There have been plenty of Los Angeles Lakers rumors with NBA Free Agency just hours away. If they add a third max player, these centers are options to make them into the Cleveland Cavaliers west.
Los Angeles Lakers rumors have already been persistent and will only pick up once free agency actually begins. I’m going let the Los Angeles Lakers fans in on a little secret.
When reports exploded that the team achieved its goal of getting to the $32 million dollar salary cap threshold needed by not only trading Isaac Bonga, Moritz Wagner and Jemerrio Jones to the Washington Wizards, but got Anthony Davis to waive his $4 million dollar trade kicker, I realized something.
The Lakers have a legitimate plan in place and may have finally figured out the way to execute it!
I guess this interview at the NBA Awards earlier this week carries a lot more weight now than it did then.
If things go well and the Lakers land a third star, it might be a defining moment in the turnaround of the Lakers.
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Check out the last part of what Ms. Buss’ statement, “but I can’t talk about it because of NBA rules.”
The Lakers have made their fair share of mistakes, something that Lake Show Life pointed out in great detail over this past season. But now it seems that the team is starting to learn from them.
A lot of people around the NBA underestimated Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office. What this franchise has done in six weeks is nothing short of historical. Sunday is going to surprise a lot of people. I mean at this point, how many people would be shocked if the Lakers DID NOT land a star in free agency?
Well, Kawhi Leonard falls under that category. It seems that the Lakers now will have a meeting with him and his camp real soon.
Guess who he would like to talk to.
Johnson says “A friend of mine called and says Kawhi wants to meet with you,” Johnson told ESPN. “I said no problem. I’m available if that’s what this man wants.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 28, 2019
“But I got a great life. I’m not trying to mess with anybody’s job.”
If you need confirmation on who the Johnson person Ramona Shelburne is talking about, that would be Magic Johnson. So much for all that “quitter” and “coward” stuff that Lakers fans dumped on him every time the man sent out a tweet.
As for that “tampering” stuff, it seems that the Lakers have mastered the rules on that too.
Magic Johnson says he will help the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency in any way he can, but he is not permitted by NBA rules to be part of official team meetings with prospective free agents. Johnson said he has not been asked by the Lakers or owner Jeanie Buss to participate.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 28, 2019
While all of that is being figured out, it seems that LeBron James and Anthony Davis will meet with Kawhi Leonard for dinner, Daddy daycare day for the kids, Fourth of July cookout.
With the Lakers now expected to land a Kawhi Leonard meeting, a source tells @TheAthletic that LeBron James AND Anthony Davis are planning on being part of the formal pitch.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 28, 2019
Now, am I saying that the Lakers will land Kawhi Leonard as the final piece to the “super team”? Uhh no, not a chance. Nobody knows until Leonard makes his decision. Anybody that says they do is lying.
Kawhi Leonard just does not talk. Lakers rumors on this website were built off this guy the second he wanted out of San Antonio.
What I am saying is that the Lakers sat for weeks in silence enduring fans protesting in front of the Staples Center.
The embarrassment of the ESPN article about the total dysfunction of the front office throughout the year…
Even the constant questions of who was running the franchise when the Lakers hired their 74th, I mean third, choice in Frank Vogel as head coach.
Now the Lakers are entering free agency with a ton of options that will improve the roster along with a direction that everyone has seemingly signed off on.
Lake Show Life is in the middle of an in-depth series on how to build this squad in the image of LeBron James on a shoestring budget. Part one was about getting guards on the roster.
Part two was all about small forwards. It shines the light on who the Lakers fans realistically may see next season running on the wings.
Now Lake Show Life will be taking a look at the center spot. It kind of brings back memories of how the Lakers cleared cap space and landed a star center in the past…
This is not far from what Jerry West had to endure with the salary cap back in 1996
The more I write about the Lakers, the more I start to understand why Lakers fans (the real ones, not the ones when LeBron showed up) say that the Lakers will eventually figure it out. Many on social media said the same thing while the Lakers franchise was playing the dartboard for the last couple of months.
The questions were, Who’s going to land major free agents? Will the team have enough cap space? Who’s going to want to come to play for the Lakers? How will the team be constructed?
Well, it seems that Jerry West had to answer those questions around 1996. He had his eyes set on a top-level free agent named Shaquille O’Neal. At the time the Lakers were in a bidding war with the Orlando Magic. Even at that time, that Lakers were strapped by the salary cap.
According to the New York Times back then, the Magic offered O’Neal a seven-year deal worth $115 million dollars. Man, the Lakers basically gutted the roster (Sound familiar to anyone?) to get the room in the cap to sign Shaq to a seven-year $121 million dollar contract.
The Orlando Magic was left with a rumored $130 million dollar offer and a voice mail message (To the millennial fans out there, that was our text message back then) because O’Neal never gave the Magic a chance to make a counteroffer.
Well, things turned out okay and the money was well spent.
For the deal to happen, the Lakers, led by Jerry West, had a lot of work to do. First, he had to trade incumbent center, Vlade Divac to Charlotte for some skinny high school kid named Kobe Bryant.
