assuming Dwight resigns for the max, the combined salaries for Kobe, Dwight, Pau, Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Hill will be around 88 million. reports say that Metta has been told that if he doesn't opt out he'll be amnestied so I'm not really counting the 7.7 mil he's owed. team option for Meeks is only 1.5 mil so we'll probably keep him, and I think they want to bring Earl Clark back, he'll be another 3-4 mil. so we'll be at 93-94 million in team salary just for 8 players. and obviously that number will rise as we fill out the rest of the roster....having a $100 mil team salary or close to is fine if you're a championship contender, not okay when you're a 7 seed or you can't get past the 2nd round. So I don't see how it makes sense financially or personnel-wise for us to keep Pau and his 19 mil.
what's his true trade value? it's an interesting debate, I think had he not gotten hurt last year he could have been moved at the deadline. he can still play at a high level and I'm sure plenty of teams would love to have a skilled big like him, I think a lot of teams would want him at center. but 19 mil is a lot to pay and would teams part with their young and promising (and cheap) talent for him? it also helps that his deal is expiring.
the issue is unless it's for young players with cap friendly deals, the lakers wouldn't want to take back any long term contracts because they'll wanna have as much cap space available for the summer of 2014, and a lot of the teams interested in Pau would be teams looking to send away bad contracts.
anyway here are some of the teams that I think would be interested in trading for him...
Minnesota Chicago Philly Golden State Boston? Houston?
darkhorse - OKC? getting Gasol would give them a legit inside game and would make amnestying Perk an easy decision.
3. "meh." In response to Reply # 0 Sun May-19-13 09:46 AM by Guinness
he's got one year left, at $19M. he's basically a one-year rental who will turn into a huge expiring contract. and it's a lot of money to match.
the only way a young team like philly or minny is going to be interested is if they manage to dump a longer contract in the process. and considering kobe's contract is up after next year, the lakers can't be interested in doing that (here's spencer hawes, kwame and thad young!). maybe something with another pricey guy on a one-year deal would work: iggy and koufos (although iggy might just opt out anyway). it just seems to me that he's got more value for the lakers than what they'll get back.
10. "who matches salaries anymore?" In response to Reply # 3
i'm not saying we should just do a straight salary dump but a 3-4 team deal would allow Lakers to move Pau for some talent while also shedding salary, like the failed CP3 deal where we sent out 27 mil and only took back 16 mil. and like i said, i don't think LA would have a problem with acquiring a long term contract if that player was young and didn't make all that much.
>he's got one year left, at $19M. he's basically a one-year >rental who will turn into a huge expiring contract. and it's a >lot of money to match. > >the only way a young team like philly or minny is going to be >interested is if they manage to dump a longer contract in the >process. and considering kobe's contract is up after next >year, the lakers can't be interested in doing that (here's >spencer hawes, kwame and thad young!). maybe something with >another pricey guy on a one-year deal would work: iggy and >koufos (although iggy might just opt out anyway). it just >seems to me that he's got more value for the lakers than what >they'll get back.
5. "cutting salary seems unrealistic unless they give him away free" In response to Reply # 0
they can't cut cost and add assets, they have to pick one or the other if they are going to shop him aggressively.
i am not sure the teams you mentioned are such a great fit. that's the main problem, really, no contender has cap space, few have $17M-$21M in expendable contracts, etc.
what would a bad team want with pau? what would a middling team have to offer?
eventually the number of potential trade partners will narrow to where i think the lakers would be wise to just eat the last year of his deal. that's hardly a terrible thing, he makes them a better team for a year than anything they'd get for him and then his contract expires.
And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
29. "Cool story. A couple of problems, however. " In response to Reply # 7
When a guy like that is about to be available, you still make the play for him. End of story.
You go after him with everything you've got.
Here's the second problem with your post:
We have three options:
1. Give it our best shot this season with what we have and let the chips fall where they may, allowing a massive amount of money to clear from the books and make ourselves the biggest free agent player we've been since 96, OR
2. Become the Knicks and make patchwork deals on the fly in hopes that works out.
3. Pull off another heist.
Now, let's play a game I'd like to call "what makes the most sense by a landslide?".
-Sig-
“Why didn’t you do this in your own god damn country?"
-All Stah's view on undocumented immigrants wanting to be treated like human beings.
8. "been saying this....to Minn. for Derek Williams and a pick..." In response to Reply # 0
you bring back Earl Clark and now you got Dwight Howard, Earl Clark, Derek Williams, and Hill...plus a pick ..plus cap relief....
Derek Williams doesn't have as spot with Minn...it's a losing environment...you bring that kid home and he's an easy 15 and 10 guy for you at a lower price and with better numbers than Gasol...
18. "very well thought out, wow, how could i have missed this?" In response to Reply # 8
nevermind that the numbers don't work and minnesota already has love and pekovic up front. if they get pau, that means peacing pek, eh, that adds considerably to the cost of a trade. they'd also have to protect the shit out of the pick to make it worthwhile.
in other words, try again.
And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
15. "Do you understand the salary cap?" In response to Reply # 14
Kobe's under contract for one more year. Next year. He'll be making $30 mil and assuming we reup Dwight, we'll still be well over the cap without Kobe. It makes ZERO sense to amnesty him or Pau (who's contract is also up next year).
Now, if you want to talk about not bringing him back after next year, that's a different discussion.
19. "bro, the LAKERS are looking to deal pau lmao" In response to Reply # 12
you dont have a very clear view of this situation, breathe, take a step back. i know it always FEELS like time for hating, but you've got to pick your spots just a little more.
And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
25. "apparently you didn't read, because i just broke down our cap situation" In response to Reply # 12 Sun May-19-13 06:44 PM by LBs Finest
you still have to pay a player after amnestying him, bright side is for some teams it will free up cap space. well the Lakers aren't one of those teams, you knock Kobe's 30 mil off the cap next year and after Dwight re-signs we're still over the cap at 65 mil just for 6 players. even if Metta opts out, we're capped out at 58 mil.
only way for the Lakers to get under the cap is to amnesty Kobe AND move Nash or Pau in a salary dump, but that would basically be a complete rebuild, which is what we plan on doing in 2014 anyway when everyone's deal comes off the books.
it's rare enough to amnesty a player in his contract year, it's even more of a long shot to do it when it won't get you under the cap. the ONLY benefit to amnestying Kobe is we'd save a ton of money avoiding the luxury tax payments, but management knows Kobe is the reason Staples sells out, plus after that time warner deal i don't think money is much of an issue.
20. "the weird thing is despite having no draft pick again & last season" In response to Reply # 0
being a complete shitshow....if they re-sign Dwight, standing pat for next season is pretty much the most viable option.
I mean, sure Artest is probably gone & *maybe* you could jerk Toronto into taking Nash's deal but if Dwight stays they pretty much have to play it out.
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
Okay Sports
