LABron James Discussion: Triple Triple Doubles

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by therealdeal, Jun 8, 2017.

  1. gcclaker

    gcclaker Moderator Staff Member

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    This is really my FIRST order of preference. Last night against the Warriors showed me that George can be a one man wrecking crew.
     
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  2. LTLakerFan

    LTLakerFan - Lakers Legend -

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    [​IMG]
     
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  3. vasashi17

    vasashi17 LB's Resident Capologist

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    Some of y'all just don't see it. LaBron is essentially in a contact year and balled out to begin the year even making him a MVP candidate (Cavs scored 9 points in the 4th last night in Orlando, but early this year Bron was averaging 9 pts in the 4th).

    He's clearly dogging it and protecting his future (ie looks at Boogie and the recent injury bug that's hit). He is thinking if Gilbert can't bring me help and is now interested in trading for the Nets pick, then why should I bust my a** and risk my bag for this dude? There was hope that IT would come back and make the Cavs legit, but when he didn't, rumors came out how LeBron was against the Kyrie trade. I honestly believe he wanted to give this a chance and when he saw IT didn't quite have the juice, he knew this season was probably a wrap.

    Now look at George. He pretty much confirmed that he wanted to come to LA and Indy could make moves accordingly. When he wanted to do so, was LA a world beater of a team? Did we have stars on the roster for George to team up with? Yet George wanted to come here cause it was home.

    Now he's had a taste of the "brotherhood" in OKC. So what would entice him to come home now? A "brotherhood" right here in LA. Enter LaBron.

    You have to bring both those guys in together. None of them are coming in by themselves (ie 2max cap space).
     
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  4. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    Right @gcclaker

    Here's where we would be:

    Clarkson: 12.5 million
    Randle Cap Hold: 12.5 million
    Lonzo: 7.5
    Deng Stretch: 7.4
    Ingram: 5.8
    Nance: 2.3
    Kuzma: 1.7
    Hart: 1.7
    Zubac: 1.5
    Bryant: 1.4
    Cap Holds: 1.7
    Total: 45 million
    *assuming we waive our Bird Rights to Lopez, Pope, Ennis, and Brewer.

    We need to get to about 66 million in order to add two max contracts. In order to get there we can let Randle go in RFA/waive our Bird Rights to him. That gets us to 57-ish million. We can then move Clarkson for no more than 3 million in returning money in order to get to two max deals. That would mean fielding a team of at least: Ball/George/Ingram/James/____ with Hart, Kuzma, and Nance off the bench. We could use the room exception to fill in at Center and fill in the rest with veteran minimums.

    Obviously trading Deng for no salary back would be the best move. If you could do what @abeer3 says Houston can do by just throwing future 1sts at that deal until someone takes it, then maybe you attach 2 1sts and 2 2nds to Deng and you shed all his salary. IF you can do that, you can actually keep one of Clarkson or Randle. You'd only have 37.4 million on the books. You could then waive Bryant or Zubac and maybe trade Nance and you're there with 2 max slots and you kept let's say Randle. You field a team of Ball/George/Ingram/James/____ with Randle, Hart, and Kuzma off the bench (or maybe Randle small-ball five).

    As for this whole "George first priority" thing, I'm not sure it matters. George is unlikely to jump ship without LeBron and vice versa. If you get one, your chances at the other increase dramatically. Just get one.

    I'd be fine getting just one or the other, but I don't think it's likely.
     
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  5. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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    since i heard my name. the roadmap for lebron to la is similar to lebron to houston, imo. you hope to get both to commit, then create a bidding war for deng/ingram.

    to do this, you'd have to prove that you've set up a trade to move clarkson (i think this is pretty easy) and that you can simply decline randle's bird rights, stretch deng and sign george and lebron outright.

    then both okc and cleveland are potentially facing getting nothing. who wants ingram? you're taking deng, and maybe even giving me something else of value.

    i put the odds here EXTREMELY low. but step 1 is getting the commitment, really. this is why i'm bullish on lebron to houston. i think they can get that commitment while using our cap space as leverage (ironically). so lebron tells gilbert "trade me to houston, or i walk to la".

    in the scenario above, the lakers say: we can sign both guys, but we'd rather be able to keep randle and clarkson and i'm sure you'd rather have ingram than nobody. the pricetag is deng. let's work together on this.
     
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  6. Savory Griddles

    Savory Griddles Moderator Staff Member

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    And oddly enough, I think the chances are better we get just Lebron than just PG13 due to the Cleveland dumpster fire and PG having a superstar where he is already.
     
