Raja Bell and Lakers have "Mutual Interest"

[Sky]

Skip's a street baller, that's never going to happen in LA. Plus given how Skip played in the finals, Lakers would have no interest. He's not their type of 1.

 

Raja fits, defense, plays 2 and 3, 40+ from 3, all for under 2.5M.

 

They do need to address 1 first, but if Buss has his way they do that with Crittenton for the minimum, or as part of an Odom trade to cut the payroll down.

 

Heilser's article in tonight's Times is a MUST read. Lays everything out in HD clarity. Boiled to its essence it's this:

 

Lakers 08-09 made 40M profit

Lakers 09-10 made 15-20M profit

Buss is panicky about that and wants the payroll slashed NOW

Ergo the 2-3M proposed cut for Jackson

But Phil's ego says 3 straight finals, b2b rings, no pay cut

So it's on Buss, if he insists on the cut that's it, Phil retires and Byron or BShaw replaces him.

Part of the payroll cut may include dealing Odom

The plan all along was to finance Gasol by dumping LO

But then LO played his way into a new deal

For Buss to get back to his expected profitability, no Jackson, Odom dealt, minimal FA dollars

[Guest STL10]

Skip's a street baller, that's never going to happen in LA. Plus given how Skip played in the finals, Lakers would have no interest. He's not their type of 1.

 

Raja fits, defense, plays 2 and 3, 40+ from 3, all for under 2.5M.

 

They do need to address 1 first, but if Buss has his way they do that with Crittenton for the minimum, or as part of an Odom trade to cut the payroll down.

 

Heilser's article in tonight's Times is a MUST read. Lays everything out in HD clarity. Boiled to its essence it's this:

 

Lakers 08-09 made 40M profit

Lakers 09-10 made 15-20M profit

Buss is panicky about that and wants the payroll slashed NOW

Ergo the 2-3M proposed cut for Jackson

But Phil's ego says 3 straight finals, b2b rings, no pay cut

So it's on Buss, if he insists on the cut that's it, Phil retires and Byron or BShaw replaces him.

Part of the payroll cut may include dealing Odom

The plan all along was to finance Gasol by dumping LO

But then LO played his way into a new deal

For Buss to get back to his expected profitability, no Jackson, Odom dealt, minimal FA dollars

 

If they MUST dump Odom...Odom, Luke Walton, DJ Mbenga for Vince Carter

[Real Deal]

I would absolutely HATE having Vince Carter on this team. Hell no.

 

Plus, Vince is making $17 million this upcoming season, so we'd have to add another $6-7 million in contracts...and it defeats the purpose of us increasing the profit for the 2010-11 season, anyway.

 

It would be nice to dump Lamar for a high draft pick.

[Guest STL10]

I would absolutely HATE having Vince Carter on this team. Hell no.

 

Plus, Vince is making $17 million this upcoming season, so we'd have to add another $6-7 million in contracts...and it defeats the purpose of us increasing the profit for the 2010-11 season, anyway.

 

It would be nice to dump Lamar for a high draft pick.

 

Odom+Mbenga+Walton=17 million roughly. Equal contracts? If you wanna do a STRAIGHT dump. Lamar Odom to the Thunder for #21.

[Nitro]

Skip's a street baller, that's never going to happen in LA. Plus given how Skip played in the finals, Lakers would have no interest. He's not their type of 1.

 

Skip doesn't play street-ball in the NBA. Trust me, I watched almost every game of his for 2.5 years...he's Derek Fisher with better defense, better handles, better passing, but is far worse in the clutch and equally disastrous FG%. He's a great backup because he's low TO prone and is very good at setting an offense up, but he'd give them too much of the same from what they get out of Fisher. Sp unless they got a 3rd PG with a entirely different style of play from those two, it wouldn't work out too well.

[Real Deal]

Odom+Mbenga+Walton=17 million roughly. Equal contracts? If you wanna do a STRAIGHT dump. Lamar Odom to the Thunder for #21.

