The NBA playoffs are coming to a close! This led me to start thinking about how the Lakers can re-load. Here are 4 crazy scenarios!
Pie in the Sky
Trade #1
Pau Gasol to the Miami Heat, Chris Bosh to the Los Angeles Lakers
Trade #2
Andrew Bynum to the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers
Trade #3
Trade exception and a 2nd round draft choice to New Orleans, Trevor Ariza to the Los Angeles Lakers
Free Agent Signings
Steve Nash, Lamar Odom
Losses
Matt Barnes, Troy Murphy, Devin Ebanks, Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock
A completely ludicrous trade a few weeks ago. We were about to anoint the Miami Heat as the NBA Champions. We were headed for a Heat v. Spurs finals. The Spurs were fresh off devouring the Utah Jazz (a complete cupcake in the West), the Los Angeles Clippers (worse than a cupcake, a horribly flawed team...the '08 Hornets were a better squad with a younger, less hurt version of Chris Paul), and they had sprinted out to a 2-0 lead on the Thunder (forgive me if I never thought the Spurs were for real, despite a 20 game winning streak...felt a lot like T-Mac leading the Rockets to 23 wins in a row a few years ago!). The Heat had just dispatched the Knicks (a dysfunctional squad built around a one legged big man and a massive ego small forward), the Pacers (a chippy team but no one to lean on in big moments), and had luckily found themselves up 2-0 on the Celtics (I thought the Celtics should have won game 2).
But now, it might be possible. If the Heat get ousted tomorrow there is a growing sentiment that they will blow the thing up. And who gets the ax, for sure Spoelstra and maybe Chris Bosh. I don't think they are trading LeBron but maybe...he is just not a clutch performer. In big moments he shrinks...I've been saying this for 5 years. He is the smallest big man in the NBA. He is the best front running guy in the league! When thinks are going well, it is all smiles and dunks! When adversary hits, LeBron sinks into the corner and lets Mario Chalmers shoot big shots (he might be developing a little Jason Terry into his game and rep...I like the ice water in his veins!). D Wade isn't going anywhere either. Of the big 3, I think he has the least amount of trade value. He is already on the wrong side of 30. He has a history of breaking down...so I think he is staying put. That leaves Bosh as trade bait. Bosh is the guy who is the one who has sacrificed the most of his game. He reminds me of Lamar Odom when he was with the Lakers. He was a stat machine, but he took a lesser role to fill the gaps. It probably cost him a little future money because his stats suffered with the Lakers.
Why Bosh to the Lakers works! Bynum is down low and Bosh can be out on the wing. He can be the pick and roll big. He can knock down 17 footers with ease. He isn't all that comfortable going down low and banging bodies...so he can leave that to Drew. Gasol was never comfortable being out at the elbow in Mike Brown's offense; therefore, going to Miami allows him to go back into the post. Miami is in desperate need for someone down on the block. Gasol is still one of the top 3 low post players in the NBA.
Why Gasol to the Heat works! Gasol is a great 2nd option. He is not afraid to shot big shots. He can bang a little and grab rebounds. He has won championships and could possibly give the Heat the needed low post threat. Plus, he is not going to fight Wade or LeBron for the spotlight. He will go to work, do his job and return to the production that we are used to seeing from him.
If trade 1 happens I think both teams improve, but it might led to trade 2 which would likewise be beneficial to both squads. The Magic have to trade Dwight. He has outlived his welcome in Orlando. He has shown himself to be nothing like Shaq. Shaq bailed on Orlando, but he didn't drag the city and the team through 12 months of hell. I remember when I was sitting in church telling all my friends that Jerry West was going to get Shaq, it was a gut feeling, but none of them thought I was sane.
Why Howard to the Lakers works! If we have Bosh and Bryant we have a ton of offense, we would need a defensive stopper! Howard is the best stopper in the NBA. He would anchor the Lakers defense and allow the Lakers to gamble a lot more on defense.
Why Bynum to the Magic works! They are old and don't have a go to option. Hedo Turkaglu, Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson are not the same options they used to be. So, the Magic need an offensive player to shoulder the load. Let's face it Drew is better offensively then Howard, just like LeBron is not the closer we want him to be Dwight is the offensive threat we want him to be. Both men have been in the league too long for us to believe they are going to make any massive changes to who they are!
Call me crazy but I have a gut feeling that Ariza is a Laker next year. I love making all of these trades and convincing Nash to join the Lakers for 2 years to make 2 solid runs at titles! Although, he might prefer Miami if they do not win this year. It will give him the "I'm the missing piece" feeling! The Lakers would be re-loaded in my "pie in the sky" scenario and they would be the new hunted!
Alright, second best!
Trade #1
Pau Gasol to the Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo to the Los Angeles Lakers
Trade #2
Trade exception and a 2nd round draft choice to New Orleans, Trevor Ariza to the Los Angeles Lakers
Free Agent Signings
Lamar Odom
Losses
Matt Barnes, Troy Murphy, Devin Ebanks, Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock
I know that I am spending a lot of Jerry Buss' money in this trade. However, I love Rondo, Bynum and Bryant as the big three. I also think that Ariza and Odom coming off the bench gives the Lakers immediately a more credible bench! It gives them a tremendous amount of flexibility!
Why this trade works for Boston? They already have made it clear they don't want to build the future around Rajon Rondo! Gasol gives them a legit star who can bridge the 2-3 year gap until they can reload.
Why this trade doesn't work for the Lakers? They already have a petulant star in Bynum, by adding Rondo...they would have two super moody stars and no Phil Jackson!
Fine, more likely!
Trade #1
Trade exception and a 2nd round draft choice to New Orleans, Trevor Ariza to the Los Angeles Lakers
Losses
Matt Barnes, Troy Murphy, Devin Ebanks, Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock
I love this trade for a few reasons. 1.) Trevor is an athletic wing that the Lakers need! He can knock down open jumpers (33.3% of his 3s this year), despite no help with the Hornets. Plus, he is an above average defender...let's face it he is Matt Barnes, just younger and better! The problem here is that we are adding salary and not getting that much better. I am not sure bringing Trevor off of the bench all of a sudden makes the Lakers a contender. Well, I take that back, I am sure that it doesn't make them a contender!
Worst Case Scenario
The Lakers brass (led by Jim Buss) thinks that the "big three" of Bynum, Gasol and Bryant are good enough to take another run or two at the NBA title. Unfortunately, I do not feel like this scenario is not that far off. Also, I don't think this assessment is that far off. Bynum and Gasol still give the Lakers an incredible front court duo. There is one thing that I am fairly sure is going to happen, and that thing is Lamar Odom coming back to the Lakers (unless someone comes along and throws stupid cash at him...and the guy in Jersey is the only one I can see doing that). In that scenario, Odom, Bynum and Gasol give the Lakers the most dynamic front court trio! Having said that, the Lakers still need help on the bench. I am not really a fan of anyone on the bench. I am hoping the Lakers can sign a legit point guard (Nash, Rondo, Williams, etc) so Sessions can be the backup! This would allow the Lakers to amnesty Blake (after the trade of Walton he is really the only amnesty contract available...unless you want to consider, gulp, Kobe Bryant!) and his $4,000,000 per year salary ($12,000,000 total). Sadly, Lamar doesn't push the Lakers back over the top...they need MORE!
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