Russell Westbrook TO SPURS?

[mystargtr34]

I think Lakers will hold off on trading for Westbrook because I think Brooklyn is about a millisecond away from imploding if things keep going the way they are. I could readily see Westbrook and 2 firsts going to Brooklyn for Durant OR Irving and maybe another piece. Getting a Durant or Irving would be much preferred over what we or I diana can send back. And it'd probably be easier for Laker brass to swallow sending out their only remaining first round picks for someone of their caliber instead.

You've got bad blood already starting to surface between those guys and Simmons. They're quite frankly on the verge of collapse if they don't figure it out and do it soon.

I thought about this yesterday too (and during the off season). The Lakers could look to get either Durant or Irving or maybe even both.

You can probably get Irving + shooter (Harris or Curry) for Brick + 1 unprotected 1st. It might take an additional 1st. But the Nets only do that if they’re trading Durant aswell in a separate deal.

If your the Lakers you might be able to get Durant for AD straight up. Risks for both sides, AD is 5 years younger but is injury prone.

They might be able to do Durant + Irving + bad salary for AD + Brick + 2 unprotected firsts.

[mystargtr34]

And yeah I agree about Brooklyn close to imploding! Nash looks out of his depth still, Simmons looks like he has the same mental problems regarding scoring the basketball. Durant looks fed up.

[offset formation]

Can't see Brooklyn doing that trade. They owe soo many picks to Houston that tanking won't solve anything. They need talent and to win. Westbrook trade won't do anything for them immediatly.

I'd agree with you prior to the start of the season they are now having. Looks like they are far from a cohesive unit that definitely has a possibility of self detonation.

Nobody is trading for Simmons at this point. Lakers already showed interest in Kyrie. And Durant would immediately make Lakers better.

Two 1st round picks would soften the amount of picks they owe Houston somewhat. They're ed either way though quite frankly.

[LkrFan]

Watching the Lakers now and boy, stating the obvious, but the lack of shooting is killing them and clogging everything up for LeBron and AD. Defense is horrid aswell.

Won’t be long before they are DESPERATE for shooting (Doug and Richardson), some wing defense (Richardson) and a big man upgrade to spell Davis and allow him to play 4 (Poeltl). He’s getting too banged up playing 5.

Brick + 2 unprotected picks + a pick swap tbh. Spurs can send back their Charlotte 1st and a couple seconds.

The price just went up LkrFan. Bend over.

Can you at least use some lube?

[LkrFan]

LOL thinking the rest of the NBA is there to bail the Lakers out.

[The Truth #6]

I'd agree with you prior to the start of the season they are now having. Looks like they are far from a cohesive unit that definitely has a possibility of self detonation.

Nobody is trading for Simmons at this point. Lakers already showed interest in Kyrie. And Durant would immediately make Lakers better.

Two 1st round picks would soften the amount of picks they owe Houston somewhat. They're ed either way though quite frankly.

Definitely screwed. Agreed.

I’m not against getting a high draft pick, but the Nets disaster is an interesting lesson for SA. They were basically Spurs North for a while, doing things the right way, building a scrappy cohesive team, and made a big move for superstars and have nothing to show for it except shame and frustration. Granted they went in with flaky superstars but that’s not the exception in my opinion with most superstars—a frustrating breed of players.

This isn’t directed at you Offset. Just me rambling.

[Atl Spur]

Can you at least use some lube?

Nope! We hate LA!

[Leetonidas]

It's pretty funny reading Laker fans takes on other forums about how to improve their roster and how they act like guys like Jrich aren't worth taking. Richardson would instantly be their 3rd best player and far and away their best shooter

[Mr. Body]

It's pretty funny reading Laker fans takes on other forums about how to improve their roster and how they act like guys like Jrich aren't worth taking. Richardson would instantly be their 3rd best player and far and away their best shooter

Yeah, Richardson would improve them dramatically. A good defender, good ball handler, will shoot without needing to be cajoled into it. Even McDougie would be a big boost for them.

[Leetonidas]

Definitely screwed. Agreed.