Now here’s where the myths come in. Some say that Bryant wanted to play with the Lakers and nobody else. Kobe has a different story courtesy of ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.
"“Charlotte never wanted me,” Bryant said. “[Hornets coach Dave] Cowens told me he didn’t want me. It wasn’t a question of me even playing here. They had a couple of guards already, a couple small forwards already. So it wasn’t like I would be off the bench much. ” “I mean, I had grown up watching basketball,” Bryant said. “I knew who Dave Cowens was and [was] pretty excited [to play for him]. Then I was like, ‘Oh, all right.’ I quickly transitioned from smiley kid to killer instinct.” “Cowens told me, ‘We don’t really need you here,'” Bryant said."
Would it shock you that Vlade Divac NEARLY RETIRED over this deal? CBS Sports has the story.
"The morning of that draft we got a tip at the Observer that the Hornets were discussing a trade to acquire a center. Eventually, working with Scott Howard-Cooper, then of the Los Angeles Times, we figured out this was the deal: If Bryant lasted to the Hornets’ 13th pick, they would select him and deal him to the Lakers for Divac’s pre-existing contract. That gave West both Bryant and the cap space to pursue O’Neal. This got a little complicated when Divac threatened to retire, rather than report to the Hornets. I asked Bass what he’d do if Divac didn’t relent and Bass said he’d keep Bryant. That put Tellem in a nasty mood. Eighteen years later I remember him screaming at me over the phone from Southern California that Bryant would be a Laker no matter what. Divac gave in and the deal was completed in July."
You really would think that was the end of the story right? Come on fans, this is the Lakers! Even with all that drama, the Lakers could still only offer $95.5 million dollars at that time.
It was only when West traded Anthony Peeler and George Lynch off at the last-minute to the then Vancouver Grizzlies. I mean does any of this sound familiar? This franchise does not vary from the variable Hollywood script.
Soon after these two players became Shaq and Kobe, who turned the Lakers into a 3-peat dynasty.
To work this magic again, the Lakers have to fill out the bench in what Shaquille O’Neal calls “the others”. Now we take a look at some centers that can take the role of Samaki Walker, Jelani McCoy and Greg Foster.
Let’s start with the two centers from last year.
One can stay, but the other has to go
Both JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler played vital roles for the Los Angeles last season. JaVale McGee was well on his way to becoming a serious candidate for NBA’s Most Improved Player as the Lakers only inside defensive presence.
That was the problem. When he sat down, the Lakers opponents had virtual lay-up lines to the basket when he sat down.
That’s where Tyson Chandler comes in.
Remember when things were going so bad for the Lakers that LeBron James almost “cracked”? Think about how bad it would have been if the Suns hadn’t bought him out and fell in the Lakers laps.
The Lakers were 20-14 and 4th place on Christmas Day. That narrative has been run into the ground.
But what if the Lakers had lost to the Atlanta Hawks at home when LeBron blew the free throws? What if Tyson Chandler had not done this?
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We are looking at a totally different season for the Lakers. Tyson Chandler helped fill a serious void in low post area on defense. By the end of the season, however, back issues started creeping up and when he was playing, he could go games without scoring a basket.
That is why the Lakers need to move on from Chandler. He might want to play another year or two, but not with the Lakers.
As for JaVale McGee, the Lakers need to pick him up ASAP!
The LeBron James groin injury hurt the Lakers. So did Rajon Rondo‘s hand injuries. Lonzo Ball‘s ankle injury basically doomed the season. Many overlook JaVale’s serious bout with pneumonia.
After a stint in the hospital, JaVale dealt with understandable conditioning issues. After calling out Luke Walton‘s defensive schemes, he was benched for Ivica Zubac until Zubac was traded at the deadline.
The end of the season showed the dominance of JaVale McGee. He was a double-double machine. Especially against the Brooklyn Nets.
https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1109325091911823365
In a loss, he destroyed all of the Nets big men to the tune of 33 points and 20 rebounds. He will be perfect for a Lakers team that needs to push the pace with Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma.
Remember, Davis does not want to play the center spot. JaVale can team up with AD and provide the longest and most athletic rim protection in the NBA.
Let me put it this way. If the Warriors still had him on the roster, things could have really been different in the NBA Finals.
Now on to players that did not play for the Lakers last year.
Lob City can be built again across the hall in the Staples Center
The New York Knicks acquired DeAndre Jordan as part of a deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas. Part of the plan was to use his friendship with Kevin Durant to land a superstar.
Umm well, it is highly unlikely that the Knicks will re-sign Jordan and with reports that he wants to come back to Los Angeles, he would be a perfect candidate to fill the center spot for the veteran’s minimum.
He’s already made well over $100 million dollars in his career, so he could see the Lakers situation as a chance to capture a championship that eluded him in Clipper Land.
I mean he already has the experience in sharing the frontcourt with a dynamic power forward.
The Lakers do not need offense from DeAndre Jordan even though he can play the pick and roll with the best of them. NBA defenses will lose their minds trying to figure out where the lob will go to. If you pick Davis, Jordan dunks your head and vice versa.
