Activity

MongoSlade
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Deserves every single penny.

LakerTom
8 months, 2 weeks ago

The Lakers’ approach to Free Agency makes no sense pic.twitter.com/WLRWSaQpnA— Hoops Tonight (@hoopstonite) July 2, 2025

Jamie Sweet
8 months, 2 weeks ago

I had this debate with a friend. How can one say “I want to win” and simultaneously do the one thing that makes that very goal a lot harder? In a nut shell, it’s not LeBron’s problem. It’s Rob’s. Everyone wants LeBron to fix Master Class’s ineptitude. He offered that last season and got bounced in the 1st round. He’s watched the same front office bungles and stumbles we’ve all been watching. Only he works his ass off to be ready, and Hess’s doing that exact thing right now. Busting his tired, sore 40+ year old ass to be ready. Pelinka? He’s working on a Zen Garden or some other ridiculous bull shit. In short, what had Rob done to justify any kind of financial sacrifice? My feeling is not much. Not the way LeBron sees things, which is surely not how any fan sees things.
- Michael H
  8 months, 2 weeks ago
  
  I have to disagree a little Jamie. We made a lot of moves for LeBron. We finally paid off our AD debt this draft. We sent Danny and a first for Dennis who had been 6th man of the year because LeBron had been our PG and he needed help. We were going to trade for Buddy. AD and LeBron have lunch with Westbrook and a couple of days later Rob trades for Westbrook forever pissing of the Kings because the deal was all but signed. There are other examples as well. Yes he works hard and has earned his pay but in today’s NBA with the cap aprons what they are you can’t have it both ways. And that’s not just LeBron. That’s guys like Giannis watching what the Bucks do. He and Dame were making 100 mil combined. The Joker said they need depth. How with that amount of salaries. When salaries get to a certain level it’s hard to do much. LeBron’s a smart guy and I know he must understand the cap dynamics. Having his agent put that statement out that cost him a center that could have helped him win just pissed me off.
  - Michael H
    8 months, 2 weeks ago
    
    I guess I just don’t like the heavy handed way he handled it.
  - Jamie Sweet
    8 months, 2 weeks ago
    
    I get all that. I think, for the players, they already feel like they give up a lot each and every year when it comes to the BRI split. If there was no cap, what would LeBron’s salary be if measured by in court impact, jersey sales, returning the Lakers to relevance and adding a title? Way more than $52.6 mil.
    
    Rich Paul certainly dropped a poorly worded statement (and did the press rounds today to soothe the wound) but that is not the same as LeBron valuing his time and worth. Rob needs to be better, in this instance, not LeBron.
    
    Folks can and will disagree but I’ve always felt, and said often, that the players need to maximize the dollars they earn playing a game for as much and as long as they can. Hell, in California that $52 mil drops to around $27 right off the bat.
    - Jamie Sweet
      8 months, 2 weeks ago
      
      I just never play with other people’s money. Got rich friends, got poor friends. Some inherited wealth, others earned. Regardless, it is theirs. Not my business how they go about theirs.
      - Jamie Sweet
        8 months, 2 weeks ago
        
        I will also forget advocate for a fair and more evenly distributed taxation system that benefits the lower earners. But that’s another topic lol
    - Michael H
      8 months, 2 weeks ago
      
      I’m just saying he can’t have it both ways, so don’t whine about it publicly.

Jamie Sweet
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Even if we sign Ayton (no guarantee by a country mile) he’s not really what we need. He’s been hurt, he average a piddling 56 games per season.

His defense is suspect, he averages more turnovers than blocks for his career.

The only thing he does consistently is make everyone around him dislike him so much they’re willing to either pay him to go away or signal well before his contract is up that a trade for him would be most welcome! Most welcome, indeed…

Horford might be 7,210 years old but pairing him with Richards or Hayes makes a shit ton more sense than blowing what tiny little watery wad we have on this knucklehead.

If Ayton was truly plan A from the get go it was a shitty plan from the get go. This is all really disappointing. Hope it finally gets Master Class fired.

Jamie Sweet
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Been one of my top 3 targets all along. Rob “Stone Turner” probably wont get it done, though.
- Jamie Sweet
  8 months, 2 weeks ago
  
  Horford and Richards would fine. I’d trade Dalton for a S&T’d Richards in a heart beat. This is all quite astoundjng…
  - Michael H
    8 months, 2 weeks ago
    
    The beauty of a Richard’s trade is they are unlikely to want players back be of their 2nd apron status. They still need a PG as well with Jones moving on. I’m sure they would do a deal for a 2nd round pick with no player coming back. There is a multiplier that I have figured out but looking at similar deals and the draft pick coming in they could save close to 20 mil by moving Richard’s. I was kind of surprised when they didn’t cut him. Perhaps they are looking to trade him for a PG.
    - Michael H
      8 months, 2 weeks ago
      
      Of course the question is can they do better than the Lakers 2032 2nd round pick.

LakerTom
8 months, 2 weeks ago

AYTON & HORFORD: LAKERS CENTER ROTATIONHorford would be perfect as back up center with Ayton. I love the idea of having a stretch big who can also defend in the playoffs. Getting up there in years but makes up for it with smarts and effort. Wonder if the Laker would forget… https://t.co/nnuxcgmQfO— LakerTom (@LakerTom) July 1, 2025
Jamie Sweet
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Jamie Sweet
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Stop making so much sense man, planet Earth can’t take it.
- Jamie Sweet
  8 months, 2 weeks ago
  
  In all seriousness, this seemed like it was a slam dunk a couple days ago. Now? Now it seems like as big of a question mark as whom our starting center might be…

Jamie Sweet
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Filed under “Please Dear God NO!”

LakerTom
8 months, 2 weeks ago

If we lose Ayton, there is no other starting center available in free agency and no other starting quality center available for trade with two or less years on his contract. We are literally fucked.

Only saving grace is that could likely result in Rob getting fired sooner than later. Unbelievable. I like LaRavia but prioritizing him over a starting center is an unbelievable error. Frankly, we would be better off as a team to rescind the offer to Jake if it would save us with Ayton.

Man, suddenly Robert Williams is looking great

Michael H
8 months, 2 weeks ago

The Pacers have no center and 14 million available. We have 8 mil. Basically if the Pacers want him, they can get him. I wonder how badly Ayton wants to win.
Michael H
8 months, 2 weeks ago

He worked out a buyout with the Trailblazers. I heard that 10 mil was the amount he gave back to the trailblazers.

Michael H
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Even Jericho has signed, for crying out loud. Not only are missing out on the decent centers, we are losing depth pieces as well. I wonder what Luka is thinking. No center and his close friend walked because of the stupid two year thing.
LakerTom
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Absolutely agree with you 100%, Michael. Lakers will have over $100M in cap space next summer and even if a superstar is not available, they can load up with covetable two-way role players on team friendly contracts that are the trading chips they will need for a trade if no free agent.

I could see not signing any long term contracts and holding onto the pick until next summer but waiting two seasons is like suicide. Luka should be pissed. Can’t wait until Mark Walter takes over although he may have approved this for all we know.