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

I can't see a world where we trade LeBron. Don't think I want too


JSM ideas back in the thread were great. McGee and Williams would make a ton of sense. I'm pretty sure they are moving Javale, Biyombo surpassed him since Ayton got hurt and they also have Jalen Smith who was balling but lost space and Ianwright who they seem to like.

 

agree on all counts here. the rebuild teams were just awful. just a low quality product and it was obvious this was no budding dynasty. i'd be glad to never be there again, tbh.

we've both been beating the extend russ at a drastic paycut drum, and i'd add that it's important we don't move any future picks or decent young players anymore. lebron and AD wanted a team constructed like this, and we need to draw a line in the sand when they start asking for robert covingtons. we might be able to appeal to AD not to ruin our post-lebron flexibility, for his sake.

 

For all the complaining we are getting this year, we are still a .500 team with a snake bitten injury season. Those teams during the injured Kobe seasons up till Lebron arriving were just terrible viewing. Watching Lonzo or Russell try to be a first option, Randle getting offensive fouls driving to the rim, or Ingram being pushed around because he was 150 pounds wet with a backpack on was just depressing.

Yeah those future draft picks are important and I don’t really see anyone we can get back that’s going to be better than THT and Nunn anyway. Both of their trade values are about as low as they’re ever going to get. I wouldn’t sell low right now, especially because Nunn may opt in.

Turner is injured, Wood is fools gold like Whiteside 2.0, Grant doesn’t want to come and players like Gary Trent Jr are just too expensive.

I would like us to do a 2 for 1 for some end of bench junk however. Send some money to the other team to make it happen. At least then if someone shakes free in the buyout market we got a shot at them.

 

The Lakers are going to be a play-in candidate for the next 2-3 years unless our two best players stop missing a significant number of games .

Westbrook can't be part of next season roster too

 

I'm with you here.

I hated that stretch of losing all the time, worrying about draft position, getting laughed at by free agents, etc etc.

No thanks.

 

I do think the team will sell low if someone bites.

 

oh you can just feel the THT/nunn/baze/dj for eric gordon/thad young/robert covington/useless minimum guy deal happening as we speak.

 

I don't think so.

 

Yes, I agree that those rebuild teams were hard to watch. However, they served their purpose and ultimately turned into AD. I actually think if we had a better GM at the time, we would have quickened the rebuild. DLO and Lonzo were awful choices compared to the other guys available.
Anyway, as I said, the youngsters served their purpose and so has LeBron.

 

Heck even the dominant warriors turned around after 2 years of rebuild and mounting injuries. We'll be fine as long as we play it fine PR wise the Lebron Lakers farewell tour and still not gut the team for his liking.

If his son isn't coming out in 2023 (high school entrants into nba?), then I can see Lebron playing for a Western divisional rival team for 2023/2024 [until his son can join NBA per current rules]. I think our partnership with him ends whenenever the 2023 season ends.

If he believed in AD, he wouldn't have clamored so hard to bring a 3rd star...and a Russell Westbrook for that matter

 

Thanks @JSM for compiling the trade rumors, really like the Phoenix/OKC trade ideas.

The two “homerun” deals I would have liked were Grant or Turner but those ideas are shot. The only name that is somewhat intriguing left is John Collins imo. Otherwise small deals, open up roster spots to tryout players for next year and to restock on draft picks, we might need them if we plan on trading Westbrook

 

i really wouldn't bother moving westbrook right now. we'll get less than we sent out, without enough salary relief to fix the roster, and we'll have to send picks. better to either convince him to take less money over more years or just bite the bullet and hope that maybe his expiring at next year's deadline (plus any goodies we can accumulate in the interim) could bring a disgruntled star-level player back.

 

I think we should be patient but it just seems like there is a lot of smoke out there. We are definitely making calls and I don't know that the front office can resist. It's not like the team hasn't sold low on guys before.

 

Yeah, IIRC, with mostly Magic.

Don't think Rob would get desperate.

If so, I think Cam Reddish would have been a Laker...lol.

I think we'll be fine.

 

Was giving the Turner dream some thought and i think i still make a hard push for him. I don't think either team will do this and I'll explain why, as well...

But if I was Rob and IF (big if) you get an all clear from Turner medically and a second opinion that it's not something that'll linger or get worse over the years (foot injuries can be bad), go ahead and buy low on him. I'm fine if you shelf him for the rest of the season, he can begin getting integrated and spend time around the team. I think he'll cost more this summer when we'll likely revisit it and we'll have fewer assets to trade. If Nunn hits free agency, the path dies entirely.

Now I don't think we do this because it's punting on the rest of this awful season and no one wants the egg on their face and take blame. I also don't think Indy does it, because like I said, he'll cost more this summer and they'll get a better deal for him elsewhere in 4 months.

 

i'm hoping that was a magic thing. i'll be pretty disappointed if it wasn't.

 

I’ll just say my confidence in Rob and the front office are low given the state of our roster.

 

unless it's bazemore/DJ going the other way, i don't see any reason to trade for someone like justin holiday