Check this one out

[jack13]

I know It's little bit old but it's woth to read it. May be after all dreams really come true

Lakers Ready to Move?
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By Eric Pincus
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Sep 5, 2005, 19:26


It's a month before training camp and the Los Angeles Lakers stand with a roster still in need of improvement. After a 34-win season, General Manager Mitch Kupchak still has his work cut out for him. With the preservation of cap flexibility in 2007 of utmost importance, the Lakers are unwilling to commit to contracts guaranteed for longer than two seasons. This puts them at a disadvantage this summer as they aspire to improve the roster via trades or free agency.

LeBron James
Recent reports have suggested that LeBron James is the 2007 target. Though the Lakers have a number of players in mind, sources have indicated for a number of months that James is indeed the primary goal. The vision of James alongside Kobe Bryant in the back court is said to come directly from the team's owner, Dr. Jerry Buss.

The hope would be that Cleveland does not progress over the next two seasons and a disgruntled James pushes the Cavaliers to trade him to the Lakers. If that were not possible, cap space can be preserved for a season until 2008. Of course LA cannot count on James picking the Lakers in what would be a drastic move considering the efforts that Cleveland is making to put a winning team around him.

Perhaps the alleged incentives that James has in his advertising contracts (not necessarily his Nike deal) that include pay increases should he play in a big city like New York, Chicago or Los Angeles are enough to make the Lakers think they have the advantage when he becomes a free agent.

Ultimately it could be a flawed plan, but there should be a number of other quality players should the Laker quest fail. This column has already listed the pool of players likely to be available in 2007. There is enough time until then to speculate on other possible targets.

Phil Jackson
It's easy to be shortsighted by the Laker improvements thus far, but one pick up should not be overlooked. With Phil Jackson returning to the Lakers, the team will once again be led by one of the most successful coaches of all time. With the triangle offense and Jackson's unique brand of leadership, the Lakers should improve over the tumultuous 2004/5 season in which Head Coach Rudy Tomjanovich stepped down midway through the campaign.

The knock against Jackson is that he's never coached a team that wasn't ready made to win a title (Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal). Though you can make an argument either way, the Jordan-less Chicago Bulls were very close to an NBA Finals appearance back in 1994. That coaching job should not be overlooked.

Ultimately, Jackson has the opportunity to silence the doubters, but it's up to Kupchak to provide him the horses.

Changes Thus Far
The 2005 NBA Draft yielded a young project in 17-year old center Andrew Bynum. He may one day prove to be the next great Laker center, but his rookie season should prove to be uneventful. Kupchak has been excessively clear that he does not expect Bynum to play much as a rookie. The hope is that by 2007, the year the Lakers plan on making their next run, Bynum will be ready.

To aid in his development, the Laker have hired arguably the best Laker center of all time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as a special assistant. This is not a slight to Wilt Chamberlain or O'Neal, but a count of the rings favors Jabbar. Hopefully Bynum will indeed bring the sky hook back to Los Angeles, with Kareem's personal guidance.

The draft also landed the Lakers a young guard with a troublesome past in Von Wafer. Struggles getting along with his teammates and coaches throughout his high school and college careers have left Wafer with a shaky reputation, but the NBA affords him a clean slate. He has potential, but Phil Jackson is not known for giving rookies much of an opportunity. Wafer may be a steal with his shooting ability and NBA athleticism, but not likely in his first season.

Unfortunately, the Lakers will be without rugged power forward Ronny Turiaf as he recovers from open-heart surgery to repair an enlarged aortic root. Though the Lakers second-round pick has shown impressive signs of recovery, he is not expected back for the 2005/6 season.

Kupchak made a bold move earlier in the summer by trading for the unproven Kwame Brown. Though he had more downs than ups in Washington, the Lakers landed one of the top free agent big men. Should he develop as the Lakers hope, he could be a key piece of the post 2007 run. Though he had competing offers for more years, the Lakers gave him a higher salary to compensate for just two. LA holds an option for a third season.

The Lakers lost Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins in the deal, but Lamar Odom is essentially replacing Butler at small forward while Brown is replacing Odom at power forward. Moving Lamar to his natural position should be a positive, though he needs to recover from off-season shoulder surgery first. He is expected to be ready to play when training camp starts, but I'm told he has not healed quickly.

Replacing Atkins is veteran Aaron McKie who is expected to fill a Ron Harper\Brian Shaw role in the triangle. He is an upgrade defensively over Atkins, but will need to prove that last year's numbers in Philadelphia were more a function of the coach not giving him minutes . . . than age. McKie signed for two years starting at $2.5 million, half of the Lakers' mid-level exception.

Currently on the roster is Smush Parker as the back up point guard. Parker is also an upgrade defensively over last year's Tierre Brown, but Smush will first need to prove himself in camp.

Rookie Wafer will have to beat out Laron Profit who was included in the Brown trade for salary matching. Profit has a guaranteed contract for the upcoming season, but it is assumed that the cash Washington included in the deal was to pay for a buy-out.

The Lakers would like to add an additional guard, though with 16 players already under contract, they'd like to move out bodies before signing a free agent outright.

Additional Moves
I'm hearing that Jason Kapono to LA is very close. Apparently a sign and trade has been negotiated with the Charlotte Bobcats, though the exact nature of what the Lakers would be sending out is not clear. One source mentioned Jumaine Jones, but wasn't certain. Kapono is a sharp shooting guard\forward who has been hoping to return to Los Angeles all summer. The Lakers were close to drafting Kapono but the Cavaliers picked him up a few slots before LA had the opportunity. The Lakers instead selected Luke Walton. Kapono was later picked up by the Charlotte Bobcats in the expansion draft.

