Roy Hibbert Discussion 2015-16: No Buyout

Besides Shaq in 1996, I don't remember any big time FA signing with us in recent history. For the most part our teams have been built through trades and the draft. Less so the latter, but that's changing as of the last two or so years.

 

We're not supposedly re-building. We're almost potentially half way done.

Not true. Not entirely true anyways. You must have missed my post. So I'll provide it to you below. By the way, most of the occurrences that got us here were actually out of our control (injuries, players leaving, not getting FA, vetoed trades).

April 2013: Kobe torn Achilles. Life sucked, we possibly saw the last of GOAT Kobe. We thought we'd keep Dwight and try to build a team around him. Contending wasn't out of the question but it wasn't a guarantee.

July 2013: Dwight walks. Sigh of relief because keeping him, a questionable Kobe, and Pau would have put us somewhere between 5-8 in the west at best. Dwight may have compromised our future.

October 2013: At this point we're pushing for healthy Kobe, productive Pau and a shot at the 8th seed. Kobe plays 6 games and sits out the season. Oh we offer Kobe 2yr/$50M.

Jan-April 2014: We struggle. Somehow in a season where we were supposed to at least be an 8th or 9th seed, we end up with a f****ing lottery pick. That wasn't part of the plan. In comes Julius Randle, projected #1 pick at one point. We get a late 2nd rounder in Clarkson.

July 2014: Strike out on Carmelo, Pau walks, hire Byron, cool. At this point we straight up suck. But it wasn't because we planned it.....s*** just kept hitting the fan. Upcoming season not looking pretty but a lot of us penciled 35-40 wins at BEST....again not playoff bound, but not lottery bound.

Jan 2015: AFter our prized rookie has a season ending injury 14 min into his career, Kobe injures his shoulder. Out for the season. We're not winning s****. Lottery here we come. Oh btw - Clarkson goes on an absolute tear to end the season, ends up on the all-rookie first team, and suddenly we might have some young pieces.

May 2015: For f***s sake we just got handed the #2 draft pick, and WE ALMOST HAD NO CHANCE OF RETAINING THAT S***.

June 2015: Draft D'Angelo Russell. Potential game changer.

Moral of my damn story:

We had a ton of bad luck but somehow without even TRYING, we secured 3 solid young pieces while still retaining Kobe Bryant and not intentionally tanking. We almost had no pick this year. The Julius pick fell into our laps. This wasn't planned.

Sometimes it takes teams years of intentional tanking (Philly) to even rack up the assets we have. Sure we suck right now but we're close to pulling off a rebuild while still having one of the greatest players of all time and we didn't even plan this.

So there's your silver lining. We knew a rebuild was coming....it may have just happened much quicker and easier than it should have.

See above. Have a beer.

 

If it's the same Vash as cl, I remember him
hating jimmy for everything bad and usually being a cup half empty type of guy.

Regardless glad the gang is back together

 

I believe they worked on the percentage. The incremental amount is 0.5% of Hibbert's salary

 

Although not technically a max contract, the most notable FA signing I think we were so lucky to obtain was Ron Artest. He was in his prime and ready to go for us and could have easily made double elsewhere, but we were able to pull him in. Even if Kobe may have brushed shoulders with him, Ron still wanted to play with him.

So I would definitely put a lot more weight on the teams current level of competitiveness (whether it's rebuilding, playoff, championship contending, decline) vs the actual presentation the FO is coming at with these FA's. Not saying that our FO could be doing a better job, but again, we're spoiled. The success we've had with Kobe for the sustained period is only matched by San Antonio, and both teams have the hardware to prove it compared to other teams. San Antonio never really needed to sign big names either, they stuck with their core and built through the draft and they are the best in the business.

Pre-2011 CBA, it was a Lakers league and we could have kept competitive through sign and trades and those types of deals, but it was put to an end. Now, we're doing the new CBA way and building through the draft because that's what we have to do. That's what Golden State did. That's what OKC did. We just have to get used to it.

 

I mean, that's got to say something right?

Whether he really wants to be a Laker or that he really cares about being able to put together a team by forgoing that bonus, that was very generous of him.

I think he will work out very well for us and in turn, he will probably one of the players we max out next year.

 

I'm not expecting it, but he has the capacity to. That playoff run he had with the Pacers where he just fell off, he looked like the best center in the league up until then.

But if he can find that motivation again, start working with Cap, bring a little swagger to the floor, I could see it happening.

 

Preach it Chilli! Damn I most certainly need multiples of (bow down guy) here for that post. Someone else said, ryanwestlombardi, I think, (hope not misremembering proper name) that the "Big Name FA" or player going forward for the Lakers is likely already on the roster. F*** yeah, we got three of them. Randle, Clarkson and Russell.

 

If he can average 12pts 8reb 2blks we will be in good shape. I think he can do that with all the great passing on this team.

 

I wouldn't call those players game changing though. Malone and Payton are HOF players, but they were on the last leg of their career when they signed with us. At that point they were more like above average role players. The same with Artest and Fox.

 

What it says to me is he looks at this as an opportunity to join 1 of the worst defenses in the league and make a huge difference in that department on a large stage where the entire world will be watching. If that doesn't earn him a max contract next summer, nothing will.

 

When artest came here he wanted to win a ring and with his help we were able to do it.

I wish more guys were like artest