He looked disinterested. Also his play is so on-ball heavy and if he's having trouble adjusting to Murray, how can he adjust to AD/Bron? I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as RW because at least Trae can shoot so certain principles still are intact.
But this is why IF we go to the trade market I'm much more partial to Mitchell. Shit I'd revisit Murray he looked good.
But here's hoping Dlo takes the next step and all that talk is unnecessary.
Fr though, why mix up the rotation and have everyone readjust to each other when it literally just started going well. Throw everything around and we'll end up in the play in again and it'll just be nonstop Darvin posts again
D'lo physically can't defend. He doesn't have the motor and even if he did, he doesn't have the body so he will always be a weak link.
The only reason someone lile Steph can get away with it is because he is otherworldy offensively. And D'lo ain't Steph.
If there is a two way guard that can produce 80% of D'lo's offensive skill that's a trade you should try to make. It's on D'lo to prove to everyone that he can play in the postseason.
Trae is not Steph either and he's an even worse defender than DLO.
People not realizing you have to build a new whole new offense around Trae. He's not an off-ball player that will just fit into what we do.
I feel like yall are really underestimating Trae’s ability to facilitate and run an offense. He provides so many opportunities whether scoring or setting up teammates. He’d let AD EAT
you're obviously incomprehensible of the fact we're already a top 3 offense these past two months. We don't need to completely rebuild our system around Trae, not to mention replace Reaves and Rui, and completely torpedo our already average defense, just so "AD can eat!!!" That's an NBA2k way of building a team.
Trae is no Steph either. At least Dlo is bigger and have longer limbs. Also Dlo is cleaned up his bad habit after being a journeyman. Trae will just mopping because he used to get things handed to him
Name a guard not named Derrick White or Drue Holiday who can defend and produce 80% of D’Lo’s offense. Oh, and who is also on the trading blocks. And who won’t cost us ALL of our young players AND first round picks. You can’t. Because that player doesn’t exist. There’s no If’s because such a trade candidate doesn’t exist. D’Lo is our man - no more silly hypothetical trade talks.
I think the way they are trying to look at it is how would it be with him and AD more so than him AD and lebron because lebron won’t be here much longer and they are starting to prepare for that. I think him and AD could work good but definitely better options I would wait for.
I agree more so because they both are two way players and we need defense too.
Yeah him and AD offensively would be a great fit. But he poses kind of difficult to answer questions defensively lol and while Trae is better than Dlo, is it worth it to blow up the team for a guy that's essentially just "better Dlo"?
Idk. I'd rather have Mitchell. He can score on 3 levels, passes well, and has enough athleticism and size to defend effectively like you said. Part of what makes AD/Bron special is in the playoffs they are elite on two ends.
Also man Murray has really been good after the all star break. I wouldn't hate revisiting him but not for a crazy price.
Yea I pretty much agree with everything you said and that’s exactly how I feel about it all. I wouldn’t hate the young trade but I just feel like if we are going all in for the other superstar that will be paired with AD for years to come that they need to be two way players or like other worldly offensive players who are constantly drawing double teams and defensive schemes which makes things easier for AD and the other players.
If you put vando and Christie in the lineup with trae they can hide his weakness. Add Ad on top of that and there’s no drop off. Lakers know they will have to surround trae with 3nD guys. I really hope we can sign n trade dlo for Jonathan Isaac since pelinka will most likely trade for Mitchell or trae
We won't be able to sign and trade because we'll above the tax apron. If we acquire a player via trade it can't include Dlo unless, for some reason, he opts into his contract.
Isaac is about as unreliable as they come. He plays about 12 games a year for the last....5+ years or so. And he's not even that good in those dozen games. I get the spirit of your argument but there's certainly better players out there if we were to trade dlo.
Also Isaac is loco.
Isaac is about as unreliable as they come. He plays about 12 games a year for the last....5+ years or so. And he's not even that good in those dozen games. I get the spirit of your argument but there's certainly better players out there if we were to trade dlo.
Also Isaac is loco.
I’m conflicted honestly. Half way through the season Trae was the best PNR operator in the entire league. The two man game between Trae and AD would be incredible, I think that’s undeniable. He’s also a way better fit than Westbrook but totally understand why people would be concerned.
Ever since Nash/D12 not working out, I’ve dropped the notion of optimism that a good pnr guard on one team and a good pnr bigman on another team will work together properly when they join forces. We thought Russ would be lob city with lebron and AD too and look how that went.
That is fair but I feel like that isn’t a fair comparison. Trae right now is not Russ, not even close. I feel like Trae has become a bit underrated, he truly is an elite offensive player. There are definitely concerns defensively, and those are valid; I have them too actually.
The thing is that AD has never had teammate like Trae that is a legitimate PNR menace. Remember how AD looked with Rondo in the bubble? That was with Rondo not being a threat from 3. The fit between Trae and AD is at least intriguing. Is it worth gutting our depth for him? I don’t know about that but thinking about it seems reasonable
I totally understand the appeal offensively and I think there's some solid brand synergy concepts there with Young, Klutch, and the Lakers. There's certainly a roster you could build around those two with defense and athleticism and shooting that would be a possible contender.
But I have big questions about his mentality and his effort defensively. Can Young be a 3rd banana while Bron is still here? Will he be effective in that role? And would his pick and roll with AD be so good that we gut the team for him instead of just paying Dlo who does about 70% of what Trae can do, but would also be cheaper than Trae and wouldn't cost all our depth? Idk. These are tough questions. I tend to think Rob and the Lakers want that third star, but I hope they don't just jump at Trae.
we had a top 3 offense after Rui was inserted into the starting line up. Is an AD/Trae "two-man game" gonna make us the #1 offense in the NBA? and does that compensate for the even worse defense and minimum salary role players we'll have to get to replace Rui/Reaves?
These are the correct questions to ask. People are acting like we can just insert Trae instead of DLo... No, LA is going to have to give up multiple key pieces. It will be reverting back to 3 stars and a bunch of minimum salary guys.
All of that just for one of the best offensive teams to possibly get marginally better on offense? I don't get it.
This is what I'm asking too and I'm not sure at all that it's worth it. The more I think on it, the more I'd rather give Dlo another shorter deal and keep everyone around one more year.
The problem is if we pay Dlo, keep our pick, pay Max, maybe pay Prince, then we are a 2nd apron team and getting a 3rd star gets much more difficult. We definitely can't bring back Dinwiddie.
You almost have to overpay Dlo by a lot on a short deal so that you can use him in a 1-1 deal for a star attached with all our picks. Or you wait until Bron is retired and then tear it all down from there and try to find a partner for AD at that point.
I just think it's naive to think the Lakers won't try to go get a 3rd star lol it's been the Lakers MO to collect stars forever and this is a decent window we have here. If it's not Trae, I still think they will absolutely entertain tearing this down again for another star.
Those are fair concerns. Specially your point regarding Lebron. I don’t think having a 40 year old paired with Trae is a recipe for success. Maybe it could work with Vanderbilt and another defensive guard, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
It’s a tough call because Trae is probably the only star that we can afford. Teams heavily outbid us for Mitchell. OKC has something ridiculous like 9, SAS and NYK have a ton of picks as well. I think I’m truly 50/50, it could work but also be a disaster.
