lakers think amare or ming are going to come to la

[ducks]

Lakers keeping spots open
They seem to be saving money to make a run at a big free agent in 2007, such as Yao Ming or Amare Stoudemire.


The Lakers have upgraded their frontcourt with Kwame Brown but guaranteed only two years of his contract - their latest move made now with an eye toward the future.

This is the way the Lakers are operating these days - everything seems to have some sort of contradiction, unclear which is more important: next season or the 2007-08 season, when they have so far managed to create potential big free-agent money by not committing money to anyone but Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.

That plan nixed the Lakers' hopes for a follow-up to getting Phil Jackson and Brown. Free agent Antonio Daniels, who had been eager to step in as the Lakers' next starting guard, opted for the security of five guaranteed years from the Washington Wizards when the Lakers wouldn't go beyond two seasons.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss made a clear statement by re-hiring Jackson and giving him $30 million for the next three seasons: Buss intends to stop the losing of last season immediately. But it is not as clear whether he is trying to win big immediately.

One decision still to come this summer will tell a lot. The new collective-bargaining agreement will allow each club to waive one player and clear itself of the luxury-tax fees associated with that salary.

Brian Grant, due $30 million over the next two seasons, can be waived - saving the Lakers $30 million in luxury-tax charges. However, they would lose Grant, one of their few proven big men, still have to pay his salary and have no logical mechanism for replacing him. Plus a rival team could sign Grant and use him against the Lakers.

Mark Bartelstein, Grant's agent, spoke to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak this week and asked Kupchak to make a decision as soon as possible, even though the Lakers can take until Sept.30.

"They have not made a decision," Bartelstein said Wednesday.

One factor is the health of second-round pick Ronny Turiaf, who was held out of half the summer-league season because of complications with his physical. It is possible the contract Turiaf signed a week ago will be invalidated and the Lakers will lose another big man.

One club official was asked last week why the Lakers, after committing to pay Jackson the highest annual salary in North American sports history to make them win again, would then make any move that would so blatantly oppose on-court progress.

The answer came with a bit of whimsy: "How do you think we're going to pay the coach's $30 million?"

Yes, the two $30 million figures match up. But Buss hasn't made that call yet. It is possible that Jackson's desire to have a dependable veteran big man, particularly against the brigade of outstanding Western Conference power forwards, can ensure Grant stays. So far Grant has been one of the leaders in the club's offseason workout program.

The reason the Lakers have cleared cap space for 2007-08 is to make a maximum offer to a marquee, unrestricted free agent - though there is no reason to assume Yao Ming will leave Houston or Amare Stoudemire will leave Phoenix. That dream probably cost the Lakers Daniels for the coming seasons. Other free-agent possibilities for the Lakers, who have Sasha Vujacic or Luke Walton in place to pair with Bryant at guard, are Damon Stoudamire, Tyronn Lue, Gary Payton, Jannero Pargo and Juan Dixon.

Guard Smush Parker did well enough for the Lakers' summer-league team that he might be invited to training camp.

The Lakers went 5-3 in their Long Beach season, with first-round pick Andrew Bynum scoring 10.6 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting. Bynum also averaged 7.5 rebounds in 30.6 minutes.

[scott]

It doesn't seem unreasonable that Amare would go to LA. It may be an unfair judgement, but he seems like a guy who would enjoy the LA spotlight and lifestyle.

[ducks]

amare went and got nash
amare is running the suns
would he get to do that in la no kobe does that
suns would not do a sign and trade with la
suns would offer amare 15-20 million more then what lakers could ask


when you think of lakers you think of kobe
when you think of suns you think of amare

sorry amare is not going anywhere

[ducks]

ming might go due to china making him ....

[milkyway21]

Amare loves the spotlight. He was one reason they were stagnant on the JoeJo deal bec. they were thinking ahead on Amare's future with the team, and they were open about it. Amare is their first priority now. Should be.

as for Houston, I think being the foundation of the Rockets i don't think it would be easy for the Lakers to sign him. He had a restaurant there.

