Funny how folks seem to be making a mountain from a mole hill. I’m no Rob advocate but I don’t think we got burned in this. A future second round pick for nothing (Houston signed DFS using cap space, I believe) and I’m puzzled why folks are grasping at a player exception or, crazier still, a second round pick.
Anyhow, I get it that losing DFS for nothing sucks. It continues a troubling trend of the Pelinka front office, to be sure. But this wasn’t bad GMing, the player seemed to want to truly
move on. That’s it. I’m not going to see the Lakers pursue every chum and pal of Luka and call that intelligent.
It’s a bummer, yes, but that’s about it.
Folks need to come to the realization that this new CBA and 2nd Apron is going to cause alotta top teams to jetison some of their best role players to stay under that Apron. It’s not just the money but all the other restrictions and penalties that come into play. We just saw Boston do it and OKC is gonna feel some pain when they’re forced to let guys like Dort & Hartenstein go. That $15 to $20mill price range is in danger.
As for DFS…the bigger problem is that he was one of our last true 2-way players. We lost AD & Max Christie to get Luka. Now without DFS we’ve got no perimeter defense and no rim protector as well. You can get away with that during the regular season but it becomes a real problem in the playoffs. Good guards will have their choice of attacking Luka or Reaves everytime in the halfcourt…
about perimeter defense, there’s that guy “The Vandolorian”, not my favorite but lauded to be a great defender. I still hope he’s dealt….but apparently where the Lakers payroll sits, that may be difficult……..deal Vincent, Milton…, and be honest about Maxi Kleber (to this day, I still have not been impressed by hunting game film of him in highlights of his past play in YouTube….Kleber is a career 35.4% season, 38.6 (59 makes)…..(1,536 three-point attempts (1,383 regular season + 153 playoffs) over 8 career season….i hope he moves better than Alex Len did, and shoots at least at his career rate.