I agree. A lot of rookie mistakes by Magic and Pelinka got overshadowed by the LeBron signing.
- Not getting something back for Randle.
- Trading D'lo.
- Not keeping Larry Nance. (They shouldve found a way to put Randle in that deal instead)
- Drafting Ball.
- Passing on Boogie and letting him sign to the team to beat.
- Passing on Lopez.
- Still holding onto Deng's contract.
- Not trading for PG13.
- Not trading for Kawhi.
This could have been their team:
One of Ball/Tatum/D'lo (you would have to assume Kuz/Ingram/other young pieces were traded in the PG13/Kawhi deals.)
PG13
LeBron
Kawhi
Boogie (on a discount)
This is really a simple way to look at how things played out which can happen when you're looking at things in hindsight.
I get the feeling the Lakers won't have any dealing with Aaron Mintz or any of his agents anytime soon. The story goes a little beyond not getting anything back for Randle, but we can count it if you want
LA prioritized cap space so that made either Russell, Ingram, or pick #2 a casualty. Russell spent most of last year injured and didn't show much of anything that looked like LA made a mistake, I actually watch Nets games
They got out of Clarkson's contract (owed 26 mil over the next 2) and only had to give up Nance and got a first? How's that a mistake?
Zo over Tatum is a mistake
Cousins is out for half the season and won't be around 100% until the start of the 2019 season, in which he'll be on a new team. If they want him they can sign him in the offseason. GS wasn't a 60% Cousins away from repeating so it's moot
LA seems to be high on Wagner and they provide a lot of similar things besides experience. Besides you cannot have a Kuzma/Lopez front court, so the McGee signing makes sense from that point
Who else is on the market worth signing with the Deng money? They're obviously trying to keep him around to dump in a potential Kawhi deal, if they can't do it they'll trade him and a pick in 2019 when teams have more money and he's an expiring
Mintz told the league to not trade for his client so some of that can fall on the agent's shoulders. You can't give shyt to NY for giving up everything for Melo and shyt on LA for not doing the same. Another reason why LA won't be doing deals with Mintz players
LA's getting taxed more than other teams so once again either NY was right trading for Melo or LA is right holding onto their chips. Kawhi isn't going to the Clippers
I only see one major loss (Zo over Tatum) and two other smei-losses that an agent's play a hand in(PG, Randle). You can blame them for tampering and being made to feel that way and then bending over for Randle bc they didn't have to rescind the offer but I also don't blame them from washing their hands.
The reality is they went from being the 2nd and the 10th worst team in the league the past two years to signing the best player in league and having cap space to sign two max players in 2019 with enough chips to trade for the third if they play it right. Not too many teams can maneuver into that.