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  7. LTLakerFan

    LTLakerFan - Lakers Legend -

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    Just stop with the Some of y'all just don't see it. What we see is that LBJ has become a ring chasing primadona who caused that whole problem in the first place with Kyrie and Gilbert wisely not going further into debt to get LBJ help for last half of the season when he is clearly leaving. So it didn't work out and now he's torpedoing the season because IT isn't as good as he thought he would be, along with his other buddies he forced them to sign. This is the dude you want here on the Lakers. How do you know PG can even stand the guy. If he wants to be Tonto maybe he would rather do that with RW in OKC, who at least leaves it on the floor every night like Kobe did. Not this finger pointing and glaring at teammates who don't cover LBJ's declining a** on the floor. I get it. The RING is the only thing for many. I don't get the selling of your soul to a guy who is going to bring all of that same s*** here, with NO guarantees of a ring that first couple of years, when he will again have an out.

    What is wrong with going first to PG at 12:01 after we've (health willing) closed out our season in strong next step fashion and telling him HE is priority number 1 to sign. And then asking HIM who HE wants to play with? Maybe he can't stand LeBron either. But put it to him first.

    This stuff LBJ has caused in Cleveland this year is our future. It's what he does now.
     
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  8. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    I agree with everything, but I think you're underestimating the pettiness of the LeBron/Gilbert relationship. I know Gilbert has done it before, but that doesn't mean he'll do it again and I think he'd rather force LeBron to the Lakers than help him actually field a competitive team (in the short-term) against the Warriors. Because even with LeBron/George I don't expect the Lakers to win within the first year or two out here.

    We all agree though that LeBron needs the Lakers as leverage and if that's the truth, the Lakers are also in a position of sneaky strength. We have the ability to get to two max deals and create a legitimate threat. It's up to us to sell George/youth/depth is more valuable than Harden/Paul. Tough sell, but not impossible.
     
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  9. vasashi17

    vasashi17 LB's Resident Capologist

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    LT, I stopped reading when you put Gilbert and wise in the same sentence. Your hate for LaBron is so strong that you're complimenting Gilbert...the hate is clearly blinding you.

    George has more of a chance of coming to LA now with a star or LaBron on the team. As much as I want Jules to stick, if you give him a contract that takes up a majority of a 2nd max spot, imho George ain't coming.
     
  10. LTLakerFan

    LTLakerFan - Lakers Legend -

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    So .... if you're Kyrie you're sticking around to be there in the rubble when James leaves? And if you're Gilbert (look I hate the guy too) you're going to try to do something that will leave you still stuck with a large tax bill, before the deadline, to appease James who you KNOW is not coming back? No of course not.

    Every time I try to meet you guys half way (see my sig) on LeBron he ups the ante in what a complete deuche he is. Like what he's doing right NOW.

    WTF is wrong with prioritizing PG, how all of this started in the first place, and asking him if we need to blow out guys he may want to play with who have their primes ahead of them, or bringing James in instead and moving those guys? If he says James at that point then fine. Stop assuming these guys are best buddies. If PG truly does want to be The Man then he's not going to want to be Tonto to LBJ here like he is to RW in OKC.
     
  11. vasashi17

    vasashi17 LB's Resident Capologist

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    I prioritize PG too bro, but I believe the best chance at getting him is via LaBron or a trade for a star. A star (potential "brodiehood") needs to be here with PG. He was game for choosing us when he was in Indy, cause Indy wasn't a legit title threat and there were no clear cut stars to help him there.

    He's got a taste of it in OKC, so the only way to entice him to come back home is to pair him with a star so that they can become instant contenders.
     
  12. alam1108

    alam1108 - Lakers Legend -

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    You go to PG first, you ask him what it'll take to get him here then you go get that. If it's Lebron you go to Lebron saying, PG coming if you are. Boom.
     
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  13. lakerjones

    lakerjones Moderator Staff Member

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    I'm with Vash and realdeal here. As much as PG is MY first priority/preference, I think our first call at 12:01 am is Lebron. It has to be. He is the number one FA on the market. Sorry, he's still a better player and bigger name than PG. He's it. He's the first domino to fall. If you get him you have a legit chance at getting PG.

    Borrowing from therealdeal, the situation is fluid and right now it's looking more and more like Lebron is the guy who is more likely to come here than PG. He's priority number one at least currently with PG getting cozier in OKC and looking less likely to come on his own.

