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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThe most distressing rumor an NBA fan can hear is that their favorite team is seriously considering a trade that makes absolutely no sense, which is exactly how I feel about the Lakers trading for the Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan.
No disrespect to DeRozan, he’s a proven veteran 20-points, 5-rebounds, and 5-assists per game former two-time All-NBA player and Los Angeles native who grew up rooting for the purple and gold and idolizing Kobe Bryant. DeMar’s only 31-years old, is obviously available, is a reliable scorer who can get his own shot and create for others, and arguably could fill the Lakers’ need for a third star to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The problem is DeMar’s fit on a defense-first Lakers team whose greatest offensive need is improved 3-point shooting to stop opposing teams from from packing the paint to prevent James and Davis from getting to the rim. The 6′ 6,” 220 lb DeRozan was the 10th worst defender on a Spurs team that was the 24th worst defensive team in the league and shot just 25.7% from deep last season, below his poor 28.2% career 3-point percentage.
So the question is what are the Lakers thinking? How can they seriously be considering trading for DeRozan when his mere presence on the court is likely to downgrade their defense and limit spacing for James and Davis? DeRozan has $27.7 million left on his 1-year contract, meaning the Lakers would have to send $22.2 million in return, which they could do with Green’s $15.4 million, Kuzma’s $3.6 million, and McGee’s $4.2 million.
Why the Spurs would like to do that is simple: Kyle Kuzma. But why the Lakers would swap their best trading chip and valuable expiring contracts for a star player who doesn’t fit and is on an expiring contract is a mystery? Assuming there’s some truth to the rumors and knowing Rob Pelinka’s a savvy and smart basketball executive, let’s see if a DeRozan trade could make sense when viewed in the context of other moves and strategies.
First, adding DeRozan, who can deliver 20-points, 5-rebounds, and 5-assists per game, could be transformative for the Lakers, who clearly lack a player who can get a high percentage shot for himself or a teammate at any time. Second, maybe the Lakers don’t have the assets to trade for a player of the quality of Jrue Holiday, Victor Oladipo, or Myles Turner. Maybe DeRozan is the best available option as a third star to complement James and Davis.
The truth is the Lakers spent most of their valuable trading chips to acquire Anthony Davis and the players they would be giving up for DeRozan are likely not as appealing to other teams as Lakers fans believe them to be. After all, Kuzma hasn’t developed as expected and wants a bigger raise than the Lakers are willing to give him, Green has not lived up to his resume or $15 million salary, and McGee became basically unplayable in the playoffs.
So what are you really giving up in a DeRozan trade? DeMar is arguably a major upgrade at starting shooting guard over Green and neither Kuzma or McGee were significant contributors to the Lakers 2020 championship run. While there are obvious fit issues to resolve, the major objections to trading for DeMar are based on the possibly questionable opinion the Lakers should be able to get a better player than DeRozan for Kuzma, Green, and McGee.
While the fit issues are real and he’s not a good defender or 3-point shooter, DeRozan does have legitimate strengths that fill major needs for the Lakers on offense, namely his ability to get his own shot and make plays for others. DeMar could be the third scorer and second playmaker the Lakers need to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He’s also capable of being a go to player down the stretch who force doubles and finds open shooters.
The problem is how to account for DeRozan’s mediocre defense and lack of gravity from beyond the arc? The answer could be as simple as making changes to the Lakers’ starting lineup and roster to ameliorate those issues. For example, the Lakers could sign a stretch five center like Serge Ibaka or Aron Baynes, whose elite and prolific 3-point shooting can stretch defenses and create spacing for James, Davis, and DeRozan to attack the rim?
Replacing a traditional low post center like Howard or McGee with a modern stretch center like Ibaka or Baynes would transform the Lakers 3-point game and enable them to play 5-out sets to spread defenses and open up lanes. That’s a perfect offensive environment for DeRozan to take advantage of his ability to score in the paint via high percentage jumpers and easy layups or create easy scoring opportunities for teammates with his elite playmaking.
Finally, there’s another reason the Lakers might want to trade for DeMar DeRozan over other star players who arguably fit better like Jrue Holiday, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, or Chris Paul, which is his expiring contract. While the Lakers are in a ‘win now’ mode, there’s no evidence Rob Pelinka is planning to abandon his grand plan to create maximum cap space to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo next offseason despite the impact of coronavirus.
Despite Kawhi’s rejection last summer, Pelinka stubbornly refused to sign players to contracts for more than two years, opting to preserve as much cap space as possible to sign Giannis or another legitimate third superstar. While the pandemic may have dimmed the Lakers’ chances of creating the cap space for a third superstar, Rob Pelinka may still be committed to the original plan and unwilling to take on more than 1-year contracts.
That would certainly explain why the Lakers might be looking at DeRozan as their best viable option for a major roster upgrade this season without compromising their plans to pursue a third superstar next offseason. Trading for DeRozan and signing Ibaka or Baynes could be the Lakers best option to respond to the major challenges they’re likely to face as the Clippers, Bucks, Warriors, Celtics, and Heat all upgrade their rosters.
The Lakers have never been focused on winning single championships and Rob Pelinka knows LeBron James’ seeming invincibility will come to an end and the Lakers will need another superstar to complement Anthony Davis. The dream of a Lakers’ Big Three and a superstar to pair with AD may be what’s driving the Lakers to pursue DeMar DeRozan as a 1-year option to repeat as NBA champions while still keeping the big picture plan alive.
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5 Comments-
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PG: KCP, Rondo, #28 Pick
SG: DeRozan, Caruso
SF: LeBron, THT
PF: Davis, Morris, Dudley
CE: Ibaka, Howard, Cousins-
Get Goran Dragic and Ibaka, re-sign Boogie as backup, Trade DGreen to the Knicks for first round draft pick and change. Start THT at 2. Find ABradley’s replacement. The guy doesn’t want to play with this pandemic and chance bringing it home to his daughter.
Dudley and McGee for bench. These guys make the team fun on or off the court.
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Love to get Dragic and Ibaka but cannot get both with $9.3M MLE. Be lucky to get one. And if we are really going to trade for DeRozan, we have to have Ibaka. Can’t play DeMar with Howard or McGee and Boogie’s still a big question mark. Bradley looks like he’s opting out.
Dudley for 15th man for sure. Some Dudley stats. 42.9% on 3-point shots was best on team for players who took more than 40 attempts.
Dudley 98.4 defensive rating was not only the best on the Lakers for the regular season but the only player under 100. Even better than Alex Caruso’s excellent 101.0.
