Aloha
I keep reading that the Lakers need to go all in to win with LeBron. I don’t know what that means when you have one distant first, 2nd and swaps that won’t matter much until the next decade. If anyone is paying attention, quality players are quite expensive. Desmond Bane cost 4 first round picks and a swap and he’s not even an all star. The best player the Lakers have been linked to is Andrew Wiggins. He barely moves the needle if at all. And if his price tag is Rui, Dalton, another contract to make the money work and a 1st, sorry, I’ll pass.
Actually, I think the Lakers have done a good job, considering what they have to work with. And they haven’t done anything stupid yet. Well that not exactly true. Ghosting LeBron like they have is like is like breaking up with someone without even a text. That’s a bad look but then LeBron is a bit of a prima Donna so we don’t know everything that may have happened behind the scene.
The only trades for LeBron that make sense from the other team’s perspective would be the Knicks Kat for LeBron or the Warriors Butler for LeBron. I don’t think there will be a trade but if there is, the Warriors would be the most likely.
I think the best path for the Lakers to take now is to wait and see how this group looks with a training camp. We have until February to make a trade. It will give the Lakers a chance to see If Ayton can become the center they need, what players show growth and what players may become available. This may not be a championship contender but it is a good team and more moves can be made later in the year if needed.
By the way, holding onto that 1st round pick now means we could have basically 3 first rounders to trade if done during the draft next summer.
The mystery of why Eric Dixon hasn’t played has been solved. He has been spotted in a walking boot in Vegas. I don’t know the extent of the injury but it must be semi serious because he hasn’t signed a two way contract yet. This happened with Goodwin last year. He was set to sign a two way and got hurt. After he recovered they brought him to the G league and eventually the varsity. I wonder if they will sign someone else to the two way and wait on Dixon to heal.
Up to this point Dalton is making sure he isn’t traded. He has had a sub par summer so far. Actually Swider would have more value if he was under contract. He has filled the shooter role that Dalton was supposed to fill.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Bazley. He is not eligible for a two way and it would take a few roster moves to add him to the team. They could add him the G league team but someone may snatch him up.
Bronny is beginning to look like a solid pick at 55. He has transformed his body and is now’s 220 pounds of muscle as we saw when Flagg could not move him. I can now see him developing into a role player similar to Avery Bradley. Tough defender with secondary ball handling skills, that can shoot the 3.
I’m not all that worried about the James optics. They are designed to be focused on Luka. While I hear you that some better communication may, or may not, have smoothed this over I think the reality is LeBron was always going to have a tough time passing the torch to anyone at all. Why? I think back to Kobe, playing on essentially one leg for his last season shooting the ball nearly 17 times/game, missing most of those and repeating every night. Comes a time you don’t care about the team you’re leaving behind but more about you proving everyone wrong. That’s how the greats are wired. We sit back in a comfy chair with this or that opinion and it’s not coming from a place anywhere near what fuels them. It’s why Kobe didn’t pass the ball to younger, more able-bodies teammates, why LeBron picked up his option (also no other team could pay him that) and why, increasingly, in this game the Lakers hold more cards.
Agreed on summer league thoughts, wishing we could reconnect pre-trade Dalton but that feels unlikely now and may be in both parties best interest to move on. Swider looks solid every summer, can’t handle NBA defense. I’d waive Shake for Bazely but we’ll see.
Hey Guys, I have been traveling out of the country since the first week of this month. So I could not contribute the way I should.
But let’s hit pause on the never-ending LeBron chatter, shall we? We all know the Lakers are the final chapter of his legendary run—case closed. What really deserves the spotlight is the Summer League action! For example, Cole Swider is lighting it up out there, and yet somehow, he’s still grinding on the sidelines instead of getting real minutes on the roster. It’s déjà vu—just like Jay Huff, who clearly outclassed the G-League but couldn’t shake the limbo. These are the stories fans should be buzzing about! Let’s turn the focus where it belongs: the breakout talent, the gritty performances, and the future stars making waves right now.
you got your wish man, no Dalton snd Swider playing starter minutes did well.
Thanks Jamie. I am depending on you and the rest of the crew on the blog to stay connected. I should be back to Atlanta next week. Thank you!