Russell Westbrick Discussion: Clipper Gonna Clip

Yup, exactly that’s what this all boils down to. Seems you think Lebron is closer to post-Achilles Kobe. In which case I would totally see where you’re coming from and put higher priority on keeping our future picks.

I happen to think he’s MUCH closer to 2020 champion Lebron, and therefore am putting higher priority on gunning for a title.

Agree to disagree.

Back on topic though, I think this discussion is futile because I’m starting to agree with the sense that other teams are just not going to let us win a deal, and we’re going to have to end up at least starting the season with Russ.

So here’s something we can look forward to!

 

My thoughts on the Bron angle of it: we're going to pay him and he's not going anywhere unless his son does and we're a couple years from there at the earliest. I think he's more likely to retire a Laker than retire a member of Team X. If you're paying Bron his extension salary, to justify that salary commitment, you better have an eye on a 'ship. Right now we're a play in team. You get Kyrie and you're a playoff team with a puncher's chance with scalability. I think the Indy deal gives us a higher floor but a lower ceiling. They're a playoff team but they're not contending. Worth noting -- injuries anywhere can change everything. Bron has had more time of this summer than his body is used to and that's why he's been in the gym hooping to this degree this early. I'm more worried about a bad roster than I am Bron. He was the scoring leader last year if he didn't shut it down to avoid the optics of chasing it and competing in meaningless games.

 

This is the part of the year where it would be nice to fast forward to any actual news vs just endless speculation

I'll check back tomorrow

 

Russ picking up where he left off. Lol

 

I also believe LeBron retires a Laker. A LeBron farewell tour with his kid will sell tickets and we will want to be in on that if at all possible.

even if he does leave with Bronny, he’s here until then. They may gripe and get on each other’s nerves but neither the Lakers nor LeBron/ Klutch really wants this arrangement to end.

 

What if I want the team to succeed AND punish Lebron? I trade him right?

 

If there is a way to do that, I’m all ears.

But hard for me to see how you can punish LeGOAT without it being a bad look for the franchise

 

goats are often symbols of the devil

maybe he is the goat (little g)

 

If we’re being real, it’s not possible to punish LeBron. He’s cemented as one of the best ever with tons of money, multiple rings, MVPSs, etc.

His legacy is set and we will only damage our overall brand and team with any attempts to spite him.

We have to just focus on crafting a good deal that gives us a competitive team with LeBron and AD and gets Russ to a team where he can put up stats (even if that’s through a buyout by the team we trade him to).

 

For me the Westbrook situation is pretty simple. If we can't make a trade that is good for the team don't do it. No picks, no lengthy contracts back. If no trade can be made let Ham have a shot at him. Doesn't work send him home and play out the season. Following up one bad decision with more bad decisions just seems foolish.

 

Punish Lebron for what? Getting injured? He's not responsible for AD getting injured either. I don't see what we had before James came, that was worth pining over. We sucked for awhile with the youth movement.

 

A guy who during our bubble season put up averages of 27/8/7 with a 2pt % of .514 (19 attempts) but doesn't play D and can't shoot the 3 can still be effective if you:
A: take away his 3 pt shot (which he doesn't take many of anyways, 3-4 attempts)
B: As long as he will not commit fully to playing D, bring him off the bench. Period. No D = bench. Ferocious D = starter. Otherwise, have a seat and watch Reeves.

He needs to be sold on the Manu Ginobili concept. Good luck Darv.

 

so sad because if russ bought into a manu role, he's got three years of 15-20m value, imo. russ as a guy who can come in and gut the opposition's 2nd unit for 24mpg (like lou williams used to) is valuable. he just...

 

He's in for a rude awakening come contract time next season. We already know where his attitude is judging by the firing of his agent, I am sure his agent had his best interests in mind, why wouldn't he? And yet Russ fired him, so it's pretty easy to piece together that puzzle and how that conversation went. "Bro, I got you the $207 million contract. We fooled everyone. I can't do it again, you'll be 34, you just made a world-champion team look like a JV team, everyone is on to you"

Unless Russ has some kind of reawakening and Darvin gets into him (not gonna happen) or if he gets traded to Utah and they let him have the ball every play so he puts up misleading numbers and fools some farm-market team with cap into paying him (again), he's not getting a payday.

 

I still have a hard time believing Danny Ainge will help us fix our mess without totally fleecing us somehow.

 

what we need to have happen (and could happen) is mike conley quietly telling management that he'd like to be moved to the lakers so that he can start for a playoff team to finish his career. utah doesn't want to damage player/agent relations--they're already one of the last places that anyone wants to play. that, combined with the fact that we could make a sensible/fair offer could get something done, imo.

 

That’s Danny Ainge’s MO, win every trade - no matter the cost.

 

We definitely ended up with the worst combination of teams for potential trade partners.

 

Danny has won one title that was gifted by his buddy Kevin McHale. Everything else he's done is accumulate assets that have produced d***.

 

totally agree. people's reverence for him was built on mchale's nepotism, and then a single lucky trade that was founded upon the assets gained from that. it's funny to me that mitch kupchak pulled the pau gasol deal AND the nixed cp3 deal, and he's a laughing stock, while ainge is in the gm pantheon.