Kyrie Irving remains as much a target for the Lakers as Kawhi Leonard, league sources say, now that the Lakers are sure they can open maximum cap space. They are swinging for the fences despite all of the signals that have pointed Irving to Brooklyn …
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 28, 2019
Updates from keen observer Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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keen observer
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keen observer
I Doubt It
The Lakers are trying to open up max cap space, but talks about unloading their remaining contracts have reportedly "gone nowhere" so far. https://t.co/PJHDkm30iI pic.twitter.com/4vD9qnBnBd
— Silver Screen & Roll (@LakersSBN) June 27, 2019
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Magicman (Editor)
Right, uh huh.
Thank u, next.
LOL.
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keen observer
DLo’s Agent is None Other Than Aaron Mintz
DLo to #Lakers is intriguing at the right price. But you have to wonder with Aaron Mintz as his agent (and the reported bad blood with the Lakers and with former agent Rob Pelinka at the helm) whether this is all smoke and mirrors to drive up his price?
— Victor Leung (@victorleung) June 26, 2019
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LakerTom (Publisher)
That could be problematic for making a deal with Russell for the right price.
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mclyne32 (Director)
So much for that idea.
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keen observer
A worthwhile thread to read re Kawhi
There has been an insider on https://t.co/LeI1dbTHm1 who has been verified and he works closely with AEG who also works closely with the Lakers. I will be starting a thread of a summary of his information that he's relayed about the NBA, Lakers, Clippers, & Kawhi Leonard. pic.twitter.com/FViatyzOyw
— OneLuvLakers (@OneLuvLakers) June 19, 2019
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LakerTom (Publisher)
Another hint that it’s really going to happen!
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keen observer
This, according to some know it all amateur fan who had THT at #12 on his draft board
Here are the biggest steals in the draft, based on draft position-my ranking.
Steals:
Lakers: Talen Horton Tucker (+34)
Nuggets: Bol Bol (+28)
Kings: Ignas Brazdeikis (+20)
Grizzlies: Brandon Clarke (+18)
Celtics: Grant Williams (+18)— Ben Pfeifer (@Ben_Pfeifer_) June 21, 2019
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Magicman (Editor)
He’s not an amateur. He’s a scout.
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keen observer
OK, my bad. Then again, who knows anything?
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Magicman (Editor)
Nah, you were right eons ago when you said “crapshoot”
All in all, though he’s not Mr.Untouchable or Mr.Big predicting garbage either :)
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keen observer
LOL! In all seriousness, the so-called experts on ESPN were saying that they have never seen a draft where the teams’ draft boards were so all over the place. Obviously no one has a crystal ball, but it tells me that after the first few picks, it looks like a pretty sh!tty draft. Who knows?!!
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mclyne32 (Director)
Is he related to Paul?
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keen observer
FWIW, click on this link to check out this dude’s draft board. It is the antithesis of everything we read before the draft. He has Darius Garland at, uh, 19 and Barrett at 7. Dude must have some sort of anti-crapshoot algorithm.
https://cbbtoday.com/nba-draft/final-2019-nba-draft-big-board/9/
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mclyne32 (Director)
It’s the weed.
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keen observer
LOL! Perspective. It gives him objective perspective.
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keen observer
Sensible list of potential non-max FA targets
Now that the Lakers have added Anthony Davis alongside LeBron James, @bradbotkincbs lists 15 non-max free agents that make sense for Los Angeles this summer.https://t.co/992Eed2Kks pic.twitter.com/Y09Y85aVj3
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) June 17, 2019
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keen observer
I’m surprised that KCP isn’t on the list though.
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keen observer
Lakers have NOT Put Kyle Kuzma on the Table, per Stein
The Lakers, thus far, are sticking to their no-Kuzma trade posture … but let’s see if they maintain it with the draft only a week away now. L.A. knows it likely needs to land Anthony Davis before June 30 to become a factor in chasing a prime free agent to join a LeBron/AD duo
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 13, 2019
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MongoSlade
Yet.
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keen observer
Kyrie Parts Ways With Agent
Within weeks of free agency, Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving and his longtime agent Jeff Wechsler have parted ways, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 13, 2019
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LakerTom (Publisher)
Kyrie going to Rich Paul and Klutch Sports would be great for Lakers.
