2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

LEBRON COULD HELP FACILITATE THE ALLEN TRADE BY MAYBE TAKING A PAYCUT SO LAKERS COULD ABSORB OKORO WITH THE MLE.

 

Great post. For me, it's broken down a little too specifically and what I mean about that is, instead of figuring out every archetype that Luka has played with and assuming that's why he has been successful, we should take a step back and see what the overall trends are from those players.

This may seem obvious, but Luka has had success with the following:

• Vertical spacing; having a lob threat at the 5 opens up his own offensive game by not allowing the big to over help on him when he gets into the paint, opens up floaters, finishing at the rim, assists via the lob or kick outs to 3pt shooters. This is key to making him a generational offensive player.
• 3pt Shooting; he creates so many high quality looks for 3pt shooters that they get a tick up in their shooting with him, we saw it this year, players get wide open shots. So surround him with good shooters.
• Rim protection; Luka gets hunted and blown by a little too much, it really helps having someone behind him thats a strong defender and can clean this up
• Strong perimeter defence: having a strong POA and wing defender really helps as we can hide Luka more

This all seems obvious but it just shows our team isn't built like that. Here is how you slot our current players in keeping the above in mind:

Luka / Good Bench Ball Handler
POA 3&D / Good Bench Ball Handler from Above
Wing 3&D / DFS
Lebron / Rui
Lob Threat & Defender / Kleber Like Backup

I believe Reaves can be that 30 min backup Ball Handler at the 1 & 2. But does he want that role? I fear he could feel that it's limiting his career and future earnings and cause disharmony.

Gabe isn't a terrible option to start at the 2 for us, he is quite good defensively, especially on PG's and can hit some shots but gives up size against bigger 2's. So if we can't improve on this, I'd be happy to roll with him. If we can improve this by signing NAW to the tax payer MLE's I'd trade Gabe in a package for something better.

We don't really have a wing 3&D, we've sort of just been slotting Lebron there and playing Rui as the 4, but the impact is, we don't have athleticism on the court to compete with some these younger teams. I'd really like to improve here with a Herb Jones/McDaniels type player. This means Lebron goes to the 4 which is his best position and Rui goes to the bench. I'd try to sell Rui on the fact that he is our starting 4 when Lebron retires.

Lastly, this brings us to the 5. As a backup, I'd sign Koloko and have Jamison on the 2 way contract. Then I'd see whether Gabe or Kleber are going out in a trade, if it's Gabe, look if Kleber has anything left in the tank as a >20 min backup that defends and hits the 3.

As for the starting center, we need someone that can switch (because Lebron and Luka will be hunted), can provide a lob threat and rim protection. There's players out there that fit this mold to various levels of success that can be had for the TPMLE or through a trade. Some ideas that come to mind are Capela, Gafford, Claxton.

We have Knecht, Shake, Vando and Gabe/Kleber that sort of don't fit our future plans as trade pieces. I'd try to find a package around these and our remaining first to find a center. An example of a trade is Knecht (positive trade value), Vando (negative trade value), Gabe (neutral trade value) + 31' First (positive trade value) for Claxton. This move would put us at:

Luka / TPMLE Guard
Rooves / TPMLE Guard
Lebron / DFS
Rui / DFS
Claxton / Kleber / Koloko

We'd basically be out of assets to trade at that point unless we want to look at Rooves & Rui. Most likely in this scenario we'd play Rooves at the starting 2 and have another crack at improving the backup guard position via TPMLE. Overall I'm not optimistic on this team though, not enough defence.

So this is where my natural train of thought goes, could we trade Rooves to plug two of these holes? Can we get a 5 and a wing/poa guy via trade from him? It's not ideal since I love him as a player, but what other options do we have to contend right away?

 

Rooves?

 

I would try to do something like this:

Move #1

Rui + Knecht + 2028 swap + 2030 swap to CLE for Allen

Move #2

#55, 2031 1st (unprotected) to BKN for #19 (Clayton) and #26 (Niederhauser)

Move #3

Reaves + Vincent to NEO for Murphey

 

We are in the trade them all season now

 

Everybody but Luka! Lebron better be careful!

 

but hate the offseason

 

I’d trade LeBron if it made us better in the long term substantially or better in the short term marginally.