BEST 15TH MAN IN THE LEAGUE
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By the way, Sean, Vince Carter was more like the 13th man on the Hawks, averaging 14.6 minutes per game while Dudley was true 15th man averaging only 8.1 minutes per game. I still stand by Jared Dudley being the Best 15th Man in the NBA.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreWhile we discussed the Top 4 Moves Lakers Could Realistically Pull Off to Repeat as NBA Champions in our last article, we can’t ignore the possibility the Lakers will be able to pull off a blockbuster trade for a third superstar.
While pundits constantly remind us the Lakers gave up most of their trading chips in their mega deal for Anthony Davis, winning a championship may have elevated the value of several of the remaining players on their roster. Championship resumes for young players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, and Talen Horton-Tucker and expiring contracts of proven vets like Danny Green, Avery Bradley, or JaVale McGee may be worth more.
The economic landscape in the NBA has also changed dramatically due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the shortened 2021 season being sacrificed as teams and players make moves hoping to setup a normal 2022 season. Suddenly, there are rumors of big name players like Jrue Holiday, Chris Paul, Gordon Hayward, Victor Oladipo, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, James Harden, and Giannis Antetokounmpo possibly being on the move.
With that in mind, here are the top four moves, with the help of the basketball gods, savvy negotiations, and competitors focusing elsewhere, the Lakers just might magically pull off to repeat as NBA champions:
1. Trade for Jrue Holiday
The top magical move the Lakers could make to improve their chances of repeating as NBA champions would be to trade with the New Orleans Pelicans for 30-year old, 6′ 3,” 205 lb All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday.
Since Holiday will make $26.2 million next season, the Lakers will have to send out $20.1 million in salaries for the trade to be legal. The problem for the Lakers will not be matching salaries but making a good enough offer. Holiday will be one of the top trade targets on the market and the competition for him will be intense so the Lakers need to put together their best offer to have any chance at landing the Pelicans’ elite point guard.
The competitors may include the Brooklyn Nets who may offer Caris LeVert, the Golden State Warriors who may offer Andrew Wiggins and the 2nd pick in the 2020 draft, and the Boston Celtics who may offer Gordon Hayward. But there are so many elite players on the market the Lakers could get lucky as there’s a good chance the short offseason NBA free agency period could turn into a form of musical chairs where Jrue Holiday falls to the Lakers.
Since Holiday would be a perfect fit alongside LeBron and AD, the Lakers should go all in with an offer that includes Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($15M S&T), and their 2020 first round pick. That would give the Lakers a third superstar to go with LeBron and AD and the ability to bring back Rondo, Morris, and Howard to go with Green, Bradley, Horton-Tucker, McGee, and whomever they sign with their MLE.
Holiday would give the Lakers the third superstar, reliable third scorer, and elite second playmaker to defend their championship as well as a two time All-Defensive player with solid experience playing with AD and Rondo.
2. Trade for Myles Turner
While trading for Holiday would transform the Lakers, pulling off a mega trade for 24-year old, 6′ 11,” 250 lb Indiana Pacers’ center Myles Turner could have just as great an impact on the Lakers’ championship window.
Like Holiday, Turner has attracted great interest and will be one of the most sought after trade targets this offseason as the Pacers look to retool their front court around players who better fit with rising star Domantas Sabonis. The Lakers’ major trade competition for Myles Turner will be many of the same teams and same offers they would need to beat to acquire Jrue Holiday: the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, and Boston Celtics.
Because Turner is only making $18.0 million, the Lakers only have to offer $14.4 million for the trade to work. Like Holiday, however, the Lakers will need to make an offer that’s tempting enough to beat other teams’ offers. The Lakers need to go all-in if they expect the Pacers to trade Turner to them, making an offer similar to their offer for Holiday of Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($15M S&T), and their first round pick.
While Jrue Holiday qualifies a true third superstar, Myles Turner does not. What he would bring to the Lakers starting lineup though could be just as impactful as he’s the ideal modern center to play alongside Anthony Davis. Turner allows Davis to play his preferred power forward position and has the skills as a center to transform the Lakers into a juggernaut at both ends with his elite 3-point shooting, rim protection, and perimeter defense.
The best analogy why the Lakers should trade for Myles Turner is he’s a mini clone of Anthony Davis and would enable the Lakers to play their version of ‘small ball’ for the entire game rather than just half of the game.
3. Trade for Victor Oladipo
Because of risks due to his subpar play coming back from a quad injury, trading for 28-year old, 6′ 4,” 213 lb guard Victor Oladipo isn’t the slam dunk trading for either Jrue Holiday or Myles Turner would be.
But the payoff could be just as great if Victor recovers 100% to become the budding superstar he was two years ago when he was ranked one of the best shooting guards in league, making the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams. While Victor’s trade value is low right now because of concerns about his injury and the ability to re-sign him, there will still be competing teams looking to trade for him, including the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks.
Since Victor makes $21.0 million, the Lakers need to include $16.8 million in salaries to make the trade work. The Lakers should offer the Pacers Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, and their 2020 first round pick for Victor Oladipo. Considering there’s some risk due to the injury and his free agency status, the Lakers’ offer should be enough to convince the Pacers to accept the offer. From the Lakers’ perspective, there’s little risk of Victor not re-signing.
One of the most appealing aspects of trading for Victor is his potential as a legitimate third superstar who’s young enough to help LeBron James and Anthony Davis win now and then to co-star with AD once LeBron retires. Because the Lakers would receive Oladipo’s Bird rights in the trade, they would then be allowed to go over the cap to re-sign him to a max contract, which is the only sure way to add a third max player to their roster.
While trading for Oladipo is riskier than trading for Holiday or Turner, the upside is greater since he has the potential to be a genuine third superstar whereas Jrue and Myles were just perfect catalysts for LeBron and AD.
4. Trade for Christian Wood
With Anthony Davis committing to re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Christian Wood becomes the preeminent free agent big man this offseason, which means there’s a good chance there will be a bidding war to land him.
While some free agent pundits established Wood’s market value around $10 million per year, other analysts have suggested he could command as much as $15 to $17 million per year based on his breakout 2020 year with the Pistons. The maximum contract the Lakers should offer Christian Wood is a three-year $48 million deal starting at $16 million per year. Combined with a chance to win a championship, that should be an offer he just can’t refuse.
Assuming the Lakers can come to an agreement with Christian Wood on a contract, all that remains is working out an acceptable sign-and-trade deal the Detroit Pistons will accept as equitable compensation for trading him. The obvious centerpiece to the sign-and-trade deal is Lakers forward and Flint, Michigan native Kyle Kuzma, about whom the Lakers and Pistons had already had trade discussions before the trade deadline last winter.
