Stats: 2018-19 Anthony Davis: Played 56 games (current age:26, but played 70+ games in only 2 of 7 seasons). 2018-19 LBJ: Played 55 games (current age:34). Pic:
As we are Trail Blazer fans, we're hoping they both are mediocre. Middle of the road for both teams would be the best outcome. Nobody pans out for New Orleans, but the Lakers are good enough to be an 8th. They have no motivation to tank for several years.
Would you agree that the media and the league have a symbiotic relationship? The other view of this trade, is that an aging star, a high powered agent, and a (poorly run) big market team bullied a small market team into trading their best player. Meanwhile, the NBA was either powerless to do anything or were silently in the Lakers' corner. Not exactly good for the credibility of the NBA. The league (and the media that covers them) need to maintain the image of fairness and competitive balance. If you honestly believe Ball and/or Ingram (or Garland with the 4th pick) are going to be stars - cool. That's the sort of debate we are here for. Trying to ridicule people because they disagree with media hype? That came across as really condescending.
I do not believe that Zach Lowe is trying to pump up the NOP end of the deal to make the NBA look good. No. I do not. That is completely asinine. It’s weird that you think I’m ridiculing people for not agreeing with Lowe. I’m simply saying that the NOP didn’t get hosed on this deal, like some wrote here, and a pretty well respected NBA writer happens to agree. They got picks and three good young players. They were given control of several years worth of Laker picks. A team that is now completely and totally at the mercy of two people, one who is getting old (Father Time is undefeated) and the other who is a tremendous player who seems injury prone. They have no depth and the brainiac who (with Magic) surrounded Lebron with gems like Stevenson, Beasley, Rondo and Javale McGee,and traded Zubac for Mike Muscala is still there. So yeah. I think NOP did well.
I'm worried that the Lakers will do something smart like hire solid role players with their remaining cap like Pat Beverly. But it's the Lakers so they will swing for the fences again and get another ball-dominant player to hurt any chance of chemistry.
They had to trade him because he wanted to leave and he had valid reasons considering their record during his era. It’s really not like they traded him for crap. They got a huge, huge deal. Lakers have given everything they had for him and bet their entire future on him, up until 2025. Five years of tanking and 7 years of future to get AD. That’s a huge effort regardless whether you like Ball, Ingram, Hart and essentially five drafts picks or not. They got 7 years out of AD, time to part ways. At least they were able to get themselves into position where their outlook for future looks bright. Imagine if they traded him for someone like DeRozan with a view of being at best fairly decent for the next 2-3 years.
I hope they give out multiple 3-4 year deal to guys like Beverley, Green etc. They will make them good next season but it will steadily get worse and they will have zero means of trading them because they cannot offer any picks until 2026 or 2027.
Perhaps Davis will have another serious injury. Then where will they be. That's right up shit creek with no paddle.
Green is washed. Pat still has a couple good years left and doesn't need the rock to be effective IMHO. The real brick wall the Lakers running into is LeBron turning 35. The window is slamming shut.
Why didn't they make the Lakers take Solomon Hill though? It would have made it much harder for the Lakers to build a good team thus probably making their draft picks worth more.
Huge in what sense? The Lakers got the huge deal. The pelicans got a lot of stuff and how much value there is remains to be seen. If it’s me, if you give quality you have to get back as much quality as possible. Would people look at this trade differently if the Pelicans didn’t have the #1 pick in the upcoming draft? Getting many parts would not look as good in my opinion.
The Pels will be clear winner on one condition, if they can trade Ball for some actual talent. He's backup at best and if Griffin know what he's doing, he'll dump him ASAP.
Ball+Moore for Covington, then they sign D'Angelo Russell. Russell / Holiday / Covington / Zion / ? With Hart and Ingram off the bench. Thatd be insane.
