I was taking a look at the current Laker roster and there's a clear log jam at the SF position. Last night was a reminder of how soft our roster is and the need for a bruising power forward to round out the starting five. PJax has been very impressed with Trevor Ariza and recently said he'd like to stick with the current lineup the way it is. Here's the problem, it forces Odom to play PF which ok on some nights, but not against the elite teams in the league. The Lakers have a lot of cap tied up in Luke and Radman for several years making it tough to trade either one. Unfortunately, the Lakers will have to invest more money into the SF position if they want to re-sign Trevor Ariza in a couple of years. The player who can you the most back in a deal is Odom and the team willing to take him back should be Miami. He had his best season playing for Miami and he can get away with being the everyday PF out there with Haslem to matchup with the more physical PFs. Hoping we can pawn Odom off for a superstar doesn't look like it's going to happen. Every year there's a new rumor with Odom as the key piece being sent out, but none of those deals get done. Realistically, the Lakers are not ready to compete for a title this season, but are still good enough to get into the playoffs without Odom around. It all adds up to dealing Odom for expiring contracts and Miami has two of them in Ricky Davis and Jason Williams. In order to make this deal work the Lakers would need to include a filler named Sasha Vujacic. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Los Angeles Lakers Incoming Players Photo: Jason Williams Jason Williams Salary: $8,937,500 Years Remaining: 1 PTS: 8.7 REB: 2.3 AST: 5.4 PER: 12.01 Photo: Ricky Davis Ricky Davis Salary: $6,819,000 Years Remaining: 1 PTS: 15.2 REB: 4.2 AST: 2.6 PER: 12.62 Outgoing Players: Sasha Vujacic, Lamar Odom Miami Heat Incoming Players Photo: Sasha Vujacic Sasha Vujacic Salary: $1,756,951 Years Remaining: 1 PTS: 6.3 REB: 1.5 AST: 1.1 PER: 15.55 Photo: Lamar Odom Lamar Odom Salary: $13,248,596 Years Remaining: 2 PTS: 14.1 REB: 8.9 AST: 2.3 PER: 13.79 Outgoing Players: Jason Williams, Ricky Davis</div> I'm not really concerned about the players involved in this deal heading back to the Lakers. Neither JWill or Ricky Davis would be part of the bigger picture and are just one year rentals to free up money for this upcoming summer. With Odom and Vujacic off the books the Lakers will have $17,164,559 off the payroll and the team will be far enough under the cap to sign another big name free agent. Getting back to the PF void, the Lakers can go all out and pursue Elton Brand. He's the perfect player to pair with Kobe and Bynum giving the Lakers a young core with Championship level capability. Next year's potential starting 5: PG - Fisher SG - Kobe SF - Ariza PF - Brand C - Bynum
Thats a great plan. Brand's numbers will drop on the Lakers but imagine the match-up problems the Lakers would create.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MyNetsForLife @ Dec 31 2007, 07:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Ha, remember RJ for Odom was almost done?</div> It was actually Jefferson for Odom for Wallace, we would end up with Wallace, but if I remember correctly, the Bobcats pulled out. Anyways, not a big fan of the trade. If we make this deal, we pretty much pull the plug for the entire season. As dissapointing as Odom has been, he is still one of the key contributors on this squad, whether you like it or not. Replacing him with guys like Jason Williams and Ricky Davis only spells disaster. It's no mystery that this current Lakers squad has great chemistry, adding these two problematic players will accomplish nothing. Williams will probably bitch about his playing time, considering we already have Fisher, Farmar, and Crittenton. Ricky Davis has never been a saint, and I've never been a big fan. Essentially, we'd be trading Odom, our second or third best player, and Vujacic, a key bench player, for Ricky Davis (considering Williams likely won't get much playing time). If this trade occurs, we only get worse. We'd pretty much lose this season to gamble on landing a big free agent in the offseason. It sounds good and all, but why take the risk? This team has been playing well lately as a unit (Boston game was a let down, but it doesn't shape the entire season) and I'm not willing to completely blow it up just so we can have a chance at adding Elton Brand in free agency. What if he doesn't opt out? What if he signs elsewhere? It's not a risk I'd be willing to take, especially seeing how brilliantly the 07 plan worked out
We need a leader like KG or Kidd. Obviously a trade of LBJ for Mark Madsen is more probable than KG leaving the Celts, so, just like everybody else, the only player the Lakers should look to make a move on THIS YEAR is JKidd. Interesting plan Shape, but I would rather do that with the Timberwolves. Trade out both LO and Turiaf for Doleac, Theo Ratliff, and Chris Richard. It may be a little less off the books for next season, but this way we don't receive any problematic players and we get Ratliff who can give Bynum an occasional breather. If the TWolves want to keep Richard, we can guarantee that we will waive him, and they can resign him. With the Miami idea, I don't like clogging up the PG position, and having two attitude players. We don't need that. As for going for Elton Brand, don't you think it would be a better idea to go after a certain Spanish center in Memphis and play him at PF?