A sign-and-trade between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers of Christian Wood in return for a package of Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, and JaVale McGee should be enough compensation to facilitate the deal. The Lakers get a player who could transform their team and clear cap space to give raises to AD, KCP, and Rondo and use their MLE and BAE to further upgrade their roster despite being limited by the $138.9 million hard cap.
Pairing 6′ 10″ Christian Wood and his 7′ 3″ wingspan with 6′ 10″ Anthony Davis and his 7′ 6″ wingspan would give the Lakers unprecedented size and length and a monster front court that would be a nightmare matchup.
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Great article LT! I feel like these are all pretty balanced proposals. The only one I had a question on was the one for Wood. Feels like we’re sending out more salary than necessary since you have Wood theoretically signing for $16ish mil and we’re sending out over $26 million. I believe Detroit would need to add another player to make the money work. Might as well try to keep Cook and his partially guaranteed deal to provide our own team with some cap flexibility, should it come down to getting under the apron for some reason or another.
I’ll rank them in t4rms of my personal level of excitement:
#4: Trade for Wood. I think we both agree that while being the least proven of all the players listed Wood will likely be the cheapest to acquire and fills a solid need both now and on down the line. Picking up a player that can be counted on in any game to fill the 5 spot and space the floor is essential to keeping AD fresh for the playoffs for those series where he plays a lot at the five.
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Weird. I edited the comment but the edits all vanished…bummer.
It was a long comment so I’ll reprise it in a nutshell:
#4 – Wood, as listed above.
#3 – Turner, more expensive to acquire but more proven than Wood.
#2 – Trade for Oladipo. Mentioned we could actually land both Turner and Oladipo if we get uber-creative. Personally I have big time concerns for trading that much for a player as injured as he’s looked. The cautionary tales of Isaiah Thomas and Gordon Hayward ought to be at least remembered.
#4 – Trade for Jrue. Feels out of reach and it’s a lot of talent to ship out for one player. Our strength was being able to change looks and when you reduce the cast and focus so much on star talent I worry that we erode the ability Frank had to deploy so many different styles of play, on both ends. Don’t see the AD trade as a hindrance, Griffin is a pro and if we have the best offer he won’t snub us. Obviosuly he’s the best superstar fit for AD and LBJ.There was a lot more but it’s evidently lost in the mists of time. C’est la vie. GOod one, keep ’em coming LT.
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Thanks, Jamie,
I had to leave early this morning to go to California City, CA on a consulting gig so I cobbled together the Christian Wood section of the article from previous articles and obviously screwed up the trade. I’ll fix the article later. Thanks for the alert.
The key to trading for Wood is selling him on the contract amount and the benefit of getting paid that amount to play for the Lakers. Once you sell Christian on the deal (3 years at $16 million per year for $48 million total), then you have leverage over the Pistons, although we’ll have to give them more than just Danny Green’s $15 million contract. That something is Kyle Kuzma, who’s a Detroit metro native having grown up in Flynt, MI.
So you’re right Wood would cost less than the other four both from a standpoint of trade assets and salary paid out. The S&T would limit what we could pay to keep KCP and Rondo but it would still be workable although we might run out of enough cap space under the $139 apron to use the full MLE. I might include McGee just to get more room under the apron to re-sign Morris and Howard.
Christian is not the proven player or defender as Turner but I think his potential offensively is way higher than Myles. Wood is a tiger attacking the rim and may have greater gravity from deep. And, like you pointed out, he is the cheapest option. And maybe the easiest to sign since we only have to get him to agree and then the Pistons have little choice.
The other thing that impresses me is Wood’s athleticism. He has some great hops and although needs to bulk to play the five all the time, can stay with guards attacking the rim and block their shots ala AD. He’s probably a reach for the veteran oriented Lakers but we can hope.
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LOL. Sorry about the lost comment. I’m writing this in Word because I’ve had the same thing happen to me. It’s the Youzer/Buddy Press plugin and I’ve notified them of the problem so hopefully it will fixed in the future. For now, this is my workaround with long responses.
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I also love Turner as he’s proven and bigger body than Wood but harder to land and would cost more in assets. But I would take him in a snap. The other option that I really like if the price is right is Obaka. Great defender and 3-point shooter.
I know most think we need a point guard but I think getting a 5 who can do what AD can do would have even more impact. Two pterodactyls protecting the rim would be like putting a lid over the basket or like that smaller rim coaches put on the rim to make it harder to shoot and give teams more rebounds to fight for. That’s why Wood and Turner would be great.I do like Dipo and would gamble is we can’t land Wood or Turner. And I do agree there will be more competition for Holiday than any of the others. What made angry about Gerald taking about my post is that he misconstrued or misunderstood what I was saying, which was the Lakers should be at the top of the list of competitors going after Holiday because of his fit and experience with AD and Rondo.
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Of course, Obaka for the taxpayer $5.6M MLE would also be a great option as a center next to AD.
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Definitely Agree;
#4 – I would love to see this happen. He is a bargain version of AD. If he can provide the same way as he did last season, he is going to be very valuable to the team.
#3 – As Jaime stated, a much proven version but a bit more expensive. Which is why it is necessary to really try to do #4 first before this move.#2 – The only way i would go this route if we can acquire both #3 and #2 with the reason if they can be their selves 2 seasons ago, then it would be hard for other teams to beat us.
#1 – This is the dream scenario but far fetch. Only to happen is David Griffin eats something that will make his eyes twinkle on every player the Lakers have. LOL
How about DRose, i have not seen him in the list anymore.
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I’d offer Kuzma, McGee and Green for Rose and a S&T for Wood, kind of doubt that Detroit does that, they’ll want picks we don’t have in the lottery range. They are going full rebuild but will be hampered by one of the more untradeable contracts in the NBA: one Blake Griffin who has a PO for 2021-22 for $38.9 mil which, barring 2 years of All Star level play that takes them deep into the playoffs, he won’t be seeing a better deal out there so unless he reeeeeeeally hates Detroit and money he’ll opt into. You could try to sell them on McGee is a solid backup for Griffin and the center they can use in spot duty, Green is the money we S&T Wood and Rose for and Kuzma is the future star that can play with McGee, and Griffin on the floor giving them a decent front court to build around and insures that, should Thon Maker leave, they have a center to allow Blake to play at the 4.
