So, Magic is gone and LA and New Orleans can now make a deal work for AD...
Quote:The Anthony Davis saga is over. Early on Saturday afternoon, the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly agreed to a deal to send Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks, including the No. 4 overall pick in this year's draft. Via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
The New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to a deal to trade Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks -- including the No. 4 overall selection in next week's draft, league sources tell ESPN.
The deal represents a monster haul for the Pelicans and David Griffin, their new executive vice president of basketball operations, who maximized the Davis trade without the need to include a third team.
Los Angeles has been after Davis for months, ever since he first went public with his trade request back in January -- a move he was fined $50,000 for. The two teams were unable to complete a deal ahead of the trade deadline, though, and in the aftermath, both teams cratered amid what Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry called the most "toxic" situation he's seen in his three decades in the league.
Since then, rumors and reports have circulated pretty much non-stop. The Pelicans winning the Draft Lottery last month only made things more interesting, as did the Lakers moving up to grab the No. 4 overall pick. During the past week, things really started to pick up, with both the Lakers and Celtics -- despite concerns that Davis didn't want to play there -- making concerted efforts to complete a deal. According to a report from the New York Times' Marc Stein, the Celtics refused to include Jayson Tatum in the deal, which was a breaking point for the Pelicans.
Thus, the Lakers were able to get things done and secure the second star they've been after to pair with LeBron James. They gave up a number of talented young players in Ball, Ingram and Hart, as well as three first-round picks, but that's the price you have to pay to acquire one of the best players in the league. They have a number of roster spots to fill in free agency this summer, but they'll hope the star power of LeBron and Davis can get them back into title contention.
In addition to Ball, Hart, and Ingram, Pelicans got 3 first round picks and 2 years with rights to swap first round picks with the Lakers. Both of the swap years will be after LeBron has retired.
(06-15-2019 09:48 PM)Wedge Wrote: Best part of this trade for the Lakers is:
a) Getting Anthony Davis
b) Sending the Balls far, far away from LA
c) All of the above
Yep, yep, yep
I'm sure you've seen the LaVar interview - dude is freaking immune to shame. I like Lonzo; he's a good kid and a decent athlete. But he's not a scorer and he's never going to be so I doubt he's going to be much more than a role player known for his ability to dish. Ingram is by far the better talent. If he can put on enough weight to stay healthy and play a little more physically, he's the guy the Lakers are more likely to regret giving up.
This boils down to an understandable and reasonable (if you're the Lakers) gamble. They're going all in with two megastars and hoping they can fill in around them to get back to a championship or two. If they do, this and the inevitable future personnel struggles will be worth it. Front office chaos notwithstanding, they just changed the perspective for a lot of free agents who might have been thinking the Lakers were too dysfunctional to join. The major injury spree in the Bay Area also factors in because the West just opened up a little more.
On the other hand, LA's FO isn't better because they traded for AD. And the Vogel/Kidd powder keg is just waiting to be lit (maybe already has). A lot can go wrong but it's going to be entertaining either way.
So just like that, the Lakers go from shat show to the real deal and the Celtics are now emitting balloon flatulence. I'll have to say I was wrong on the Lakers.
Quote:Boston Celtics center Al Horford will decline to exercise his $30.1 million option for the 2019-20 season and seek to leave the franchise as an unrestricted free agent this summer, league sources told ESPN.
Talks on a new deal with the Celtics have perished, with too great of a gulf between what the team is willing to offer and what Horford wants on a long-term deal, league sources said.
(06-19-2019 10:07 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote: So just like that, the Lakers go from shat show to the real deal and the Celtics are now emitting balloon flatulence. I'll have to say I was wrong on the Lakers.
You're not wrong yet...
I see plenty of ways for the Lakers to fail. Rumor is they're trying to figure a way to create room for another max contract. To do so they'll clear everyone except James, Davis, and Kuzma. So they're trying to get to 4 guys under contract and no cap space. I probably misunderstand how the cap applies but doesn't that mean 10-ish guys on exceptions and UFAs? Is there a precedent for that?
And if they don't do another max deal, either because they can't get anyone to come or they can't create the room, there's still plenty of opportunity for the team to sign guys who won't/can't contribute. Just take a look at the guys they brought in for 18/19.
