FanPost

A 10 Step Ideal Front Office Plan for the Lakers this season: SUMMARY

Ideal Lakers 2017 2018 Front Office Plan: Summary and Analysis

If Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have made it this far, then they have completed my Ideal Lakers 2017 2018 Front Office Plan. That means they are basically done, unless something unexpected comes their way. Therefore, after completing steps one through ten, the 2017-2018 Lakers roster now looks like this.

PG. Lonzo Ball, Jameer Nelson, 2nd round pick

SG. KCP, Dwyane Wade, Josh Hart

SF. Paul George, Brandon Ingram, (open)

PF. LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, Anthony Tolliver

C. Brook Lopez, Larry Nance, Marreese Speights

This is a roster of 14 guaranteed contracts and one open spot, on the wing behind George and Ingram. With a nice balance of competing at a high level now and building for the future, this roster also has a full complement of above average or better defensive players, a number of solid shooters, and they all are essentially team first guys. With the assets they presently have and the free agents in play, I think I have constructed an ideal yet realistic plan for the Lakers front office to follow throughout the upcoming 12 months.

In quick summary, the steps I took to get here were:

1. Trading Jordan Clarkson before the trade deadline, with no salary coming back.

2. Trading Julius Randle before the deadline for the most value you can get without taking back long term salary. At best I believe this is a top 14 or top 20 protected first round pick

3. Getting LeBron to signal that he will sign for a 30% max, if it will help his new team compete, whoever they are.

4. Trading Luol Deng. By far the hardest of the first four steps, I nonetheless showed a number of viable scenarios where they could do this without sacrificing another high lottery pick like they did with D'Angelo Russell, while also taking back no long term salary. If the Lakers are willing to include enough future picks and decent young guys, they can and should get this done.

5. Agreeing with Paul George. Max, four years, final year option if he wants. Done and done...finally.

6. Agreeing with LeBron James. If he takes a small haircut on a short deal, James would be giving up way less than Kevin Durant did, and the King is much farther along in his career. If he wants to come to LA, and wants the best shot to compete, then I think he would go for this deal, regardless of the contract length he chooses.

7. Resigning KCP. I think I showed convincingly in this detailed post both why and how this deal could happen. In short, the extra year from the Lakers, the connection to LeBron, and a long term commitment to be a starter on a contending team, all while living in LA, should get this deal closed.

8. Resigning Brook Lopez. With a tight marketplace for centers projected once again, along with few teams that have actual cap space next summer, Lopez is probably looking at mid-level type money if he went elsewhere. My scenario has created enough space to get close to that in year one, and makes up the difference with bigger raises and a fifth year by utilizing Lopez' Bird Rights acquired in his trade from Brooklyn. (To use those rights they may have to sign him first, especially before the other guys above. But if everyone in agreed in the first few days of July, then the team can utilize whatever order makes these signings all legal)

9. Signing Dwyane Wade with the Room Exemption. If all of the above steps get done, I think this one might take care of itself. My post explains it in detail, but suffice it to say that Wade's age and lack of three point shooting may severely limit his options, making LA a real viable choice.

10. Filling out the roster with minimum players. I picked vets I liked for various reasons, but the market may present even better options, especially considering that this is a team now chasing Golden State.

Speaking of which....

No, I don't think this plan makes LA better than the defending champs, at least not in the first season. In truth, when researching this magnum opus, I didn't find any team that can convincingly assemble the needed pieces to match the Warriors' big four. Not a one. So given that fact, then both LeBron James and Paul George are likely choosing not only where they have the best chance to compete on the court but considering the team with highest value the off court.

However, setting aside LA business interests and lifestyle, I still think that this plan is the best LeBron and PG can do on the court anywhere in 2018. Admittedly there are a number of steps in my plan, but for each I have supplied numerous paths to the same end; clearing the cap and signing the best players at each spot. Of course after clearing said cap in steps one thru three, there are scenarios where the Lakers go after a third max player, but those require dumping one of either Ball or Ingram, just to add someone like DeMarcus Cousins or Russell Westbrook, or they require LeBron taking an unrealistic discount.

Personally, starting in the middle on a team with LeBron, PG and Ball, I'd rather have Lopez at center than Cousins anyway, even without taking into account the difference in likely salaries. Not only is Lopez a better fit as a 3 point shooting big who can still reasonably protect the rim, but his lesser need for the ball than Cousins, his genial, infectious personality, and team first mentality would probably fit better alongside George and James too.

Same goes for Westbrook, as far as being a questionable fit, not to mention his advancing age. While there may be a financial way to get three of Russ, LBJ, George, and/or Cousins, the rest of that team would be a mess, and likely (I believe) further away from competing for a title than the team I constructed. These three-max plans also sacrifice the majority of future assets for win now guys, leaving the Lakers only one or two years away from another post Nash/Dwight/Kobe implosion. And, you know, nobody wants that again. (Except for all other 29 teams and their fan bases, of course)

So that is my plan. Does it make them the best team? Probably not. But I think they would vault instantly into the tier below the Warriors, retain a pair of stable young veterans in KCP and Nance, and also keep all of their first round kids, Including Ball, Ingram, Kuzma and Hart. In this plan they are also contending now and in the future, all while gaining those same promising kids crucial playoff experience.

Got a better plan? Like mine? Let's hear it.

To let me know what you think of my plan, you can tweet me @plain_fiction, or email me directly at plainfiction@gmail.com.

Or if you read epic fantasy novels and are tired of waiting for the next Game of Thrones episode, go to my web site www.plainfiction.com and read one of my books!