Los Angeles Lakers: Can the young core survive another failed AD saga?

Why is Kyle Kuzma so coveted all of a sudden?

To grasp this concept of the negotiations overall, we need to look at what David Griffin is trying to accomplish here. With what Griffin is asking for it is clear that he has no plans for a rebuild. Griffin is not only trying to grab all of the young players with friendly rookie contracts on the salary cap, but he is trying to make a playoff run.

This year.

His plan is to use the Lakers desperation along with the Boston Celtics bid to drive the price up. Think about it, the Pelicans already have a great player in Jrue Holiday and a potential stud in Zion Williamson. Hand him three developed experienced players in Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball with two first round picks and NBA is back in the Big Easy.

Now let’s talk Lakers according to Tania Ganguili and Brad Turner who has been on top of this story…

"The Pelicans are interested in three of the Lakers’ young players — whether that’s Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram or Josh Hart — and the No. 4 draft pick in order to acquire Davis, according to people familiar with the trade discussions who were not authorized to speak publicly. It’s possible New Orleans could use the No. 4 pick to acquire a player from a third team. Among the young Lakers, New Orleans covets Kuzma the most."

Let’s talk logistics here. Do you really think the Lakers are going to try to convince their fan base that obtaining a top 5 player and the number one prospect to change teams in the offseason is being held up by a player worth $5.5 million over two years with a team option?

This is why some at Lake Show Life are always leery of any negotiations concerning the Lakers front office. Magic Johnson basically aired their dirty laundry. ESPN co-signed it with a in-depth report on how bad things may have gotten which includes a Rob Pelinka lie about Kobe and his meeting with Heath Ledger that makes him a laughingstock. A completely botched coaching search with a questionable staff leads us to this question…

This is the front office that you trust?

Does this scenario help you become more confident in the Lakers brass?

"According to people familiar with the Lakers’ thinking, Kuzma has ingratiated himself with the organization both on the court and off, and management does not want to trade the forward, who is entering his third season. The Lakers might have an opportunity to keep their No. 4 pick should they agree to part with Kuzma."

Again it bears the question…what changed in six months? I’m no front office executive, even though I delved into the fantasy for one article. But I do know enough to realize that when the Lakers offered basically the entire roster, the genie was let out of the bottle. There’s not going back.

Basically what I am saying is…