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

We had a full decade of futility before the Covid season Abeer. I'd rather gamble on two guys under 30, than go back to lottery picks every year. Lebron only has a couple of years left, we aren't going to get anything out of trading him. 5 or 7 years is an eternity in the NBA. Look at us 5 or 7 years ago.

 

Considering recent history, which teams are going to be immune from injury concerns? I'm hoping that we've had our turn in that regard.

 

We'd be title contenders, but we need more depth. Seth would be our only above-average role player, as in players that can be relied upon to score 10-15ppg and/or contribute in other areas. In our 2020 title run we had Kuzma, KCP, Caruso, Dwight, Rondo, Morris, Green.

 

We didn't have a Kyrie Irving in 2020..a guy capable of putting up 40 on anyone either. I think that team got the job done, but it wasn't considered a title favorite at all heading into that season.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2020.html

We still have two more roster spots open, I think we'll be just fine.

 

while NJ may not want Kyrie, why would they want Westbrook? Empty stats and no playoffs?

 

Because they get 47 million off their books next summer, and the only time he missed the playoffs recently was on the Lakers? Picking up a draft pick should be icing on the cake.

 

I think GSW will fall back a bit season, they’ve lost a little bit in GP2 and OPJ leaving. But I do expect Kuminga and Moody to take a step and Donte to be decent. Apart from that they’re still pretty much the same squad so they’ll be up there. Curry, Klay, Draymond, Looney, Wiggins and Poole is still a lot of talent.

Phoenix was always going to get rid of Ayton this offseason, but it comes down to how much they gut the team if they land KD - can they keep hold of Bridges in any scenario? I’m not sure, but Booker, CP3 and Durant is a formidable team.

The clippers like us are probably owed a bit of health, if they get it on paper they have one of the strongest squads in the league.

I like the nuggets roster after adding KCP and Bruce Brown. They have three solid defenders (alongside Aaron Gordon) now to surround Murray and Jokic. MPJ is a worry that will cap them from being a top top team unless his injuries improve. But if he is healthy, you have three incredible offensive forces with a decently shaped defensive squad. And Jokic. They got Jokic.

Memphis has the we coming for everyone mentality and is on the come up like OKC was back in the day.

Minnesota has Antman and KAT. And they added Gobert, Kyle Anderson and retained Taurean Prince. Plus they have DLo as a trade chip.

Dallas has Luka and not much else after a disappointing season.

New Orleans with Zion back is interesting alongside McCollum and Ingram.

I dunno, the West is gonna be tough, but we got as good a shot as anyone.

 

Problem is, our 3 stars play 50-60 games on average. There will be 20-30 games where we have 1 or 2 of them missing. We need depth to carry the load.

 

Wiseman will be coming back too

 

feel like you're making the point NOT to trade picks 5-7 years out? the nets were a cautionary tale who are somehow again becoming another kind of cautionary tale. they would like us to switch places with them, and i'd prefer not to.

irving's 30 and hasn't played 70 games in 5 years. he's only topped 70 games played twice in his entire career. he's less reliable than everyone's favorite resident whipping boy.

speaking of: lebron is going to age out and we'll get no assets back for him. if we sell our picks for irving, it's likely that both he and AD age out here before we can cash in on their value (well, irving's is currently gone). so in 2027, we project to be pretty bad, i think. parting with an unprotected pick during that period is lunacy.

i was great with it for AD. and that gamble already worked, imo (and wasn't really a gamble). this is a huge gamble with a much less likely return.

pass.

again, protected picks that turn into seconds immediately if not conveyed--i'm in. trade 'em all. f dem picks. but unprotected or lightly protected picks that keep rolling over? that's how you become the kings.

that's not how luck works, and it's also not just pure luck. lebron is old and has been getting groin injuries (old guy stuff). him getting injured is more likely than say, morant getting injured or jokic getting injured. kyrie has long-term knee issues, iirc, and also just sort of checks out mentally periodically. while i don't think AD is destined to be out for the playoffs every year, i do think he plays 65-70 games a year over his career, which isn't iron man territory.

iow: i'm not sure we have luck "coming to us". nor do the clippers, btw, for the same reasons (as you stated).

anyway, this is all more reason to me to not sell the farm for next year. i would much rather round out the roster via a russ trade and roll the dice on lebron/AD without ensuring that we'll be completely bare for the latter half of the decade.

 

Maybe but that depth has never actually carried the load here though. Davis and James didn't miss games in 20. Anytime that either has, it didn't matter how much depth we had, we struggled to win games. Adding a high end scorer like Irving and a guy like Curry, who is a career 44% 3 point shooter? That can compensate for Lebron or AD missing some games. Every other trade proposal floated, has involved an injury risk. None of them addresses our thirst for shooting like those two. I'd rather pass on Harris with the ankle situation. That being said, he is 6'6 and a career 44% from 3 though. FWIW Kyrie has shot over 40% from 3 for the last 6 seasons . That's Golden State level shooting WITH Lebron and AD. The more I think about it...I'll take Harris and keep a draft pick.

 

missed out on my man gorgui again too.

 

It's not all that bleak as you are making it out to be. We are talking about draft picks 5 or 7 years out. We owe NO one more pick, pick swaps aren't lost draft picks. That's not being laid completely bare for the next decade at all. We will still have 2nd round picks, in addition to the first rounders we keep. We will still draw talent to LA to play with AD and Kyrie after Lebron leaves.

If I'm betting on AD to have better luck on the injury front, I can do the same with Irving. He sat out last season due to the vaccine mandate, we don't have that in LA. I don't see it as selling the farm either, you don't want Westbrook, but you somehow think Hayward isn't injury prone? I'd rather gamble on Harris, he's cheaper. I like Turner but he's injury prone too.Neither of those guys are on the same level talent wise, and both come at the cost of a draft pick. Adding the guys I mentioned makes this team a whole lot better, there is risk sure, same with the other ideas.

Irving has played in 74 playoff games, yes he missed regular season games in Clevland, Boston and Brooklyn but he showed up for the playoffs. I can live with that, live with it from Lebron and AD too. He was just as loopy in Cleveland as he was in Boston and Brooklyn. It didn't stop the Cavs from getting to the Finals. Perhaps he needs an Apha that he can respect like James. Not a buddy like KD? Well worth the risk involved IMO. It's not written in stone, that Rob is going to give up two unprotected picks either. He's in a better position than with AD, he should have learned something at this point.

 

What's the numbers?

 

Don’t worry Sky we’ll get Marcus Banks one of these days for you.

What?? Oh noooo!! Sorry dude we finally had him …. it’s Payton’s fault.

 

Make the damn trade, sign Boogie and maybe 1 more live body, and let's go!

 

let me clarify: high lotto picks have value. it's what we churned into AD. if your pick swap is unprotected, you're losing those for the value-less picks (anything outside lotto, and really even past 10). the success rate on picks after about 10 or so gets ridiculously bad.

you're assuming kyrie's and AD's health improve, which isn't a given. but yes, it would be better than nothing. however, we're talking about 2027-2029--neither will be good then, imo. with the trend of young stars not changing teams in FA, we won't have nabbed another for that period.

hayward most certainly is injury prone. but i'm not giving picks in a hayward deal. before the bridges thing, charlotte was offering late lottos to teams to take hayward. i never suggested giving up a pick in a charlotte deal.

made perfect sense to use unprotected picks to get AD. his prime was supposed to stretch across the entire period in which the picks would convey.

 

Should have taken a shot here.