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keen observer
Sam Amico chiming in
#Lakers said to be making progress in potential multi-team trade that would send Anthony Davis to LA. #Pelicans #NBA https://t.co/c1liQoafv1
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) June 12, 2019
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LakerTom (Publisher)
Sounds like Pelicans have accepted what Lakers have offered and the two teams are now working together to get best offer from a third team. Assume deal is Lakers give up Lonzo, Brandon, and #4 but keep Kuzma and cap space to sign a mid-tier max free agent.
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Magicman (Editor)
It also looks good that the only two female owners can resolve differences for good business. Paints Gayle in a better light for the NBA and NFL.
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keen observer
Timing the AD Trade for the Pellies
How the timing of an Anthony Davis trade could affect free agency around the NBA (via @teamziller):https://t.co/jTJ7U9uacB
— Silver Screen & Roll (@LakersSBN) June 8, 2019
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LakerTom (Publisher)
“One could see a bit of paralysis set in if Griffin and the Pelicans instead hold off until the start of free agency to take Davis trade offers seriously.
There is real advantage to the Pelicans waiting. There are only so many top-tier free agents, and with so many teams chasing them, someone is going to miss out. That team is probably going to be desperate (especially if it’s the Lakers). New Orleans could end up getting their best offers by desperate teams in the second week of July.”
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I disagree with the above opinion. The Pelicans will get a take-it-or-leave it offer from the Lakers before the draft. If they reject it, the Laker will pull out of the bidding for AD which will turn the entire scenario into bidding into an Anthony Davis one-year rental sweepstakes. Pelicans know the best offer any team will make will what the Lakers offer before the draft. Celtics aren’t going to risk Tatum to rent AD for a year, not when Davis has clearly said he would not re-sign with them. And Knicks offer is far inferior to what Lakers will offer, which will be one of Ball or Ingram plus the #4 pick and filler.
I believe the Pelicans will trade AD before the draft because of the #4 pick. New Orleans risks losing leverage and ending up with less in return for Davis the longer they wait. The Lakers will make their best offer before the draft, If the Pelicans reject it, I believe the Lakers would then immediately look to trade for Bradley Beal or another superstar.
The Lakers’ goal is to go into free agency looking for a third superstar. The last thing they want to do is to start free agency with just LeBron James and hoping to sign a second superstar. That would be repeating what happened last summer after they signed LeBron. They know they need to have the lure of playing with two superstars and they also know they can get Bradley Beal for less than they would have to give up to get Davis.
There will be no hesitation of thinking by the Lakers of waiting to sign AD in free agency next summer. They’re not going to waste another of LeBron’s years. They want to go into free agency looking for a third superstar. It’s trade for AD or Beal before the draft and then go after a third superstar in free agency.
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keen observer
“A prediction
In the end, the benefits to the Pelicans of trading Davis on early side seem to outweigh the potential upside of waiting until July. As long as suitors come correct with good offers, taking a deal in the run-up to or during the NBA draft will allow Griffin to pick the prospect he wants to pair with Zion and move on to the next era of Pelicans basketball. Further, given the mass uncertainty already baked into this free agency session, the teams seriously in play for Davis should be willing to make strong offers from the top given the positive free agency related knock-on effects landing Davis would have.”
In the end, the author agrees with you.
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LakerTom (Publisher)
Thanks, Keen. Noted.
The Pelicans already lost some leverage in not taking the deal last season. They had 1.5 seasons of AD to rent. They will end up with only one of Lonzo or Brandon plus the pick and filler this time around. If they wait until July, they will lose more. If they wait until midseason, they will be big losers.
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LakerTom (Publisher)
Keen, one thing that could change everything would be if LeBron and the Lakers have already reached agreement with a superstar free agent like Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler. That would open up the option to keep the young core and add a new player like Darius Garland. It would also enable the Lakers to take a tougher stance negotiating with the New Orleans Pelicans as the Lakers might prefer not trading for AD or Beal this summer but waiting to see how much the kids could develop. They could then look to make a move to trade for help before the midseason trade deadline. That’s an option that could be very attractive. That would be your dream team, keen.
Imagine at team with LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler AND Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Darius Garland, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Moe Wagner, Isaac Bonga, and maybe JaVale McGee, Reggie Bullock, Mike Muscala, and Jemerrio Jones plus a couple of other minimum salary vets chasing a ring. That would be a very talented, diverse, and deep team with a great portfolio of tradable assets, the full complement of trade picks, and zero bad contracts. Would love to see that happen and maybe LeBron and the Lakers already have this in place. How sweet would that be?