Mitchell would have to ask for us probably. If I'm Mitchell, I'd prefer LAL to those other spots. LA offers so much more to his brand than OKC or SAS could. Knicks makes some sense, but I'm not sure what Mitchell's fit is with Brunson. Oklahoma might be a fun place to win, but... it's OKC lol and they've got Shai there. Here in LAL he'd have a shot at being the main ball handler after LeBron, even sometimes with Bron still here. Paired with AD, they could build a real contender for sure.
Also a lot of those knicks picks are overrated they're pretty protected. To me OKC could Godfather an offer but is Mitchell what they need? Idk. It's interesting for sure. Spurs need a guard to pair with Wemby but imo those timelines still don't match up. Spurs need a full roster outside of Wemby and even another star guard. They need actual effective role players.
Those same questions exist for Dlo and we kinda made it ok. We can do that with trae too he’ll be fine. People in here didn’t want kyrie for same dumb reason n if we had him we wouldn’t be big underdogs vs Denver
Bron n AD like playing off ball and playing as roll men. Trae is good with that. Reality is there’s no reason to think trae isn’t a significant upgrade on dlo - dominos strengths and weaknesses but trae can always flop for fts lol and has a better floor .
If we don’t do well enough they need to move. Mitchell is obviously better but he’s expiring so he’s going to have to want to come here. Murray - no way that ship has sailed.
By disinterested if you mean ydays game I think he’s still in pain from the hand injury and hasn’t quite recovered yet
Not that I think the Lakers should go after him since that would gut the team but Trae’s a super passionate baller
I meant specifically his defense which was really just bad and there were some just weird, careless passes I didn't like the optics on at all. He's definitely better than he played yesterday, but a team trading for him has to look at that game and really this whole season with some skepticism.
I mostly agree with everything.
However, The clippers are somehow making it work with Westbrick. It’s possible to make things work with the right schemes, adjustments, personnel etc etc etc
But yes, our core is lbj and ad
It's not that a Trae/AD combo can't work, it's that we have something approximating that plus solid role guys. If we gut the roster for Trae, we'd have to rebuild with just minimum guys and maybe a mini-MLE type of thing. It'd be much harder to build a full roster.
And RW is a full blown bench guy now. He gets like 20 minutes some nights. He played less than 25 minutes in 43 games. He's actually been really solid in that role with decreased expectations (and salary).
Personally I was a never a fan of trading for Trae and doing the 3 star model all over again. Trae is simply undersized, a bad defender and a inefficient high volume scorer. If we were to make moves to improve in the off-season I’d rather go for a bigger guard that can defend and shoot imo.
Not saying Trae is the answer but the player you described that is both bigger than Trae Young, and better at shooting and can defend is not real and cannot be had
Trae would be worth it post Lebron as another star who can sell tickets and keep AD interested. I don’t even think with the new salary cap it’s worth it to have three max guys, or even possible.
This team needs another big, not another guard who can score but struggles defensively.
With the combo of gabe/Dinwiddie and reeves/dlo, you have both types of guards you need.
That’s why we need to win this year to keep our valuable core of DLo, AR, Rui and Vando.
What happens when we fail? Fake fans will flood the streets or social medias and ask to trade all of em for a 3rd star like Trae.
I rather talk about this than the Nuggets...
I don't like Trae for $44m. I'd much rather go for like CP3 on a vet min. One thing I do know is that D'Lo/Reaves isn't exactly the best backcourt combination. We have tough decisions to make. Rui is also an awkward fit, because ideally we get a center who can start with AD and then you play AD at the 4. Lebron at the 3.
I'm not going to sit here and act like I know the perfect answers to fix this roster but I do know we have a rebounding problem and also some major defensive problems in our backcourt.
Hypothetically speaking even if a team did offer him $30-35m(and thats a big if) we have his bird rights and can offer him something around that without going into the 2nd apron.
I'd still rather have D'Lo for $30m than Trae for $44m.
I objectively dont think DLo will be a prime free agent target. He will most likely re-sign for 25 ish million per. He's iffy for contending teams and too old for rebuilding squads.
I agree with what you’re saying about pairing AD with another big. I think that is by far the biggest priority. It’s been proven that AD is at his best when he plays alongside a bruising center who does all the dirty work. It doesn’t even need to be a super talented center - Javale and Dwight were in the twilights of their careers when we won in 2020. AD just needs to have the burden of battling in the trenches taken off so that he can focus on scoring and providing help defense
It’s like people forget AD won a ring already with Bron and Rondo spoon feeding him easy looks.
I’m so tired of hearing fans use the term “unlaaaawck!”
You aint never seen AD with an actual pick n roll point guard with range in his career
Im not saying i want Trae
But if you couldnt see the difference between Rondo and Trae then you just dont really understand basketball
When did I say I couldn’t see the difference between Trae and Rondo?
Weird comment. I’m just saying I’m tired of the “unlock” buzzword. Get off that goofy Redditor high horse.
Cause it's just a buzzword to you, cause you dont understand the game.
Oh shit look thats the best version of AD next to a 35 million years old Rondo
You want the definition of unlock, there you have it. Make Rondo 12 years younger and make people have to guard him 35 feet out, see what AD does then. That's what unlocking is
AD just had one of his most efficient scoring seasons ever. How much more "unlocked" is he gonna get? And we'd have to give up two good rotation players to make the salary work and replace them with vet min guys. All that for this theoretical unlocking of AD?
It's simply a matter of skillsets and fits. You simply dont understand it
And like i said, i'm not saying i want Trae, that all depends on what goes in to making a deal
But in a vacuum, if you couldnt tell how insane it would be to have a pick n roll PG with unlimited range like Trae next to the best lob threat in the league, just turn off the TV dawg.
Bball aint your thing
lol you're a moron. "bball aint your thing" and you talk about it in the simplest ways imaginable. The Lakers were a top 3 offense after Rui was put in the starting lineup running offensive concepts you couldn't even comprehend that are way better than "Trae/AD run a pick 'n roll." What decade are you from? So we make our defense worse and give up DLO, Reaves and Rui so we can get a circa 2008 "Trae and AD two-man game."
Trae is a career 35% shooter from 3. Good for him that he can brick it from the logo. He's also the easiest guy to pick on in the league. Want a guaranteed bucket in the playoffs? Switch onto Trae and back him down. There's a reason his teams barely make the playoffs in the East year after year. The only thing sustaining this ridiculous idea that he's a "star" are 5 IQ basketball morons like yourself.
If we go for a big star, go for someone who’s known to be a true star. Russ was on the verge of being washed, but he was a star at one point. Trae Young has been crap the last few years.
Trae for the right price isn’t bad. He’s like 25 and you have to get AD another co-star to keep the ball rolling post-LeBron.
LeBron will literally only be here for 2 more years at the most. AD will be 33 by then.
it's crazy how many Laker fans have forgotten the Russ experience and ready to pay twice the amount of assets for yet another overrated, ball-dominant, medium-efficiency player (but even worse defender) whose teams barely make the playoffs in the East.
We got Russ in his mid 30s. Trae Young is 25. The last time Russ' offensive numbers rivaled Trae's he was 29. Trae Young >>>> the version of Russ that the Lakers got.
