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

Latest from Stein

 

The chip roster was pretty much panned by all the " experts " too.

Injuries kill everyone, I can't think of one single Western Conference " elite" that wouldn't be reduced to a play in team if their two main guys played together in less than 30 games.

Look at Golden State two seasons ago. Look at the Clippers. All that money their owner is willing to spend, that deep roster, blah blah...no Kawhi and George...they sucked anyway. You really think that any of these other teams, are so balanced that they can survive their two best guys playing in 30 games? I don't..not at all.

If we are supposed to "reasonably expect" a similar situation this season, than frankly there isn't one single trade available, that will somehow save this season. Unless it involves trading one of them.

 

The Nets aren't going to win jack this season without KD and Kyrie. The East isn't that weak. The Bucks, C Bags,Heat, Philly, Bulls, Raptors, Hawks.. PFFT.

Man they are dreaming about being some kind of top team without those two guys. Adding Brown and Smart wouldn't make them any better than the teams I listed.

 

When does camp start?

 

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2o22he3g

Lakers may need some kind of incentive to consider sending the two first to Indiana. Such an incentive could be including THT in a trade and getting back an expiring player that is an upgrade over THT. Coby White could be this kind of player. The framework of the deal would be this:

Lakers get: Turner, Hield, White and Simonovic (with trade exception)

Pacers get: Westbrook, Wenyan, 2027 Lakers 1st and 2029 Lakers 1st

Bulls get: THT, 2024 Pacers 2nd and 2026 Pacers 2nd

Bulls might consider this because THT is hometown kid. Might fear loosing White and feel they have a better chance at THT picking up PO to play in front of his hometown fans. THT more upside than White. Lakers have previously been linked to White as well. Bulls also get the two 2nds for their trouble.

 

Turner, Hield and White aren't worth two first round picks either.

 

We upgrade pretty significantly with this deal (particularly in terms of shooting). We also at the same time add some flexibility for the 2023 offseason by swapping out THT (owed 11 million if he picks up player option) for White (expiring with bird rights).

Projected starting 5:

PF-Davis
SF-James
C-Turner
PG-White
SG-Hield

I could talk my self into that.

 

As odd as this may sound, if we are able to somehow rope the Bulls into being involved, I would rather see if we can get Caruso back instead of White lol.

White has higher upside and can score but Caruso is like the perfect role player who will just defend hard and make the right plays. There’s a reason his +/- was off the charts with Lebron.

 

I think there is a lot of value in having your core go through training camp together, especially with a new coach, especially when you’re talking about integrating a player as mercurial as Kyrie.

So long story short, yes. If the Nets are still not biting on our offers and continuing to play games by the time we’re about to approach training camp, I’d be content with the Hield/Turner package. I’d fight to protect the picks or somehow get something additional out of it like showtime24 mentioned. But I’m on board with the general framework of that Indiana trade.

IF I had confidence based on my private discussions with the Nets that they are earnestly trying to trade KD in good faith and would seriously entertain our package for Kyrie later into the season, and/or if I had intel that told me other packages more lucrative than Indiana’s that would only require one FRP may start to emerge soon, then my preference would be to tell Russ to go home and sign Schröder while we wait for things to play out.

BUT I don’t see the Lakers actually entertaining the idea of sending Russ home. So if the only other alternative is actually trying to make it work with Russ, then that’s when if push comes to shove, I’d overpay on an Indiana or Utah package.

 

We’ve heard from various reports that the front office is confident we can make deals outside of those that have currently been tossed out there. I’d start by focusing on those. I think going into camp with a complete roster is ideal. Give the team time to gel especially since we already have a new coach and multiple new players.

