This time last year in Lakerland, everyone was wondering if Kobe was going to stay or go to another team (i.e. Chicago or New York). Now I'm not saying that this offseason has been as tumultuous as last year's but it certainly does have its problems...and it hasn't been the first time.
It looks like Ronny Turiaf will be playing in the Oakland area next year for a less than average Warrior team. Once again Mitch Kupchak has screwed up. Ronny was one of the most energetic players coming off the bench and considerably improved since the previous season.
He raised his scoring average from 5.3 to 6.2, increased his rebounds from 3.6 to 3.9, his assists from 0.9 to 1.6, and did all of this with only 19 minutes of playing time while having no plays run for him.
Ronny also energized the crowd with his presence as well as his play. When he entered the game the crowd knew that they were going to get someone who was excited to be in the game and was going to give it 100 percent each and every time. That is something that cannot be taught.
And Mitch was just going to let this all go? I know that the Warriors offered him more than the Lakers can afford, but why didn't the Lakers offer him something sooner? Why did the Lakers just sit and do nothing?
I understand that the Lakers will have Andrew Bynum back and Pau will be playing the power forward position. So, we need someone like Ronny to be able to come in and provide the energy Ronny gave the Lakers. My suggestion is to go after Udonis Haslem. He is a big guy who can come off the bench and provide a spark to get them going.
With the Heat drafting Michael Beasley and signing James Jones, I've heard that they are shopping Shawn Marion. They are set at the power forward position. So I propose a trade that looks something like this: Lakers trade Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, and Vlad Radmanovic to the Heat for Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem, and a second round pick.
Maybe a little tinkering here or there. Here we unload Luke and that huge contract he signed, Lamar Odom's streaky self, and Vlad Radmanovic, who really hasn't shown up in the two years he's been here.
We get Shawn Marion, who can run up and down the court as fast as a grey hound, which is perfect for the system Phil Jackson wants. He also adds much needed defense. We would also get a pick that might help us, although, the Lakers really haven't had success when drafting from the second round. The only second round success I can think of is Sasha Vujacic.
The Heat get Lamar Odom, who, when he shows up, is a very good player who can provide the third scoring option. They also get a good passer in Luke Walton who can have a shooting touch from time to time (not enough to make a difference), and a nice spot-up shooter in Vlad Radmanovic.
I don't think that the Lakers should go after Ron Artest for four reasons.
First, he was basically banished from the Bulls and Pacers for behavior, he really can't do much in Sacramento unless there is a Malice in the Palace II.
Second, he wants to take all the shots, and that will not work on a team with Kobe Bryant.
Third, he is more concerned about his music (which isn't very good) than basketball, this will only hinder the Lakers.
And fourth, if the Lakers want him they will have to take Kenny Thomas.
Thomas' contract is worth $16.5 million over the next two years. He has not lived up to the contract, only playing in less than half of the first two seasons which wasn't due to injury. I think that is something to be considered. Ron Artest has too much baggage and the Lakers can't afford to take Kenny Thomas' contract.
The only thing left for the Lakers to do now is to re-sign Sasha Vujacic. There is no reason to let him get away from the Lakers. He came off the bench, averaged 8.8 points, plays tough defense and shoots 44 percent from the three. He gets under opponents' skin with his defense, much like Joe Dumars or Dennis Rodman did.
Sasha is one player that will become a deadly shooter and a tough defensive player. I really hope Mitch Kupchak doesn't let him get away. He should give him a three year, $3.94 million extension. This way, we can give him an opportunity to get the recognition he deserves.
If we can re-sign Sasha Vujacic, and make that trade with the Heat, the Lakers will be a serious monster in the NBA. I can't see anyone taking us out. The only thing that could stop the composition of this juggernaut is Mitch Kupchak.
He has a record of making stupid decisions and has another opportunity to make one or five million this offseason, it wouldn't be the first time. I think now would be a nice time for Kobe Bryant to speak up and try to use some of his persuasive influence to get the ball rolling. But we don't live in a perfect universe, so I don't know...
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2 months ago
I'm not Kupcake's biggest fan either but this was not his decision...this comes straight from Buss. As good of an influence that Turiaf may be he is not worth 17 mil for 4 years.....double that when you figure in the luxury tax hit. It is simple dollars in this one. Golden State is overpaying plain and simple and also offer Turiaf a chance for a larger role. If they matched the offer to Turiaf, there is no way that they could re-sign Sasha and I think Sasha is more important to us.