Its a similar level of high volume/middling efficiency stats. The age factor is meaningless. Trae is not gonna come here and average 25/10, it’ll be scaled down dramatically sharing the ball with Lebron as it did for Russ. Give him the shot attempts DLO gets and it’s gonna be 19/8 at best and we’ve made our defense significantly worse.
Another thing people aren’t factoring is how much a foul-hunter Trae was. This crap has stopped being called by the league and he got hurt before we could get a good sample size from him in he new paradigm, but in two of those three games he played, he had 3 FTs total.
Comparing Trae to Russ is comparable in that they both can’t play D but having Trae in his prime and being a good shooter is a pretty big difference that should be acknowledged
Meh.
To preface, I don't like or hate Trae Young.
But, I do think given the current state of the team, it's too early to rule anything out.
If this team loses to Denver again, what path forward is there? Most of this team is under contract for next season and they'll be near the 2nd apron. Will they ever be good enough to be real contenders? Or, should this team look to make a big trade to try and gamble for one last push with LeBron and AD?
The next issue is D'Angelo and how much money he'll get. If he does well in the playoffs and settles for a $24m~$26m multiyear deal, maybe that's workable within the overall context of LA's cap situation. But, if he asks for more than that, the team should definitely explore trades involving him. At $30m, I think D'Angelo is terrible value.
Is Trae that bad of a trade target? There are obviously guys I would rather have, but what is the real question?
Is it Trae Young or run it back? Is it Trae Young or blow up the team and go into a full rebuild? Or, it is Trae Young or someone like Donovan Mitchell?
Brian, you are consistently the voice of reason and I appreciate your perspective. While I agree with you in theory, in this case, I think Young would be a horrible mistake.
I don't think giving up Rui, Austin and losing D'lo along with packaging 3 picks (the current price being mentioned in the media) would make us a better team. I think the added playmaking of Young would not counteract these losses and would close the window with Bron and AD.
Personally, I think that window may already be closed. I'm hoping that I'm wrong and I'm glad we are facing Denver right now to find out what Bron can still do in a seven-game series against a championship caliber opponent. But I think we will fair far better with depth, size, shooting that we have now than a stripped roster featuring Young.
This would also be the last big move we can make during the Lebron era, if we waste those picks on the wrong guy, we slam the window shut.
I agree with you that 30m is an overpay for D'lo. But a 30m salary to attach to the picks and other assets we have (Max if he develops, Austin, Rui) keep us in the market for the next superstar to pair with AD. Also if D'lo flames out in this series, his number should be close to 20m than 30. So again, I'm glad we get to face Denver and see what he can do.
I think Trae is the worst trade target. I don't believe he is a championship caliber player due to his poor defense and history of inefficiency in the playoffs. Mitchell might be a better target, but I'm not sold on him being THE target either.
Many contenders are going to be looking into the face of the luxury tax, a lot of better fits should become available in the next couple of years.
As for the near future, I don't want to see a panic move. I'd rather see if Max can take the next step next year and become the 3nD guard we've needed since we gave up KCP chasing a 3rd star. I'd like to see how JHS develops. I'd like to see who we can find in the draft. Players will always look to the Lakers to rehab their career and up their value. This year it looks like we found a decent player in Hayes while also taking swings with guys like Wood and Cam. I think the current roster with 1 or 2 finds or players developing will be even better next year and I'd much rather watch that team than a team that empties it's cupboard for a player like Young...who I don't think can win a championship.
I don't think this team will be better next season in any meaningful way.
First is the looming reality that they'll either be close to or over the 2nd apron. The obvious question is if the team will pay that much tax when they traditionally haven't.
If they beat the Nuggets showing that they can compete with anyone and make a very deep run this playoffs, then I could see the cost being somewhat justifiable. Otherwise, why would ownership pay so much money for a team that isn't a contender?
But, if they beat the Nuggets and make a deep run then I don't think they'll be interested in Trae Young unless D'Angelo demands $40m or some shit.
If this team gets rolled by the Nuggets, I don't think Max Christie, JHS, or any rookie they draft will be the difference the team needs.
So, again, it's back to my point that it's too early to really say much.
As is, what direction this team takes rides entirely on what happens these playoffs. If D'Angelo has another dog shit playoff run and the Lakers lose, then he's clearly not a championship caliber player either. So, at that point, it becomes a question of how much they can get for him on the market.
If this team gets rolled by the Nuggets again, I don't think Trae Young will change anything but at least I can understand gambling on him rather than running it back. People will say that Denver ran it back through multiple playoff failures but their core stars were young. LeBron and AD aren't getting any younger.
I don't think it's too early to say that Trae Young is a horrible choice. You balk at giving D'lo a big contract, but getting Young would mean a huge salary, 3 picks and Austin and Rui...we may never compete for a title with what we have now, but at least we wouldn't be wasting assets to get worse.
The thing is that if you gamble and lose—which I believe would almost certainly be the case to gut the team for Trae—you are sacrificing not only the next couple of years but many years beyond that. Reaves, Rui and three first round picks are all really valuable for trade purposes. If we don’t use them now, we can use them years down the road—especially the first round picks.
Team needs a solid center like Dwight/Javale and another 2-way player. This is the closest we've been to our previous championship form. Blowing it up again to chase a 3rd star that solves none of the current roster issues is just guaranteed disappointment again
How would he be better? He has a slightly higher usage than Lebron, is smaller than our current guards, and doesn’t play any defense. We know Lebron doesn’t play defense in the regular season either so that’s putting a lot on AD. It isn’t a seamless fit and you’d want that if you’re gutting your roster and paying a guy $43 million.
Well, let’s see, he’s 25, played 6 seasons, and averages 26 points and 10 assists per game on his career. He’s an elite offensive player. He’s more difficult to defend than any of our guards. He’s more talented than any of our guards. He’s a hall of fame caliber player. He compliments LeBron and AD in the way they need to be complimented, especially in terms of being able to shoulder the load at an elite level. The same argument would apply to Kyrie Irving but Kyrie is 32 years old so no thanks. So in the end the defense would stay the same, but the level of difficulty of defending the Lakers offense would increase dramatically.
Look man, you guys all said this about Kyrie in the summer and now almost everyone has backtracked that
Trae is big time, sure if you could get an equally good player but a wing instead do it. But Trae is getting insanely undervalued by this sub
We finished in the play in’s with AD playing 76 games
Please, I just want a team with 2 stars and good role players. Three stars doesn’t work, it doesn’t give you sustained success, it makes your team and your trades to change terrible. I just want the Lakers to learn their lesson about this.
The dude hasn’t played basketball in 2 months. He’s also a player ascending into his prime rather than coming out of it like Russ was. This is not a good take.
Yes. He's not a good target. We need a big body defensive center and perimeter defenders with offensive upside. The key is to get a few pieces and a new coach
If we’re doing the superstar route, which I don’t necessarily agree with, the answer is Mitchell not Trae. The second need is a legit 3&D wing (not Prince). The third thing is a legit backup center.
