[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, welcome everybody to the Lakers Legacy podcast where the Lakers last domino has fallen.
[SPEAKER_00]: And ironically, it's Dominotin.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, Dominaton.
[SPEAKER_00]: Cause the Andre 18 is no longer a Laker.
[SPEAKER_00]: He got traded to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Harvey and two second round picks the other Friday or this past Friday.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm your host Jonathan Hernandez.
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the Lakers Legacy Podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hope you all had a wonderful fourth of July, spent with good company, good eats,
[SPEAKER_00]: and all that jazz, good furry friends, of course.
[SPEAKER_00]: Today, we're going to break down what the heck the lakers are trying to do, what could be up there sleeve after having traded out DeAndre eights in for another guard for some reason, saving $2 million, getting two second round picks back.
[SPEAKER_00]: What they plan to do with this Jonathan Kominga News, what they plan to not do with Ruihachi Mora and even retaining him, considering retaining him,
[SPEAKER_00]: salary cap logistics all breakdown all of the all of the different options the lakeers have how much money they could free up in every single scenario.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then I'll also break down.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll also go over some backup big man options, some big man to trade for on the cheap using maybe some of the draft capital that the Lakers have just gotten in and then we'll end the show talking about the really hatching more of versus Jonathan coming to debate even though it seems like the Lakers are going one clear direction will still debate it out anyways.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, that is the template for today's show.
[SPEAKER_00]: Before we get started, if I could please ask you guys to like this video, comment down below, and most importantly hit subscribe.
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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, well, let's get into the show.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you guys, also, if you guys have any comments or questions, please feel free to drop them in the chat if I have some time.
[SPEAKER_00]: At the end of the episode, maybe I'll go through them, but if you want your voice to definitely be heard, super chat and super things are always welcome because they're the first thing that pop up on my screen as a notification.
[SPEAKER_00]: But with that said, let's get into the show.
[SPEAKER_00]: So this past Friday, July 3rd, while I was at the beach with my family, the Lakers apparently traded DeAndre 810 to the Washington Wizards, a common trade partner of theirs, the last couple of years for better or for worse.
[SPEAKER_00]: So DeAndre 810 to the Washington Wizards has expiring $8.1 million out.
[SPEAKER_00]: In return, the Lakers got Jayden Hardy and his $6 million, he has a team option for next season.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's essentially an expiring contract as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And in return, the Lakers got back two second round picks.
[SPEAKER_00]: The wizard is 2031 and 2032 for second round picks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I know the
[SPEAKER_00]: their rookie looks great, they have Alex Sarr, AD, Trey Young, but I don't know, the wizards are always going to whiz.
[SPEAKER_00]: The whiz always going to whiz.
[SPEAKER_00]: And those second round picks are actually pretty nice.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like they're not a second round pick from, you know, the Miami heat or something like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're the wizards own second round picks in 2031 and 2032.
[SPEAKER_00]: I consider those second round picks very valuable.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the fact that the lickers were actually able to get something
[SPEAKER_00]: out of DA is is good news.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now what they do with that, how they execute their next move with these second round picks is the big question.
[SPEAKER_00]: But before we get into that really quickly,
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I had just started to wrap my head around DeAndre Aateson being the backup center for this team.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I was starting to warm up to the idea.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was like, actually, this is a really good talent play.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'd have one of the best backup centers in the league.
[SPEAKER_00]: And God forbid, if Walker Castle went down, DeAndre Aateson could just start at Center for us.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we've seen that if he locks in, he can be really good on both ends of the floor.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he was a huge reason why we
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, made it past the first round versus the Houston rocket.
[SPEAKER_00]: So from a talent play perspective, I was like, hey, the Andre Atson would be one of the best, if not the best big man coming off the bench and at $8 million, that's hard to beat.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I had already started to warm up to the idea of the Andre Atson being back.
[SPEAKER_00]: And worst case scenario, he's an expiring $8 million that we could use as salary ballast near the trade deadline, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And then we traded him.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we didn't clear all of his salary.
[SPEAKER_00]: We got Jayden Hardy back, $6 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: We did save $2 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I guess we got two seconds that we can then reflipp and reroute and also Jayden Hardy over the next how many days.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the next six days?
[SPEAKER_00]: or maybe five by now.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers can still aggregate his salary in another trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's something to keep in mind and he's only expiring $6 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: So ideally, or realistically, he should be pretty easy to trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so,
[SPEAKER_00]: Given the fact that the Lakers probably made the calculus in their head that D. Andre 18 would not be happy in a back up role.
[SPEAKER_00]: Although I don't know why he would be happy in a back up role in Washington.
[SPEAKER_00]: Although I have heard some things that they're going to play Alec Sarr.
[SPEAKER_00]: 18 and 80 together.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think they're going to start together.
[SPEAKER_00]: So essentially, 18's going to be still playing back up to 80 in Washington.
[SPEAKER_00]: Regardless, it's no longer the Lakers problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: I guess they made it.
[SPEAKER_00]: They wanted to start training camp off clean with their best foot forward.
[SPEAKER_00]: muddied waters, and so they were like, let's not even take the chance that DeAndre aids in, you know, could be unhappy.
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's trade him, let's get the asses that we can.
[SPEAKER_00]: And now here we are, clearly, the lakeers have another move or moves rather on the horizon.
[SPEAKER_00]: What could that be?
[SPEAKER_00]: What are their options?
[SPEAKER_00]: How much money could they free up?
[SPEAKER_00]: And how does this all tie into Jonathan Kominga?
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers options, oh, okay, sorry, before we get into the option, I do want to say Kudos to DeAndre 184.
[SPEAKER_00]: In my opinion, rebounding his image.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought he was a great teammate for the most part this season.
[SPEAKER_00]: His mom, you know, cooking jerk chicken for the team.
[SPEAKER_00]: You saw him on the bench even when he was benched in closing quarters, like still cheering his team on.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought he really relished being a Laker and he was one of the,
[SPEAKER_00]: silver linings of the season.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was a huge part of the lakeers march when he relocked back in.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was a huge part of the lakeers November when AR and Luca and LeBron were out at various points.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he was a huge part of the lakeers advancing in round one.
[SPEAKER_00]: And for the price that he was getting.
[SPEAKER_00]: one of the best big man in the league at $8 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's just obviously the inconsistent motor, you know, the inconsistent moodiness, even though I don't think he was toxic in the locker room at all.
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, I think it was the opposite.
[SPEAKER_00]: Everybody had really good things to say about DA, and he was consistently being called.
[SPEAKER_00]: the X factor, which he was, you know, whenever the Andre Aeton was playing well, the Lakers were likely playing well as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I just wanted to throw that out to DA best of luck to him in Washington with Anthony Davis.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know the jokes been going around that 80 finally has his center slash big man.
[SPEAKER_00]: Honestly, star AD and DA, that's a pretty crazy triple towers.
[SPEAKER_00]: If, you know, Washington does deploy all of those players, but yeah, um,
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought DeAndre aids in acquitted himself pretty well or acquitted himself enough to be like, this is a good player.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if he can be in the right situation in the right mindset with the right dudes around him, ideally Marcus Smart, he can be very helpful for your team.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the Lakers just decided, we don't want to take our chances.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'd rather just already have
[SPEAKER_00]: are most of our team, 95% of our team already locked in before the season begins, and I don't blame them.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so with that said, DAs out, we've got these picks, what do the makers do from here?