    I think the Randle thing needs to be addressed in the summer. I don't move him now at all. Maybe not even for a Deng dump. But Clarkson is a different story. I might move him for a first now instead of waiting even though he's been great for us this season.
     
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  14. LTLakerFan

    LTLakerFan - Lakers Legend -

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    And I would say that you are assuming PG wants to be second fiddle to the egomaniac that LeBron is rather than the lesser of the same numero uno personality but without all the other baggage of LBJ .... that RW his new brother is. Call him first and ASK. The FA ball is started rolling toward L.A. with possibly better fiscal choices to be made following PG coming here. But ask him. The s*** show in Cleveland becomes our s*** show in Los Angeles at some point guaranteed.
     
  15. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    LT you say a lot about Vash and myself and a LJ making assumptions, but what is this? You have no idea how LeBron is going to act out here.

    You just don't want LeBron here. This whole "George first priority" thing is a silly argument. Who cares who we call first? It's unlikely either is committing without the other. Seniority goes to LeBron. We've got easier connections to George and his agent than LeBron, we'll know how both feels before the process is started. All it will be about when the time comes is making sure they dot the is and cross the ts.
     
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  16. vasashi17

    vasashi17 LB's Resident Capologist

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    The s*** show in Cleveland is happening cause there is no relationship with LaBron and Gilbert (the de facto GM that dealt Kyrie for the Nets pick).

    LaBron stuck it to Gilbert by leveraging his pocketbook in signing lucrative deals for Klutch players. In his mind, that makes them even with that whole comic sans rant with LeByebye 1.0.

    Gilbert is a joke and LaBron has no motive to do that Jeanie and Magic. Griff has said LeBron did not pull out his GM hat while he was there. So he's not going to be dictating those terms with Rob.

    I have no doubt that this was LeBron/Rich Paul/Klutch just getting back at Gilbert. And frankly, I dig it!
     
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  17. LTLakerFan

    LTLakerFan - Lakers Legend -

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    Just looking at what the story always is with not enough help when he was a better player if not winning, never his fault, and how he has torpedoed that team from the start of the season since everyone knows he's going ring chasing elsewhere where the grass looks greener following the season. Kyrie gone. The guys he wanted to get paid now are not worth it any more and they're stuck with them.
     
  18. Khmrp

    Khmrp - Lakers Legend -

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    Lebron should sell Gilbert on taking back Deng in a trade, "NO DENG, NO DEAL"....I'll throw Clev a bone and give em a future 1st for that.
     
  19. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    I completely understand the situation in Cleveland, but I'll pose a rebuttal: what they did was right, what they did worked, and what they're living with now is something we'll never have to live with.

    When LeBron showed up, they made the moves to compete right now. After bringing the first ever championship to Cleveland, the contributors were rewarded and now they're going through a rebuild. LeBron has given up. I don't defend that. I hate it. But everything they're going through now is worth it because they won a championship. The pain we went through immediately following the 2010 season was worth it because we went to 3 Finals in a row and won twice. After 2012 when we got f***ed over is all a different story, but every major champion has to rebuild eventually.

    And with LeBron coming here, there's almost no chance he would leave us in that situation. For one thing, at his age this will probably be his last contract. He literally will not be able to dump a franchise and run. For another thing, we've got a team full of competent players right now, why trade them? The only reason you make major moves is to improve. We've got players that are capable of contributing already. I'd argue we're a better team than the Cavs team LeBron jumped to. So why would we blow up the roster?

    So what's the real negative here? That a world class champion will create an environment forcing our youngsters to hold themselves to a higher standard? Why would I care about that? We're going to compete at an elite level or LeBron will be pissed off. That's a good thing. LeBron is declining rapidly? He's averaging 26/8/8/1.5/1 with his highest TS% since 2014. That's declining rapidly?? Give me some of that. We have the youth and defenders to make up for LeBron's issues on that end. He'll be an opportunistic defender like Kobe was in his old age.

    I understand hating the guy, but this idea that he's declining and he sucks and we're going to pay too much for a s***y player is just a fallacy. It's not a valid argument. LeBron will be very valuable to the franchise in all kinds of ways. Now if you hate him because of his personality, that's different. I get that. But all this production stuff is just hate.

    And if anyone wants to just be a hater, that's fine. I respect that. I'm still going to take LeBron 10/10 times and roll the red carpet out for him.
     
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  20. Savory Griddles

    Savory Griddles Moderator Staff Member

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    Deng and a 2020 first rounder for Lebron Freaking James. :rofl:
     

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