2023-24 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

I feel like, yes and no. I think we get better with Murray but not necessarily the other rumored players.

 

It's a Lakers thing. 1. The players we have aren't working. 2. Nobody wants the players we have. 3. We would be hard pressed, to get a better player than the one we want to trade. (Insert name) 4. If Nobody wants our players, why should we EXPECT, to win with them?

Because we are the Lakers.

 

Agreed.
Guys just don’t “forget” how to play defense. They do, however, get placed under coaches where it’s not as important, or emphasized as much.
Most importantly, DLo was going to leave this summer anyway, regardless of if the rumors came out or not. He wants a long term deal, and will get one based off of how well he’s playing offensively.
I would be much more comfortable having a guy under contract for multiple years who has proven he can play excellent defense, pass, AND score than one who can only do two out of the three.

 

It’s never going to be BOTH DLo and Reaves. We aren’t giving them Reaves.

 

total schroder '21 situation playing out, where both parties lose big, imo.

and i'm still team dlo in terms of how this situation has been handled. his defense has been better. he made one (dumb, but honest) statement to the press, and the narrative is that he's the worst defender ever. he's a minus on that end. he admits it. he's (imo) obviously tried to correct that to some degree.

anyway, yes, i think if he stays, he'll opt out. he'll end up getting less than the mle (despite being worth more than that, see: schroder), and will spend the rest of his time in the league trying to recoup the lost cash.

there are simpler ways to handle these things, and we suck at this part of the business. it's actually my main critique of rob (whom i like more than most laker fans, i think). no way you couldn't foresee this situation as far back as the summer, but it seems like you got surprised.

 

don't love #1, but 2 and 3 interest me--3 if we could snag lowry as a stopgap pg or rui was traded for a playable pg.

 

I don't like Dlo for Brown unless you get some scoring punch/PG play back. The Lakers offense can get rough real quick without someone other than Reaves who is a threat to get you 20. I actually hate it.

If you can keep Dlo or get Dennis or equivalent now we're talking. I continue in my quest to dump Rui instead of Dlo

 

https://www.youtube.com/live/GcpoDfuUzBQ?si=Ko6QY9l3nLbaHpMd

-On the Trae problem: Trae's the biggest star they've had since Nique. Biggest player they've had in 30 years, that matters to ownership. 25-27 they don't have their picks, so there's no benefit to tearing it all down and blowing it up because they don't own their upcoming picks.

-Brad thinks DM needs to be the point guard. Too much overlap with Trae.

-Both have heard Austin will not be in a potential deal.

-Gives a good scouting report on his game. Strengths, weaknesses, and fit. They get into defense regarding why it was bad in ATL, if it can get back to SA levels, and why it could look better elsewhere.

-They discuss Rui, Bogi, Hunter and Capela a bit and discuss their games and whether any of them make sense in an expanded deal. Brad thinks Bogi is the one of those 3 they'd like to move the least.

 

I only like the deal for Murray. If we did the first trade giving up the pick I might really be done this time. Definitely would take a long break.

 

Buha and Scotto go over the latest buzz. Link has the full transcript of the pod.

 

yeah, i typed my response in a hurry. "don't love #1" was an understatement of sorts. it's shuffling deck chairs. we downgrade in talent to a similar player in dinwiddie, and maybe slighlty upgrade to DFS (but he's older than rui and could decline rapidly at any moment) and give up a 1st. even if it's lotto-protected, it doesn't seem great. and dinwiddie's contract is up, too, so we don't get out of the potential "lose guy for nothing or overpay him situation".

i also should have clarified that the brown deal only works if we get another pg. i mentioned lowry off the scrap heap, but ideally, it would be trading gabe or rui for starter-level pg, and that may not be possible. we would have the 1st preserved there, though.

 

why is dangelo russell considered "bad money"? he's outperforming his contract, and if you don't like that, he could opt and be off your books. so he's either an expiring or a player who's worth his current check and is a starting quality nba player. HOW IS THIS CONSIDERED AN ALBATROSS? i don't like that tone of the trade negotiations, and it makes me want to sit out. like, washington looks at trading tyus jones (who likely walks in FA this summer anyway, because it's washington) for an upgrade in russell and is like, no, must have first round pick because my precious cap space (nobody wants to play in washington!).

bkn doesn't have an "appetite" for russell? well, i don't have an appetite for the oft-injured version of russell (dinwiddie) either!

just smacks of the "you have to trade two first rounders to get off westbrook's contract" stuff. the laker tax just being accepted by the media is funny to me. if russell played for the hornets, the line would be "the hornets are willing to part with russell for a first round pick and expiring salary". bet. (edit: later, they calmly discuss the nets wanting 2 1sts for DFS)

another thing i don't understand: people are saying atlanta wants a starter and two 1sts for murray (not happening), but then russell (a starter) is being shopped for expiring contracts? shouldn't he be shopped for a better-fitting, similar contract? i don't think expiring helps them very much, as all it would do is open up the mle next year, i think. you're not getting a player of russell's caliber for the mle in most offseasons, imo.

then buha dismisses moving rui because he's our best frontcourt scorer after lebron and AD. first, he should prove that. tbh, prince and wood both seem like better options so far this year. second, who cares? you have two of the best frontcourt scorers in the league.

 

Kam Bros have Rowland on as well to give a Murray scouting report

 

Oh yeah. I understood what you meant.

Definitely agree.

 

I think the DLO contract isn't a good one, not because of size but because A) lack of control from the team. If he's traded to a tanking team and balls out, he leaves for more money and all you got out of your asset and for him was likely a second round pick and maybe cap relief for whoever you traded. BUT that's all in his hands, you won't know and can't plan until free agency. Rebuilding teams like to forecast as much as they can. B) it's often too small to flip for the starter a team wants to trade him for. The tag is indicative of his level of play but when you to the register, you're a few bucks short.

I think another and perhaps bigger issue is how DLO is viewed around the league. I think that goes above Lakers tax. Every team he's been on has traded him and in our case, possibly multiple times. When the word on the street is teams don't want you, it spreads. Well if Atlanta doesn't want him... If Portland doesn't want him. ... If Brooklyn doesn't want him... that hurts your value.


I don't think anyone takes the DFS price seriously. Nets in general have a high pick ask for their players. I don't think teams are taking the Hawks ask for Murray seriously either. It's not what we're offering, it was too much for NY, and DET wasn't interested either.

 

What continues to annoy me is how the pundits undervalue our assets.

When its our players suddenly a contract is terrible, the player stinks despite his numbers, and we have to add first rounders to make the trade work, etc.

No other team would have to include a starter, first round pick, and other assets for Bruce Brown. And I actually like Bruce Brown.

 

Everyone needs his agent.