**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins

[atlsfinest]

You already know what will happen to Laker Lebron in his first preseason game with us

We’re not winning a chip with Lebron so why let him come here and dictate coaching, dictate the personnel he wants, etc?

Boogie + PG here would be alright but I haven’t heard anything about Boogie having interest in being a Laker

We have a couple of things working in our favor. I think once we get either PG or Bron, it'll be easy to lure in Boogie, stars want to team up and getting the first star is the hard part. Also, we're going to be one of the only teams with alot of cap space next summer and we know he wants to get paid.

 

[nermindee]

I still dont get why ingram was assigned to box out green... shoulda been randle

 

[EddieDoyers]

We have a couple of things working in our favor. I think once we get either PG or Bron, it'll be easy to lure in Boogie, stars want to team up and getting the first star is the hard part. Also, we're going to be one of the only teams with alot of cap space next summer and we know he wants to get paid.

You already know what will happen to Laker Lebron in his first preseason game with us

We’re not winning a chip with Lebron so why let him come here and dictate coaching, dictate the personnel he wants, etc?

Boogie + PG here would be alright but I haven’t heard anything about Boogie having interest in being a Laker

https://www.silverscreenandroll.com...old-teams-he-might-bolt-to-lakers-free-agency

We got a chance.

Spoiler

 

[Lizakers]

Y’all gotta admit that right hand layup by Zo looked funny as hell.

 

[delete1234]

Clarkson 21 8 6 still no respek on his name

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

BI's last 5 games: 18.2/5.2/4.2 on 51% shooting; 40% from three and he's only 20 (younger than half the 1 and done trookies now). We've got a good one on our hands. Be patient Lakernation

Went to the game. Was thinking to myself in the first that he's gonna be a monster once he gets comfy, then he goes off for 30. No Romo but his physique is actually solid up close. You can see the muscle tone in his arms. He looks like if he socked you, that **** would hurt. Could have a giannis type body in a few years. He'll be a top 5 player in the league, no doubt in my mind.

 

[darthska]

MVP da real MVP.

 

[tupac003]

I just watched the replay of the game...

So happy with what I saw (even with the loss) but man...

Why did Luke call that time out at the end of the game!?! I relay think on that fast break they would have gotten the call or a basket...man

 

[trynafeelmink]

Clarkson 21 8 6 still no respek on his name

I love Clarkson as a sixth man, dude has improved his shooting a lot & is great getting to the basket. If only we didn't have Deng's contract . We would be able to keep one of Randle/Clarkson & still have two max slots.

To Make Room for 2 Stars, Lakers Should Give Luol Deng an Extension, Seriously
ERIC PINCUSNOVEMBER 15, 2017

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — As the Los Angeles Lakers try to stay competitive throughout the 2017-18 season, the eyes cannot help but wander to next July, when LeBron James, Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins are expected to be free agents.

Lakers team president Earvin "Magic" Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka have long stressed that the team will hit 2018 free agency with the necessary space for two max-salaried players.

Based on the NBA's 2018 salary-cap projection of $101 million, James will get up to $35.4 million, while Cousins and George can top out at $30.3 million.

The math doesn't actually work for the Lakers, who are looking at roughly $47.5 million in space once they renounce the rights to Julius Randle, Brook Lopez, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Corey Brewer and Andrew Bogut while waiving Ivica Zubac, Thomas Bryant and Tyler Ennis.

A significant impediment to the $60-65 million necessary for two max players is the $36.8 million owed to Luol Deng over the next two seasons—starting at $18 million in 2018-19.

LM Otero/Associated Press
The good news for the Lakers is that few teams project to have significant cap space in July. That means fewer franchises vying for the same stars, but it also means there are limited destinations for Deng's salary.

As ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne recently reported, Deng would welcome a move out of Los Angeles since he's well outside of head coach Luke Walton's rotation. If up to 10 franchises have the cap space necessary to take on Deng's contract, what kind of price would the Lakers have to pay to make a deal?

"I would say a [first-round pick] with a good chance to convey in the lottery," said an executive with another franchise. "I would say that's in addition to Julius Randle unless the protections were very favorable to the receiving team."

It cost the Lakers D'Angelo Russell to get out of Timofey Mozgov's deal, another ill-advised contract which the previous regime of Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak handed out.