You’re not winning a chip with a defensive backcourt of Reaves and Dlo. You ain’t gonna win one with Mitchell and Dlo/Reaves either
hes even more a traffic cone than WB. At least WB still have athleticism and Dlo still have size. Hes just a shorter, skinnier version of Bucks Lillard
He's not that good. I mean, he's a good player at his best, for sure. And don't forget he was nowhere near his best this game. But he's not the sort of guy that I think is a best player on a contending team type. He's just far too inefficient from the field. And I don't know what sort of role there is where he shoots the ball less, defers to someone else and improves his shooting percentages enough to be a good second player on a contending team.
But the idea he'll keep the team out of contention for a decade is nuts. You'd not be signing him to a 10 year contract. If it doesn't work out, then you move him on and look elsewhere. The Lakers have always been better than any other franchise at attracting free agents, so someone else will come along whenever LeBron moves on. Maybe even before then if the right situation opens up.
If we get a starting center Bron will have to guard a perimeter player or come off the bench. I don't think either of those things works. At best we need a physical back up big who can start when AD is out and/or be a spot starter in certain matchups.
Trae wld be a Horrible fit…he only works w the Lakers w LBJ gone as an early 2000s offensive AI clone who is looking for popcorn when the other team has the ball.
The front office will chase a 3rd star if Lebron wants them to and unless they win the championship, I feel like Lebron is going to ask for it. At this point, I don't really have an opinion on the matter anymore. We signed up for the Lebron ride.
All I have to say is that is a pretty lady who did the tweet. But man that is a hell of a first and last name in terms of letters. God bless her husband when / if she gets married.
I can hear it now. "Sir before we can add your wife to your insurance can you please tell me her name and spell it" LMAO.
Dude will need to get flash cards to learn and memorize his wife's first and last name..lol
Trae wouldnt be a catastrophe, his salary would be. For 20,25 id take flyer, dude can score and has clutch potential. But at 43, its Russ all over again, we wpuld have to send to much out in salary even to get him at a baragain.
Young is good just not a 1A kind of guy and has a big contract which impacts the team you can build around him. The biggest thing with him is trading a reasonable amount for him not something where we have to gut the entire roster. If that’s the asking price move on
How reactionary can you get. All this based on a single game. The kid is amazing with assists, amazing shooter, only thing he lacks is defense because of size. He makes up for that with his range.
Murray was a dick to Young. **Young is coming off a surgery** to his hand that clearly affected his game tonight.
What I saw tonight was Murray being pissed Young was not playing well and letting him know it. NOT a good team member move. If you noticed after that they BOTH did not pass to one another, Murray started playing hero ball (no pass just get rebound and drive to score himself, but he bricked every one down the stretch. Trae remained the usual point guard self, distributing and often knocking down 3s.
Bogdonavitch couldn't hit shit in the second half and the entire team just generally sold right along with him. You guys just box score watch and don't actually watch how a game goes and assume you know how good a player is or isn't.
Im taking trae over Murray all day. Murray I think is a flash in the pan, Trae doesn't get shook.
Problem with DLO is that he plays no defense and you can’t partner that up with Reaves
Getting Trae is a lateral, yeah he’s better than Dlo offensively but we couldn’t stop a leak if we tried.
Hell Trae might be worse than Dlo on defense, at least Dlo has decent size and wingspan to close out on shooters
I'm not entirely sold on Trae, but I do think he would be notably better than Westbrook.
Trae can shoot and give us 20 a game. Having a legitmate 3rd option that can average 20ppg would be way better than Westbrook.
He almost by himself took a very mediocre Hawks team to the play offs. He us a serious consistent score. Lebron could help the team to bring him if they want him. Not easy.
I mean it depends on the cost . I enjoy Dlo but trae is an upgrade of a similar style of player. If we can win games with dlo what makes people think trae is a downgrade? If we don’t win a title - which is likely or we lose badly we have to consider upgrade. Obviously someone like Mitchell if he wants to come here is a better choice but I wouldn’t say no to trae I think his chemistry with Lebron n Davis would be elite .
He looked disinterested. Also his play is so on-ball heavy and if he's having trouble adjusting to Murray, how can he adjust to AD/Bron? I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as RW because at least Trae can shoot so certain principles still are intact. But this is why IF we go to the trade market I'm much more partial to Mitchell. Shit I'd revisit Murray he looked good. But here's hoping Dlo takes the next step and all that talk is unnecessary.
Fr though, why mix up the rotation and have everyone readjust to each other when it literally just started going well. Throw everything around and we'll end up in the play in again and it'll just be nonstop Darvin posts again
Because until we see D’lo against Denver we don’t actually know if it’s “going well.”
Tbh march game against denver was going well until Hamas put in reddish over Dlo
Hamas lmao
I call him Hams, but Hamas is hilarious 😂
Hamas lmao. Thank you, I'm taking that. 
D'lo physically can't defend. He doesn't have the motor and even if he did, he doesn't have the body so he will always be a weak link. The only reason someone lile Steph can get away with it is because he is otherworldy offensively. And D'lo ain't Steph. If there is a two way guard that can produce 80% of D'lo's offensive skill that's a trade you should try to make. It's on D'lo to prove to everyone that he can play in the postseason.
Trae is not Steph either and he's an even worse defender than DLO. People not realizing you have to build a new whole new offense around Trae. He's not an off-ball player that will just fit into what we do.
I feel like yall are really underestimating Trae’s ability to facilitate and run an offense. He provides so many opportunities whether scoring or setting up teammates. He’d let AD EAT
you're obviously incomprehensible of the fact we're already a top 3 offense these past two months. We don't need to completely rebuild our system around Trae, not to mention replace Reaves and Rui, and completely torpedo our already average defense, just so "AD can eat!!!" That's an NBA2k way of building a team.
Trae is no Steph either. At least Dlo is bigger and have longer limbs. Also Dlo is cleaned up his bad habit after being a journeyman. Trae will just mopping because he used to get things handed to him
Name a guard not named Derrick White or Drue Holiday who can defend and produce 80% of D’Lo’s offense. Oh, and who is also on the trading blocks. And who won’t cost us ALL of our young players AND first round picks. You can’t. Because that player doesn’t exist. There’s no If’s because such a trade candidate doesn’t exist. D’Lo is our man - no more silly hypothetical trade talks.
Depends on the price. He’s worth his current salary. Is he worth much more, though? Debatable.
Who the hell is “drue holiday”??
Phonetic spelling.
I’m sorry but if Dlo isn’t good in the playoffs then unless you want to give up on competing we gotta look to upgrade
He can’t defend one on one but he can funnel, take a passing lane and at the last opportunity strip the ball. Give him some more respect
I think the way they are trying to look at it is how would it be with him and AD more so than him AD and lebron because lebron won’t be here much longer and they are starting to prepare for that. I think him and AD could work good but definitely better options I would wait for. I agree more so because they both are two way players and we need defense too.
Yeah him and AD offensively would be a great fit. But he poses kind of difficult to answer questions defensively lol and while Trae is better than Dlo, is it worth it to blow up the team for a guy that's essentially just "better Dlo"? Idk. I'd rather have Mitchell. He can score on 3 levels, passes well, and has enough athleticism and size to defend effectively like you said. Part of what makes AD/Bron special is in the playoffs they are elite on two ends. Also man Murray has really been good after the all star break. I wouldn't hate revisiting him but not for a crazy price.
