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

the lotto picks will be ours that we own. we're going to be bad again in the near future (i mean, like worse than now).

 

and thats going to lead to AD still wanting to be here?

 

We will have a down time soon. We will have to rebuild using draft picks until me load up with enough talent that we can then start making trades. Personally, I would prefer that we build a team that has some vets and some youth and then rotate in accordingly. You have to have some solid young guys all the time, it is what keeps your roster affordable and balanced. Having all vets is problematic and does not really build great team chemistry, having all youth is even worse. We have done very well with our draft and all those young guys we traded are having solid careers. Anyone not think Kuzma or Ingram would be good to have around here as soon as Lebron retires, or sooner?

 

I dont like the Kuzma idea that has been floating around. He is just not a good enough three-point shooter.

 

neither are the players we would be trading

 

So we would just be allocating the non-shooting to a different position? I guess for the right price, he would be decent. Is he expiring like the players he would be traded for as well?

 

LOL what do you and the "he's injury prone" crowd care? Since you guys are, or were, all over trading him early for mythical unknown players and picks that will give us "as good" a shot at building around them for a championship, IF THEY ARE HEALTHY in any one season, same as IF AD IS HEALTHY in any one season. Except it won't be the same because we would not be getting back the same type of "rare" talent trading him early now while value is high. Oh ... but now you look at his talent that is still there, right, and now you are worried about not having him here? Hilarious. Next random injury from how he plays the game (that makes him a top 5 great 2 way player) and it will all start up again.

 

Kuzma would likely opt-out after the season. I wouldn't want to invest any money in him. Sure, he would be good value with the MLE, but he is going to want more than that. I like the Fournier/Reddish option better tbh.

 

He's a good passer too. Yes, he is putting up good stats. How good is he at guarding small forwards? But put the following into context as well:

1. He plays the same position as Lebron.
2. Those are empty stats. He is doing it on a bad team.
3. He is going to want a long term deal for a lot of money after this season (bad investment, in my opinion).
4. He is only a 33% three-point shooter this season, and 34% for his career.
5. His scoring and rebounding are not complimentary to Lebron and AD. We would be repeating the same mistake that we did with Russ. He is correct in his opinion that AD and Lebron were in his way.

Yes he is a big wing, and yes he would be more useful. I guess as a rental, he would be a decent pick up. But, I wouldn't want to invest any significant money in him beyond this season. We might want use our trade chips for something better. Now, if we get Kuzma in conjunction with Rozier and maybe one more shooter, while at the same time trading Westbrook and some of our dead weight, like Jones. Then, it would make sense. I rather have Kuzma than Oubre, for example.

 

What would it take to get Kuz? Bev has the exact same contract. Washington would surely no do a one for one deal. What would you propose?

 

Kuz isn't horrible from 3, 33%-34% but he is more effective from 2, shooting 55% and clearly favors the right side, if you can keep him relegated to the right corner, he's almost 48% from 3 in the right corner and shot very nicely from midrange from the right and center court. He's awful from the left except for penetrating to the rim. I think he probably takes his 13 mil option next year. His size, wings and D carry him a long ways and he is an effective scorer. I would much rather see him than Nunn or PatBev right now.

 

We don't need two-point shooters. Trying to find reasons how he could fit offensively is already a bad sign for us.

 

What do you think it would take to get him? We would have to at least send out a 2nd along with Bev.

 

I mean Kuz is better than Reddish in terms of being a proven commodity as a big wing defender, I will give him that. But the upside of adding a pure shooter like Fournier makes the Knicks option much better imo. Also, when you factor in the salary that Kuz is going to want, and any upside that Reddish gives you. Alos, Reddish is a Klutch client.

 

Three team-trade

Lakers get: Rozier/Kuzma/Plumlee

Hornets get: Westbook/Jones/2027 Lakers 1st

Wizards get: Oubre/Lakers 2023 2nd round pick/Lakers 2025 2nd round pick/ 2024 Wizards 2nd round pick

Not sure if Washington would do it though, but it solves some of our problems.

-Rozier helps solve some of the shooting problem and gives us a clear #3 option.

- Kuzma solves the big wing problem.

-Plumlee kind of solves the qualoty center depth problem? How is his defense? Anyway, he is only added for salary purposes.

Beverly/Nunn could then be traded for Fournier/Reddish

-Fournier helps solve the shooting problem even more.

-Reddish gives us a second big wing.

We now added two bonified snipers, and two big wings. It only costed us our unwanted players, one first round pick, and two second round picks. Not too bad.

PG: Rozier/Shroeder
SG: Fournier/Walker/Christie
SF: Kuzma/Reaves/Brown
PF: James/Reddish/JTA
C: Davis/Plumlee/Gabriel/Bryant