OT: there are only five teams with a worse record than the lakers!!

[KingSpeed]

Do you realize how scary that is? They will get a very nice pick (possibly #1!!) in the upcoming draft. I really wish they would start winning some games. Capspace plus top pick could turn Lakers back into a powerhouse for too many years.

Go Lakers! WIN games, get a worse draft position!

 

[3RA1N1AC]

they are in full on tank mode

 

[rasheedfan2005]

Luckily Kobe is sucking down some cap space but that wont stop them from over spending. I won't be surprised to see them land #1 pick and Kevin love.

 

[Denny Crane]

They have two players signed for the offseason, and the rest is cap space. The two? Kobe and Nash.

So something like $38M in cap space. So I read.

High pick in a deep and talented draft, plus the money to buy FAs in a talented FA class.

 

[julius]

the problem with that is even with Kobe and Nash (two aging, and apparently injury issues are an issue now), it's not like the team is built to win a title.

If Kobe and Nash were 7 or 8 years younger, I'd be more worried.

 

[BBert]

Do you realize how scary that is? They will get a very nice pick (possibly #1!!) in the upcoming draft. I really wish they would start winning some games. Capspace plus top pick could turn Lakers back into a powerhouse for too many years.

Go Lakers! WIN games, get a worse draft position!

We've agreed on this since day one of this season. They suck, but we need them to at least win themselves out of a top 10 pick.

 

[BBert]

They have two players signed for the offseason, and the rest is cap space. The two? Kobe and Nash.

So something like $38M in cap space. So I read.

High pick in a deep and talented draft, plus the money to buy FAs in a talented FA class.

Yep. They'll have a top 3 pick in the draft of the century (tm) and a butt load of money to throw at the best free agents in the league. I've said it for years: that franchise will not suck for more than two years in a row. Ever. They will always get free agents and they will always get league bias.

 

[julius]

Yep. They'll have a top 3 pick in the draft of the century (tm) and a butt load of money to throw at the best free agents in the league. I've said it for years: that franchise will not suck for more than two years in a row. Ever. They will always get free agents and they will always get league bias.

you're underestimating the ineptness of Jim Buss.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

They have two players signed for the offseason, and the rest is cap space. The two? Kobe and Nash.

So something like $38M in cap space. So I read.

High pick in a deep and talented draft, plus the money to buy FAs in a talented FA class.

kobe and nash make 34 million combined next year, so if using a conservative estimate of a 60ish million cap, that leaves them with 26 million, which is still quite a bit, but not 38 million

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Don't forget all the cap holds for roster spots they have to calculate too. That brings it down to like 21 million

 

[Draco]

How is it that scary? Wiggins and Embid are on the same team in college and they aren't the best team there, I'm not worried about one of them in the NBA.... You put one of them on the Lakers and that team is still horrible the next few years. The Suns have the Lakers completely unprotected pick next season in 2015.

The Lakers plans revolve around saving cap space for Kevin Love in 2015? He doesn't play defense, besides his jump shot he's on the level of a guy like David Lee, he'll never be an MVP player. Its a glorious time to be a Lakers hater. They are full of false hope and grasping at straws on why the Kobe deal wasn't horrific.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

you're underestimating the ineptness of Jim Buss.

This.

1. He hired a coach that likes to run when his roster is full of over the hill vets.
2. Failed miserably with the D12 experiment.
3. ok'd not only giving big contracts to back court players that traditionally are over the hill at their age, but gave up draft considerations to do it.

When the Lakers start making smart decisions again, I will be worried. Until then I will enjoy kicking their ass.

 

[Draco]

Don't forget all the cap holds for roster spots they have to calculate too. That brings it down to like 21 million

Yeah and they would have to renounce all of Pau, Blake, Jordan Hill, Nick Young. No those guys arn't great but they are at the least solid backups or acceptable starters. Replacing them with minimum salary scrubs will really hurt the depth.

If Nash doesn't play this year his salary will come off the cap, I think its 10 games or something. But if they want to sign Kevin Love they can't sign a max free agent this summer they'll have to use most of their money on 1 years deals while not having their own 2015 draft pick.

That teams is going to be a disaster for a number of years. It reminds me of the Knicks in 2010 thinking LeBron was going to fly into town and bring them titles. They have delusional fans.

 

[ponderguy]

This.

1. He hired a coach that likes to run when his roster is full of over the hill vets.
2. Failed miserably with the D12 experiment.
3. ok'd not only giving big contracts to back court players that traditionally are over the hill at their age, but gave up draft considerations to do it.