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's go through the options, shall we?
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, now I'm going to run down the Lakers cap space options because I do think they could go a number of different ways right number one, they could take the remaining salary, Jared Vanderbilt,
[SPEAKER_00]: They could also take Jake LaRavia's $6 million expiring, although I would probably just opt to keep Jake and just hope that his 3-point shooting regresses to the mean and a positive way, and we see more of who is number 12 November Jake next season, because he's still young, he's still cheap, and the Lakers need his defense at the wing slash four position.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, regardless,
[SPEAKER_00]: One option is the ligars could take that salary and try and trade for another player using what assets they have and we'll get into the assets that they have so they could do that and they could actually take more money back in a trade so that's something to think about like the ligars could trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: who would they want, who's like a good option.
[SPEAKER_00]: They could trade for miles turner honestly.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know why they would, but let's say they wanted to trade for miles turners $23 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: They could trade Jared Vanderbilt and Dalton connect and Jaden Hardy, and they'd be able to make that deal and take back more money.
[SPEAKER_00]: But anyways, that's one option, but today I wanna get into the salary dump option to see
[SPEAKER_00]: just how much money the Lakers could actually clear, what are the different tiers of money, what they need to do to get to those tiers?
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's run it all down right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: So after the DeAndre Aetentray, the assets that the Lakers have available to them is, one, they have about $2 million in cap space back by making that DA $8.1 million for Hardy $6 million swap.
[SPEAKER_00]: On top of that, because we got Washington's 2031 and 2032 second round picks back, we now have three second round picks to swap our 2033 pick and Washington's own 2031 and 2032 picks, which again, I think those are pretty valuable second round picks and I wouldn't be surprised if we're able to actually use them to actually make some substantial moves.
[SPEAKER_00]: or at least dump the players we need to dump.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then lastly, we do have one loan pick swap are 2032 first round pick.
[SPEAKER_00]: Everything else is swap to the Utah Jazz, but these are the assets we have available.
[SPEAKER_00]: So now let's get to work and clear some cap space.
[SPEAKER_00]: On the bottom, wrong of things.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers can
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll lay it out in order to get rid of Jared Vanderbilt's $12.4 million and he has a player option of $13 million next season so that's $25 million total over the next two years.
[SPEAKER_00]: In order to get rid of that salary,
[SPEAKER_00]: It's going to take a pretty penny.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we just saw the Houston Rockets trade three second round picks to get rid of DFS is $13 million contract.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I know he has additional years attached to that, but actually he only has one guarantee of year left.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the next year, they can just cut him.
[SPEAKER_00]: I forget how much his guarantee is the next year, but he's essentially like an expiring contract.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the fact that the Houston Rockets had to trade three seconds to get off of an expiring contract,
[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't bode well for the Lakers being able to offload Jared Vanderbilt for cheap because Vanderbilt's on for two more years.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's on an even worse contract than DFS, okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, yeah, so I'll just leave it there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Having said that, let's look at the worst case scenario option, like the least amount of cap space we can.
[SPEAKER_00]: free up without necessarily relying on a straight, Jared Vanderbilt dump.
[SPEAKER_00]: So option one, we just wave and stretch Jared Vanderbilt because no team wants to take him on.
[SPEAKER_00]: If they do want to take him on, they're asking for a first that we don't have.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we will just wave and stretch Vando free up $7 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: After that, we should then don't jade and hardies $6 million expiring, essentially expiring.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dalton connects $4.2 million, essentially, expiring both of these players have club options the next year, but their teams do not have to opt into that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's $10.2 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're gonna take hearty and connect expirings.
[SPEAKER_00]: Attached the Wizards 2031 and 2032 second round picks onto them and offload their salaries entirely.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe we need to separate them out, like attach a second to connect, attach a second to hearty, dump their salaries,
[SPEAKER_00]: But that seems, I mean, whatever, whatever is easiest for the Lakers, essentially we take two seconds and dump party and connects, we'd free up $10.2 million, you take the $7 million in savings from waving and stretching Jared Vanderbilt and we've got $19 million all of a sudden around $19 million in cap space.
[SPEAKER_00]: That cap space could be used to.
[SPEAKER_00]: absorb a salary like Lou Dort.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's making $17 million or it can be used to sign a new free agent like Jonathan Hemingah, which is what I'm assuming the Lakers are trying to do.
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's option one.
[SPEAKER_00]: Option two in order to free up slightly more salary because in option one we only traded two of our three available second round picks and we didn't trade our pick swap so option two we wave and stretch vandal plus seven million dollars although we will have five million dollars of dead cap space on our books for the next five years that's okay we're going to be a luxury tax apron team likely We'll deal with the five million dollar dead space if and when Lucas going back to the maps just kidding all right
[SPEAKER_00]: Wave and stretch Vando plus $7 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: We do the same thing we did in option one, dump party and connect for two seconds, plus 10.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then we're also gonna dump Jake LaRavia.
[SPEAKER_00]: $6 million expiring will use our last second round pick, that's plus $6 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, again, I don't necessarily want to just dump Jake LaRavia, but if we have a particular target in mind and we need more cap space,
[SPEAKER_00]: then it has to be done.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if we do all of those moves in option two, all of a sudden we have around 25 million dollars, what can we do with that 25 million dollars?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, we can absorb a salary, we can take on Miles Turner for nothing, maybe we even get a pick from the books, but I doubt it.
[SPEAKER_00]: We can take on Cam Johnson, but it doesn't sound like the, sorry, it doesn't sound like the Denver nuggets are too keen on giving some of their useful players to Western conference competitors
[SPEAKER_00]: Or they can just trade for somebody, you know, making around 25 to 32 million dollars, because the Lakers can take back more salary.
[SPEAKER_00]: Although I'm not sure if that applies if they're using cap space, they'd give the other team a traded player exception.
[SPEAKER_00]: Regardless, without getting two into the weeds of things, the Lakers would have 25 million dollars available.
[SPEAKER_00]: They could also try and send a 25 million dollar restricted free agency offer to Payton Watson.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if that would be wise because it seems like the Denver nuggets are doing everything to keep Payton Watson, but might $25 million be enough, at least in the first year, to pry him away.
[SPEAKER_00]: If Tari-Eason were still available, the Lakers could probably pry him away with a $22 million restricted free agency offer, and then we get Tari-Eason.
[SPEAKER_00]: But,
[SPEAKER_00]: That's option two, let's move on to option three, where we are able to dump Jared Vanderbilt's $12 million entirely.
[SPEAKER_00]: So,
[SPEAKER_00]: In order to dump Jared Vanderbilt, I think he will take the Lakers attaching their 2032 pick swap.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're last remaining pick swap.
[SPEAKER_00]: And in the new lottery odds slash relegation rules or whatever, I think pick swaps are going to become more valuable because teams that are on the bubble are gonna have a shot to jump into the top form
[SPEAKER_00]: more often.
[SPEAKER_00]: And because of that, if you're, you know, if you have a pick swap, that could benefit you greatly.
[SPEAKER_00]: So,
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers, I think, in order to get off of Vando's $12.4 million cleanly, one full stop, I think they're going to have to trade at least, their 20, 32-pix-wap, maybe they even have to attach a second.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think that's too rich.
