Lakers Q&A: Trade targets, Lauri Markkanen, free-agency options, LA’s rank in West

Lakers Q&A: Trade targets, Lauri Markkanen, free-agency options, LA’s rank in West

yo yo we are live happy Friday I see some of you are already active in the chat so let’s get into it uh first one from chenil Patel and this is something that I I’ve been thinking about for the last week or so as people talk about the Lakers offseason and where they stand in the west so I want to start with this one uh but hey yovon I feel like the Doom and Gloom of the Lakers offseason so far has almost made the Lakers roster underrated adding a healthy Vando and Gabe are two huge pieces especially for the perimeter defense uh this is a really good point and to me when I look at the west and I look at the Lakers upside and their potential I tentatively slot them as the number five team in the west right now I think that you know I would comfortably like OKC to me right now is the best team in the West I don’t think that’s Up For Debate I think they’ve had a great off season adding Alex Caruso and Isaiah hartenstein uh but OKC aside the Lakers were right there uh I mean with OKC in the regular season last year uh with Minnesota with Dallas Denver’s been the one team that’s been a thorn in their side but they just lost uh arguably their either their fourth or fifth best player fourth or fifth best starter and that’s a big blow to Denver and I think that’s going to make them a bit more vulnerable I think Christian Brown can slau in and give you 80% maybe even 90% of what kcp gave them but they are not now replacing that Christian Brown slot in the rotation so Denver is a bit more uh vulnerable in their standing in the west uh but I I would put OKC Denver Dallas and Minnesota in some order above the Lakers and that would slot for me the Lakers at number five but comparing them to the Clippers who lost PG the Warriors who I think have rebounded nicely from losing Klay Thompson and Chris Paul but I still already thought that the Lakers were better than the warriors uh looking at like Memphis is going to bounce back Houston’s getting better San Antonio should be better uh New Orleans added to jonte Murray but I still think as we saw at the end of last season the Lakers were better than the Pelicans so if you basically run it back with this Lakers group and you have a healthy V you have a healthy Gabe Vincent you have another year of continuity and chemistry you have JJ reick playing starting either Ruby or V and playing those guys more next to LeBron and AD and you have Max Christie taking a jump and being empowered and actually having a consistent role in the rotation as one of the few two-way guys on the roster uh and then Delton connect coming in in his movement shooting and JJ reck knowing the the right ways to use him offensively and him uh being a steel you know dropping the Lakers at number 17 like all of a sudden I do think there’s a chance that this team is just better than last season and it really comes down to LeBron and ‘s health and you know then do you make a a separate move like where’s the hole in the roster to me the hole in the roster is still perimeter defense uh where outside of Max Gabe and Vando and those three guys each have their own holes in their game uh like the the the perimeter defense is a bit shaky still so I’d probably put the Lakers right now at number five I think New Orleans is probably pushing them right there for that number five spot in the west but uh I still think they and that that’s to me the part where like if if you’re trying to make the argument for the Lakers making a move like I I see people talking about them like they’re the ninth or 10th best team in the west and if they make a move it’s going to put them somewhere in like the five six seven range where I I see it I I just view it differently I view them as like the fifth best team in the west and if they make the right move they could jump up to the third best team in the west or the second best team in the west it’s going to be tough to catch OKC but then again uh like the Lakers have had some physical advantages over OKC it’s been a good matchup for them uh the back to last season so you know maybe they continue to overwhelm like ad has dominated Cad and uh hartenstein is a much bigger and and you know bulkier Defender and is a better you know I think matchup against ad compared to Chad but I don’t think he solves all of OKC’s issues against the Lakers in that specific matchup so I think the Lakers with the right move here could Elevate into that top three in the west and once you’re in the top three it really just comes down to matchups and health and playoff brackets and and seating and all that stuff so I’m a bit higher on the Lakers I think than the consensus I think especially like the national consensus so I I I believe that if the Lakers can make the right move and it’s going to be tricky but if they can make the right move I think it puts them with the elite uh in the west Let’s see we got a couple of super chats here um first one from Aman BR 1992 first off thank you for the Super Chat I appreciate it uh Hey ovon Lakers make a trade what is the trade your prediction I think some form at a minimum it’s tough to say what type of deal because as I’ve reported uh Jeremy Grant Kyle kosma cam Johnson and Dorian FY Smith are the names that I’ve heard that are both available on the trade market and that the Lakers have had conversations with those teams about those players uh now if you look at the Lakers recent trade History A lot of times it comes out of left field in terms of it’s like there will be like I look at I mean we we could go down the list of like buddy heeld and Miles Turner Kyrie Irving dejonte Murray Zack LaVine like there there’s been all these buam bogdanovich like there’s been all these guys that have been tied to the Lakers at various points Gary Trent Jr we could go on and on with the guys that have been linked and linked to the Lakers multiple times uh through Summers and through trade deadlines and through seasons and like those guys rarely end up actually getting traded to the Lakers and then it ends up being like Russ there had been some I mean originally it was potentially the the Sacramento deal and D rozan was in the mix Dame was in the mix Bradley Beal there were several Star level guys and then the Russ situation started to pop up about like I want to say it was like seven to 10 days or so before he ended up getting traded to LA but since then like there was no smoke on ruy hamura that one just came out of nowhere um you know I had reported I want to say a week or two before that I was hearing Utah was it was between Utah and Toronto as like the most likely trade candidates with the Lakers at the 2023 trade deadline but I did not have the part about D’Angelo Russell being involved in that trade and that ultimately expanding out to a three- team trade and I thought Mike Conley was gonna end up being a Laker but he ended up being rerouted to Minnesota and DLo ended up in La so like sometimes some of these trades will you you’ll start to get wi of them a little bit before but for the most part the Lakers tend to operate in the shadows behind the scenes they move in silence so they will be attached to certain players and there will be a lot of Buzz with it but then more often than not that’s not the guy they and like that the deal falls through for whatever reason sometimes people use the Lakers for Le leverage uh sometimes there’s the Lakers tax like all this different stuff but uh so if I to guess or or make an educated guess you know I think Lakers have to do something to get under the second apron and that could be LeBron taking a slight pay cut though I think if the option is trading away a minimum guy or Lebron taking a pay cut I think LeBron and the Lakers would just prefer to trade away the minimum guy uh and they have a a glut at the back end of the roster of guys that just aren’t good enough to be rotation caliber guys on a good team so I look at the Lakers potentially doing some type of uh two-player vet minimum salary dump where if you could trade uh and the the names I’ve heard specifically and and I’ve already talked about this before but cam reddish and Christian Wood I think if they’re ranking uh Jackson Hayes cam reddish Christian Wood uh it would be you know Jackson Hayes I mean Jackson hay was was the best of the three last year uh and especially that second half of the Season that he had um and I think the the chemistry that he had with LeBron and some of those second unit minutes uh so I think the Lakers and he’s the youngest and uh you know so he was the one that was the most surprised like I knew Christian Wood and reddish were going to opt in uh because they didn’t have much of a Market Jackson Hayes was the one guy that I’d heard like could someone give him the buy annual or could someone give him maybe part of their taxpayer mle up to that like five and a half probably a little less but like maybe somewhere in that range so Jackson Hayes I think was the guy that the Lakers would like to keep if they can keep one of these uh vet minimum guys so trading a Christian Wood and a cam reddish and likely attaching a second round pick uh in in in you know protecting it maybe like top 40 protected or something uh to some team with cap space or a team that has the roster and cap flexibility to take those guys on uh and then so you create a couple roster spots you shed upwards of like five and a half million you’re 1.1 million over the second apron so that gets you to about four and a half 4.4 under and then that gives you a little bit of wiggle room to you could sign LeBron to the full Max uh you sign Max Christie don’t have to try and restructure his deal and then you could use almost all of that uh taxpayer mle which again is about five and a half million dollars uh and you know you could use all that and right under the the second apron and then you also have an empty roster spot in case you do a trade during the season or in case there’s a buyout guy or or someone becomes available and you want to try to add that player so uh like ideally the like I mean the Lakers could honestly do like a three for one or a three for zero and dump like multiple guys I think that would be the preferred outcome for them it just gets tricky with team because then the team has to decide are we keeping this guy are we waving this guy uh like how does it affect our salary situation so there’s a lot there with uh what so if I had to make a guess at a minimum it’s doing some type of consolidation trade where they dump a couple of these minimum guys as for the bigger trades uh like I know the Lakers are are being active and aggressive right now it’s just it’s tough to say if one of those is actually going to happen and they’re I think they’re