Even if the Lakers create more cap room, they'd be better off splitting that room among 3 or 4 players rather than signing Kemba Walker or Kyrie for the max and then filling the rest of the roster with minimum salaries.
(06-19-2019 10:07 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote: So just like that, the Lakers go from shat show to the real deal and the Celtics are now emitting balloon flatulence. I'll have to say I was wrong on the Lakers.
You're not wrong yet...
I see plenty of ways for the Lakers to fail. Rumor is they're trying to figure a way to create room for another max contract. To do so they'll clear everyone except James, Davis, and Kuzma. So they're trying to get to 4 guys under contract and no cap space. I probably misunderstand how the cap applies but doesn't that mean 10-ish guys on exceptions and UFAs? Is there a precedent for that?
And if they don't do another max deal, either because they can't get anyone to come or they can't create the room, there's still plenty of opportunity for the team to sign guys who won't/can't contribute. Just take a look at the guys they brought in for 18/19.
I was wrong on the point that I honestly did not believe a max FA would want to play in LA with the roster in place, LeBron's age, and the ownership/front office fiasco. I don't believe that they should be favorites out of the West just because they added AD either. That said, they went from the toilet bowl to legit Western Conference contenders. Speaking of Lakers clearing cap space...
Always nice to have options even when you blow out an achilles...
Quote:
Despite the career-altering injury, Durant will have many options entering the free agency period. He could still re-sign with the Warriors for the max for five years and $221 million. He can also sign a max-level deal with teams such as the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets while teaming up with Kyrie Irving, though teams outside of the Warriors can only offer him as high as four years.
At this point, it's anyone's guess where Durant is leaning to sign when free agency begins on Sunday. He could decide to re-up with the Warriors where he'll have the opportunity to continue to win titles with an established franchise. He could also very well leave Golden State for the opportunity of leading his own franchise -- such as the Nets or Knicks -- to a championship to add another layer to his legacy.
All we know for certain is that despite the fact that he'll be 32 years old by the time he returns to play on the basketball court, Durant remains one of the top two free agents available this offseason.
Lakers managed to clear enough cap space to sign a max free agent.
Doubt they're serious contenders for Kawhi, and Kemba Walker looks to be going to Boston. That means their most likely targets are Kyrie Irving, or Jimmy Butler, or splitting that cap room between two players (e.g., DeAngelo Russell and DeMarcus Cousins).
Quote:The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones to the Washington Wizards as part of a three-way deal that landed New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis with L.A., clearing the way for maximum salary space in free agency, league sources tell ESPN.
As part of the deal to unload those contracts and salary, Davis plans to waive his $4 million trade bonus, which will push the Lakers cap space to $32M for the start of free agency.
Was just coming to post the same thing. They think they're in the running for Kawhi but most, like you, think that's a dream. Kemba would have been a good get but the Celtic rumors are pretty strong. I'm sure they'll chase Kyrie but I'm hearing he's most likely to Brooklyn. If that's the case we're probably going to have to see what KD does first. To me the whole thing is still pretty shaky: Three max players (one of whom will be 35) and one pretty good role player surrounded by exceptions and minimum salary guys. Depth, schmepth! The Russell rumor is interesting because he'd be a 25% guy and would actually leave them a little room under the cap. But it'd also be hilarious because they already threw him on the trash heap to get rid of the Mozgov contract.
My approach would be to sign a handful of second and third tier free agents (Danny Green would be my first target but Patrick Beverly also fits the bill), and I know the Lakers will try that if they can't get Plan A to work, but there's a timing risk there. How long do you pursue the big guys while all the others are signing contracts elsewhere?
(This post was last modified: 06-27-2019 02:26 PM by Brookes Owl.)
(06-27-2019 02:26 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote: Was just coming to post the same thing. They think they're in the running for Kawhi but most, like you, think that's a dream. Kemba would have been a good get but the Celtic rumors are pretty strong. I'm sure they'll chase Kyrie but I'm hearing he's most likely to Brooklyn. If that's the case we're probably going to have to see what KD does first. To me the whole thing is still pretty shaky: Three max players (one of whom will be 35) and one pretty good role player surrounded by exceptions and minimum salary guys. Depth, schmepth! The Russell rumor is interesting because he'd be a 25% guy and would actually leave them a little room under the cap. But it'd also be hilarious because they already threw him on the trash heap to get rid of the Mozgov contract.
