Except based on conversations down here in LA, (And national guests) no one seems to want a PF like JJ playing with Howard. JJ plays down low just like Howard. Gasol is not even ideal in their minds but at least he can play the high post. They want a spread power forward like Anderson. They would be better off with Babbitt than JJ. (And they can add Luke for almost free)
I would settle for Pau. He is old and expensive but he plays smart. But if you listened to Laker talk all day you know they are seriously pushing for Kobe to be amnestied while he is rehabbing. He can play in Europe for a half a year, make his 30 mil from the lakers, 20 mil from a euro team and then come back to the Lakers for a discount the following year. In that scenario Pau needs to be traded for young talent as they take the year off and tank and surround Howard with good young talent.
Per BFW's "team situations" post, the Lakers are $5M over the apron going into the season. This hypothetical trade would put them below, so it would be allowable.
I am not sure that helps. Like I said in a earlier post, I don't think Howard prefers playing with a PF who crowds his "space". Having JJ and JJ's man (and Howard's man) all close to the basket does not leave enough room for Howard to dominate. The common discussion in LA is teaming him with a PF that plays away from the basket. JJ is no stretch 4. I think D'Antoni would prefer this as well.
There seems to be a lot of bitching about people's suggestions, but no actual input from those bitching. is that how you guys do it here?
Unfortunately, that is the standard practice of many. It's much easier (and safer) to criticize other people's ideas than to actually submit your own.
Why not? Not saying he would take a discount. But Laker fan's think he would consider it after making over 30 million the year before. If you are suggesting he can't go back to the Lakers after being amnestied, everyone seems to think he can since his contract with the Lakers would have expired.
Pau only has one more year on his contract so I think the talk about helping the Lakers out of "salary cap hell" is a bit overblown. They don't have much in the way of salary commitments after next season. By the summer of 2014, they'll have Nash on the books for $9.7M and, if he re-signs, Howard for $20M or so, and that's it. They'll be major players in the free agent extravaganza that year regardless of what they do between now and then with Gasol. Gasol hasn't been a good fit playing the PF spot with either Bynum or Howard, but I think he'd work well at C with Aldridge at the PF spot. He's about the best option out there for a C who could be made available. The biggest problem is that he makes $19M and acquiring him would leave no money except for the room MLE and veteran's minimum deals for filling out the bench. If the Lakers would take Hickson, Freeland, and a couple of 2nd rounders, I'd be in favor of doing the deal. If we have to include the 10th pick in this draft, I'd say it's too expensive.
Or even if you're not, but the trade puts you there. But like Platypus said, you can do it if you end up below. It would stop them from being able to use their Taxpayer MLE.
Interesting--I had forgotten about Dwight's cap hold. Technically, they could make the deal even without renouncing Dwight, but then the apron would become a hard cap for them, so they would effectively be renouncing him because they wouldn't be able to re-sign him. Amnestying Kobe seems to make more and more sense for them the more one looks at their cap situation. If they re-sign Dwight, I think they cut Kobe loose.