I’m not against getting a high draft pick, but the Nets disaster is an interesting lesson for SA. They were basically Spurs North for a while, doing things the right way, building a scrappy cohesive team, and made a big move for superstars and have nothing to show for it except shame and frustration. Granted they went in with flaky superstars but that’s not the exception in my opinion with most superstars—a frustrating breed of players.

This isn’t directed at you Offset. Just me rambling.

Their big mistake was the superstars they chose. Kyrie was a known headcase that cancered his way off of two teams prior. Durant coming off an Achilles tear and was like 32. Then they go all in for known choker (and overweight) Harden who realizes his costars aren't up to the task and promptly asks out and they end up getting washed Simmons for him. Just inept roster management and hoping certified diva cancer players will magically fall in line coupled with an oblivious rookie coach completely ed them. Goes to show that while a lot of us lament SA valuing character, it actually is extremely important in building a successful team

[Leetonidas]

Yeah, Richardson would improve them dramatically. A good defender, good ball handler, will shoot without needing to be cajoled into it. Even McDougie would be a big boost for them.

I'm 100% convinced this Spurs team would smash LAL in a 7 game series

[Mr. Body]

I'm 100% convinced this Spurs team would smash LAL in a 7 game series

I'm not sure the Lakers are compe ive at all at this point. They might have a bottom 3 roster in the league.

[exstatic]

I think Lakers will hold off on trading for Westbrook because I think Brooklyn is about a millisecond away from imploding if things keep going the way they are. I could readily see Westbrook and 2 firsts going to Brooklyn for Durant OR Irving and maybe another piece. Getting a Durant or Irving would be much preferred over what we or I diana can send back. And it'd probably be easier for Laker brass to swallow sending out their only remaining first round picks for someone of their caliber instead.

You've got bad blood already starting to surface between those guys and Simmons. They're quite frankly on the verge of collapse if they don't figure it out and do it soon.

Brooklyn wants no part of Westbrooks salary or presence. That’s why the trade didn’t happen this summer. The 2 UFRPs aren’t even enough to get Kyrie, let alone eat that horrible contract. Think about what the market is. We got 2 UFRPs, and an unprotected swap, plus another protected FRP for a 1 time All Star. Utah got 4 FRPs, 3 unprotected 1 that is 1-5 protected, for Gobert. Kyrie, however, becomes much less expensive next summer as a UFA. BKN just loses all leverage.

[TXstbobcat]

Can you at least use some lube?

consider the protected Charlotte pick the lube.

[Philthemage]

Their big mistake was the superstars they chose. Kyrie was a known headcase that cancered his way off of two teams prior. Durant coming off an Achilles tear and was like 32. Then they go all in for known choker (and overweight) Harden who realizes his costars aren't up to the task and promptly asks out and they end up getting washed Simmons for him. Just inept roster management and hoping certified diva cancer players will magically fall in line coupled with an oblivious rookie coach completely ed them. Goes to show that while a lot of us lament SA valuing character, it actually is extremely important in building a successful team

That Kenny Atkinson, DLo, Jarrett Allen team was a delight to watch. Sean marks made a mistake mortgaging that for me first superstars..

It was surprising to me, coming from the Pop coaching tree he would go that route.

[The Truth #6]

Their big mistake was the superstars they chose. Kyrie was a known headcase that cancered his way off of two teams prior. Durant coming off an Achilles tear and was like 32. Then they go all in for known choker (and overweight) Harden who realizes his costars aren't up to the task and promptly asks out and they end up getting washed Simmons for him. Just inept roster management and hoping certified diva cancer players will magically fall in line coupled with an oblivious rookie coach completely ed them. Goes to show that while a lot of us lament SA valuing character, it actually is extremely important in building a successful team

Totally agree. I will also say that superstars are often headcases and ones that aren’t are less likely to be available, so for a small market team, they most likely have to roll the dice if they pursue that direction, and then once the draft picks are gone, everything is all in and the problems easily continue, like with Brooklyn. But I don’t think Sean Marks suddenly became a bad GM, but he likely felt the pressure to win now.

