How to make the Lakers Great Again

[Humble_Beast]

Keep it simple, these moves can make rebrand and save the Laker franchise. 

Trade1: Send Lebron, future 2nd back to South Beach for Jimmy Butler, future 1st.

Lebron is beloved in Miami. By the fans, Erik P, Riley. Butler was seen just walking away from the huddle and overstaying his welcome. I think Heat will lose In the playoffs. Butler is going be 33, and Lebron is 38. So the age difference is not that great, and the salaries work. Heat can for that ring with a nice core of Lebron, Bam, Herro, Lowry. Lebron will be around a big who can stay healthy, and alot of shooters and better coaching. Miami probably will get a few ring chasers like Carmelo. Lakers get Butler who actually still plays defense. Butler would be the 2nd option behind AD 

Trade 2: Trade Russ and Kendrick Nunn for
Noel, Randle, Rose, Fournier, 2nd

Salary dump for Knicks, they get alot of contracts off the books in all 4 guys. Westbrook actually finished the season strong and could form a tandem with Barrett. Knicks will get cap space in the future and a top 10 pick on the way.  Trading Randle will give Obi more minutes. Trading Evan will save alot of money and Alex Burks is a cheap similar player. Lakers take on a couple bad contracts, but add more size. Randle is not the man for the Knicks, but could be a nice stretch 4 next to AD. He's more suited to be a 3rd option on a good team. Rose or Kemba could be traded. Fournier is overpaid but would be a 6th man for the lakers. Noel is just filler to make the trade work. Nunn is a decent backup PG, but hurt all year. 

Free Agency:

• Keep Monk and promise him starting spot with mid level.
• Sign 2 3/D athletic wings for the minimum. Not 6'4 guys either, people with size. Maybe someone like Justin Anderson 
• Bring back Augustine and Dwight as the vets for the vet minimum. 

Hire Jazz Coach : Need a fresh face coaching in Quinn Synder 

 

Pray AD injury concerns are over. He’s still in his prime and can be elite if healthy. No team is going trade a more talented player In their prime with 

5: AD, Noel, Dwight

4: Randle, Stanley, Gabriel

3: Butler, Reaves, Anderson 

2: Monk, Fournier, open

1: Rose, THT, Augustine  

two way: Mason Jones, Matt McClung- try to develop both these young point guards. Hopefully they develop into rotation players 

Run it back with that team. Better defense, shooting , and depth. Less ego. Thoughts? 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Humble_Beast

[11sanchez11]

idk if that team is great but would be good for sure

no way are they trading bron tho

[Mox]

Butler's contract is about 1 year away from being the worst in basketball. They need to stop cucking to LeBron, and try to be a real organization.

[seminoles1]

LA receives: Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent, Jr., #33, 2024 Toronto 1st round pick

Toronto receives: Anthony Davis, Talen Horton-Tucker

then...

LA receives: John Wall, Christian Wood, 2024 2nd round pick

Houston receives: Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, 2024 Toronto 1st round pick, 2028 LA 1st round pick

 

LA runs with:

Wall

GTJ

LeBron

Siakam

Wood

Reaves

Stanley Johnson

#33

Free agents

[NYRaider]

22 hours ago, Bullet Club said:

Butler's contract is about 1 year away from being the worst in basketball. They need to stop cucking to LeBron, and try to be a real organization.

It's hilarious that even Magic Johnson called him out about it. Saying that DeRozan was ready to be a Laker and that the Buddy deal was basically done before LeBron forced them to trade for Westbrook.

[NYRaider]

Trading Westbrook's contract will be difficult unless the Lakers attach additional assets to it because he's terrible. There's also zero chance that LeGM would allow himself to be traded under any circumstance or scenario. The most realistic outcome is Anthony Davis is traded away to try and build some depth. But it looks like LeBron will be bolting in free agency in 2023 anyways regardless. 

[stl4life07]

Trade LeBron, AD, and Russ for young potential talent and high picks and start from scratch. The Cavs and Heat both did it once those teams started to get old thanks to LeBron wanting the teams to trade first rounds picks and young talent for proven players in their late 20’s and obviously in 4yrs past 30yrs old with role players being older vets playing on vet minimum. 

