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

Unless we can some how flip Russ for another expiring like Love or into OKCs cap space.. No way Russ would be on the Roster if Irving somehow is acquired. Russ would be beyond redundant.

I wouldn't be worried about how Lebron/Irving would spilt ball handling. They already had good balance in the past and know how to play off eachother off ball.

 

Why love? He's fine in clev wesont need him

 

make kyrie pg and Russ starting sg doesn't have to worry about distribution

 

Come on, how can you NOT want this guy on our team?!

 

Having Kyrie be PG and RW be SG is interesting. Both want/need the ball to be effective, but one could easily argue that RW is the more effective PG from an assist perspective.

 

Too tiny and awful defensively in the back court.

 

How about we just get the most well rounded players available with what we have to work with? There’s no real mystery to this.

 

I would welcome his 15 games of service at the minimum over Westbrick’s 82 at $47 million.

 

If I was in charge, I would limit one player out of the 14 to a over the hill veteran player when it came to the bench. If I see another Ellington, or Ariza taking up a roster spot, I'll stab myself. No more done players or players that can't play.

Just get young players with some semblance of talent and coach them right. The NBA has ruined fundamentals, all they do is run and shoot 3s, that's why you see so many young guys flourish now versus before.

 

lol

 

That is a somewhat interesting turn of events. Kemba Walker was a beast on those teams. Likely destination for Kemba. Charlotte could still be desperate enough to unload salary, that they are still a likely destination though. Kemba in a sense replacing Rozier? I could see Westbrook and 2027 1st to Charlotte for Rozier and Hayward, or some variation of that. Rozier could also end up in Brooklyn. Potential three team deal.

Lakers get: Kyrie (opt in), Mills (Role the dice on Kyrie. But they obtain addition by subtraction with Westbrook. tbh, the pick may not even be necessary but what the heck, Throw Charlotte a bone to get it done.

Hornets get: Westbrook, 2027 Lakers 1st (This is an excellent salary dump for them, and they get a 1st rounder to boot).

Nets get: Rozier and Hayward (Get out of the Kyrie headache and obtain a borderline all-star caliber PG with similar shooting skills in Rozier. Hayward might be able to help, but is really included for salary matching/ dump purposes on Charlottes end to make the trade work).

 

Few random Kyrie things...


Interesting wrinkle that could get Kyrie to engage... maybe?


He and AD are close


Bron's been planning this all along?

 

clifford was unjustly fired, but it is indeed weird to bring him back.

 

Bummer. Given their connection, he was my shoe in pick for assistant coach with former HC experience.

 

wasn't even thinking about it.

still don't get how the hornets didn't sign dantoni. it's the right fit. amazing that houston finally going full-hog on his plan ended his career. to me, if i'm, say, sac...i'm like...bring me this guy now. he won with pj tucker at center.

but they go mike brown. who will want a bunch of non-defenders to defend.

 

Kyrie is the one player who’s crazy enough to opt out of a $40 mil/season and sign for the tax payer MLE, out of principle lol.

I can see it happening where he won’t back down from this.

Having said that, if we somehow land Kyrie for MLE, drama, unavailability, and all…. We would have such a unfair advantage for having someone that good in his prime for so little money.

We would still have to trade Westbrook to get more depth back for the team, but filling the team out suddenly becomes a thought exercise on how to build a championship team again.

I came up with random trade idea #9982 that I want to put out in the universe in hopes that Kurt Rambis lurks these forums and takes the idea lol.

Trade idea #9982
Three team trade between Hornets/Lakers/Hawks:

Hornets trade Hayward, Oubre, Plumlee
Hornets receive Westbrook

Lakers trade Westbrook, THT
Lakers receive Hayward, Plumlee, Bogdan Bogdanovic

Hawks trade Bogdanovic
Hawks receive Oubre, THT

Hornets do the trade cuz they save a ton of money. They don’t really need Plumlee or Oubre but they get off Hayward.

Hawks do it because they want to shake things up and get a athletic expiring in Oubre, and THT

Lakers do this because if healthy, Hayward is a amazing 4th option (think about that). Plumlee can start at center or be backup, but he will play 24min/game for you. He’s got a good skillset that fits well, can shoot the 3, athletic big, rebounds. Lakers also get Bogdanovic who’s actually a starting calibre shooting guard and can also be a shot creator.

Re-sign Dwight, Melo, Augustin

Imagine this depth chart (rotation minutes in brackets):

Kyrie(32)/Nunn(16)/Augustin
Bogdanovic(32)/Reaves(14)
Hayward(28)/Johnson (12)
Lebron(32)/Melo (16)
AD (32)/Plumlee(24)/Dwight (8)

Center: AD starts but really plays 16min at center for the entire game. Plumlee plays the full 24min at center. Dwight plays 8min.

PF: Lebron starts and plays 16min at PF, AD plays his 16 min at PF, Hayward and Melo play 8min each at PF.

SF: Hayward starts And plays 20min at SF, Lebron plays 16min at SF, Stanley Johnson plays 12 min

SG: Bogdanovic plays 32min at SG, Reaves plays 16 min.

PG: Kyrie plays 32min, Nunn plays 16min, Augustine (or name your best available vet minimum PG… John wall lol) is here for insurance due to injury.

 

I think all this Kyrie stuff is him getting the Nets to flinch and pay him.
I hope I’m wrong, because if we could add him, and stay healthy, we could actually make a run next season.

 

I'm down with trading THT, I realize that he's still young, but I haven't seen any progress from his short career, not a good fit for Lebron. Lakers need more spot up shooters like a KCP, Reaves, Caruso etc.. I would be excited to get Kyrie, he's a head case, but his skills on offense are legit, plus he fit's in good with Lebron unlike WestBRICK

 

Would be really interesting to get Kyrie for the mMLE (which I believe has less than a 5% chance of happening).

Westbrook / Nunn
Kyrie / Reaves / Christie
Lebron / Stan
AD / Ingles / Melo
C (THT trade) / Howard

Not sure who you can get at the C position, Wood is gone, Turner is out of our bracket, Bamba is a UFA, maybe Brook Lopez?

If things work out, you let Westbrook expire and do your best to resign Kyrie. Hopefully by then Reaves is ready to step into the starting role.

 

If Kyrie turns his back on 30 plus million by opting out and taking our MLE as well as putting himself in a real corner on his next contract as well- essentially throwing away tens of million of dollars, then he is crazier than I realized....

I just don't see anyone being that idiotic...

As for realistic options, Lakers IMO have to move THT/Nunn if they can't move Westbrook. They must find some wings