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

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by BangBoomPow, Jun 3, 2021.

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JSM - Lakers Legend -

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Cookie said: ↑

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Just when most of the extensions looks fair, then there's this. No way in F do I give him north of $30m a year for his one trick.

JSM, Oct 2, 2022

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What's his defense like? Is it light years better than Swider right at the start of his NBA training regimen?

LTLakerFan, Oct 2, 2022

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The salary cap jumps to 134 million, with a 162 million tax level next season. I imagine that a few guys are going to get a bit overpaid.

Slick2021, Oct 2, 2022

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32.5M for a 6man. Lou Will rolling over his grave.

Winston562, Oct 2, 2022

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Winston562 said: ↑

32.5M for a 6man. Lou Will rolling over his grave.
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lol, poor lou. dude never got his big payday. same with jamal crawford. both had long, lucrative careers, but neither hit the big payday. meanwhile, this guy...

and agree with jsm--the other extensions so far seemed sensible to me, but not this one. one thing i will say: riley isn't going to just let an asset walk. i view it as similar to when we offered schroder the 80 mil. that was just to protect the investment in some ways. still can't believe that s***.

i digress.

abeer3, Oct 2, 2022

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LTLakerFan said: ↑

What's his defense like? Is it light years better than Swider right at the start of his NBA training regimen?
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He can't be any worse than Melo on D. This kid has a sweet stroke though. If he can knock down 38-40% from deep in the preseason? Keeper

Slick2021, Oct 2, 2022

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Winston562 said: ↑

32.5M for a 6man. Lou Will rolling over his grave.
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Just image all the girls at Magic City who he could've put through law school.

JSM, Oct 2, 2022

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JSM said: ↑

Just when most of the extensions looks fair, then there's this. No way in F do I give him north of $30m a year for his one trick.
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Heat gave Duncan Robinson 90mill, then didn't even play him in the playoffs

overrated FO

VincePT, Oct 2, 2022

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LaVarBallsDad, Oct 2, 2022

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WPM

Herro is benefitting from the upside and completely unfair demographic issues in the NBA with their new policies

sirronstuff, Oct 2, 2022

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i think some were interested:

he's had a bunch of chances, but toronto does seem to know what it's doing with wing players over the years.

abeer3, Oct 3, 2022

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Who has this article?

NickthaQuick, Oct 3, 2022

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Here it is

Russell Westbrook’s second season with the Lakers gets going on the hardwood Monday night in Los Angeles, when a preseason game against Sacramento tips off and the future Hall of Famer finds himself under the spotlight yet again.

While Westbrook wasn’t traded in the summer like so many across the league expected, league sources tell The Athletic that the prospect of him being traded in the coming weeks and months remains real. In a perfect world, Westbrook would find his stride with these Lakers, the team would perform at a high level, wins would follow and the franchise would finally show its short- and long-term potential. But a decision to trade him or not would be based on a multitude of factors – not the least of which are his play and his continued willingness to follow through on the plan set forth by first-year coach Darvin Ham. For this storied franchise that wants so desperately to make the most of LeBron James’ twilight years after he signed an extension in mid-August, this is a crucial choice that could determine whether the Lakers return to title contention anytime soon.

The following is an updated look at the situation.

On the cusp of training camp, as media day neared and the topic of Westbrook’s uncertain future continued to dominate the conversation around the NBA, sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations say the Lakers’ key decision-makers spent several days engaged in deep conversations about the feasibility of a blockbuster trade with Indiana.

Vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka, owner Jeanie Buss and senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis seriously considered sending Westbrook and unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Pacers for center Myles Turner and guard Buddy Hield, sources said. They held a series of meetings in the days leading up to camp to analyze the possible Pacers deal from every angle, with the views of Ham and Lakers executives Joey and Jesse Buss also being strongly considered in the process. The organization even delayed the midweek news conference for Pelinka and Ham as the debate continued.