The Lakers are also in negotiation with Latrell Sprewell. Though he has a sordid past, Sprewell may accept less from the Lakers for a season. After turning down a three-year deal starting at $7 million from the Wolves last season, Sprewell has missed out on a contract with the guard heavy free agent market this summer. I'm told that Phil Jackson is on board with acquiring Sprewell despite some concerns others in the organization might have. The Lakers would like to tie him up for two season with a team option, but it's seems much more likely that Sprewell gets a player option. Unless he's leveraging the Lakers to get a deal elsewhere, there's a good chance that he ends up receiving the remaining $2.5 million of the Lakers mid-level exception.

If Sprewell does not join the team, Jannero Pargo is rumored to be waiting in the wings. Though there are a number of teams interested, specifically the Cleveland Cavaliers, Pargo is said to be patient.

A name mentioned that took me by surprise was Michael Olowokandi of the Minnesosta Timberwolves. It's been suggested that Kareem may have recommended Olowokandi to the Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar worked with Olowokandi when both were with the Los Angeles Clippers, and seemed to get some success out of the inconsistent big man. Though it's not clear what the Wolves would be asking in return, it would seem that if there is any substance to the talks, it's in early stages.

Other names mentioned are Tom Gugliotta and Darius Songaila. Though all accounts seem to have Songaila headed to Chicago, I'm told he's still in consideration for the Lakers.

The final big fish for the Lakers would be Eddy Curry who has yet to come to terms with the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers are said to have a solid two-year offer on the table for Curry via sign and trade. The Bulls are amenable to the Laker package, but both Curry and the Bulls are both striving for common ground. Chicago has offered Curry a sizeable contract, but with just a little over $5 million guaranteed. Though Curry has been cleared to play, his irregular heartbeat that kept him out of the Bull's playoff run has spooked insurers. Curry is looking for as much guaranteed money as possible, likely taking into account his own personal fears that the heart problem may indeed be an issue in the future.

If the Bulls final offer is no more than $5 mil guaranteed and the Lakers commit to above $16 million for two-seasons, LA has a legit shot at the young center. Because everything the Lakers are working for are on the 2007 plan, they are in a good position to take short-term risks. LA wouldn't be the only team in the hunt for Curry and would have to hope that they do not get outbid.

Ultimately it remains a long shot. It would appear that the Kapono acquisition signals that the Lakers aren't waiting for Curry since Eric Piatkowski, also a three-point specialist, would need to be included in the deal to accommodate Curry's base year compensation status. Adding both Pike and Kapono would seem redundant.

The Bottom Line
If promising rookie Andrew Bynum does not play in year one, LA currently would need 48 minutes out of Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown. It would seem very unlikely the Vlade Divac returns, so unless the team is comfortable with Slava Medvedenko and Brian Cook filling in minutes at the five, the team needs to make a move for an additional center. Even if lightning strikes and the Bulls trade Curry to the Lakers, the cost would be Mihm . . . once again leaving LA a player short at center.

Minutes at the guard spot next to Kobe are vague as well with an aging McKie probably best suited playing less than 24 minutes. Smush Parker, Von Wafer and Sasha Vujacic have yet to prove they can play significant minutes in the NBA; it would seem unwise for the Lakers to count on the current crop of guards without an addition. In theory Lamar Odom or Luke Walton could play at the one if needed, but ultimately the Lakers need another guard. It would seem Latrell Sprewell or Jannero Pargo will get the call.

Armed with Vlade Divac's $5.4 million contract that includes a $2 million buy-out before September 30th, the Miami 2006 first round pick, expiring contracts and a couple of young players that may draw interest around the league, Kupchak needs to stamp his name on the Laker organization this summer. Hamstrung by the 2007 plan, it will be a challenge to put a competitive team on the floor over the next two seasons.

He still has a chance to improve this Laker squad . . . but time is getting short and the pool of available players is rapidly shrinking.

(Update - 7:45 pm Pacific: One trusted source has indicated that Sprewell and the Lakers may not happen. This goes against a number of other sources saying otherwise. Take it for what it's worth).

(Update - 9:45 pm Pacific: Another source suggests Michael Doleac to LA via trade may be in the works. Again, no specifics on what LA will be sending out. I'm told Doleac would waive the player option on his third year, fitting him into the Laker 2007 plan.)

[Wolverine]

http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopic.php?t=18269

[jack13]

Thx for the link
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"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess." Kobe Bryant

[Aussiesuede]

I'd forgotten how so many around here were preaching that Eddie Curry would have been a savior. People complain about the money that Lamar and Kwame are getting, but could you imagine Curry added to the mix and for a a longer term? Yuck! Also kinda funny to be reminded of just how bad Profit was supposed to be! And Jason Kapono doesn't look like such a bad pickup now. Gotta love hindsight!

Slava,McKie, & Profit out for the year and Turiaf just being activated kinda put's things in perspective. If we travel back to the preseason, the Lakers are EXACTLY in the position predicted, although be it by a slightly different path. Most preseason prognostications had the Lakers win total at 41-43. With the second half schedule, it seems that it would be hard not to get another 16 wins. Nice blast from the past...
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I'm On point, On task, On message, and Off drugs. A Streetwise Smart Bomb, Out of rehab and In denial. Over the Top, On the edge, Under the Radar, and In Control. Behind the 8 ball, Ahead of the Curve and I've got a Love Child who sends me Hate mail.