Blazers ranked 3rd worst future of NBA teams ahead of only Wizards and Kings

100% agree, they would have given up less for CJ. Harden is all about the next party

 

The Lakers team might be worth a ton of money, but the team doesn't spend a ton. The Buss family wealth is all in the Lakers and split between many relatives. Thats why they applied for and were granted PPP hardship loans. Thats why they didn't resign Alex Caruso, the only savings was luxury tax.

Compared to NBA franchises like the Warriors, Nets, or Clippers that have owners with many billions in outside businesses, whom are willing to pay hundreds of millions of luxury tax; the Lakers are at a competitive disadvantage.

 

Lebron went to LA in 2018. In 2017 they were 35-47. In 2016 they were 26-56. So, yeah, your theory doesn’t hold up.

 

LaMarcus, Melo, Dwight, and many others wouldn't even put the Lakers in their top 3 choices. LaMarcus had us, Phoenix, and San Antonio. Hardly glamor markets.

I've been hearing for 20 years about how the Knicks have a huge advantage as a prime free agent destination. Meanwhile the Milwaukee Bucks won the title, against Phoenix last year, and Memphis is the #2 seed.

 

once out of the last 10 years they’ve finished higher than 7th in the west. If they are destination how does that happen. Again New York and LA have lost some of their appeal. Even Magic and other lakers have admitted to this. 10 years ago I would 100% agree with you. And no I don’t have a blind hatred towards lakers (do dislike a lot)

 

Even if tanking were guaranteed to work, it’s a despicable way to play professional basketball.

 

LOL...c'mon man

you just said it's "professional" basketball. That means it's about money as much as basketball. Being stuck on a perpetual treadmill of high payrolls, 1st round exits, & low draft picks, is just as fucking despicable. In fact, I think it's more despicable because it's the owners just grubbing for maximum profits without a care about building a contender. That's the dumbass purgatory Portland has been in for a decade till this recent trade deadline

 

You keep thinking that.

 

I was thinking just the other day that Davis would make a good backup behind Nurk.

 

LAL
ORL
IND
Those are 3 more teams with a worse future.

I’m guessing they have HOU and OKC above us as well because they have draft picks. But it’s been three seasons since Russ has been gone, and as we’ve seen, getting high lotto picks every year doesn’t guarantee anything.

We have a team with a current star, a rising star, and some cheap young talent with potential. In a year where we get to regroup by having two lotto picks, whatever happens, you CANNOT trade either picks. If you want to trade for a star, trade a 2nd to CHI to unprotect next year’s 1st.

I’m starting to really like the top 15 in this year’s draft. You’d be adding two of them to a core of Dame, Simons, Hart, Little, Nurkic, Watford, Johnson, and Brown III. The TPE, Bledsoe’s contract, and all of our 1sts can still net us star quality forwards if an opportunity arose, and the full MLE would get us another quality bench guy.

Even after the shit moves during the deadline, I can still say I’m more optimistic about our future than pessimistic.

 

man people are so sensitive when it comes to Lakers lol. It’s ok Lakers aren’t the destination they use to be and their record over the last ten years proves that.

 

The Lakers still seem to be a destination. How can anyone say otherwise?

 

The Lakers have no draft picks, no cap room and an aging/injured Lebron and Davis. Will they find someone to take on WestBrick, probably because we've seen any contract can get moved but they aren't going to be getting back an immediate impact player. Plus all this talk of them having money, but the Buss family is actually one of the least wealthy in the league. I just don't see how they are even middle of the pack if I'm ranking out the franchises over the next three years.

 

OKC is clearly ahead of us with their picks and SGA. Haliburton is a stud, so I'd put Indy ahead of us.

Orlando or Houston I could accept being below us. Orlando is a good example of why tanking often doesn't work. How many good lotto picks have they had in a desirable warm winter Florida no state tax market and they still have a shitty future.

 

It's been a year and a half since LBJ & Davis won a title. Getting two stars is the hardest part of building a contender, and they have that.

Now I agree the Lakers future looks bad and there is a lot of risk they are in the lottery all of the next 3 years. But if they make some good additions, get some players to excel in their roles, and get good health from LBJ & Davis maybe they could have a chance to build a contender. I wouldn't say that is likely, but there is a plausible chance it could happen.

Now how are the Blazers going to build a contender? They need at the least a second star, Dame to be healthy, and more starter level players after trading away 4 starters. Unfortunately that is all much more unlikely to happen than the Lakers path to contend.

 

I don't think the Blazers should be ahead of the Lakers in those rankings at all. Seemingly the only path forward for this team is to either hit it big in the lottery and hope the guy they take in the top 3 is ready to contribute right away, or hit big in the lottery and trade the pick(s) for a more proven guy. Personally I think this roster is in all kinds of limbo and everyday that passes I'm feeling better and better with dealing Dame and just starting over. Too many young guys that need to still find their stride, while having Dame/Nurk, who are in their primes and looking to win now.