I know trading LeBron sounds crazy but he has shown to be more injury prone now and he can’t drag a team for a deep playoff run and even to just the play in game. Russ can’t shoot, is a walking turnover machine, won’t change his style or role, don’t really think he is an issue, and his salary is too big. It’s going to hard to move him unless the Lakers send a 1st round pick along with him. AD can’t stay healthy at all. The Lakers can’t build their future around him. 

I do think teams will go get LeBron for name sake alone to sell tickets and get media coverage. I wouldn’t send him to GS but maybe him going back to Cleveland. 

AD is the most valuable trade asset for the Lakers. He is young and talented. His issue is staying healthy but teams will feel like they can manage him and get him to play at his best. 

[NYRaider]

Just now, stl4life07 said:

Trade LeBron, AD, and Russ for young potential talent and high picks and start from scratch. The Cavs and Heat both did it once those teams started to get old thanks to LeBron wanting the teams to trade first rounds picks and young talent for proven players in their late 20’s and obviously in 4yrs past 30yrs old with role players being older vets playing on vet minimum. 

I know trading LeBron sounds crazy but he has shown to be more injury prone now and he can’t drag a team for a deep playoff run and even to just the play in game. Russ can’t shoot, is a walking turnover machine, won’t change his style or role, don’t really think he is an issue, and his salary is too big. It’s going to hard to move him unless the Lakers send a 1st round pick along with him. AD can’t stay healthy at all. The Lakers can’t build their future around him. 

I do think teams will go get LeBron for name sake alone to sell tickets and get media coverage. I wouldn’t send him to GS but maybe him going back to Cleveland. 

AD is the most valuable trade asset for the Lakers. He is young and talented. His issue is staying healthy but teams will feel like they can manage him and get him to play at his best. 

Considering LeBron is essentially the Lakers GM anyways and only has one year left on his deal I can't imagine that he'd allow himself to be traded somewhere that would have to give up significant assets to acquire him when he could just sign there outright next summer. Russell Westbrook's deal is terrible but might not be impossible to move now that it is an expiring deal. 

[NYRaider]

Quote

 

"One thing about Russ that I love and will always love is just his competitive spirit, what he brings to the game every single night," James said. "When you're in a profession where so many injuries happen and so many things go on — to have a guy that's reliable and can put on a uniform every single night. That's something I respect out of everything.

"I'm not gonna sit here and make decisions for the front office and things of that nature. But I love being a teammate with Russ. And that's just the way it is."

 

Apparently their GM threw some shade at Russ as well, lol. Zero chance that he opts out.

[Kip Smithers]

First off, they need to start making MLGA caps.

[NYRaider]

Lakers receive: Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Jordan Poole, James Wiseman

Warriors receive: LeBron James, THT

[NYRaider]

According to Shams the Lakers #1 target to replace Vogel is Nick Nurse.

And the Indiana Pacers are a potential landing spot for Russell Westbrook as they could be looking to move on from their financial commitments to Brogdon and Buddy. 

Lakers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield 

Pacers receive: Russell Westbrook, THT, 2025 1st round pick 

The Lakers could also look to buy low on Collin Sexton in free agency coming off of an injury. 

Edited April 12, 2022 by NYRaider

[Mox]

The rumor of the Hornets wanting to deal Hayward/Rozier for Westbrook/1st would be ideal for LA. You get two good players that fit the team. At full health that looks like a 4-5 seed again. The contracts may be bad but if you're all in on contending that's your best bet. For the Hornets, you get a massive expiring and get to build around LaMelo fresh.

[NYRaider]

Just now, Bullet Club said:

The rumor of the Hornets wanting to deal Hayward/Rozier for Westbrook/1st would be ideal for LA. You get two good players that fit the team. At full health that looks like a 4-5 seed again. The contracts may be bad but if you're all in on contending that's your best bet. For the Hornets, you get a massive expiring and get to build around LaMelo fresh.

Then LeBron bolts and you're still stuck in cap hell for a team that sucks, lol.

[Mox]

Just now, NYRaider said:

Then LeBron bolts and you're still stuck in cap hell for a team that sucks, lol.

That's certainly possible. At least in that case you'd still have decent building blocks. Without LeBron you'd have more flexibility to make moves in either direction. I really hope LeBron doesn't go back to Cleveland only to trade away their whole future.