The Lakers will have to navigate a difficult and tricky offseason in order to construct a long-term dynasty, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes.
Los Angeles is coming off its first championship in a decade and could have nine players entering free agency this year. While LeBron James and Anthony Davis naturally played the biggest roles in the team’s title run, having a deep bench and productive supporting cast remains essential for the club’s chances of competing in the future.
“This is a historic franchise and to be a part of this is something that I’ll be able to talk about and my grandkids and kids will be able to talk about: Their paw-paw played for the Los Angeles Lakers,” James said after winning his fourth ring. “It’s like playing for the Yankees and winning or playing for the Cowboys and winning a Super Bowl, or the Patriots. It’s like playing for the Red Sox. So to be able to win with a historical franchise is something that, no matter if your mind wavers away, you can always remember what you’re doing it for.”
Assuming Davis re-signs with the franchise, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka will be tasked with filling the holes around his two superstars in order to keep the team at the forefront of contention next season.
There’s more from the Western Conference tonight:
- Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman lists five things to know about Stephen Silas, a possible candidate for the Thunder‘s vacant head coaching job. Silas has served in various scouting and assistant coaching roles since 2000, spending the past two seasons as an assistant with the Mavericks under Rick Carlisle.
- Mussato examines five things to know about Will Weaver in a separate article for The Oklahoman. Like Silas, Weaver is also a candidate for the Thunder’s head coaching vacancy. The 36-year-old coached the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League last season and also holds experience as an assistant with the Sixers (2013-16) and Nets (2016-18).
- Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic examines the rebranding of the Nuggets’ arena, which was formally re-named from Pepsi Center to Ball Arena. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment announced a naming rights partnership with the Ball Corporation last week, explaining the new arena name change.
Speculations
Hawks may give KCP 3 years 36 million
76ers could offer Rondo 2 years 12 million.
Kcp shot 37% in finals.. not worth 12 million per year.. lakers spent multiple years over paying him for overrated defense and hit or miss 3 pt shooting.. he averaged 10.7 pts in playoffs and 9.6 in regular season. Shot 37% from 3.. most catch and shoot wide open shots.. if anyone wants to get paid, play with lebron.. your stats will go up since you will have a ton on wide open shots.. lakers need to keep markieff .. rondo will stay with lakers..kcp can be replaced
Exactly ……… KCP kinda reminds me a bit of Jud Buechler – a bit player most of the season, then has a decent enough Finals, hitting some open jumpers.
The hoopla of a championship would want many to give KCP the brink’s truck.
KCP is a not scrub, he’s just not worth anything above the MLE (9M/year) ……… probably less.
ESPN the Jump – one day ago
Paul Pierce suggested that Clippers offer Rondo a contract.
I proposed this deal one month ago.
Paul pierce is one of the worst analysts out there. He regularly does not know what he is talking about.
He’s just another typical former player who thinks he knows more about the NBA than the average fan. So pathetic.
The same Paul pierce that said he is better than d wade? Nah.
Yeah, I mean what NBA player other than Pierce talks smack and says he is better than other players? It’s just him.
Pierce in his prime would fairly reliably outplay Lebron. Of course LJ’s prime has outlasted everyone by a ways!
Pierce was never close to Lebron.
LJ was & is better in general, but the matchup was like Pierce’s super bowl. He was not quiet about it; he resented LJ’s attention as another EC SF; he may have distracted himself from RS team goals, but in the playoffs, Boston was 2-0 vs the Cavs ’08 & ’10 and it was not fun. CLE never made it back to the finals until Lebron returned.
IMO
Avery Bradley is the best shooting guard on Free agency 2020
Mark Cuban wants to offer him a contract
If he opt out of the contract.
Bradley best shooting guard in free agency 2020? I say he is the best shooting guard of all time,
The Nuggets’ venue could be called Ballarena to keep the players on their toes. The tutu skirts could be used to frustrate reach-in defensive tactics.
It shows how fast Lamelo’s Big Baller startup has gone. Nuggets will be trading up for him.
Seriously though: “From jars to stars”: The same old Indiana canning supply co. got into aerospace & gov’t contracts in Colorado.
TAthletic: “The artist colloquially known as “The Can” has now been crushed because its new name is Ball Arena.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment announced… [Ball’s] aluminum beverage packaging be used at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and the Los Angeles Rams’ SoFi Stadium [also]… Ball will serve as KSE’s exclusive sustainability partner… “They entrusted us to be the first professional sports arenas in the world to deliver their recyclable Ball aluminum cup in the arena”… Ball’s presence began rising during the 2019-20 season.”
Hopefully the cups will not be heavy enough to throw! Not sure we need this progress.