The Show Must Go On: 2013-14 Los Angeles Lakers thread

[PTBG]

2:37pm: Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times seems to back up Medina’s report, hearing from a source that the idea of the Lakers taking on Bynum would be a stretch.

2:25pm: Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News throws cold water on the idea of such a deal, writing that “the Lakers would never under any circumstances” accept the proposal that Windhorst and Shelburne reported overnight. The Lakers don’t want Bynum back, and they wouldn’t even be interested in acquiring his contract just so they could waive him before the deal becomes guaranteed next week, according to Medina. The Lakers are also holding out hope that Gasol will improve his play as the season goes on.

2:19pm: The Lakers are seeking a first-round pick in a Bynum-Gasol deal, but the Cavaliers are balking at that idea, according to the Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto. If they were to trade a pick, the Cavs would be more willing to give up the Heat’s 2015 first-rounder acquired through a previous trade than surrender one of their own selections. Nonetheless, both teams are serious about striking some kind of compromise, Pluto writes.

 

[PTBG]

The Lakers are slowly accepting the idea of needing to rebuild after the knee injury to star guard Kobe Bryant, sources said. Bryant played just six games after returning from a ruptured Achilles' tendon, suffered at the end of last season.

Trading Gasol's $19 million contract, and then shedding money by waiving Bynum after a trade, would free up space under the salary cap, and therefore, allow the Lakers to focus on other moves and the offseason. In return, the Cavs would receive a productive big man whose contract comes off the books at season's end.

At least one player other than Bynum or Gasol would need to be involved, per league rules, according to the ESPN story.

 

[gho3st]

wasn't Dion Waters looking for a trade??

 

[PTBG]

wasn't Dion Waters looking for a trade??

Yea, I remember him saying that he wanted to go to the Sixers because he knows he would be "the man" on the squad. I can't see the Cav's giving Waiters to use, but I would put a top 10 protected lock for our 2014 pick for him at the very least, don't see the Lakers doing that. Would prefer wanting Thompson, but he is buddies with Kyrie. I guess we will have to settle for the salary dump and a player like Gee/Miles. This is how badly Pau's trade value has sunken.

 

[GreatestLaker]

 

[Teal.]

Look like another L tonight Wes is out

Losing people left and right

 

[PTBG]

Dumping Gasol for Bynum would represent seismic shift for Lakers

This is the NBA's new math.

In what universe would the Lakers even consider dumping a four-time All-Star in nothing more than an accounting move to save a few bucks in salary and luxury tax? In this universe, that's what -- the universe created by the 2011 collective bargaining agreement.

According to ESPN.com, the Lakers have had discussions with the Cavaliers about a trade that would send Pau Gasol to Cleveland for Andrew Bynum. The motivation? With Kobe Bryant hurt again and the Lakers clinging to slim hopes of even making the playoffs in the stacked Western Conference, LA would then waive Bynum before the other half of his $12.25 million salary becomes guaranteed on Jan. 7.

Depending on how the deal is structured, it could save the Lakers millions in salary and luxury tax this season and nudge them under the tax threshold -- which would save them from the dreaded repeater tax next season.

Rival executives are dubious that the orbital patterns of the cosmos have changed so dramatically that the Lakers would simply fold their hand and give up.

"It stinks to me," one such executive said Tuesday.

Yet in the NBA's new financial and competitive landscape, that which stinks sometimes makes sense.

When rival exec's hate our moves, I like them. Let's get the tank on overdrive.

 

[CantStop]

We need to end 2013/start 2014 with a loss against the bucks.

 

[PTBG]

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will forever be linked as Laker teammates. They won’t be linked as centerpieces of a deal, however, that would involve Gasol going to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Bynum going to the Lakers.

According to a league source familiar with the details, the Lakers would never under any circumstances accept such a proposal as reported by ESPN.com.

One, the Lakers have no desire to bring back Bynum. His role in bringing two NBA championships with the Lakers was soured with behavior issues before ultimately being part of a four-team traded that brought Dwight Howard to the Lakers last season. Bynum was also indefinitely suspended by the Cavaliers for conduct detrimental to the team. Bynum has only averaged 8.4 points on 41.9 percent shooting and 5.3 rebounds in 20 minutes.

Secondly, the Lakers aren’t keen on the deal even if it would involve immediately waiving Bynum and saving up to $20 million in payroll and luxury taxes. The Lakers would owe Bynum $6 million of his $12.3 million salary if he was waived before Jan. 7.

Third, the Lakers are currently hoping Gasol will bounce back from a sub-par season where he has averaged only 14.7 points on a career-low 44.6 percent shooting. Gasol, who is making $19.3 million in the final year of his contract, is slated to play when the Lakers (13-18) host the Milwaukee Bucks (6-24) tonight at Staples Center after sitting three of the past five games because of an upper respiratory infection. If Gasol were to be dealt, the Lakers would want far more in value. Per NBA rules, the Cavaliers would have to include another player to make the deal work.

The Lakers are decimated by injuries, including Kobe Bryant (fractured left knee), Steve Nash (nerve issues in back), Steve Blake (hyperextended right elbow) and Xavier Henry (bone bruise and tone cartilage in right knee). But the Lakers currently remain reluctant in writing this season off.

If they don't do this deal.
Cokehead Buss still thinks this team can win.

 

[PTBG]

The Lakers would owe Bynum $6 million of his $12.3 million salary if he was waived before Jan. 7.

I guess this is the deal breaker, but if they think they can get a better offer than this.

 

[PTBG]

UPDATE: The Lakers want a first-round pick from the Cavs for Gasol; both sides said to be "serious" about a deal.

 

[Kenny_Powers]

If the 1st round pick is for this year, then Better be unprotected.

We still gotta do our tanking, though.

Embiid and Smart.

 

[Hater]

Just send us the Memphis pick and it's a done deal as far as i'm concerned

 

[PTBG]

Kyrie is going to get an MRI, and if he is out for an extended period of time, I think they might enter the tank, looks like its not gonna happen.

 

[Hater]

Kyrie is going to get an MRI, and if he is out for an extended period of time, I think they might enter the tank, looks like its not gonna happen.

Didn't he come back into the game though? Should be fine..