Things can change during the season but I’ve got multiple concerns with waiting. Everyone is going to say the right things now but if we open up in the same awful way we did last season then it’s going to get ugly really quickly. The west will be competitive again and if we suffer any setbacks we’re going to find ourselves struggling for a playoff spot again. I’d rather get off to the best start that we can and I don’t see how that’s possible without adding some shooting.

my other concern is that teams are going to continue to play hardball with us on the trade front. Now, if you guys are right and things break our way, maybe we are in a position of strength. If we’re heading into the trade deadline in the 4th / 5th slot in the west or higher then maybe we aren’t that desperate to make a deal and can fairly negotiate. But if we aren’t and we are struggling at the bottom again, I don’t know that the deals will be much better then than now (even though I concede that they probably should be).

is this a pessimistic point of view? Yes. But that’s where I’m at right now. Do I pull the trigger on the Indy deal? No. At least not a straight up deal. We’re working the phones so I’d try to put together a three team deal that brings us back more talent / rotational players.

 

Maybe Lakers could do Westbrook/THT/ 2027 1st/ 2029 1st for Turner/Hield/ White type deal and maybe consider doing Turner/Hield for Irving type deal in a couple (once things have been resolved with KD/Nets/Mitchell/ Utah, etc.) ?

 

I would have to see Russ actually fail, with a new coach, a healthy Lebron and AD, and a better roster first. I'm not sure why this is some huge problem. We make all these assumptions based off of what we had last season. I just don't want us to make a dumb move, out of some perceived "urgency" that hasn't even manifested.

Two firsts to Indiana? Hell no..that's unacceptable. I like Myles, really do, I've been stumping for him for a couple of years now. He is an outstanding shotblocker, the defensive aspect of pairing him with AD is definitely enticing.
However.... look...as much as folks complain about AD and his injury situations, Turner's track record in that aspect is even worse. Myles Turner is only exceptional in one area to boot..shotblocking.

Buddy Hield? Malik Monk shot better from the field and from three than Buddy Hield last season. I can't fathom why anyone thinks that he should warrant a first round draft pick.

 

If we could get Hield and Turner for a first and Westbrook that trade would have been done already. But they want two firsts and that’s a bad trade for us.

And if there were other trades out there that were decent, they’d be done too. But there aren’t.

By current accounts, we’ll probably see KD and Kyrie in camp and they’ll have an opportunity to patch things up. If that doesn’t work, we may have a shot at Kyrie. Otherwise people should prepare for a Russ training camp.

 

There’s no reason to make that call right now. If Indy was getting offers for more value than our package from other teams, Hield and/or Turner would’ve been traded by now.

If I’m the Lakers, I sit and wait. Keep tabs on the Indy situation. Wait for Durant and Mitchell. If something shakes out that’s better, you do that deal.

If worst comes to worst, you throw in the second 1st rounder (with some light protections) and you make the deal with Indy.

- Trade Westbrook, 2027 1st (unprotected), 2029 1st (Top 4 Protected) for Hield, Turner.

- Trade THT, Gabriel, x2 second rounders to Houston for Eric Gordon

PG: Gordon/Nunn/Pippen Jr
SG: Hield/Walker/Reaves/Christie
SF: LeBron/Brown Jr/Stanley
PF: AD/JTA/Swider
C: Turner/Bryant/Jones

Playoff rotation of the starters + Nunn, JTA, Bryant or Jones and either Brown Jr/Walker/Reaves/Stanley.

If LeBron and AD are healthy for 65 games with the majority of those 65 being played together, you have a real chance. And if you can maybe make a deadline deal involving Walker/Nunn/Reaves for a clear upgrade on the wing at the deadline, then you’re probably a favourite.

 

Three team deal if we want to make this happen.

 

saw the lakers leaking they want size and shooting and wondering if they're fully pivoting to indy and/or utah prospects right now.

my guess is that once lebron opted in, the 2 1sts are gone; it's just a matter of to whom and for what.

feel like they can't go back on the refusal of the two 1sts in the indy deal, so i'm wondering if there's still some wiggling that can happen on the margins (e.g., showtime's idea).

 

That McMenamin report of potentially waiting until the deadline to make a move really scared me into warming up to the Indiana deal.

Hopefully it scares Indiana into easing up on their demands and compromising a bit.

 

I've always liked the thought of bringing in something with Conley like you proposed.

I definitely agree that the picks are gone.