[SPEAKER_00]: But anyways, option three, we're going to dump Vando's $12.4 million entirely, attach our last remaining-pix-wap, 20, 32, and then we're going to do what we have been doing, dump party, dump connect with two seconds, and that would free up $22.6 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now we still have Jake LaRavia.
[SPEAKER_00]: We still have one additional second round.
[SPEAKER_00]: Pick left.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, what if we want more money?
[SPEAKER_00]: The most amount of money that we can free up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, option four, we would salary dump vando with that same pick swap plus 12.4 million dollars.
[SPEAKER_00]: We would dump Hardy dump connect plus 10.2 million dollars.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then we would dump Jake LaRavia with our last remaining second round pick plus six.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we would open up around 28.6 million dollars in cap space.
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, what can we do with that?
[SPEAKER_00]: we could throw that at Payton Watson and just cross her fingers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, Denver match a $28.6 million first year offer for Payton Watson good luck or we could take on Christian Braun he's making $25 million, but that contracts kind of gnarly.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers could use this cap space to gain more assets if they wanted to by absorbing players that other teams don't want but why would the Lakers want them?
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think overall,
[SPEAKER_00]: With $28.6 million, let your mind go wild and crazy with what we want to do with that.
[SPEAKER_00]: We could use it to, we could break it up, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: We could spend $15 million of that to bring Jonathan coming up to the team.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then with the remaining $12 million, we could absorb a salary to get our backup big man.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whoever that is, that's making around 10 to 12 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe it's Jalen Smith.
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's a lot of options we can do with $28.6 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are essentially the different tiers of money that we can open up, depending on how we, you know, divvy up our assets.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I, obviously, I do not need to know, I don't know what it's going to cost to dump some of these players.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm kind of just guesstimating.
[SPEAKER_00]: But these are our options.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now,
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's actually get into some names of backup big men.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to pivot away from the salary cap stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: You guys already know our options.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll loop back around and talk about the Jonathan Kominga scenario in Ruby Hatchimura.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now let's first try and find ourselves a backup big man.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because DeAndre attends out the door.
[SPEAKER_00]: So as Andre Drummond, we need to fill this position.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we have two avenues of doing that,
[SPEAKER_00]: and then also via trade.
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's start talking about specific names for backup big men now.
[SPEAKER_00]: Before I get to that, now that we've got a bunch of people tuning in,
[SPEAKER_00]: If I could please ask you guys to like this video, comment down below, mash the hype button, drum the engagement up.
[SPEAKER_00]: And most importantly, please hit subscribe.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would greatly appreciate it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not going to put up the next slide until some of you guys hit subscribe.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to look at the channel feed and make sure that the numbers are going up because it really does help the show grow for people to
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, subscribe.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even though at the end of the day, it's more of the views that matter, but yeah, can we get?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to take a break.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to drink some coffee hoping a couple of you hit subscribe on the YouTube channel.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if we get the number that we want, we can move forward.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm at 76692 right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we can get to 7700 within this stream, that would be great.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, before we get to back a big man, please hit subscribe while I drink some coffee.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, seven, nine, seven, nine, six.
[SPEAKER_00]: Come on.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just four more people.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's do this.
[SPEAKER_00]: Subit up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, six, nine, seven.
[SPEAKER_00]: Still need three more people.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm holding you guys hostage.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yep.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am holding you guys hostage.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's go.
[SPEAKER_00]: Subit up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Fireworks.
[SPEAKER_00]: We got it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's go.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's move on and talk about some back a big man option.
[SPEAKER_00]: Damn.
[SPEAKER_00]: I should I should do this hostage negotiation more often.
[SPEAKER_00]: By the way, I just watched last night.
[SPEAKER_00]: I watched that Netflix movie The Rip with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon pretty pretty interesting riveting movie.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you're talking about Taking dudes hostage they weren't doing it for subs though, but all right.
[SPEAKER_00]: Here we go.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so back up big man options.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's look at this list that I've compiled, shall we?
[SPEAKER_00]: I've organized this via, I've organized this in three different tiers as usual, veterans, younger vets, and young moneyball options, okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's run it through,
[SPEAKER_00]: tier one, the veterans.
[SPEAKER_00]: And depending on how many roster spots the Lakers are able to open up, maybe we're able to get two of these players, because I do think it would be beneficial for the Lakers to have an adult in the locker room.
[SPEAKER_00]: So anyways, here are the veterans.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kelly Olinic, 35 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kelly Olinic is a guy that I've always wanted on the Lakers.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think he's still a very useful player.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously he was on the spurs last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think he played that much because he was on the spurs.
[SPEAKER_00]: They have Luke Kornet.
[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously Victor Womenyama is Matt Beambo.
[SPEAKER_00]: They like to play smaller times.
[SPEAKER_00]: So Kelly Olenic, I still think could be quite serviceable for the Lakers.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's actually younger than Brook Lopez.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he would give us another sort of,
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, right now, he would give us a legitimate five-out look.
[SPEAKER_00]: And as opposed to Sandra O'Mamu, I think Kelly Olinic is actually more of a center than Sandra O'Sanjo's kind of undersized.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kelly Olinic is, I think, slightly taller.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's done the Sandra O'Mamu role for much longer.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's actually the fully realized version of Sandra and I think better defensively, more scrappy, longer, taller.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's had bit.
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's Kelly Olenick.
[SPEAKER_00]: Next we've got Dwight Powell, 34 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is Luca Donchich's boy from their time in Dallas.
[SPEAKER_00]: And by all accounts, he's been a great locker room presence for the Mavericks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Somewhat of a lob threat, I mean, he rebounds the ball.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's very vanilla.
[SPEAKER_00]: He would pretty much just essentially be replacing the Maxi Kleber role from last season.
[SPEAKER_00]: Doesn't really stretch the floor, but
[SPEAKER_00]: He's like your Jared Dudley at the power 4 or slash center position.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then you've got Mason Plumley who was also on the spurs after buy out season.
[SPEAKER_00]: 36 years old, this one I'm less than thus buy because I don't really want to stack on bigs who can't space the floor, but Plumley can rebound the ball, he's pretty strong, he can move bodies, set screens, really good playmaker for his position.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think he might be totally washed 36 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then we've got Biz Neck Beyond Boe who was also on the spurs.
[SPEAKER_00]: Somehow, still only 33 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: For anybody who's ever watched NBC's Heroes, he kind of looks like the Haitian.
[SPEAKER_00]: I've been watching Heroes since it popped up on Netflix recently.
[SPEAKER_00]: Really great show.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just watch season one, although I did like season two as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: But anyways, Biz MacBiambo, he looks like the Haitian, who blocks people's powers.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he also blocks shots, kind of.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even though he's only six foot nine, he does have a seven foot six rigs band.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a random aside about Biz MacBiambo and Heroes.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, I mean, I wouldn't mind Biz MacBiambo, but again, I am wary about stacking similar archetypes of players.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, of course, we've got the Jonas valence units stuff because the, he's only on for two or three million dollars guaranteeed and it looks like the nuggets are going to just wave his ten million dollar contracts so they can free up seven million dollars to, you know, Resign paid in Watson yada yada yada yada yada yada
[SPEAKER_00]: I have heard rumors that Jonas might just want to go back overseas because he was trying to before the nuggets traded for him.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm not sure where he stands.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like if a team like the Lakers and Luka Donchitch recruit him to come onto the team, would he stay?