[Philthemage]

Can you at least use some lube?

Sad part is, they've set New Orleans up for the next ten years.

[Mugen]

If they're going to trade for Westbrook, they need to do it soon tbh. While there's still "hope" on the Laker's side that they could be a good team in the West...

[offset formation]

Brooklyn wants no part of Westbrooks salary or presence. That’s why the trade didn’t happen this summer. The 2 UFRPs aren’t even enough to get Kyrie, let alone eat that horrible contract. Think about what the market is. We got 2 UFRPs, and an unprotected swap, plus another protected FRP for a 1 time All Star. Utah got 4 FRPs, 3 unprotected 1 that is 1-5 protected, for Gobert. Kyrie, however, becomes much less expensive next summer as a UFA. BKN just loses all leverage.

If they blow it up? Disagree. They'd buy out Westbrook in a nanosecond for 2 firsts given most of their draft capital is gone.

Also, draft comparisons done over the summer and mid season when teams realize they have a dumpster fire are two entirely different things.

[Mr. Body]

Sean Marks kind of had to take a swing at getting Harden. Those dudes -- Kyrie, Durant, Harden -- only played liked 15 games total together. Covid wrecked their chances and their weird personalities didn't help but they had a shot at being something.

[BackHome]

And yeah I agree about Brooklyn close to imploding! Nash looks out of his depth still, Simmons looks like he has the same mental problems regarding scoring the basketball. Durant looks fed up.

Brooklyn is stupid they really need to start trading there assets and get As many picks as possible. And they are crazy if they think they are going to get a trade like the Gobert trade - Durant is old and injury prone

[TD 21]

All the Lakers need is warm bodies who can shoot the three and to get Westbrook off their team to be contenders. Richardson and McDermott would be great fits there and would take a lot of pressure off James and Davis. Lakers aren't in a situation where they can be picky.

This isn't '20. James and Davis have slipped some and the compe ion at the top is greater in both quan y and quality. A few solid role players aren't putting them back into championship contention (and they're not eating into '23 cap space for McDermott).

They can be picky insofar as there's 3 teams involved, so it doesn't have to be any particular one of them.

Switch Westbrick with JRich and all of a sudden there is a near-seismic shift in how teams have to defend them and then Lebron and AD have more room to work.
And those two are enough to leverage that into a winning formula, which they don't have right now.

Right and Richardson alone isn't changing that. No one person is.

The year they won it all, they played a center and Davis at PF. Adding a top 10 center in the league wouldn't hurt them tbh. If we are being honest, the Lakers are starting Westbrook, Lonnie and Beverly. Poeltl sould be an improvement over any of them, the fit.

They inevitably downsized in the playoffs and both James and Davis were at a different level 3 seasons ago.

Adding a rim runner who's too good to play spot minutes (like Jones) would be a terrible use of their already limited resources.

Fit almost always matters, especially when you don't have superior talent.

[baseline bum]

This isn't '20. James and Davis have slipped some and the compe ion at the top is greater in both quan y and quality. A few solid role players aren't putting them back into championship contention (and they're not eating into '23 cap space for McDermott).

Meh conference seems pretty wide open. James and Davis with health is enough to compete for a le if you put shooters around them. I don't think either has fallen off much, it's just hard to be efficient when the other team can put four people in/around the lane every possession.

[TD 21]

Meh conference seems pretty wide open. James and Davis with health is enough to compete for a le if you put shooters around them. I don't think either has fallen off much, it's just hard to be efficient when the other team can put four people in/around the lane every possession.

Not as much as in '20, when the Clippers, who flamed out in historic and embarrassing fashion, were the only other legit contender. Now it's them, the Warriors and Nuggets, with a better second tier and worse James and Davis.

They don't need shooters they need sizable 3 and D role players. I don't care what their current defensive rating says, there's way too many physical liabilities in outsized roles who'd be exposed in the playoffs.

[spurraider21]

are the lakers really just going to have a lame duck season and just put all their chips on kyrie joining next year?