How The Lakers Become Golden State

Hey All just posted an article for my site. Wanted to hear what you guys think of potential moves the Lakers can make this off-season.


https://www.trademarkpod.com/single-post/2018/05/17/How-the-Lakers-Become-Golden-State



The Lakers are rebuilding, no surprises there, but they are closer than many might think to challenging the leagues best. The Lakers plucked Head Coach Luke Walton away from the Warriors assistant coach nest. LA has also shaped their front office to mirror Golden State by bringing in a player agent to GM their team. Lastly, both owners are cutting edge and hate losing.



Without question there is a strong connection to how both franchises run their business. On a macro level everything is verbatim. The Lakers are even building their foundation through the draft. Which Golden State capitalized on for years, and even still do.



Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green were all draft picks by the Warriors (and all stars) . The Lakers have matched by drafting, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Julius Randle. Rob Pelinka (Lakers GM) has also added two strong bench players in Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma. The problem so far is that Golden State is older and more experienced. Meaning, everyone knows how good the Warriors are. In fact they were so good they added the best scorer in the game, former MVP Kevin Durant.




That GIF is just scary to watch... a 7'1 scorer that needs 10 inches of separation to swish a 38 foot three pointer.



The Warriors are likely the best team of all time. ... Let that sink in... They have two MVP's on one team. The last team that was worth anything at all that had two MVP's was the Magic Johnson- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lakers. Who won a few NBA games. But Laker fans don't get too depressed just yet. The Warriors whether or not they win the whole thing this year are going to be the best for at least a few more years. It does not mean they are going to win every title, but they will be the best team.



Here is how the Lakers match Golden State... Initiate plan Light Speed Rebuild.



First off the Warriors won a championship without Durant. They have also won one with him. They essentially traded Harrison Barnes for Kevin Durant. There were other corresponding moves made for KD to sign with Golden State, but in large part the biggest swap was KD signing and Harrison Barnes leaving. So first comes the hardest pill to swallow.



The Exchange




Essentially we are trading Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart for Kahwi Leonard. The Lakers would include this years late first and a future protected first, for a future Spurs pick swap. Depending on if the Spurs say yes; this is how the Lakers quickly start their rebuild for next season.



Brandon Ingram is the Lakers best prospect BY FAR. But what if Ingram does not hit his projected ceiling? Does he become exactly what Harrison Barnes is now? Which in that case makes the Kahwi trade a much more palatable deal for a reasonable cost. Similar to how Golden State replaced Barnes.



Fresh Blood:



Lakers acquire: Lebron James, and Paul George via Free Agency



Now we stray from the Golden State Model for a bit



Both are over 20 point per game scorers. Can shoot the 3 with ease and have an idea how to defend. Lebron has taken plays off here and there this season. If he joined the new Lakers he would be able to play with a team on his level and not have to over exert energy he does not have. Then allowing him to lock up on D.



Roster fillers:



At this point the Lakers are out of money to give to other free agents besides players making the minimum amount of money, or their own players from last year. But players will want to take less money to play for a Championship level team. We have seen it for about 8 years now. Golden State has gotten so many players to take way less for their talent. All because the want some NBA Championship jewelry in their possession (and I blame 0%).



Brook Lopez has said publicly he would return if the team was a contender. He also said he would take less money to play for that team. a 7'1" big man that can shoot three would fit right in. He would be a great hometown discount type player



Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will likely test the open market this summer. He was a plus shooter from deep and contributed most games on defense. Still can get lost from time to time. After making 18 Million dollars last season I do not think he returns.



Isaiah Thomas has a soft spot from Lakers management. However...."See ya!" is what they will say when other big names come aboard.



Back Up Centers Nerlens Noel and Kyle O'quinn both get looks by the Lakers for potential mid-level exception type money*.



Minimum players like Yogi Ferrell and Mario Hezonia might come very cheap and highly playable.



The Decision:



Julius Randle



Will be answered next time.





SO FAR: Lakers 2018-19 Line Up:



C: Brook Lopez

PF: Lebron James

SF: Paul George

SG: Kahwi Leonard

PG: Lonzo Ball



6th man- Kyle Kuzma

Key Role players: Nerlen Noel, Yogi Ferrell, Bryn Forbes



That lineup would likely dominate for stretches and then become rotating and position-less. It would run freely with Lonzo pushing the ball. Lebron being able to pick his spots for detonation. Paul George can do what he loves which is play defense and shoot crazy 3's. Finally Kahwi Leonard could run his own team for about 25-27 minutes per game.Making Luke Walton's job tougher when he is sitting in a beach chair watching four hall of fame'rs run the league.





Until next time,

Tyler the NBA-hole









*the mid-level exception, is a predetermined amount of money decided on by the NBA. Using the mid-level exception would not count towards the limit of total dollars spent to construct a team. Most players who accept the deal are B-/C+ level players.