Leaves us a lot of our guards so if one feels strongly about holding onto McGee you could swamp Avery Bradley in but that would either mean we’re on the verge of over-paying for the potential of Wood taking on some of Detroit’s flotsam. If it’s me I keep Bradley, there aren’t a lot of solid 2-way players at the price he plays for and we can hold onto that very tradeable contract until closer to the deadline and have the ability to better address what mid-season needs we have.
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Detroit could pick up Svi’s option and send him over if it was Bradley, I think that would come very close t covering the needed salary matching parameters.
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Despite injury history, I’d much rather have Luke Kennard than Rose. Better skillset.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreWhile fans would like Rob Pelinka to pull off a blockbuster trade for a big name superstar like Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine, or Victor Oladipo, there are lesser, more realistic, championship caliber moves the Lakers can make.
That doesn’t mean the Lakers won’t try to shoot for the moon and pull off a blockbuster move. We all know Lakers’ Exceptionalism is not just a slogan; it’s a mantra that drives the Lakers just like Mamba Mentality drove Kobe. When you’re defending NBA champions, making sure you hang onto key players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Markieff Morris, and Dwight Howard may be the smart route to take rather than major change.
Sometimes, it’s the little tweaks to fill critical needs that can be the difference makers in a team being able to repeat as NBA champions. After all, the Lakers had great chemistry and were not challenged in the playoffs. That’s why simply adding a third scorer, second playmaker, elite wing defender, or modern center without giving up invaluable core components could be the ideal blueprint for the Lakers to pursue this offseason.
With that in mind, here are four moves the Lakers can realistically pull off to repeat as NBA champions without sacrificing any major contributors who were instrumental to the team winning their 17th NBA championship:
1. Trade for Chris Paul
The most realistic move the Lakers can make to improve their chances of repeating as NBA champions would be to trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder for 35-year old, 6′ 1,” 175 lb future HOF point guard Chris Paul.
Since CP3 will make $41.4 million next season, the Lakers will have to send out $33.1 million in salaries for the trade to be legal. For the Lakers to reach that amount, they would need Avery Bradley and JaVale McGee to opt in. That would let the Lakers trade the following six players with expiring contracts: JaVale McGee, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Kyle Kuzma, Quinn Cook, and either a re-signed Dion Waiters or Talen Horton-Tucker.
The Lakers would have to accept the $41.4 million due Chris next season and the $44.2 million player option due him the following season, which would mean $85.6 million in salary in a pandemic ravaged NBA economy. That’s a steep price for the Lakers to pay unless Paul gives the Lakers a buyout option for the second year of his $44.2 million contract, a possibility since he does want a chance to play in LA with LeBron and win a ring.
That might be the key to the trade since it would give the Lakers a way to move on from Chris without having to pay his full salary should his play decline dramatically or should he become injured, of which he has a history. And while the Lakers would sacrifice considerable depth to make the trade, they would still field a possible starting lineup of CP3, KCP, LeBron, AD, and Howard with a bench of Rondo, Caruso, THT, Dudley, and Cousins.
A healthy CP3 would give the Lakers a third scorer, second playmaker, and elite on-ball defender to go with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and make them odds on favorites to repeat and win another championship.
2. Sign Aron Baynes
One of the Los Angeles Lakers’ top priorities this offseason should be to to sign 33-year old, 6′ 10,” 260 lb Phoenix Suns free agent center Aron Baynes with their taxpayer $5.6 million MLE or non-taxpayer $9.3 million MLE.
While the Lakers succeeded playing a tandem of traditional centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard during the regular season, it became apparent both centers were liabilities and became almost unplayable in the playoffs. The problem on offense was JaVale and Dwight were not threats to shoot, which allowed teams to clog the paint against LeBron and AD, and on defense were too slow to defend against 3-point shooters on the perimeter.
While Baynes is not as good a shot blocker McGee or Howard are, he’s an excellent low post position defender who can protect the rim, control the boards, and has a reputation as both a savvy and capable team defender. He’s a great communicator who always makes the right rotations, defends with size and verticality, and is a rugged banger who would enable Anthony Davis to continue to play the four and roam the paint as a help shot blocker.
Where Baynes shines is on offense, where he’s a high percentage 3-point shooter who can stretch defenses and make it difficult for teams to clog the lane to prevent LeBron James and Anthony Davis from attacking the paint. Baynes only made $5.5 million with the Suns last season so the Lakers could have a great chance to sign him for the $5.6 million taxpayer MLE and offer him a starting role and a chance to win a championship ring.
A stretch five like Aron Baynes would let the Lakers play the modern version of ‘small ball’ basketball that transformed them into an offensive and defensive juggernaut in the playoffs 48 minutes per game going forward.
3. Sign Danilo Gallinari
The Lakers would be smart to convince 32-year old, 6′ 10,” 233 lb OKC Thunder veteran power forward Danilo Gallinari to sign with them for the $9.3 million non-taxpayer MLE and a chance to win a championship ring.
While Gallo earned $22.6 million last season, he made it imminently clear winning would be a bigger motivation than money when he makes his free agent decision for this offseason, which could open the door for the Lakers. Danilo has earned over $135 million during his NBA career, which makes it easier for him to consider joining the Lakers for $9.3 million and a chance to play with LeBron and AD and win his first championship ring.
The blueprint for LeBron James’ teams winning championships has always been surrounding him with 3-point shooting, which is why a sharpshooter like Danilo Gallinari would turbocharge and transform the Lakers’ offense. Gallo’s a 38.0% career 3-point shooter who shot 40.5% from deep last season on over 7 attempts per game, which rank as the third highest 3-point percentage and most 3-point shot attempts in his 12-year NBA career.
The Lakers’ 31.6 3-point shot attempts per game ranked 23rd and their 34.9% 3-point shot percentage ranked 21st in the NBA last year. Their best 3-point shooter was KCP who averaged 38.5% on 3.4 shots per game. While Gallo‘s not a great defender, he’s always been able to produce more on offense than he allows on defense, posting an impressive 5.7 Net Rating and 3.7 Plus/Minus last season, second best on the Thunder behind Chris Paul.
Gallo starting at the four would modernize the Lakers’ offense, opening the door for Anthony Davis to finally move to the five or for Gallo to play small ball five with AD providing critical help side rim protection from the four.
4. Trade for JJ Redick
If the Lakers want to upgrade their 3-point shooting, they should pursue a trade for 36-year old, 6′ 3,” 220 lb New Orleans Pelicans’ shooting guard JJ Redick, who shot 45.3% from deep last season on 6.6 attempts per game.