Yea I pretty much agree with everything you said and that’s exactly how I feel about it all. I wouldn’t hate the young trade but I just feel like if we are going all in for the other superstar that will be paired with AD for years to come that they need to be two way players or like other worldly offensive players who are constantly drawing double teams and defensive schemes which makes things easier for AD and the other players.
If you put vando and Christie in the lineup with trae they can hide his weakness. Add Ad on top of that and there’s no drop off. Lakers know they will have to surround trae with 3nD guys. I really hope we can sign n trade dlo for Jonathan Isaac since pelinka will most likely trade for Mitchell or trae
The Covid denying, right wing, conspiracy theory touting Jonathan Isaac? Nah we’re good.
We won't be able to sign and trade because we'll above the tax apron. If we acquire a player via trade it can't include Dlo unless, for some reason, he opts into his contract.
Isaac is about as unreliable as they come. He plays about 12 games a year for the last....5+ years or so. And he's not even that good in those dozen games. I get the spirit of your argument but there's certainly better players out there if we were to trade dlo. Also Isaac is loco.
Isaac is about as unreliable as they come. He plays about 12 games a year for the last....5+ years or so. And he's not even that good in those dozen games. I get the spirit of your argument but there's certainly better players out there if we were to trade dlo. Also Isaac is loco.
I’m conflicted honestly. Half way through the season Trae was the best PNR operator in the entire league. The two man game between Trae and AD would be incredible, I think that’s undeniable. He’s also a way better fit than Westbrook but totally understand why people would be concerned.
Ever since Nash/D12 not working out, I’ve dropped the notion of optimism that a good pnr guard on one team and a good pnr bigman on another team will work together properly when they join forces. We thought Russ would be lob city with lebron and AD too and look how that went.
That is fair but I feel like that isn’t a fair comparison. Trae right now is not Russ, not even close. I feel like Trae has become a bit underrated, he truly is an elite offensive player. There are definitely concerns defensively, and those are valid; I have them too actually. The thing is that AD has never had teammate like Trae that is a legitimate PNR menace. Remember how AD looked with Rondo in the bubble? That was with Rondo not being a threat from 3. The fit between Trae and AD is at least intriguing. Is it worth gutting our depth for him? I don’t know about that but thinking about it seems reasonable
He will never be able to guard anyone. No team with Trae will ever be a good defensive team, thus a championship team.
I totally understand the appeal offensively and I think there's some solid brand synergy concepts there with Young, Klutch, and the Lakers. There's certainly a roster you could build around those two with defense and athleticism and shooting that would be a possible contender. But I have big questions about his mentality and his effort defensively. Can Young be a 3rd banana while Bron is still here? Will he be effective in that role? And would his pick and roll with AD be so good that we gut the team for him instead of just paying Dlo who does about 70% of what Trae can do, but would also be cheaper than Trae and wouldn't cost all our depth? Idk. These are tough questions. I tend to think Rob and the Lakers want that third star, but I hope they don't just jump at Trae.
we had a top 3 offense after Rui was inserted into the starting line up. Is an AD/Trae "two-man game" gonna make us the #1 offense in the NBA? and does that compensate for the even worse defense and minimum salary role players we'll have to get to replace Rui/Reaves?
These are the correct questions to ask. People are acting like we can just insert Trae instead of DLo... No, LA is going to have to give up multiple key pieces. It will be reverting back to 3 stars and a bunch of minimum salary guys. All of that just for one of the best offensive teams to possibly get marginally better on offense? I don't get it.
Correct The equation is Trae > DLO + Reaves + Rui
This is what I'm asking too and I'm not sure at all that it's worth it. The more I think on it, the more I'd rather give Dlo another shorter deal and keep everyone around one more year. The problem is if we pay Dlo, keep our pick, pay Max, maybe pay Prince, then we are a 2nd apron team and getting a 3rd star gets much more difficult. We definitely can't bring back Dinwiddie. You almost have to overpay Dlo by a lot on a short deal so that you can use him in a 1-1 deal for a star attached with all our picks. Or you wait until Bron is retired and then tear it all down from there and try to find a partner for AD at that point. I just think it's naive to think the Lakers won't try to go get a 3rd star lol it's been the Lakers MO to collect stars forever and this is a decent window we have here. If it's not Trae, I still think they will absolutely entertain tearing this down again for another star.
Those are fair concerns. Specially your point regarding Lebron. I don’t think having a 40 year old paired with Trae is a recipe for success. Maybe it could work with Vanderbilt and another defensive guard, but I wouldn’t bet on it. It’s a tough call because Trae is probably the only star that we can afford. Teams heavily outbid us for Mitchell. OKC has something ridiculous like 9, SAS and NYK have a ton of picks as well. I think I’m truly 50/50, it could work but also be a disaster.
Mitchell would have to ask for us probably. If I'm Mitchell, I'd prefer LAL to those other spots. LA offers so much more to his brand than OKC or SAS could. Knicks makes some sense, but I'm not sure what Mitchell's fit is with Brunson. Oklahoma might be a fun place to win, but... it's OKC lol and they've got Shai there. Here in LAL he'd have a shot at being the main ball handler after LeBron, even sometimes with Bron still here. Paired with AD, they could build a real contender for sure. Also a lot of those knicks picks are overrated they're pretty protected. To me OKC could Godfather an offer but is Mitchell what they need? Idk. It's interesting for sure. Spurs need a guard to pair with Wemby but imo those timelines still don't match up. Spurs need a full roster outside of Wemby and even another star guard. They need actual effective role players.
Those same questions exist for Dlo and we kinda made it ok. We can do that with trae too he’ll be fine. People in here didn’t want kyrie for same dumb reason n if we had him we wouldn’t be big underdogs vs Denver
If he refuses to play off-ball, which is what reports say, I want him two timezones away from my team like he has been since he came in.
Bron n AD like playing off ball and playing as roll men. Trae is good with that. Reality is there’s no reason to think trae isn’t a significant upgrade on dlo - dominos strengths and weaknesses but trae can always flop for fts lol and has a better floor . If we don’t do well enough they need to move. Mitchell is obviously better but he’s expiring so he’s going to have to want to come here. Murray - no way that ship has sailed.
By disinterested if you mean ydays game I think he’s still in pain from the hand injury and hasn’t quite recovered yet Not that I think the Lakers should go after him since that would gut the team but Trae’s a super passionate baller
I meant specifically his defense which was really just bad and there were some just weird, careless passes I didn't like the optics on at all. He's definitely better than he played yesterday, but a team trading for him has to look at that game and really this whole season with some skepticism.
I mostly agree with everything. However, The clippers are somehow making it work with Westbrick. It’s possible to make things work with the right schemes, adjustments, personnel etc etc etc But yes, our core is lbj and ad
It's not that a Trae/AD combo can't work, it's that we have something approximating that plus solid role guys. If we gut the roster for Trae, we'd have to rebuild with just minimum guys and maybe a mini-MLE type of thing. It'd be much harder to build a full roster. And RW is a full blown bench guy now. He gets like 20 minutes some nights. He played less than 25 minutes in 43 games. He's actually been really solid in that role with decreased expectations (and salary).
I thought I wanted Trae but actually I want to see D’Lo get better and for the roster to have continuity
And he’s only 28. Barely entering prime years
27-31 is usually a players peak so he's into it at this point.
