Reply With QuoteZo or Karl Malone.
I say gp
Zo or Karl Malone.
GP..
Malone's a choker, Tim's and he is an antique, if I had to pick which one I want LA to get it probably would be Malone.
I don't think any one FA who would sign for the MCE will put them over the top. Tony has pretty much played Payton to a standstill for over a year, Muglone is Tim's , and signing 'Zo as a PF allows you to majorly sag on Shaq.
The FA I most covet is PJ Brown.
In an ideal world, the Lakers would find a way to get both Gary Payton and either PJ Brown or Elden Campbell.
If they did that, the Lakers would wreck shop next year.
You guys would be lucky to get GP for the MCE. If he signs, he's going to want it all.
As I said, no ONE affordable FA will put them over the top.
O'Neal or Brand.
I don't think any one FA who would sign for the MCE will put them over the top.
O'Neal won't sign for the MCE, and Sterling would happily match any Laker offer sheet for said amount. Let's keep this in the real world.
Be careful about what you wish for. If Lakers add Gary and a decent PF (D Coleman?) then watch out. You sound like Spurs completely dominated Lakers in the playoffs. Had Horry's final shot in game 5 been half an inch shorter the championship parade could have been held outside Staples Center.As I said, no ONE affordable FA will put them over the top.
Zo if he stayed healthy, a definite if.
ImFromBeijing it's interesting how all Laker fans seemed to have penciled in a return of the Shaq of old. First Shaq has to come back in shape, a big if. Second even if he does get "in shape" how much of the Shaq of old is left? He was sloowwww, no elveation, bad hands? How much of that is just breaking down? Kemp can lose weight but he'll never be the Kemp of old. Will Shaq?
I don't think Shaq will ever regain his 99-00 form because of his age. But if he can dedicate himself this summer and trim down to 325 pounds or so, he could still be very effective. Remember despite being terribly out of shape last season, he and TD were still the most dominating low-post players in the league, with no one else close to them.
Shaq doesn't have be as dominant as he was in 99-00 since Kobe is a much better player than he was 3 years ago. The possible addition of Gary Payton will give Lakers a great shot of winning it all next season.
IMO The LakerFans are right they don't need that much to get back on top and Payton might be enough by himself..I'm very glad that the Lakers are letting Horry go..I am pretty sure he's the rabbit's foot for winning les but we'll see..
I don't want them to be able to get a decent PF.
GP -- we don't need them to have a good, quick point guard.
Payton
GP, obviously.
I already hate K. Malone but seeing him in Gold and Purple would just add to that hate.
Though they need to upgrade both at the point and the power forward spot, Karl Malone as a Laker doesn't scare me at all. He wants to score; the Lakers are looking for someone to rebound and play defense. Karl would be a horrible fit there. He'd be standing around waiting for the pic-n-roll wondering whey Shaq and Kobe get all the touches.
Gary Payton would definitely help them. I don't want to see him in a Laker uni.
link
Lakers Having Money Troubles
Mitch Kupchak is hoping for an exceptional summer.
The Laker general manager stepped into the free-agent market this week armed with only the mid-level exception to offer players, hoping for that rarest of exceptions: the guy who actually means it when he says he values a championship over everything else.
The off-season actions of NBA players repeatedly show that it's a league that values dollars over diamonds, cha-ching over bling-bling.
When Shaquille O'Neal came to town with that seven-year, $125-million contract in 1996, the Lakers immediately vaulted into championship contention and salary-cap constraints. If rings were all that mattered, the Lakers would have free agents calling them. Instead, the Lakers of recent years have had to make do with everything from the old (A.C. Green and John Salley) to the odd (Dennis Rodman and Isaiah Rider).
That's why, early on in the process, the smart money's on the money — and not the Lakers — when it comes to luring the top-tier free agents.
Players still capable of matching their best seasons, such as point guard Gary Payton and power forwards P.J. Brown and Juwan Howard, can still command more than the $4.9-million mid-level exception the Lakers have to offer.
Sun, sand, Staples Center and shots at championships won't cut it. One associate of a Laker free-agent target has already said he was put off by the Lakers' at ude that it's a privilege to play for them.
Kupchak wouldn't talk about specific names when he discussed free agents Wednesday, the same day the Lakers introduced draft picks Brian Cook and Luke Walton to the media.
But he did talk about the prevailing at ude given the opportunity to make $2 million, $3 million or more per year somewhere else.
"If [the money's] close, they want to win," Kupchak said. "If it's a large discrepancy, then of course not. The real world doesn't provide for us to make that kind of money. You have to do it while you can.
"That's natural. This kind of money is not real-world money. You really have to do the best you can to finance yourself."
One hope for the Lakers is to coast in on the largesse of the free-spending summer of 1996. That was the boom year, right in line with the dot-com-crazy stock market. With several teams flush with cash and without the threat of a luxury tax, salaries skyrocketed. Now the seven-year deals (the maximum allowed) signed that summer have expired.
"Some of these guys have made a lot of money and they've saved it," Kupchak said. "I think they'll make a decision based on wins — quality of life and winning
"There may be a couple of guys like that. A couple."
