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2023-24 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by TIME, May 23, 2023.

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DeeZee - Rookie -

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DeeZee, May 30, 2023

#201

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Getting a big is a big priority this off season. Someone who can get the bulk of regular season mins and when AD misses time. Someone who is available, I really like Bamba but he's had a track record of being unavailable (even in Orlando).

And I wouldn't mind TT back as 3rd big, bench cheerleader.

alam1108, May 30, 2023

#202

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I have a hard time believing that this would come out from Miami during the Finals, and I have a hard time thinking he's a fit for "Heat Culture"

dude is kind of soft

sirronstuff, May 30, 2023

#203

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DeeZee said: ↑

Click to expand...

With what money

PurPle n GoLd 1, May 30, 2023

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Probably a Bamba trade

KareemtheGreat33, May 30, 2023

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sirronstuff said: ↑

I have a hard time believing that this would come out from Miami during the Finals, and I have a hard time thinking he's a fit for "Heat Culture"

dude is kind of soft
Click to expand...

He and Jimmy Buckets seem like polar opposites- personality speaking.

FrontOfJersey22, May 30, 2023

#206

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Weezy said: ↑

If we don’t plan to contend we could trade AD, to start a rebuild, but if we do he’s going nowhere. I’ve criticized him plenty, but we don’t get as far as we do without him, he pretty much got us past Memphis by himself with how he played defense, he shut them down. What we likely need to do is add more scoring around him, add a big that can score inside next to him possibly, to make up for him not being able to do literally everything on the court at the same time. Who that would be I have no idea, but when AD is healthy and locked in on defense he is so good he can get you far as we just saw, I’m not trading him unless it’s for someone better than him, which is maybe a handful of guys, or like I said if we plan to rebuild completely.
Click to expand...

I guess you also felt that trading away Thomas Bryant for Davon Reed sucked right? We need a versatile big to twin with AD. Losing Thomas Bryant (to Denver!) came to bite LA in the a** in the WCF. Getting rid of Westbrook and Beverley at the deadline was a win. Getting Rui, DLo, Beasley, Bamba, Vanderbilt was a win. But losing Bryant was a huge freaking loss. I was praying that by the time AD got healthy, Coach Ham could start the two bigs together. But that never happened.

Oliver Vargas, May 31, 2023

#207
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Oliver Vargas said: ↑

I guess you also felt that trading away Thomas Bryant for Davon Reed sucked right? We need a versatile big to twin with AD. Losing Thomas Bryant (to Denver!) came to bite LA in the a** in the WCF. Getting rid of Westbrook and Beverley at the deadline was a win. Getting Rui, DLo, Beasley, Bamba, Vanderbilt was a win. But losing Bryant was a huge freaking loss. I was praying that by the time AD got healthy, Coach Ham could start the two bigs together. But that never happened.
Click to expand...

Bryant is a perfect AD replacement when he's out but borderline unplayable when together. He would probably be unplayable in the playoffs too.
He also asked to leave and as we wanted to start a new cycle, it made sense to send him away, it's good to show other players we are mindful of their wishes. It wouldn't do any good to force him to stay.
It was actually good he went to Denver and didn't play. Maybe he learns a few things about the NBA and his actual value, and we might grab him again for the vet min as AD insurance

pika1708, May 31, 2023

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JSM - Lakers Legend -

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According to Shams, Bulls are talking extension with Vuc and both parties are interested in him sticking around... because as I've said repeatedly, they kinda have to based on what they gave up for him.

In Chicago, I'm told that the Bulls have opened up extension conversations with their starting center Nikola Vučević.

Sources tell me there is mutual interest in getting a deal done. Both sides have until June 30 to get an extension done. If there is no agreement by that point, Vučević would enter free agency and be one of the top centers available on the market.
Click to expand...

JSM, May 31, 2023

#209

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What's your offer?

Mo, Beas, Christie, 17th pick, 2029 pick, three swaps and as many second rounders as they want.

They'll demand AR and then still hang up because it's not enough and because we're the Lakers.

(I think there's a good he wears that jersey at some point but only as a FA or if he's ever in a position to bend them over the barrel and force his way here... that's not this off-season)

JSM, May 31, 2023

#210

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JSM said: ↑

What's your offer?

Mo, Beas, Christie, 17th pick, 2029 pick, three swaps and as many second rounders as they want.

They'll demand AR and then still hang up because it's not enough and because we're the Lakers.

