The reason I say the Utah Jazz is because they own something from the Lakers. They own the Lakers’ pick 5-30 in the 2027 NBA draft. There is value in engaging with Utah and introducing unprotecting that pick. That does not mean trading for Lauri Markannen but it does mean they can be a potential third team in deals. They are also a team that has some players that the Lakers have been linked to at times like say Collin Sexton.
At the end of the day I still think if this team is going to do something it will be more major than minor. It will be something bigger for a starting level player, because otherwise you are just muddying up your bench and taking minutes from young players you are looking to develop.
What type of players are the Lakers interested in?
We know that the team would like a big. Anthony Davis and LeBron James think that getting a big like Jonas Valanciunas would matter. That would be an archetype to get traded is a depth piece in the frontcourt.
Two-way players. They still need two-way players. Two way guards two way wings, but the demand for those is high.
They would have signed Spencer Dinwiddie if they traded D’Angelo Russell.
Is there a limit to Jeanie Buss’ patience with Rob Pelinka?
I think yes. I don’t exactly know where that limit is. I know Jeanie wants to win. When you talk to Jeanie about her job she mentions he father a lot and she mentions titles. The team has had a pretty stable lineage of execs and front office people and I think there is a lot of loyalty to Rob Pelinka for a lot of reasons. And he won a title. I don’t know what level of credit he deserves for this but he reinvigorated the franchise. Signed LeBron. Brought in AD.
As far as the patience moving forward I think it’s being tested. These next handful of decisions are very important. I think that’s why you see Pelinka take a lot of ownership of the recent coaching and player personnel decisions. Making it clear that these are my decisions. I think that’s because his fate is at stake.
Other notes…
Jalen Hood-Schfino is doing well. He was practicing with the summer league team and based on what I heard in Vegas I would be surprised if he’s not ready by training camp.
The Lakers have a very thin front office with no college or league-wide scouting department. They are not as plugged on some of this stuff around the margins. I spend some time pregame with a lot of teams before games scouting shootaround, gathering intel. The Lakers don’t do that.
by Odd-Direction9452
12 Comments
The ideal trading partners are teams who need to bottom out to get a top 3 pick this year. This draft class is absolutely NASTY.
I can’t wait for one of Brooklyn, Portland, Jazz etc to win too many games because they wanted two firsts for a mid player.
wtf? We need to “dent” the roster, our core rotation is fundamentally flawed and needs to be upgraded
Feels like the Jazz are the only teams that ever trade with us lol
> The Lakers have a very thin front office with no college or league-wide scouting department. They are not as plugged on some of this stuff around the margins. I spend some time pregame with a lot of teams before games scouting shootaround, gathering intel. The Lakers don’t do that.
This is extremely detrimental to the Lakers. It’s already very difficult to build a well rounded roster around 2 max players in the current CBA. The Lakers are at a huge disadvantage compared to serious NBA teams and that’s not even mentioning the lack of experience within the front office.
Every fan should be upset about this. Other NBA teams are doing whatever they can to gain an advantage and the Lakers are running the team like it’s the 80s.
I have zero trust that the Rob and the Lakers front office can make the required moves to land someone like Markkanen. Markkanen makes a lot of sense for this team. Young, versatile, can help you push for a chip and can be on the team long term. Three firsts and Russel might have gotten it done before the draft, but now that’s down to 2 firsts.
Let’s see what has happened under Rob’s management:
* Lebron wanted to come here in free agency, so really just had to do the paperwork for 4yrs/$154 million. A relative steal that fell in his lap compared to deals being done today
* Traded Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr to the Cavaliers for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Fry, and a 2018 FRP (Moritz Wagner). Should have been the first warning that Rob had no idea what he was doing. Terrible trade
* Traded cash and 2019 SRP (Bruno Fernando) to the 76ers for a 2018 SRP (Isaac Bonga). Waste of assets for a failed 1 yr experiment on Bonga, who was a questionable acquisition to begin with
* Traded Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2021 SRP (Luka Garza) to the Pistons for Reggie Bullock. A bust as Bullock immediately declined and lasted a year
* Traded Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers for Mike Muscala. Another early one of Rob’s disastrous trades
* Traded cash and a 2020 SRP (Paul Reed) to the Magic for a 2019 SRP (Talen Horton-Tucker). Lost assets to draft THT who didn’t pan out and was later traded
* AD wanted to come here, and probably could have signed him without losing assets in free agency, but will give Rob credit for making it happen with BI, Lonzo, Hart and three FRPs
* Traded Danny Green and a 2020 FRP (Jaden McDaniels) to the Thunder for Dennis Schroder. Lost assets for a 1yr rental of Schroder and begins the ongoing struggle to sign a quality PG/backup PG
* Traded JaVale McGee and a 2026 FRP to the Cavaliers for Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie. Another blunder and starts the still existing issue today of finding a quality backup center
* Traded Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell and a FRP for Westbrick, and three SRPs. Absolutely awful trade he should have been fired for
* Traded Marc Gasol, 2024 second-round pick and cash to the Grizzlies for the draft rights to Wang Zhelin. Gasol was washed but Drummond replaced him at center, who he also later lost, for a center position Rob is still struggling to fill
* Traded draft rights to Brad Newley and Wang Zhelin to the Knicks; Traded Rajon Rondo to the Cavaliers; Received draft rights to Louis Labeyrie from the Knicks. Could have still used Rondo as a backup PG, a position that he still can’t effectively fill
* Traded cash and a 2028 2RP to the Magic for a 2022 2RP (Max Christie). Good trade thanks to our scouting team finding Max
* Traded Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Jazz for Patrick Beverley. Lost 2 assets for a 1 year rental of Pat Bev
* Traded Kendrick Nunn, a 2023 SRP, a 2028 SRP, and a 2029 SRP to the Wizards for Rui Hachimura. Good trade but Nunn was a questionable choice to sign to begin with
* Traded Westbrick, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a 2027 FRP to require D’Lo + Beasley, and Vando. Lost more assets to fix a mistake that shouldn’t have been done in the first place. Beasley flames out, and Vando has been injured
Each time he’s tried to replace someone from the 2020 Championship team onward after failing to resign them or letting them walk it has made things worse:
Rondo > Schroeder > Westbrick
KCP > Monk > Beasley > TP
Kuzma > Melo > Rui
Dwight > Drummond > Wood
Caruso > THT > Pat Bev
Not to mention the other failed experiments: Ariza, Isiah Thomas, Dion Waters, Reddish, Wesley Matthews, etc.
Just criminal amounts of asset mismanagement. How he wasn’t fired years ago is a mystery
edit: blocking the Rob stans who have nothing to add but moronic personal insults
Kessler and sextonf for dlo jhs 27 29 and maybe the 28swap
Lakers get Curry
Jazz get all our picks, rui, vando, gabe, a warrior pick
Warriors get Lauri and Dlo and our swaps
(guys I’m fucking kidding lol)
Reportedly the Warriors are only offering moody picks and matching salaries for Lauri. How is Knecht, Rui removing the protection from the pick, 2 frp and pick swaps not a better deal.
Raid the Hornets and the Wizards
Not doing anything.