2 months ago
the heat would never make that marion/haslem trade buddy. luke walton and radmon have sorry ass contracts! you gotta be realistic
2 months ago
I'll take Kupchack as GM over the writer of this article any time. This sounds like something that one of the LA Times sportswriting genius's would come up with. They don't know basketball either, and they can spin yarns about spending someone else's money with no responsiblilty to results.
2 months ago
great call, Thomas, I love the accuracy in your article.
2 months ago
Art,
Q: Can I say just, two words, proving that Turiaf should have been worth investing $4.25-mill per, for the next 4 years?
A: Chris Mihm!
...nuff said
2 months ago
You're blasting Kupcake for not resigning Turiaf and making fun of his second round draft picks. I thought the Gasol trade good will would last longer than it has.
2 months ago
hated to see Turiaf go to the Warriors , he just energized the building, but whats done is done. Need to let Lamar go somewhere else, enough with that guy already. Lamar will never be better then what he is now, and honestly, it ain't enough.
2 months ago
Wow! I can't understand why you don't understand the economics of basketball. It made NO Sense at all to match what G.S. offered Ronny. Don't get me wrong, I loved the energy Ronny brought, but, the LAST thing the Lakers need is a grossly overpaid bench player. It would have cost the Lakers almost 30mil to match G.S. (when counting the luxury tax) - The Lakers are going to have to resgin Andrew Bynum BEFORE the end on next season and by all accounts, it is going to cost the Lakers 80 million plus.
You are slamming Kupchak, well who drafted Ronny? You? Kupchak has built a solid team, working under difficult circumstances. Who engineered the Gasol trade? You? - Like most of us, you didn't even see it coming. That was a brilliant move and the rest of the league was in shock Kupchak could pull it off.
As for your trade proposal. Get serious. There is a reason the Suns dumped Shawn Marion and Miami is shopping him now. As for Artest, again, there is a reason he has been dumped by a few teams. We don't need that either.
Shawn Marion is very much like Odom, only MUCH smaller. As for Odom, he is taking WAY too much heat while Gasol is taking none. Gasol is VERY soft and was easily push around in the finals leaving all to Odom. He is a fantastic rebounder and can run the floor with the ball as well as ANY 6'10 player in this league.
This Laker team made it to the finals when no-one expected them to. The LAST thing they need to do is make stupid trades for the sole purpose of making a trades. Sometimes the best trades are the ones that DON'T happen. (Shaq to the Suns)
2 months ago
You. are. an. idiot.
Embarassing "article." First off, there was nothing magical the Lakers could have done to keep Golden State's offer down, like "offer him something sooner." So the Lakers offer up, what, a three milion a year contract that they don't have? And then Golden State still makes the same damn bid? You're like a child trying to figure out what makes babies happen.
And let me ask you this, why would the Lakers lock themselves into a four year contract with a backup backup center when they could go out and spend their mid level exception on someone like PJ Brown or another playoff ready veteran? With Bynum back, even Turiaf knew that it made sense for him to go somewhere where he could pick up more minutes.
Second, you can't just work up a random trade cuz it sounds fun in your mind. The proposed trade for marion and haslem simply would not financially work, with the Lakers being over the salary cap. It's physically impossible. Just a little something one might quickly google before writing into an article.
Hey I've got a trade idea! What if the Lakers send Lamar Odom, Wilt Chamberlain, and a box of fruity pebbles to the Miami Heat for Udonis Haslem and Dwayne Wade's right arm! Yeah that sounds FUN!!!
2 months ago
sasha was not a second round pick ... he was a first round pick dumbass!
2 months ago
This was the worst article i've ever read. The lakers have had as much success as anyone in the second round. Recently we got a player you clearly love, Ronny Turiaf, and Luke Walton. But Sasha wasnt a 2nd rounder, he was late in the first.
You threw out some nice stats about Turiaf's improvement over the last 2 years, but you forgot to mention that his minutes and turnovers also went up, while his shooting percentage dropped a considerable amount.
The Lakers couldnt have offered a contract to Turiaf too much earlier since the first day that contracts can be signed was July 8 and he signed his contract on July 11. Plus Turiaf would want to check out his value on the open market anyways.
If Artest is ever on a team that is good then maybe he wont be distracted so easily by his music. Also, he is very good friends with Kobe so I think they would work well together. He is one of the best perimeter defenders and he has a pretty good shot.
2 months ago
Gary,
grossly overpaid bench-player? Turiaf was far from that, in terms of producing when given a chance to play.
