The Official Los Angeles Lakers Thread

[Jeremiah]

53 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Lakers move up in the lottery from #11 to #4.

Who needs to be packaged by the Lakers, along with the #4 overall pick, to get AD?   

Or do they hold on to that pick and draft a center, and then try to sign Butler or Irving?    And hope Ball can blossom this season, AND STAY HEALTHY? 

After the first three picks, this draft seems like it’s pretty meh. Might be a good year to deal the pick and use the max cap space. That said, Butler has shown in CHi, MN and PHI to be a pretty difficult clubhouse guy who has no qualms about publicly airing his dirty laundry. Same with Kyrie, plus Irving can’t handle being held accountable after shitty play. They need shooters, but both of those guys seem the wrong type to have around Kuzma, Ball, and Ingram, assuming they stay.

[Angel Oracle]

Good point about the disruption part of having Butler or Irving.   

I forgot Klay Thompson of course.  

He would be a perfect FA signing in joining his dad with the Lakers and adding much needed tremendous 3 point skills, although I wonder if the Clippers will also recruit him hard.

What NBA centers are out there who are worth the #4 overall pick?   The perimeter is already loaded, and Thompson's 3 pt shooting would be a perfect addition to it. 

[Jeremiah]

In the draft, the best C’s are probably Bol Bol (who is injured), and Jackson Hayes, who would be good for Vogel since he’s a solid defender. Both are projected outside the top five. In the NBA, other than Davis, I can’t think of a great big man who is available.

Would love to get Klay.

 

[Lou]

I highly doubt Klay is going to leave GS

[Jeremiah]

10 minutes ago, Lou said:

I highly doubt Klay is going to leave GS

I doubt it as well. So does much of the NBA media. Would be a nice get, though.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Lots of ways to go with that #4 pick.  If it were me....

1.  Keep the pick and select Vandy PG Darius Garland.  Kid can shoot and distribute, although admittedly a small sample size.  

2.  Use the #4 to trade down, acquiring more assets.  One path would be to entice the Hawks to move to #4 and give up #8/#10.  If we could come away with two players from a group of Coby White, Brandon Clarke, Jaxson Hayes, Kevin Porter Jr., Goga Bitadze, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and a few others, could be interesting.

3.  Would anyone trade Lonzo to Phoenix for #6?  If you could tell me that we could come out of this draft with Garland at #6 combined with Kevin Porter Jr. and Goga Bitadze with picks from Atlanta in #2 scenario (even trading those picks down to early teens to collect future assets) I'd be ecstatic.

[Tank]

5 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Lakers move up in the lottery from #11 to #4.

Who needs to be packaged by the Lakers, along with the #4 overall pick, to get AD?   

Or do they hold on to that pick and draft a center, and then try to sign Butler or Irving?    And hope Ball can blossom this season, AND STAY HEALTHY? 

NO drafts Zion. Put him together with AD and you've got a potentially formidable front court. Maybe that's enough to keep AD in Louisiana. If I were NO, I'd ask for the moon for him if he still wants to go, but I'd be drooling at the prospects of him and Zion for the next 5+ years and try like mad to sign him.

[Tank]

36 minutes ago, HaloJustinBieber said:

3.  Would anyone trade Lonzo to Phoenix for #6? 

i'd trade lonzo for the nba equivalent of a pine tar rag and a box of sunflower seeds.

[Angel Oracle]

2 minutes ago, Tank said:

NO drafts Zion. Put him together with AD and you've got a potentially formidable front court. Maybe that's enough to keep AD in Louisiana. If I were NO, I'd ask for the moon for him if he still wants to go, but I'd be drooling at the prospects of him and Zion for the next 5+ years and try like mad to sign him.

They would still need 3 pt. shooting though, like the Lakers do in the worst way.

[Angel Oracle]

2 minutes ago, Tank said:

i'd trade lonzo for the nba equivalent of a pine tar rag and a box of sunflower seeds.

That's China Doll Lonzo.

[Lou]

57 minutes ago, HaloJustinBieber said:

Lots of ways to go with that #4 pick.  If it were me....

1.  Keep the pick and select Vandy PG Darius Garland.  Kid can shoot and distribute, although admittedly a small sample size.  

2.  Use the #4 to trade down, acquiring more assets.  One path would be to entice the Hawks to move to #4 and give up #8/#10.  If we could come away with two players from a group of Coby White, Brandon Clarke, Jaxson Hayes, Kevin Porter Jr., Goga Bitadze, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and a few others, could be interesting.

3.  Would anyone trade Lonzo to Phoenix for #6?  If you could tell me that we could come out of this draft with Garland at #6 combined with Kevin Porter Jr. and Goga Bitadze with picks from Atlanta in #2 scenario (even trading those picks down to early teens to collect future assets) I'd be ecstatic.

Not sure how you completely forgot about Hunter. 

[Lou]

23 minutes ago, Tank said:

NO drafts Zion. Put him together with AD and you've got a potentially formidable front court. Maybe that's enough to keep AD in Louisiana. If I were NO, I'd ask for the moon for him if he still wants to go, but I'd be drooling at the prospects of him and Zion for the next 5+ years and try like mad to sign him.

according to inside sources close to the situation, AD still wants out. 