When the Lakers start making smart decisions again, I will be worried. Until then I will enjoy kicking their ass.

I disagree that the Howard experiment was a failure. It was basically a freebie. While it sucked (for them) that he left it was still a much better outcome than if they had resigned Bynum on a big deal and had his knees explode.

 

[Pinwheel1]

They are going to get a good player in this draft. No doubt. Hell Gordon is rated #9 in one mock draft I saw. But will they get a difference maker? Is there one? It's early still. Parker looked great to me game one, but i have not watched him lately.

Who would we fear most that they get? I doubt there is a consensus on that answer.

 

[Denny Crane]

kobe and nash make 34 million combined next year, so if using a conservative estimate of a 60ish million cap, that leaves them with 26 million, which is still quite a bit, but not 38 million

My bad. It was $38M before they signed Kobe to the extension. Including cap holds, draft pick, etc. I read it recently, but I didn't realize it was an old article.

 

[ponderguy]

They are going to get a good player in this draft. No doubt. Hell Gordon is rated #9 in one mock draft I saw. But will they get a difference maker? Is there one? It's early still. Parker looked great to me game one, but i have not watched him lately.

Who would we fear most that they get? I doubt there is a consensus on that answer.

I'd worry if they get Marcus Smart. He's going to be really good.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

I disagree that the Howard experiment was a failure. It was basically a freebie. While it sucked (for them) that he left it was still a much better outcome than if they had resigned Bynum on a big deal and had his knees explode.

Not a freebie since they gave Orlando a future #1. You cannot say they did something smart because it was better than something really dumb either.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I always want to hold down the L*kers. they've fucked with me too many times, I want them to suck as long as possible, but in terms of reality, they'll get back up somehow.

 

[Boob-No-More]

My bad. It was $38M before they signed Kobe to the extension. Including cap holds, draft pick, etc. I read it recently, but I didn't realize it was an old article.

It will be really interesting to see how much cap space they actually have. I doubt if they renounce EVERYONE. They'd still have 11 cap holds at the minimum salary level to get to the required 13 players on the roster. Oops, make that 10, because they will also have a cap hold for their first round pick. So, the higher their 1st round pick, the lower their available cap space. And, as has already been pointed out, they probably won't let all of their players walk for nothing. They may try to move Pau's expiring contract before the deadline. It may be a pure salary dump, but they will get something back - something they may want to keep, which would further reduce their cap space.

Thankfully, Jim Buss is completely incompetent. If Jerry would have just turned the reins over to Jeanie, Phil would be with the team in some capacity, either on the bench or in the front office. Most people here hate Phil, but he's infinitely more competent than Jim Buss. So, we dodged that bullet when Jerry handed the team over to his idiot son.

BNM

 

[Schilly]

They have 30ish mill in cap space. Their pick will take up around 4-5 mill of that. And they will still only have 3 players. 12 roster spots to fill with 25mil isn't much. They probably aren't going to land a top notch Free agent like Lebron or Melo with so much uncertainty.

The Extension to Kobe is one of the dumbest moves by an NBA GM I have seen in a while.

 

[ponderguy]

Not a freebie since they gave Orlando a future #1. You cannot say they did something smart because it was better than something really dumb either.

I guess but the risk/reward of Dwight Howard for a future#1 is pretty good. It's not like they draft well since West left anyways

 

[mook]

They owe Kobe $48m over the coming two seasons. That shit is fucking insane.

We're so used to the Lakers always contending because of Kobe, much like the Spurs are always in it because of Duncan. But father time always wins, and that ace-in-the-hole for the Lakers is now an overpaid, ancient pain-in-the-ass. The Lakers are in for many, many years of the suck.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

The risk/reward might have been justified if they had brought in a coach that wanted to feature Dwight.

 

[BBert]

The Extension to Kobe is one of the dumbest moves by an NBA GM I have seen in a while.

No doubt. Jaw droppingly dumb.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

The Extension to Kobe is one of the dumbest moves by an NBA OWNER I have seen in a while.

Fixed it for you. I do not think Mitch K had anything to do with it.

 

[Draco]

If the Lakers get a top3 pick do they think of trading it? I could see Kobe bitching that he wants help now and not a rookie so they trade the pick for Love and sign Melo.

 

[ponderguy]

The risk/reward might have been justified if they had brought in a coach that wanted to feature Dwight.

That was their biggest mistake. D'antoni was one of the worst possible choices they could have made. I still think McMillan would have been a perfect fit for last years Lakers team. They were built much like Portland was when healthy and his slowwwww pace would have been a nice fit for that roster.