Los Angeles only has so many young players to deal. If the future is Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers may not have much else to offer outside of Jordan Clarkson and Randle.

Clarkson is under contract for two more seasons at a reasonable salary ($12.5 million and $13.4 million). Randle will only be a restricted free agent if the Lakers make him a qualifying offer of $5.6 million—but in doing so, he'll take up $12.4 million of their precious cap space.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
The Lakers may find a market for Randle. Last year, the Portland Trail Blazers traded a player in a comparable position (Mason Plumlee) to the Denver Nuggets for Jusuf Nurkic and a first-round pick. The Blazers also sent out $2.9 million to Denver in the deal. Plumlee ultimately re-signed with the Nuggets on a three-year, $41 million contract.

A team without cap room may similarly value Randle's restricted rights. While that team may be willing to pay him the $14 million a season Plumlee received, would it also be willing to pay out another $18.3 million to take on Deng over the next two seasons?

Probably not.

Salary dumps tend to be expensive in young talent, draft picks and/or cash itself.

The Miami Heat spent the league maximum of $5.1 million to dump Josh McRoberts' expiring deal on the Dallas Mavericks, enabling them to sign players like Dion Waiters and Kelly Olynyk. The Cavaliers recently sent out $3 million to the Atlanta Hawks just to clear the small salaries of Richard Jefferson and Kay Felder. The Toronto Raptors sent both a first- and second-rounder to the Nets to get out of DeMarre Carroll's contract, which expires after the forward earns $15.4 million for the 2018-19 season.

Johnson and Pelinka may try to find similar trades but with fewer teams flush with cap space, the market to dump contracts may get even tighter. The solution for the Lakers may be a loophole in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.

As of July 7, Deng is eligible for a three-year extension. Given the need to get him off the books, why would the Lakers add on to his contract?

The answer is the league's stretch provision, which allows for players to be waived with their contracts paid out over twice the length of the remaining deal, plus one season.

With the $36.8 million owed to Deng over the next two, the Lakers can stretch him out to $7.4 million over five years, which would open $9.8 million in additional cap space in July.

That isn't quite enough to get to two max slots, putting the Lakers at about $57.3 million in space.

That's where a Deng extension can help, with the caveat that any additional salary doesn't have to be guaranteed. By adding three years to his deal with no extra money guaranteed, the Lakers would have the ability to stretch Deng's salary over 11 total years, at $3.3 million a season.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press
Now, without any difficult, expensive trades, Los Angeles would have enough space to pay both Cousins and George. They'd still be $4.3 million short the amount needed to pay James (with one of Cousins or George) unless the signing players were willing to give the Lakers a small discount.

Given the value of money, why would Deng be willing to defer his earnings over six additional seasons?

To entice Deng, the Lakers probably have to offer a partial guarantee over the extension to make it worth his while.

"If Deng takes a buyout from the Lakers, his income tax burden will be dependent on his state of residence," sports accountant Robert Raiola of PKF O'Connor Davies said. "It's not easy to predict his take-home pay after taxes, especially with proposed tax-code changes by President Trump."

"Depending on Deng's savviness as an investor, an additional $3 million in salary from the Lakers paid out over 11 years may be more than the net he would earn under his existing contract paid out over five years," Raiola continued.

Part of that computation is that Deng would be able to double-dip, eligible to sign with another team next season at a salary worth at least $2.4 million.

A three-year extension with $3 million in total guaranteed might be enough enticement, which is a judgment call the Lakers would have to make.

If so, paying that additional salary to Deng over 11 years is a better investment for the Lakers than sending an immediate $3-5 million in a trade to another team as part of a salary dump.

"It's clever," said one Western Conference general manager. "I wish I thought of it."

Giving Deng additional money could also help the Lakers ensure the league doesn't close the loophole in the CBA, according to Larry ****, salary-cap expert and author of the CBA FAQ.

"The league's General Prohibition on Circumvention prohibits any transaction that's intended to defeat or circumvent the CBA's intent. ...Certainly, if there were no salary guarantees, the league would nix the extension as a blatant attempt to circumvent the rules. On the other end of the spectrum, a fully guaranteed extension easily would pass league muster, but it would be of no benefit to the Lakers. Somewhere between these two extremes is the tipping point—the point at which the league would allow the transaction."

