[TSFH Fan]

Some thought Kobe telling him he'll be like Pau turned him off too.

Shoot, we could invite Vic the Brick and some bamboo to one of these recruiting visits and get the same results -- but more fun to read about.

Sucks not having a first draft pick next year but I'm hoping FAs see the Lakers as more desirable this time next year.

BUT . . . this offseason isn't over yet.

[TSFH Fan]

I'll link this here, just because of the title:
LaMarcus Aldridge Meeting with the Lakers Again, Kobe Bryant Not Invited
http://forums.lakersground.net/viewtopi ... c&start=25
http://thebiglead.com/2015/07/02/lamarc ... be-bryant/

[Elvis]

[Rams Dominate]

https://twitter.com/BillPlaschke/status/616768652373704704

I'm thinking Kobe may have thought he was saying complimentary stuff to L.A., so maybe its back to Cousins if we whiff on L.A., I hate having to give up players & or draft picks though...

[snackdaddy]

LMA is going to San Antonio. They're already pretty tough. Gonna be even tougher. Or stay tough for a while when Duncan retires. The best big men are pretty much out of the picture for the Lakers. They aren't the destination they used to be when it comes to free agents.

I'm wondering if maybe they oughta try and tank for one more year and get another high pick. They gotta be in the top 5 or they lose the pick to Philly because of the Nash trade with Phoenix. Its top 5 protected. At some point they have to give it up by 2018. I hope they don't suck just enough to be the number 6 pick and lose it. I was hoping they'd be a playoff team and it wouldn't be that bad to lose the pick.

They'll probably be bad enough to lose over 50 games. If that is the case, I'd rather they lose over 60. That would assure a top 5 pick. I would rather they stop trading away picks and build through the draft. The CBA was designed so the big market teams couldn't just lure the best players with more money. Building through the draft and keeping the good players is the best way to build a winner these days. Lakers are going to have to go through the growing pains like any other rebuilding team.

[Hacksaw]

LA (not Los Angeles) is 30. His days are numbered. He'd help us now but not for long. We have a nice young squad once Kobe hangs them up so LA would only bee a stop gap. The Lakers aren't currently on top of the food chain but with patients and wise cap management, they will get back up there. LA draws players period but wanting to win it all trumps LA. (see Cleveland)
IMO, when Kobe splits, we will replace him with 2 quality players to put us over the top. Next year everyone. This upcoming season will be a stretch for the playoffs but the addition of Roy Hibbert will help.

[Rams Dominate]

Nice post Hacksaw, I agree with your summation & I also agree that no matter what, the Lakers are a team that draws players just because & always will, maybe it's because Hollywood is right around the corner...

[moklerman]

Just to update for those who aren't keeping track: the Lakers traded for C Roy Hibbert and supposedly are going to sign G Lou Williams.

No Aldridge, Love, Cousins or Jordan.

[Hacksaw]

Free agent Lou Williams has agreed to a 3-year, $21 million deal with Lakers

Williams was 4th in the league last year in ISO possessions scoring 0.97 Points Per Possession.
For comparison, here are some other top players.
Harden (#1 in attempts): 1.01, Lebron: 0.93, Tyrke Evans: 0.80, Westbrook: 0.86

Also Celtics free agent forward Brandon Bass to sign with the Lakers,,,,,

and fresh from agreeing to a trade with the Indiana Pacers for Roy Hibbert, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly working on another blockbuster trade, this time possibly for Chicago Bulls big man Taj Gibson

Williams, 28, averaged a career-best 15.5 points in 80 games this past season.
Hibbert, 28, averaged 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 76 games with the Pacers.
Bass, 30, started 39 games games for the Celtics, averaging 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game.

Young, Kelly and Sacre are all involved or could be traded.

The Lakers just got bigger, quicker and our bench got deeper. I don't think they're done yet either. The team has a nice blend of youth and vet's and many of the vet's (( especially Hibbert) are in the last year so if they aren't working out, we don't re up and go for Durant, Westbrooks and others when Kobe is off the books / roster.

[snackdaddy]

Williams, Bass and Hibbert are an upgrade. But how much of an upgrade depends on Kobe and the youngsters. If Kobe can stay healthy all year I can see them being a .500 team or better. But if they want to be a playoff contender, Russell and Randle will have to play like they're not rookies. We'll have to wait and see how it works out.

Hibbert isn't a done deal but it sounds like its just a matter of finalizing things. There was a time when I thought he was the best center in the league. I don't know what happened with him. He's still young. Hopefully he just needs a change of scenery. If he can get back to what he was a couple years ago that would be a steal for them.

Williams and Bass will likely be bench players. They can both be quality backups. A good bench is a necessity for any playoff team. But there are some ifs involved in order for them to be a playoff contender. Can the youngsters play like they're capable? Can Kobe stay healthy? Will Hibbert find his mojo again? As long as the Hibbert deal doesn't fall through I see some hope on the horizon.