[SPEAKER_00]: But there's Jonas Valens, you know, he's probably the most talented out of this group, even though he's slow and plotting.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't like the way that he sort of
[SPEAKER_00]: is lead-footed on defense, but he does.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is a banger down low pause.
[SPEAKER_00]: He still rebounds, good playmaker can space the floor.
[SPEAKER_00]: There was like a short period of time last season when he filled in for Jonas, or for Jonas.
[SPEAKER_00]: Filled in for Yokech and did pretty well.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know I had him in fantasy.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was putting up like mini Yokech triple double lines.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, Jonas wouldn't be bad because he does give us a different five-out spacing look.
[SPEAKER_00]: He just, he doesn't fit the theme of our team with regards to being fast, athletic and explosive.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm not too fond of Jonas and then lastly, we have Kevon Looney.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even though he's only 30 years old, I'm putting him in the veterans because it seems like he's been in the league for, I don't know, 12 years.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, um,
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, Kavallouni is somebody that I actually was like was monitoring during the trade deadline because I thought we needed our own sort of Steven Adams type bodyguard enforcer because he still sets really good screens obviously from his time with the warriors freeing up Steph Curry and Clay Thompson illegally and he's a good rebounder.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of the dirty work for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: The problem is I just recently started digging into his tape more and this dude can't run anymore.
[SPEAKER_00]: This dude definitely can't jump anymore.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's 30 years old, but he moves more like a 38 year old, which isn't even that old, but obviously in basketball years, that's hell of a lot old, that's geriatric.
[SPEAKER_00]: And of his 25 feel goes last season.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kavon Looney only had one dunk.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you watch his tape, this dude is like flipping it up without really jumping.
[SPEAKER_00]: Everything's like a layup, and he just, he's just so groundbound now that I,
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I would not, I would not go with Kavan looney, even though, you know, he is a veteran locker room presence with winning, with winning experience.
[SPEAKER_00]: So anyways, those are the veterans.
[SPEAKER_00]: Out of this list, I'd probably go Kelli Olenic, Jonas Valens, Unis Dwight Powell as my top three.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's move on to the center here and let's talk about younger vets.
[SPEAKER_00]: At the top of my list is Nick Richards, 28 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: This would be my number one target right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we're just looking at backup big man for agents.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nick Richards is also a guy that I was clamoring for the Lakers to trade for even when we had Anthony Davis.
[SPEAKER_00]: He comes from Kentucky as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Anthony Davis is alma mater.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is six foot 10 without shoes, six foot 11, seven foot three wings span.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a really good roll man.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's never played with a point guard like Luke Adonction Austin Reeves.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's very athletic and explosive at the rim.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like he's not obviously Jackson Hayes, Daniel Gaffard, explosive.
[SPEAKER_00]: But in terms of like a backup big man, he's probably one of the better athletic guys you'll find on the market.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I like that aspect about him.
[SPEAKER_00]: He also has a nice like mini mid range jump shot.
[SPEAKER_00]: He can rebound the ball.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's not the great defense.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's not that great defensively.
[SPEAKER_00]: but he's long, he's got seven foot three wingspan again.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I like Nick Richards because he kind of again, sort of hammers home that theme of being young and athletic.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he is, I mean, still only 20 years old, but mainly being athletic, being able to run and jump, run up and down, et cetera, et cetera.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the rest of this list is kind of a sad sack.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sort of list, we've got former Laker Mowbamba, 28 years old,
[SPEAKER_00]: He's been moving around a lot.
[SPEAKER_00]: I honestly don't know whether he can still play.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know he has a seven foot nine wing span and is like seven foot two.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know that he can stretch the floor somewhat.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can he move not really?
[SPEAKER_00]: And he wouldn't give us the lob threat that we need necessarily.
[SPEAKER_00]: He almost has the same measureable as Walker Custler and ideally you'd want an over the top area big man with a legitimate max of hurt.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's not Mo Bomba.
[SPEAKER_00]: So Mo Bomba, we got James Weisman, former number one pick of the Warriors I believe, still only 25 years old did suffer in a Killie's injury, like at the start of last season, but I think he came back, tried it out with the Indiana Pacers again, didn't work out.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously is very talented.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know where he stands physically.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if this is the type of player that you want to take a chance on, but I'm putting his name on this list anyways.
[SPEAKER_00]: Next we've got Tony Bradley,
[SPEAKER_00]: somehow still only 28 years old, the lakers technically drafted Tony Bradley in the 2017 draft and then they traded his rights away for Josh Hart and Thomas Bryant.
[SPEAKER_00]: So in some weird ironic poetry way, the lakers would be getting Tony Bradley back.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Tony Bradley is such a kind of like a slothy
[SPEAKER_00]: boring meat and potatoes back up big man.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he'll do the job for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is long, he'll rebound for you, but there's nothing that pops off the page with Tony Bradley.
[SPEAKER_00]: Similarly, we've got Drew U-Banks 29 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'd say out of the rest of this list, though, it's probably him and Nick Richards that I'm in because Drew U-Banks ironically, he also used to back up Walker Kessler in Utah.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Drew U-Banks is sort of this like poor man's jock, long-dale-type player, undersized, but plays with a lot of motor and hustle and knows how to leverage that activity and strength to gobble up rebounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: secure 50 50 hustle balls has a little bit of a jump shot in his time in Portland.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he was knocking down threes as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he'd be an interesting sort of look at the five position, even though he'd be more of a small ball five, but I think we would be able to play five out with Drew U-Banks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, so those are the younger vets.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to move on to the young money ball guys because these are the ones that I'm like, hey, I have no idea.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are true flyers, but if they hit, I don't know, they're still young.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers should take a flyer on them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's see where this goes.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so young money ball, Charles Dassy, San Antonio spur previously.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure if that was his last team.
[SPEAKER_00]: But he's still only 25 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: This dude is a bully ball in the paint.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a really good rebounder.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would take a chance on him.
[SPEAKER_00]: Omer here at 7 came back to the NBA towards the tail end of last season.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's got really good size.
[SPEAKER_00]: I believe he played with Walker Kessler and Colin Sexton in Utah.
[SPEAKER_00]: 28 years old, his final game with the Warriors.
[SPEAKER_00]: He dropped like 17 points and eight rebounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, I like the versatility in Omer's game because he can space it out from three.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a underrated pastor.
[SPEAKER_00]: In my opinion, he's kind of like the the poor man's versions of the poor man version of like Kelly Elinic and Jonas valence units, but Omar your seven obviously a little a little bit younger.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I I wouldn't mind your seven because you could do some things with his spacing ability his passing ability and he's not too much of a he's not that on athletic as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then we've got my favorite.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kai Jones, Kai of the storm, crazy Kai.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't even know what his nicknames are.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just making this off the top of the dome.
[SPEAKER_00]: But honestly, one of the most explosive athletic power for slash centers that you'll come across in the NBA as a whole.
[SPEAKER_00]: And
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, it's probably concerning that no team picked him up after he did pretty well with the Dallas Mavericks towards the tail end of last season while Anthony Davis and Derek lively were injured, but I don't know to me he's shown enough and he fits the profile of what we're going for with this team and maybe we're.