Sorry pal...that *grossly overpaid bench player* title goes to the dead-weight Caucasoid you stayed peculiarly silent on;
Chris Mihm!
2 months ago
Mihim has been injured for the last two seasons, unfortunate for him and the Lakers. Ronny was NOT going to start here. So, it makes sense to you to pay him 30mil over the next 4 years (counting the tax) Yes, that would make him grossly overpaid!
What they really need to do is work on dumping the contract of Walton.
2 months ago
It hurts to see Turiaf go, but the Lakers would be unquestionably foolish to re-sign him for 4 years and $17 million (especially front-loaded). With Bynum coming back, and Mihm expected to be healthy too, Turiaf would be lucky to be playing 10 minutes per game next year. He also scored 11 points and pulled down 4 rebounds in the ENTIRE final series. I'm sure that was a factor too.
Expect them to re-sign Vujacic. He has no offer sheet from anyone else, and he just switched agents, delaying the process. I would guess it's just a matter of time, now that the Turiaf saga is over.
As for a trade, the criticism of Odom is grossly unfounded. Fans do not understand how valuable and uniquely talented he is, and how much a matchup problem he poses for opposing teams. The Lakers may trade him in the right deal, whatever that may be. Right now, they don't want to trade him, but he is the player (and the contract) that other teams are asking for.
As for Kupchak, he also takes far more heat than he deserves. He has actually done a great job. The Lakers were in the NBA Finals this year, after all, with a roster he largely put together. Sure, there have been some stumbles along the way, but he has more than made up for those. Anyway, he doesn't call the shots absolutely. The Laker moves are by consensus.
2 months ago
i totally agree with the statement naming gasol as the weak link in the finals ....he did NOTHING ...Why is everyone pointing the finger at lamar?
2 months ago
Gary,
Exactly! Mihm is 7 feet and can only avg. '7 & 5' over a career where he also averages about 60 games played. Mihm is an underachiever. Mihm is injury-prone. Turiaf is not. Period.
2 months ago
Nessa,
Come on now. You know EXACTLY why everyone is pointing the finger at Lamar, instead of Gasol, on this website especially.
I'll give one hint: Gasol is of Caucasoid origin. Lamar is of negroid origin. Period.
And you know what that usually means on bleacherreport.com, whether folk admit it not...posting culture's archives, just refuse to lie!!
from 2 months ago
What are you talking about? Race has nothing to do with this. The finger is not being pointed at Lamar. He has one more year on his contract so he's the logical choice to be moved over the guy that has three years and has yet to play a full season with the team. It would make sense to move Lamar for someone more consistent than lock him up for the four or five years and $10 million per year it would take to keep him.
The Lakers didn't re-sign Turiaf because that contract would cost them twice the amount of money with the luxury tax. Mihm only makes $2.5 million and he'll be gone after his contract expires next summer.
Bring up race is laughable. When has anyone ever favored the white guy in basketball?
2 months ago
To bring up race, is laughable, only to the guy who uses "suspiciously" it, while swearing he doesn't.
Especially, when consistently using 'Race' in a discouraging way ---toward negroid players--- and then continually giving 'a pass' to us dead-weight Caucasoid players (Chris Mihm?) who rake in millions for our minimal contributions. Plus, your stench reeked loudest when you started throwing contract figures around, irrelevantly, concerning Lamar Odom and Gasol. Period.
For example, who has what left on their contract, is totally irrelevant to who was the biggest disappointment when it came time to being effective towards winning a championship last month. Odom was disappointing, while Gasol was galactically disappointing.
So, stick to the issue. Period.
I know it hurts to do so, since it realistically means degrading a Caucasoid player, which is something most of you all 'peculiarly' avoid doing, but...there's just no hiding from the hits.
from 2 months ago
You are a gump who knows nothing about basketball.
Stop saying period you rash because its not effective and you over use it.
When has anyone ever favored the white man in basketball???
Race has nothing to do with this issue, your just talking shit.
2 months ago
Good god Mr. Lee, you have no idea what you are talking about!! The Golden State Warriors are a joke of a team. They missed the playoffs for TWELVE STRAIGHT SEASONS and then gave 25mil to Turiaf because they are desperate for a big man. The Lakers don't really have that problem. They need a shooting SF and another reserve point or combo guard (assuming they resign Sasha) - Fortunately, they can probably put Sun Yue on the roster this year. In any case, talk to me in a year when the Warriors miss the playoffs again and the Lakers are in the finals.