With New Orleans committed to rebuilding and looking to trade Jrue Holiday, it’s almost certain the Pelicans will be looking to see what they can get for the veteran Redick, one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. Unlike Holiday who had two years and $53.5 million left on his contract, JJ has only one year and $13 million left on his deal so the Lakers would have to offer the Pelicans a tempting package to motivate them to trade Redick.
While Redick may only be a one or two-year solution, his sharpshooting is exactly what the Lakers need to unleash LeBron James and Anthony Davis. His gravity beyond the arc could be a legit championship difference maker. The Lakers might be able to tempt the Pelicans to trade Redick with an offer of Talen Horton-Tucker and their 2020 first round draft pick along with the expiring contracts of Avery Bradley and JaVale McGee as salary filler.
For the win now Lakers, they would land one of the most feared 3-point shooters in the league without giving up any of the key players who were playoff contributors to winning their 17th NBA championship last season. For the rebuilding Pelicans, they would receive a promising young star in Horton-Tucker, a first round draft pick, and a pair of championship experienced veterans to help mentor their talented young roster.
A dead-eye 3-point shooter like Redick would give the Lakers a proven third scorer and 6MOY candidate who could come off the bench and rain threes on opposing defenses to unleash LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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Some good ideas here and one I am as staunchly against as I can be against a player coming to the Lakers. I’ll rank them in terms of personal excitement:
#2 – Sign Aron Baynes. Love everything about what he could bring to the center position. WOuld be the best option to replace Dwight and have McGee, should he opt in, back Baynes up. His defense is underrated, his shooting is as advertised and he’s from New Zealand so we could look forward to his charming southern half of the equator vibe.
#4 – Acquire J.J. Reddick. I think you could do a straight up S&T of KCP for Reddick. The bigger question is: would you rather just keep Pope? I kind of fall back to ‘yes, yes I would rather keep KCP’ but should that become part of a larger trade for Turner or Oladipo then my interest is piqued. I don’t see NOLA trading Reddick for Green straight up. Yes, the money works but Green is about 2 mil costlier and you’re not building anything better that way, for either club, really. Better to gauge and see of we could trade Reddick for Bradley and McGee if we decide we want to go all in on keeping Pope and Rondo. Getting those two players allows Indy to fully embrace moving Turner, just not necessarily to us.
#3 (both times) – Signing Danillo-G. While I can appreciate his shooting his defense is shaky which makes this a hard sell in terms of the modern Laker identity which is defense first. Having said that, should a lot of things break poorly for us in free agency on a front or three, I could see Dani for the MLE as a decent consolation prize.
#4 – Just say ‘NO’ to CP3 in the P&G. This would be, in every way conceivable, a disaster. I can’t fathom a world where the Lakers clutter up the space needed to try and land Giannis by trading the farm away for the bloated and over-priced Chris Paul contract. If the Bucks don’t want him now they won’t want him after he flames us out early next season, either. If we end up keeping Rondo it’s not smart to add the player with whom he perennially comes to blows with on the court to the same locker room, especially since Paul will almost certainly be making 3 times more money and potentially backing Rondo up, given Rajon’s stellar play. Chris Paul has not taken any team to the NBA Finals, and only 1 conference Finals appearance. That does not say ‘missing piece we need!’ to me. Furthermore you will have to trade just about every player who contributed to winning a banner away. For one guy. Who often gets hurt. So many reasons to say no to this that, should it happen, it’s my opinion that we will have squandered the window of LeBron and shrunk AD’s by the two seasons left on that deal because it will be untradeable. LeBron and Rondo are all the ball handlers we need if we keep Bradley, KCP and Caruso who can all make plays well enough. Just say no.
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Lots of great options here. As I said in my comments about the ‘Magical’ moves, I love the idea of a modern center even more than a point guard because a player like Baynes would unleash AD and LeBron and Rondo is one hell of a point guard rotation.
CP3 is the backup deal, the deal we can make if nothing else is possible. Redick would be a perfect fit. Not a total fan of adding Gallo. But I’m there with you on Baynes. Plays BB like it’s Rugby.
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In regards to CP3, I guess I’m just not seeing any reasons or explanations that make me see the logic in shelling out 4-5 players, and picks if we get fleeced…, for a player we’ll:
A) Ask to do less because we have LeBron,
B) Is often-injured
C) Is combative with Rondo whom we both have topping our lists of ‘things Lakers should move quickly/players to keep.
D) And even in a world where Rondo leaves town, we would (in theory) still have Bradley who is certainly the lesser talent but, for the price (and not shipping out 1/3 of the roster) you get roughly 1/3 of what CP3 is for an 1/8th of the cost.
E) WIll clutter up our pursuit of Giannis when he’s 36 going on 37.I honestly just don’t see a reason why we would feel the need to make that trade. Unless LeBron signals he wants to end the PG experiment, will take a lesser deal after this year when he renegotiate an option (he won’t) we’re out of the Giannis race, no one will trade us for 36-37 year old Chris Paul making 44 million dollars. It won’t matter that he’s an expiring contract, no team in win now would part with 1/3 of their team to get him. No rebuilding team is looking to inherit our cap issues. There are younger, cheaper and good enough options out there, some are already on our team.
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Hi Guys..Hope all is well in your end..I agree with Jamie..I would love to see an Aron Baynes on our roster..not that much for Galo and Reddick unless Galo takes a subtantial cut like vet min and reddick for bradley and mcgee..Definitely no for Chris Paul..if our aim is to keep AD long term, we would just need to find a third scorer like DRose or someone that can create shots for themselves and help ease out LBJ’s playmaking time..By preserving cap space in 2021, we would have the chance to add a possible star and team up with AD and Lebron
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Going well man, thanks. Agree with you on both Dani and Chris, fine players but bad fits for the modern Laker. I just don’t see Chris impacting the team to the point that the cost to acquire him would be worth it. Toss in his well-documented propensity to come up injured at key moments, his age and the condensed schedule making either injury or another load-managed player highly likely and the kicker is he’d clutter up all or Giannis space. I just don’t really even see a reason to contemplate such a trade. If it happens I’ll be very disappointed, can’t see him adding W’s. I prefer Rondo in every way, shape and form. Hell, I prefer Avery Bradley.
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Hi Magicman. Everything is doing okay now here in the Philippines especially that the Lakers won their 17th. Thank you. Hope all is good in your end as well.
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We’re (the 6) are in the red. Bad surge right now. Me and the fam are okay. Yup 17 was sweet and bittersweet.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreWhen the games are over and the offseason begins, there’s nothing as fun, exciting, exhilarating, frustrating, or polarizing for Lakers fans than talking about trades, whom to pursue, whom to trade, who says YES, who says NO.