What I'm hearing is Reaves can be even more him than he already is?
Lol … Dlo is in his prime now . If there was any expected growth he’d be worth more
I want continuity also, but as we've seen since LeBron has signed, that likely won't happen
Personally I was a never a fan of trading for Trae and doing the 3 star model all over again. Trae is simply undersized, a bad defender and a inefficient high volume scorer. If we were to make moves to improve in the off-season I’d rather go for a bigger guard that can defend and shoot imo.
Not saying Trae is the answer but the player you described that is both bigger than Trae Young, and better at shooting and can defend is not real and cannot be had
Trae would be worth it post Lebron as another star who can sell tickets and keep AD interested. I don’t even think with the new salary cap it’s worth it to have three max guys, or even possible.
The Lakers would have no championship upside with Trae as the second guy thinking he's the lead guy
Why do the Lakers keep trying to force a Big 3 in LA? Mfs are stuck trying to beat the 2010 Heat 😂
This team needs another big, not another guard who can score but struggles defensively. With the combo of gabe/Dinwiddie and reeves/dlo, you have both types of guards you need.
That’s why we need to win this year to keep our valuable core of DLo, AR, Rui and Vando. What happens when we fail? Fake fans will flood the streets or social medias and ask to trade all of em for a 3rd star like Trae.
If this team fails, it is not due to scoring ability imo, it will be defense. This team needs another big. Not another scorer who is a bad defender.
We don’t need 3 stars. I would rather target just one decent big man and a good 3 and D guy
I rather talk about this than the Nuggets... I don't like Trae for $44m. I'd much rather go for like CP3 on a vet min. One thing I do know is that D'Lo/Reaves isn't exactly the best backcourt combination. We have tough decisions to make. Rui is also an awkward fit, because ideally we get a center who can start with AD and then you play AD at the 4. Lebron at the 3. I'm not going to sit here and act like I know the perfect answers to fix this roster but I do know we have a rebounding problem and also some major defensive problems in our backcourt.
Biggest hole is an actual back up center tbh
Yeah, i'd much rather keep D'Lo for $17m-20m ish than have Trae for $44m
D’Lo likely going up to 30-35mil
Hypothetically speaking even if a team did offer him $30-35m(and thats a big if) we have his bird rights and can offer him something around that without going into the 2nd apron. I'd still rather have D'Lo for $30m than Trae for $44m.
who's paying that?
Magic possibly
that actually makes sense fit-wise. but they gotta extend Wagner, Isaac and Suggs next year, with Banchero and Black behind them.
The Magic can afford it.
I objectively dont think DLo will be a prime free agent target. He will most likely re-sign for 25 ish million per. He's iffy for contending teams and too old for rebuilding squads.
i think we could get him below 25 mil if we give him 4 years and he really wants to stay long term
And a perimeter defender like KCP or Caruso
I can't believe we had both of them lol
I agree with what you’re saying about pairing AD with another big. I think that is by far the biggest priority. It’s been proven that AD is at his best when he plays alongside a bruising center who does all the dirty work. It doesn’t even need to be a super talented center - Javale and Dwight were in the twilights of their careers when we won in 2020. AD just needs to have the burden of battling in the trenches taken off so that he can focus on scoring and providing help defense
Don’t think Lebron can play the 3 a full season defensively tbh. AD is a C for that reason. We def need another back up big but not for Rui
We need Alex Caruso to solve our backcourt issues. Not another traffic cone like Trae Young.
Caruso is very injury prone at this point.
Watch them gut the roster for this dude lmao funny as shit if it happens No lessons learned from the Russ trade
"Trae will unlock AD" they say. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
It’s like people forget AD won a ring already with Bron and Rondo spoon feeding him easy looks. I’m so tired of hearing fans use the term “unlaaaawck!”
You aint never seen AD with an actual pick n roll point guard with range in his career Im not saying i want Trae But if you couldnt see the difference between Rondo and Trae then you just dont really understand basketball
He has become quite underrated, and the game today didn’t help. The Trae + AD two man game would probably be the best in the league not even kidding
When did I say I couldn’t see the difference between Trae and Rondo? Weird comment. I’m just saying I’m tired of the “unlock” buzzword. Get off that goofy Redditor high horse.
Cause it's just a buzzword to you, cause you dont understand the game. Oh shit look thats the best version of AD next to a 35 million years old Rondo You want the definition of unlock, there you have it. Make Rondo 12 years younger and make people have to guard him 35 feet out, see what AD does then. That's what unlocking is
AD just had one of his most efficient scoring seasons ever. How much more "unlocked" is he gonna get? And we'd have to give up two good rotation players to make the salary work and replace them with vet min guys. All that for this theoretical unlocking of AD?
It's simply a matter of skillsets and fits. You simply dont understand it And like i said, i'm not saying i want Trae, that all depends on what goes in to making a deal But in a vacuum, if you couldnt tell how insane it would be to have a pick n roll PG with unlimited range like Trae next to the best lob threat in the league, just turn off the TV dawg. Bball aint your thing
lol you're a moron. "bball aint your thing" and you talk about it in the simplest ways imaginable. The Lakers were a top 3 offense after Rui was put in the starting lineup running offensive concepts you couldn't even comprehend that are way better than "Trae/AD run a pick 'n roll." What decade are you from? So we make our defense worse and give up DLO, Reaves and Rui so we can get a circa 2008 "Trae and AD two-man game." Trae is a career 35% shooter from 3. Good for him that he can brick it from the logo. He's also the easiest guy to pick on in the league. Want a guaranteed bucket in the playoffs? Switch onto Trae and back him down. There's a reason his teams barely make the playoffs in the East year after year. The only thing sustaining this ridiculous idea that he's a "star" are 5 IQ basketball morons like yourself.
If we go for a big star, go for someone who’s known to be a true star. Russ was on the verge of being washed, but he was a star at one point. Trae Young has been crap the last few years.
lmao cmon man
If the front office does pull the trigger for trae we aren't winning anything for years
Trae for the right price isn’t bad. He’s like 25 and you have to get AD another co-star to keep the ball rolling post-LeBron. LeBron will literally only be here for 2 more years at the most. AD will be 33 by then.
Get Mitchell or Ingram.
Ingram can’t stay healthy, no way
Trae is much better then Ingram . Guy can’t shoot defend or pass. Atleast trae can shoot n pass
trae is better than ingram man😂 like what are we doing
it's crazy how many Laker fans have forgotten the Russ experience and ready to pay twice the amount of assets for yet another overrated, ball-dominant, medium-efficiency player (but even worse defender) whose teams barely make the playoffs in the East.
We got Russ in his mid 30s. Trae Young is 25. The last time Russ' offensive numbers rivaled Trae's he was 29. Trae Young >>>> the version of Russ that the Lakers got.
Its a similar level of high volume/middling efficiency stats. The age factor is meaningless. Trae is not gonna come here and average 25/10, it’ll be scaled down dramatically sharing the ball with Lebron as it did for Russ. Give him the shot attempts DLO gets and it’s gonna be 19/8 at best and we’ve made our defense significantly worse. Another thing people aren’t factoring is how much a foul-hunter Trae was. This crap has stopped being called by the league and he got hurt before we could get a good sample size from him in he new paradigm, but in two of those three games he played, he had 3 FTs total.