 

This statement below was not needed for that as your takes stand on their own merit whether another's least painful path to relevance again agrees with yours or not. Hard to argue against that roster if it could be pulled off. But to say this below just can't be substantiated any which way and most likely is not true.

"The Warriors are likely the best team of all time. ... Let that sink in... They have two MVP's on one team. The last team that was worth anything at all that had two MVP's was the Magic Johnson- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lakers. Who won a few NBA games."

 

Magic and Kareem definitely won more than just a few NBA games...

 

Well-written article.

Several comments

1) I assume Deng is included in the Kawhi trade. He has to be in order for the Lakers to be able to sign Lebron/PG. Just noting it since you didn't mention Deng at all.

2) As you noted, after signing PG/Lebron, the Lakers are capped out. Beyond minimum contracts, they'd have the Room Exception only. They have to renounce the MLE to free up the cap space. The room exception is what would be used to bring back Lopez. As such, the Lakers wouldn't have the MLE or MLE-type $ to bring in Noel or Quinn.

3) I think Ferrell (10.2ppg 2.5rpg 3.0apg) and certainly Hezonja, who came on well to end the season (11.4ppg 4.3rpg 2.0apg post AS break), will certainly do better than the minimum elsewhere. They are young kids and will look to get paid. Forbes will likely command more than the minimum as well. He played reasonably well this season and is a quality outside shooter. If the Lakers want to fill the bench with minimum contracts, it's not reasonably going to come from guys like these who are 25 and younger and flashed enough upside to attract other teams. It's going to be from aging veterans looking to Mitch Richmond their way to a title riding the coattails of Lebron/PG/Kawhi.

 

A very well written article. However, and I know it’s not sexy, but I believe for our Lakers to become Golden State we need to just allow our guys to get better. Patience is a virtue that is difficult to handle.

I think signing one max free agent (Paul George) and bringing back Randle and just letting the rest of the guys mature, grow, and get better is really Golden Statesque. That’s only my opinion though. Props to you for that.

 

The Warriors won the title in 2015. They drafted Curry in 2009, Klay in 2011 and Barnes and Dray in 2012. So patience was definitely involved but they also made the bold move to give up multiple picks to salary dump players to be able to get Iguodala in 2013. Trading for Bogut and signing Shaun Livingston/Barbosa were also pivotal moves. If the Lakers want to replicate this model, then trading BI/Hart for Kawhi is not the way to go. It's keeping the core intact and then adding a PG would very well be their Iguodala move, except better. Then just continue to add around it.

 

no chance sa takes on deng, just like indy wouldnt take on Mozgov in any scenario in the pg trade rumors

 

in fairness, pritchard likes to "win" deals in the media more than helping improve his team. not that they didn't obviously do better in hindsight, but he wasn't taking mozgov due to optics as much as logistics, imo.

 

still applies to deng imo, his inclusion devalues assets coming from la and 2ndly sa does not want la to get off lightly either just like pritchard n indy and most importantly, sa knows we have cap so we have no excuse really to give sa to include deng in there

 

You say use the mid-level for some backup centers and yet you have Brook Lopez penciled in with no method to pay him other than a vet's min.

Let me be clear, Deng in a deal to SA is more pipe than you'd find in the center-console of Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown's Bentley. Pop and R. C. Buford would rather rot in hell than take in Deng in that deal. They would much rather let him play out the year or deal him elsewhere. With Deng included we would have to stack the pot so high with positive assets that the media would concede everywhere that SA indisputably won the deal.

 

If you are comparing what the Lakers are trying to do and what the Warriors did do, then you have to compare it to their first championship they won in 2015. They did it with patience, trusting in the development of their drafted players and adding complimentary veterans to round out the team.

It's a little odd to suggest Lakers "become Golden State" with your first move being trading one of those young draft picks for Kawhi. That's not becoming Golden State at all.

 

You suggested LLLLLebron to the Lakers, so basically you are dead to me.

 

Lakers would need to get their own big 4, with at least 3 still in their prime. If the Lakers could make this happen, get the first task done by July 1, and that's PG. Once he is in, wait it out for Lebron. If Lebron comes a couple weeks later, THEN, you throw some assets to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard.

Brandon Ingram and fillers for Kawhi. If Kawhi says Im out at the end of the year no matter what, that may force SA hand. Brandon Ingram would be a nice upgrade for them. Some have suggested Kuzma. I think Kuzma with those 3 fits better for what they would run for the next 4 years.

Lopez
James
Leonard
George
Ball

Kuzma Super 6 man (Manu style)
Hart

That team right there would threaten the Warriors next year.

 

Hopefully after we get PG in a meeting room we can....

 

Still can't see the Spurs trading Leonard to us.

 

Leonard is likely to stay in San Antonio.