Looks like Bird wants LAL's lottery pick and that there wasn't even a real discussion w/o it on the table. Don't think I like that..think I'd rather keep the lottery pick, and trade Russell and another young piece(s) not named Julius/Ingram/Zubac instead. If George is blocking trades to other teams, why give up more than that? Russell + Clarkson + Nance or Black ( maybe both) + HOU's 1st round pick + future 2nd round picks from DEN/CHI..about as far as Magic should go w/the offer this summer IMO. Offer up the most replaceable kids..Lonzo doesn't have the full " Jason Kidd game ", but I do see some Penny Hardaway/Steph Curry/Jason Kidd flashes from him and superstar potential. Shit, even if they don't get Lonzo..think I'd rather give the other Top 3 or 4 kids in the draft a run w/LAL, they just have more athletic upside than Russell - who'll probably have a productive career in his own right. Lakers News: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird sound like they’re planning to talk about a Paul George trade this summer The two legends are set for another match-up. by Harrison Faigen@hmfaigen The two already talked about a possible trade involving Pacers superstar Paul George before the trade deadline, and during comments made to fans and the media at the “Lakers All Access” event Monday night, Johnson made it sound like those are discussions the two plan to revisit (via Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News): “We laughed about it,” Johnson said. “We only talked two or three minutes about possibilities of a trade. It was more geared toward later on, not at that moment. It was really just saying ‘Hi and looking forward to talking to you later on this summer.'” With George reportedly “hell-bent” on making his way to Los Angeles in free agency if the Pacers can’t put together a competitive team, it’s no surprise that the two men plan on talking, but with Johnson officially admitting they are “looking forward” to it, those talks are no longer speculation.
Possibly. But then again, he has a long standing relationship w/Magic, so if it's more money he wants the LAL prez ultimately knows how to get it w/o the NBA even being involved. I'd probably lean your way if there was no relationship between the two. All in all, I think George is more than likely going to find out what Cousins found out..not everybody is 210MM extension material. I don't think George is that caliber of player, well, at least not sure about it..he's a good one, probably somewhere around the 14th/15th best in the league, but that extension should be for no brainers and he's not really showing up with alpha/elite production or putting them over the top against lesser clubs many nights. But George still has work to do to even be eligible for that extension, there's a nice sized group of fowards that could beat him out for the all-NBA team(s)
How Durant's injury could impact George's potential eligibility for the DPE (extension).. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kevin-durants-injury-could-212-192928977.html
Yeah, I know. I meant it in the sense, "you better start rebuilding NOW because I'm not just going to sit back and take the extension. I'm gone if I don't see progress". He's sending a shot across the bow. He doesn't want to waste his prime on a team that's rebuilding.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-hornets-takeaways-20170301-story.html Link speaking to some of the stuff that's been mentioned..Julius looking to break through the " young player wall " and be better from game #40 to game #82. Always looks so tired, but he does play hard/demanding position..anyway, they're starting to see him break through the fatigue in practice. When he's in " beast mode " as the writer puts it, the bounce in his step when he's bringing the ball up, the production, the size/skillset combo..squint your eyes and he really does look like LeBron-lite out there. Although, the LeBron comp does him no favors
This is the part that is really confusing me too and makes me wonder if it's all horseshit. We'll see I guess.
Not all rebuilds are created equal. Which is just basically another way of saying, " what would the Pacers actually be rebuilding? "..because they don't win championships.
if a guy can't get what he wants playing for the team he cares about then why not go home? especially when your home is LA and what are the choices as a star player in the NBA anyway? go stand around in some city playing for the next roving all-star group hoping for a ring? Lakers could still come together around a star like him and then he would be a legend i think he sees fantastic opportunity here or at least i hope thats how he sees it
http://www.lakersnation.com/dell-cu...on-can-help-lakers-in-free-agency/2017/03/03/ Dell Curry: “If you have a free agent sitdown with a superstar, and Magic Johnson is in the room, that’s going to move the needle as far as getting that guy serious about wanting to come here […] LA is LA already, but if you have Magic Johnson pushing for you to come here, it’s going to make you think.” Of course, the Lakers hope free agents will come based on the talent on the team and their ability to contend for championships, but Curry also believes that Johnson’s success away from basketball will be a factor: “It’s success, man. That’s what every player wants on and off the floor, and he’s the epitome of it. He built his way up, built his brand once he got here. Being in LA, having Magic and all the doors he can open for you off the floor, that’s even more incentive for superstars to want to come here.”
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...los-angeles-lakers-smart-hiring-magic-johnson Isaiah Thomas: Magic Johnson will draw superstar talent to L.A. LOS ANGELES -- Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas says that having Magic Johnson at the helm of the rival Lakers will help bring star talent back to Los Angeles. "Some superstar is going to come here," Thomas said Friday morning before Boston's morning shootaround at Staples Center. "It's good. Magic Johnson is arguably the best Laker ever, so to have him the head of all that and making decisions, it's a step in the right direction. Everybody respects him. I mean, the Lakers are not going to be, I guess, what they are now forever. He'll bring some people here." Thomas is well-steeped in Lakers history. His father, James, is a die-hard Lakers fan and tried to raise his son to support the purple and gold. Even with Thomas on the other side of the rivalry now, Thomas is still struggling to fully convert his father. "[James will] be here tonight and he'll probably have a Lakers hat and a Celtics hat," Thomas joked. "No, he'll have his Celtics stuff on tonight. But he'll definitely be here. And he loves L.A. This is home for him." The fact that his son is the face of a Celtics franchise that sits second in the East still isn't enough to get Thomas' father to ditch his Lakers gear. "It's deeper than that," Thomas said. "He might have a blue L.A. Dodgers hat on. He was born and raised here. But he knows. He'll have something Celtics on -- he's not crazy." Thomas, who will be entering the last year of his current contract next season, was more of a Sonics fan growing up while being raised in Tacoma, Washington, and he resisted his father's fandom. "I was brainwashed into being a Lakers fan when I was younger. So I always wanted to be a Laker," Thomas said. "But I love being a Celtic."
Next year is Thomas Jr's last year under his current contract. Maybe he wants to get brainwashed by Magic and become a Lakers fan again.
The Buss family is something out of Shakespeare... I swear. King Lear dies and his children fight over the kingdom.
Not sure if I blame Jim for trying..he didn't give Kobe that last contract, she did..and now she sorta comes out the winner in all this ( well, behind Magic), but at the same time Jim fucked himself by saying it'd take 3 years to rebuild them into a contender and that he'd step aside if they weren't. Whatever the case, they need to button up all this Dallas/Knots Landing stuff. Lonzo may actually be the perfect fit for LAL, he's used to playing while silly shit's going on in the media and behind the scenes Lol