a bit hamstrung right now in terms of their actual assets because they’re trying to keep at least one of these first round picks in most of these talks because none of these guys like they they didn’t love the idea of giving up two first round picks for dejonte Murray now if you look at a Jeremy Grant or a Kyle kosma like those guys are even a step or two or or a notch or two rather below a Deonte Murray uh so they don’t want to give up two picks for that caliber of player as they shouldn’t want to but at the same time the market is the market the prices are the prices and if they want to improve this team they’re going to have to give up some draft capital and there’s really just no realistic way to upgrade this roster without trading at least one of their picks or at least upgrade it in a substantial enough way where it again elevates them from like a five or six seed up into that like top two top three uh so it’s gonna be fascinating to see what happens but I think if I had to pick right now uh I would say at at a minimum a consolidation trade to dump a couple guys and then uh from that point on uh you know a bigger deal let’s see next one here from Vinnie JH uh sorry if I butchered that uh can we get gtj that’s Gary Trent Jr uh think they make trade very soon Lakers need to make moves feel like Rob taking too long uh Gary Trent Jr I think on paper his Market should be the non-t taxpayer mle which is upwards of $12.9 million but I don’t right now see that team out there like it feels like he would have already signed uh with you know that Suitor hypothetically I mean again there’s a lot of dominoes right now a lot of moving parts so he’s not a high priority for most teams so you know he could just be waiting out to see how it shakes out and what’s his best option um I would love him on the taxpayer mle I think that would be a great addition for the Lakers I I know like he’s not he doesn’t have the size that you ideally want from the perimeter but especially if you are doing a trade where you’re losing a DLo or you’re losing a Gabe uh adding another guard then in that case makes a little bit more sense and you can shift some of the the ball handling and playmaking to Austin to LeBron if you keep G maybe you trade d you keep Gabe then you know Gabe can kind of Step Up uh and it’s not IDE like I ideally if you are trading DLo you could bring back a highle ball handler but you can’t plug every hole with you know one trade or or even a couple necessarily like I think the Lakers are gonna have a hole if they trade DLo obviously they they need another lead ball handler type and again they could shift some of that more to Austin more to LeBron but like I I still think you want one more solid ball handler I still think they need help on the wings at least one more three and D two-way type and then I think they need a better backup center than a Jackson Hayes and a Christian Wood and it’s tough to I mean sure we could you look at the trade machine and come up with different trades that address all three but it you know if it’s a three- team trade if it’s a four team trade because I’ve seen some of these like elaborate four teams 15 players involved and it’s like that’s really tough to get four teams on the same page with a trade and how they value certain guys and how they value certain picks and like all all these different factors that go into it uh so I I think the more the more teams invol the more complicated it is uh so for me I would say uh in terms of like gtj at like taxpayer mle I think that’s a great value and I think he is someone that could play and and again like being a backcourt like I think the Lakers should use more Austin Max backcourts next season but I could also see gtj in those back courts next to Austin as well and at that point you’re going with five guys like 65 and above and you have uh maybe not like the the best defensive back court but you at least have a certain level of size there and then also obviously gtj with his shooting and I think JJ reck using him in creative ways like it makes sense from an offensive fit so I like that I think he is an option for them if he’s willing to I mean they have to create that flexibility under the second apron and then he also like that has to be the the peak of his Market or he has to be willing to take that discount to come to LA but he’s a guy that you know I mentioned him earlier and and guys that have been attached to Lakers for multiple years now so I I could like Lakers have had interest in him for a while and I believe would would still have interest in him especially at that price but it just comes down to what’s his market like and can they clear the roster flexibility and uh the the cap flexibility under that second apron next one from is it sheriff or shareif uh hey yovon love your work are we at least trying to offer anything for Lori or Kessler any free agents waiting on the Lakers uh so I don’t have like you know again like gtj is is someone that I’ve heard could be available in that range so that that’s uh you know potentially someone that the Lakers could add again there’s a lot of dominoes a lot of factors that go into that um as far as Lowry like so I’m getting a lot of lowry questions just the price is really high like the the Jazz are are trying to find a Mel Bridges level uh price for him according to multiple Rec reports and according to what I’ve heard behind the scenes like just the price for him is incredibly high and remember Mel Bridges went for five first round pick so the Lakers uh like technically they could manipulate that 2027 first round pick that they owe Utah remove the believe it’s top four protected they could remove the uh the protection on that they could also send their two first uh and then they also have three swaps so you technically do something like two firsts three swaps uh removing the protections on the one pick but then that’s probably going to cost you at least you know Austin Reeves and whatever I think L’s making about 18 so I don’t know Austin Reeves JHS Austin Reeves uh like you got to figure out the the salary there but at that point it’s like you’re really mortgaging all of your future all of your assets uh and one I don’t even know if Utah would do that that might you know not be enough for what they’re looking for but I I do think it would take basically every tradable like positive asset that the Lakers have and I just don’t know if uh again if that’s even enough for Utah but for the Lakers it’s like if you’re trading uh you know if you’re Trading Austin for for Lori and and maybe even let’s just say like Austin and Vando or something like that and again you got to figure out the the salary uh at that point like you know you are losing I mean in my opinion you’re losing your third best player and you’re getting a better third best player but it’s still a blow to the top like ideally you keep Austin and you add a Lori or you keep Austin and you add you add a Jeremy Grant you add Kyle kosma you add one of these higher level like combo forwards and you’re adding you know either someone better than him or someone just as good as him and now you’re creating some more depth at the top of your roster but if you’re swapping Austin for Lori like yes you are getting better he’s a better player uh there’s no doubt about that but it’s still like I think it it still creates a little bit of a hole at the top of your roster because I do think there’s a there’s a bit of Gap there um in terms of like guys I would trust in like the the play playoff so uh to me Austin’s on that list and I I think if I’m the Lakers I try to keep him especially when I look at the contract and some of the guys that are producing at similar level like look at frons and fron is also you know I would pick him above Austin but like look at his production and look at Austin’s of course there’s Age and and there’s different things in there so I’m not trying to it’s not an Apples to Apples comparison I just think if you look at like the contract he’s on versus the contract Austin’s on it’s like Austin’s a really really good value on that contract the Lakers still have him for three more years technically two because I I think he’ll probably opt out but like two to three more years and that’s just a really good value so ideally like you can mortgage a future for a guy like lry but I think it I mean there’s also the matter of like he’s technically an expiring contract and there’s some like you got to figure out the extension with him and I think it’s like August 6th is the date he can extend so there there’s a lot of factors there Kesler I really like but I’ve also heard that the price is high for him I mean if if it’s just a first and and matching salary I would do that if I’m the Lakers but uh I mean they’ve been they’ve been reluctant to give up there first and and really kind of selected with that but I do think Kesler um like I’ve heard they’ve talked to Utah and kind of unclear which players have been involved but by process of elimination I would assume Kessler would be one of those guys and Colin ston would likely be one of those guys and I’m sure they’ve asked about Lori but with with the price it’s just seems unrealistic to me um let’s see Ernest Booker uh thank you again for all the people doing super chats uh what’s the chances on Zach or dear to La uh so Zack I mean I think the Lakers could make it work if they really want to from a cap sheet perspective of like matching salaries it would have to be something like d uh ruy and then you could go Vando or Gabe and you’re basically right there Zach’s making 43 million next year uh so you could get in that ballpark with those three guys now it is a three for one trade I’m sure Chicago would likely try to put someone else in the deal just from like a roster construction perspective of they don’t really want to take on two extra contracts so that could be a haggling point and then if they’re willing to give up a first- round pick like I know uh Anthony Irwin has been banging this drum of of Zack LaVine to La uh I’m a bit skeptical especially if the Lakers are keeping Austin which uh I believe they would you know fight to keep Austin and that would be a line in the sand that they wouldn’t cross uh just because looking at an Austin Z LaVine backourt I think it poses some of the similar problems as like an Austin DLo backourt where I mean Zack LaVine is a better player than DLo uh but there’s kind of similar players in terms of strengths and weaknesses like Zack lavine’s obviously more athletic more explosive I think he’s a better scorer overall uh but you could argue he’s just as bad if not a worse Defender I think he’s probably a little better because he’s more athletic he is bigger than DLo but DLo is certainly a better passer and last year at least was a better three-point shooter and a a better