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keen observer
As for AD, based on what happened with PG13 and Kawhi the last two seasons, I’m not holding my breath at all and I would hate to see us do something stupid. If we can get him for a reasonable price, then of course. Otherwise, the above scenario would be very acceptable and it is also feasible, but I think that Butler is more likely to come than Kawhi. Kawhi already owns the spotlight, so why would he want to be a second banana to LeBron? Truthfully, it wouldn’t shock me if Uncle Dennis has already told Pelinka to trade LeBron and then we’ll deliver Kawhi. Otherwise, forget it.
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LakerTom (Publisher)
The one negative is the Pelicans would clearly prefer to trade AD to anybody else but Lakers, which means Lakers need to make sure to make better offer than any other team, especially Eastern Conference teams like the Knicks and Celtics.
As for a team emulating the Raptors, anything is possible although the Raptors were in an unusual situation as Masai was going to move DeRozan to clear salary this summer and was able to talk the Spurs into making a very bad trade to avoid having to trade Kawhi to the Lakers. The Spurs were stupid to give up Kawhi and Danny Green and not even get Pascal Siakam as part of the deal.
Unlike the Spurs, I don’t think David Griffin is under any illusion that that the Pelicans could be a playoff team and that he could trade AD for a player who be good enough to keep them relevant. Big mistake. It would be like Griffin agreeing to trade AD and Holiday to the Rockets for CP3, whom Morey would love to move in a salary dump.
But yes, the Nuggets or Blazers might try to put together a package and take a gamble on winning it all and talking AD into staying but they would have to give up most of the assets that would make them a contender and make AD want to re-sign and I don’t think they’re going to make such a foolish move. While they saw what the Raptors did, the Pelicans also saw what happened to the Spurs after the trade. They’re not going to make the Spurs mistake.
David Griffin knows the Lakers are the team willing to give him the best deal and will make a deal before the draft. Adding Ingram, Kuzma, Hart, Wagner, Bonga, and the #4 pick is actually just as good a deal as they turned down last midseason and they’ll have a loaded young team with Jrue Holiday. They may even get another first and maybe require the Lakers to give a pick to a third team to move one of their expiring contracts. Win-win deal for both teams.
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keen observer
Rumor out of Beantown: AD to the Celtics
Rumor: New Orleans likely to trade Anthony Davis to Celtics https://t.co/mYMYC03oMe
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 7, 2019
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keen observer
Let’s say hypothetically this is true and that the teams with space for a max player or two use up their cap space this summer. Do the Lakers continue with their failed plan of signing players to one year deals to keep cap space open AGAIN with the hope that they can lure AD next summer? I hope not.
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Jamie Sweet (Local Ne'er-Do-Well)
I hope not, too. Time to stop kicking the can and build a freaking team for crying out loud. You can sign a solid cast of supporting characters around LeBron that we’ll either see potential in playing alongside whichever young Laker separates himself from the pack or maybe as trade pieces to get that player. This organization hasn’t been smart since the lockout. From letting Alex M walk to Dwight billboards to our absurd coaching searches (all of them) to this moment now we’ve created situations where the risk of failure is unjustifiably high. That’s not gambling, that’s simply not doing the work that is required. My biggest fear is that it’s an institutional failing that won’t go away without wholesale turnover from the top down (or at least everyone under Jeannie since I don’t think they’ll sell in my lifetime).
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mclyne32 (Director)
I doubt Ainge gives up Tatum and others if AD doesn’t tell him before hand that he will stay.
So far, Boston is not on AD’s list of long term solutions.-
Jamie Sweet (Local Ne'er-Do-Well)
I think Danny is looking at how Toronto doubled-down on themselves (their culture, organization and roster) and is saying we’re at least that good. He’s a gambler, too, and they have the better assets than we do. All this ‘it’s a two-team sweepstakes’ is all media/fan theory. Some teams won’t get in on the action, but smart teams will look at Leonard, George and say ‘we can do that, too’.
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therealhtj
TO gave up an overpaid DeRozan they would’ve happily gotten out of that contract for for nothing. Giving up Tatum could make giving up Marc Gasol look more like Bowie over Jordan. I see where you’re going, but the comparison isn’t apt. It’s one thing getting a piece and going to the finals. It’s a whole other story giving up your best young asset and struggling for an 8 seed.
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mclyne32 (Director)
Agreed.
Fair point.
