LA Times: Lakers in talks to acquire Klay Thompson and facilitate Love deal

[j804]

The Lakers have been in discussions to acquire Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson for the seventh pick in next weeks draft, The Times has learned.

The deal would be part of a larger three-way trade that sends Minnesota All-Star power forward Kevin Love to the Warriors. The Lakers are interested but the deal has been put on hold because of a difference in opinion within the Warriors organization whether or not to keep Thompson while trying to obtain Love.

Thompson, 24, averaged 18.4 points last season for the Warriors and became one of the leagues most potent three-point shooters. He is under contract for $4.5 million next season before becoming a restricted free agent.

Thompson increased his scoring average by almost two points last season and improved his shooting percentage from 42.2% to 44.4%. He made 41.7% of his three-point attempts last season.

The Lakers are debating what to do with the pick if they hang onto it. They have sold or traded every first-round pick they've had since 2007 and do not have one next season because of the Steve Nash trade.

They are pondering whether to go with a power forward or point guard. They have narrowed their focus to big men Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle and Noah Vonleh or point guards Dante Exum, Marcus Smart and Elfrid Payton.

When free agency begins July 1, the Lakers will have only three players making guaranteed money next season Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre. Point guard Kendall Marshall has one year left on a non-guaranteed contract.

A player on the rise such as Thompson would obviously provide more immediate return than an amateur player with no NBA experience.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-klay-thompson-kevin-love-trade-20140620-story.html

Hmmmm this is getting weirder by the day what?

[chambers]

The Lakers have been in discussions to acquire Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson for the seventh pick in next weeks draft, The Times has learned.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-klay-thompson-kevin-love-trade-20140620-story.html

Hmmmm this is getting weirder by the day what?

More crap from the Timberwolves camp as we get closer to draft night.
Essentially trying to convey the aura of Klay Thompson somehow being close to the value of a 6th or 7th pick.

Not buying it one bit.

[joepatsfan]

More crap from the Timberwolves camp as we get closer to draft night.
Essentially trying to convey the aura of Klay Thompson somehow being close to the value of a 6th or 7th pick.

Not buying it one bit.
[/quote]

+10000 agreed. Flip is just trying to jack up our price at 3 firsts, Sully and Oly and he'll call it a day.

We hold the best assets (picks) by a mile. Any player they are talking about in a trade does nothing for them.. Even if they acquire the number 7 pick we can offer #6 AND #17.

If Flip wants a job in 5 years, he should be smart and take the picks and control his future better. If he takes a deal for Klay and Lee he's done. Those two will leave and he'll have no assets in the future.

[Rondo9]

The Lakers have been in discussions to acquire Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson for the seventh pick in next weeks draft, The Times has learned.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-klay-thompson-kevin-love-trade-20140620-story.html

Hmmmm this is getting weirder by the day what?

More crap from the Timberwolves camp as we get closer to draft night.
Essentially trying to convey the aura of Klay Thompson somehow being close to the value of a 6th or 7th pick.

Not buying it one bit.

That's bold statement, let's hope it's true.

[LarBrd33]

Thought they coveted Klay and didn't want picks.  Why would they trade Klay for #7.  That'd be odd.

Still... Lee + Barnes + #7  would be a nice haul for the Wolves and probably beats out what we're offering.

Also, if this goes down what does it mean for Rondo's trade value?  He's more valuable than Klay, right?  Klay's due for a fat contract.  I had previously believed that the Lakers were a potential destination for Rondo... that's one team that he'd probably re-sign with.  You'd get #7 + Nash's expiring. 

Makes me wonder what kind of package we can get for Rondo if we need to trade him.

[LarBrd33]

I took a look at a Timberwolves forum and the reaction seems to be (more or less), "MIght as well take Boston's package... #6 is better than #7."

The consensus there seems to be that since the Timberwolves can only keep their 2015 pick if it ends up in the Top 5, taking Boston's pick package is their best shot at keeping their own pick next year.... they don't want to get David Lee and push towards mediocrity.

In fact, the consensus there seems to be that Flip is leaking all of these false reports in an effort to get Boston to improve their offer even more.  One Timberwolves fan even wondered if maybe the issue is that Boston hasn't actually offered the #6 yet. 