(I think there's a good he wears that jersey at some point but only as a FA or if he's ever in a position to bend them over the barrel and force his way here... that's not this off-season)
Click to expand...

He has a player option 25-26…

Horford isn’t getting any younger and Timelord isn’t the replacement they think he is. Brown is gonna get paid soon and either they’ll lose depth or him.

alam1108, May 31, 2023

#211

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Buha on front court trade options... Turner

What potential feasible options would there be to get a solid 5 or traditional big man through free agency or trades? – @RichStapless

Realistically, what big man can the Lakers go after in free agency? – @shawnymoe2531

Let’s start with trades because those are always more fun.

The obvious candidate is Myles Turner, who the Lakers have been tied to for years. They could acquire the Pacers’ center by combining the salaries of Malik Beasley ($16.5 million) and Mo Bamba ($10.3 million), along with either their 2023 first-round pick (No. 17), a future first or multiple second-round picks. (More on the specifics of trading Beasley and Bamba below.)

Turner checks a lot of the boxes the Lakers need. He’s one of the few 3-and-D centers in the league, which would allow Los Angeles to remain big defensively, with Turner and Anthony Davis patrolling the paint, while also maintaining their spacing offensively (Turner shot 37.3 percent on four 3-point attempts per game last season). There are some within the Lakers that remain skeptical of the way a Turner-Davis frontcourt fits in the playoffs. I understand their skepticism, but I think Turner and Davis are skilled and versatile enough to make the partnership work. Turner took a leap last season and looks to be a legitimate “16-game player.”

Beyond Turner, there aren’t many, if any, difference-making centers available within the confines of what the Lakers could realistically offer (Beasley, Bamba and a first-round pick or multiple seconds).
Click to expand...

BUT before someone here runs with that, what's in it for Indy? Buha doesn't handle that angle and why it doesn't make sense for them. Because it doesn't.

Buha on free agent bigs

Now, let’s look at free agency. Some realistic names Los Angeles could sign with its non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.2 million) or taxpayer mid-level exception ($5 million):

Naz Reid
Dwight Powell
Xavier Tillman
Jock Landale
Andre Drummond
Bismack Biyombo
Reid, 23, is a hot commodity in NBA circles and would likely cost all or most of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which would trigger the hard cap ($169 million) for the Lakers.

Those aren’t the most appealing players, obviously, but each has shown they can eat innings in the regular season and at least provide spot minutes in the playoffs over the past couple of postseasons. Reid, Powell and Tillman would be clear upgrades over the trio of Bamba, Wenyen Gabriel and Tristan Thompson. Landale, Drummond and Biyombo are bigger bodies that the Lakers could use in certain matchups.
Click to expand...

Buha on Brook Lopez not happening

Who are the realistic options for the taxpayer midlevel exception? Is the bridge burned with Brook Lopez? – @batesjai_

Is Brook Lopez a realistic target? – @todii10

The bridge isn’t burned with Brook Lopez after his rough 2017-18 season in LA, but the fact of the matter is that the Lakers aren’t going to get him for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.2 million). Lopez has earned more than that. He’d be an ideal fit for the Lakers, but I just don’t see it happening unless he’s set on playing in Los Angeles at a discount.
Click to expand...

Buha on FA wings

Here are some realistic targets for the Lakers on the wing (I don’t see them signing a point guard with their MLE):

Bruce Brown (player option)
Torrey Craig
Donte DiVincenzo
Dillon Brooks (yes, I know)
Jae Crowder
Josh Okogie
Alec Burks (team option)
Max Strus
Josh Richardson
Damion Lee
Terrence Ross
Yuta Watanabe
Joe Ingles
Seth Curry.
Brown would almost certainly cost the Lakers’ entire non-taxpayer mid-level exception based on his play during the Nuggets’ Finals run. Several players on this list could certainly earn at least that much as well, since this free agent class is subpar.
Click to expand...

Buha on non traditional bigs who are FAs

In addition to the aforementioned bigs, some additional bigs that aren’t traditional 5s could include P.J. Washington (restricted), Grant Williams (restricted), Jeff Green and Georges Niang. Washington and Williams would likely cost all or most of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, triggering the hard cap. Each big could play the five in super-small lineups – Green fared reasonably well against the Lakers as a center in the Western Conference finals – and would provide the requisite floor-spacing around James and Davis that Los Angeles needs from its frontcourt players.
Click to expand...

