LeBron James can sign a two-year extension this offseason and it increasingly appears he’s on board with the team’s future plans. Brian Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up show that James and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss are “in a good place” as the franchise tries to move on from a disastrous season (hat tip to Hoops Hype).
“From what I understand, LeBron and Jeanie are in a good place right now, despite the frustrations of this season,” Windhorst said. “LeBron believes that a few tweaks and some health can actually turn this thing around, and they can be super competitive. He is invested, wants to be there.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Jonathan Kuminga didn’t play in Game 6 against the Grizzlies but Draymond Green believes the Warriors rookie has a very bright future, as he told Marc Spears of Andscape. “He can be a perennial All-Star in this league,” Green said. “That’s up to him and the work he puts in. But he has the skills, the tools, he can see the floor, he has the opportunity if he puts the work in to be a perennial All-Star.”
- Devin Booker finished fourth in the voting for the Most Valuable Player award but the Suns guard should be at the forefront of the conversation for next year’s award, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. Along with his scoring and play-making, Booker has cut down on his turnovers and improved defensively.
- The Kings brought in six draft prospects on Thursday, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. That group included Will Richardson (Oregon), Jamal Bieniemy (UTEP), Lester Quinones (Memphis), Jeriah Horne (Tulsa), Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Louisiana Tech) and Efe Abogidi (Washington State).
Rank these former college/other teammate duos as far as who’d you’d rather have on your team for the next 10yrs, Herb Jones/Josh Primo, Mikal Bridges/Jalen Brunson, Jonathan Kuminga/Jalen Green, Marvin Bagley/Gary Trent Jr or LaMelo Ball/Isaiah Jackson?
There are way too many variables in there to answer this. The 10 year thing also makes it too difficult…
It’s too difficult for you lol overall it’s pretty straightforward tho. You’re overthinking it
You dont know who else is on the team…the other guy ended up breaking it down relatively well though.
Warriors 4 young guys are non factor
Wiseman
Kuminga
Moody
Poole
Jordan Poole a non-factor? Don’t think I agree. He doesn’t play fantastic every game but he’s been a big factor in many. Jonathan kuminga also has provided excellent support in spot Duty minutes.
Yes, Poole who’s averaged 30 mins and 15 points in the series has definitely been a non-factor. Especially compared to Moody and Wiseman’s combined 21 minutes in 6 games. Kuminga started 2 or 3 games I don’t remember. Lol try again.
1. Kuminga/Green – Purely off potential they dwarf the rest of the field. They are probably an accumulative decade younger than Bridges and Brunson. They will trump the field in All Star appearances eventually as Lamelo and Bridges here and there will get All Star appearances. Green eventually goes to probably 7 and Lamelo to as many as he wants.
Cost wise they are cheap the next 3 years and should be worth the most in RFA altogether of the bunch.
2. Bridges and Brunson – They are hands down the best duo right now, it’s not even close. Currently they are also 2 of the best 3 players in the whole group with Lamelo. I can’t see Kuminga/Green being better than then for at least 2 years guaranteed and it might take 4 to 5.
Cost wise they will be over 40 a year the next 10 years. Bridges 22 starts next season and Brunson is getting robbed if he doesn’t get 20 per this summer.
3. Lamelo and Isiah Jackson – Because of Lamelo’s current play and Jackson’s future. Jackson is better than Bagley in a vacuum. It would be assumed he was a poor man’s Bagley with better athletes but he’s is potentially what you want Bagley to be. Bagley has improved and even improved his athleticism which is hard to do and gives me hope he will continue but it is what it is.
Cost wise they are both on rookie deals for the next 2 years. Ball’s getting max and Jackson should be a much more polished players before he hits RFA, he’s gonna end up paid as well.
Toss Up
4. Jones / Primo – it’s a toss up. Jones has top 10 in the League defensive quality already on display and Primo has that potential top 25 offensively (though this is purely a projection). Primo is young and has SGA like potential potentially. He would be the jump shooting version of SGA with that as his super power vs unstoppable driving. We might have to wait like Cleveland did with Garland or Portland with Simon’s but it’s coming.
Cost wise they are super cheap. Jones probably is in the top 10% of value in the League. Primo is a guy you draft for his Bird Rights not his current producgion much like Kuminga. Guys like Jones always get low ball offers but I think he will be the exception. He’s older and his extention will include his prime. Plus defense is the new sexy. I coined , “Defense is the new Shooting” like Orange is the New Black. Bridges got paid, Bridges is better than Jones and is the prototype for a low usage hyper efficient 3D wing. But Jones is good in his own right and will be better when he adds a few more moves. Jones will be upper middle class man’s Bridges. Bridges is rich man’s Bridges.
5. Bagley/Trent Jr – They will be 2 or 3 in production next year but over the next 10 I see a lower ceiling that the other grouping. I’m happy to see Bagley has improved every aspect of his game and has found a GM/staff that believes in him and wants to nature his growth. Trent Jr has overcame being a defensive liability to become a better defensive player. Trent has the primacy to eventually put up great numbers but on a bad team somewhere. He may get better but idk if he gets significantly better than prime Tim Hardaway Jr. If that’s the case then the only difference between Trent and Buddy Hield is Trent jumping a few passing lanes.
Cost wise they are both off rookie deals. I expect Bagley to do 10 to 12 million next year. They will be market value, nothing terribly bad about it but nothing that great either.
Great reply
You found your guy!
Gotta like the recognition of Isaiah Jackson & Herbert Jones. I have also been pushing the idea of “defense is the new sexy” well said. I think this year’s rookies made it trendy.
But shooting is still better than D because players will mess up on their own despite lousy D!— while for shooting, few makes, makes a loss. Well it’s theoretical.
Fine analyses all around. Bagley and Jackson have opposite mentalities but they do amount to similar impact.
Comparing Primo to SGA— I have to catch up on this guy.
It’s a stretch to compare Primo to SGA. I took some liberties but he has loads of potential. He doesn’t turn 20 until December. He will get to Simon’s level offense but a better defender.
He was compared to Caris Levert and Anfernee Simons coming into his draft
In other words he gets to pick the coach or he’s out?
Who ever works PR for Devin Booker deserves a massive raise for people to think he is anywhere in that conversation. He has significantly improved, although that also has to do with what is around him. Chris Paul, Mikail Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, Torrey Craig all hide his deficiencies and allow him to be a scorer for them
Kuminga reminded me of a remedial Luol Deng, kind of a little Andrew Wiggins before his draft. I think they’ve helped him with a lot of his Wiggins like attributes, and as long as they continue to put him in positions to succeed, around the right guys, he does have a shot to be what Draymond is talking about at some point…but they dont necessarily need him to be for a couple of years