[SPEAKER_00]: tripling down on the athleticism thing too hard as we've been seeing a due the arrow run a mess in summer league.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just trying to barrel his way and jump over everybody to his own detriment.
[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously that's the thinking behind the Jonathan Komingo thing as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I don't know if we want to bring in Kai Jones, especially considering, you know, he's a little bit kooky kooky Kai, but
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, if you're looking for TNT, dynamite explosives at the rim and a lob threat for Luca, he would actually give us this dynamic that we lost in Jackson Hayes, which you wish you could reverse everything and tell Jackson Hayes to wait a bit because we're going to free up some money.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's weird that they didn't wait, especially because
[SPEAKER_00]: DeAndre 810, Luca Donchish and Jackson Hayes all have the same agents and it's not that much long or there wasn't that much time in between we made the Walker Kessler trade and then made the DeAndre 8 and trade that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just not sure why Jackson Hayes jumped the gun to sign this $6 million contract with Utah anyways that's besides the point because we can replace Jackson Hayes with someone just as.
[SPEAKER_00]: side show Bob Kooky with Kai Jones.
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's Kai Jones.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then former Laker Christian Coloco former Summer League Laker Moses Brown still only 26 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we've already run through these, oh, I was about to say something posse.
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like we've already gone through those players and would rather try something new.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I mean, I could, I could see us rounding
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so those are our backup big men option.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why don't we talk about backup big men that we could trade for.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so let's talk about backup big man we could trade for.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was about to hold you guys hostage again.
[SPEAKER_00]: I won't hold you guys hostage, but hey, we've got 3000 people on this stream people jumping in.
[SPEAKER_00]: I appreciate you guys watching maybe I will hold you guys many hostage if we want to if you guys want to see my slide for backup big man that we could trade for seven seven and 15 folks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's get to seven seven 20 boo boo.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jump on the subscribe train folks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, I won't hold you guys hostage, but I would appreciate if for those who are tuning in, if you could go to the YouTube channel, hit subscribe, you would be able to obviously get notifications of when my next lives come, et cetera, et cetera.
[SPEAKER_00]: So just for your own benefit, please hit subscribe, I would greatly appreciate it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for those who have been tuning in.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for the OG Watchers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's talk about backup big man trade options.
[SPEAKER_00]: in the comments, I do not think Paul Reed is an option, especially because the Detroit Pistons traded away Isaiah Stewart, and so I think they were comfortable trading away Isaiah Stewart because they have Paul Reed as their replacement essentially.
[SPEAKER_00]: So anyways, okay, let's talk about back up big man trade options, not Paul Reed.
[SPEAKER_00]: At the top,
[SPEAKER_00]: We got Jericho Sims who opted in for some reason to his essentially veteran minimum contract with the Milwaukee bucks.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's only on for next season.
[SPEAKER_00]: 20 years old, this is a player that I have highlighted in the past and he would honestly be
[SPEAKER_00]: a great Jackson Hayes replacement.
[SPEAKER_00]: They both went to Texas.
[SPEAKER_00]: They both jumped out of the gym.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now Jericho Soms is slightly shorter and he is obviously more bulkier than Jackson Hayes, but I kind of like that about him.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jericho Soms is like, Jackson Hayes morphing into day-run sharp and then he got caught mid-morph, or got he got stuck mid-morph.
[SPEAKER_00]: But,
[SPEAKER_00]: There's Jericho Sims.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would, I mean, he's, he's so cheap to get that I honestly would not mind like just trading Dalton connect in a second.
[SPEAKER_00]: for Jericho Sims.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, that is a move that we should just do right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know why we're not doing it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, we've got bigger fish to fry, but if you're looking for a lower leverage, light lift move, just go get Jericho Sims, give them a second for it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And maybe maybe that's too rich for us, but I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: We kind of need back a big man.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's a lab threat, I would make this move and I think the bucks would be happy to get any sort of assets for any of their players right now who don't fit their timeline.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think Jericho Sims is, you know, part of their future.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I would get on the phone right now and bring Jericho Sims in.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the number two, we've got Zeke Naji.
[SPEAKER_00]: This one's a little bit more galaxy-brain, big brainy, because he does have $7.4 million on the book's next season, and then he does have a player option for $7.4 million in $2728.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's almost like you're committing to two years with him, because he's probably gonna pick up that option next season.
[SPEAKER_00]: Having said that, he is only 26 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: He is athletic, he is long, he is mobile,
[SPEAKER_00]: He did show some flashes last season when, like, Yokech and some other front core players like Aaron Gordon were injured.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he had like a really good replacement game where he put up like 20 points.
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyways, he can run up and down the floor.
[SPEAKER_00]: It can be a lob threat.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's still young, former first round pick.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the lakers may actually, if they absorb Zygnodgi's contract, they may actually get a second out of it, you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I know we're trying to clear as much salary, but if we have $7 million sectioned off and we're able to get two seconds from the Denver Nuggets to just offload Zygnodgi.
[SPEAKER_00]: I might think about it, you know, because he's young.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you feel like you can rehabilitate his game, I don't mind taking a Zeknaji with two ends, a silent end, or maybe just two ends elongated.
[SPEAKER_00]: I wouldn't mind taking a flyer on Zeknaji if the lakers can get even more seconds back.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because the Denver nuggets need to get off as much salary as they can.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we can actually get two seconds for absorbing Zeknaji.
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, consider this deal.
[SPEAKER_00]: Next we've got Isaiah Jackson.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now Isaiah Jackson did have an injury.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he also tore his Achilles along with James Heisman.
[SPEAKER_00]: James Weisman year and a half two years ago.
[SPEAKER_00]: but he's still only 25 years old and he would fit the description of a high flying area lab threat.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's making $7 million this season and then $6.4 million next season all fully guaranteed.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's the problem with him.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's on for two more years.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you better, if you trade for him, you better actually know what you wanna do with him and you better really like him.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't think we can get an asset out of the clippers.
[SPEAKER_00]: One, Laker's clippers trades are very rare.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't think the clippers are a hard press to get off of salary.
[SPEAKER_00]: But Isaiah Jackson would be an interesting, you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: backup big man to get even though he's only six foot nine, but he does have a seven foot three plus wingspan if I'm not mistaken and he can just jump out of the gym.
[SPEAKER_00]: If he still has any of his hops left after the Achilles tear.
[SPEAKER_00]: Next we've got Jayhav former Laker Jayhav 28 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's on for $2.6 million next season, $3 million club up, $3 million club option in 2728.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's actually a nice team controlled contract.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what it would take for the Lakers to get Jayhav.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I assume that the Indian pacers want to keep him, but I don't know, there was that rumor that the pacers could use shooting.
[SPEAKER_00]: They may want Dalton connect.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so if the Lakers gave Dalton connect in a second for Jayhuff, could the Lakers pry him away from the Indian pacers possibly?
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's Jay Huff.
[SPEAKER_00]: I that one's a little bit more unrealistic.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think and then go go batades a unrealistic for other reasons besides basketball because he called Lucas mom.
[SPEAKER_00]: This.
[SPEAKER_00]: Luca apparently called his mom that and he was just reiterating it back to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure these two can hash things out.