My approach would be to sign a handful of second and third tier free agents (Danny Green would be my first target but Patrick Beverly also fits the bill), and I know the Lakers will try that if they can't get Plan A to work, but there's a timing risk there. How long do you pursue the big guys while all the others are signing contracts elsewhere?
Its really the only viable option. Getting any traditional PG is senseless. Regardless of injury, LeBron is still going to run the point and the offense will flow through him. Get shooters and defenders so James doesn't have to work that hard.
(06-27-2019 02:26 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote: Was just coming to post the same thing. They think they're in the running for Kawhi but most, like you, think that's a dream. Kemba would have been a good get but the Celtic rumors are pretty strong. I'm sure they'll chase Kyrie but I'm hearing he's most likely to Brooklyn. If that's the case we're probably going to have to see what KD does first. To me the whole thing is still pretty shaky: Three max players (one of whom will be 35) and one pretty good role player surrounded by exceptions and minimum salary guys. Depth, schmepth! The Russell rumor is interesting because he'd be a 25% guy and would actually leave them a little room under the cap. But it'd also be hilarious because they already threw him on the trash heap to get rid of the Mozgov contract.
My approach would be to sign a handful of second and third tier free agents (Danny Green would be my first target but Patrick Beverly also fits the bill), and I know the Lakers will try that if they can't get Plan A to work, but there's a timing risk there. How long do you pursue the big guys while all the others are signing contracts elsewhere?
Its really the only viable option. Getting any traditional PG is senseless. Regardless of injury, LeBron is still going to run the point and the offense will flow through him. Get shooters and defenders so James doesn't have to work that hard.
Right. The Lakers' biggest need is at least one serious scoring threat in addition to LeBron and AD, and LeBron's unenthusiasm on defense last season should be the signal to get at least a couple of really pesky defenders to carry the bulk of the defensive load.
^^^^
Good luck Lakers with all those moving parts that need to fall in the right places. It isn't just getting the right players it's also about gelling with a new coaching staff and gelling as a unit. I don't care who they get, they're not going to win the chip next season. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't even make the Western Conference Finals. The following season you have a 36 year old Bron. The problem for the Lakers is they completely changed course from the drafting/building of young players to a win now, right now approach. It's one thing to add a key piece but to essentially scrap your whole roster and do a FA redo is an entirely different matter in the short term. IMO, it's too little too late.
Free Agency draweth nigh and the pieces are in play...
Quote:NBA free agency isn't set to officially open until Sunday night at 6 p.m. ET, but let's not fool ourselves: Power moves are being made as we speak. Kemba Walker has already reportedly agreed to sign with the Celtics, and Kyrie Irving to the Nets is also all but done, per reports. Now, it appears the two biggest names on the market are discussing the possibility of joining forces.
Let just say this: If Kawhi and Durant were to join up with the Clippers, playing in the same building as LeBron and Anthony Davis in an intra-town battle for NBA supremacy set in Hollywood, it would be the most epic theatre imaginable. For the Clippers to open up two max spaces, they would have to trade Danilo Gallinari, who has one year left on his contract at $22.6 million. As an expiring deal for a good player, that should be plenty tradeable, especially with the future picks the Clippers would have to attach.
The Knicks, on the other hand, don't have to make any moves. They have two max spots already. Durant, as we know, was long linked to the Knicks until he tore his Achilles and everything changed.
The rub of this potential pairing, of course, is that Kawhi and Durant wouldn't actually play together until 2020-21, as Durant is likely out all of next season with the Achilles. Would Kawhi want to wait for Durant on a Knicks team that isn't good? Perhaps it would be more intriguing on a Clippers team that with Kawhi, even without Durant, is a legit team. Then you add Durant in 2020-21 and you shoot to the top of the favorites to win the title.
The Nets are going to sign both KD and Kyrie. Good luck with that chemistry experiment, Brooklyn. Though they'll have to wait until KD is back on the court to run the full-blown chemistry experiment.
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