2019/20 Players' Transactions: Breaking News , Trades, Free Agents, And Rumors

Also, you think that roster beats Boston? I don't if they have Kyrie, Hayward and their young core. They would have the depth we should have had similar to the Warriors a few years back

 

You could be right, but I don’t fear Harden. Dude has come up short in the big moments over, and over, and over now. Chris Paul made the Rockets go, he gave them their toughness and clutch, he was the leader. Harden fizzles out when it comes down to it because he gets tired from all that iso and dribbling, and he can’t force the refs to make the ridiculous calls he gets in the regular season in a playoff game 7. I don’t want to give LeBron a 4 year deal either, but maybe a compromise for coming here and staying competetive is a 3 year deal, or less than max. Someone will have to sacrifice some money for us to even add all these stars. In exchange he gets to be be in LA which is convenient for his entertainment career. *shrugs*

Yes, I absolutely do. Depth is one thing, but depth doesn’t matter as much when you’re up against the best of the best. LeBron and Kawhi are top 5 nba players, both have been NBA Finals MVP. Those 5 players you listed and I repeated alone would allow us to play ridiculous defense, the length, the switching, every one of those players is a good to excellent defender. That doesn’t take into account players we’d add in the draft and quality vet ring chasers that would immediately follow LeBron. I’m not scared of Boston, we don’t know how Hayward is going to come back, their best players are Kyrie and Tatum and I’d take what you listed over that. They’re probably going to lose one glue guy in Smart this summer too, depth doesn’t last forever when contract time comes around. That’s another reason I’m ok with the star plan, we have to start paying our own guys after the next couple years, and if we don’t get stars BEFORE we do that, we won’t have the room to add the stars. Gotta move now, and/or next offseason.

 

The key is not trading all of our youth, just some of it. Holding on to 2 out of Ingram, Ball, Kuzma, Hart, and Randle would be enough for me. Not to mention our FO's ability to find gold in the draft.

Ideal targets in trade: Davis and Kawhi. (doubtful either move and very doubtful either move here)

Secondary targets that could work: Beal, M. Gasol, DeRozan. (the price changes dramatically at this level, keep in mind we're probably including Deng).

Tertiary targets that we fall back on: Randle, Thomas, Lopez, Pope (basically keep our own options. I don't see a ton better than Randle in trade, so the Lakers do what they have to so they can dump Deng and the Randle becomes the "third guy" at least for now).

 

How about we keep Lonzo / Ingram / Kuz / Randle / Hart and then add LeBron + PG13.

 

I wouldn't be mad at that

 

That’s my top choice as well, but since it’s LeBron, people are bracing for him to come in and demand youth be traded for the next Bosh/Love. I think people are also seeing GS looking vulnerable and coming up with swing for the fences scenarios that put us in instant contention with them. It’s all very murky, but again, I’m not so sure if LeBron chose to come here he wouldn’t be ok with this, because again, he’d be choosing this roster as a starting point, with no guarantee that Zo/Kuz/Ingram/Hart could even land another star. He seems to actually really like Zo and Kuz, and I believe he’s been complimentary of Randle as well, or at the very least seen what he can do up close, dropping 36 points in a very impressive Lakers win.



I’d think, not trying to be a homer here at all, that he’d at least look at our roster of Zo, Ingram, Kuz, Randle, and Hart as superior to most of what he’s got in Cleveland. I’d take Zo over Hill, Ingram over Green, Kuz over..Korver (?), Randle over Thompson, and Hart over Smith/Clarkson. PG is the Wade/Kyrie, and maybe you try and go get that Love type player, or maybe Randle already IS that player when added to those 2 stars. So yes, I’d absolutely ideally go with that roster you listed, draft a quality backup pg or athletic defensive big (or draft a big and sign a vet backup pg), try and retain Lopez, or other ring chasing vets.

 

One thing Ireland brought up on the radio is: who did he really demand a trade of? Wiggins and Bennett? Big whoop. They got Love out of that and it made sense for both sides.

I can't see him demanding a trade just to demand one and I think these kids have a strong intrinsic value. I don't think he'll ask for a trade just to ask for one. If we make a deal, it'll make sense for us and him.

 

Noel is someone I wouldn't be excited about, but also wouldn't be surprised if he joined for cheap for a year.

I have a strong feeling we're using this pick though. I think if the Lakers feel they can move Deng, they'll do it after the draft unless they can do it while still keeping a 1st in this draft. The Lakers' best asset right now is the draft room and they're not going to give up that #25 without guarantees we're getting LeBron and George.

 

I don't think moving Deng and keeping this pick are as connected as we assume. If the Lakers feel they can/will get the big names, they'll attach players and picks to move Deng if needed, but I think they'll still make this pick or at least one pick this season. The draft room has been too valuable to them I think to miss this opportunity.

 

Maybe our front office's draft prowess is so well respected that other teams will wait to see who we pick and then demand that player with Deng.

I mean, if you're the Kings, wouldn't you rather let the Lakers scouts do all the leg work and find the gem rather than let your own knuckleheads try to make that 25th pick?

 

I get the Kuz and Hart part, but Bryant? The guy that couldn’t get 2 minutes on the court during the season? The guy that could make threes all day in the G-League, but couldn’t hit one to save his life in an NBA game? He literally made 1 three pointer out of 10 this season. He seems like a nice kid, but his ceiling is an unknown, right now he looks like 3rd string, borderline NBA talent. I’d dump him in a second to create room for PG. Same goes for Zubac.