[SPEAKER_00]: if you know like they sat down and I think goga apologize in the press conference after we're saying he didn't mean to you know disrespect Luca anyways if they're able to hash things out and you know get the name calling out of the way there is goga betadzi seven point six million dollars expiring
[SPEAKER_00]: And the magic do need to get off of salary because they're a very expensive team 27 years old, I mean, give them, we could just take absorb his salary, maybe give them a second or they give us a second for goga, yeah, maybe they give us a second because we're like goga said mean things about Lucas mom and so we're not going to absorb him until you give us a second.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if we can take on goga,
[SPEAKER_00]: And get back an asset, that wouldn't be bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, where we have $2 million right now in cap space, he would just eat into $5 million more of that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then we'd still be able to sign a guy like Jonathan coming up.
[SPEAKER_00]: That would not be a bad option.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then lastly, Jalen Smith, 26 years old, $9.4 million expiring.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jalen Smith would also give us like a stretch.
[SPEAKER_00]: big option in the front court.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's a guy who is also super athletic, super explosive, really good hustle guy like his motor.
[SPEAKER_00]: Someone that I've been clamoring for over the years as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: What would it take to get him?
[SPEAKER_00]: Can we give him?
[SPEAKER_00]: Can we give the bulls?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, Dalton Connect and Jaden Hardy and two seconds for Jalen Smith or one second something like that, I think we could maybe get done if they're willing to, you know, get off of Jalen Smith.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some people are asking let me put up Pinties comment here.
[SPEAKER_00]: How about a demo owner or Eve's missy.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would love either of these players.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just don't think they're available from their current teams.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the six years value, a dembona, even though I know they sign aerial hook porty, but obviously, you know, Joel and Beat is very highly injury prone.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then Eve's missy, it sounds like the Pelicans have like put him on the no trade block.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's untouchable all of a sudden.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why they're not on these lists.
[SPEAKER_00]: And honestly, these are more
[SPEAKER_00]: cheaper lower lift options that the Lakers could look at by only trading out a second by only absorbing their salary and maybe getting a second back.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, these are the options.
[SPEAKER_00]: By the way, thanks guys, this is like this, this is the highest amount of people I've had tune in to alive.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I appreciate you all hopping on in the future.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just keep a look out and this is why I'm telling you guys to subscribe to the YouTube channel.
[SPEAKER_00]: But
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm probably only gonna send out a YouTube link.
[SPEAKER_00]: X doesn't really do anything for me.
[SPEAKER_00]: It just kind of pumps up the numbers, but I get most of my revenue, I get most of my stuff from YouTube.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's actually more beneficial for me to just only send out the YouTube link versus, yes, it's more accessible for people just scrolling on X to pop in here.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you wanna be alerted to future shows,
[SPEAKER_00]: The best way is to subscribe to the YouTube channel because you get the notifications, you'll get the link, you'll get the time, etc.
[SPEAKER_00]: But anyways, that's my last plug that was in a hostage thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, let's, okay, now I want to talk about those are the back of big mandatory options.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure there's other names out there if you want to throw them out, feel free to.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now let's end the show talking about Ruby Hatchimura and Jonathan Kominga, shall we?
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so the reports out there right now are that the Lakers are, I was going to say the Lakers have a hard on for Kominga pods for sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers have, the Lakers are going full court press on for Jonathan Kominga for Jonathan Kominga's services, likely why they are trying to free up as much cap space as possible.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, okay, where do I start with this?
[SPEAKER_00]: One, I'm a little confused by this.
[SPEAKER_00]: Not that I'm not that I'm confused with them chasing Kominga because this is a player that they have been chasing over the last two years.
[SPEAKER_00]: They tried to trade for him at the trade deadline.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they tried to sign him in last summer, tried to sign and trade for him even.
[SPEAKER_00]: So this is a player that they've been enthralled by because of his explosiveness and his athleticism.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it makes sense.
[SPEAKER_00]: This dude is like a smash mouth powerhouse at the rim.
[SPEAKER_00]: What is a little bit strange to me is that the Lakers have just apparently dropped Rui entirely, a player that they've actually developed.
[SPEAKER_00]: Someone that they traded for and has been an organizational,
[SPEAKER_00]: organizational win.
[SPEAKER_00]: But as I was saying, I do think it's a little bit strange that the Lakers have not even seemingly tried to retain Rui.
[SPEAKER_00]: They've just gone full on a head, trying to chase Jonathan Kominga.
[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't seem like they're interested in retaining Rui at all.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's so bizarre because Rui is an organizational win for the Lakers.
[SPEAKER_00]: something rubs me the wrong.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if like Rui was maybe Rui and his camp were maybe offended by the Lakers initial offers.
[SPEAKER_00]: We haven't heard anything out of Rui and the Lakers since free agency started.
[SPEAKER_00]: So maybe there's some things we don't know right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they tried to have extension negotiations throughout the season and the damage has already been done.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe the Lakers were low-balling Rui and that's why
[SPEAKER_00]: they've moved on because they know really doesn't want to come back for a specific number amount.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so that could be the case.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if it isn't, I am a little bit confused by what's happened here with.
[SPEAKER_00]: this whole Jonathan Kominga chase.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, I think that's the biggest thing holding me up right now about I don't know why the Lakers are devaluing or not valuing continuity whatsoever.
[SPEAKER_00]: If there was one player that I wanted back from last year's team, it was obviously Marcus Smart.
[SPEAKER_00]: After that, it would be Rui Hatchimura because he's like the NBA's leading three-point shooter
[SPEAKER_00]: giving him a call to see if they can retain him is a little bit strange to me having said that again I understand why they're going after Jonathan coming up, but I get very nervous about this chase for a come bucket, which is his nickname apparently I don't know why, but.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know people, I'm seeing some comments here that, you know, JJ Reddick was, you know, frustrated with Rui.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, let me tell you, he's going to be frustrated with Jonathan coming as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know right now I'm giving you guys my straight thoughts.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll try and
[SPEAKER_00]: give it in a more organized manner once I get this graphic up.
[SPEAKER_00]: But JJ Reddick is going to be very frustrated with Kominga.
[SPEAKER_00]: Especially because Kominga can't shoot like Ruby.
[SPEAKER_00]: At least Ruby had that going for him.
[SPEAKER_00]: John Fikominga is one of the most inconsistent shooters that I've ever seen.
[SPEAKER_00]: Definitely not a smooth stroke.
[SPEAKER_00]: had a great debut for the Hawks, like putting up 27 points and people are going to reference that one great playoff game for him or the one great playoff game that he had for the Hawks where he had like 21 points, but outside of that, it's not good.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, all right, so let me break this down for you guys really quickly.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to compare their playoff stats against one another for Jonathan coming I'm going to only pull the last two playoff runs because his first two seasons he was only playing like eight minutes per game he wasn't even part of the rotation.
[SPEAKER_00]: But some only going to I'm only going to call from his last two playoff series or last two playoff years for a better gauge.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, before I get into that though, again, let me just say, the weirdest thing for me about this whole fiasco is the lake is not even seemingly having any desire to retain one of their own and Rui who they groomed, they, I mean, talk about grooming him into an illegitimate sniper.
