Rockets open to trading John Wall for Russell Westbrook if incentivized

For all the **** people give the Lakers, they have very solid scouting. With 3 #2 picks in a row and they picked two all-stars and zero busts. Also a number of valuable role players with later picks.

Just go back into the tank, sign a big star in FA, then trade the youngins for the second star, and you're set.

 

I agree with you though it's massively short-sighted for Jeannie Buss and the Lakers to think they can retool around LeBron without giving up AD and/or trading Westbrook away. LeBron, at this point, can care less about championships--he wants to be near or at the top of the all-time [pick a stat] list.

He's going to catch Kareem for all-time points.
He's a couple of hundred rebounds away from being in the top 40 for that category
He should catch Mark Jackson for 5th all time in assists
He should pass Hakeem for 10th all time in steals

LeBron needs a 1A to his 1B at this point in his career and the Lakers won't be getting a 1A type of player even if they use AD as bait.

Just let it all end and start fresh

 

The Lakers are not going to trade Westbrick and a pick for Wall....they might do it straight up.....and throw in a 2nd round pick, but not a first, IMHO.

DD

 

The Lakers cannot rebuild right now. They do not control their pick for the next three years so they cannot tank. Lebron's age and contract are not trade friendly. He's going to sign a minimum contract to play with Bronny soon, so he won't commit long-term to anyone. It makes no sense to trade AD because he's young and under contract, and the draft picks they'd get likely aren't going to be as good as AD. Also, if the Lakers are trying to lure premier free agents in 2023 or 2024 how does trading AD help? Do star like competing by themselves all of a sudden?

 

The Lakers have had enough of stupid moves to support Le Bron James. They will not want John Wall!
The Rockets should not want Russel Westbrook either!!!!
Our owner should make a deal with Wall and pay him 50% of the final year!He need to make a deal one way
or another!Y

 

You're not seeing the angles here:

1. They do not control their pick for the next three years so they cannot tank.

That's 100% true but they can, at the very least, recoup some draft capital if they trade AD and/or LeBron. It might not be lottery picks but at least they will have options in future drafts or even use those picks in future trades. That, imo, is better than....

2. It makes no sense to trade AD because he's young and under contract

He's also injury prone and will demand a max extension soon. The absolute best version of AD was the one they got during the Bubble Run and that only happened because COVID hit, suspending play for a short time which allowed AD to get rest and stay healthy. Otherwise, this guy hasn't played more than 70 regular games in 5 years. Building around AD will ultimately require a very strong 1B/#2 player of which the Lakers aren't going to get any time soon because they're capped out and don't have assets to trade. Why keep a player like this when you can try to trade him for a combination of young players and draft picks to a team thirsty to just be in the playoffs like Chicago or New York? is the Lakers prepared to extend AD two summers from now when he can opt out of his current contract and sign for one that probably starts at around $50 million a season only to play about 60% of the time?

3. If the Lakers are trying to lure premier free agents in 2023 or 2024 how does trading AD help?

If you're a young up and coming NBA player in the prime of your career, are you willing to hitch your wagon to AD's inconsistent availability? Are you cool with carrying the team for most of the regular season as you see AD sit on the bench in street clothes? Between you, a max-contract level player, and AD that's about $70-80 million combined right there. What kind of team are you expecting the Lakers to build with $40-$50 million left, sprinkle across 13 other roster spots? The answer: The same kind of team they've had the past 3 years where you have to rely on a top-heavy roster and wishful thinking related to health of your best players. That's not an attractive destination for a young All-Star to get into.

Bottom line is the Lakers might not have control of their 1st rounders but it's comical for them to compound their past mistakes by attaching another future 1st rounder to Westbrook to get rid of him only to get a marginally better player in Wall. I mean I'll jump for joy if that happens but the Lakers are delusional if they think they're going to squeeze out another ring next season with LeBron, AD, Wall making a combined $125 million + and having to fill out the roster with a bunch of retreads.

 

Trading Lebron doesn't work because not only are the Lakers unlikely to get a big return, but they need to maintain a player friendly image for future free agents. Trading Lebron would not look good to potential free agents next year, particularly Klutch clients.

AD's contract runs until 2025 due to a player option, he's not getting a max extension soon. Even if he opted out in 2024 two years is not soon enough to make trading him for non-lottery picks make sense. And non-lottery picks is likely what they'd have to settle for as AD would only be a target for possible contenders, not completely trash rebuilding teams like Orlando, OKC, or us.

Next summer, AD and THT are the only players the Lakers have under contract. They can try and recruit one premier 2023 free agent (Harden, Beal, Kyrie?) to join AD. That's much easier than trading AD for marginal draft capital and trying to recruit two max free agents together. Getting one star free agent is hard enough, even for the Lakers.