There was much to consider for them all, and there was momentum at times toward a deal going down.

Do we put both of our chips on the table now or save them for a better deal down the line? Would Turner and Hield be championship difference-makers long-term, or would Turner’s looming free agency this summer undermine their big-picture plan?

While Pelinka has been given the ultimate power to make these decisions, sources say there was a desire for the entire group to come to a consensus. It appears the voices of Joey and Jesse Buss are being considered among Lakers leaders now more than ever. If they were going to gamble on a make-or-break move of this magnitude, the thinking went, then everyone had to have confidence in the same vision. But when that wasn’t the case, sources say, the choice was made by Pelinka to remain patient and see, yet again, if Westbrook might find a way to make this imperfect fit with the Lakers work.

Only time will tell if this sort of collaboration is the new norm for Lakers leadership, which in recent years had kept its inner circle small with Jeanie Buss, Pelinka and Rambis. Ironically, the decision to bring Westbrook to town the prior summer in the trade with Washington was not made in this sort of fashion.

Despite everything that went on last season, there was still some measure of optimism that Westbrook would find his way under Ham in ways that he never did under former coach Frank Vogel. Jeanie Buss, perhaps most of all, was of the belief that the combination of Ham’s style and on-court plan could be the solution here.

The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer had said all the right things in recent months, telling Pelinka, Jeanie Buss and Ham in separate meetings that he was committed to the organization and prepared to do whatever was needed for the team to win. More specifically, it was seen as a good sign that he didn’t focus on the need to have the ball as he had the season prior.

But the Lakers still wanted to exhaust every available option to improve the roster. They had explored ways of landing Nets star Kyrie Irving during the offseason, discussed concepts with the Jazz around Bojan Bogdanovic prior to him being traded to the Pistons for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee and even tried to land former Laker Jordan Clarkson from the Jazz before it was made clear that Utah owner Ryan Smith had no intentions of letting him go. All roads continued to lead to a potential framework with the Pacers.

Throughout the summer, the Lakers and Pacers discussed several trade iterations. Some included just Turner, such as a package that would have sent Westbrook and one first-round pick for Turner, sources said. Others included deals centered on just Hield. The Pacers signed Deandre Ayton to a four-year, $133 million maximum offer sheet that was matched by the Suns during the Las Vegas Summer League in July, creating a potential opening for the franchise to swing a deal involving Turner. The Lakers’ initial formal talks with the Pacers came after Summer League, when in the weeks to follow the sides discussed Westbrook, one first-round pick and second-round compensation for both Turner and Hield, sources said.

The Lakers and Pacers also discussed adding a third team, such as the Grizzlies, who could take a 2027 or 2029 first-rounder from the Lakers for two first-rounders of their own to send to Indiana, according to sources. For the Pacers, every conversation with the Lakers led to an ultimate demand: Both of L.A.’s available first-round picks — or no deal.

Pacers owner Herb Simon showed increasing interest as the summer went on in having new lead guard Tyrese Haliburton, Turner and Hield start the season together, so an asking price of two unprotected first-rounders was unintentionally a difficult barometer to meet. Would the Lakers meet it? Sources added that the Pacers, despite the Lakers’ wishes, made it clear they were not interested in sending second-round picks in a potential deal. With the price of landing Turner and Hield higher than the Lakers’ liking, they had hoped for second-round compensation as a way of increasing their return.

In the end, the Lakers chose not to make the formal offer after several long debates among the stakeholders, a collaboration that led to a prudent, patient approach to the Pacers conversations. A potential deal would’ve meant that the Lakers in effect would have traded Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the chance to re-sign Alex Caruso and three first-round picks for Turner and Hield, when taking into account the totality of the original Westbrook trade.

In addition, James has shown support publicly and privately to integrating Westbrook and playing with the former league MVP again this season, and multiple sources said he applied no pressure to the Lakers front office to do the Pacers’ deal. Seven months have passed since James’ tweet supporting the “f— them picks” approach of Rams GM Les Snead led some to wonder how he saw the Lakers’ strategy, and sources say he remains supportive of the current regime. And while Pelinka made it clear on media day that he’s willing to trade precious picks in the right deal, that time has yet to arrive.