What a putz! How did you get this job? Yeah, teams were just falling all over themselves to sign Turiaf. That's why he got one offer which wasn't even matched by his own team. Now, I like Turiaf. He's got heart, but he's never, ever going to get more than 15 minutes a game on the lakers. He's simply not as good as the starters and never will be. I hope he gets traded to a real contender at some point in his career so he can get a ring as a reserve. Sorry, but heart alone isn't worth 5mil a year in the NBA.
2 months ago
YungCauscoid, just because the Lakers waste 2.5 per year million on Mihm doesnt justify spending 4.5 million per year on Turiaf. It has nothign to do with race, it has everything to do with money and production.
2 months ago
Jason,
Face it, you're a harlequin here. Period. Now, check my opinions/basketball knowledge, versus yours...then send my apology to the email address I registered with this site...cool?
Even many posters here, who I exploit the peculiarities of, still have set out my 'props' regarding my opinions/knowledge of the actual "game of basketball" itself. Period.
from 2 months ago
I couldn't care less about your "props" regarding your opinions/knowledge.
Your thick for thinking that this has anything to do with the color of someones skin.
The reason they are talking about trading Odom is because his expiring contract is more appealing to teams. Nothing to do with the fact the he has dark skin.
2 months ago
Dan,
I couldn't disagree with you more, as Mihm's value is continually discreasing, while Turiaf's is the exact opposite. Mihm's injury liabilities = him barely avg. 60 games per season...with a few seasons where he barely got in 50 games. Thats a huge red flag.
Thomas oh-so called it correctly in his, this article. Moreover, just because the Lakers *couldn't afford* to pay Turiaf 4.5/per, did not mean he isn't deserving. Thats not his fault. The Lakers got see that Gasol can't be trusted, when a championship is on the line.
And, lets not forget; Since Bynum is still a kid. There's still the likelihood that The Lakers will have to go through the same thing with Bynum next year, as they did with Gasol this year. Should they get that far in the playoffs, and he needs a season-or-two to work out the mental lapses/courage deficiency that kills a teams chances during NBA-Finals competition. Turiaf would've been priceless, under those circumstances.
Look how he performed in a *minimal opportunity* where the epitome of Hall-of-Fame coaches had confidence in him. I don't think it's about Turiaf here, as much as its *about dead-weight Mihm* and how he should be purged from the squad/his $2.5 million-slot could've been used toward Turiaf. In terms of being combined with/complimenting whatever 'expected' pay raise The Lakers would've been offering ---minus his increased and more-efficient output last season.
2 months ago
Jason,
You're still a clown, who is *skrrrt'n* the issue. Just re-sign Odom. Period. Why get rid of him. Like I said, you xenophobes kill me always bringing up contract issues when it's about looking for 'suspect' reasons you don't ever want to reveal, toward validating screwing over Black players. He deserves a pay-day ---like you don't mind another team giving him--- since he played a bigger role than Gasol toward the Lakers success. Period. Odom showed up big, especially whenever baby-Jordan wasn't up to his usual immortal self, and needed someone to step up.
Your logic here is, at least, contradictory.
2 months ago
There is no way the Lakers could have afforded Turiaf. I am Turiaf's biggest fan, but he is not worth 17 million dollars to the lakers at this point in his career. The Lakers are already over the Luxury Tax as it is, without even re-signing Vujacic, so it would have been impossible to match Golden State's offer to Turiaf.
2 months ago
Art well said. Too bad the NBA has a business side and needs to make money to keep going. I am a Turiaf fan as well. As much as people harp on the poor decisions of Kupchak, the Lakers moved onto the Finals. The Lakers were projected to finish no higher than 6 seed in the West. The played as a team chemistry was there. Unfortunately, the amount of money Ronny was being offered was quite a rasie from his approx. 750,000 last year. How do you say salary cap? So think about it. Ronnie to play big minutes over Bynum to justify his near mid level salary? Ronnie to replace Gasol at power forward, Gasol is proven? If you were going to bring up the get rid of Odom that isnt Ronnys position, he would be out-quicked at that position. How bad could Odom be as your 4th option average over a double double during the season? Perhaps there should be stats on measuring playing well without the ball to measure more accurately the worth of a player. Ronny was also wanting more minutes, so what choice could the Lakers make?
2 months ago
This is the WORST article in the world. The trade between Miami and L.A. is honestly like trading Lebron for Chris Muim. Like you have no basketball sense, your an idiot. This must of been written by a complete dumbass whos has no IQ. Your a FUCKING idiot guy
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