2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Vucevic has a career defensive rating of 107.3.
For comparison Jokic is at 107.5 Sabonis is at 110.

The Bulls don't even try to play D, I'm not sure what their identity, was supposed to be at all for the last couple of seasons. If you don't think he would thrive next to Anthony Davis, you haven't been watching any Bulls games. The offense is excellent, he would start next to AD, and for a cheap contract (10M) we can still get Valanciunas as the backup 5.

 

Agreed. I don’t think bruising center is our biggest need (an athletic, two-way backcourt partner for Austin and Dalton is our biggest need), so we shouldn’t be chasing it with our biggest assets. Gabe and 2nds for Val seems obvious and doesn’t deprive us of the 1sts or DLo’s expiring.

 

Ruled out for Monday
December 2, 2024
Butler (knee) is listed out for Monday's game against the C Bags.
Can you all guess when he's coming back?

 

What are we going to do with another guard/forward? Seriously. Is he going to help us on the boards? Interject some more physicality on the team?

Who is he going to lock down? Edwards, Luka, Steph,Fox, Kyrie? Where is this guy, and how are we going to get him with what we have to offer? Is he some significant upgrade over Reddish or Vanderbilt?

Who is this person, because it's definitely not Finney-Smith.

I'd expect the Bulls to be more interested in Rui than Tinkerbell myself. TB's not as valued around the league, as he is around here. They already have White and Giddey, Rui can get buckets kinda like Derozan, but with 3pt range.

 

With the rumored price for Vuc only being two seconds I would definitely be working the phones with the Bulls. I think a deal can be had there in some form.

 

Our clear need is a POA defender. Teams that have been killing us are mostly because we can't guard quick guards. The only one who can is Gabe.

Yesterday was glaring. We were closing inside and they were just kicking it out for open 3s. Because we suffer a lot of points in the paint, they easily pass by our guards and wings. Adding another big and slow center doesn't seem to address that

On the other hand, we haven't been having a size problem. We do against Denver, but that's because Joker is a bad matchup for AD and the best way to defend him is having your best defender on Gordon so you can help on Jokic's drives. But with other teams it's not the size that's been killing us.
I can agree on the lack of physicality, but not size per se

Either way, Vuc without giving picks is still an interesting option that we should pursue. Either him or Val should be a Laker this year

 

We had Caruso and KCP as POA defenders…

 

Your new coach has a different opinion about the lack of size being a problem too. I will continue to repeat, that having a 40 year old James, as your 2nd best rebounder, and physical dude with size, on the team, is a huge problem.

We are running him into the ground like that, and our other "scorers" have problems scoring against the better teams period, especially against the better teams late in games. We've lost 9 games, and have only played Denver once. POA isn't the only problem this team has.

We keep looking for a "tweak" to enhance, what we already have. The real issue, is that we need a roster shuffle, and to play a different style of ball

 

Yeah we did. Lakers under rated those guys.

 

Ok..let's go in another direction for a second. Zion Williamson anyone? I mean damn..1 unrestricted FRP and 1 lotto protected?

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba...de-value-rumors-news/5d1ab45f6fe143077debf6cb

https://fadeawayworld.net/nba/new-o...ay-zion-williamson-leave-new-orleans-pelicans

 

Can Lakers sign him.He just had 21 assists in one game.

I don't get what are pelicans doing, looks like in full tank mode but it's another discussion
The Pelicans waived Payton on Tuesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
With the Pelicans shorthanded in mid-November, Payton signed a deal with New Orleans and was immediately thrust into a major role. Over his first four appearances (three starts), Payton averaged 9.8 points, 9.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 26.5 minutes, including a 14-point, 21-assist performance against the Pacers on Nov. 22. However, the Pelicans have gotten a few backcourt pieces back recently and let go of Payton for monetary reasons.

 

No .He is contract is way too expensive

 

The gamble is health related, the contract is excellent, for that level of talent.

 

What will the Kings do if they continue to suck? Another team that hates dealing with the Lakers but they don't have a 3rd and their a squad which really needs one to contend as Sabonis is too flawed when he's not playing AD to be a true title contender. They're in real trouble to be in the Bulls territory of no mans land as the West is too good

 

After the recent collapses in the 3rd Q, by that we're talking about the team giving up, then barely beating Utah, then putting up only 80 against MIN, it's kind of alarming, but we seem to be at an inflection point: everyone knows we're desperate and inept and NO ONE will show us mercy as we try to shore up our roster.

Of course, a lot of us hope to see Jonas V and us only giving up a scrub and a couple picks. But this could go south on us pretty quickly and put us in a hole for a long-assed time. It feels like we're in a precarious position, is all I'm saying. More precarious than maybe a lot of Laker fans - excluding all the hardcore ones who post here, of course - realize.

Things could get real dark real fast. We hope they don't, but let's be real.

Also: no matter what I'm a diehard to my dying day.

 

you mean for the season or long-term? i do think we can't afford another december swoon. we could miss the play-in this time. long-term, i think if we're that bad this year, lebron retires or leaves, and we'll go full rebuild while only owing the 27 pick.

 

I'm thinking long-term, but, as I've learned since the 1970s, it's really impossible to account for all the variables, accidents both sad and happy, and other Damned Thangs.

 

yeah, the full reset will be rough if that's how it goes.

AD's comments have been a bit eerie for me. he seems sort of disappointed and resigned to failure. i wonder if his injury is getting worse, and he knows he'll miss time and that will be it for us this year.

 

Indeed and we missed them since then. Never been able to replicate. The value of these type of guys is so understated for a title contender

 

If you think about it, if he is able to work with the legendary expert Lake training staff, he may never play again.