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Michael H (Editor)
If this were to happen I would look to sign good players that could help the team this year but could be easily moved in trades if AD hits free agency.
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mclyne32 (Director)
Yup- What we should have been doing all along.
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Michael H (Editor)
Absolutely. Apparently Magic and Rob Were so focused on sacred cap space that they overlooked the trade angle of clearing cap space.
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keen observer
Well put. You should be the Lakers GM.
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keen observer
This will be interesting
ESPN story on Rockets making entire roster and future picks available in trade talks. https://t.co/8eTaiD2FW4
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 29, 2019
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keen observer
Keen’s three step approach to a championship:
1) LeBron James for Capela, Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker and one of Houston’s first rounders in the coming seasons.
2) Acquire Anthony Davis (maybe Capela, Ingram and the #4 pick).
3) Sign Kawhi Leonard (with the LeBron show out of town and AD on board, how could he choose the Clippers?)
4) Fill out the rest of the roster.
c- JaVale (Room Exception), Wagner
pf- AD, Kuz
sf- Kawhi, PJ Tucker, Bonga
sg- Gordon, Hart
pg- Lonzo, CarusoJust spitballin’. More fantasies.
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Magicman (Editor)
So…Houston gets no cap relief, gets older, and you’re asking Houston for a 1st Rounder?
Morey might look like a Dork, he doesn’t think like one.
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keen observer
He’ll do something brilliant. Of course he wouldn’t make a dorky trade like this.
And once again, for the record, none of our dorky proposed fake trades or any other hypotheticals we throw out there will come to fruition.
Just look at what happened last summer and the summer before that, etc. Hell, you can go all the way back to Ron Artest.
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Magicman (Editor)
Sounds like the Owner is half in and half out.
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LakerTom (Publisher)
One possibility that might interest the Lakers is trading the #4 pick and Brandon Ingram to the Rockets for 30-year old Eric Gordon, who’s a career 37.4% three-point shooter. Gordon will make $14.1 million next season while Ingram and the #4 pick would total $14.3 million so it’s a trade the Lakers could make without materially affecting their ability to sign a superstar free agent but something they would not consider if the AD or Beal trades still were on the table.
Eric Gordon would certainly be a great fit alongside Lonzo at shooting guard with his long range bombing and tough defense. It would also likely make the Lakers a more attractive landing spot for superstars like Kawhi Leonard or even Kyrie Irving since Gordon could play small forward as well as shooting guard. It’s also the kind of trade that Daryl Morey might like for the Rockets since Gordon only has a year left on his contract. Lonzo, Gordon, LeBron, Kawhi, and a center would be a championship starting lineup for the Lakers.
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keen observer
No. Too much for Gordon.
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keen observer
Trade LeBron for some solid role players and sign Kawhi.
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mclyne32 (Director)
Solid role players???
No way, man.
Trade him for whomever gets Zion, plus picks!-
keen observer
As I put forth earlier: Capela, PJ Tucker, Gordon and picks. Then the Lakers can sign Kawhi Leonard. THAT would be a great team.
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mclyne32 (Director)
I would much rather have Zion and picks instead of those guys.
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keen observer
Well yeah, but they has zero chance. At least my pipedream .. well it also has zero chance!
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keen observer
“That man is Kobe”
"That man is Kobe."
Kawhi Leonard is a testament to the Spurs' player development department but also the 27-year-old's own dedication to absorbing every lesson provided to him. @MrMichaelLee: https://t.co/xbLycCRC7T
— The Athletic (@TheAthleticPHI) May 6, 2019
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mclyne32 (Director)
Nah, man.
Kobe is Kobe.
Kawhi is great, but has a long way to go to be on par with Bean.
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keen observer
A Shout Out to Lawrence Tanter
The Timeless Baritone Of Lakers PA Announcer Lawrence Tanter – https://t.co/b3z8AprhIx #GoogleAlerts
— Roland Lazenby (@lazenby) May 4, 2019
mclyne32 (Director) and 
NBA4ever are discussing. 
Magicman (Editor) is discussing. 
keen observer, 
MongoSlade is discussing. 
Michael H (Editor), 
mclyne32 (Director) 10:29 PM on June 27, 2019 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I’m over him.
Dude failed big time last season.
NBA4ever 9:42 AM on June 28, 2019 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Failed big time among other issues, the biggest in my opinion isn’t his attitude but his durability.
mclyne32 (Director) 2:20 PM on June 28, 2019 Permalink | Log in to Reply
another big negative