Today is a special session related to Lakers defenders.
1. The Raptors double guard that the Lakers should pay attention to: Van Fleet & little Trent
Little Trent announced the implementation of the player option of 18.8 million, which is somewhat unexpected news. Is little Trent not confident about getting a salary higher than this in the free market? It may be possible, after all, he is not in the leading position on any track. If you want to find a defender who can play the main role, you will definitely not consider him. If you are looking for a multi-functional puzzle, you will give priority to Bruce Brown. If you want to find a fierce defender, you can consider Dillon. If you are looking for a small 3D, Di Vincenzo will be cheaper. Considering the uncertain future of the Raptors, it was a little awkward that the home team could not find a home in the market and did not tray.
However, there are many teams with space under the hat this year, and there is also a clear demand for the No. 2 position of the shooter type. The probability that little Trent can’t find the next home after jumping out is not high. Continue to play for a year and leave the suspense until next summer. For him, a player with a coffee position, he is not necessarily insured.
One possibility is that after the player option is executed, there will be an extension or extension of the contract waiting for him. Moreover, he can also be put into the deal, and many teams can match the contract of 18.8 million.
It’s hard not to be the first to associate with the Lakers.
Theoretically, the Lakers have the ability to take little Trent from the free market, but there will be extra losses for the Lakers to become the team under the hat. Unless there are really worthy stars, they should not do so. If you can get little Trent at a small price, it will be more cost-effective than becoming a team under the hat. Little Trent has been a good shooter in recent years. In the past three seasons, the three-point shooting rate of receive the ball has reached 40.7%, and there is still a certain ability to hold the ball and pitch. His defense is relatively reliable, which is a big upgrade compared with Beasley who can’t play in the playoffs.
However, compared with little Trent, the Lakers may prefer to consider van vlitt first.
Van vlitt jumped out of his 22.8 million player option. When he signed this contract at the beginning, I would worry that he had a premium risk. After all, fan vlitt’s exploitable potential was exhausted and he highly depended on the shooting efficiency. Once the hand feeling fluctuated, it is possible to hand over a disastrous season. The reality is that Van verlett’s stability is better than expected, and he is fully worthy of the price in the first three years of the 4-year 85 million-year contract.
So, then?
Van vlitt pursues a renewal contract with a starting salary of more than 30 million. We assume that the market gives him a starting salary of 30 million instead of 30 million. The tide rose, and the salary cap came to 0.136 billion in the 23-24 season. The starting salary of 30 million accounted for 22% of the salary cap, while the salary of Van Freet in the 20-21 season (the starting salary of the last contract) the proportion of wage caps at that time was. His salary increase ratio is not as exaggerated as absolute figures seem.
Of course, you can still say that he is not worth the price. The latest playoff that Van vlitt participated in was in 2022. It can be said that he could not enter or resist. His retreat due to injury was the key for the Raptors to turn 76 games. However, Van vlitt was trapped in injuries at that time. He had the highlights of the finals. Under a large sample, he was a reliable player without a ball and had qualified offensive ability of No. 1, it also has good collar resilience and counterpoint elasticity. Compared with Russell, he is obviously more compatible with the Lakers.
Compared with Harden, Van vlitt’s biggest advantage is that it will be at least 5 million cheaper. If we want to pick a backcourt leader, I will be willing to give Harden 5 million more points-assuming adding 5 million is really enough-but if we just look for the third or even fourth point of the team, he also hoped that he could undertake some defense tasks, and Van Felite had his own unique features. The most important thing is that cheap 5 million will make it easier for the Lakers to sign and change the balance, and there is also a chance not to affect the renewal of the eight villages.
However, choosing van vlitt will definitely make the Lakers unable to use the full middle class, and it is impossible to have both Van vlitt and Russell-although this is not necessary.
2. The Lakers own two defenders: Reeves & Russell
The Lakers’ handling strategy for Reeves is relatively simple:
Brainless match the market quotation.
The arenas clause has already restricted Reeves’s starting salary for next season, while the Lakers have no reason to give up Reeves who received full middle-class salary for the 23-24 season, considering the relatively loose salary environment of the Lakers after two seasons, even if the next family offered the contract structure of the 25-26 season surge, the Lakers have nothing to worry about. Because Reeves’s renewal of the contract will inevitably trigger BYC clause, it makes it difficult for him to balance in the signing and exchange transaction. Unless the next family does not want Reeves, if the Lakers have multiple contracts that can cooperate with the operation, there is no reason to put Reeves into the transaction.
The main operating focus of the Lakers is Russell.