high volume three-point shooter so like uh I mean I think there’s a bit of a trade-off there where Zach is like the more reliable offensive weapon and is a bit more athletic and gives you some of that dynamism that DLo doesn’t necessarily give you but DLo is a better shooter and a better playmaker uh so I think again Zach is the better player he also comes with a monster contract he’s making 40 plus million over I mean not just this upcoming season but two more years he’s got a player option for 49 million um going to break some news he’s going to pick that up I made that joke before like he’s going to pick up that player option for 49 million uh so he’s got a monster contract and that’s you’re really kind of you’re you’re like basically committing to LeBron ad and Zach and LeBron maybe is is gone by you know by that third year maybe he retires or whatever but like that’s just a lot of money to tie in to to those three guys and um I’m not even sold on Zach necessarily as a number three on a championship level team he’s I mean to my recollection he’s never even been in the playoffs I want to say off the top of my head so we don’t even know what he would be like and who knows maybe he is is great in like a number three role and uh he is better than DLo has been in the playoffs and like it it is an upgrade but I don’t know if it’s worth like yes it’s great to take on a first round pick and maybe you can reroute that uh and get a you know a different upgrade and like that that would be the one you know kind of path for me of like if you can then make a second move with that first round pick uh to address some of the defensive concerns with Zach but I I just think if I’m looking at like a a Zach Austin back court I think it is a higher ceiling than an Austin DLo back court but I think it still has some of the same limitations of like in a playoff series against a certain caliber of opponent especially let’s just say they make the finals and are playing the Celtics like I I think that’s going to be a tough backcourt defensively against a team like the Celtics that can really just pick on Zach uh and even pick on Austin in certain matchups and like I I just I don’t love that uh fit there so to me it’s it’s too similar to the Austin D back court uh now dear dear’s still possible uh it’s just the problem is the Lakers so I mean dear like had talked about in the past taking a HomeTown discount to play in LA and wanting to play for the Lakers that was the his you childhood team and obviously uh he’s been everywhere recently with the you know not like us song and was at the the Kendrick concert was in the the uh video and like that there’s kind of been some uh Demar in La like buzz just overall over like the last couple months however uh it’s since come out that he does not want to take that non-t taxpayer mle and that even some form of him taking like a 15 to2 million contract he views as a discount uh and he’s not wrong but for the Lakers it just gets tricky to fit in like already uh them you know figuring that out for Klay Thompson was going to be tricky uh but them figuring it out for dear is also going to be tricky and now since they’re pushing right above the second apron uh not only like so if they do assign in trade for Demar they get hard capped at the first apron of uh 178 I want to say 178.6 if I’m not mistaken uh or 178.6 somewhere in that range so if you get hard cap there Lakers now need to shed they need to trade out a certain amount of salary to fit in thear uh because you don’t want to be taking on even more salary but then on top of that you need to shed uh just over $1 million in that trade to fit the Mar in under the so I mean you technically could do like the the trade we talked about earlier of maybe you dump a couple vet minimum guys and you attach a second so that clears five and a half and then now you need to send out an additional so maybe let’s say dear is like two years 36 million so like 18 million a year somewhere in that range two years 40 million something like that then you send out uh DLo and then you could do DLo and like uh JHS and like another minimum or uh DLo and I mean maybe maybe it’s DLo and Vando something like that uh but then again now you you’re decimating your depth and you I mean you’re creating other holes on the roster of like now your perimeter defense is worse without Vando you have less size you have less athleticism and yes thear is is maybe a better player than both of those guys and and comes with a certain level of cache as like a third scorer but you’re creating defensive issues and I think the biggest thing for the Lakers right now is like they need to be adding guys who can shoot and who can defend and guys and for as good and I I already talked about this in my video about dear and why I don’t love the fit for as good as dear is and like if anyone’s going to like dear de rozan it’s me I’m from La I went to USC Demar rosen’s from La DeMar rosen went to USC like uh you know objectively like I I’ve enjoyed watching him throughout his career uh and by all accounts he’s a good dude it’s just he’s not a good shooter and he’s not a good Defender and he’s in his mid-30s so it’s like those three things would concern me if I’m the Lakers and especially if I’m giving up uh you know a DLo and and aando or dowlo and a ruy or or whatever the the trade looks like to create that space for for Demar and to get under the first apron it’s just it’s it’s a big price so uh I would so I guess to to bring this full circle with both these guys I would say both are are very unlikely uh like I think Zach again it’s just it’s Sim it’s too similar to DLo in my opinion and dear I think it gets a little bit too tricky like the easiest way would have been Lamar uh Lebron taking a a pay cut and with that not happening I I just think it gets too tricky with LeBron at you know taking his max for the Lakers to then fit in Demar and I guess technically nothing has been signed yet so LeBron could resend it and change his mind but like it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen and it seems like thear is either going to end up most likely in Sacramento or in Miami okay getting trying to trying to catch up here um from Aiden glennan hey why uh hey why is plinka not doing anything uh so this is this has been the question of the off season and uh I think it’s it’s fair it is a fair critique Fair criticism of the Lakers in activity um I can say and I I have already reported at the athletic that the Lakers have aggressive in reaching out to teams and trying to look for trades at the same time I think since the Russell Westbrook trade the Lakers have been much more cautious uh in trades with their assets particularly their first round picks and when it comes down to it uh the Lakers the the contracts that the Lakers are trying to trade aren’t exactly the most appealing contracts like there’s a reason why they have to attach assets to them uh even a guy like d’angel Russell is a PR has been a pretty difficult contract to trade there has not been much of a market for a guy like DLo Gabe Vincent there are legitimate concerns with his knee injury and with the way he recovered and like I I thought he looked you know had some solid moments at the end of the last season obviously had a disappointing Denver series for the most part but like that’s not necessarily viewed as like a positive contract ruy is a very I mean I’ve said this many times on here but like ruie is a very polarizing player where some people see the value in him and some people are like you know if we could slide this guy in as like our third forward we could unlock him and he brings this interesting uh like ability to play both big and small depending on how you use him at the same time there are plenty of people around the league who still view viewy as a they feel like it was a reactionary contract that he had like one good month and the Lakers paid him off that and they don’t think he’s very good and they look at the Denver series and him kind of floating throughout that series and just how bad he was and like they’ll point to that and be like this isn’t a guy who we we want in our program so like it it just it really like then you I mean V is um I think I think he looked much better those last like two three weeks before he got injured but there are people who just look at hey Vando can’t play in the playoffs because he we like teams are just not going to guard him they’re gonna put a center on him they’re gonna put their worst defender on him and it’s going to be cheet off V I think the Lakers started to figure out better ways to use him as a cutter as a screener as a dho guy and I think JJ reick is going to have to continue a lot of the progress that the Lakers made if they continue uh you know if V’s on the roster but you know it’s just it’s like and then uh JHS I mean like I I was talking about JHS as maybe like a late first route value early second route like I’ve heard it is more like early second to to midc and that’s a guy you just took at number 17 a year ago he’s not even playing in summer league uh because of his back and and the back procedure that he had to end the season so it’s like the Lakers that the for the most part the players that are trying to trade are are largely neutral to negative uh trade values so I I think like at the end of the day the Lakers need to do something I believe if you really are serious about maximizing this window with LeBron and AD you need to do something I don’t think running it back makes sense and I don’t think I think one of the Lakers biggest issues the last couple years has been entering the season knowing that they almost certainly had to make a trade by the trade deadline two years ago it was trading wussell Westbrook and it ended up working out but you still like I mean I think the the resounding takeaway from That season was like imagine these guys had had a full season together and you might not have been able to do that trade at the beginning of the season but imagine if the Lakers had had that roster for the full season would have been much better than having that roster for 20-some games before the playoffs and then last year uh they tried to trade D’Angelo Russell no one would take him and they could not F you know they couldn’t figure it out with Atlanta they couldn’t figure it out with Brooklyn and ultimately they had to keep him but then you also had a disgruntled D’Angelo Russell who was in trade rumors for like two months and and it’s understandably so so it’s like I don’t think the Lakers I think the Lakers need to build out their roster now in over the next few weeks and enter the season with the roster you think can compete and then if you want to make certain adjustments then you make a trade at the trade deadline but this whole run it back let’s just like see how because