[SPEAKER_00]: Rui, Rui,
[SPEAKER_00]: came into the Lakers as a mid range only sort of player with low volume 3. shooting and has suddenly turned into a high volume, highly efficient 3. shooter has been a playoff riser each and every year.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the Lakers don't want to keep him.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not that I care about necessarily
[SPEAKER_00]: swapping really for a commingue.
[SPEAKER_00]: I can see the benefits of that, but just the news right now that they're not even thinking about retaining Ruby is a little bit strange, but again, maybe things will come out soon that say, Ruby didn't want to come back to the lake or maybe there was an extension offer made prior.
[SPEAKER_00]: that really and his agent did not like and so maybe the relationship is fractured.
[SPEAKER_00]: So maybe that's why the Lakers have moved on from there and as well and are just going full court press for Jonathan Kominga.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's the only weird part for me and honestly the other thing is I want some continuity back, any semblance of continuity.
[SPEAKER_00]: We don't even have
[SPEAKER_00]: Luca Donchich in Austin Reeves and JJ Reddick as the main core from last season because I'm not even counting Brani, Vando and LaRavia because those three and connect those four could be sent out tomorrow today, you know, and so I mean, I understand tearing it down to the studs starting this thing this whole new Luca era.
[SPEAKER_00]: with a clean slate, but that much of a clean slate and then we're going to give up our best three point shooter in the recent years, in our recent franchise years, I, it's a little bit confusing and I think we're over course correcting the other way.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like,
[SPEAKER_00]: Fans did not like the run it back scenario where the liquor is just retained all their players.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't think we were going to go the exact opposite way where we ran no one back.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I would like to at least keep Rui because we know who he is and the other thing is, in a scenario where we sign either Rui or Jonathan Kominga depends on what we're going to give them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's say the liquor is able to free up 15 million dollars.
[SPEAKER_00]: sign on for for too long.
[SPEAKER_00]: So in most scenarios, a really or a coming assigning would be a renegade signing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we're looking at again, one of these like Christian wood, DeAndre, eights, and Marcus smart signings, we're only gonna have them for one year at most.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they have a player option, but if these players do well, then they're gonna leave the Lakers next season.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the Lakers won't have their bird rights anymore.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lakers will have renounced Ruby Hashimura.
[SPEAKER_00]: They won't be able to really resign them to the money that they want if they do well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if they do poorly,
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, they did poorly and do we want them back anyways, you know, I guess if we start at a starting salary of around 15 to 17 million dollars via non bird rights, we would be able to give them a slight raise the next season if we do want to retain them and they would get like.
[SPEAKER_00]: a $17 million contract on their next deal.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I guess that's the benefit, but let's say we're only able to open up a few million more.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Jonathan Kominga has to take a pay cut at $8 million or really has to take a pay cut at $12 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are not deals that they will sign long-term to.
[SPEAKER_00]: And those are not deals that if they show out next season that we'll be able to retain them, because we won't have enough money.
[SPEAKER_00]: We would have the non-tax pair Emily available of around $16 million.
[SPEAKER_00]: So maybe that's enough to retain them.
[SPEAKER_00]: But all that to say, if we're looking at renegades, I would rather the devil that we do know in Ruihachi more than the devil that can fly out of the gym that we don't know in coming up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Because I could see it just being so disastrous.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, the ceiling, the literal ceiling, because coming up can jump out of it,
[SPEAKER_00]: is higher with coming up for sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he would give Luka and Austin just this Tasmanian devil run up and down overwhelming athletic force in transition in the dunker spot running down the baseline for sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the floor for coming up is just so scary to think about because
[SPEAKER_00]: We're looking, you know, at first it was, this is just a Steve Kerr issue, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like he just, he just doesn't like John Finkemenka.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then we saw him with the Hawks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Granted, it was a small sample size, but he did not play well with the Hawks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Save for his debut game and save for that 121 point performance in the playoffs.
[SPEAKER_00]: Otherwise, he did not play well for the Hawks.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you have to ask yourselves, why did the Hawks just let him off his team option?
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, granted, he was making $23 million, maybe they just wanted to free up that space, but again, Jonathan Kominga is one of the bigger question marks out there.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if I just don't like the idea of if we're setting the stage in the foundation for this Luka Donchitch era, why are we trying to sign renegades?
[SPEAKER_00]: If we sign coming, I will feel a lot more comfortable, maybe not a lot more, I would feel more comfortable if it's on a team friendly contract for multiple years where we have control over him.
[SPEAKER_00]: Not this one year contract where if he actually shows out he could just walk and we don't have very many means to retain him.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to know that these players are part of our core for at least the next two or three years and we don't have to do this dance again because we're running out of assets and we're running out of ways to retain these players.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so
[SPEAKER_00]: The only thing that'll make me a little bit more comfortable about signing commingah is if we're able to sign him to a two year deal at around $15 million per year and a team option that third year.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that I know this is not just a renegade scenario.
[SPEAKER_00]: If it is a renegade scenario, give me really much more over commingah any day.
[SPEAKER_00]: because I would rather have the guy, whether it's only for the next year or so, that I know and that I can just plug and play slot in, even with Ruiz deficiencies on the defense event of the floor, rebounding, et cetera, et cetera.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, having said that, let's look at their playoff stats, shall we?
[SPEAKER_00]: On one hand, we've got Rui Hatchimura.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, he's played more minutes, so you have to factor that in.
[SPEAKER_00]: Rui Hatchimura career playoffs, 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, one assist, half a steal, 53.7% from the field, 51.6% three point field goals.
[SPEAKER_00]: two, three's made per game, stellar numbers, stellar efficiency numbers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, you wish the rebounding was more at six rebounds per game.
[SPEAKER_00]: But overall, that efficiency, the fact, especially this last playoff, that really was just a flame thrower and continues to rise to the occasion, and even played well defensively in the Laker's modified zone, small ball switch everything schemes,
[SPEAKER_00]: Ruiz play off record at this point is almost like you can't really argue with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jonathan Caminga pulling just from the last two playoff runs because those are when he actually got time.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's only 24.5 minutes per game so he's obviously playing seven minutes less than Ruiz.
[SPEAKER_00]: 14.6 points.
[SPEAKER_00]: 2.9 rebounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I know he's only playing seven minutes less than Ruiz.
[SPEAKER_00]: But 2.9 rebounds?
[SPEAKER_00]: He should be averaging at least 4.4 rebounds in 24 minutes like
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought this dude was supposed to be better than really defensively, rebounding, etc.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kind of looks like they're the same, you know, and I worry about Jonathan Kominga in a tertiary role, like the ones that he has been playing off the bench for the hox, off the bench for the warriors, I know Ruby can do it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know Ruby wants an expanded role, but I know Ruby will put his head down and go to work.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jonathan Kominga, the biggest knock on him, has been
[SPEAKER_00]: He'll do it for a short amount of time, and then he'll revert to give me the ball.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if I don't get the ball, I'm not in a rhythm enough.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to be super efficient.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so look at the 2.9 rebounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: But what is that?
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, I know it's 7 minutes less than Ruby has played, but you've got to be averaging at least 5 rebounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, that's what we need from you.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what your teams need from you.
[SPEAKER_00]: 1.1 is this, half a steal, 48.4% from the field, 30% from 3, just knocking down 1.13 is a game.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's inefficient 3. shooting, low volume 3. shooting.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we look at this last playoff run for both players, really hatching more.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, inscrutable.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if that's a record.
