might be considered an onerous contract.

my hope on wood would be that having lebron (and, to a lesser extent, AD) would help keep him in line.

oh, and i don't think nunn HAS to go if russ doesn't. THT might have to, but theoretically nunn fills a need here. THT got squeezed out because we had both lebron and westbrook, but nunn could play with either, imo.

 

Tim Connelly got paid.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...year-deal-worth-40m-includes-ownership-equity