The Lakers would be sacrificing future cap space, but to a small degree (less than 4 percent per year).

If Johnson and Pelinka need to increase the team's cap space in July, they can look to deal Clarkson. That might open up enough space to sign James and either George or Cousins, plus an additional $8.7 million that can be used to try and keep players like Lopez, Caldwell-Pope, Randle, Zubac and/or Bryant.

Given the scarcity of cap room around the league, the market for starting-caliber players like Randle, Lopez and Caldwell-Pope may be in the $8.6 million mid-level exception range. Once the Lakers do spend their cap room next summer, they'll gain a $4.4 million room exception, which can be used to sign a player for up to two years.

If Lopez took the room exception for a year, Los Angeles would retain his full rights in 2019, with the ability to re-sign him to much larger contract.

Whatever the path, the Lakers have no guarantees. Any deadline trades in February to open space in July won't be rescinded because superstars choose not to come to Los Angeles.

That's why the Deng loophole could reduce a lot of pressure on the Lakers. Call it a reverse buyout.

 

[lovehateself]

I don’t think Bron is coming to LA. Probably ends up being Boogie only tbh

whats your guys opinion on KCP going forward?
his skill set, really compliments Zo.

 

[atlsfinest]

whats your guys opinion on KCP going forward?
his skill set, really compliments Zo.

There's a 0% chance he's here next season. He wants a huge long term contract and we're not in a position to offer it to him.

 

[Lizakers]

Rob and Magic still ain’t read that article smh

 

[lovehateself]

There's a 0% chance he's here next season. He wants a huge long term contract and we're not in a position to offer it to him.

but we are
or at least theres a chance we will end up in that position

 

[Lizakers]

Ya if we wiff on the big boys, I wouldn’t say that’s a 0% chance

 

[MVP]

ZERO chance he or Brook are here past the off-season.

 

[Lizakers]

So you’re saying 100% chance Magic comes through?

 

[lovehateself]

So you’re saying 100% chance Magic comes through?

comes through with what though
PG
PG and LBJ
LBJ
LBJ and ?

?

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Glad BI ain't listened to these NBA thread dudes and just throw a bunch of 3's for analytics. Kid is playing to his strength and letting his jumper come to him.

Not even halfway through the season and Lopez is already such GARBAGE.

He like a taller Deng. Dude is so soft, no defensive presence in the paint. Offense is really more of jump shooting big man.

No way he gets a contract extension after this season.

I liked Lopez earlier in the year but yeah he soft as tissue. He should just stand at the 3pt line cuz he is our best shooter.

 

[trynafeelmink]

I personally like KCP if he's getting average starter money, but 20 M's per year that he's looking for NAH. Dude has amazing instincts on defense, plays hard all the time, & is actually a good shooter. My only problem with him is the shots he takes, dude shoots Kobeesqe shots with JR smith Skills. With that said i think he would be a perfect 6th man.

 

[MVP]

So you’re saying 100% chance Magic comes through?

Yes

 

[Lizakers]

Yes

We shall see. I'm just tired of all the losing. I like Randle and JC, but if we have to move them to become a winning team again, I guess I'd be ok with that. 5 years of 20-30 wins is enough.

 

[tupac003]

I’m not even worried about the off season. Just want to see BI, Kuzma and Ball continue to develop. Whatever else happens is coo.

 

[CP1708]

9/7/7 out of a rookie who should be a sophomore in college is pretty ok with me, however, he has to get those %'s up of course. If he does that, his PER will rise as well.

Clarkson is shooting 49% this year?

Lopez at 44% should not be a thing.

Clarkson and Randle being two of our best players, and possibly both given away to chase aging stars, after already giving up on DLo........bad, bad idea.

 

[Lizakers]

And Deng having a career year shooting 50%

 

[MVP]

Lol at 27 being 'aging'.

9/7/7 out of a rookie who should be a sophomore in college is pretty ok with me, however, he has to get those %'s up of course. If he does that, his PER will rise as well.

Clarkson is shooting 49% this year?

Lopez at 44% should not be a thing.

Clarkson and Randle being two of our best players, and possibly both given away to chase aging stars, after already giving up on DLo........bad, bad idea.