Aloha,
The first thing I believe the new owner should try and get a handle on LeBron’s retirement plans. The trouble with LeBron is, this year to year approach is hard to plan for.
For instance if this is LeBron’s last year, you definitely want to hold on to Rui to slide into the 4 spot. A stretch 4 is valuable in the league and defensively the 4 is his best position.
Same goes for Austin. There is no guarantee that you can find another player with Austin’s scoring ability. He averaged 20 as the 3rd option. He generally scored even more when he was the 2nd or 1st.
With a couple of smart moves I think we are a top 4 seed next year. But becoming a true contender will take more than one off season to accomplish.
If LeBron retires after this coming season. We will have a lot of money to feel in the holes in the lineup and become a deeper more versatile team. Because Austin’s salary is so low his cap hold will only be around 20 mil. We can others first and then go over and sign him for the 30 mil he will be asking for.
Short of the pipe dream of LeBron taking less, I believe we should try and build a team around the future as apposed to making win now moves that may not be enough anyway.
Mark will want to make sure that the Lakers can clear cap space when LeBron leaves. My guess is the Lakers would like more than just next year to get ready. Best guess is James signs a 2-year extension with the second year to be the farewell tour.