Buha on the salary stuff involved in trading Beas and Mo this summer

Can the Lakers use the non-guaranteed contracts of Bamba and Beasley before the new league year to take on a contract (with the new team being able to waive those players)? – @scotty_mac26

Yes to the first part of the question — and no to the second part. (Technically, a player can always be waived, but not in a way that would save money, which is what you mean.)

If the Lakers exercise Beasley’s 16.5 million team option and guarantee Bamba’s 10.3 million contract, they can combine the salaries, along with their 2023 No. 17 draft pick (or other picks), for a draft night trade. The potential issue for a rival team would be that Beasley would be locked into his salary for next season and Bamba would have his contract guaranteed. (The Lakers could guarantee it for less than the full amount, but his outgoing salary would only count for the guaranteed portion).

Therefore, any team taking on the tandem would only be doing so because they either want Beasley and/or Bamba in their rotation, want to salary-dump a player on the Lakers, need the cap flexibility of having two contracts that expire after the 2023-24 season and/or want the draft equity that the Lakers are offering.

If the Lakers made a draft-night deal, it’ll likely feature one of these two players given the Lakers’ needs and their above-market-value contracts. Los Angeles could also trade back in the draft, though with their track record of drafting so well, I’m skeptical of them passing on a mid-first-round pick.
Click to expand...

Buha on how much we can spend this summer, how, and why.

If the Lakers operate as an over-the-cap team and re-sign Reaves and Rui, then their only free agent spending option is the taxpayer mid-level, correct? Who fits and fills their biggest need at that price? – @ganoble8

With Austin and Rui’s cap hold, how much cap space can the Lakers create will retaining them both? – @Kdubb213

The answer to the first question is nuanced. The Lakers could use their bi-annual or non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but it would hard-cap them at around $169 million – $7 million above the first luxury tax line.

With James, Davis, Max Christie, Vanderbilt and the No. 17 pick, they’re at $97.5 million. Add in Reaves (if he signs for his Arenas-provision Bird Rights maximum of four years, $50.8 million, his base salary for 2023-24 will be $11.3 million) and Hachimura (let’s say his 2023-24 salary is $16 million), and that puts the Lakers at nearly $125 million with just seven players. Now, add in the $12.2 million for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and they’re up to just over $137 million before factoring in any cap holds or empty roster charges. To use the full non-taxpayer MLE, they’d probably have to renounce the cap holds of Russell and Lonnie Walker IV.

To your point, the most realistic scenario is Los Angeles using the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is roughly $5 million and up to three years. In that case, I think the Lakers have three holes (in order of importance): starting point guard, rotation wing and backup center. The point guard spot will likely be solved by either re-signing Russell or sign-and-trading him (less likely). Therefore, for about $5 million, some of the top targets could include the aforementioned Craig, DiVincenzo, Crowder, Lee, Tillman and Landale. (Craig possibly priced himself out of this range with his two-way play for Phoenix.)

To the second question, if the Lakers were to sign Hachimura to the aforementioned deal ($16 million annually), keep Reaves on his cap hold ($2.2 million) until signing him last, renounce the rights to Russell and Walker, waive Vanderbilt and Bamba, decline Beasley’s player option and trade away Christie and the No. 17 pick, they could create about $15-20 million in cap space when factoring in their eight empty roster charges (cap holds worth about $7.5 million total). That doesn’t get them much, particularly considering the cost of losing so much depth (Vanderbilt, Russell, etc.).
Click to expand...

Last edited: May 31, 2023

JSM, May 31, 2023

#212

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Lakers Nation did a good breakdown today of our cap situation and how much money/which exceptions we can use if we operate under or over the cap. Main takeaway was that the easiest and probably the best option is to operate over the cap, bring back AR/Rui/DLo and let one of Beasley or Bamba walk (they assumed we decline Beasley's option and Bamba stays). We'd have the taxpayer MLE to offer Dennis and could re-sign Lonnie with early bird rights and still be under the $179 million super tax threshold.

