A King and an Empire: The Official GOAT franchise Boss Angeles Lakers 2018-19 season

[Ziggiy]

I personally don’t understand why anyone thinks KD coming to the Lakers is realistic. I just don’t see it. Kawhi and AD? Sure. KD? Not with his recent statments, and besides that if he’s comfortable with being number 2, wouldn’t he just stay with the Warriors?

 

[Reid2Achieve]

I'm gonna quote myself for what the rest of the roster could be:



All those guys are free agents and I believe they'd have around $34 million in cap space if they dealt BI, Kuz, Ball and Hart for Brow. Can't take back any money. If they're trying to tack on Soloman Hill, you hang up. Besides, him and Moore both expire after next season, so they wouldn't have an urgent need to get rid of them.

So if you have Davis, LeBron, Wagner and Svi as the remaining guys under contract, you'd have to believe they'd have a chance to round out the roster with something like Bogdanovic, Green and McConnell along with bringing back McGee and Lance (dunno how their cap holds would affect things and what they'd be able to do if they renounced them).

I think they could definitely put together a title contender immediately if they planned it out right. If they can win right now, you have to go for it. People get caught up in potential too much and what could be instead of what is.

That list is a lot of guys in their primes looking to get paid and some bit vets. I’m not sure what kind of feasible championship roster you can make there when considering the salaries they want. I’m also not convinced it’s the best option we have for the franchise moving forward.

A month ago you said we didn’t have the assets to trade for AD and Boston had way more leverage and assets. Look at us now. Just let the young guys grow and build their value. If we play this right we could get AD without selling the farm. Pelicans fans on reddit/Twitter seem to be resigned to only getting 2 of our young core plus picks yet you guys wanna give blank checks...

 

[Reid2Achieve]

I'm not saying to automatically pull the trigger. I'm saying you can clearly build a strong roster.

You don't take contracts back unless they're letting you keep BI and Kuz.

You're assuming Bucks are willing to pay Middleton supermax. Just a year ago people were talking like he ain't worth even the regular max.

If you do strike out on Middleton, KD, Kawhi, Klay, and Jimmy, then you still can add Cousins, DAJ, Bledsoe, Tobias Harris, or Gasol and have money left over for shooters and defensive specialists.

If Bongs can hit the three like he was in G-league and is a plus defender, he can definitely start for a team that already has Bron, AD, and Middleton. All you need him to do is play D and hit open threes. Think of him like a cheap Danny Green.

If the Bucks let Middleton walk then they will be sweating even harder at Giannis’ free agency countdown. They have to re-sign him... Especially considering their success this year. He may make the all-star team in the East. Also, he’s not eligible for the supermax. Just a standard max.

 

[10bandz]

That list is a lot of guys in their primes looking to get paid and some bit vets. I’m not sure what kind of feasible championship roster you can make there when considering the salaries they want. I’m also not convinced it’s the best option we have for the franchise moving forward.

A month ago you said we didn’t have the assets to trade for AD and Boston had way more leverage and assets. Look at us now. Just let the young guys grow and build their value. If we play this right we could get AD without selling the farm. Pelicans fans on reddit/Twitter seem to be resigned to only getting 2 of our young core plus picks yet you guys wanna give blank checks...

Exactly. Every 10 pages or so this thread devolves into a bunch of bron slurpers saying dumbass shyt. It wouldnt even take all of 4 our core young guys to get AD if he requested a trade to us

 

[Regular_P]

That list is a lot of guys in their primes looking to get paid and some bit vets. I’m not sure what kind of feasible championship roster you can make there when considering the salaries they want. I’m also not convinced it’s the best option we have for the franchise moving forward.

A month ago you said we didn’t have the assets to trade for AD and Boston had way more leverage and assets. Look at us now. Just let the young guys grow and build their value. If we play this right we could get AD without selling the farm. Pelicans fans on reddit/Twitter seem to be resigned to only getting 2 of our young core plus picks yet you guys wanna give blank checks...

I still think Tatum is Boston's trump card if they're serious about getting Brow. If they refuse to include him, LA can make a more enticing offer for sure.

Do you really think Danny Green, TJ McConnell, one of the Morris twins, Aminu, Rose, Ariza, Beverley and Redikk are gonna command monster salaries? Dinwiddie and Bogdanovic are the only two I could see getting a ridiculous overpay. When you have a contending team, there's always quality vets who will take less to play for that squad.