then I I also hear people say well let’s just like let’s see how good they actually are but like you’re judging an incomplete roster because this isn’t the roster that they’re going to want come playoff time so like is this roster good enough to compete for a championship probably not like I think they’re the fifth best team in the west I think they could win a round maybe win two but I don’t think this is a serious contending roster as constructed so if you’re going to judge it on that you’re going to come to the conclusion that this is not a serious contending roster and you’re gonna say there’s no point in making a move so that’s where I I think it’s a little bit um like I don’t necessarily agree with the logic of like well just stand Pat be patient and and don’t do anything and then wait till the season because now you’re you’re bringing in all these other factors of like maybe someone gets injured and then that prevents you from making a move uh maybe the the team gets off to just such a bad start that you’re behind the eightball and even if you do make a move now of a sudden you’re trying to make up all this ground and then that’s to say nothing of disrupting chemistry and continuity and guys being in trade rumors like you don’t want to deal with that next year ideally the Lakers don’t have to make a trade at the deadline and they just have their roster from day one so I think uh in terms of so to go back to Rob and the inactivity like I totally get it I think it’s fair to critique him I think it’s fair to to have criticism for the inactivity I will say I know they’ve been active and aggressive and they don’t have a lot of great assets but I do think there’s going to come a point come let’s say like mid to late July where if the Lakers have not made a trade like it’s getting to the point where they need to do something and even if it’s not the best trade on paper if it makes them a little bit better I do think it’s worth throwing in at first and maybe if it’s depending on who the player is maybe even a couple first just because again if you want to win a championship with LeBron and AD the window is closing the window is short you have one to two more years you you got to go all in you got to do something that that’s just my take um let’s see homie 2 cent uh hi yovon random question outside of fre agency what’s the dynamic like between uh reporters and a new head coach in the building uh this is a good question uh a little behind the scenes so with that I I will say uh like when the Lakers brought in Darvin ham we had an the record lunch with him uh pretty early into his tenure so we spent like an hour or so with him uh in in one of the Lakers uh boardrooms at the facility and just kind of uh shot the bleep and and got to know each other a bit and this was like the the beat writers uh all in in one room with Darin ham and and Lakers PR and uh I wanna I want to say Rob popped in for a little bit but he he was primarily just getting to know Darin um so and then you know pretty previous so that’s that’s been a thing of of you know having a lunch so I assume at some point uh probably closer to the beginning of the Season we’ll have something like that with JJ I think it’s been obviously you know he’s been trying to hire his staff it was right before the draft right before free agency so it’s been a bit of a hectic time uh for the the Lakers to try and kind of make that happen but um you know I I briefly covered uh JJ when uh you know I covered the the Lob City Clippers a bit uh when I was just starting out I I was covering both the the Lakers and the Clippers and uh at that time it was easier for me to get credentials for through the Clippers so I I was you know at more Clipper games and um I was around JJ for you know that stretch but never you I was like early 20s I didn’t know what I was doing in an NBA locker room so I I didn’t really build a rapport with him but I did get to reintroduce myself uh at his introductory press conference we had a brief interaction uh and and that was it so uh but I will be I don’t know I doubt he’s going to be at the Cali classic I’m I’m going to be there so that’s partly why I got to go in like 15 20 minutes uh but I will certainly see him at Las Vegas summer league and I’m sure we will get to talk a bit more [Music] then uh see Andrew H what are the odds the Lakers make a deal today well I hope they haven’t made a deal since I’ve been on uh my phone uh no nothing has happened uh uh I would say 15 20% like uh that they don’t have to make a deal today I know like people are looking at tomorrow as like an unofficial deadline uh they technically can drag out their like they don’t have to sign Max Christie tomorrow technically um that’s the contract that will push them above the second apron and even then it really matters what they do throughout the summer in terms of getting back under the second apron so they have a bit of a Runway here to make some trades and make some moves uh but I would say like in general there there is a sense of urgency of like the the sooner the better and at some point uh like Gary Trent JR could be signed tonight or tomorrow or Sunday and then all of a sudden like that guy’s gone right so the longer this drags out the less of a market the Lakers are going to have in terms of like free agents for that taxpayer mle so I I do think they should be trying to make that salary dump trade sooner than later uh but I’m sure they’re they’re also trying to see if they can make a larger move and include one of those guys in that type of deal so uh we shall see uh next question from Shaban is this offseason already a colossal failure uh no I I would not say it’s a colossal failure uh I will say I think it’s too early to write off the offseason that that’s my point I think if they don’t make a move I think it’s a failure so I’m I’m not I’m not like colossal is is strong maybe I’m it’s semantics and I’m just taking issue with like the the additional uh emphasis on failure uh but I I will say like give it to July 30 if it’s July 31st and the Lakers have not done some type of salary cutting move or some type of trade to improve the roster I will go I will agree with you and say it’s a failure and then we’re you know that that’s it but uh I think it’s still a little early like they still have the Cali classic uh they still have Las Vegas summer league so I’d give it like two to three more weeks before I I really judge it either way but again if they don’t make a move I do think it’s a failure just because I I don’t think I still I think this is a good team I don’t think this is a great team with like a real Championship ceiling personally but we shall see uh mosty is it most mostly ill sorry H great great reading skills there uh Dwight McGee ad asks for help every year H so Dwight Dwight is not in I mean that that ship is sale Dwight Howard is no longer an NBA caliber player he’s been out of the league for a couple years and I just don’t I think that like that’s not the guy um javil has also slit from being like jav has been on teams where they could use javil and his skill set and him as a backup center and he always ends up getting outplayed by whoever his competition is for like second string so I think javil that ship has sailed too uh in terms of like him being a viable rotation guy uh the guy ID wanted last year was bismack biombo but he wasn’t great last season so that that’s like a it’s tough like looking at the I think probably have to acquire a big on the trade market uh like looking at the the contract that Andre Drummond got I think it would have been uh that would have been like a taxpayer ml for Andre Drummond would have been a great move and that’s a move that Lakers could have only made had they already cleared out that that uh those roster spots and and that cap flexibility or just not giving out those player options and I think they didn’t give out those player options maybe Jackson Hayes is the only guy on the roster I don’t think Christian Wood and cam reddish are on this roster Lakers have not given them player options uh so that that’s a whole other conversation and um you know situation but the whole uh like player option thing was just uh they went 0 for three honestly because none of those guys had a market and and that’s why they like if you opt into a minimum contract you don’t have a market uh especially if when you’re not it’s not like those guys are crushing it in terms of like uh their roles or like their fits or whatever it was just like they just didn’t have market so um I I do think the Lakers like again I I mentioned it earlier like one of the three holes on this roster or one of the two holes and then third if the Lakers trade DLo and don’t replace him with a guard is uh they need a more defensive minded bigger body uh you know Center and and that’s where like uh like to me Christian Wood and Jackson Hayes are are similar in the sense of like they’re more offensive minded centers like Jackson Hayes when he is rolling he’s getting lobs he’s getting offensive rebounds and he’s just being athletic and uh just Above the Rim on both sides of the floor but more more so offensively like he’s making a lot of offensive uh impact plays and and he’s effective in the short rle and like he’s he’s operating in that way um as a roller and as a downhill threat with Christian Wood uh I mean we I feel like we didn’t see much of his offensive skill set that much last year because he didn’t shoot the ball well but ideally he’s a pick and pop big he’s a guy who can get you a bucket uh in the block or or the elbow and you know can face up uh can turn around can hit jumpers got hook shots uh he’s also someone that could be effective on the offensive glass uh but neither guy is much of an impact Defender and I think ultimately uh like if you have two offensive like the Lakers have trended toward offense particularly at the the backup center spot and I think they they need to like it’s fine to have one of those guys but you need a more defensive minded guy who can just hold down the fort for five to 10 minutes and just not and it just not be a layup line and you not just give up offensive rebounds and putbacks and all that stuff so like that’s easier said than done uh and who knows uh maybe a guy like Colin Castleton could take a step this year uh or or maybe the Lakers find a guy in the G League or uh on the buyout Market at some point but like they’re going to need to address that hole at some point so um I don’t know like B I mean look and I haven’t seen a Brook Lopez question yet at least on the the super chats uh but I would say you know Brook Lopez like I I personally would give I know he’s 36 but again you have a one to twoyear window uh I think Brook Lakers should have kept Brook Lopez and that’s a whole other thing or or like if Lakers had kept either V zubot