ESPN is currently running an article on how the Lakers are thinking about attempting to trade their draft pick this offseason for Kevin Love. Whether or not the Lakers are actually thinking that way, let’s analyze this possible move:
Upside – The Lakers would get a proven all-star caliber player. Kevin Love is a guy who is talented enough to be the second option on a championship team.
There could also be a miracle scenario where the Lakers use the pick to trade for someone like Love or of that caliber, and also sign LeBronze. But that is HIGHLY unlikely so I won’t go into detail.
Risk – Kevin Love would still be a free agent next offseason unless he signed an extension. And as Dwight Howard proved, players are willing to leave extra money if they feel like they are in a better situation. What would happen to the Lakers if they traded for Love, and when he came the team stunk or Kobe got hurt again, and he walked to another team? I shudder to think. That would be a disaster.
Also the Lakers would miss out on the chance to develop a good player on a cheap contract. With the way the salary cap restrictions are good players on rookie contracts are more valuable than ever! It allows you to put more money towards supporting players or stars.
One intangible aspect is that giving up the pick means giving up the chance at another home grown star. Part of the fun in watching Laker HOFers like Magic Johnson, James Worthy, & Kobe Bryant is watching them grow up right in front of our very eyes. We see them start off as mistake making rookies, explode into super stardom, and then finish as Champions. I think now more than ever Laker fans need a guy like that to root for. We need someone for Kobe to pass the torch to.
Bottom Line – The chances are incredibly slim that as a result of trading for Love the Lakers could be contenders next year. So my vote is for “no”. “No” makes exponentially more sense when you realize the Lakers can have both Love AND their draft pick if they just wait one more season.
Patience.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
Jim Buss, Phil Jackson & the Dangers of Desperation (03/21/14)
Lakers fans are in a bit of a fix as of late and maybe for good measure. Our captain is injured, our record is among the worst in the league, and our Hall of Fame coach just signed with another team somewhere on the east coast. Perfect time to panic right? Well before we start grabbing our pitchforks and torches allow me to shed some light on the situation. Besides, there’s too much traffic to get to Staples and I’m not sure a pitchfork will fit in my car.
Phil Jackson
Last week former Lakers head coach Phil Jackson signed with the New York Knicks to be the President of Basketball Operations. No, he will not be coaching the Knicks. He is too old for that much work, and frankly he has nothing left to accomplish as a head coach in the NBA (11 titles). Phil wanted an opportunity to run a franchise from the front office and not from behind the bench. Now he finally has an opportunity. So what are his responsibilities? He will be making decisions like coaching hires, setting the training staff, and have near final say on personnel moves. The only person above him in decision making will be the Knicks’ owner James Dolan. He won’t be a GM in the sense that he negotiates contracts and talks to agents, but he will dictate which players he wants or get signed. Will Phil be successful in his new role? Who knows? He’s never had the job before. One saving grace for Knicks fans is he can’t be any worse than what they’ve had. ;)
Jim Buss
Naturally, Laker fans are asking why couldn’t he do that job on the Lakers?? Simple. The job is already filled by owner Jim Buss who is the son of the late Dr. Jerry Buss. (This is where all reading this blog let out a big sigh and say, “Ughhh I hate Jim Buss!!”) But not so fast! How much do we really know about Buss other than what ESPN tries to convince us of? Like his father Jim Buss does not communicate with the media much. A lot of media members are turned off by this and make certain assumptions about him that may or may not be true. The fact is Jim Buss has been involved in the Lakers’ organization since the early 2000s. He has been heavily involved in major decisions that constructed out past two title teams from 2009-2010. He and Mitch had nearly pulled off the steal of the century in acquiring CP3 before the NBA intervened. Don’t forget about acquiring Howard and Nash which were good trades at the time. He can be criticized for his coaching hires, but Dr. Buss was involved in those decisions as well.
Dangers of Desperation
The key for the Lakers franchise and their fans at this juncture is to not rush or panic. The team was well on its way to contending again before unfortunate circumstances happened (CP3 veto, then unprecedented injuries). The decisions were mostly sound. However, now it is time for a complete rebuild. In our case the house has to be completely torn down before it can be renovated.
The worst thing the Lakers could do would be to spend all of their cap space this summer trying to field a championship team. Unless the 0.0005% chance occurs that LeBron signs here, whatever team we put together will likely lose in the 2nd round. There just aren’t enough good players available. Additionally the financial implications of spending big on long term deals this summer will cost us in the future. That means we should keep our draft pick this year and not trade it for a current all-star (Kevin Love). It would be smarter to wait another year and then add someone like Kevin Love to our draft talent. That’s how we can get back to contention, but it may take a few seasons. Patience is key.
Go Lakers!!!
Phil Jackson
Last week former Lakers head coach Phil Jackson signed with the New York Knicks to be the President of Basketball Operations. No, he will not be coaching the Knicks. He is too old for that much work, and frankly he has nothing left to accomplish as a head coach in the NBA (11 titles). Phil wanted an opportunity to run a franchise from the front office and not from behind the bench. Now he finally has an opportunity. So what are his responsibilities? He will be making decisions like coaching hires, setting the training staff, and have near final say on personnel moves. The only person above him in decision making will be the Knicks’ owner James Dolan. He won’t be a GM in the sense that he negotiates contracts and talks to agents, but he will dictate which players he wants or get signed. Will Phil be successful in his new role? Who knows? He’s never had the job before. One saving grace for Knicks fans is he can’t be any worse than what they’ve had. ;)
Jim Buss
Naturally, Laker fans are asking why couldn’t he do that job on the Lakers?? Simple. The job is already filled by owner Jim Buss who is the son of the late Dr. Jerry Buss. (This is where all reading this blog let out a big sigh and say, “Ughhh I hate Jim Buss!!”) But not so fast! How much do we really know about Buss other than what ESPN tries to convince us of? Like his father Jim Buss does not communicate with the media much. A lot of media members are turned off by this and make certain assumptions about him that may or may not be true. The fact is Jim Buss has been involved in the Lakers’ organization since the early 2000s. He has been heavily involved in major decisions that constructed out past two title teams from 2009-2010. He and Mitch had nearly pulled off the steal of the century in acquiring CP3 before the NBA intervened. Don’t forget about acquiring Howard and Nash which were good trades at the time. He can be criticized for his coaching hires, but Dr. Buss was involved in those decisions as well.
Dangers of Desperation
The key for the Lakers franchise and their fans at this juncture is to not rush or panic. The team was well on its way to contending again before unfortunate circumstances happened (CP3 veto, then unprecedented injuries). The decisions were mostly sound. However, now it is time for a complete rebuild. In our case the house has to be completely torn down before it can be renovated.
The worst thing the Lakers could do would be to spend all of their cap space this summer trying to field a championship team. Unless the 0.0005% chance occurs that LeBron signs here, whatever team we put together will likely lose in the 2nd round. There just aren’t enough good players available. Additionally the financial implications of spending big on long term deals this summer will cost us in the future. That means we should keep our draft pick this year and not trade it for a current all-star (Kevin Love). It would be smarter to wait another year and then add someone like Kevin Love to our draft talent. That’s how we can get back to contention, but it may take a few seasons. Patience is key.
Go Lakers!!!
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