“One thing that needs to be made clear is a lot of speculation: Will the Lakers trade their picks? Will they not trade their picks?” Pelinka said at media day. “Let me be abundantly clear: We have one of the great players in LeBron James to ever play the game, and he committed to us on a long-term contract, a three-year contract. So of course, we will do everything we can, picks included to make deals to give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end. He committed to our organization. That’s gotta be a bilateral commitment, and it’s there.”

The Lakers have two first-round picks eligible to be traded for the remainder of the decade, giving the team’s key power brokers the realization that they must be judicious to make sure the asset pool is utilized for the right trade, the right players, the right package. Hield has this season ($21.7 million) and 2023-24 ($19.2 million) remaining on his deal, and sources say Hield and the Pacers are open to a trade that makes sense for him and the Pacers. The Lakers surely could use Hield’s shooting, durability and veteran savvy, although his defense, handle and current multiyear deal raised questions about the fit.

Turner, meanwhile, is in the final season of a four-year, $80 million extension he signed in 2018. The talented center’s desire to reach unrestricted free agency in 2023, along with an expected price tag that could begin at $25 million per year, are known to be significant factors in the Lakers’ calculus. Sources also say the Lakers had focused on the question of whether they want three frontcourt players (James, Anthony Davis and Turner) atop their payroll in a perimeter-oriented league. The Lakers are currently slated to have upwards of $34 million in projected cap space next summer, bringing flexibility for free agency or trades.

Throughout the summer, Irving was the prized superstar whose name was front and center of Lakers fans. Sources say the Lakers made multiple inquiries and submitted concepts to the Nets on potential Irving deals in July and August, but upon opting into his $36.9 million player option in late June, Irving had committed to Brooklyn for the upcoming season.

So as July wore on and led into August, Brooklyn shut the door on any Irving trade – closing the window on a Irving-James reunion. The Nets made clear they had no intention to move Irving and ultimately resolved Kevin Durant’s trade request to continue building their championship hopes around All-Stars in Irving, Durant and Ben Simmons. As for the prospect of adding Irving via free agency next summer, sources say he’s currently not a part of the Lakers’ long-term plans.

There is an undeniable advantage to waiting here. Not only do the Lakers get a chance to see Westbrook in Ham’s system before making a more educated decision about the Pacers trade, but they keep the door open for other trade opportunities as well. Every season, high-level players become available closer to the February trade deadline when their teams underperform. All the while, the Lakers will be watching Westbrook closely while continuing to ponder what comes next.

So far in training camp, Westbrook has been described as a solid professional and as a player providing both energy and passion during the Lakers’ scrimmages. That’s a continuation of the summer, when Westbrook attended Ham’s and Beverley’s introductory press conferences, respectively, and sat next to the team’s bench during their first summer league game in Las Vegas.

“My job is to be professional, show up to work, like I’ve always done,” Westbrook said on media day last week.

Ham and his coaching staff will continue to evaluate the Lakers’ starting lineup, which thus far has included Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, James, Davis and Damian Jones. That starting five leaves Patrick Beverley, Austin Reaves and Dennis Schröder off the bench, but Ham’s lineups appear to be fluid in the leadup to the Oct. 18 season opener at Golden State.

Westbrook and Ham have gotten off to a much better start than Westbrook and former head coach Frank Vogel did last season.

During scrimmages, Westbrook has been doing many of the little things that the Lakers have asked of him. He’s been an active on-ball screener. He’s relentlessly pushing the pace in Ham’s uptempo system, looking for his teammates first and his own shot second. He’s been engaged defensively, hounding ballhandlers while adjusting to Ham’s new pick-and-roll coverage.