Two in particular would be Howard and Payton, two of the biggest winners in 1996. Howard roped in a $105-million contract and Payton signed an $85-million contract.
They won't get that type of money again. But perhaps Denver would be willing to spend a little bit to keep Howard in town with first-round draft pick Carmelo Anthony and potential free-agent signee Gilbert Arenas. And Milwaukee owner Herb Kohl, eager to show he's serious about the Bucks after rebuffing an offer from Michael Jordan to buy the team, ponies up to bring back Payton.
Either of those scenarios seems more likely than their signing with the Lakers.
Remember a couple of years ago when Kendall Gill — Kendall Gill — passed up a chance to play with the Lakers to take $7 million from the (pre-Jason Kidd) New Jersey Nets?
Only once have the Lakers had a viable free agent come to town for less than market value, and that was six years ago.
Rick Fox, fresh off a career-high 15.4-points-per-game season with the Boston Celtics, signed with the Lakers for $1 million. He had better offers, including $5 million a year from the Cleveland Cavaliers. But he came to L.A. for less cash.
"He made a decision that was just a little bit different than most people," Kupchak said. "That's very unlikely, but you never know. You could get one guy like that. It happened once. It worked out for Rick."
He got a slight raise the next season, but the payoff began in August 1999. That's when he signed a six-year, $24-million contract, then embarked on the first of three championship seasons.
"I couldn't tell him it was the right thing to do," Kupchak said. "I said, 'Rick, do you know what you're doing here?' He said, 'Yeah, I know. But I need a change. I need to get out of Boston. I need to get my mind back on something that's important.' "
Maybe, just maybe, there's another guy with Fox's mentality out there.
One avenue for the Lakers would be to offer a longer contract than another team, particularly for slightly older players such as Payton (35 on July 23) or Brown (34). Then they run the risk of getting stuck with a diminished player down the road.
The collective bargaining agreement prevents them from offering more than three or four years to a player over 36, which could factor in with Karl Malone.
"You really can't get creative," Kupchak said. " You just kind of offer what you can. You hope whatever else you have to bring to the table either offsets two equal bids, or if there's a little bit more, the chance to win and live in Los Angeles, those things can happen."
So Kupchak keeps his cell phone charged. The other night he was in the backyard, watching the kids play in the pool, when a player agent called.
"Put your clothes on!" Kupchak yelled — at his daughter, not the agent.
But maybe his time with the kids will prove to be less frustrating. At least they don't put the money first.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't think the Lakers will do too well in the FA market. Bottom line is that the players go where the money is 9 times out of 10. Payton is just a dream IMO.
I'm less than enamored by a potential Karl Malone pickup.
I just can't see him resorting to the 3rd or 4th option in an offense, and basically standing out there and setting screens and diving for loose balls (the kind of PF the Lakers really need)
A big reason why Karl Malone has had such an effective career is because he is a developed and professional scorer. He knows how to put the ball in the basket. The Lakers do NOT have offensive problems. Their problems are on the defensive end. I'd prefer someone with longer arms, and can function in an offense without getting the ball the majority of the time. Hit your wide open jumpers, and help Shaq defend and rebound in the paint.
PJ Brown fits that description perfectly.
Also, picking up Gary Payton would help tremendously. The Lakers two "problem" positions are point guard and power forward. The Lakers didn't have a point guard problem the year before, because they had a solid rotation of Fisher and Lyndsey Hunter, and they just went with whoever was playing better out of the two in any given situation. But last year, it was either Fisher, or nada (with Jennero Pargo counting as nada because of his inexperience) Payton would be a huge upgrade in competing and defending on the perimeter.
I would like the Lakers to target PJ Brown first, then Payton second. Ideally, they would get both.
PJ Brown is gonna take up the entire MLE of the Lakers, leaving them with just 1.4 mill exception, and we know Payton's not gonna take that. Brown is gonna get some offers for the full MLE by Orlando and Dallas to name a few.
And you act like SA doesn't have the two time MVP, $16M in ing caproom, and at least 5 of the eight rotation players locked into returning.You sound like Spurs completely dominated Lakers in the playoffs.The Lakers didn't exactly blow out the spurs in 2002, either, slipped badly last year, and have little to spend, with several large holes to fill.
Separation. Can you say separation boys and girls? I knew you could...
My answer would be...Speedy Claxton. He'd be infinitely more dangerous than the aging Gary Payton. PLEASE sign Payton, Mr. Kupchak. PLEASE!
I'm scared that they might nab Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone somehow...
Pippen
Bryant
Fox
Malone
Shaq
That's a pretty scary lineup given that Pippen had his best year in 5 last season, and Malone can still defend okay and knock down open jumpers.
Gary Payton.
Karl Malone, hands down.
I don't wanna see the "chasing the all-time scoring le" side-show. I wish all Lakers players would just concentrate on winning the le.
Well, you did get beat in game 6 by the largest margin of defeat of any defending champ in NBA history.You sound like Spurs completely dominated Lakers in the playoffs.
I think that says something.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions