Trade AYTON for PJ WASHINGTON OR DJJ then sign NIC RICHARDS FOR THE VET MIN 🔥 ROBERTO PELINKA MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
Side note: laravia and knecht or vando is for KUMINGA 🔥🔥🔥🙃
The Lakers can offer opportunity to any of the wings still on the market, the question is can they create enough financial wiggle room to offer more than a minimum?
Most likely path would be trading one or more of these players into someone's cap space IF possible or waiving and stretching their salary: Vanderbilt, Ayton, Bronny, Knecht, LaRavia.
The players that most would prefer they move are also the ones that would be difficult to do so without attaching draft capital, which the Lakers don't have at the moment.
-I like Ayton in the reserve role behind Kessler so long as he's on board with it. Moving on from him would require a veteran minimum center being added, who wouldn't be as good as DA. One of LA's strengths right now, IMO, is the center rotation so I'd try to avoid an Ayton exile unless he's pushing for it.
-LaRavia's contract is fine IF his 3pt% normalizes. He's actually the type of player the Lakers need: switchy, high motor, doesn't need the ball. He needs to get back to at least league avg from 3, after shooting 42% two season ago but 32% last season as a Laker. I wouldn't waive/stretch or salary dump him if I could avoid it.
-Vanderbilt may actually have more utility on the current LA roster than last years by slotting into small lineups that feature Mamu at the 5. Still, the over $25 million owed over the next two years is a big issue, I don't see a trade but perhaps a waive-and-stretch, painful as it may be, would land a wing without so many offensive deficiencies.
-Knecht took off early in his rookie season but has spent the last year and a half badly struggling. He needs a fresh start and I hope LA can find a way to make it happen for both their sakes. A prime candidate to be moved IF LA can find a taker.
-At just $2.3 million Bronny being moved wouldn't open up much wiggle room, but it's possible whatever team LeBron lands with would just take him and clear a little space for LA. That said, Bronny has improved significantly since becoming a Laker and I wouldn't completely dismiss the idea of him sticking around post-LeBron. Super cheap price and if his growth trajectory continues you could do worse.
Something needs to give, and while LA can offer a clear path to a starting role to a free agent wing, they need to find a way to offer more than a minimum to have a shot at landing Kuminga, Rui, or some of the other targets out there.
The Lakers are in active pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, per @TheSteinLine.
Los Angeles may end up pitching Kuminga to become their starting small forward on a discounted one-year deal.
Latest intel from @thesteinline, @jakelfischer:
- Hawks, Bucks, Cavs also have interest in Jonathan Kuminga, joining Lakers
- Wolves, Warriors have talked to Rui Hachimura
Breaking news: After listening to other teams and their plan Lebron James will return to play with the Los Angeles Lakers to compete for a title. via @SharmsCharania
Trade AYTON for PJ WASHINGTON OR DJJ then sign NIC RICHARDS FOR THE VET MIN 🔥 ROBERTO PELINKA MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
Side note: laravia and knecht or vando is for KUMINGA 🔥🔥🔥🙃