Westbrook slightly refined his shooting form this summer, and sources say his catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage has been improved in workouts and scrimmages.

The Lakers are continuing to encourage Westbrook to be himself – something both sides felt that wasn’t fully able to do last season for a variety of reasons. Ham said he’s been implementing offensive schemes that allow James, Davis and Westbrook to play creatively off each other, with each star having an opportunity to initiate the offense, screen, spot up, isolate and post up.

“We have a three-man package, actually a play-call, that they’re gonna thrive in and it involves all three of them,” Ham said. “So I look forward to that being at a very, very high level. And there’s different nuances in it that they can play around with. And as players do, sometimes they take what you give them and then they create their own little twists and turns to whatever you presented them with and then that ends up becoming a part of the package as well.

“But I trust all three of those guys.”

Ham’s trust in Westbrook – and Westbrook’s subsequent trust in Ham – has been a key component in the Lakers’ belief that they can find a way to optimize Westbrook in a winning environment. But if Westbrook struggles and they stumble at the start, then this Lakers brass that has been focused on this issue for so many months now might be back at the bargaining table before long.
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Last edited: Oct 3, 2022

JSM, Oct 3, 2022

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NickthaQuick, Oct 3, 2022

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Looks like something is about to happen. My guess is the Lakers are trying to see if they can only unload one 1st if they can get a third team involved. This is gonna get interesting.

Last edited: Oct 3, 2022

OX1947, Oct 3, 2022

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i'm fine with not dealing 2 first rounders for hield and turner

432J, Oct 3, 2022

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Skimming the article sounds like in the last few weeks the Indiana discussion heated up but overall we still decided to stand pat because the asking price was too high. Doesn’t sound like anything is necessarily imminent, but the article demonstrates that we are still very interested in trading Russ if the right deal comes up.

Not gonna lie, despite recently changing my tune on the value of the picks and what kind of return trading both picks would demand… I couldn’t help getting excited hearing how close we got to pulling the trigger on Hield/Turner. Like if that trade does end up getting announced, my first reaction will probably be excitement rather than being upset at the overpay.

But then reading on in the article about how Indiana ownership thinks Halliburton/Hield/Turner would be a good core, and how they’d be unwilling to even throw in a second rounder to sweeten the pot and compromise in exchange for both FRP’s… man screw them! Stay patient and wait for Indiana and other teams to come crawling back!

Helljumper, Oct 3, 2022

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Wino said: ↑

You're right!! We should trade him, he is a bum!! While we are at it, we should send RW packing and force Jeannie to sell the team and get rid of Magic so he is not welcome in LA at all!!!

LA will be back on top!!!! Yay!!!!
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Never suggested to trade him. This is an open forum to express my thoughts and opinions, correct?

Henry_Hart, Oct 3, 2022

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Well it very much confirms what we already knew: the Indy ask was always the two picks which is simply too high for Hield and Turner. We learned a little more about Utah and Clarkson but not much more there. Seems like since Kyrie they have been pretty stuck on Hield and Turner. Maybe something will give closer to the deadline.

lakerjones, Oct 3, 2022

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abeer3 said: ↑

lol, when did he not admit it was bad shooting? again, if you want to act like he's lying about a wrist injury, that's your deal. i choose to believe it and that it had an impact. the data support this. but if you want to commit to the "he's soft and sucks" narrative, nothing's going to stop you. the forum has proven that over time!

edit: here's a thought exercise. say AD doesn't disclose his injury right now, but shows up and shoots his standard 33% from three. then a reporter asks what he did, and he says "my wrist healed. it was injured last year." would people still be b****ing?
Click to expand...

Did I suggest he's lying about a wrist injury or that he's soft and sucks? You don't know me, obviously, but I've always advocated for AD and wish him all the success. He plays on my favorite team, won a championship and was an absolute force during the playoff run. It's time for him to take the torch and lead the team. This is the Lakers. Championship or bust.

Henry_Hart, Oct 3, 2022

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