or Brook Lopez I think we’re having a totally different conversation here where this is like a team that’s won a couple championships because those two guys would be great fits next to Anthony Davis particularly Brook Lopez who like was molded in a lab to fit next to an ad or a Giannis as just this three in D Center and is something of a unicorn just because there’s not many guys who can protect the rim at the level that Brook Lopez does but also shoot 36 plus perc on a high volume of Threes And basically not even Le go inside the arc uh offensively and he can he can still be a postup guy if you’re G to put a guard on him you could put Brook Lopez on the post and he’ll go back to his New Jersey and Brooklyn days as a low post scorer uh but it for the most part he’s a a stretch big who also protects the rim and it’s not a good rebounder but if you have ad and LeBron next to him I think you’re going to be fine with with and really like Milwaukee’s been a good rebounding team with Brook Lopez so it’s often he’s boxing out or he’s contesting shots and then that’s where Giannis is coming in and getting the rebounds so I’m not too worried about that like yes the age is a is significant concern but if you’re looking at Brook Lopez through like a one-year window uh I I mean he might I’m I don’t know if this is like a controversial take but he might be the most impactful guy currently available like it’s probably between him and Jeremy Grant and either way you’re going bigger in the front court but uh I mean I think the price certainly for Lopez would be less than Jeremy Grant Portland’s been asking for two first round picks so uh if if you can get Brook Lopez for one first round pick I I think you do it I maybe if there’s a way to like Lottery protected to kind of have a little bit of insurance against it and you know I haven’t heard specifics as to like does Milwaukee want an unprotected first or or does any you know top 15 protected first like there’s flexibility there but if you could even do like a top 10 10 protected first I would personally consider that for Brook Lopez given how well I think he would fit next to ad and then you have the optionality to and really like I don’t think it’s G to cost you a lot like maybe it is just ruy uh and then you know you do uh I don’t know I don’t know what that looks like uh because then if you’re I mean if you’re Milwaukee you don’t have a center like I guess you’re starting Bobby poris uh but that that’s a downgrade in my opinion in terms of like defense and rim protection and just your overall starting lineup so I don’t know I I like Brook Lopez I know he’s old I know he slipped a bit wasn’t the same level of rim protector and Defender last year but still putting him next to Anthony Davis that’s like he’s like built in a lab to like I it’s really Brook Lopez and Miles Turner like the two guys who and christops porzingis uh like those three guys as stretch fives who can also protect the rim there aren’t many of them and Victor wanyama sure but like you’re not getting him uh DJ Porter what is the latest with Spencer D are the Lakers going to lose him as well um so as I’ve reported uh and talked about on here Spencer deny is still a candidate to return to the Lakers they had been looking at Toran and Spencer as if they could clear that extra roster spot or two potentially resigning one of those guys to a taxpayer mle and then one of those guys to have at minimum so Spencer would be a candidate for the taxpayer mle and and in that case if you do trade a Gabe or a DLo you can replace them with a guy that look like I I know Spencer was like a very polarizing player and and I know there are a lot of people that don’t want him back and I I totally get that um I will say like the stretches we saw and it was very brief but the stretches we saw where D I think DLo missed a game or two like he played really well offensively and I feel like there was something about hit like he never quite figured out the offensive fit next to Austin and DLo to the level that the Lakers needed him to be and and obviously he was a dud in the playoffs and um you know but if you’re looking at a guy like the Lakers need to nail the the margins and and they need to nail some of these bets on like cheaper guys and Spencer dwy potentially for the taxpayer mle like this is a guy who like had Spencer dwy not been traded I think he’s probably getting the tax or the non- taxpayer EML this summer even with there’s the the reports about him quite quitting in Brooklyn and his effort and like that seemed to be a bit of a toxic situation and he never fully uh talked about it and and and sort of explained it but like Spencer dwy is is a guy who was uh I believe what the the third leading scorer on that Dallas team that made the Western Conference finals and yes that was a couple years ago he’s not the same player but I still think at like $5 million that’s not like like if you and if you Empower him and let’s say DLo is gone and it’s like Gabe starting and Spencer Off the Bench and he is getting a certain amount of offensive usage I still think he can be an effective player and like maybe it’s a Bad Bet and maybe it doesn’t work out and I could easily be wrong on that I just think when you’re looking at guys who can outperform their contracts I think Spencer is one of the few guys remaining who could actually outperform that five and look if you get him on the minimum that’s even better right if you could just say like hey we can only offer and they wouldn’t even be paying him five I think they’d have to be paying him around like four just to fit it under that second apron but I just and his minimum anyway would I think be around three uh so it’s not that much of a difference at that point it’s like a million doll but uh you know I think Spencer so I I have heard that there is uh interest in in retaining him depending on how things play out like I’m sure the Lakers would prefer a Gary Trent Jr over a Spencer dwy and if that’s the case then you take the the gtj but if it comes down to like Spencer deny or some of these other options I do think he has a chance to bounce back and overperform relative to his contract more so than some of these other guys uh let’s see okay we got a big one here Mike V thank you uh the Lakers might not trade anymore future first I think they rebuild in 2027 LeBron retires after two seasons and the Lakers trade ad for assets the 2027 pick is protected top four so they could still tank for the lottery uh so not a question here I think this is more of a prediction from Mike V uh I mean you’re that could happen it’s certainly within the realm of possibility I think uh the Lakers would likely uh if it plays out this way I think they would ideally like to find that second star to and that was one of the appealing factors about potentially acquiring Donovan Mitchell and why he was one of the few guys on the short list that they would give up a couple of the you know both for sha pix for was just like he could bring that era or he could bridge the gap into the next era of Lakers basketball and you could Envision in 2026 and 2027 and 2028 Donovan Mitchell with Anthony Davis uh that I guess you could still make the cases one of the reasons why Trey young would be an interesting name though I think he comes with uh a lot of potential baggage with uh just his defense and him being so heliocentric and such a high usage guy that uh it would be certainly a a huge offensive adjustment for him and then defensively there’s always going to be a level of concern and teams being able to Target and really pick on him in the playoffs at a at a level that even like a guy like like it’s much worse than DLo like he’s just smaller and he’s a worse Defender so uh I think there are some concerns like a guy like Trey but uh I think the Lakers are are going to like maybe ad asss out at that point and you know that had been as Sam a the athletic had reported uh you know what is it a few weeks ago that one of the uh one of the factors with the Lakers in terms of moving on from Darin ham was them being afraid of Anthony Davis potentially asking out if they did not uh fire ham so maybe ad ass out at that point like this is just all speculation here uh but I think the Lakers would try and find that second star to reload with rather than rebuild especially because they don’t have access to all their first round picks over that stretch so uh but you could be right uh I I mean that that’s I would say this is trending on the more like pessimistic outcomes of what the Lakers future could look like uh but and because even if you tank uh there’s no guarantee like you’re just guaranteed a top five pick if you’re the worst record you’re not even guaranteed a top three pick or or the best pick uh like in other sports so like there’s a chance you tank and you still get like the six pick and then that goes to Utah so the the Lakers like they will have some incentive to tank but uh in this scenario but I I still think they they try and go for it krock 004 hey ovon out of all the teams you mentioned the Lakers have talked to who has the most Traction in terms of a potential deal happening uh it’s a good question I would say Portland would be the team that uh has the most traction of a like it’s between Portland and Brooklyn uh I think in both cases the haggling comes down to picks and Portland wanting two picks for Jeremy Grant versus the Lakers being only okay with giving up one and then Brooklyn wanting a first for each of Dorian fifth uh Dorian finny Smith uh just combined his last name Dorian Finn Smith and cam Johnson and La not being fully sold on giving up a first for either one of those guys so uh really it comes down to the haggling of the picks and uh then ultimately like which players La is sending out and then matching salary and all like the there’s several like layers to a trade as to sort of like the general framework and then you get into the more nitty-gritty of like salary matching and what that’s going to look like on your cap sheet and which pick are you sending out and is there protections on that pick and like uh can you haggle about uh you know I want to protect this pick uh and but I’d be willing to throw in a second and like there just different layers to like how a a trade uh gets worked through and and ultimately gets agreed upon so if I just if I pick uh I would say Portland and Brooklyn have at least some form of a framework and it’s more so just like what’s the ultimate cost what what’s the ultimate like picks and and are those picks protected and how many picks are involved and like so I I would say that’s where Portland OR Brooklyn would be the closest uh from my understanding uh I I know you know Washington and kusma there’s been some Buzz there but uh I think that one Like It’s tricky because you’re not going to I don’t