 

Tell me, what up and coming player will want to be LeBron's sidekick in his age 40 and 41 seasons? He missed 27 games last season and will eventually miss 26 games this season. Are the likes of Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown, Anthony Edwards, KAT, etc. waiting to come to LA to play with LeBron and defer to him as the unofficial GM for a few seasons? Or are they want to come to LA to actually be a Laker? That's not hard to figure out. As for upsetting the Klutch clients, what names on this list are the Lakers scared to anger?

https://basketball.realgm.com/info/agent-client-list/Rich-Paul/258

He will most certainly seek an extension before 2025. I'm not making it up because that's been the trend for the past few years. If the Lakers are hesitant on extending him now would be a good time to start thinking about fielding trade offers for him while he still has one year left on his contract before his player option. As for "non-lottery" picks....we almost witnessed a Brooklyn 2022 pick go from an expected high 20s pick down to the teens. If things broke right for us some more it could have been in range to had a shot at top 10. And you're also forgetting that whatever team trades for AD would have to hope beyond hope that he can stay healthy enough for them to be elite. That in and of itself has been proven to be hard to achieve.

By suggesting this (this being AD and THT are the only players the Lakers will have under contract in summer of 2023), you're suggesting that the Lakers and LeBron part ways after next season? If so, sure let's say they have that cap room to recruit one of the three guys you hypothetically threw out there. If you're the Lakers, are you really thinking that a combination of AD/Harden, AD/Beal or AD/Kyrie is going to survive a 82 game season to be good enough to advance through the West? Harden is past his prime, Beal hasn't played more than 60 games a season in 4 years, and Kyrie is a total unknown. He could put together one of the greatest seasons ever...or he could retire. Like what kind of false hopes do the Lakers have in putting a team like that together? But let's get past that and go into the actual cost of putting a combination like that together. AD is set to make $40 million for the 2023-2024 season..assuming none of those free agents you mentioned are charitable enough to take a pay cut that's another $40+ for the second player. Now you have $80+ tied to two players, with one you can rely on to play more than 60% of the regular season games and the other has his own risks. $80 million. Add in THT's $11 million and that's $91 million for three players. The salary cap for 2023-2024 is IIRC $115 million. That's $24 remaining to spread across 12 roster spots. How is this a roadmap to success? If you're talking about spending $90 combined for Giannis and Luka sure that's a no brainer but $90 combined for AD/Harden or AD/Beal? That's a better long term strategy then just blowing it all up and starting over with whatever picks you get from trading AD and/or LeBron?

 

welp... if they had been willing to pony up that frp... they coulda ditched WB for Wall - and might've gotten into the playoffs...

but they didnt... so they arent.... so sad for them... lol

i love seeing the Lakers (and Bron) wallow in mediocrity... it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling... lol

 

Lebron should absolutely be dealt by the Lakers- AD too. It would be fascinating to see what they could get for him.
Zion and a couple picks from NO- NO could be really solid and promise to draft a Bronnie with their boatload of picks. LBJ could have an outside shot at a title if everything broke perfectly.
Warriors for Kuminga and Wiggins and a pick or two in 2028 or 2030 or something like that.
Knicks for Randle and filler and a couple picks. Knicks would finally be relevant and could definitely make a run for home court advantage (I think RJ Barrett is really good)
Brooklynn for Simmons and picks in 3145 or whenever we get done with their draft.
Phoenix if they don’t get it done for Ayton- they apparently aren’t interested in paying him. clippers for Paul George. Just to reunite him with Wedtbrick.
Mavs for Pu pu platter plus picks. Instant legit title contender.
All those places are situations where if you squinted really hard he’d have at least a 10-1 title shot imo.

 

**** John Wall.

 

opting out of his supermax was never an option, especially in his situation. Nobody should have ever believed or thought he'd decline

 

I said it b4. For John wall ring or his basketball legacy was never number 1 priority. Why else would he have signed a long ass lucrative contract with the wizards.

Not surprised he would opt in.

 

I wouldn’t mind wall starting at PG with KPJ coming off the bench. I believe wall would definitely make green look even better.

 

That would ruin the entire point of making wall sit out this season. I don't think wall is that good to be honest, better play making ability is Debatable. I don't want his ass to rock the boat of what we have going on.

 

I don't blame Wall, 47m is lifetime retirement money.

In the end, we will buy him out....and save 10m or so....

DD

 

Wall is living his best life…getting paid almost 50 mil to shoot shots at his leisure in Miami gyms, and he can show up to games whenever he feels

John Wall is winning, John Wall is getting W’s…call him Wohn Wall

 

I remember looking at this a month or two ago, but I think N.O. owns their 1st round via picks and pick swaps for the next 2 or 3 years, if I'm not mistaken.

 

Sounds Asian