Is every hot take in this thread going to be gunned down in a fullisade of reasonable responses? If so I’m out.
72 Suburbs in Search of a City: Anthony Davis to Los Angeles Lakers
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
Right, it's not just Paul George -- I believe there's an Anthony Davis thread here filled with posts doubting that the Lakers would land Davis. For god's sakes I'm not arguing that Pelinka deserves some sort of respect -- he doesn't -- but it's a bottom-line business and he did close the deal.
I'm not saying that LA paid too high a price for AD, but crediting them for simply getting him (without examining the ways in which the price paid now constrains them) barely rises to the level of thought.
To then go from there to crediting Pelinka for LBJ going to LA is like saying Patrick McCaw was a key contributor to the Raptors' championship.
Yep...I think the bar for Pelinka is McCaw-esque -- did he fuck it up? Some people are born on 3rd base and think....
Basically anyone with signing authority could throw 28 unprotected picks at New Orleans and get AD. There's no genius to that. If he closed that deal with kids and #4 alone, that would be impressive. But he didn't.
I'm not sure how much credit he deserves for inking Lebron either, since Magic was supposed the top hat and tails of that operation. And he does deserve some credit for getting a four year commitment, rather than 1+1.
I get it--best player in the deal wins the trade, they landed their guy, etc., but I just don't see how throwing buckets of unprotecteds at a team who absolutely has to trade away an asset implies some kind of skill or acumen. Jury is clearly out on Pelinka.
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I don't buy the idea that Pelinka discussed timing was never got any traction so he just had to go ahead and close the deal. Without knowing anything about him, the fact that Pelinka hasn't said anything in his defense (or leaked something to a reporter) makes me believe that he didn't do it.
Also, even leaving that issue behind, it's pretty clear he didn't talk to AD about waiving his trade kicker - which had nothing to do with completing the trade. Not that AD would have done it but the fact it wasn't discussed shows me that at best, Pelinka is "learning on the job."
Also, even leaving that issue behind, it's pretty clear he didn't talk to AD about waiving his trade kicker - which had nothing to do with completing the trade. Not that AD would have done it but the fact it wasn't discussed shows me that at best, Pelinka is "learning on the job."
It’s also pretty unclear what the bolded means when future unprotecteds are involved. By definition they’re not the best player, and there are tons of examples of the team that got them winning the trade. There’s a reason that no one since Billy King has been willing to structure a deal like this.
No argument here at all.
My point is that I understand those who don't care that the Lakers may have just bought a house with a balloon mortgage and possibly set up the NOP for the next decade. Target guy, get guy, future be damned is a POV. They got their guy, and the assets that they gave up in the short term are insignificant IMO. Spiking that football is fair.
What I do not get whatsoever is how this possibly demonstrates Pelinka or Lakers ownership savvy. Their guy hamstrung the trade to them through his agent. He shot his way off the current team. And the famed stable of young guys wasn't enough to make it happen without the #4 and the king's ransom of future picks. Somehow they bought high in a firesale.
To continue with your analogy. Not only did the Lakers buy high in a "firesale", but the other buyers would only get to live in the house for 1 year. While the Lakers get to live in it for 6 years. Rich Paul couldn't have been more succinct, he screamed this from the mountain top. Klutch/Bron put AD on a silver platter for Laker mgmt. The Lakers were practically bidding against themselves.
While its true the Lakers were on the clock (Lebron window), so were the Pelicans (they wanted to move on from the AD drama). Once again Klutch applied maximum pressure here for 8 months, making a mockery of the Pelicans season for the Laker's benefit. Dressing AD up in a "That's All Folks" t-shirt as the final FU to the Pelicans.
But that's all beside the point. Because in their haste, its speculated Pelinka & Co screwed up the Laker cap space and the AD kicker. There were ZERO reasons for them to be hasty or to do a "fill or kill trade". This trade, with these 3-4 players & picks, had been telegraphed for months.
If this doesn't go as planned for the Lakers next season this could go very pear-shaped. AND no this isn't a Toronto situation, the Raptors had an experienced, deep roster around Kawhi that had the flexibility to make deals during the season (see Gasol).
Looking forward to watching the Laker drama unfold with Pelinka, Jeannie and Linda running things. Klutch/Bron have to be skeptical about these nitwits. Maybe Erv's instincts were correct
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The great thing is that the Lakers may not get six years. Davis’ loyalty was to LeBron/Klutch and their securing movie roles for him in the Space Jam reboot/franchise. If James has no long range plans to stay in LA (and he’s never had those sorts of plans before) then the odds are in favor of the new Davis deal being four years with an ETO.
Wizards need to eff right off.
Lakers traded Mo Wagner, Issac Bonga, and Jermerio Jones to Washington as part of the AD trade. AD has also waived his $4 million trade kicker. All per Woj. They now have $32 million in cap space so they have a max slot now.