Russell has never proved that he can perform reliably in the playoffs. The real hit rate of 51.6 percent this year is even his playoff record. He is not a qualified defender and cannot undertake any difficult defense tasks. The first thing the Lakers can think of is, of course, to regard Russell as a trading chip that can be used to sign and exchange. Most teams in the market will not take the initiative to become interested in Russell, but in some special cases, this opportunity exists:
First, other teams have players who want to leave. If they have to go to Los Angeles, in order to avoid losing assets in vain, they are willing to sign with the Lakers and get compensation, this enables Russell to play the role of the general equivalent of the alliance again-for example, Van vlitt mentioned above;
Second, feelings-will basketable nets accept Russell’s return? Russell + the 17th show as the main body, to replace Finney Smith and Royce O’Neal, wouldn’t the Lakers take off? The idea is good, but basketable Nets will have to deal with hard cap of the problems. In the case of holding the 21th and 22th shows, how interested basketable nets is in the 17th show is a question mark. Since the signing and exchange can only take place after the opening of the free market, the draft conference has passed, and there is no way to merge the three first-round signing and trading in basketable nets. But if Russell accepted a contract far below expectations and did not catch up with Lillard basketable nets, they would not consider it.
There is also a possibility that Russell, as a free agent, runs directly and does not give the Lakers any chance. For example, Spurs or rockets, after all the choices of upgrading the Guard failed, they directly threw Russell an unexpected fortune-this is unlikely.
If the Lakers fail to find a suitable choice to sign Russell in the end, they need to make the following trade-offs:
The renewal of Russell will make the Lakers unable to use the full middle class. Of course, if the Lakers can really Press Russell’s starting salary to 20 million or less, the situation will be different. Holding a contract of this volume and cooperating with this year’s rookie can become a bargaining chip for future transactions;
The meaning of the full middle class is that you can go to the market to find the front line and strengthen the inner line. Although the free market’s full middle-level front line and inside line are very limited this year, if you hold such a special case in your hand, as a qualified team aiming for the Championship, you should do the following two things routinely:
Quote Grant Williams. Although walkers will easily offer a price higher than the full middle class, and Ge Wei’s psychological expectation will be higher than this price, but what if?
Quote Bruce Brown. Nothing to say, weakening the opponent is to strengthen yourself.
In addition, if brother Ma prefreezes in the market, he can also try to take him home in full. However, this possibility is almost zero. After all, add some price and keep it for yourself. Brush the data and then sell it. This is the most favorite business of Wizards.
3. The ultimate dream of the Lakers: Lavin & droozan
What is the market price of Lavin?
Bill next door bought a cabbage price. They were close to each other and both had a touching career time. Other conditions are compared as follows:
Bill is 29.9 and Lavin is 28.2;
Bill 23-24 season salary 46.7 million, Lavin 40.1 million, both contracts expire in the summer of 2027, both have player options;
Both of them have 15% of the trading margin, but Bill still has the trading veto power and Lavin does not.
Lavin’s contract will be superior to Bill’s, and the asking price will naturally be higher. However, the bull will encounter a ruin situation after the “nuclear war”. After all kinds of winning teams are coming together, how many teams can take out the rich chips to pursue Lavin? Most of the picks have been in the hands of several reconstruction teams, and these teams will not be interested in Lavin.
If the Heat succeeds in stealing Lillard, the bull’s expectation is that there will be Kings and Knicks next home. They have needs and chips. Boss Cai is another hidden strength buyer in the market. After all, Simmons + Harris earned everything. Later, it will be intentional every day. There are several brothers who are cleaner than their faces.
Although the chips are not as good as those in front, the Lakers are not without a chance to ask Lavin. However, compared with the difficulty of pursuing, the cost of acquiring Lavin will be even higher. The Lakers at least need to correct the contract of one of Bamba and Beasley, give Russell a contract, and then have the basic conditions to match Lavin. After that, the Lakers’ salary will go straight to the second hard cap. In the 24-25 season, only heavy eyebrows, James, Lavin, Reeves and eight villages, five people may get 0.165 billion salaries.
From another point of view, it is not a way of thinking to save a core lineup before the new labor agreement is gradually implemented. You should also like the ball-free compatibility of the former Lakers’ core five-member group. In terms of providing ball-free firepower, Lavin is stronger than all the discussions in this article.
However, since DeRozan is also available, will he be a more suitable candidate?
Drozan is a stronger attacker. His existence will raise the counterposition pressure of the opponent’s anti-Lakers to another level, and the Lakers have also proved that their overall player and medium distance ability, can tolerate three disadvantages to the greatest extent in the multi-player lineup.
None of these matters-DeRozan only needs 28.6 million next season. Theoretically, Russell +17 show will have a chance to balance. It is difficult to estimate the specific chips, and derazan will be very popular. Pursuing him is obviously a short-term operation, and you may not be willing to use the forward first round on him. In this case, the chips that the Lakers can take out are the 17th rookie + Russell + several rounds, and there are many teams that can take out chips at this level. If the transaction takes place on the trading deadline and derazan wants to go to the Lakers very much, he hopes it will be even bigger.
So, what about Owen?
Let’s say:
Owen can basically provide all the advantages mentioned above;
However, Owen also has the difficulty of all the operational levels mentioned above. Owen’s departure from basketable nets has nothing to do with money. It is unrealistic to expect him to significantly reduce his salary. It takes a lot of effort to sign and replace him, which adds great salary pressure to the future of the Lakers, however, he is not young enough, and he is also looking for short-term achievements when he comes here.
Owen may be a perfect answer to the Lakers in basketball competition, but he is undoubtedly the worst answer in basketball operation (and non-basketball factors).