Woj: Lakers going after Aldridge and Jordan

[rondohondo]

Adrian Wojnarowski: The Lakers are working to unload contracts, trying to create significantly more salary cap space, league sources tell Yahoo Sports. Around the league, executives believe the Lakers are pursuing space to offer free agent deals to LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan.

According to a person with knowledge of the Lakers? situation, Bryant is expected to be part of the meeting with Aldridge on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. The meeting with the big man who is widely expected not to re-sign with the Portland Trail Blazers is also expected to include Lakers president and governor Jeanie Buss, general manager Mitch Kupchak, assistant general manager Glenn Carraro, coach Byron Scott, senior vice president of finance Tim Harris, as well as representatives from Time Warner Cable and AEG. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the process.

http://hoopshype.com/rumors/

[GetLucky]

Is the fact that Kobe is attending the meeting supposed to be a good thing?

[tankcity!]

Just ridiculous. Crazy how fortunate they are.

[PhoSita]

That team would be pretty good.

[TheFlex]

This couldn't be any more perfect. The Lakers cleansing their team of any remnants of NBA flesh outside of Kobe/Russell/Randle/Clarkson to make offers to guys salivating at contending rosters elsewhere.

It will be funny to watch them fall flat on their faces, just as they did with Melo, Bron, and so many other free agents in recent memory.

[TheFlex]

That team would be pretty good.

Too bad it will never come to fruition.

[Who]

They can't afford both of them. Can they?

Even just with Kobe and Russell on the roster, that is $30 million plus cap holds for 10 empty roster spots ... so say $35 million. Aldridge and D.Jordan are both past the 7+year max salary so they get the larger max salary. I don't think LAL can fit that in under the $68 million cap. Those two guys would have to take pay cuts ... right?

[merkins]

Based on what he is looking for, don't see DJ staying in the building simply changing unis.  As far as Aldrige is concerned Lakers aren't contending in the West, how is that different from where he is now?

[SHAQATTACK]

I don't see anything basketball wise ..attractive to make two guys that are hungry for a title to go there.    Not very stable leadership IMO

But if they are into hanging out and making TV commercials like CP3 ...then I guess they need to sign on.

As long as Kobe is playing...sucking up the cap .......they are going nowhere ......terrible FO , and coach ......

A lot of the OLD appeal went away when Buss Sr died .....Jackson left.....GM is not all he is cracked up to be......was very lucky IMO

[saltlover]

As Kevin Pelton tweeted, they could only give both Max contracts if they traded everyone on their roster.  And even that might require each of them to take a few hundred thousand under the max.  They'd need to do a sign-and-trade to really make it work, and even then, I'm not sure it would work, because they barely have the contracts to match.

[Roy H.]

They can't afford both of them. Can they?

Even just with Kobe and Russell on the roster, that is $30 million plus cap holds for 10 empty roster spots ... so say $35 million. Aldridge and D.Jordan are both past the 7+year max salary so they get the larger max salary. I don't think LAL can fit that in under the $68 million cap. Those two guys would have to take pay cuts ... right?

That's right.  It's lazy of Woj to not even mention the impracticality of the idea.

[number17]

If I was ainge I would see if I could help facilitate this - offer to take on short term salaries using our trade exceptions.  In return, we receive Randle.  It seems LAL wants to win now, why not at least offer that?

[86MaxwellSmart]

Representatives from Time Warner Cable and AEG in meeting....that's pretty Desperate and Sad.

[Endless Paradise]

Yeah, the Lakers would literally have to clear out everyone on their roster save for Kobe to fit both Aldridge and Jordan.

[Endless Paradise]

Representatives from Time Warner Cable and AEG in meeting....that's pretty Desperate and Sad.

You're supposed to pull out all of the stops when recruiting a free agent; case in point, Jerry Jones is going to be at the Mavs' meeting with DeAndre. Business ventures and entertainment opportunities are very much so a consideration for many players as they relate to their off-court activities. You think the Texas teams aren't going to stress the fact that there's no income tax in their state as a consideration why players should sign with them?