2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

if they do expand, it'll be vegas and seattle

lebron's not rich enough to be a majority owner, but he'll be involved in a big way with the vegas franchise

 

The Dallas Mavericks failed to show up in Game 1 of the NBA Finals — and so did the viewers.
The NBA Finals has now opened below the 14 million mark in six-straight years, the longest streak since a seven-year stretch from 2003-09.

Thursday’s Mavericks-C Bags NBA Finals Game 1 averaged a 5.7 rating and 10.99 million viewers on ABC (11.04 million including 43,000 on ESPN Deportes), topping only the two COVID-era series of 2020 (Heat-Lakers: 4.1, 7.69M) and 2021 (Bucks-Suns: 4.5, 8.70M) as the least-watched Game 1 of the Finals since 2007.

Ratings and viewership declined 5% from last year’s Heat-Nuggets Game 1, which drew a 6.0 and 11.58 million on ABC and ESPN2. Compared to the previous Finals to involve the C Bags — 2022 against the Warriors — ratings fell 11% and viewership 8% from a 6.4 and 11.90 million.

 

yet the tv contracts get bigger. Ratings don’t seem to matter anymore. It’s an archaic tool too measure value.

 

The more I look at the free agents and players available via trade, I’m wondering if the Lakers would be better off trying to build a roster full of quality players. I don’t think gutting the team of all its future assets for anyone outside of Donovan Mitchell makes much sense, especially if Dan Hurley becomes the long term coach to build a program post LeBron.

What that would ultimately mean is keeping your draft assets and using them, hoping that a few of your picks hit and become very good players. This isn’t outside of the stretch of unrealistic considering our scouting department has proven to be great and Hurley is known as a developmental coach. It’s unfortunate we let Handy go because I do think he’s one of the best at what he does as well.

With salaries expected to explode over the next several years due to the new media deal, I actually see trying to lock in DLo for a 4 year deal at $20 mil/season could become a very good contract in 2 years. By then the non-taxpayer mid level will be close to $20 mil as well.

I would consider this a successful offseason for the lakers if they:
- Get lucky and Edey drops to 17 and the Lakers take him
- Re-sign LeBron to whatever he wants
- Re-sign DLo to 4 years/85 mil.
- use the MLE on a younger ascending player willing to sign for 4 years at that price. Players that come to mind would be Gary Trent Jr, Bruce Brown, Caleb Martin, and Derrick Jones. My personal preference would be for Caleb Martin because he’s 3 and D and he’s 28 years old. I can see him filling that role just fine for 4 years.
- Re-sign Christie to a 4 year deal
- Fill out the rest of the roster with what you can get for the vet minimum but prioritize center depth and another 3 point shooter. The options available in free agency is limited so I wouldn’t be opposed to Jaxson Hayes returning.
- Gordon Hayward may be able to be had for the minimum, and I think his skillset will fit well around this team.


AD/Edey/Hayes
Lebron/Wood
Rui/Vanderbilt/Hayward
Reaves/Martin/Christie
DLo/Vincent/JHS

Coached by Hurley, it could be a decent team that can make some noise in the playoffs. When LeBron retires, a lot of these players will be on very tradable contracts while we keep our picks. We could find ways down the road in a post-LeBron era to go big free agent fishing that can plug in and be surrounded by a lot of great role players and AD.

 

So you would go over the 2nd apron for this team?

 

No..No..No..to Chokeolo in any scenario. Gordon Hayward is about totaly washed. Did he even play in the playoffs? Scratch those two off the list of future roster ideas.

Edey Yes..Yes...grab him...keep him. Might need to move up to get him. Our new(potentially) HC, says he's absolutely worthy of being a lottery pick. Has zero doubt that he's going to be an impact player in the NBA.

And then look at reasonable trade options. Superstar hunting isn't the only way to get it done. However Donovan Mitchell is worth the chase.

 

The Lakers aren't far from being a title contender but they aren't exactly close either: AD/Lebron/AR is a really good starting point but things kind of fall apart in terms of 2 ways players after that. Rui not good enough on D and the glass to make up for him if he not a sniper. DLo one game every 3-4 games doesn't work in the playoffs. Wood and Vando got hurt. Basically the Lakers seemingly have the hardest part covered but for the playoffs nothing worked outside of those 3. The finish to the Denver series was depression Lebron and Reaves (AD before he got hurt) really were taking it to Denver but got nothing from anywhere else. They literally were winning each of their matchups and they still couldn't get it done. Ham wasn't a good coach IMO but I also think that the roster did him no favors.

If you don't make major changes you really are hoping Lebron can continue to become a sniper to make up for his athletic loss, Wood plays like he did with Detroit, and Vando takes a really big leap. Vando showed flashes but it's a lot to hope that a career 6 ppg on .29 3pt shooter to become more like a 12 ppg high 30's 3 pt shooter at age 24 to complete that finishing lineup.

Otherwise if you don't go the 3rd star route: I would try to deal with a team like the Wizards and steal a guy like Avidja who they may not want to pay and looks to be on a good trajectory along with Kuzma. Find players who aren't good enough to be 1 and 2s but great 3s and 4s and guys who just look good out there who haven't had as much time to shine. (Dante Div last year for example).

 

If DLO opts in I’d offer him and the 17th to Orlando for WCarter and the 46th.Orlando when then have the 17th and 18th pick and still 30m under the cap.The Lakers would have their big man and save 7m.

 

What are we doing at PG?

 

Vanderbilt doesn't shoot a lot of 3's though. He rarely even attempted any, (.1 and .2 attempts per game) prior to getting traded to Utah. At Utah and here, the attempts went up to slightly over 1 attempt per game and he's over 30%. I'm not ready to write him off on that just yet.

Brook Lopez spent his first 8 seasons in the League, at around .1 attempts per game. Then he jumped to 5 attempts and 34% at age 28 .

So Vanderbilt at 24, could absolutely improve in that area, he's only been getting rotation minutes, in his last 3 seasons in the League.

 

yeah, i still don't get why so many people want to dump vando (wanted to even before he got hurt). i actually think his injury highlighted how impactful he was for us after the trade last year. him just being healthy might add 5 wins to the total last year.

i'm not holding out hopes he becomes a shooter. i'm saying he was good and helpful while being a non-shooter.

i think lots of teams were sniffing around avidja last year, but washington held onto him.

but yes, the general idea: look for younger guys with meh production in bad situations that might shine elsewhere. avidja's a good example of a next pj washington candidate.

i'd love it, but why would orlando move its very reasonably priced and effective starting center? they don't have anyone behind him ready to step in there. and they can easily afford to just pay dlo in FA if he's their target.

 

True.They could also sign Jonas V at a reasonable price and draft two bigs and still have cap space for a Monk.It all depends on what direction teams want to move in

 

yeah, i thought about that, but it seems like a lot of unnecessary shuffling for them to downgrade to an older center (who might actually be slightly more expensive than carter, too).

i view carter like reaves: he's outplaying his contract by a fair amount. you can't just dump those guys. only way i'm trading a carter/reaves is for an incoming star/big obvious upgrade.

 

I get it.Im still offering though

 

yeah, and i suppose you never know what's going on behind the scenes in places (guys unhappy, don't like coach/teammates, etc.).

 

I agree I thought he looked good last year but it still is a hope with Vando. These playoffs have continued the trend where supporting cast who can't shoot just get exposed (even happened to freakin Aaron Gordon)

 

one round too late!

that guy buried us from deep twice in two years. b*******. i call b*******!

 

like moving back into your parents house after 6 months because living on your own didn't work out