Lakers Total Salary Bill Jumps From $86M To Estimated $112.7M

[KSeal]

You seem kind of upset.

Not upset, if anything just irritated by the media. Not the story itself.

[Shastafarian]

Dude, you are on your way to 4-7. We have the le and our owner s 20 year old hotties, and hangs out at the Playboy Mansion. Why would we be upset? Even if you guys could afford to spend that kind of loot, you'd only throw it away by signing guys like .

The post of someone who is clearly upset. You even felt the need to add that your owner has an active sex life with supposedly hot women.

[Shastafarian]

Shasta, you've been butt-hurt since I've come to this site. Don't worry, I'll leave in about 5 years at the end of our reign.

You play for the Lakers?

[Allanon]

Pau Gasol was all about internal growth? I don't think so. The main reason Sabathia is on the Yankees is because they have more spending power than the Brewers, and the main reason Gasol is on the Lakers is because they have more spending power than the Grizzlies. Yes, the NBA made it so they had to trade an expiring contract and unproven talent to get Gasol, but that expiring contract was a free agent they signed while they were over the cap because of the "sign and trade" rule.

I'm not trying to discredit the Lakers' championships, but don't act like the Lakers haven't taken full advantage of the NBA's soft salary cap that can be dodged if a team is willing to spend money. If the NBA salary cap was anything like the NFL's, the Lakers wouldn't be unaffected by the fact they're paying Morrison, Fisher, Vujacic and Walton a combined $20 million.

Pau Gasol was two seasons ago and replaced the salaries of Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton. Lakers still would have had to pay that same salary number. Pau wasn't the reason they entered the Luxury tax, they were already there by over-paying Kwame Brown.

Bynum (Lakers draft) & Ariza's growth (benchwarmer in Orlando) pretty much put the Lakers way into luxury tax. They pretty much account for $20 million and with luxury, that's $40 million more the Lakers have to spend this year. Lakers replaced Ariza with Artest in his same salary slot although Ariza reportedly wanted more.

Outside of the Artest/Ariza swap, the Lakers haven't had any good free agent signings for a few years now. All they've gotten is through trade of their own players or internal player development. Quite different from the Yankees. Biggest free agent signing was probably Derek Fisher for $5 million 3 seasons ago.

Lakers last year had maybe the 10th highest payroll. Jumped to #1 this year due to Bynum ($14 million) & Artest/Ariza ($6 million) = $20 million + $20 million tax = $40 million from 2 internally developed players.

[Danny.Zhu]

This will make it more meaningful and exciting for the Spurs to beat Lakers and get the championship.

[Culburn369]

This will make it more meaningful and exciting for the Spurs to beat Lakers and get the championship.

...& that 4-1 ass pounding at the hands of the Mavs would be a distant memory.

tee, hee.

[duhoh]

...& that 4-1 ass pounding at the hands of the Mavs would be a distant memory.

tee, hee.

if it was 2v5, you would've been owned too.

we got owned though.

[Shastafarian]

...& that 4-1 ass pounding at the hands of the Mavs would be a distant memory.

tee, hee.

I enjoy how you only show up after the Lakers win. So you're a loser AND a pussy.

[Culburn369]

I enjoy how you only show up after the Lakers win. So you're a loser AND a pussy.

It's a great thing. I enjoin somebody on game day. If I win, all well & good. If I lose, I'm locked out. All well & good.

Anybody want to accommodate the Cubby for tonite's Lakers/Thunder game? I'll stay out for a week if we lose. If we win, you stay out for only 3 days. Now it can't be some jagoff with a 1 post history. Got to be a member with verifiable roots.