think you’re going to send ruy back to Washington and then that really limits it to like d but I don’t I don’t know it’s that one’s a little trickier but I I think Portland and Brooklyn are are cleaner fits in terms of just like the salary matching and it really just coming down to like which the game of chicken and which team blinks first and which team lower do the the the Nets lower the price to like a couple second or maybe like a heavily protected first or do and do the Blazers lower it to like one first or do the Lakers give in and just say we’re going all in and like here’s a first for this guy or like here’s a couple first for Jeremy Grant and that’s more so where I I see so I would say one of one of those two um the indigenous nightmare network two questions what’s the odds of getting lri and if we clear roster spot somehow is Omare a legit Target I think he would fit well next to ad um I’m not sure who you are saying with oh okay yeah uh you’re at seven um that’s an interesting one uh like I I he’s interesting um I don’t think he’d be at the top of my list but he is I mean how tall is He’s listed at 611 275 he’s a big guy uh I’m curious what his shooting numbers are looking him up so he had the one year in Miami uh 2022 23 shot 43% pretty low volume less than one attempt per game it was only nine games uh so his other two seasons 9% and 21% so the shooting like in theory he kind of has the outline of like a three and D Center but the the shooting hasn’t really been there um so like I mean he he’s interesting but I I don’t I don’t know if he’s that wouldn’t be my top Target depending on like who else is out there uh and then odds of lowry I think are really low I think 5% really like 10% um I I just don’t think the Lakers have the draft Capital ultimately to uh get them into the conversation of like again if they’re looking for a male Bridges type package to me that means like at least four firsts and even if you’re reducing the protections on that 2027 pick I would say that’s like two and a half first and even then like half might be generous so 2.25 first I I don’t even know uh like it would be nice to have that pick completely unprotected for Utah but I don’t know if that offsets like I think there are teams that would legitimately give up at least three first if not four for Lorie marinin so at that point uh and then if you’re not like you know it even if you’re tra like again I go back to Austin like even if you’re Trading Austin he’s not necessarily I want to say what Lor’s 27 uh Austin’s 26 so like you’re not even like Austin’s not even necessarily on your timeline with uh some of these younger guys that you have in like their early 20s like he’s basically the same age as lri and like I guess you’re maybe you flip Austin down the road for something else but I just I don’t I don’t see it uh Ali A rzvy appreciate everything your prediction for La trade so I spoke to this a bit earlier but I’ll reiterate that I think La is going to do some form of of consolidation trade where they trade uh at least one or two minimum guys and attach a second round pick or or even a couple second round picks maybe if they’re doing a couple of minimum guys uh to some team with cap space or at least some cap flexibility to take on a couple guys maybe they wave one or both and that is that uh so that is like at a minimum they are trying to upgrade with a three andd type wing and again the names I’ve reported are Jeremy Grant Kyle kma cam Johnson and Dorian finy Smith all those guys have varying degrees of of shooting and defense levels uh and I think Jeremy Grant is clearly the best of the four but he’s also the most expensive of the four in terms of both his contract and the price to get him so that complicates that I do think he’s the best fit not only the best player but the best fit uh personally and I think that would Elevate the Lakers from maybe the fifth best team to like third or fourth in the west depending on uh again a lot of factors Health what what else they do with the roster because potentially you’re creating a hole there especially at guard if you’re trading DLo but Portland doesn’t want DLo so like you’re trading ruie and then maybe it’s ruy and Gabe for to to match the salary but then I mean and who like Jeremy Grant Austin and and DLo like that he he plug like kind of gives you some a lot of what van like V’s a definitely a better perimeter Defender and just a a better Defender overall but like gives you a lot of what uh Vando gives you defense ly but then also is at a different level offensively and was better than ruy offensively so like Jeremy Grant in theory checks the boxes of I’ve talked about like can you combine ruy and Vando into like one player and like have their their basketball baby be that starting small forward and Jeremy Grant is kind of that guy uh now I think he would need to take a considerable step back offensively especially if the Lakers still have Austin and DLo uh and then like I mean step back offensively and then a need to really lean into the defensive end and go back to being more of the player he was in OKC and in Denver uh and that remains to be seen if he would want to take on that role and and want to take a step back but if he’s willing to embrace it and he’s serious about winning and is he’s show he’s because like the thing with him was like he wanted to show I could be a number one guy I could be a number two guy I could be a 20 point per game scorer like I’ve been in this box as a role player and he went out and he did it and he showed in Detroit and now in Portland like he can get you 18 to 22 points a night but you’re going to be a lottery team and you’re going to be one of the worst teams in the league if Jeremy Grant is your best player and your primary player so if you slot him as your number three or even your number four depending on how you view things with Austin and with DLo I like that a lot more and then if he can really lean into the defensive end and he’s the guy taking on the primary assignments three at the three and the four and maybe even some twos depending on the team I I like that so uh I would say you know some type of trade to upgrade on the wing and the perimeter is what the Lakers are looking to do whether they can actually do it whole other conversation and you know based on the last couple years like I’m a little skeptical that they get it done but we shall see uh okay another question here from is he a real one radio uh Vada why don’t we hear more about Seth Curry uh I mean he he’s another guy who’s just kind of Aging out of the league I mean apparently uh when he got waved by Charlotte they were already talking about resigning him and sort of restructuring the deal I do like in theory I like him I don’t think the Lakers necessarily need another small guard unless they trade Gabe uh or Andor DLo uh otherwise I I think like the back court is pretty much set there you don’t need another small guard uh but but you need help on the the wings and uh in the front Court uh you know particularly at the five spot so Seth Curry like I mean he’s one of these guys that I feel like he looks better on paper than he actually is and that’s that’s my kind of quick take on that like he’s he’s a defensive liability uh he’s still a good shooter but I don’t he’s not like that uh quick shooter that you you necessarily need like I don’t know I I’m just I I think he’s like kind of like he’s kind of fallen out of the rotation the last few places he’s been um and he’ll have like the the one game where he hits like six threes and then he looks really good but I don’t think he does that consistently enough and I just I I think at this point he’s more of like a backend rotation guy if even that and just not what the Lakers need uh in my opinion I think that is all the super chat questions so I’m going to uh I he Tyler K asked do you think we do any trades so if for any trade related question that I’ll just keep going back to uh consolidation trade and then maybe um maybe a trade for a wing uh question from George unor Santiago any idea backstory on LeBron pay cut and why they made it public hope the rehab is going well you’re to be reevaluated in September uh so what George is referring to is I had a tore my achilles back in October had surgery in November and I’m close to like 80% I would say I’m getting back there starting to jog a little bit do a little bit of running uh not back to playing basketball yet but I I got a wedding coming up up getting married in in two months so I need to try and get the uh the full range of motion back so I could be out on the Dance Floor enjoying myself uh idea backstory on the LeBron pay cut and why they made it public I think it was posturing uh to some extent you know I think it was putting some pressure on the front office to to do something and it was a pretty short list and frankly a rather unrealistic list because you had two guys in Klay Thompson and demard de Rosen who don’t want to sign for the non- taxpayer ml uh a guy in James Harden who just signed for almost three times the amount of the non- taxpayer mle and a guy in yonas val chunis who quickly agreed to a deal with the Wizards early in free agency so you had to think that was already in the works and I that one to me was I was always like I don’t see LeBron taking a pay cut for yonis and chunis when like he’s one of those he just I I don’t know how much he would have actually helped the Lakers especially with his defensive limitations so uh yeah I mean I think it part of it was just posturing for um like it it makes him look good right like to to some extent and sometimes you know I mean when you kind of Trace certain things getting reported or coming out it’s like uh and look I I think think he would have taken it for those guys I I just think it was a high bar of you really had to convince a clay or Demar to take a steep pay cut when those guys already view themselves as taking pay cuts as like 15 to 20 million uh which is more than that and then again yonas seemed like he already had something going on and then James Harden was never going to sign for the non- taxpayer so the list and uh Brian went horse of vbn had reported there was another name that we didn’t hear I still don’t have Clarity on like what that name was but it was a very difficult list to actually make happen uh but I think it was a form of posturing PR whatever you want to call it um let’s see uh noral Maldonado doing great Yan hey everyone we have over 550 watching let’s show support and hit the like button it’s free yes please be sure to like this and be sure to subscribe if you if you’re new to the channel welcome if you’re returning thank you for coming back and be sure to hit that subscribe button I should have been plugging that throughout but I’m just trying to answer you guys’s questions uh I think