Keep this in mind too, Ingram's gonna be due for an extension in 2020. Otto Porter got 4/$100 million so you have to assume Ingram's getting an offer sheet for something like that or more. Would you rather have Davis on the books for $37-40 million a year or Ingram at $25+?

I'd be shocked if something happened in season and a lot will probably be determined by how everybody plays in the playoffs. If they get smoked while the youngins stink up the joint, players are gonna get traded.

 

[Reid2Achieve]

I still think Tatum is Boston's trump card if they're serious about getting Brow. If they refuse to include him, LA can make a more enticing offer for sure.

Do you really think Danny Green, TJ McConnell, one of the Morris twins, Aminu, Rose, Ariza, Beverley and Redikk are gonna command monster salaries? Dinwiddie and Bogdanovic are the only two I could see getting a ridiculous overpay. When you have a contending team, there's always quality vets who will take less to play for that squad.

Keep this in mind too, Ingram's gonna be due for an extension in 2020. Otto Porter got 4/$100 million so you have to assume Ingram's getting an offer sheet for something like that or more. Would you rather have Davis on the books for $37-40 million a year or Ingram at $25+?

I'd be shocked if something happened in season and a lot will probably be determined by how everybody plays in the playoffs. If they get smoked while the youngins stink up the joint, players are gonna get traded.

Dinwiddie already got extended so he’s off the table. Redikk wants to stay near NYC because of his family. We reportedely tried to get him last summer.

And I didn’t say monster salaries but $34M can be eaten up very easily and a lot teams will have capspace this summer. I can see Rose, Green, Morris Twins, and maybe Aminu looking for multi year contracts with over $10M/year annual value and teams will give it to them. Many of those guys are having great years.

What about the lack of perimeter defense and athleticism? That doesn’t concern you?

As for Ingram’s salary, we shall see. In another few months he may be untouchable again if he makes an in-season leap like he tends to do. I acknowledge his contract situation makes him the most likely to be moved. My main point here is blowing up your future and trading all your assets for one guy rarely turns out well unless you create a bonafide super team. I don’t think AD and Lebron and veteran role players are enough.

 

[Teko]

Dinwiddie already got extended so he’s off the table. Redikk wants to stay near NYC because of his family. We reportedely tried to get him last summer.

And I didn’t say monster salaries but $34M can be eaten up very easily and a lot teams will have capspace this summer. I can see Rose, Green, Morris Twins, and maybe Aminu looking for multi year contracts with over $10M/year annual value and teams will give it to them. Many of those guys are having great years.

What about the lack of perimeter defense and athleticism? That doesn’t concern you?

As for Ingram’s salary, we shall see. In another few months he may be untouchable again if he makes an in-season leap like he tends to do. I acknowledge his contract situation makes him the most likely to be moved. My main point here is blowing up your future and trading all your assets for one guy rarely turns out well unless you create a bonafide super team. *I don’t think AD and Lebron and veteran role players are enough.*

Wow. The Cavs roster demonstrated that Lebron and average role players can take you far. Add in AD and they are beating pretty much everybody.

 

[Flex Luger]

The buzz in Las Vegas, where most of the league's executives gathered over the past few days for the NBA G League Winter Showcase, is that Davis will end up with either the Boston Celtics or Lakers before the 2019-20 season.

"It's a renewal of the NBA's great rivalries, just not on the court but behind the scenes," one executive said.

The primary link to the Lakers is Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who is the player agent for both James and Davis. That connection is a conflict of interest, at least in the view of several teams.

"I'm not worried about James tampering to the media about AD. It's that James and Paul are mafioso mob bosses of the NBA that's the problem," a Western Conference general manager said.

If Paul was hired by Davis to get him out of New Orleans and on to a contender—as suggested by one executive—and specifically to the Lakers (as several other front-office personnel said was the reason), then Davis has already written off the Pelicans' financial advantage.

One wrinkle in any Davis deal is the 15 percent trade bonus in his contract. The Pelicans would be responsible for an extra $4.1 million payment to Davis if he's dealt in July or $5.4 million if they decide to move him this season at the deadline.

"There's no way they're paying that trade kicker," a Western Conference executive said. "None."

That's where Paul has a potential trump card in leverage, which is something like, "We'll only waive the bonus if you trade Davis to the Lakers.

