And on the other side of that, or going along with that, I always wondered what happens if Monroe or Jordan immediately accepts our pitch and says they want in, while Aldridge is still deciding? You can't say "ok, we're waiting on Aldridge, you're our 4th choice, we'll get back to you" after he decides. An offer must not be made right then and there, only a pitch and telling them something like if you want to sign with us, contact us and we'll discuss contract then.
I don't think any of the high profile free agents will accept right then and there... They will do their due diligence part assurance...mostly ego. I don't see any decisions made until Saturday at the latest, maybe even longer.
In addition to that we hooked him up with a new prototype Oculus Rift headset and ran a s.o.t.a. CGI VR program for him that allowed him to experience the thrill of running onto the floor at Staples for the first time with the whole place going nuts and giving him a 3 minute standing ovation. He was filled with emotion and this huge smile was frozen on his face. The rest of us were smiling and nodding too, since he couldn't see us. Game over. Scoreboard!! Rest of the meetings for him now are just going through the motions.
I really think as far as destinations for LMA we are his 1b & the Spurs are his 1a. I really feel like we have a good shot here but still see SA as the front runner.
It's amusing how the tried and true tactic of showing a recruit a video of them running into a stadium and arena with a bellowing intro...thunderous cheers never fails to impress. Of course, Staples is different from other joints in Milwaukee, Sacramento or Toronto...no offense to those fine locales.
Now we play the waiting game. He's gotta meet with other teams then will make his choice. Hopefully right away and not dragged out
Good to know wonder what was tje difference. I think maybe dwight and melo just came in to hear the pitch but already had their minds made up and with aldridge he's actually "trying" to decide cuz his mind isnt made up yet. I think if it comes down to money he comes here. He can make more in endorsements here and we have a young core to build around and if they pan out it takes a load off him
Yes i hope that when he makes his decision he just getsbit over with. If he does sign with us it gives us time to make moves to acquire players we need before they all sign elsewhere And if he doesnt sign here were not left to pick up the scraps no one else wanted
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-free-agency-20150701-story.html This link provides some good info if somebody wants to post. I'm having trouble copying ad pasting right n
^^^ Lakers are first in line for a sit-down with free agent LaMarcus Aldridge MIKE BRESNAHANcontact the reporter The Lakers introduced themselves to LaMarcus Aldridge the moment free agency began Tuesday night, hoping to sign that still-elusive free-agent big man after being rebuffed the previous two summers. Kobe Bryant and James Worthy joined an army of executives who met with Aldridge: Jeanie Buss, Jim Buss, Mitch Kupchak and Coach Byron Scott represented the franchise, along with pitchmen from AEG and TWC SportsNet and team vice presidents Tim Harris (business) and John Black (publicity). The meeting lasted about two hours. The team had planned about an hour of business-type pitches that spoke to the branding potential of Aldridge as a member of the Lakers. Then the franchise's basketball side was expected to take over — Kupchak, Scott and assistant general manager Glenn Carraro — to talk on-court strategy if Aldridge joined them. The Lakers have about $23 million to spend toward next season, and Aldridge would take up about $18.8 million if he agreed to a four-year, $80-million maximum deal. The Lakers are somewhat hamstrung now but will be swimming in money next summer, freed from Bryant's $25 million salary for 2015-16 and presumably in the chase for Kevin Durant while eagerly taking advantage of the NBA's projected cap jump from $67 million to $90 million thanks to an influx of new TV money. Aldridge, who turns 30 in two weeks, represents what the Lakers desperately need these days, an All-Star power forward who can score and rebound for a suddenly backcourt-heavy team. The Lakers have a quietly positive feeling about signing the four-time All-Star, who played nine seasons with Portland. The Lakers and San Antonio are part of a "two-horse race" for Aldridge, according to a person familiar with his thinking. The extra $28 million he could get in a fifth contract year from Portland is not expected to factor into his decision. Wednesday is shaping up as a busy day for the Lakers' pitch team. They are landing in time for a noon meeting with Greg Monroe in Washington DC after taking a red-eye flight from LAX. Then they return to Los Angeles for a night-time meeting with Clippers center DeAndre Jordan. The Lakers will also meet with Cleveland forward Kevin Love either Thursday or Friday. Monroe, 25, is a versatile big man, perhaps a bit undersized to play center full-time but a solid rebounder and reliable scorer as well. He averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds last season for Detroit, though he will meet with a handful of teams including New York. Jordan, 26, might be the best rebounder-shot blocker in the game, though he is said to be split 50-50 on going to Dallas or returning to the Clippers. Love, 26, had an off year in Cleveland and said in February there was not a scenario where he'd play for the Lakers, who had long admired his outside touch and rebounding proficiency. The Lakers managed to secure a meeting with him but the Cavaliers are thought to be overwhelming favorites to retain him. The last two summers were tough sledding for one of the NBA's proudest franchises: Dwight Howard took less money and left for Houston, Carmelo Anthony listened intently but returned to New York, and Pau Gasol opted for a fresh start in Chicago, also for less money. Kupchak promised the Lakers would continue to be aggressive and secured the first meeting with Aldridge, who planned to also meet with San Antonio and Dallas, among other teams. Follow Mike Bresnahan on Twitter @Mike_Bresnahan http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-free-agency-20150701-story.html
Eddie Zamora@eddiezamora_ 2h2 hours ago @brosales12 Ramona just said on SC that brass showed LMA Lakers highlights& Kobe/Worthy talked about what it meant to be a laker star.
Ir depends on what moves other teams in the west make For example if clips lose deandre will they look the same next year? If san antonio strikes out on lamarcus will they be able to make a run with the same team as last year minus green? Will the kings be better with rondo? I also think that it largely depends on how our rookies do We already know what we can expect from lamarcus but how fast will russell adapt to the nba? Will clarkson build on his play from last season. Will nance and brown be reliable enough to play consitently? And how will kobe come back. I think hes the x factor. If kobe is healthy, and our rookies ballout along with aldridge and a defensive center i think we can sneak into the playoffs and championship or not i think that will be BIG
I think its a good thing. What does mostly every player dream about? Their legacy. If he were to come here and good things happen he knows that he will always be remembered for what he brought to the franchise and that they will make sure that his name is never forgotten, add that to the fact that hes joining one of the best franchises in history and you can bet your a** he was impressed You can say they showed him a glimpse into his future
IMO hard to say. Big factor is Kobe's health, and our health in general as we've had so many guys miss time to injury the past few years. And like jerryr88 said, what the rest of the West does. Does Dallas get worse, do the Blazers get worse, do the Clippers get worse? And who gets better that didn't make it last season, like the Kings and Nuggets. Will Durant's foot problems be gone and the Thunder back near the top? And of course, probably the biggest factor, how much impact do the young guys make right away? Randle is basically a rookie, Russell will have to live up to potential very quickly, and Clarkson will have to avoid a sophomore slump. If we're healthy, sign Aldridge and a decent C, the youth comes together and develops chemistry quickly, and we fill out the roster with surprisingly solid role players for cheap like we have the last couple years, I think ww could be in the hunt for the bottom playoffs seeds. That's a lot of "if"'s though, so I'm not getting my hopes up for making the playoffs again right away. Unless maybe we pull of some really nice moves we don't see coming that make us a lot better in a hurry, and some playoff teams from last season get worse.
Well, after reading all this, I feel pretty confident we're geetting somebody... LMA, DJ, Love... I don't know who - but someone is coming to the Lakers for sure. Or we might end up with Biyombo and Barrea, same thing.