that is all of the okay here we go another one uh from tis what do you think about a trade for Io and vich I think we can make a trade package to make some roster spice and vui’s contract isn’t that crazy uh vvi it comes back to like defensively isn’t great and I I personally hav’t like I think part of the reason why Javale McGee and Dwight were so effective next to Anthony Davis is because statistically they were two of the better Rim protectors in the league That season and and I’m sure playing next to Anthony Davis is going to make you a better Defender but those guys were really good shop blockers I mean they they had that one game against Detroit where all three of them combined for I think a couple other guys got blocks but like the team has think had like 20 21 blocks it was like some record for uh a team for like x amount of years and like that team was Elite at Rim protecting and and just being you know protecting the interior and and that size and that length so vvi to me is like it’s similar to uh you know like a clay like the the imperfect fit of like a Klay Thompson or like a demard Rosen where offensively it’s GNA work like he can space the floor he can play inside he can play outside like I actually really like the offensive fate he can be a dho guy he could be a screener hit guys in the short roll like he has declined a bit especially since his Orlando days but uh like vuvi offensively I think would be a really solid fit uh it’s the defense to me and I just don’t think especially if you if you’re trading for him you are basically you’re starting him most likely and you’re giving 28 to 32 minutes to him at a minimum and to give that to a guy who’s like at best an average rim protector and I’m probably being nice there I I would say overall a below average rim protector and a below low average Defender I don’t love that I do like IO and and that’s I guess the the more appealing part of this trade uh but I I don’t the the vuich part I’m not as not as sold on again another USC guy but I I I’m just trying to call it like it is uh grape uh is this grape swi great swishers uh they’re good uh plinka usually operates in the shadows what’s your prediction for Dark Horse move well uh the problem is making the prediction for the Dark Horse move um like I mean that’s why it’s a dark horse move now I will say uh there there’s been times I’ve wondered if the Lakers telegraphing that they’re not going after a third star means they’re actually going after a third star and we just don’t and and now look like the stars would dropped like flies like jonte Murray got traded Donovan Mitchell resigned Trey young switched agencies and I’ve heard that’s certainly a factor here of uh then they also added Nate McMillan who he does not have the best relationship let’s just say uh with from Atlanta uh so I think there’s a lot of signs that Trey young is is unlikely to come uh maybe Darius Garland he’s a guy who has clutch connections and uh there had been reporting from the athletic at the time of one Cleveland was eliminated that if Donovan Mitchell signed that extension that Darius garland would potentially ask out and potentially look to be the primary ball handler in a different situation now I think Darius scarland is a really good player he’s not at the level of a Donovan Mitchell and a uh Trey young so and then he comes with a certain level of defensive concerns as well and if you are like I I I think ideally what if the Lakers are trading both first round picks whoever that player is it either has to be like a top 20 guy which is where like a Mitchell comes in or it has to be someone that can shoot and defend and and is a plus two-way guy and those players just don’t grow on trees and and the cost in some cases is over two first- round picks and even so like if there really is a a bidding war and like darus Garland’s on the market I think you’re gonna get more than uh two you’re probably gonna get more than two first round picks for him so uh I think with with the way the market has been reset with some of these trades like feels like any Star level player is going to go for at least three first if not more uh and and that’s just where the Lakers I think are a little bit capped with like that the Mel Bridges trade was not good for the Lakers of just it set a certain price and a certain uh precedence okay we we keep getting uh I’m gonna do couple more here uh Tim Tucker odds we make a trade before next Monday it’s really tough to say because again as I said earlier uh the Lakers don’t have to make a trade by tomorrow I think there’s a there’s a misconception some misinformation out that they have to like they can be patient they don’t have to sign Max chrisy like LeBron had wanted to sign by uh tomorrow for Team USA for a couple reasons one uh just so it’s off his plate he doesn’t have to think about it he could focus on the Olympics and really lock in with that and two if he’s playing in a competitive situation there’s always a chance of risk of of injury and you don’t want to risk that of potentially getting injured and then you don’t have a contract and and you’re dragging it out and all of a sudden now the Lakers uh you know I’m sure they would have signed him to a a still a good contract but like you don’t want to lose that leverage and it potentially be like well you didn’t you know you were dragging us out and and you didn’t sign and now you got injured and now you know you’re coming back asking for a contract and like that could just get messy and that’s a situation that neither side wants to engage with so the the logical thing was if LeBron was not going to take a pay cut and LeBron was not going to go elsewhere that he obviously was just going to resign for the max so I think that’s from the LeBron side like why uh there was a bit of a deadline coming up with Saturday as far as Max Christie the Lakers don’t have to sign him tomorrow um and really should try to at least make a trade before they sign him so if I had to guess I would say like it’s always tough when making these like uh percentage guesses but like 30 35% I I I would still put it under 50% that they make a trade but like a decent decent number but not more likely than not because I think that the odds of them just making a trade in the next couple days it’s probably lower but uh come summer league like I think they will likely have made a trade by then at a minimum a consolidation trade so uh I would say 30 35% if I had to guess by like Monday but because again that they don’t have to do it uh question from pass uh pasal longa pasal Lanka 16 more power JB what about Wendell Carter from Orlando I I like this and I I will give a shout out um to uh Lakers Nation for coming up with this uh trade idea but uh and shout out to specifically Trevor Lane um I I mean it seems like Orlando is like trying to be competitive though and Wendell Carter is a good player on a good contract and I don’t see them like it seems like they’re going for it I mean they uh you know side kcp they extended Jonathan is they just had the monster extension for fron so like I think they’re they’re trying to go for it and uh like if the Lakers are I don’t even know if what first it necessarily gets it done for Wendell like I’m sure if they put two first on the table Orlando would strongly consider that but I don’t think the Lakers would do that and I don’t think uh Wendell is that caliber of like a two first guy but I think it’s sort of like um to my knowledge they they’re not necessarily looking to shop him I think if he he was available uh and I could be like I just I haven’t heard I know from from fans and like uh like fan uh you fantasy trades like he’s been a a top Target I personally have not heard him attached to Lakers when I have conversations with people so uh could I mean maybe that is the the the Dark Horse trade and the Lakers can land him uh but I think it I don’t know if it first gets it done especially when uh to to quote uh you know Rob’s comments at the uh at the trade deadline like you know you can’t purchase a house that’s not for sale this is a a situation where I think you’d be trying to purchase a house that’s not necessarily for sale and to get that you have to overbid and you have to give or Orlando an offer they can’t refuse and that’s probably two first but I I don’t I would not do that personally for for Wendell uh question from Matt why don’t we target ston Kessler and Grant uh well so as I’ve they are targeting Grant and they’ve had conversations with Utah I haven’t gotten great clarity as to the targets but I I would assume based on who’s theoretically available with Utah and what the Lakers need that if they’re trading like a DLo like let’s say they’re doing a three or four team trade and now we’re getting complicated and unlikely they they swing like that size of a trade but let’s just say here they’re giving up DLo and ruie uh and Vando or or and Gabe like you’re going to need another guard back so that’s where a seon would make sense from Utah Kesler you get your starting five or backup five that can play 20 25 even 30 minutes and Grant you get your starting uh small forward or power forward whatever however you want to split it up with with him and LeBron so like uh I think you know that uh like I I mean if you like that plugs all three holes right I was talking earlier hole in the wing a a hole in the interior and a potential hole in the back court if you trade DLo you go three like get all three but it’s almost certainly going to take I mean it’s going to take both first SE picks at a minimum you’re gonna have to throw in some swaps most likely because theoretically you’re sending Utah First you’re sending uh Portland a first Portland’s going to want more than a first so you’re have to sweeten the pot maybe a couple swaps in there I mean it it’s possible like this is probably on the higher end of like outcomes for La this offseason but uh there’s also just a matter of like you know would would Portland accept less than two first for Grant uh what would be like does Utah want a first for ston and a first for Kesler like it gets a little complicated but I on paper in theory like I I like where your head’s at and this would check the three theoretical holes on this roster uh a couple more questions here homie2 Cent any concern for Braun and AD playing for Team USA uh yeah I I have a little bit of concern especially with looking at Austin Reeves and the Lakers now granted Austin kind of hit a wall and in both of uh you know hit a a little bit of a wall his rookie year hit a little bit of a wall his sophomore year more so in like the playoffs and then certainly hit a wall to start this third year uh but going deep into May with the Lakers playing uh the nuggets and in the Conference Finals and then going basically straight into or you know shortly having a