EDIT: OH, Gasol isn't off the books this summer, my bad. If Brand won't come in, we can also look at Jermaine O'Neal (who I think would benefit GREATLY with playing with us, we are the perfect change of scenery he needs) and as a last resort, try and pick up Marion cheap. Also, I don't know if any of you guys are going to agree with this, but trade Farmar and first rounder out to Miami for their first rd. pick. As much as I love Farmar, a top 5 pick from this years draft is just WAY more valuable to me. Next year's HOPEFUL starting five: PG OJ MAYO or DERRICK ROSE (people are saying Rose is better, but NO WAY IN HELL) SG Kobe SF Ariza PF Elton Brand C Bynum I'm worried if the Lakers DID trade up the would draft Beasley. Sure, he's the perfect offensive player, but this team lacks defense, and so does Beasley. 2nd rd. pick-Mbah Moute from UCLA. Don't fail me Mitch.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lakerman34 @ Jan 1 2008, 02:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>We need a leader like KG or Kidd. Obviously a trade of LBJ for Mark Madsen is more probable than KG leaving the Celts, so, just like everybody else, the only player the Lakers should look to make a move on THIS YEAR is JKidd. Interesting plan Shape, but I would rather do that with the Timberwolves. Trade out both LO and Turiaf for Doleac, Theo Ratliff, and Chris Richard. It may be a little less off the books for next season, but this way we don't receive any problematic players and we get Ratliff who can give Bynum an occasional breather. If the TWolves want to keep Richard, we can guarantee that we will waive him, and they can resign him. With the Miami idea, I don't like clogging up the PG position, and having two attitude players. We don't need that. As for going for Elton Brand, don't you think it would be a better idea to go after a certain Spanish center in Memphis and play him at PF?</div> LMAO are you kidding me? Honestly, I hope you are joking. We might as well sit Kobe for the rest of the season and get Derrick Rose. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>EDIT: OH, Gasol isn't off the books this summer, my bad. If Brand won't come in, we can also look at Jermaine O'Neal (who I think would benefit GREATLY with playing with us, we are the perfect change of scenery he needs) and as a last resort, try and pick up Marion cheap. Also, I don't know if any of you guys are going to agree with this, but trade Farmar and first rounder out to Miami for their first rd. pick. As much as I love Farmar, a top 5 pick from this years draft is just WAY more valuable to me. Next year's HOPEFUL starting five: PG OJ MAYO or DERRICK ROSE (people are saying Rose is better, but NO WAY IN HELL) SG Kobe SF Ariza PF Elton Brand C Bynum I'm worried if the Lakers DID trade up the would draft Beasley. Sure, he's the perfect offensive player, but this team lacks defense, and so does Beasley. 2nd rd. pick-Mbah Moute from UCLA. Don't fail me Mitch.</div> LMAO, like Miami would ever do that These posts were a joke right? I honestly don't think you are THAT stupid
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 1 2008, 04:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lakerman34 @ Jan 1 2008, 02:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>We need a leader like KG or Kidd. Obviously a trade of LBJ for Mark Madsen is more probable than KG leaving the Celts, so, just like everybody else, the only player the Lakers should look to make a move on THIS YEAR is JKidd. Interesting plan Shape, but I would rather do that with the Timberwolves. Trade out both LO and Turiaf for Doleac, Theo Ratliff, and Chris Richard. It may be a little less off the books for next season, but this way we don't receive any problematic players and we get Ratliff who can give Bynum an occasional breather. If the TWolves want to keep Richard, we can guarantee that we will waive him, and they can resign him. With the Miami idea, I don't like clogging up the PG position, and having two attitude players. We don't need that. As for going for Elton Brand, don't you think it would be a better idea to go after a certain Spanish center in Memphis and play him at PF?