[ducks]

I think ming would not want to go but china might make him and try to make more money off him
I am just glad the spurs do not have any big name fa's when la has that money

[duncan_21]

I still don't think there is a star that would play with kobe, unless the $ is right.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

rolling on the floor laughing my ass off

the lakers are so pathetic now, it truely is a dark age for that franchise...

they have sasha and luke as their current sidekicks to kobe
classic
truely classic

[Supergirl]

Well, as much as it is hard to see Amare leaving the Suns, in 2-3 years Nash will be OLD and probably slow, and the Suns will have lost their best chances to win it all. Signing with the Lakers at that point might become a possiblity, although if the Suns management is smart, they'll do the work to prepare for the future and avoid it.

I don't think Yao is going to leave Houston.

[TDMVPDPOY]

China does the contract negotiations for yao and are milkin this cow, i wont be suprise if he ends up in LA, but then theres that asian way of loyalty of stayin with the job for life.

[BillsCarnage]

Amare isn't going anywhere.. Once the JoJo fiasco is done, Amare will be next. Those Faker writers have to come up with something to keep their jobs. They've been talking about this for a few months now. There hasn't been much word about Yao getting an extension and i think they'd need to offer it this year, otherwise he'll be unrestricted next year, wont he?

Fakers are S-K-R-E-W-E-D

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Amare loves the spotlight.

You don't think he was in it this year in Phoenix? Wake up.

Amare will get extended by Phoenix as soon as the rules permit it.

Yao won't leave Houston, huge Asian population.

I love watching LA piss away the rest of Kobe's career, though.

[TheTruth]

Amare isn't going anywhere.. Once the JoJo fiasco is done, Amare will be next. Those Faker writers have to come up with something to keep their jobs. They've been talking about this for a few months now. There hasn't been much word about Yao getting an extension and i think they'd need to offer it this year, otherwise he'll be unrestricted next year, wont he?

Fakers are S-K-R-E-W-E-D
OrlandO fans must have been telling themselve the same exact thing 8 yrs ago. "Shaq to L.A.???? NO WAY!!"

[mavsfan1000]

I wouldn't trust Amare to just automatically decide to go back to Phoenix. Who knows what he will do. He seems alot like Shaq to me.

[milkyway21]

You don't think he was in it this year in Phoenix? Wake up.

Amare will get extended by Phoenix as soon as the rules permit it.

Yao won't leave Houston, huge Asian population.

I love watching LA piss away the rest of Kobe's career, though.L.A. = HOLLYWOOD . i think there's more glitter in there than in Phoenix. :sleep :sleep :sleep

[ducks]

spurs did this when they were going to lose david robinson but doing this with a mvp guy like kobe is NUTS
if they want to do that trade kobe now for 2 young superstars in the making

[Manuismyhomeboy]

Bank on one thing, the Lakers will probably get their next superstar in 2007... in the lottery but defiently not through free agency, cause no one wants to play second fiddle to Kobe the jackass

[Sense]

Both of them are nothing without their other stars... they don't want to play with ballhuggers..

Nash isn't one.. and TMac has learned.

[Rynospursfan]

Well this was the idea when they traded Shaq, last year I was wondering if the Suns new found sucsess would throw a monkey wrench in their plans. Guess we will see how happy the Suns and Rockets are able to keep their young stars. Lakers have a long history of comming up with the premire centers.

[milkyway21]

speaking of Lakers fate heard of their 2nd round draft pick needs open heart surgery? that's bad news......

http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/8665723
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports




LOS ANGELES -- Ronny Turiaf, the Los Angeles Lakers second-round draft pick last month, needs open-heart surgery to correct a life-threatening condition, the team's spokesman said Thursday night.


The problem, described as an enlarged aortic route, was discovered during a physical Turiaf took as a condition of joining the team, Lakers spokesman John Black said.

Turiaf, 22, will most likely have the operation in the next four-to-six weeks.

"Obviously, he's disappointed," Black told the Associated Press. "I think it's fair to say he's anxious and somewhat scared to have to undergo open-heart surgery. But now that he's had time for it to sink in, and looking at the big picture, he's hopeful for his future."

The 6-foot-9 power forward averaged 15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 blocked shots as a senior at Gonzaga last season. He was the Lakers' second pick behind 17-year-old center Andrew Bynum of St. Joseph High in Metuchen, N.J.


Ronny Turiak will have heart surgery within six weeks. (Getty Images)
Black said previous examinations of Turiaf a couple of years ago and earlier this year at the pre-NBA draft camp, turned up an abnormality, but in both instances doctors didn't think it was serious and cleared him to play.