Anthony Davis' Trade Kicker Gives LA Lakers Leverage

 

[Sinnerman]

Anthony Davis' Trade Kicker Gives LA Lakers Leverage

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Dinwiddie already got extended so he’s off the table. Redikk wants to stay near NYC because of his family. We reportedely tried to get him last summer.

And I didn’t say monster salaries but $34M can be eaten up very easily and a lot teams will have capspace this summer. I can see Rose, Green, Morris Twins, and maybe Aminu looking for multi year contracts with over $10M/year annual value and teams will give it to them. Many of those guys are having great years.

What about the lack of perimeter defense and athleticism? That doesn’t concern you?

As for Ingram’s salary, we shall see. In another few months he may be untouchable again if he makes an in-season leap like he tends to do. I acknowledge his contract situation makes him the most likely to be moved. My main point here is blowing up your future and trading all your assets for one guy rarely turns out well unless you create a bonafide super team. I don’t think AD and Lebron and veteran role players are enough.

What about

LeBron and The Brow
A center for around $25 million like DAJ, Cousins, or Gasol.
A 3-and-D for around $9 million like Danny Green, Aminu, or Ariza
Plus Bonga, Svi, and Zubac
Plus some vets who want to compete, you can grab one for the midlevel exemption, one for the every-other-year exemption, and try to get a couple others to sign for the minimum (another PG of Beverly, Barea, or Rivers, big man depth with Gortat, Ed Davis, or Robin Lopez, and a couple swingmen out of Carroll, Dudley, Nick Young, Gerald Green, Thabo, or Jeff Green)

You really gonna claim that a team built from that can't compete for a ring? AD and LeBron are the first and second options, the rest of that mix gives you plenty of defense and shooting to round out the team.

Which part of that do you think couldn't work?

Like I said, I'm not saying that's the "preferable" option. Maybe Zo, BI, and Kuz are developing fast enough that you don't want to get rid of them. I'm just pointing out that LeBron + AD + $33 million or so in cap space is enough of a core to build a contender with even if you don't get Kawhi/KD/Butler/Middleton/Klay with that $33 mil.

 

[10bandz]

Wow. The Cavs roster demonstrated that Lebron and average role players can take you far. Add in AD and they are beating pretty much everybody.

Stop leaving out the fact it was in the East and Boston didn't have their 2 best players. It's not the same in the West going up against a healthy Warriors squad in the WCFs after having to battle it out with the likes of OKC, Denver, etc in the previous rounds.

 

[camer999]

Stop leaving out the fact it was in the East and Boston didn't have their 2 best players. It's not the same in the West going up against a healthy Warriors squad in the WCFs after having to battle it out with the likes of OKC, Denver, etc in the previous rounds.

Still would’ve gotten a game off the warriors sans and George hill missed free throw and JR debacle. With this improved roster that might as well be two games in the playoffs vs lesser teams. Basically I have us over everyone unless OKC continues ballin and the warriors because they are the warriors.

Edit: If the young guns don’t falter under the pressure of the playoffs.

 

[Flex Luger]

 

[Regular_P]

Dinwiddie already got extended so he’s off the table. Redikk wants to stay near NYC because of his family. We reportedely tried to get him last summer.

And I didn’t say monster salaries but $34M can be eaten up very easily and a lot teams will have capspace this summer. I can see Rose, Green, Morris Twins, and maybe Aminu looking for multi year contracts with over $10M/year annual value and teams will give it to them. Many of those guys are having great years.

What about the lack of perimeter defense and athleticism? That doesn’t concern you?

As for Ingram’s salary, we shall see. In another few months he may be untouchable again if he makes an in-season leap like he tends to do. I acknowledge his contract situation makes him the most likely to be moved. My main point here is blowing up your future and trading all your assets for one guy rarely turns out well unless you create a bonafide super team. I don’t think AD and Lebron and veteran role players are enough.

Ideally, I'd actually want to keep Ball if they traded for Brow. They already have Holiday anyway. Green, Beverley, Ariza and Aminu are all capable perimeter defenders though. And again, if they had LeBron and Brow, I think vets would go to LA for less just for a chance to win a title. That's usually how it works.

I said before the season that I think GS is more vulnerable than people think this season. Beyond that two headed monster of Curry and Durant, they're really thin and if Houston could push them to the brink with Harden and Paul, why couldn't Bron and Brow do the same or better?

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

Give thanks, glad he’s alright. Pneumonia tho?