</div> LMAO are you kidding me? Honestly, I hope you are joking. We might as well sit Kobe for the rest of the season and get Derrick Rose. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>EDIT: OH, Gasol isn't off the books this summer, my bad. If Brand won't come in, we can also look at Jermaine O'Neal (who I think would benefit GREATLY with playing with us, we are the perfect change of scenery he needs) and as a last resort, try and pick up Marion cheap. Also, I don't know if any of you guys are going to agree with this, but trade Farmar and first rounder out to Miami for their first rd. pick. As much as I love Farmar, a top 5 pick from this years draft is just WAY more valuable to me. Next year's HOPEFUL starting five: PG OJ MAYO or DERRICK ROSE (people are saying Rose is better, but NO WAY IN HELL) SG Kobe SF Ariza PF Elton Brand C Bynum I'm worried if the Lakers DID trade up the would draft Beasley. Sure, he's the perfect offensive player, but this team lacks defense, and so does Beasley. 2nd rd. pick-Mbah Moute from UCLA. Don't fail me Mitch.</div> LMAO, like Miami would ever do that These posts were a joke right? I honestly don't think you are THAT stupid </div> Hey, don't be hating, I'm a Laker fan and make trades with my heart, not my head. But honestly, Jordan Farmar is already proven that he can play at this level, and I think he would complement DWade great. You never know, Mayo and Rose may become the next Mookie Blaylock and Dana(?) Barros.
I'm not hating, I'm just wondering where you ever got the idea that the Heat, or any team for that matter, would trade their lottery pick (let alone top 5 pick) for Jordan Farmar, who is nothing more than a decent player off the bench.
I don't think the Heat are going to finish with one of the 5 worst records in the league. I don't think Farmar has the stock value around the league to command a lottery pick. Brian I think the Lakers do need to gamble if they want to contend for a title with Kobe Bryant as their featured player. JWill doesn't have any attitude problems anymore and Ricky Davis can battle for 6th man minutes since we'd still have Walton and Ariza at small forward. Neither of these guys are long term pieces so chemistry wouldn't be an issue. You're right the Lakers would sacrifice this season, and I have no problem with it because they aren't good enough to win a title this year with their current roster. We don't matchup with the elite teams in the West, especially in a 7 game series. I listed Elton Brand as the target to go after, but he's not the only free agent out there. He would be Option A, but there's other big name free agents we could pursue if he decides not to opt out. I think only one or two teams are under the cap next summer and have enough money to spend on a big name free agent. The Lakers would become the third team and they are a much more attractive destination especially for a player like Elton Brand. He is all about winning at this point in his career and doesn't want to stick around for another rebuild in Clipperland. Next season the Clippers won't have Cassell or Maggette, and Livingston is still a big question mark for them. If you're Elton Brand would you rather play with Kobe and Byunm and a Hall of Fame head coach with a legit shot at a title with you, or would you rather stay in Clipperland and be a mediocre team? Other options would be Artest, Jermaine O'neal, and Marion.
