Deandre Ayton Discussion: This Is A Platform I Can't Run From

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by JLaker17, Jul 2, 2025.

  1. svtzr

    svtzr - Lakers Starter -

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    If we’re going to act like a premier organisation, it starts at the trade deadline. We have the expiring contracts of Gabe, Kleber & Rui as well as Knecht. Either we renew them or we trade them to keep the salary slot.

    I’ve spoken numerous times over the offseason but we have combinations of salary where we can trade for a contract in the: 10-12 range, 15-17, 18-20 range, 21-23 range, 25-27 range, 29-31 range, 34-36 range. So I fully expect us to do this.

    If we can find an asset with bird rights that is inline for a bigger pay day and we can use those birds rights to go into the luxury tax. I expect us to also do that. And then we can resign Lebron, Reaves, Rui (if he stays) and the new asset using bird rights.
     
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  2. FrontOfJersey22

    FrontOfJersey22 - Lakers All Star -

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    Nobody will ever convince me that the Brick trade didn’t set us back five seasons.
    We totally lucked out on Luka, but we are still a couple of pieces away from contending. We are very unathletic and it shows with our inability to cover a fast break- even after a made basket.
    That team last season would have been absolutely embarrassed by OKC, Indy or NY in a series.
    LeGM ruined any chances of winning another Ring by forcing Rob’s hand.
    I’m hoping next season, with the right moves, it will be our first real shot at surrounding Luka with a proper team.
    Maybe we get lucky at the deadline this year and can make a little run. Stranger things have happened.
     
  3. svtzr

    svtzr - Lakers Starter -

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    I also think a decent amount of penny pinching set us back.

    Caruso should still be with us, we didn’t keep him because of luxury tax.

    We let Brook Lopez leave and he had a further 7 productive seasons.

    We let Malik Beasley, Lonnie Walker and Prince expire.

    We lost DFS because we were too cheap. Imagine right now:

    Luka / Caruso / Gabe
    Reaves / Beasley / Bronny
    Smart / DFS / Vando
    Lebron / Rui / LaRavia
    Ayton / Lopez / Hayes
     
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  4. Slick2021

    Slick2021 - Lakers MVP -

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    Bunch of nonsense. We should have won a chip after trading Westbrook. If was all good, until Tinkerbell went MIA in the Conference Finals. We should have kept those contracts, we picked up from that trade too. Anyway we already have, a proper team right now.
     
  5. Astros

    Astros - Rookie -

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    The Caruso one was dumb because the Lakers essentially chose THT over Caruso since they didn't want to pay the luxury tax for both. Lost out on an elite role player that every team wanted because of that.

    Malik Beasley, Prince, and Walker... Not exactly coveted pieces when they left the Lakers. Beasley had a great shooting year for the Pistons but was never that same player for the Lakers. Sometimes, the lights in LA are too bright for some players. Not exactly upset by them being gone.

    DFS wasn't because the Lakers were cheap but because the Lakers didn't want to commit long-term with DFS since they're trying to clear cap for the 2027 free agency.

    I'm just going to be honest and I'm probably going to get some flak for this but IMO, it's the truth...

    Since LeBron came to the Lakers, the Lakers only won ONE title... That's with a prime AD.

    We traded away Ingram, Lonzo, Josh Hart, and 3 first round picks...

    I'm starting to wonder, what if the Lakers just allowed these players to develop all along...

    Lonzo, Ingram, KCP, Kuzma, Hart, Brook Lopez, Clarkson, Caruso, Zubac, Randle, etc., That was the Lakers roster at one point... but once LeBron came, players were moved, traded, and are now making huge contributions to other teams. And all for just one title? IDK, I think the Lakers would have eventually won one if they built on those players and made smaller more efficient trades to fill positions that they needed rather than gutting everything.

    I get it, getting a guaranteed title is always worth it but I'm just saying.... if you told me we had LeBron + prime AD for five years and only won one title, I'd be disappointed. When the trade happened, we assumed the Lakers would win multiple titles.

    I'm just not that high on LeBron anymore. I'm still glad he came but I think he somehow believes he's done more for the Lakers than any other Lakers player with his attitude and it's coming off as entitled.
     
  6. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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    yeah, it wasn't a real choice that big spending owners even make their gms make. you just keep both.

    with beasley it was the salary slot. we could have used him as a 15m expiring. this was just pure cheapness.

    also, if we kept DFS, we likely don't have a center besides hayes. this wasn't a tough choice, tbh.

    hmmm...really not sure we'd have won a ring without the AD trade. at all. i'm also not sure i expected multiple rings, either. lebron was old even then. a lot of folks said lebron would never win one here from the outset.

    i think without the russ trade, we might have been able to get another ring, but slick is right that AD was basically out for two years (i'm pretty sure we win in 2021 if he doesn't go down against phx, btw), and lebron has been banged up a lot throughout as well.

    of all the names you list, there are like 2 total allstar appearances and most of these guys have been moved by their subsequent teams.

    i didn't love our prospects when lebron came, and i was just fine selling all of them for AD.

    he lost me after the russ trade, and not immediately, but when he started complaining about his supporting cast. that was his doing. he knows it. bad form to fuss in the press about it in an obvious effort to protect your legacy.
     
  7. sk2408

    sk2408 - Lakers 6th Man -

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    If we don't trade for Russ, I do think there's a good chance we end up with Kyrie. Nets traded Dinwiddie, DFS, a 1st and two seconds for him in February 2023. We could have also just kept all of Kuzma/KCP/Caruso/THT, and then just signed Monk and brought in Reaves as a UDFA like we did that summer anyway.
     
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  8. Wino

    Wino - Lakers Starter -

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    I have my doubts about that. And anytime you pull in meaningful players on a trade, you are going to be forced to trade a bunch of guys to get them.
     
  9. Pioneer10

    Pioneer10 - Lakers All Star -

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    He looks really good on defense: I didn't see the second half but the podcasts stated he lost focus as the Lakers were up big against scrubs.

    They need to assign Lebron to be an Ayton whisperer while he's hurt to keep focus
     
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