Author Topic: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)  (Read 2571 times)

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Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« on: June 10, 2018, 02:52:07 PM »

Offline saltlover

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It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m bored, so let’s take on the terrible Wizards situation, merge them with the Lakers desire to attract LeBron, and see what we get.

First off, the Wizards, while a team that matches up reasonably well with the Celtics and so scares fans on this site at times, are incredibly poorly constructed and need to be re-engineered.  They have two stars that don’t like playing with role players, including the third max-level player on their own team, and are not afraid to say so.  They finished in 8th place this season and lost in the first round despite having the league’s fourth highest payroll.  They are already over the luxury tax next season with only 10 players on their roster — so they’re not able to rely on any external improvements.  And in a year Wall’s Supermax extension kicks in, nearly doubling his $19 million salary, which further kicks in their ability to make any improvements through free agency in the summer of 2019.  Who they are is who they’ll be barring a trade.  They’re not an old team, but they’re not terribly young either, so internal improvements are less likely to come from skill development.

Meanwhile, the Lakers want to attract LeBron and a second star in free agency.  But Paul George and LeBron aren’t getting it done vs. Golden State, who has four star players.  The Lakers need four stars of their own.

Accordingly, the Lakers release all non-guaranteed players except for Thomas Bryant.  This gives them a little over $60 million to split between LeBron and PG13.  That means one or both aren’t quite getting the max.  However, if they are willing to figure it how to split the difference (both could sign one-year deals and be eligible for 20% raises next year wiping away most of the salary loss from this year), the Lakers could then make the following trade:

Everyone left on the Lakers (Deng, Ball, Ingram, Kuzma, Hart, Bryant) for Wall and Beal.  The math works (trust me) thanks to Bryant being included.  Otherwise they’re a few hundred thousand short.

Anyway, the Lakers now have FOUR, not three, stars to run at the Warriors.  They fill out their roster with the room exception and ring-chasers.  It’s incredibly top-heavy, but it’s got a top-tier core that really could compete with Golden State.  Beal is under contract for three more seasons and Wall for six, so while the ultimate salary costs will be high for the Lakers, they are ultimately affordable thanks to LA’s resources, and also predictable. 

Meanwhile, the Wizards get to pair some of the Lakers young players with Porter, the #15 pick, and perhaps Oubre going forward, while dropping under the luxury tax.  I think the Wizards could be entitled to another pick from LA also, as both Beal and Wall are in-their-prime stars under team control for several years.  The return in prospects is nice from LA, but Deng’s contract is terrible.

The Wizards probably take a step back this year, but maybe not a giant one if the new players show better cohesion as a team than Wall and Beal did.  The 8th seed would certainly be in reach, and you’d expect the team to keep improving as the future progressed, while also having a greater measure of salary flexibility.

And the Lakers get a Big 4.  Two problems solved at once.

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2018, 03:04:04 PM »

Offline Phantom255x

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Lakers starting lineup of Wall-Beal-Lebron-George-Gortat.... wow.

That could work swimmingly or backfire completely. Wall will definitely have to sacrifice a large chunk of his role. George is the 3rd option and we'll see if he accepts it. They'd have to really nail their cheap signings though (ring-chasers, minimum signings).

"Tough times never last, but tough people do." - Robert H. Schuller

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2018, 03:06:38 PM »

Offline saltlover

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Lakers starting lineup of Wall-Beal-Lebron-George-Gortat.... wow.

That could work swimmingly or backfire completely. Wall will definitely have to sacrifice a large chunk of his role. George is the 3rd option and we'll see if he accepts it. They'd have to really nail their cheap signings though (ring-chasers, minimum signings).

Don’t know where you’re getting Gortat from — he’s not in the deal unless autocorrect slipped it past me.  Lakers can’t afford his salary.  Their 5 comes from someone taking the room exception.  Lopez is the most likely because the Lakers would have his full bird rights next year if he signed a 1-year deal, and he’d have trade veto power.

But yeah, it’s a team I’m not certain how it would work.  The skill sets match up pretty well, but I’m not sure about the personalities.

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2018, 03:08:08 PM »

Offline Phantom255x

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Lakers starting lineup of Wall-Beal-Lebron-George-Gortat.... wow.

That could work swimmingly or backfire completely. Wall will definitely have to sacrifice a large chunk of his role. George is the 3rd option and we'll see if he accepts it. They'd have to really nail their cheap signings though (ring-chasers, minimum signings).

Don’t know where you’re getting Gortat from — he’s not in the deal unless autocorrect slipped it past me.  Lakers can’t afford his salary.  Their 5 comes from someone taking the room exception.  Lopez is the most likely because the Lakers would have his full bird rights next year if he signed a 1-year deal, and he’d have trade veto power.

Oh my bad for some reason when typing that I was thinking the Wizards lineup and just put Gortat there  :P
"Tough times never last, but tough people do." - Robert H. Schuller

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2018, 03:36:26 PM »

Offline Neurotic Guy

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Another Make the Lakers Great Again thread. Ruining another Sunday.

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2018, 03:42:14 PM »

Offline tazzmaniac

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Why in the world would the Wizards make that trade?  They lose both their stars and have to take on the lousy Deng contract and all they get is Ball, Ingram and Kuzma and a lousy 1st.  Yikes!!!! 

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2018, 03:48:25 PM »

Offline saltlover

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Why in the world would the Wizards make that trade?  They lose both their stars and have to take on the lousy Deng contract and all they get is Ball, Ingram and Kuzma and a lousy 1st.  Yikes!!!!

Do you want to pay John Wall $40 million a year?  He needs to be moved now, because it’s not happening later.