Interesting.   At this point, I don't really care.  I'd prefer to see the Celtics land Embiid (probably will cost us at least #6 and #17 to move up... if even possible)... and then trade Rondo for additional picks/youth.  That would be exciting.  We'd be terrible in the immediate future, but long term we'd have a bright future.

[Who]

#7 for Klay Thompson is fair value.

Ainge should offer the #6 for Klay. Klay's game would provide good balance to Rondo's in the backcourt. Make Boston very big on the perimeter too with Rondo, Klay and J.Green. Nice long athletic perimeter trio.

[Eddie20]

Lakers are definitely trying to trade the pick. The other report is that they're in talks with Philly to acquire Carter-Williams and Young for Nash and the #7.

[Fafnir]

So the Wolves would get the 7th pick and Lee's contract for Love? Plus maybe a low pick or two?

Instead of expirings and non-guaranteed Bogans deal and the 6th + other picks for Love? This rumor doesn't make much sense at all, other than the Lakers trying to get in on the conversation.

If this is the framework of a deal the Wolves could just take one of Boston's packages and get a slightly better pick and less ballast.

Unless David Lee is a draw for them, which lol okay....

[RJ87]

I thought the Wolves really wanted Klay and that's why the GSW trade was so much better than ours? Minny is definitely leaking this info - but not to drive up the price but has Woj said yesterday, to be able to tell Love they tried really hard but couldn't move him.

[chambers]

#7 for Klay Thompson is fair value.

Ainge should offer the #6 for Klay. Klay's game would provide good balance to Rondo's in the backcourt. Make Boston very big on the perimeter too with Rondo, Klay and J.Green. Nice long athletic perimeter trio.

I strongly disagree.
Klay Thompson is a solid player, but he's not worth the 7th pick, especially in a draft like this lol.
Guy is the essence of a role player that looks great because of his team mates, similarly to the way Perkins was valued going into his free agency.
Curry takes so much attention away from Klay on the perimeter and once he leaves GSW,  opposing defenses put their best guard defender on Klay to take away his one weapon.
Klay does one thing better than average...3 point shooting. And even his 3 point shooting is over rated because he plays with Curry. Put him on a bum squad like the Wolves and he will get soul destroyed because of his lack of dribble drive ability.

Factor in that he's a restricted free agent and he's been benefitting from playing on that Warriors team and he's going to get at least 10 million when he's basically got one solid ability.
Oveeerrrrraaaated.

[jambr380]

Eh, I am okay with this if true. I have really come to like the possibility of Embiid and would be really disappointed if we traded the pick and he was available.

I also believe that Melo can be had for considerably less and I would be just as happy with him moving forward as I would with Love. I realize that Boston may not be his top destination, but he very well could be a possibility.

This also doesn't seem to make the Lakers contenders. They will have to give Klay a huge pay raise next year which should limit their market for the two superstars they were looking for. There is also the dilemma that Kobe is already at sg - will one of them play sf?

[Robb]

I don't know if my desire for the Lakers to make a trade this horrifyingly bad can be overcome. If Embiid is available at 6 I'd be almost ok for the Cs to completely extricate themselves of all this since it seems like every team is waiting for a domino to drop and Boston might be the odd team out when it does.

[jambr380]

So the Wolves would get the 7th pick and Lee's contract for Love? Plus maybe a low pick or two?

Instead of expirings and non-guaranteed Bogans deal and the 6th + other picks for Love? This rumor doesn't make much sense at all, other than the Lakers trying to get in on the conversation.

If this is the framework of a deal the Wolves could just take one of Boston's packages and get a slightly better pick and less ballast.

Unless David Lee is a draw for them, which lol okay....

If Minny is serious in trying to make the playoffs next year, then Lee absolutely should be a draw for them. He is an all-star caliber player who would slide very well into Love's pf spot. However, if they are not going for Klay, then it makes no sense to even pretend they are trying to make the playoffs since Lee is basically an 80% version of Love and they already couldn't make the playoffs with him.

[Robb]

#7 for Klay Thompson is fair value.

Ainge should offer the #6 for Klay. Klay's game would provide good balance to Rondo's in the backcourt. Make Boston very big on the perimeter too with Rondo, Klay and J.Green. Nice long athletic perimeter trio.

I also disagree. Have you read Canis Hoopus' recent article about Klay and his comparable players and lack of improvement in his three years in the league?