So here is Lakerholics.Com’s ‘Laker Trade Machine’ with rankings by position, fit, cost, and attainability for every potential trade target the Los Angeles Lakers might be interested in pursuing a trade for this offseason:
RANKING (In order of Importance):
Feasibility: A=Doable, F=Not Doable
Fit: A=Great Fit, F=Poor Fit
Cost: A=Affordable, F=Prohibitive
Age: A=In Prime, F=Too Old
POINT GUARDS:
- Dennis Schroder
OKC Thunder, 27 yrs old, 6′ 1″ 172 lbs, $15.5M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 18.9/3.6/4.0, FG%/3P%/FT%: 46.9/38.5/83.9
Feasibility: B, Fit: A, Cost: B, Age: A - Goran Dragic
Miami Heat, 34 yrs old, 6′ 3″ 190 lbs, $19.2M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 16.2/3.2/5.1, FG%/3P%/FT%: 44.1/36.7/77.6
Feasibility: B, Fit: A, Cost: B, Age: D - Chris Paul
OKC Thunder, 35 yrs old, 6′ 1″ 175 lbs, $41.4M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 17.6/5.0/6.7, FG%/3P%/FT%:48.9/36.5/90.7
Feasibility: B, Fit: A, Cost: C, Age: D - Derrick Rose
Detroit Pistons, 32 yrs old, 6′ 2″ 200 lbs, $7.7M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 18.1/2.4/5.6, FG%/3P%/FT%: 49.0/30.6/87.1
Feasibility: B, Fit: C, Cost: A, Age: C - Jrue Holiday
New Orleans Pelicans, 30 yrs old, 6′ 2″ 205 lbs, $26.2M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 19.1/4./6.7, FG%/3P%/FT%: 45.5/35.3/70.9
Feasibility: C, Fit: A, Cost: D, Age: B - Spencer Dinwiddie
Brooklyn Nets, 27 yrs old, 6′ 5″ 215 lbs, $11.5M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 20.6/3.5/6.8, FG%/3P%/FT%: 41.5/30.8/77.8
Feasibility: C, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: A
SHOOTING GUARDS:
- Victor Oladipo
Indiana Pacers, 28 yrs old, 6′ 4″ 213 lbs, $21.0M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 23.1/5.6/5.2* FG%/3P%/FT%: 47.7/37.1/79.0*
Feasibility: B, Fit: A, Cost: B, Age: A
(* 2017–18) - Buddy Hield
Sacramento Kings, 27 yrs old, 6′ 4″ 220 lbs, $24.9M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 19.2/4.6/3.0, FG%/3P%/FT%: 42.9/39.4/84.6
Feasibility: B, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: A - Bogdan Bogdanovic
Sacramento Kings, 28 yrs old, 6′ 6″ 220 lbs, $10.7M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 15.1/3.4/3.4, FG%/3P%/FT%: 44.0/37.2/74.1
Feasibility: C, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: A - J.J. Redick
New Orleans Pelicans, 36 yrs old, 6′ 3″ 200 lbs, $13.0M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 18.1/2.4/5.6, FG%/3P%/FT%: 45.3/45.3/89.2
Feasibility: C, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: D - Zach LaVine
Chicago Bulls, 25 yrs old, 6′ 6″ 200 lbs, $19.5M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 15.3/2.5/2.0, FG%/3P%/FT%: 44.7/37.5/80.2
Feasibility: D, Fit: A, Cost: D, Age: A - Bradley Beal
Washington Wizards, 27 yrs old, 6′ 3″ 207 lbs, $28.8M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 30.5/4.2/6.1, FG%/3P%/FT%: 45.5/35.3/84.2
Feasibility: D, Fit: A, Cost: D, Age: A
SMALL FORWARDS:
- Maurice Harkless
New York Knicks, 27 yrs old, 6′ 7″ 220 lbs, $11.0M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 5.8/3.9/1.1, FG%/3P%/FT%: 45.5/28.0/62.5
Feasibility: B. Fit: C, Cost: C, Age: A - Rodney Hood
Portland Trail Blazers, 28 yrs old, 6′ 8″ 208 lbs, $6.0M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 11.0/3.4/1.5, FG%/3P%/FT%: 50.6/49.3/77.8
Feasibility: C, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: B - Joe Ingles
Utah Jazz, 33 yrs old, 6′ 7″ 220 lbs, $10.9M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 9.8/3.9/5.2, FG%/3P%/FT%: 44.5/39.9/78.7
Feasibility: C, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: C - DeMar DeRozan
San Antonio Spurs, 31 yrs old, 6′ 6″ 200 lbs, $27.7M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 22.1/5.5/5.6, FG%/3P%/FT%: 53.1/25.7/84.5
Feasibility: C, Fit: D, Cost: C, Age: C - Joe Harris
Brooklyn Nets, 29 yrs old, 6′ 6″ 220 lbs, $7.7M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 14.5/4.3/2.1, FG%/3P%/FT%: 48.6/42.4/71.9
Feasibility: D, Fit: C, Cost: C, Age: B - Gordon Hayward
Boston Celtics, 30 yrs old, 6′ 7″ 225 lbs, $34.2M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 17.5/6.7/4.1, FG%/3P%/FT%: 50.0/38.3/85.5
Feasibility: D, Fit: C, Cost: D, Age: B
POWER FORWARDS:
- Christian Wood
Detroit Pistons, 24 yrs old, 6′ 11″ 214 lbs, $1.6M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 13.1/6.3/1.0, FG%/3P%/FT%: 56.7/38.6/74.4
Feasibility: B, Fit: A, Cost: C, Age: A - Danilo Gallinari
OKC Thunder, 32 yrs old, 6′ 10″ 233 lbs, $22.6M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 18.7/5.2/1.9, FG%/3P%/FT%: 43.8/40.5/89.3
Feasibility: B, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: C - Kevin Love
Cleveland Cavaliers, 32 yrs old, 6′ 8″ 220 lbs, $31.3M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 17.6/9.8/3.2, FG%/3P%/FT%: 45.0/37.4/85.4
Feasibility: B, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: D - Jerami Grant
Denver Nuggets, 26 yrs old, 6′ 8″ 220 lbs, $9.4M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 12.0/3.5/1.2, FG%/3P%/FT%: 47.8/38.9/75.0
Feasibility: C, Fit: A, Cost: C, Age: A - Davis Bertans
Washington Wizards, 27 yrs old, 6′ 10″ 225 lbs, $7.0M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 15.4/4.5/1.7, FG%/3P%/FT%: 43.4/42.4/85.2
Feasibility: C, Fit: A, Cost: C, Age: A - Robert Covington
Houston Rockets, 29 yrs old, 6′ 7″ 209 lbs, $12.1M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 12.4/6.6/1.3, FG%/3P%/FT%: 43.5/34.6/79.8
Feasibility: C, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: B
CENTERS:
- Myles Turner
Indiana Pacers, 24 yrs old, 6′ 11″ 250 lbs, $18.0M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 12.1/6.6/1.2, FG%/3P%/FT%: 45.7/34.4/76.8
Feasibility: B, Fit: A, Cost: C, Age: A - Aron Baynes
Phoenix Suns, 33 yrs old, 6′ 10″ 260 lbs, $5.5M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 11.5/5.6/1.6, FG%/3P%/FT%: 48.0/35.1/74.7
Feasibility: B, Fit: B, Cost: B Age: C - Tristan Thompson