Lakers traded Mo Wagner, Issac Bonga, and Jermerio Jones to Washington as part of the AD trade. AD has also waived his $4 million trade kicker. All per Woj. They now have $32 million in cap space so they have a max slot now.
It's not surprising. All the plugged in guys have been saying for days that they'd have max cap space. They're going to land that third guy.
It's annoying that their fumbling and idiocy hasn't screwed them like it would other franchises. However, it will be that much more entertaining to watch them not win a championship.
I know you're just venting, but you can't really think that LAL couldn't find one team to take these players?
There's always one sucker out there and the Lakers found the one without a GM.
If you were 'Zards' GM, you would have done it too. Why does WAS care of LAL has a max slot? They're winning about 20 games next year.
But the Wizards didn’t extract assets as part of the deal? The Lakers were over a barrel.
I thought that was the only way the trade worked at all cap wise, but I could be wrong.
They got a 2022 2nd according to Shams, I guess that counts as an asset from a team that literally has 1 asset left, and they were never getting Kuzma.
Maybe they liked Wagner? He was a first round pick one year ago. It's not like the Wizards have a lot of options. Taking fliers on a couple of cheap guys at no real acquisition cost is not a bad move. If they didn't do it someone else would have. These weren't toxic contracts.
LeBron better be spending a lot of time in Germany this summer preparing for those minutes next year.
Hypothetical:
Kyrie (max)
KCP (room)
JR Smith (vet exception)
Kyle Korver (vet exception)
Nerlens Noel (vet exception)
Add those guys to Lebron, AD and Kuzma and you have your 8-man rotation. Then add a buyout guy or two at the deadline. Next summer they'll have their first round pick, MLE and bi-annual to add depth.
They did it. It was a mess getting there, but they did it.
Lakers still think they're in the Kawhi hunt. Also, LeBron is gifting AD his #23...
https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-le-bron-james-giving-anthony-davis-the-no-23-182527185.html
JR Smith, Korver or Noel having to start and play big mins when you load manage Kyrie/Kawhi, LBJ and AD is pretty rough. The West may have a crazy situation next year where the worst possible place to finish is with the best record because you'll have to face the Warriors (minus KD) or Lakers at full strength in the first round.
Edit: I think the Lakers would be better-served to break up that money to use on some mid-range guys like Seth Curry and Danny Greene, but I think theyre focused on getting stars.
If a max player goes to the Lakers, I really want it to be Kyrie. Might end up working out for them in the end but the day-to-day drama would be amazing.
If the Lakers end up with a KL, LBJ & AD core, the Load_Management.xls file is gonna be insane.
Maybe we’re finally done with the “Pelinka doesn’t know the CBA rules” now.
The Wizards have had the same guy calling the shots for like two decades. The “no GM” line is getting old too.
Only if you retire the "Kemba ain't leaving Charlotte" stuff if he does.
No one here is 100%.
Of course they knew. The only people who didn’t think the Lakers weren’t going to be able to open space were those buying the Pelinka is Stepien belief. Now the haters will make silly jokes about LeBrons minutes as if half the league aren’t FA and veterans wouldn’t want minutes on the Championship favorites. Oh boy this will be fun.
If Jordan allows Kemba to leave over money then yes it will be as mind boggling to me as the suggestion that Pelinka doesn’t understand the CBA. I would love to hear someone with a defense of Jordan here though. I can’t find an angle.Only if you retire the "Kemba ain't leaving Charlotte" stuff if he does.
No one here is 100%.
The Laker's got AD gift wrapped by Klutch, screw Pelinka and his perpetual George Hamilton glow.
Lakerfreud forever!
I am lol at all the experts that mocked the Lakers. NBA media knows less than nothing. You actually get dumber reading their bullshit.
Yup.
SpaceJam2 + #23 = Waive trade kicker.
I’d say no based on how LeBron’s teams have historically been built with veterans
He has been linked to them in the event that they don't land any of their other targets so the answer is yes.
Yeah, this thread has been pure silliness. It's all good to mock...but to be entertaining doesn't it at least have to have some connection to reality? On the flip, these were obvious/easy moves the only reason they're news is because people somehow convinced themselves the Lakers had screwed themselves. I'd still like to see if Pelinka can spend this $32 million in a smart way. Leonard is the obvious first choice but I think (hope?) he ends up with the Clippers. Beyond that even if stars are generally a better use of money, with the Davis/LeBron core I wonder about splitting up their $32 million -- B. Lopez, D Lo, and Beverly are all pretty good fits and could get 2 of those 3.
What do you consider a “veteran” for these purposes? He’ll be in his 5th season in the league this year, or one season more tenured than Kyrie was when LeBron went back to Cleveland.
He’s still a kid in his young 20’s looking to make his mark in the league as a star. If it’s a younger role player it would be someone like a Nerlens but more like the Arizas and those 30+ but I expect them to land a legit 3rd star. If not Kawhi then Kyrie would be the obvious choice if he’s willing to be a sidekick after being 2nd team All-NBA.
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