[HaloMilliVanilli]

25 minutes ago, Lou said:

Not sure how you completely forgot about Hunter. 

I like Garland at #4 or #6, whichever is our earliest pick and figured Hunter would be gone by #8.  I probably like Jarrett Culver a little better than Hunter, but would take either at #8 if we'd already secured Garland.  We could go directly to either Culver/Hunter if the FO plans to sign K. Irving or K. Walker this summer.

[Lou]

I can't see Hunter lasting beyond #5

[Tank]

4 hours ago, Lou said:

according to inside sources close to the situation, AD still wants out. 

Will try to confirm this at our next lunch.

[Angel Oracle]

The nat'l title game definitely hurt Jarrett Culver's stock a little.   Hunter far outplayed him, and is 2 inches taller and 30 pounds stronger.

Will the Lakers consider taking Hunter with the 4th pick, and not trade down, to make sure he's available?

 

[Jeremiah]

22 hours ago, Tank said:

NO drafts Zion. Put him together with AD and you've got a potentially formidable front court. Maybe that's enough to keep AD in Louisiana. If I were NO, I'd ask for the moon for him if he still wants to go, but I'd be drooling at the prospects of him and Zion for the next 5+ years and try like mad to sign him.

I’m sure Pels fans are drooling at that possibility too. It’s certainly possible that NO can keep AD, at least for this season, as he is under contract. Their new prez, David Griffin (I wish the Lakers had gone after him), already has a good relationship with AD’s agent. Maybe he can convince AD to stay after all. Although, as @Lou said, all the chatter is AD still wants to go to LAL or NY.

[Stradling]

Magic was incredibly selfish with his interview today.  If he really loved the Lakers and Jeanie he should have done what any actual leader would do and simply shut his trap and talk to Jeanie in private.  Instead he basically fucked the Lakers chances of signing premium free agents.  

[tennischmp]

33 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Magic was incredibly selfish with his interview today.  If he really loved the Lakers and Jeanie he should have done what any actual leader would do and simply shut his trap and talk to Jeanie in private.  Instead he basically fucked the Lakers chances of signing premium free agents.  

Eh after the coaching search the Lakers dysfunction is already known to everyone and any free agent. You really think Jeanie would side with Magic over her bestie Linda had Magic talked to her in private? This is turning out to be the same saga as what happened when Jim was still running the team, only public criticism with bring changes

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, tennischmp said:

Eh after the coaching search the Lakers dysfunction is already known to everyone and any free agent. You really think Jeanie would side with Magic over her bestie Linda had Magic talked to her in private? This is turning out to be the same saga as what happened when Jim was still running the team, only public criticism with bring changes

It isn’t about changing her opinion it is about not further ruining the brand by airing it all in public.  Let’s pretend I had an issue with where I work.  I have access to the owner, and could call her at any time.  I could quit and tell her why.  Or I could choose to go to the LA times and try to ruin the reputation of my previous company, thus damaging the brand.  

[tennischmp]

37 minutes ago, Stradling said:

It isn’t about changing her opinion it is about not further ruining the brand by airing it all in public.  Let’s pretend I had an issue with where I work.  I have access to the owner, and could call her at any time.  I could quit and tell her why.  Or I could choose to go to the LA times and try to ruin the reputation of my previous company, thus damaging the brand.  

Ok so if that's the case and he has access to the owner, and could call her at any time how do we know that he hasn't already done that and told her his grievances.

But going back to your original statement, I believe he is doing this because he indeed loves the Lakers and it's better in the long term for the Lakers that he went public with this. The sooner Jeanie gets herself and her friends out of running basketball operations, the sooner she hires the right people and sets a functional hierarchy within the organization, the sooner the Lakers will become the storied franchise they used to be.

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

Magic is supposed to be recruiting for the Lakers in the off season.   It makes no sense for him to air any of this in public.  

[Stradling]

3 minutes ago, tennischmp said:

Ok so if that's the case and he has access to the owner, and could call her at any time how do we know that he hasn't already done that and told her his grievances.

But going back to your original statement, I believe he is doing this because he indeed loves the Lakers and it's better in the long term for the Lakers that he went public with this. The sooner Jeanie gets herself and her friends out of running basketball operations, the sooner she hires the right people and sets a functional hierarchy within the organization, the sooner the Lakers will become the storied franchise they used to be.

Yea, I get the philosophy I just disagree with it.  They signed Lebron and have plenty of cap space to make real moves.  He has handcuffed them with his public statements.  

[tennischmp]

6 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Yea, I get the philosophy I just disagree with it.  They signed Lebron and have plenty of cap space to make real moves.  He has handcuffed them with his public statements.  

I disagree, the Lakers handcuffed themselves with their dysfunctionality. All he did was provide some details, the big picture was already known. 

[Jeremiah]

Yeah, I take back my concerns about Kyrie and Butler being bad clubhouse guys who don’t accept accountability and air their laundry publicly. If front office people (and I think Magic is just as involved as he’s ever been) are doing it, then what kind of tone does that set for the rest of the organization? Keep that stuff out of the papers.

And now who is this Tim Harris guy? Another cook in the kitchen. SMH