I wouldn't give up Walton and Mbenga for Carter, let alone Odom. Not for our team. Super Choke did exactly what I thought he would do in the playoffs this year...so keep him away from LA.

[Guest STL10]

I wouldn't give up Walton and Mbenga for Carter, let alone Odom. Not for our team. Super Choke did exactly what I thought he would do in the playoffs this year...so keep him away from LA.

 

Your thoughts on Odom going to OKC for #21 as a salary dump? (not rumored)

[Real Deal]

Your thoughts on Odom going to OKC for #21 as a salary dump? (not rumored)

We could get better. He's a legit starter, and he's actually one of the best rebounders in the NBA. Very few 6-10 players can do what Odom does with the ball...a mini-Garnett, if you will.

[Guest STL10]

We could get better. He's a legit starter, and he's actually one of the best rebounders in the NBA. Very few 6-10 players can do what Odom does with the ball...a mini-Garnett, if you will.

 

Very underrated player indeed. His biggest strength is his long arms IMO.

[Nitro]

I wouldn't give up Walton and Mbenga for Carter, let alone Odom. Not for our team. Super Choke did exactly what I thought he would do in the playoffs this year...so keep him away from LA.

 

Who cares if Carter chokes? You don't play Luke or Mbenga in clutch situations (maybe Luke on rare occasion), and you wouldn't need to play Carter either with the game on the line. Off the bench he could offer a few of the things the Lakers could really use...a player who can create his own shot extremely well, unlike Odom will shoulder the offensive responsibility when his team needs it, and he's also an exception jumpshooter from all ranges and has impressive court vision.

 

Really, except for PG the Lakers don't NEED anything. And I know it might seem risky to add a player like Carter to the Lakers because many see him as a stat stuffer who doesn't have the intangibles that the Lakers could use (which is why Bell would be perfect), but watching him play here in NJ for a few seasons, I do think he could offer the Lakers a lot. Off the bench he'd be the offensive firepower the Lakers could definitely use.

Edited June 24, 2010 by Nitro1118

[Lkr]

The prospect of removing Odom and adding Vince Carter is a flat out joke

[Real Deal]

Who cares if Carter chokes? You don't play Luke or Mbenga in clutch situations (maybe Luke on rare occasion), and you wouldn't need to play Carter either with the game on the line. Off the bench he could offer a few of the things the Lakers could really use...a player who can create his own shot extremely well, unlike Odom will shoulder the offensive responsibility when his team needs it, and he's also an exception jumpshooter from all ranges and has impressive court vision.

 

Really, except for PG the Lakers don't NEED anything. And I know it might seem risky to add a player like Carter to the Lakers because many see him as a stat stuffer who doesn't have the intangibles that the Lakers could use (which is why Bell would be perfect), but watching him play here in NJ for a few seasons, I do think he could offer the Lakers a lot. Off the bench he'd be the offensive firepower the Lakers could definitely use.

Why would Vince be happy coming off the bench for us?

 

Plus, he shot 42.8% this season and attempted over 13 shots per game (more than Gasol), played no defense, got to the line four times a night (second-lowest of his career), didn't even hit four boards a game (career low), and looked like Ron Artest on offense every other game I watched.

 

If it was cold in my house, it would heat up quicker if I lit my carpet on fire...but I'd rather not have to witness the devastation later. We can try and find someone more consistent, one that doesn't cost $16-17 million a season, and one that would more than likely accept the bench role and do more than just shoot jumpers.

[Nitro]

Why would Vince be happy coming off the bench for us?

 

It's his only legit shot at winning a ring unless the Magic make some big moves.

 

Plus, he shot 42.8% this season and attempted over 13 shots per game (more than Gasol), played no defense, got to the line four times a night (second-lowest of his career), didn't even hit four boards a game (career low), and looked like Ron Artest on offense every other game I watched.

 

If it was cold in my house, it would heat up quicker if I lit my carpet on fire...but I'd rather not have to witness the devastation later. We can try and find someone more consistent, one that doesn't cost $16-17 million a season, and one that would more than likely accept the bench role and do more than just shoot jumpers.