Cleveland Cavaliers, 29 yrs old, 6′ 9″ 254 lbs, $18.5M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 12.0/10.1/2.1, FG%/3P%/FT%: 51.2/39.1/61.5
Feasibility: B, Fit: C, Cost: B, Age: B - Serge Ibaka
Toronto Raptors, 31 yrs old, 7′ 0″ 235 lbs, $23.3M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 15.4/8.2/1.4, FG%/3P%/FT%: 51.2/38.5/71.8
Feasibility: C, Fit: B, Cost: B, Age: C - Nikola Vucevic
Orlando Magic, 29 yrs old, 6′ 11″ 250 lbs, $26.0M salary
Pts/Reb/Ast: 19.6/10.9/3.6, FG%/3P%/FT%: 47.7/33.9/78.4
Feasibility: C, Fit: B, Cost: C, Age: B - Marc Gasol
Toronto Raptors, 35 yrs old, 6′ 11″ 255 lbs, $25.6M salary (S&T/MLE)
Pts/Reb/Ast: 7.5/6.3/3.3, FG%/3P%/FT%: 42.7/38.5/73.5
Feasibility: C, Fit: C, Cost: B, Age: D
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20 Comments-
I wanted to create a source document to make it easy to compare and discuss potential Lakers trades since trades are going to become a major subject in the offseason and again at the trade deadline.
This post compares the key trade targets the Lakers might pursue by position, feasibility, fit, cost, age, and game and shooting statistics.
I’ve ranked the candidates for each position by (1) the feasibility of the trade happening, (2) how they fit on the Lakers’ roster, (3) what we would have to give up for them and pay them, and (4) what their age says about how long they can help us.
Love to hear some feedback on my rankings as well as any candidates I might have missed. I recommend you click on the article title to go to the landing page and them bookmark or save the page as a favorite on your browser so you easily find it when you want to talk about trades. Thanks.
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1. Green could replace Holiday as the starting shooting guard.
2. Kuzma could replace Josh Hart as starting small forward.
3. Caruso , Horton-Tucker, and the Pick would strengthen the bench.
4. McGee could start at center and mentor Jaxson Hayes.Trade is a great fit for Pels.
Adds three starters,
Two of whom are vets on expiring contracts.Adds three young prospects, all of whom played well in playoffs and were part of championship team. Don’t discount that.
Adds another first round pick.
Makes Pels bench very deep with talent.-
Here’s the Pelicans current depth chart per Eric Pincus:
Old Depth Chart
PG: Lonzo Ball, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
SG: Jrue Holiday, JJ Redick
SF: Josh Hart, Darius Miller
PF: Zion Williamson, Nicolo Melli
C: Jaxson HayesHere it is after the Lakers trade:
New Depth ChartPG: Lonzo Ball, ALEX CARUSO, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
SG: DANNY GREEN, JJ Redick, TALEN HORTON-TUCKER
SF: KYLE KUZMA, Josh Hart, Darius Miller
PF: Zion Williamson, Nicolo Melli
C: JAVALE MCGEE, Jaxson Hayes -
Here’s Lakers potential depth chart after the trade:
Lakers Depth Chart
PG: JRUE HOLIDAY, Rajon Rondo,
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Avery Bradley
SF: LeBron James, VET MIN
PF: Anthony Davis, Markieff Morris
C: ARON BAYNES, Dwight HowardI would then go after Aron Baynes with $9.3M NT MLE
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We give up depth but end up with a terrific 10 man lineup. A championship lineup.
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This is my warning: a team without depth is destined to fail. Injuries and a host of other unforeseen factors can affect how far that team goes.
Also, not having a consistent best third guy might not be a weakness. In fact, having a third guy by committee has been our strength throughout the past season. Our versatility, size and ability to adapt gave us the advantage and the best match-up against any team as we had the pieces to match-up against everyone.
Of course, I am all for upgrades, especially if it’s a 3 and D wing and another playmaker who can give LeBron some rest, but we need most of our role players, if not all. To have a third big guy on the payroll who might cause us to lose a few of these role players might be a net negative.
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Good comment, Buba. Depth is always important but so is keeping ahead of the competition who are working hard to catch up and getting better and younger, which Holiday does for us.
There’s very few players out there for whom I would give up this much and the experts are saying it’s not enough. I wouldn’t give up this much for Oladipo or Hield. Maybe for Turner or Wood. Players who would transform Lakers into a dynastic juggernaut.
It might be though because there are suddenly multiple great players who could be moved so teams have to decide whom to pursue. Lakers could end up being the team with an open chair when the music ends.
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Hi Tom. I guess if there is a way to not give up Alex Caruso, I would not include him. He played his best basketball in the playoffs. That type of role player is hard to come by. He fits with any of the lakers rotation
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Can’t disagree with you there, Havoc. And I don’t think he’s a secret any more. As was reported, teams want to trade for him. He’s more valuable both to the Lakers AND as a trading chip than Kuzma.
There are only two untouchables on this team and AC is not one of them. There are very few trades I would make where we give him up but Jrue Holiday is one. If we want to trade for a third star, Caruso will likely have to be included in the package.
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Just out of curiosity, why didn’t you include current Laker free agents on this?
Otherwise, fun post! Lots to read through and digest before we fire up the podcast this weekend.
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Because I presumed we would keep all of them.
AD, KCP, and Rondo are must keep and we have Bird rights.
Morris and Howard we want to keep but there’s a limit.
Bradley and McGee will opt to stay.
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Is Danny Green about to go full Borg here or what? What’s he wearing?
