Here's some reasons why the Lakers will be trash this year:
2. Next summer they want enough cap space to sign 2 max free agents. Obviously it depends which ones as to how much cap space they need to create but currently they would need to shed about $20m to sign George and Westbrook, more if they wanted to sign LeBron instead. That means shedding at least Luol Deng and his 3 years averaging $18m. They'll need to throw some incentive into that deal and the deal won't make them better this year. They'll need expirings in return, Milwaukee may be a place to look...
Why in the world would Milwaukee take on that Deng contract? They don't have any cap space so they aren't a good partner for a salary dump trade. They just had to waive and stretch Hawes to get under luxury tax.
It wouldn't be a salary dump, they'd match it with Monroe's expiring. It would depend on what else LAL were willing to throw into the deal. Perhaps adding Larry Nance jr and a pick would help. It would have to happen alongside some other moves in order for them to stay under the luxury tax next year as well. Perhaps by the trade deadline there has been more change in Milwaukee. That's not the only place though, strange as it sounds, Lakers could look to trade for Wade midseason (should he still be in Chi), giving Chicago some extra assets for their rebuild, then buy him out late in the season.
It will be difficult for the Lakers to move Deng though which is part of my point. They have to move him if they want their free agents next summer, the price of moving him is likely going to take a few pieces that would help them win this year, making their win total lower.
TP, your original post and this follow up make some good points.
I'm not super knowledgeable about the prospects in 2019 (link below) but just based on the names and basic details, I am really hoping the LA pick conveys this year. There just isn't a ton of top shelf talent with size based on the current rankings. While I'd be stoked to get a young superstar no matter what position he plays, failing that, I'd like to lock in a teenage PF.
Zion Williamson has a lot of hype and is listed as a combo forward, but at 6'6" I'm having a hard time seeing him as a PF on our weak rebounding team without a growth spurt. Know nothing about the international PF in the top 10.
I hear some really good things about Bol Bol, but he looks like the only 2019 equivalent to Bamba/Ayton/Williams, and if he's actually likely to go #2 (I don't take nbadraft.net as gospel by any means) then it's hard to be optimistic that we have a real shot at him. And with Bagley now in this year's draft, the 'young superstar' potential players at all positions become ever more scarce. At least RJ Barrett reclassified into 2019 to kind of balance out the osmosis.
So... long story short... let's pray that the LA pick lands this year and we have a choice between at least 2 of Bagley, Porter, Ayton, Bamba, Williams, and Doncic who is looking more and more like a guy I'd be stoked to get even if it doesn't seem like we have room for him.
http://www.nbadraft.net/2019mock_draft