Jan 21, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Lakers 96-80. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The quest to find the Black Mamba his sixth ring continues. Although it probably won’t mean much at this point, considering he won’t be the catalyst of the team, there is no doubt that Kobe Bryant still feels he NEEDS just one more run. However, building a team to bring Kobe a championship will not be an easy task. Let’s not forget that the Lakers won just 21 games last year, so winning a championship is hard to imagine in the near future, but when you’re the Los Angeles Lakers, luck seems to always seems to be a factor.
-== Best Lakers Draft Pick & Free Agent Pairings ==-
One thing that I have not bought into is that Kobe is 100% going to retire after next season. If the Lakers score big in free agency, and look like a championship team for the 2016-2017 season, Kobe would definitely consider re-signing for a very small amount of cash. That’s another factor in speeding up the rebuilding process. At some point Kobe is going to have to let his ego aside, and take the money that he is worth, which won’t be as much as he’d like. I mean seriously, the guy is making 25 million dollars next year to shoot 35% from the floor and play defense when he chooses.
Another factor in this process is that somewhere down the line, the Lakers are going to part ways with Nick Young. There is absolutely no way that the Lakers will continue to pay the inefficient and selfish player five million dollars each year through 2018. I will include his contract for next year, but after that I am not keeping his money in the team payroll. I don’t know if he will be traded, or who he will be traded for, but he will be gone after next year.
Step 1: Draft D’Angelo Russell
Drafting Karl-Anthony Towns would make this process so much easier. The Lakers would not have to worry about finding a defensive anchor, which is an essential hole to fill in the rebuilding process. However, Minnesota will likely select Towns with the number one overall pick, leaving the Lakers with some options. Like I stated in my recent article, Jahlil Okafor’s inability to protect the rim is what gives Russell the upper edge as a potential franchise building block. Sure Russell isn’t a great defender himself, but having one or two average perimeter defenders can be negated with an elite rim protector, it can’t go the other way around.
Drafting Okafor would mean that the Lakers would have to sign elite defenders from then on, meaning no Kevin Love or Lamarcus Aldridge. It would be too hard to build a team knowing that rim protection will constantly be an isssue.
Russell can play either guard position, as he will quickly put himself into the category of the most skilled players in the league. If the Lakers don’t trade down or up, they must have the best player available mentality, which is where Russell becomes the easy choice. There is little risk in taking Russell, as his unique skill set should translate rather nicely. Guys like Emmanuel Mudiay and Kristaps Porzingis are huge risks at the number two pick. If the Lakers want to win a championship in the near future, they must go with the safe pick: Russell.
Next: What to do with Jordan Hill
February 20, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center
Jordan Hill(27) grabs a rebound against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Step 2: Part Ways With Jordan Hill
Compared to the other steps, this one is not very exciting. Whether he was backing up Pau Gasol, or was being relied on as the go-to scorer on the worst team in the NBA, Jordan Hill always left everything he had on the court. He always lived up to the fans’ expectations, and has become a fan favorite in LA. However, he is not worth nine million dollars next season. Hill is on a team option for next season, meaning that the Lakers have the choice to keep him for next year or let him and his contract go. This summer has too many free agents to keep those nine million dollars in the team salary.
If the Lakers keep Hill, they will be able to sign one elite player, but nothing else. If they get rid of Hill, they will have nearly 32 million dollars to spend this summer, meaning a max contract player plus another potential starter. Jordan Hill is a great big man to have on a team, but if the Lakers keep him, his contract could stunt the rebuilding process.
Next: Must go big in free agency
May 11, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) guards Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) during the game in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Golden State Warriors beat Memphis Grizzlies 101-84. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Step 3: Load Up Frontcourt in 2015 Free Agency
With Russell and Kobe, the guard spots should be set for the next few years. Russell shouldn’t take long to develop into a star, and although Kobe will be 37 to start next season, he will still be one of the most skilled guards in the NBA. The next move will to get some big men.