The cap space route just doesn't seem practical, so the questions seems to be whether we want to use the full $12 million MLE to bring in a significant piece and likely lose Dennis and Lonnie, or use the $5 million taxpayer MLE and then maybe (likely) bring back Lonnie. Really depends on who is available for the full MLE, so it will be interesting to see that play out.

sk2408, May 31, 2023

#213

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pika1708 said: ↑

Bryant is a perfect AD replacement when he's out but borderline unplayable when together. He would probably be unplayable in the playoffs too.
He also asked to leave and as we wanted to start a new cycle, it made sense to send him away, it's good to show other players we are mindful of their wishes. It wouldn't do any good to force him to stay.
It was actually good he went to Denver and didn't play. Maybe he learns a few things about the NBA and his actual value, and we might grab him again for the vet min as AD insurance
Click to expand...

Thomas was decent sometimes offensively, but may be an even worse defender than Travis Knight was. We need a big who can actually play decent defense- we have plenty of options on this team who can score.

FrontOfJersey22, May 31, 2023

#214

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JSM said: ↑

What's your offer?

Mo, Beas, Christie, 17th pick, 2029 pick, three swaps and as many second rounders as they want.

They'll demand AR and then still hang up because it's not enough and because we're the Lakers.

(I think there's a good he wears that jersey at some point but only as a FA or if he's ever in a position to bend them over the barrel and force his way here... that's not this off-season)
Click to expand...

They would ask for AR, Rui, Christie , Beas, Mo, and at least Four Firsts. A trade with them won’t ever happen.

FrontOfJersey22, May 31, 2023

#215

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sk2408 said: ↑

Lakers Nation did a good breakdown today of our cap situation and how much money/which exceptions we can use if we operate under or over the cap.
Click to expand...

Very helpful covering all the new financial paths because this thing gets complex quick.

sk2408 said: ↑

Main takeaway was that the easiest and probably the best option is to operate over the cap, bring back AR/Rui/DLo and let one of Beasley or Bamba walk (they assumed we decline Beasley's option and Bamba stays). We'd have the taxpayer MLE to offer Dennis and could re-sign Lonnie with early bird rights and still be under the $179 million super tax threshold.

The cap space route just doesn't seem practical, so the questions seems to be whether we want to use the full $12 million MLE to bring in a significant piece and likely lose Dennis and Lonnie, or use the $5 million taxpayer MLE and then maybe (likely) bring back Lonnie. Really depends on who is available for the full MLE, so it will be interesting to see that play out.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't see the cap space route happening at all. Their favorable simulation had us at $14m in spending money. I think it would be lower because they only had Rui at $15m, I'm pretty sure he gets more. That + the $7.6m room exception isn't enough to fill out the roster. The extra few dollars in FA spending really won't get you anyone you can't get for the full MLE.

I think we're still thin with DLO + some combo of the MLE + the BAE because we can't use all of each of those exceptions without hitting the hard cap.

Here's the iteration they said seemed most likely, just talking through the numbers

Notes and caveats: TPMLE on Dennis. Rui, DLO, and AR's numbers might look different than that. Also that Mo + 17 could be a trade option.

That leaves you with three spots to fill with vet mins and one will likely be your second round draft pick.

Last edited: May 31, 2023

JSM, May 31, 2023

#216

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DeeZee, May 31, 2023

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Oliver Vargas said: ↑

I guess you also felt that trading away Thomas Bryant for Davon Reed sucked right? We need a versatile big to twin with AD. Losing Thomas Bryant (to Denver!) came to bite LA in the a** in the WCF. Getting rid of Westbrook and Beverley at the deadline was a win. Getting Rui, DLo, Beasley, Bamba, Vanderbilt was a win. But losing Bryant was a huge freaking loss. I was praying that by the time AD got healthy, Coach Ham could start the two bigs together. But that never happened.
Click to expand...

I disagree trading Bryant was a loss, he could score, but he was a traffic cone on defense. Watching him play was maddening at times for me. He’s not even getting time with Denver and they don’t have many bigs, he’s behind DeAndre on the depth chart and that says it all. I liked the guy, but he’s a layup line. Bamba wasn’t much better, but he was better, he was just injured.

Weezy, May 31, 2023

#218

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https://lakersdaily.com/report-bobb...joining-lakers-to-reunite-with-davin-ham/amp/

PurpleAndGold88, May 31, 2023

#219

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PurpleAndGold88 said: ↑

https://lakersdaily.com/report-bobb...joining-lakers-to-reunite-with-davin-ham/amp/
Click to expand...

They've been pulling sources out of their a** this week. Click bait.

Yesterday with Naz Reid. Now today with Portis.

There's no realistic means to get either one of them.

JSM, May 31, 2023

#220

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