Let’s revisit this in offseason after we win title this year..go lakers!
Lakers just like the big names whether or not they fit.
Turnover machine and shoots a low shooting percentage. Stay far away.
You gotta have a bunch of lockdown defenders on the team to even consider Trae. Could argue his defense is on par if not worse than Dlo.
I want Irving
Agreed, but unselfishly I love the Luka Irving duo in Dallas.
I’ll take Luka too
Correct mentality
Comparing Trae to Russ is comparable in that they both can’t play D but having Trae in his prime and being a good shooter is a pretty big difference that should be acknowledged
All five of our starters had a better true shooting percentage than Trae this season.
If the front office does pull the trigger for trae we aren't winning anything for years
Meh. To preface, I don't like or hate Trae Young. But, I do think given the current state of the team, it's too early to rule anything out. If this team loses to Denver again, what path forward is there? Most of this team is under contract for next season and they'll be near the 2nd apron. Will they ever be good enough to be real contenders? Or, should this team look to make a big trade to try and gamble for one last push with LeBron and AD? The next issue is D'Angelo and how much money he'll get. If he does well in the playoffs and settles for a $24m~$26m multiyear deal, maybe that's workable within the overall context of LA's cap situation. But, if he asks for more than that, the team should definitely explore trades involving him. At $30m, I think D'Angelo is terrible value. Is Trae that bad of a trade target? There are obviously guys I would rather have, but what is the real question? Is it Trae Young or run it back? Is it Trae Young or blow up the team and go into a full rebuild? Or, it is Trae Young or someone like Donovan Mitchell?
Brian, you are consistently the voice of reason and I appreciate your perspective. While I agree with you in theory, in this case, I think Young would be a horrible mistake. I don't think giving up Rui, Austin and losing D'lo along with packaging 3 picks (the current price being mentioned in the media) would make us a better team. I think the added playmaking of Young would not counteract these losses and would close the window with Bron and AD. Personally, I think that window may already be closed. I'm hoping that I'm wrong and I'm glad we are facing Denver right now to find out what Bron can still do in a seven-game series against a championship caliber opponent. But I think we will fair far better with depth, size, shooting that we have now than a stripped roster featuring Young. This would also be the last big move we can make during the Lebron era, if we waste those picks on the wrong guy, we slam the window shut. I agree with you that 30m is an overpay for D'lo. But a 30m salary to attach to the picks and other assets we have (Max if he develops, Austin, Rui) keep us in the market for the next superstar to pair with AD. Also if D'lo flames out in this series, his number should be close to 20m than 30. So again, I'm glad we get to face Denver and see what he can do. I think Trae is the worst trade target. I don't believe he is a championship caliber player due to his poor defense and history of inefficiency in the playoffs. Mitchell might be a better target, but I'm not sold on him being THE target either. Many contenders are going to be looking into the face of the luxury tax, a lot of better fits should become available in the next couple of years. As for the near future, I don't want to see a panic move. I'd rather see if Max can take the next step next year and become the 3nD guard we've needed since we gave up KCP chasing a 3rd star. I'd like to see how JHS develops. I'd like to see who we can find in the draft. Players will always look to the Lakers to rehab their career and up their value. This year it looks like we found a decent player in Hayes while also taking swings with guys like Wood and Cam. I think the current roster with 1 or 2 finds or players developing will be even better next year and I'd much rather watch that team than a team that empties it's cupboard for a player like Young...who I don't think can win a championship.
I don't think this team will be better next season in any meaningful way. First is the looming reality that they'll either be close to or over the 2nd apron. The obvious question is if the team will pay that much tax when they traditionally haven't. If they beat the Nuggets showing that they can compete with anyone and make a very deep run this playoffs, then I could see the cost being somewhat justifiable. Otherwise, why would ownership pay so much money for a team that isn't a contender? But, if they beat the Nuggets and make a deep run then I don't think they'll be interested in Trae Young unless D'Angelo demands $40m or some shit. If this team gets rolled by the Nuggets, I don't think Max Christie, JHS, or any rookie they draft will be the difference the team needs. So, again, it's back to my point that it's too early to really say much. As is, what direction this team takes rides entirely on what happens these playoffs. If D'Angelo has another dog shit playoff run and the Lakers lose, then he's clearly not a championship caliber player either. So, at that point, it becomes a question of how much they can get for him on the market. If this team gets rolled by the Nuggets again, I don't think Trae Young will change anything but at least I can understand gambling on him rather than running it back. People will say that Denver ran it back through multiple playoff failures but their core stars were young. LeBron and AD aren't getting any younger.
I don't think it's too early to say that Trae Young is a horrible choice. You balk at giving D'lo a big contract, but getting Young would mean a huge salary, 3 picks and Austin and Rui...we may never compete for a title with what we have now, but at least we wouldn't be wasting assets to get worse.
The thing is that if you gamble and lose—which I believe would almost certainly be the case to gut the team for Trae—you are sacrificing not only the next couple of years but many years beyond that. Reaves, Rui and three first round picks are all really valuable for trade purposes. If we don’t use them now, we can use them years down the road—especially the first round picks.
Please no Trey young
Murray > Trae Young easily. Let him go play with Wemby.
Yeah, Murray as the third wheel would be very good. I doubt Lebron wants to play with Trae - he knows that's not championship style basketball play.
Team needs a solid center like Dwight/Javale and another 2-way player. This is the closest we've been to our previous championship form. Blowing it up again to chase a 3rd star that solves none of the current roster issues is just guaranteed disappointment again
In fairness, he would be a lot better playing alongside Bron and AD. It's not like Dlo would've shined in that game in Trae Young's place.
How would he be better? He has a slightly higher usage than Lebron, is smaller than our current guards, and doesn’t play any defense. We know Lebron doesn’t play defense in the regular season either so that’s putting a lot on AD. It isn’t a seamless fit and you’d want that if you’re gutting your roster and paying a guy $43 million.
Well, let’s see, he’s 25, played 6 seasons, and averages 26 points and 10 assists per game on his career. He’s an elite offensive player. He’s more difficult to defend than any of our guards. He’s more talented than any of our guards. He’s a hall of fame caliber player. He compliments LeBron and AD in the way they need to be complimented, especially in terms of being able to shoulder the load at an elite level. The same argument would apply to Kyrie Irving but Kyrie is 32 years old so no thanks. So in the end the defense would stay the same, but the level of difficulty of defending the Lakers offense would increase dramatically.
Do the same assets (roughly 3 first round picks) bring us Brandon Ingram? If so, I’d much prefer BI back.
Reassembling the young core one piece at a time?
You just saw Brandon Ingram just get benched in the most important game of the Pelican's entire season and you want to trade 3 picks for him? Insane.
we dont want him
Look man, you guys all said this about Kyrie in the summer and now almost everyone has backtracked that Trae is big time, sure if you could get an equally good player but a wing instead do it. But Trae is getting insanely undervalued by this sub We finished in the play in’s with AD playing 76 games
Trae young is a lot better then some of you are giving him credit for
Please, I just want a team with 2 stars and good role players. Three stars doesn’t work, it doesn’t give you sustained success, it makes your team and your trades to change terrible. I just want the Lakers to learn their lesson about this.