Further examinations by the Lakers' own physicians turned up the more serious problem, Black said, and other independent experts confirmed it.

Black said it was too early to determine if the condition would be career-ending.

"We don't want to speculate on that, but obviously we're hopeful that if things go well he will be able to (play again)," Black said.

The good news, Black added, is that catching the condition now likely saved Turiaf's life.

"Had he not had this corrected, my understanding from our doctors is very likely this would have been a fatal condition," Black said.

[Kaster]

I think Yao is pipe because he’s already in a very good situation in Houston (Tmac, JVG, etc.) and has proven that he cares little about money or spotlight. He’s not an ego-driven, greedy guy.

However, I think Amare coming to LA is quite possible, if not probable. Figure the cap is around $50M (maybe even more) by 2007. If the Lakers have just Kobe, Odom, Bynum and a couple good minimum contract players (plus a team option on Kwame Brown, but that won’t be exercised until after this theoretical FA pickup), that would mean the Lakers would have roughly $35M on the books in 2007. That means the Lakers can offer a starting contract of at least $15M per year plus 10% increases to Amare. That’s a couple million dollars within a MAX contract. The difference is that (correct me if I’m wrong) Phoenix can offer one more guaranteed year than any other team, which is another ~ $20M. However, the thing about that is that $20M is quite easily recouped through endorsements, which will no doubt skyrocket if he were to join the Lakers (similar to the way it did for Shaq in summer 96).

That said, I think Amare coming to the Lakers is still fairly pipe because the Suns very well may win a championship next year or the year after, and it’s always hard to pass up a guaranteed $20M. However, if the Suns don’t win anything, and assuming Nash starts to get rundown (it happened with the Mavs three straight postseasons before this year), I believe it's quite possible that Amare bolts to a team with cap space, and I'd have to agree with posters here that the Lakers would be very attractive to Amare. Even if you ignore all of the endorsement possibilities, you have to consider that a team coached by Phil Jackson and a squad that includes a 28 year old Kobe, 26 year old Odom, and 25 year old Kwame (assuming he doesn't flame out like a bitch) is going to automatically become a perennial championship contender with the addition of Amare.

[TDMVPDPOY]

wtf is amare goin to do in LA? his no rapper, his no moviestar, theres no kazaam/bluechips movies, stay in phoenix and watch kobes career go down the drain

[WalterBenitez]

I think Amare will fit well in LA because of his style and way of playing, Yao won't be a great success under the lights of hollywood; anyway with $$$ you could do whatever you want.

My concern ... Kobe ... IMO he doesn't like to share the lights!!!

[Medvedenko]

I'm more worried about this year than next....it would be nice to see Amare in LA more than Yao....but we'll see what happens. It's too bad about Ronnie though....

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Yao's not very good in pressure situations. He stumbled out of the gates in the NBA when all the eyes were on him. He has yet to really break out in the playoffs, IMO, at least compared to the potential that everyone thinks he has. So him in LA would probably not pan out well for him. Even for all the commercials that he does he doesn't really have an outgoing personality that lends itself to soundbites and other media friendly shit. Meanwhile I could totally see Mr. Push-ups basking in the limelight.

The stuff with Ronny sucks for him, but I think the Lakers could still cut Grant, tank the season, and draft a top notch point guard with their lottery pick.

[Sportcamper]

Ducks your post is a misrepresentation of the facts....
Quote: Lakers think Amare or Ming are going to come to LA


Most people don’t believe that Yao & Amare would leave their current teams...But Dr. Buss is committed to a two year plan of having salary cap room for the possibility that any marquee free agents become available...

[FoxMulder]

Amare to LA, unless the Lakers trade Kobe it will be a real disaster... Amare need someone who give him the ball, Do you think Kobe sharing the stardom or even the ball with the kid?

And probably the Suns will demand 5 or 6 from the rest of the Lakers for that potential trade if not Kobe himself ... If I was the Suns GM, I couldn't even think about it...

[BillsCarnage]

Why does everyone think Amare will be available in 07??? Once the JoJo situation is resolved Amare will get his max. He's not going anywhere for the forseeable future. Marion will get traded next offseason before Amare goes anywhere.

[Kaster]

Superstars are traded all the time now, and they bolt in UFA too. There's no reason to think it can't happen with Amare.

[a-puppy]

lakers think amare or ming are going to come to la

False.