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Don’t worry Tom and Jamie, we will be talking about Jrue Holiday this weekend on the Lakers Fast Break.
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Tom, I’m going to have to hack into your home network and filter out the trade machine.
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PS – we can pick up Lonzo cheap after his rookie options aren’t picked up. His damaged goodsedness is rubbing off on his equally flawed little bro’s draft stock.
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I would love to have Lonzo back and I think Melo’s going to be even better than Lonzo.
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Better than Lonzo ain’t exactly high praise. I don’t think anyone in the organization wants to invite the Balls back into their lives.
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That is exactly what I said on our podcast. Wait for that $14 million dollar QO to drop to the price of an MLE and, should we want to, he’ll be readily and easily signed. In all honesty, if the Laker franchise is in need for Lonzo Ball someone somewhere must have done something very wrong. Fine player? Yes. Franchise needle mover? Not really. It turns out the best young Laker we ever picked during the lean years was Brandon Ingram (honorable mention has to go to Jordan Clarkson who has now played in the NBA Finals with LeBron and was a key piece in Utah getting there the last 2 seasons), and a fine soon to be considered veteran Pelican, at that. Lonzo still has a lot of room to grow and plenty of years to do it. But, as is, not the answer to any of our short or long term issues to the point that we need to trade 11-14 million in other impact players to get him.
I feel for Lonzo as his entry into the league was over-hyped, over=pressurized and underwhelmed to the point it seemed to, for a time, affect his confidence. He was not a happy Laker but he looks like happier Pelican. I think the lack of limelight, hometown hero expectations and space to work on his game on a team he’s not expected to save has done him wonders and may be what allows him to come close to the player we hoped we had picked for. Not that any of that will happen in a Laker uniform, but that I do see a path for him to improve his overall game (hint: it starts at the free throw line).
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- Dennis Schroder
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreHeld Heat to 35 points in second half but couldn’t hit open shots to win game. Lakers went 1-13 from three in 4th quarter. 3-point shooting has become team’s Achilles heel.
8 Comments-
Awesome article Tom! So much good stuff in here but I do marvel at you ability to instill respect for the Lakers pre-LeBron in NorCal grand kids. That must’ve been interesting. Also loved the anecdote about all the LA banners. Really fun read.
Losing people before their time has always been the roughest of endeavors for those left behind. I share your sentiment in the not believing in God but certainly believing in karma. That’s why I never wish anything bad to happen to opponents or franchises.
OK, maybe I do wish a bit of ill will towards Boston…
But other than that, nothing but good vibes. Like phred used to say: it’s all about the love. There certainly is a lot to love about this post.
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Hope everybody enjoys my own personal take on how the Lakers’ 17th championship was a beacon of light in a nightmare 2020. I hope Lakerholics.com can match the Los Angeles Lakers and have every single member vote in this solemn election for the soul of our nation. If we do that, we’ll see another beacon of light shining bright on Tuesday night. God bless America!
My father came to America from China when he was 11-years old, illegally taking the place of a cousin who died and ending up being a paper brother to six other brothers in his cousin’s family in Janesville, a small town in southern Wisconsin. Like all the brothers, he worked in the family’s chinese restaurant and married my mother, a waitress in the restaurant who was a highschool dropout of English and German heritage. My dad became a citizen of the US before he married my mom and proudly voted in every election until he died five years ago right before his 102nd birthday.
While neither of my parents graduated from high school, I was blessed by having the typical immigrant parents who wanted to make sure their son and daughter went to college. When my mother passed away, 25 years ago, my dad decided he didn’t want to marry another pushy American woman so sent away to his village in China for a widow with two kids the same age as my sister and me. My dad was blind then and needed somebody to take care of him.
The story has a happy immigrant ending as Jade was a wonderful second wife to my dad and her two kids became beloved step brother and sister to my sister and me. So far, the family has brought over 12 other relatives from China, 8 of which are now US citizens who vote every election.
If all of my family, many of whom were not born here, care enough about our country to vote, then everybody who reads this article should show how much they care about the USA and exercise the greatest right a democracy can give you: VOTE! The future of our country depends on it.
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Hey, Tom. Sometimes it’s hard for me to respond on time due to the time difference between the east and west coasts. By the time I got home from work and settled down you guys on the west coast had already moved on to a different topic. So I am always trying to catch up as hard as I can. Hope you all understand that.
Anyway, I just want to say how much I enjoyed reading your story. It was captivating and heartfelt. It’s stories like this that make me feel good about being part of an extended family as I consider this blog my family. So I hope you all understand why I get late in responding to new posts.
Yours was a great story and thanks for sharing.
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Buba, thank you. You’ve become a big part of our extended Lakers family and I always appreciate your thoughtful and intelligent comments. We need to get you on a podcast in the near future. We usually record them on Sundays around 3:00 pm PST. Let me know if you’re interested in joining us on one. Thanks.
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Wonderful read, Tom. Glad you found an outlet for the content. It was emotionally stirring man.
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TOM WONG
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Maybe the DeRozan rumors are simply attempts by the Spurs and DeMar’s agent to hype his trade value or simply just Twitter smoke but I can’t help feeling that’s there may be something real about them. After writing this article, I have to admit I wouldn’t be surprised if the Lakers actually did trade for DeRozan.
Obviously, I’ve never been a big fan of DeRozan, primarily because he doesn’t stretch the floor or play good defense. I’m biased against players who haven’t embraced the 3-point shot and added it to their arsenal, especially somebody like DeRozan who’s a career 83% free throw shooter.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate what DeMar could bring to the Lakers, especially if they moved on from traditional low post centers like Howard and McGee and brought in a modern stretch five center like Ibaka or Baynes. I think that would be an absolute requirement if they were to trade for DeRozan. I don’t see how you could play DeMar alongside Howard or McGee.
As I delineate in the article, there’s a chance DeRozan might be the best trade option the Lakers have to add more firepower to the starting lineup. Frankly, we’re not likely to trade Kuzma, Green, and McGee for anybody better. And we keep Caruso and the draft pick and avoid any long term contracts so we have maximum cap space for next offseason.
Bottom line, it sounds like a new version of last year’s moves after Kawhi bailed on us. Maybe DeRozan will take and make more threes because he’ll be open. Maybe Vogel’s defense first culture and peer pressure will lead him to play better defense. For sure, he will give us a reliable third scorer who shares the ball and can get his own shot. If Rob and LeBron and AD think it could work, then I’m all for it, especially if we can’t get any of the other trade targets we covet. Never thought I would support trading for DeRozan but it could be a savvy move in a larger context.