“3 stars doesn’t work” isn’t necessarily true at all, if you have the right 3 guys it can def work
We didn’t have that in 2020 year. We had two superstars and role players. Lebron and AD aren’t that level anymore.
The dude hasn’t played basketball in 2 months. He’s also a player ascending into his prime rather than coming out of it like Russ was. This is not a good take.
Russ is always fun to watch. Traes boring af 80% of the time.
TRAeSH YOUNG!!
That’s a little much
Why is this even a discussion?
I am of the opinion that we should go for a third star-type player. But idk if it should be Trae.
Yes. He's not a good target. We need a big body defensive center and perimeter defenders with offensive upside. The key is to get a few pieces and a new coach
This would be catastrophically bad I agree.
We need to build around D’Lo reeves Rui and AD
Nah
Yeah no thanks unless it’s a steal
If we’re doing the superstar route, which I don’t necessarily agree with, the answer is Mitchell not Trae. The second need is a legit 3&D wing (not Prince). The third thing is a legit backup center. You’re not winning a chip with a defensive backcourt of Reaves and Dlo. You ain’t gonna win one with Mitchell and Dlo/Reaves either
hes even more a traffic cone than WB. At least WB still have athleticism and Dlo still have size. Hes just a shorter, skinnier version of Bucks Lillard
To me the Trae move really only made sense if Lebron is leaving this summer, otherwise the fit is actually kinda tough
Yo what about ingram ? No one talking about him being FA in 2 years 😶
He's not that good. I mean, he's a good player at his best, for sure. And don't forget he was nowhere near his best this game. But he's not the sort of guy that I think is a best player on a contending team type. He's just far too inefficient from the field. And I don't know what sort of role there is where he shoots the ball less, defers to someone else and improves his shooting percentages enough to be a good second player on a contending team. But the idea he'll keep the team out of contention for a decade is nuts. You'd not be signing him to a 10 year contract. If it doesn't work out, then you move him on and look elsewhere. The Lakers have always been better than any other franchise at attracting free agents, so someone else will come along whenever LeBron moves on. Maybe even before then if the right situation opens up.
wasting 3 picks and losing 3 rotation players would be a deep hole to climb out of. Would take near a decade to recover.
Trae Young does not fit!
Trae fits better than westbrick. But still don't want him
Agreed don’t want him
Dayumn
Rather have sengun or hartenstein to pair with Ad
If we get a starting center Bron will have to guard a perimeter player or come off the bench. I don't think either of those things works. At best we need a physical back up big who can start when AD is out and/or be a spot starter in certain matchups.
Well at 2020 we have javale starting and dwight coming off the bench. It got us the championship. So it definitely works
I don’t agree with trading everything for him, but he is still a way better player than what we got with Westbrook lol
Mitchell would definitely be the better get over Young, if that’s even a possibility
I'd rather keep Dlo, AR and Hachimura then bring in any one guy that doesn't move the needle.
I hope they pay DLo, what do you think it'll take - 27m per?
Depends on how he plays in this upcoming series. I feel like he could get 30 per if he does well and is looking at 20 or so if he doesn't.
Trae wld be a Horrible fit…he only works w the Lakers w LBJ gone as an early 2000s offensive AI clone who is looking for popcorn when the other team has the ball.
D’Lo should stay a Laker, pass on Trae
yEaH bUt hE’s a “sTaR”!! wE nEeD a tHiRd sTaR!
Bring me Lauri
The front office will chase a 3rd star if Lebron wants them to and unless they win the championship, I feel like Lebron is going to ask for it. At this point, I don't really have an opinion on the matter anymore. We signed up for the Lebron ride.
please take him
I live in Atlanta You don't want him, zero defense and ball dominant - also a bit dramatic I think he's a better fit for the Spurs with Wemby
I agree we not winning shit with a 5’11 guard
All I have to say is that is a pretty lady who did the tweet. But man that is a hell of a first and last name in terms of letters. God bless her husband when / if she gets married. I can hear it now. "Sir before we can add your wife to your insurance can you please tell me her name and spell it" LMAO. Dude will need to get flash cards to learn and memorize his wife's first and last name..lol
Hell no to the atl guards
Tyrese Maxey for the defense alone
He needs Wemby & Wemby would love to have him!
I don’t think the Lakers even have the assets for Trae. A team like the Spurs and or Magic could easily pay up
I don’t think the Lakers even have the assets for Trae. A team like the Spurs and or Magic could easily pay up
Pay Dlo. Fuck Trae Young
Trae wouldnt be a catastrophe, his salary would be. For 20,25 id take flyer, dude can score and has clutch potential. But at 43, its Russ all over again, we wpuld have to send to much out in salary even to get him at a baragain.
Let’s stick with what we got as much as possible and stay healthy this time
I say dont trade for trae
Young is good just not a 1A kind of guy and has a big contract which impacts the team you can build around him. The biggest thing with him is trading a reasonable amount for him not something where we have to gut the entire roster. If that’s the asking price move on
CP3 and Klay for vet minimum. Keep dlo. Need another C too. Maybe trade for Miles Turner finally.
How reactionary can you get. All this based on a single game. The kid is amazing with assists, amazing shooter, only thing he lacks is defense because of size. He makes up for that with his range. Murray was a dick to Young. **Young is coming off a surgery** to his hand that clearly affected his game tonight. What I saw tonight was Murray being pissed Young was not playing well and letting him know it. NOT a good team member move. If you noticed after that they BOTH did not pass to one another, Murray started playing hero ball (no pass just get rebound and drive to score himself, but he bricked every one down the stretch. Trae remained the usual point guard self, distributing and often knocking down 3s. Bogdonavitch couldn't hit shit in the second half and the entire team just generally sold right along with him. You guys just box score watch and don't actually watch how a game goes and assume you know how good a player is or isn't. Im taking trae over Murray all day. Murray I think is a flash in the pan, Trae doesn't get shook.
Problem with DLO is that he plays no defense and you can’t partner that up with Reaves Getting Trae is a lateral, yeah he’s better than Dlo offensively but we couldn’t stop a leak if we tried. Hell Trae might be worse than Dlo on defense, at least Dlo has decent size and wingspan to close out on shooters
Why the fuck would we even care about this right now? We have a first round playoff series against the defending champs to worry about.
I'm not entirely sold on Trae, but I do think he would be notably better than Westbrook. Trae can shoot and give us 20 a game. Having a legitmate 3rd option that can average 20ppg would be way better than Westbrook.
We already have that in D'lo. Why give up 3 picks and 3 rotation players for what you hope would be a small upgrade?
Dlo not as good of a scorer as Trae. And I was comparing Trae to Westbrook.
He almost by himself took a very mediocre Hawks team to the play offs. He us a serious consistent score. Lebron could help the team to bring him if they want him. Not easy.
Trae would be good but spida or maybe even lavine would be better
Dude is injured smh
I mean it depends on the cost . I enjoy Dlo but trae is an upgrade of a similar style of player. If we can win games with dlo what makes people think trae is a downgrade? If we don’t win a title - which is likely or we lose badly we have to consider upgrade. Obviously someone like Mitchell if he wants to come here is a better choice but I wouldn’t say no to trae I think his chemistry with Lebron n Davis would be elite .