DeAndre Jordan’s main job will be rim protection and rebounding. As a capable outlet passer, the Lakers fast break would be almost unfair. Plus with his ability to outrun opposing centers, he can trail the break and finish strong as well.
If the Lakers can swing this deal at a veteran’s minimum price it will be the steal of the free agency, period.
I was talking about Robin Lopez, not his brother Brook!
Sure, I’ll let you keep reading about how the Lakers need to resign Brook Lopez for his 3-point shooting. After playing well for the Milwaukee Bucks last year, do you really think that other teams won’t give him a nice paycheck? How about if he stays in Milwaukee to make a run for the championship next year?
Most fans forget that Brook Lopez has some history with Lionel Hollins from their time in Brooklyn. Hollins actually benched Lopez for Mason Plumlee (Yep, it’s true!) just before the bottom fell out for the franchise.
If the Lakers land a star in free agency, the Lakers have a strict budget and Robin Lopez is the guy to represent the family. He may not shoot from distance like his brother, but he will provide energy and rebounding when he is on the floor. He also will be the muscle to protect Anthony Davis.
When Chicago started to play the younger guys on the roster, Lopez was put on the backburner for a part of the season. When he got more minutes on the tail end, he played okay.
Before you start rolling your eyes at this scenario, understand this. Somebody on the 15 man roster is not going to play as much. Somebody has to play hard in practice, push the stars and watch the effects on the bench during games. How many players do you know can fit that bill all while not complaining? All for the price of the veteran’s minimum?
Oh, I’ll wait!
A center that can do what Brook Lopez can do at the mere fraction of the cost
Dewayne Dedmon spent two very constructive years in Atlanta during their rebuilding era. Now that Hawks GM, Travis Schlenk has gone VERY young and is collecting salary cap space like baseball cards, Dedmon could be on the move.
Dewayne is a little different from the other centers that have been mentioned. He can actually stand out on the perimeter and knock down an occasional 3-point shot. Plus, Dedmon is a professional.
Like Robin Lopez, he might be asked to sit at the end of the bench and be ready when his number is called.
Dewayne Dedmon is a veteran that can be a leader in the locker room, something that the Lakers need. He used to play in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich. That will bring credibility that the Hawks took advantage of the last couple of seasons.
After sitting through a couple of seasons on a struggling Hawks team, maybe the Lakers can negotiate a chance at winning an NBA title is worth taking the veteran’s minimum.
The guy that made “Hollywood as Hell” famous
There’s something about LeBron James most people never notice. LeBron James loves playing with his friends; yes. LeBron likes to be surrounded by veterans who can shoot; check! There is one type of player that LeBron James needs as well; the live wire that will not back down from anyone, yep Joakim Noah!
Now the Lakers fans that are rolling their eyes at this player, did not watch this game. Fortunately, I did. This was the night, LeBron James was exposed for his porous defense and body language.
It was also the night Joakim Noah reintroduced himself to the NBA like Jay-Z.
This rivalry goes back to the days when LeBron was winning titles in Miami while denying Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose a chance at the trophy. Noah showed his disdain by stating the Miami Heat was “Hollywood as Hell”.
Remember Noah was an MVP candidate back in 2014 and was the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. His time in New York messed up his reputation with that contract, but he can be had at the right price for the Lakers.
Who knows? The Lakers may get a game or two in the playoffs of this Joakim Noah.
Finally, a shocker.
Somebody has to take the 15th man role right?
Think this can’t happen Lakers fans? Let’s see here. Let’s answer a few questions.
How did Rob Pelinka get the job as GM?
Oh, that right! He’s Kobe Bryant’s agent. That means he has some influence on the organization. He’s in the hierarchy of Lakers that Jeanie Buss listens to. Okay, let’s keep going.
What did Pau Gasol accomplish at the end of the last decade?
Yep, he was a major part of the back-to-back championships that marked the last time the Lakers really were contenders. What’s the point?
The point is the Lakers believe in the moniker. once a Laker, always a Laker. Gasol is at the end of his career. If he comes back, I believe this is his last year in the NBA.
Why not bring him back to be a strong locker room presence. If called upon, he is a capable low post scorer and can stretch the defense out by knocking down shots from distance.
I really don’t see the Bucks keeping Pau Gasol on the roster so it’s almost certain that he will be searching for a team if he doesn’t retire. Here’s where the Lakers come in.
The Mike D’Antoni tenure was a disaster to the point that Gasol wanted nothing more to do with the franchise. What better way to smooth things over by bringing him back for one more year and try to get him a championship before he retires.
All of these guys are veterans and they are all cheap!
To the people who believe that Nikola Vucevic, DeMarcus Cousins, Al Horford or Brook Lopez should be on this list weren’t paying attention. Those players will get more money than these guys on the list.
The Lakers will be filling the roster with veteran’s playing for the minimum hoping for one last championship run. If the Lakers get one more star, don’t be surprised if five to six players fall into this category to avoid luxury taxes.
Lakers fans will have to understand the logic of this team in the summer. The structure of how this roster will be built in LeBron James’ image whether Lakers fans like it or not.
Now the Lakers are totally all in to make a run for the NBA championship this year.