The two most likely big name free agents to leave their current teams this summer are Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge however has constantly been rumored to go to his home state in Texas, whether it is the Spurs or the Mavs. Love on the other hand seems like a very likely target for the Lakers this summer. The Cavs’ top priority after re-signing LeBron James will be Tristian Thompson. Thompson will be given a max contract, meaning the Cavs would be a bit shaky when it comes to cap space. Not having enough money would not be the only issue. If the Cavs offer Thompson before Love, they will be sending a clear message to Love that he is not the most valued power forward in Cleveland. Then, the Lakers come in. Love should be the Lakers first target this summer, and they should go all out to bring the former Bruin home.
Apr 15, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) shoots against Washington Wizards center
DeJuan Blair(45) in the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Lakers would offer Love a max contract, meaning they would have around 10-12 million more dollars to work with this summer.
So far, the Lakers would have a trio of Russell, Kobe, and Love. One clear issue here is the lack of defense among these three stars. This is where those extra 12-ish million dollars come in. Omer Asik, Robin Lopez, and Tyson Chandler, three centers in that money range that will protect the rim with pleasure, are all free agents this summer. Out of the three, I’d say Chandler seems like the most realistic target, as the Mavs have other priorities this summer (Lamarcus Aldridge). If the Lakers sign Chandler to a let’s say two year/23 million dollar deal, they won’t have to worry about the potential defensive lapses caused by a 37 year old Kobe and the sub-par athleticism of Russell and Love.
The final step in this frontcourt project is to re-sign Carlos Boozer for a veteran’s minimum. Boozer would bring the Lakers some scoring off the bench, and some more veteran leadership along with Chandler and Kobe. Mathematically, it would be hard for the Lakers to bring back Ed Davis in this situation, but if they can work it out money-wise, Davis would be a great backup center who can assure rim protection even when Chandler is not on the floor.
Next: Did somebody say Durant?
Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference forward Kevin Durant (35) of the Oklahoma City Thunder and guard Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers react during practice for the 2013 NBA All-Star game at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Step 4. The Durantula
Finally! First the Lakers missed out on LeBron, then Carmelo, but this time, they will score. If the Lakers want to win a championship with Kobe Bryant, they will need to sign Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016. If Russell has a successful rookie season, and Love shows he is still the player that he was in Minnesota, LA will look like an attractive free agent destination again.
Because of the TV deal that the NBA signed, the salary cap is expected to increase in the 2016-2017 season. To make things better, the Lakers would have plenty of dollars to spend that summer, so it’s safe to say that they will be able to contend for Durant. The Lakers would be able to give Durant just as much as anybody else, and would also be able to offer him a great team to play around.
Another small part of the 2016 summer (small compared to signing Kevin Durant), would be re-signing Jordan Clarkson. Even if the Lakers sign Kevin Durant, they should still have plenty of money to spend improving their bench. Clarkson could be a great sixth man, a guy off the bench who can score himself and run an offense.
So the roster after the summer of 2016 would look like this:
PG- D’Angelo Russell
SG- ???
SF- Kevin Durant
PF- Kevin Love
C- Tyson Chandler
Bench- Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, Carlos Boozer, then whoever else the Lakers may sign.
It’s worth noting that by 2016, Julius Randle will likely become a very good player in this league, giving the Lakers a potentially great young bench duo of Clarkson and Randle. Now, there was just one player missing from that team…
Next: Who will play SG?
January 4, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) moves the ball down court against the Indiana Pacers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Step 5: Re-sign the Mamba
After signing Durant and maybe a few other players to fill out the roster, the Lakers will still need a starting shooting guard, and will have some money left over to spend. Although Kobe has been a bit greedy over the last few years, I’m 100% sure that he would take a huge discount to play with Kevin Love and Kevin Durant.
Obviously, Kobe would not be the best player on this team, but that doesn’t mean he can’t perform at a high level. Even if Kobe played until he was 40, he will always be a smart player, who can read the floor and post up smaller defenders. His high basketball IQ and flawless footwork make him an offensive threat no matter how slow he may be.
Although the Lakers are probably building to win in closer to five years than in two, there is clearly a possibility that the Lakers can become championship contenders one more time during the Kobe Bryant Era.