That’s why I say he’s a cancer. What happens when Lonzo comes back? More IT drama. Don’t need it on a young team.
We have different definitions of cancer. I see that as wanting the best for yourself in your FA walk year, while you're being spun around the league from team to team, having had a tough couple years. He essentially wants the KCP treatment..what LAL afforded KCP, is what Isaiah wants. A cancerous situation, to me, would be if this were the norm for Isaiah year in and year out and/or if he were stuck in LA for the foreseeable future. The season will be over soon and he will be free. The last time we had " drama " it spurred LAL in the win column..remember all the Lavar stuff from 2-3 weeks back, going at Luke? Lakers have been winning up a storm since Lavar opened his mouth. Lakers have been dealing with drama forever. 2 months of Isaiah isn't going to set anybody on this team back, and if it does, LAL should think about trading that player too. LAL is not for players who can't handle a little adversity
Derek Carr✔@derekcarrqb @KingJames I know you’re hot right now bro, but come on home to the #LakeShow and make the cavs regret losing you... again... Feb 8, 2018
It does not necessarily need to be them. And after tonight I doubt it will be LeBron. I have my fingers crossed that Embiid knows that his way to the HOF is becoming the next great Laker center and he pulls a Shaq. I so hope Philly tries to dicker with Embiid and Magic shows up and tells him he can have whatever he wants.
Plays no defense and is prone to stupid turnovers. Agree completely re. Randle. I've really come around on him.
It was a good trade for us and a great one for the Cavs. I like Clarkson for his tenacity on offense and his improvement on D, but the ball dies in his hands too much for him to be effective. He is like Westbrook in that way, just not nearly as good of course. You can ride or die with Westrbook or an Iverson type... but with Clarkson there is not enough ride to overcome the die. They essentially did a crazy 4 team trade like I was proposing a few days ago when people said that those kind of trades are impossible. They arent, they just need competent executives to properly set them up. We did not have competent executives for a long time, so I can understand Laker fans thinking that this kind of thing is impossible.
Julius likely isn't 110% safe yet, but he has to feel a little better about his situation. LAL nabbed a 1st round pick in this trade that they might be able to attach to Deng to get him outta here in an off-season where a ton of teams aren't going to have cap space or as many avenues to make themselves better. So this trade could actually help them open up a third max slot if it helps them shed Deng, but renouncing Julius' rights would be a part of creating that 3rd max slot as well and so there you go. Instead of just offering up for LeBron and George, they could see if LeBron and George would like to team up with Deandre Jordan or a mending Boogie Cousins. Or maybe LeBron would want to pull CP3 off the Rockets and that'd hurt the Rockets severely. If LeBron were to recruit George from OKC and CP3 from Houston..well, that's 2 teams he doesn't have to worry about in the west anymore, for sure. Or they go out and add a solid guy like Avery Bradley to that LeBron/George coup..or keep KCP instead of getting Bradley. Possibilities are endless now..well, if they're able to find a deal for Deng using that 1st round pick and maybe Zubac as sweeteners. But all in all, they could still open up a hell of a lot of additional space just by stretching and waiving Deng and renouncing Julius.
Devin Harris just traded..didn't even know this dude was still in the league. Guy was one of the toughest covers in the league 10-12 years ago
Clarkson making 14 million off bench a huge factor as well. 1st round pick is the key too as you eloquently stated.
Magic and Pelinka also came out as saying Lonzo is the starter. Josh Hart coming into his own as well so IT see ya!
Ramona says Lopez wants to stay, period, salary not an issue Interesting, possibly a room exception candidate
On the downside..LAL had obviously gotten it rolling in the W column and now this shakes up the rotation when Luke spent a month or two without a fuckin clue rotation-wise, so they may be stifled for the final stretch of the season. Said about a week ago when the Cavs were sniffing around Clarkson, that Frye is one of Luke's former teammates at 'Zona, so I could see him maybe sticking around beyond this season..depending on if LAL grabs a couple stars and becomes a contender. Wouldn't surprise me if Zubac were to start getting some playing time now, rebuild some trade value there..winning impact secondary. Anyway, would've been cool to beat OKC's ass again tonight, but after this trade I just have to believe that LAL is going to lose to OKC tonight..even if Russ doesn't play ( ankle sprain). So yeah, LAL/OKC tonight on TNT, LAL looking for their 8th home win in a row. Pelicans look like they're on their way down..Utah for some reason, has won 7 games in a row, but obviously just made a significant trade..Clippers are what they are, ahead of us, but meh nonetheless. " 6 of the next 7 games are winnable for LAL "..is how I felt before today's trade. Don't know how long it'll take for LAL to pick up the pieces now. Could've probably just given them the L @ Minnesota a week from now in any scenario. Sure would be nice if LAL could somehow keep their run going and climb into the fight for that 8th spot because .500 could very well nab the 8 spot and an opportunity to get killed by GSW. Lol It would be a massacre, for sure, but still good experience.
