The Official Los Angeles Lakers Thread

[AngelsLakersFan]

37 minutes ago, m0nkey said:

Is Kuzma really that good of a player? Sure he can score (which itself is incosistent), but I don’t see any all star or all pro selections in his future

I would say people have been selling Kuzma short since day one. Ultimately this is about what team you have left to build around Lebron and AD after a trade. Perhaps BI and Ball are better bets than Kuz in the long run, but right now Ball and Ingram don't seem like they fit well on the floor with Lebron at the same time.

[Lou]

we need someone who can make 3-pointers. 

[m0nkey]

14 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

I would say people have been selling Kuzma short since day one. Ultimately this is about what team you have left to build around Lebron and AD after a trade. Perhaps BI and Ball are better bets than Kuz in the long run, but right now Ball and Ingram don't seem like they fit well on the floor with Lebron at the same time.

Oh he's a nice player to have, but if New Orleans says include him or no Anthony Davis, I don't even think it's worth thinking about.

[Angel Oracle]

35 minutes ago, Lou said:

we need someone who can make 3-pointers. 

And Kuz is the one player of the four mentioned in the trade thoughts, who can shoot the 3.  

[Lou]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

And Kuz is the one player of the four mentioned in the trade thoughts, who can shoot the 3.  

his 3-pt shooting percentage this year is 30.3

Lonzo's is 32.9

[Lou]

31 minutes ago, m0nkey said:

Oh he's a nice player to have, but if New Orleans says include him or no Anthony Davis, I don't even think it's worth thinking about.

yep. those players are good. Davis is a star. 

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

Kuzma isn't untouchable it's just that as has been discussed so far he's been the player who has looked most comfortable playing with Lebron.  This article is repeating what's already been reported: 

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/anthony-davis-trade-rumors-pelicans-gm-not-taking-calls-for-all-star-big-man/

"Any Lakers trade package presented to the Pelicans would include some combination of Ingram, Hart, Kuzma, Ball and Ivica Zubac, as well as a future first-round pick or picks"

I'm not sure how many of those players end up in that combination.  That said Kuzma has looked the best so far and he's also extremely cheap so from the Lakers perspective he's the one they should try to keep.  

[Lou]

I read that Memphis would insist on Ball. 

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

4 minutes ago, Lou said:

I read that Memphis would insist on Ball. 

Do you mean NO or as in Memphis as a 3rd team since Ball supposedly doesn't want to play in NO since they have an established PG?

[Lou]

1 hour ago, Catwhoshatinthehat said:

Do you mean NO or as in Memphis as a 3rd team since Ball supposedly doesn't want to play in NO since they have an established PG?

yes, NO. 

https://lonzowire.usatoday.com/2019/01/29/la-lakers-trade-rumors-nola-pelicans-really-like-lonzo-ball-anthony-davis/

as far as Lonzo's desire not to play in NO, he has no say in the matter. 

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

I agree and don't really care that he doesn't want to play there.  He really doesn't have any leverage unless he flat out refuses to play there and that wouldn't make him many fans in LA if he held up the deal or NO if he ends up there.  

[Angel Oracle]

26 minutes ago, Catwhoshatinthehat said:

I agree and don't really care that he doesn't want to play there.  He really doesn't have any leverage unless he flat out refuses to play there and that wouldn't make him many fans in LA if he held up the deal or NO if he ends up there.  

LaVar the Loudmouth has already alienated a lot of LA.

[Angel Oracle]

4 hours ago, Lou said:

his 3-pt shooting percentage this year is 30.3

Lonzo's is 32.9

Ironic enough, AD's 3 pt% (32.5%) is higher than Kuz', and almost = to Ball's.   AD averages 1 make/game.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Is that ironic?  I was thinking it more incidental.

 

English cop?  Alanis?

[Angel Oracle]

Irony in that most post players don't make that high of a % of 3s in the NBA, and irony in that the Lakers as a team pretty much do not shoot the 3 any better than AD does. 

[beatlesrule]

Well reports are that the Pelicans Lakers have communicated. That's good news but many reports are stating the Pelicans won't trade with the Lakers. I am not going to get my hopes up or be disappointed. Just going to take the news or no news as it comes.

The Mavs and Knicks made a big trade but I highly doubt it has anything to do with AD.

[Lou]

 why wouldn't they want to trade with us?

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

Going back over the last 24 hours I've seen articles saying the Pelicans GM wasn't taking calls on Davis, that they don't want to trade him to the Lakers (mentioned San Antonio not wanting to trade Leonard here), that if they don't trade him they'll sit him the rest of the season to preserve his value so he doesn't get hurt and now they're saying the NO/Lakers GM's have talked.  The last article said the Lakers are at the mercy of NO which I don't quite agree with.  Obviously AD can change his mind but if he won't sign an extension with any team but the Lakers the team acquiring him runs the risk of him leaving and that hurts his value via trade.  We've seen with PG that teams will take that risk and I don't blame them but it's a gamble because if it doesn't work out you've traded valuable assets for a rental. 

[beatlesrule]

1 hour ago, Lou said:

 why wouldn't they want to trade with us?

They feel like they can get a better deal elsewhere. They don't want to give into AD demands. They don't want to help the Lakers out. They don't want to trade AD to a western conference team. Plenty of other reasons.

[Angel Oracle]

Yet they would talk with Boston, who has one more NBA ring than the Lakers?

It has to be that they aren't impressed with what the Lakers are offering.   Maybe the Lakers don't want to trade Kuz, and thus it's only BI, Ball, Zubac, KCP (to even the salaries being swapped), and draft picks that they are offering?    

[Lou]

which team can offer a better package than the Lakers?

[beatlesrule]

That depends on which experts you listen to or articles you read.

[m0nkey]

I'd probably take the celtics package of Tatum, Brown, and a salary filler like Smart over the lakers'.  Lakers have the quantity of players with "upside" but I think Tatum's ceiling is the highest out of any guy the pelicans would get.

 

That said, we don't even know if that offer will be there in the summer.

[Angel Oracle]

Welcome back LBJ!   And of course, he helps lead the Lakers to a win over the Clippers.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Nice to see the team getting healthier, although now we need time to re-sync.  I'll take the win over the Clips even with blowing the big lead in the 4th.

Regarding AD, I would have ZERO issue if we didn't trade for him now.  We have plenty of money this summer and could sign anyone, including Durant, Leonard, Clay, Khiri, etc. (as long as they are willing to sign on the line that is dotted).  After signing that max free agent, we can then discuss trading for AD and make him fit.  We cannot do AD first, and then sign another max.  Can you imagine this?:

Lonzo/Rondo (for about $5 mil)/Bonga/

Leonard/Hart/Svi

LBJ/Ingram

Kuzma/Wagner

Zubac/McGee (for the room)/*Porter-rookie

We'd also be fortunate to finish 20-10 to close out the year, putting us in 7th place in the west if all teams continue their current paces.  That would give us the #19 pick in the first round.  We could select someone like C Jontay Porter, or PG Tre Jones/Coby White.  I'll throw Porter on the roster for arguments sake.  Then, you build an offer for AD for Lonzo/Ingram/Zubac and future 2020 1st or something like that.

Rondo/Bonga

Leonard/Hart/Svi (Hart gets minutes at PG too)

LBJ/Kuzma

A. Davis/Kuzma/Wagner

McGee/*Porter

Me likee.  Lots of players that can change positions with either squad.  And, of course we could move in different directions re free agents.  Point is, we have tons of options and don't need to panic.  If NO plays hardball, F them.