Luka - untouchable
LeBron - untouchable

Rooves - highly valuable trade asset, only moved for something substantially better (Herb Jones and Trey Murphy as an example of multiple pieces, or Claxton and a first round pick, or in part of a Giannis deal)
1st - highly valuable asset

Rui - positive trade asset
Knecht - positive trade asset
DFS - positive trade assets

Gabe - neutral trade asset
Kleber - neutral trade asset
Shake - neutral trade asset (all 3 are expirings)

Vando - negative trade asset

 

I think the Old man, is going out on his shield as a Laker. I kinda feel like this might the last run. Still..I have this thought about no 23 playing 23 seasons, and going out with a back to back, matching 23 and 33, the GOATS with 6 rings. That would be a hell of a curtain call wouldn't it? Playing with his son, being the icing on the cake.

However it plays out, I'll always remember how Lebron and AD, went out and took that ring for Kobe That was a special chip, in the midst of a crazy, tragic season. My boys made me proud.

 

You guys all emboldened now in your own heads that you’re going to be the one calling the trade or type of trade that’s going to be made with Reaves this off season just because he’s their top trade asset and we need multiple types of players are sitting in a big circle playing with yourselves. I’ll bet anyone $100 and all of you at the same time it won’t happen. That would be a nice chunk of change for me. You’ve seen the progression each year to where if DLO hadn’t been here this year he would have already been higher than the 20 5 5 he put up …. and not one of you has mentioned anything about the HIM we’re going to see this coming season after a summer in the weight room and further ramped up conditioning and skills all around, including his “laughingly” still bagged on by some “lacking” handles …… in preparation for his FIRST Big Money CONTRACT season. His agent I’m betting that $100 has it right and isn’t just blowing “agent smoke”. You aren’t even curious or excited to see THAT Austin Reaves playing in the P&G this year in the dwindling window of the Luka / LeBron paired opportunity to compete for a ring who BOTH reportedly and observationally love HIM on their team. The Lakers themselves … do you really think after all your and my hate over letting Caruso go and the fan blowback over that for years running …. are now going to Hold my Beer style “pre-maturely” “sight unseen” at the ridiculously small salary he’s making toward THIS year’s cap and tax ramifications ….. trade contract year AR and NOT need first to see that player “themselves” and utilize him on the Lakers this season?????

 

It’s the offseason LT, we don’t have much to do except dream up ways to improve, some of those ways aren’t particularly bright or make much sense.

Look, I see what you’re seeing, and I also love Rooves. I think he can make an all star game or two in his career. But the questions need to be asked:

a) can he develop into a star 2nd option?
b) if yes, can he mesh with our generational star in Luka
c) if no, how much does he want to get paid?
d) if it’s a lot, do we want to pay him circa 40m
e) if it’s not a lot and sub 30m, can we package his value for something like a Giannis?

If we get to the end of these questions and it’s smartest to keep Rooves, then I’ll be ecstatic because it means he developed into the player that we needed and there won’t be a better story than that.

You know during 2008 onwards, Pau was my favourite laker, but when we traded him for CP3, I knew it was a trade that needed to happen for the organisation. I was also sad when we traded AD and Max, I really didn’t want to and felt conflicted. If the time comes and we have to look at trading Rooves, it’ll be tough, but if it’s for the best, it’ll be necessary.

 

I’m not debating all that. I’m saying you’re nuts if you think the Lakers are going to ship him out pre-maturely sight unseen THIS off season before all those questions are answered. A Giannis type being the possible exception for a reason.

 

there was a piece today with a little quote from a FO guy who pointed at teams having success now as teams with ownership who was more patient (e.g., indiana) and not hellbent on immediate success at maximum levels.

as a fan, i'd like to see us build a long-term contender around luka, starting now.

if that involves trading george reeves, that's ok. but i'm not at all sure it requires that, and i think it's very possible that the second we move austin carr that we'd immediately begin the search for a second creator and find ourselves much less able to accomplish that goal than we might think.

 

Dang, that's a little much, no? Do you worship this guy or what? LOL

 

Austin Barnes is a very good player, but if the right opportunity presents itself, we need to consider it.

 

Could have been CL, but didn’t we used to have a thread just for trade ideas? Might be time to bring that back so we can keep all the losing trade ideas in one spot.

 

Prior to camp for anything less than Giannis level star .... sight unseen for all the reasons listed above.

 

the dodgers catcher?