couple weeks off two three weeks off and then shortly going into Team USA uh mini camp like it was not a lot of of time for Austin then he was also dealing with contract and that whole situation uh then the Taylor Swift rubers and he’s on billboards and he’s getting all these endorsements and all these different opportunities and like uh so like last summer was the the rise of Austin Reeves the rise of the celebrity of Austin Reeves but you know I think part of the the the kind of reason for that slow start was how much he played with Team USA and just not really getting a break last summer and AD has talked about uh more often than not he takes like a month off uh directly from the end of the season then he’ll start working out again and getting back into shape and and just you know kind of ramping up for training camp uh Lebron basically doesn’t take time off LeBron’s just a machine but uh I would say I mean honestly I probably have more concerned with LeBron than ad just because I think LeBron needs a little bit of a break I mean Gonna Be age 40 year 22 like that’s a guy you don’t want to over tax but that’s also where I think hopefully uh he and Team USA can kind of work together on like not over taxing him in terms of how much he’s playing or how much he’s practicing like they can be conservative with him just because they don’t necessarily even need him like he’s gonna start he’s gonna play a big role but they’re they’re G to be fine you know with or without LeBron playing like 30 minutes versus 20 that it’s by far the best team in the Olympics so uh I think of course like it’s gonna be fun to see LeBron with Steph and KD and kawhai and AD and Jason Tatum and and all these guys that are on the roster but I I I would say like I have a little bit more concern with LeBron than 0 just because of his age and that just but but who I mean you could also kind of view it the other way of like if he never really shuts off this offseason like maybe it kind of keeps it going and because sometimes with older guys like one of the things that happens um and you can kind of go through like there’s just the random summer where you just lose it and I remember uh covering Paul Pierce entering his his season with the Clippers and it was like I want to say season before he was with the Wizards and that was remember like he was uh kind of like a stretch four with the Wizards and he hit he had the shot where he’s like I called I called game or I called bank or whatever it was like he had a game-winning shot in the playoffs and like he was still like a solid role player a a solid starter and over that summer he just lost it and all of the sudden looked like a guy who like couldn’t play and was not a rotation guy so of course LeBron like LeBron’s a unicorn LeBron is something we’ve never seen before and I don’t foresee LeBron having that type of drop off uh but even if LeBron goes from like his current level to like three to 5% worse that does I think affect the Lakers like Championship aspirations just because they need LeBron and AD as good as possible because like I think the one way the Lakers can punch above their weight and potentially go on a finals run or win a championship is just LeBron and AD being like the best players in any given series and they have that potential but to actually get it done is a different situation so I would say actually have a little bit more concern with LeBron than ad of course with ad there’s always the injury concern and that would be like a worst case scenario as like ad gets injured in the Olympics but uh I think for ad it might even be a benefit because he’s talked about taking a lot of time off in the summer and maybe he’s a guy who playing through that and not taking as much time off maybe that does him benefits and he comes into the season in a better Rhythm so I think it like it could go either way depending on how you view it in terms of like pros versus cons but I would say with LeBron just that him being 40 and and him probably needing a little bit more rest than he’s accustomed to in previous offseasons that would be my one thing that would be my one thing but I mean no one knows their body as well as LeBron so yeah uh couple more Trey rumors dead could Lakers got a solid big uh Trey rumors are not dead entirely but close to Dead uh Lakers get a solid big I mean it depends what your definition of a solid big is I think Brook Lopez is a solid big I think they could probably swing that uh depending on uh the pick that they’re willing to put in and the protections uh I would have loved Miles Turner on this team I I think if we go back and look at uh like I I think the Lakers would have honestly been in a probably a better position had they traded for Buddy heeld and Miles Turner not to relitigate that trade but it also would have been at the beginning of the season so they they’re not multiple games under five 100 when they at the trade deadline they’re not in 13th Place in the west like uh and have to exert all this energy to make this crazy turnaround just to get to the seven seed like I think there’s a chance that they they are just better and and have more continuity have more reps together and that’s a whole other topic but I I would like Miles Turner is someone I would like I think it’d be a great fit next to 80 just I I don’t see that happening uh so solid big again it really depends on your definition of of what that looks like uh but maybe um I think Brook it seems like Brook Lopez is the most realistic guy out there right now on the trade market and then you know there there’s some cheaper guys that could be available like um Dron sharp in Brooklyn like a potential DFS and Dron or or Cam and Dron that that’s been uh a package that’s been floated out there um and then last question here uh because I got to go to I went over I said I was going to go 45 B we’re at 120 I appreciate you all for tuning in um but I do have a flight to catch to the California classic I’m going to be there tomorrow and Sunday for the debuts of bronny James and Dalton connect uh it’s an early game tomorrow it’s a 1:30 game so I do have to go but last one here from Justin Tindle uh pinka has shown he doesn’t want to trade first except for Westbrook trade what percentage that pinka run runs it back this is a good question uh because I do think there is a a an increased likelihood that the ERS run it back at least to start the season I do expect them to make some type of trade either within the next few weeks or closer to the trade deadline it’s just a matter of you know timing I don’t think this is going to be the roster that they like what February 8th I think is the first day after the trade line I don’t think this is gonna be the roster on February 8th I think again there’ll be a consolidation trade and then there’s a whole other matter of do they uh you know do some type of bigger trade but um what I will say is is I I think just give the lack of interest in most of the Lakers trade assets outside of those two picks and Austin Reeves and now they they’re going to resign Max Christie they can’t trade him until January 15 so he’s off the books for you know like I think Max Christie would have interest in and you could technically do like a signning trade but Lakers like Max Christie they they believe in him they want him to be a rotation guy next year so looking at it if you really are trying to trade DLo and Gabe and Vando and ruy all those guys like there I think there are very few teams that would view all of those guys as positives I I think their values are very team by team and circumstantial and finding the right Suitor to take on at least a couple of those guys without attaching both picks I think again it depends on what you’re getting back but for for any like upgrade substantial upgrade like high level starter it’s going to be tough to not trade both first round picks both for the value of that player and also uh the perceived negative value of of the contracts that the Lakers are trading so that’s like the one argument for them standing Pat and being patient now again I’ll push back with what I said earlier of like I think the Lakers have to stop going into Seasons being like we’re gonna make like we know we have to make a trade by February just because I think that’s like it takes a toll on guys and and guys are in trade rumors and uh it weighs on you so I think they need to try to build out the roster uh as soon as possible and uh ideally build it out in the offseason and then if you have a ho or you have an injury uh or or whatever then you can make a trade at the trade deadline or in January but to go into the season saying like yeah we love DLo and Austin together when like privately you don’t and you’ve been trying to trade DLo since last season and then all summer like that’s it’s just not going to work and DLo can see through that I think the guys in the locker room can see through that we as the media can see through that the fans can see through that and it’s just not believable so uh I think if the Lakers run it back and tri the season I do expect them to make a move at some point during the season but again I think it’s a faulty logic to just be like well we’ll solve this problem in January or February because now you’re wasting half the season with a group that’s not going to actually be the group you try and compete with and you have guys looking over their shoulders for rolls for minutes for trade value and just all this stuff so I think it it does ultimately more harm than good for the Lakers to stand Pat and again you don’t want to just throw away your picks those picks have value but at some point you have to make a decision of are we going for it or not and I think if you have LeBron James reigning and you have LeBron and AD you have a one to two-year window I think you got to go for it but uh that’ll do it for this live stream I appreciate all of you guys for watching and listening uh please be sure to subscribe hit that notification Bell and like and comment under this video uh I think there might have been a couple super chats that I didn’t get to so uh if you comment uh on this video and for those people that I didn’t get I mean there’s a lot of questions didn’t get to uh please comment under this video and I’ll try to continue to answer more questions in the chat uh but I do have to go take a flight right now uh but thank you for watching and listening and this was really fun this was the biggest uh audience I I’ve had for a live stream so I will make sure to uh to do it again soon I tend to get in trouble with these I’m hoping I don’t get in trouble and and say something I should but uh this was fun so I will talk to you guys soon

I answer your Lakers questions regarding free agency, trades, LA’s ranking in the West and more.

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