Lakers Rebuilding Hopes

[indeedproceed]

1. Sign and trade Pau + top 5 pick for Kevin Love
2. Re-sign Marshall, Farmar, Meeks, Johnson, Hill
3. Bring back Trevor Ariza; sign Kenyon Martin and Ben Gordon to vet. min deals.
4. Make a move for Larry Sanders

Marshall / Farmar / Nash
Kobe / Meeks / Gordon
Ariza / Johnson
Love / Hill
Sanders / Martin


That team would be pretty good, assuming the main guys stay healthy.

But why risk taking on Sanders's contract or have to give up a pick when they can wait a year, manage their cap smartly, and sign Love Outright?

[PhoSita]

1. Sign and trade Pau + top 5 pick for Kevin Love
2. Re-sign Marshall, Farmar, Meeks, Johnson, Hill
3. Bring back Trevor Ariza; sign Kenyon Martin and Ben Gordon to vet. min deals.
4. Make a move for Larry Sanders

Marshall / Farmar / Nash
Kobe / Meeks / Gordon
Ariza / Johnson
Love / Hill
Sanders / Martin


That team would be pretty good, assuming the main guys stay healthy.

But why risk taking on Sanders's contract or have to give up a pick when they can wait a year, manage their cap smartly, and sign Love Outright?

I'm kind of operating on the premise that they'll feel pressure to become competitive again ASAP, what with Kobe being in his last 2-3 years, the Clippers being really good, Phil going to New York, and fans generally feeling restless about how things have gone the past few years.

The Lakers could use the draft pick and then try to lure Love in free agency, but I get the sense that the team would probably prefer to make a move with the pick to secure an established star in his prime to put next to Kobe.  And if you have another mediocre year with Kobe getting another year older and maybe not playing very team-friendly because he's p---ed, that makes the free agency game riskier in 2015.

I just don't understand the point of signing Kobe to that massive extension if the plan was to play it safe and patient and punt another year while developing a star rookie.  Unless the extension was basically them paying off Kobe to play nice while they waste another one of his last years in the league (one he'll be healthy for, unlike this year).

[freshinthehouse]

1. Sign and trade Pau + top 5 pick for Kevin Love
2. Re-sign Marshall, Farmar, Meeks, Johnson, Hill
3. Bring back Trevor Ariza; sign Kenyon Martin and Ben Gordon to vet. min deals.
4. Make a move for Larry Sanders

Marshall / Farmar / Nash
Kobe / Meeks / Gordon
Ariza / Johnson
Love / Hill
Sanders / Martin


That team would be pretty good, assuming the main guys stay healthy.

That's a solid team, but I don't see it advancing past the Clips, Rockets, Spurs, or Thunder in a 7 game series.

[indeedproceed]

I think Bill Simmons has the right of it. Kobe will fill the seats. He'll retire a laker, or come back after the FA bonanza. The Lakers will likely have 2 lottery picks, money to spend. It's the difference between making a good team, and building a dynasty. It also makes the huge extension make sense.

[PhoSita]

1. Sign and trade Pau + top 5 pick for Kevin Love
2. Re-sign Marshall, Farmar, Meeks, Johnson, Hill
3. Bring back Trevor Ariza; sign Kenyon Martin and Ben Gordon to vet. min deals.
4. Make a move for Larry Sanders

Marshall / Farmar / Nash
Kobe / Meeks / Gordon
Ariza / Johnson
Love / Hill
Sanders / Martin


That team would be pretty good, assuming the main guys stay healthy.

That's a solid team, but I don't see it advancing past the Clips, Rockets, Spurs, or Thunder in a 7 game series.

Nope, but I don't see a way for the Lakers to make a team that could do that within the next few years (i.e. before Kobe retires).