I am curious. MGT said it would not offer up any first round picks to get Deng off the books but that was when they had no pick this year. So effectively to get rid of Deng they would have to go 2 years without a 1st round pick. Now that they have Cleveland's 2018 1st round pick, I wonder if they would be more willing to give up their 2019 1st round pick to get Deng off the books???
I can see IT coming in and ballin hard. If we continue to win and sneak into the playoffs and IT is feeling healthier by then... who knows. A playoff shocker this season would really make FA look at our roster of kids with a bit more prestige. Brook Lopez looks to be a guy who wants to stay in LA and he hits 3's nicely so he might be a guy you keep on the squad with the exception. IT as well who may have to rebuild his reputation again after getting traded so much so quickly plus his injury and locker room perception. Being a Laker for a full season might help rebrand him the way it helped Nick Young and Lou Williams get paid. No reason why IT cant step into the Clarkson role. Specially with KCP maybe moving on next year. Then again this offseason will be brutal in terms of the amount of good solid NBA players available. KCP might not find himself getting a good long term deal and might be happy staying a Laker on 1 year deals until they have their big guns and can lock him up. Besides, giving him 17M this season was like a downpayment on his next 2 years salary. What about this team in 2 years... PG: Ball, Hart SG: Klay, IT SF: Ingram, Kuzma PF: Randle, Bryant C : Embiid, Lopez I would have no fear rolling into the finals with that team, with that bench. Then everyone gets paid like the Warriors paid all their bench players long term deals.
if this allows randle to stay its worth it i guess i don't think clarkson is quite as easily replaced as most and i can see nance is a highlight reel but not exactly consistent just was getting used seeing the young guns play better and better obviously something had to give because of that dung contract thanks there jimbo
Think forward. Clarkson and Nance being sacrificed and replaced by a superstar Small and a superstar Big in 1 year. They had to go.
This is not a thing The report was that LAL isn't willing to attach Zo, Ingram or Kuzma to Deng in order to trade him
I'm not calling that "Think forward" I'm calling it 'pipe dreaming' forward I'll believe us gaining a superstar when it happens Until that time we just got weaker Isaiah is dynamic but too short, talented but erratic.. and short Nance was awkward and stiff but showed flashes of being better. Those flashes being too irregular for Magic apparently Clarkson took over the 2nd team and routinely made other teams reserves look like trash Yeah he needed to play better D but on O he rocked I can't see IT measuring up to Clarkson and the others are mostly noise So IMO we got taken to the curb
Hoping for the best for Isaiah, but unless 1) LAL strikes out on their Plan A and maybe Plan B, and 2) he takes less money and a 6th man role he has no future with LAL beyond this season. That said, this is his dream..similar to Lopez..Isaiah's pops, the big LAL fan, must be ecstatic as well. He's always wanted to play for LAL, so if he can just accept a lesser role, or a 6th man role..whatever..and take less money he could make the best out of what's been a tough year/year and a half and maybe find himself hoisting a NBA title trophy as a key member of a suped up LAL team moving beyond this season. One Metta World Peace should give him a call and tell him about it..MWP had a tough few years leading up to LAL basically saving his career and he's done excellent for himself. I don't think 23-25 minutes per game of Isaiah is necessarily going to kill a title contender that's built properly, but it has to make sense role/money wise..he has to get with that program or hit the door at season's end. He has to fall in line to make it work, or he can go out and look for the payday/bigger role elsewhere..probably no skin off either party's back. Rooting for him in either scenario, hard not to