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2018, 04:11:20 PM »

Offline tazzmaniac

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Why in the world would the Wizards make that trade?  They lose both their stars and have to take on the lousy Deng contract and all they get is Ball, Ingram and Kuzma and a lousy 1st.  Yikes!!!!

Do you want to pay John Wall $40 million a year?  He needs to be moved now, because it’s not happening later.
Absolutely not but apparently the Wizards do since they gave Wall that contract.  However they wouldn't need to include Beal and take on the Deng contract to trade Wall.  They can get a better deal for Wall and build around Beal and Porter.  There are certainly GMs that overrate Wall and owners that would jump to get a star like him.  I'd be looking at teams like NOP, Magic, Knicks and Kings. 

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2018, 04:53:05 PM »

Offline footey

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I could see Lakers interested in Beal to join Lebron.  Not sure they need Wall. Also Beal and Wall don’t seem to mesh well in DC. Doubt that changes in LA.

Lakers seem pretty intent on hanging onto Ingram unless for a mega star like KL.

Just don’t see this going down SL.

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2018, 05:22:33 PM »

Offline saltlover

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Why in the world would the Wizards make that trade?  They lose both their stars and have to take on the lousy Deng contract and all they get is Ball, Ingram and Kuzma and a lousy 1st.  Yikes!!!!

Do you want to pay John Wall $40 million a year?  He needs to be moved now, because it’s not happening later.
Absolutely not but apparently the Wizards do since they gave Wall that contract.  However they wouldn't need to include Beal and take on the Deng contract to trade Wall.  They can get a better deal for Wall and build around Beal and Porter.  There are certainly GMs that overrate Wall and owners that would jump to get a star like him.  I'd be looking at teams like NOP, Magic, Knicks and Kings.

The Wizards don’t really want to pay Wall that.  They just forced themselves into the situation where they had to offer him such a deal.  No team that isn’t willing to spend well into the luxury tax should be good with that contract for 5 years, and while the Wizards dipped their toes into the tax water this year for the first time ever, they’re going to find themselves hamstrung when that extension kicks in the same year they’re eligible for the repeated tax the first time.  And again, this with a team that seems to have a ceiling of 50 wins and a second round playoff exit, and the floor of an end of the lottery team.

The “treadmill of mediocrity” is an overused phrase in the NBA these days, but it applies quite well to Washington, given their performance, team age, and lack of salary flexibility.  To be on that treadmill as a repeater tax team is not a good place to be in, and they have no way off with keeping their core. 

The Wizards went 23-18 with Wall, and 20-21 without him this year.  He’s obviously a good player, but at the same time he appear doesn’t make his otherwise mediocre team all that much better.  Perhaps that’s because of fit.  I think it’s part that and part effort level.  He loafs a lot, and his teammates take their cues from him.  When he’s out, there’s more energy, and the level of play elevates. I don’t think that’d be a problem with LeBron — that team could decide together when or not to take it easy and come out all right more times than not — but he’s be dangerous on a lot of current lottery teams with similar profiles to the Wizards.

The Wizards are my local team.  I see a lot of Wall, and hear a lot of daily stuff that goes on in that locker room.  If the Wizards can move on, they should.  And I think Ball, Ingram, Hart, and Kuzma is a good return for the two stars.  Maybe it should be the Lakers 2018 and 2019 picks to take on Deng instead of just one, I guess.

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2018, 05:27:42 PM »

Offline saltlover

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I could see Lakers interested in Beal to join Lebron.  Not sure they need Wall. Also Beal and Wall don’t seem to mesh well in DC. Doubt that changes in LA.

Lakers seem pretty intent on hanging onto Ingram unless for a mega star like KL.

Just don’t see this going down SL.

Oh, it’s not going down for several reasons — primarily that I don’t envision LeBron and George either taking less than the max, which they’d have to do in this instance.

Beal and Wall actually have started to mesh well in DC, however.  Their meshing has excluded their ability to remotely fit in with the rest of the team, but I don’t think there’s a problem with keeping those two together.

I’m just spitballing because I was bored.  But if the Lakers want four vet stars, as the Warriors have, this is one of the few ways they can do it because of salary constraints.

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2018, 05:44:35 PM »

Offline SHAQATTACK

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Wizards don't need any  help,

they are on the way

Bron will try and force his way on to the Rockets with bud CP3.  Plan A

Plan B.  .....join Lakers

he is getting the next TEAM Lebron lined up , making unholy alliances as we type.

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2018, 05:50:17 PM »

Offline td450

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Its an interesting idea. I think Washington would absolutely want to do it.

I would guess that the Lakers wouldn't, but it would be tempting to jump forward that fast. I think Wall and his toxic deal are superfund site level poisonous for any team he's on, and it gets worse fast if he declines due to injury. Given his injury history and the fact that his game depends so much on his explosiveness, I doubt his career ends well.

Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #13 on: June 10, 2018, 06:33:05 PM »

Online Silas

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The Wizards are my local team also and I've had season tickets for 27 years...sad!  Wall needs to be traded and Beal stays.  A team with three max contracts and Wall about to get $40M/year has no flexibility for supporting players.  Also, Wizards management is terrible.  Get rid of Wall!
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Re: Let’s blow up the Wizards — LeBron to Lakers (Idea)
« Reply #14 on: June 10, 2018, 06:35:48 PM »

Offline Monkhouse

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As someone in the NOVA/DC area, I was visibly upset that we gave Wall that contract. He is clearly not worth it, he's a great player, don't get me wrong. But $40 million? Holy moly!
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