 

Eh, remember a few things,

 

1) Last year Carter had to go from being "the guy" in NJ to basically a glorified role player in a brand new system. After the ASG he shot 49% from the field and 43% from 3, showing his percentages were a bit of a fluke . And that was also in an offense that basically encourages players to get trigger happy with jumpers from mid-long range. In the triangle, I think he'd be able to get better looks and more oppertunities to attack the rim.

 

2) Carter wouldn't have to play 31MPG like he had to last year with the Magic, and his role would be much more managable.

 

3) Is he really, honestly worse than Farmar/Brown/Vujacic? Heck no, all are chuckers without a quarter of VC's talent. None of them give you as much flexibility and versatility as Carter gives you.

 

3) Key- He's an expiring contract.

[Real Deal]

It's his only legit shot at winning a ring unless the Magic make some big moves.

 

Eh, remember a few things,

 

1) Last year Carter had to go from being "the guy" in NJ to basically a glorified role player in a brand new system. After the ASG he shot 49% from the field and 43% from 3, showing his percentages were a bit of a fluke . And that was also in an offense that basically encourages players to get trigger happy with jumpers from mid-long range. In the triangle, I think he'd be able to get better looks and more oppertunities to attack the rim.

 

2) Carter wouldn't have to play 31MPG like he had to last year with the Magic, and his role would be much more managable.

 

3) Is he really, honestly worse than Farmar/Brown/Vujacic? Heck no, all are chuckers without a quarter of VC's talent. None of them give you as much flexibility and versatility as Carter gives you.

 

3) Key- He's an expiring contract.

Expiring is great, but I think the point of trading Odom now would be to drop his contract immediately, so we increase that profit for this upcoming season.

 

But assuming we would take that $17 million expiring, Vince would know we wouldn't pick up the team option at the end of the year (the $18 million one). Just a reason for him to play lackluster basketball 50% of the time.

 

He's better than Farmar and Brown, but we won't have either of them to begin with; both are leaving us. We need a stable bench. Our "one player and a handful of scrubs" idea has been a bust forever, and if we're dealing Odom, we're going to have to find a decent backup power forward that can play for us, just in case Bynum snaps his brittle knee again. Odom has to go for another PF or C, through the draft or a trade for a proven player. Losing Mbenga (who actually isn't THAT bad, defensively) makes matters even worse.

[kingfish]

Forget about trading Odom. Hes our Bynum insurance. And he is Ron-Ron tamer.

[YugoRocketsFan]

Sounds good, except he plays as much defense as Adam Morrison does for us.

 

Actually Alston was pretty good defensively.

[Sky]

This is a business. That business lost 20-25M in profit. Odom may well go as a result.

 

No Skip. They can do far better than that. No Half Man/Half Balsa, not what they need and he melts too often under pressure.

[YugoRocketsFan]

Rafer Alston would be PERFECT for LA. He is a pass-first PG, and is a veteran who can hit the 3.

 

Yeah after he takes like 20 shots.

[Real Deal]

Actually Alston was pretty good defensively.

I guess I'm the only one that didn't see his fantastic defense in New Jersey or Miami.

 

If we're talking the 2006-2007 Rafer, that's different...but a few considered Allen Iverson a very good defensive player, also, until he gambled every play and couldn't hold position when a guard posted him up.

[YugoRocketsFan]

I guess I'm the only one that didn't see his fantastic defense in New Jersey or Miami.

 

If we're talking the 2006-2007 Rafer, that's different...but a few considered Allen Iverson a very good defensive player, also, until he gambled every play and couldn't hold position when a guard posted him up.

 

I am sure that he was just unmotivated and lazy, but he was pretty good defensively and did well on his man, the only negative thing about him is that he isnt reliable when it comes to jumpshots but defensively he is pretty good and he can make the right pass (not getting assists) but he knows a correct pass when he sees one. Rafer also doesnt gamble for steals, different scenario.

Edited June 24, 2010 by YugoRocketsFan

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