[SPEAKER_00]: 38 minutes per game, 17.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals, I believe a half a block of game, 54.9% from the field, 56.9% from 3, 3.33 pointers made per game, the high volume, the high efficiency, the way that he
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, the physicality and athleticism he showed as well, the last shot that I'll remember of Rui, and I think this is his last shot as a later potentially was that step back crossed over between the legs dribble on Chet Home Grand where he got fowls on the three and Luca Donchitch was like,
[SPEAKER_00]: So I guess if that's the last memory we have of Rui as a Laker, it's a good one.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just wouldn't want that to be the case.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, so those are Rui stats.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's look over at Jonathan Camingo's stats in six games with the Atlanta Hawks.
[SPEAKER_00]: 26 minutes, obviously 12 minutes less than Rui.
[SPEAKER_00]: 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: Again,
[SPEAKER_00]: If he got 38 minutes like Rui, obviously he would outrebound Rui, but it doesn't look like he would do it by a lot like this guy is not that great of a rebounder 3.3 rebounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't care if you're only playing 26 minutes per game, you should be exponentially better than Rui, not kind of a little bit better, you know, to offset your inability to shoot.
[SPEAKER_00]: One assist, half a steal, 48.3% from the field, 20.8% from three, not even making a three-a-game.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, man.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're wondering whether or not him and JJ Reddick will clash, you only need to look at that stat right there.
[SPEAKER_00]: 20.8% 0.83 pointers made.
[SPEAKER_00]: This dude is going to be sitting on the pine like DeAndre Aizen was towards the end of the season because he can't knock down a shot and because he will have
[SPEAKER_00]: his really space cadet moments.
[SPEAKER_00]: At least, Reddit knows what he's going to get out of really space cadet moments.
[SPEAKER_00]: He can factor that in with cominga.
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be a whole different animal.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, we're going to get highlight real sorts of jams and it's going to be fun for the month or two that cominga will be locked in.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then it could just fall off the face of the planet.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I can just already see Retic being frustrated with him and him mucking up the spacing.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if Comingo's down for that experience and he's not going to complain when he gets benched and closing lineups, then you know,
[SPEAKER_00]: sign me up because I can see the ceiling and I can see the vision very easily with cominga because again he is one of these generational athletes but I do wonder if we are going too much in the oh he's athletic just sign him way you know where it's like we already saw
[SPEAKER_00]: caricatured, microcosm of what I'm talking about, with regards to reckless athleticism, but how many adoothero types do we want that can jump out of the gym, but aren't necessarily giving us that shooting and skill that we want?
[SPEAKER_00]: And not to say that a dude won't get there because he used to be a point guard.
[SPEAKER_00]: I expect him to have a much better showing in tonight's game.
[SPEAKER_00]: And
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: JK is a skilled, I mean, obviously, yeah, JK has shot creation abilities.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the problem with him, though.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, he can get a little too frisky with that.
[SPEAKER_00]: He can want the ball too much and not play his role as supporting complimentary spacer on the floor.
[SPEAKER_00]: And what happens when teams actually
[SPEAKER_00]: crowd the pain.
[SPEAKER_00]: I guess John and the coming up would just jump over people is the answer, but anyways, those that's really versus coming up.
[SPEAKER_00]: The playoff stats are not very encouraging and so I don't know
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, and Jonathan is not, when we say he's a better defender, he's a better rebounder, it's it's not by that much, you know, maybe JJ rhetoric will be able to use coming because quicker twitch athleticism and his physical tools.
[SPEAKER_00]: Better.
[SPEAKER_00]: But again, if we're talking about the advantages of continuity.
[SPEAKER_00]: spacing, and the devil that you do know versus the devil that you don't, I'm getting major, I would rather have Rui for one, and then two, I'm getting major, Cam Reddish, Christian wood, Deondre, Aetton vibes out of Kominga.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now the best case scenario is that Kominga is like Deondre, Aetton, because we can work with that.
[SPEAKER_00]: If he gives us what Aetton gave us
[SPEAKER_00]: renegade scenario where we only have him on for one year and we're expecting him to walk.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whether it's because he was bad for us or because he was so good for us that he can earn a new contract and the Lakers earn a position where they can only give him the non-tax pair Emily.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's the other reason why I'm a little bit hesitant in this situation.
[SPEAKER_00]: Pending the type of contract we give him and pending.
[SPEAKER_00]: If that contract is actually team friendly and we have control over it because I do not want to keep
[SPEAKER_00]: Renegade vagabond scenario with these one year assassins and just having them leave and then we lose continuity, you know, so anyways, that is going to be it, um, oh, I guess I'm I'm seeing a lot of
[SPEAKER_00]: seeing a lot of stuff in the comments about the player options.
[SPEAKER_00]: I do want to clear the player option stuff up before I go because I think people have been a little bit to what's it called hysterical about the player option things.
[SPEAKER_00]: The player options have hurt the lakers when they have been renegade player option contracts for the veteran minimum or near the veteran minimum or below the player's market value.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's when the player options have hurt the lakers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Never mind that in this day and age and the NBA, if you're trying to get those sorts of players that the lakers have tried to get, mark a smart deandre 18, you do need to entice the player with that player option.
[SPEAKER_00]: So would you rather have not gotten deandre 18 or
[SPEAKER_00]: hindsight is 2020 with this stuff, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyways, with the player option things, it has especially hurt the Lakers for these one year plus one deals.
[SPEAKER_00]: The player options that the Lakers gave out to their free agents this year are totally different.
[SPEAKER_00]: These players are signed on for three guaranteed years, Colin Sexton too.
[SPEAKER_00]: And actually, Consic's sex didn't get a player option.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's more Quentin Grimes and Sondro, Walker Kessler, Austin Reeves.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are the guys with player option.
[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't matter, because we can retain any of these guys.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the difference between these player options and the player options of the past.
[SPEAKER_00]: We had no means to retain these players because we could only give them a non-bird rights rates to bring them back if they played well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Our players that we signed to player options are on for at least three fully guaranteed years.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then that next year when they do have a player option and they can opt out, the lakers will have their full bird rights and can pay them the most amount of money if they played well to come back to the team.
[SPEAKER_00]: They won't lose them for nothing.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I just want to make that distinction clear between the player options that the lakers have given out in the past and the player options they gave out this summer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, if the Lakers give Jonathan Camingo player option for $12 million and then a, you know, a PO of $12 million after that, then we're talking about the player options of the old, but I just want to make it clear that you should not be ringing your head.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think that's the phrase, you should not be tearing your head out over these player options that we gave out because they're on for three fully guaranteed years.
[SPEAKER_00]: If it makes you feel better, just tack off the last year on all of these guys deals and just say where we signed Quentin Grimes and Sanjo to three fully guaranteed years.
[SPEAKER_00]: The player option on the tail end of that is not going to matter as much unless these dudes suck ass unless they are Jared Vanderbilt.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jared Vanderbilt is the version of a long-term player option deal that did not work
[SPEAKER_00]: because obviously we're trying to dump him, but I don't foresee that scenario happening with Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamu, Walker Kessler, and Austin Rees, because these are players that they will presumably be able to flip and not have to salary dump like Vando.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I just wanted to clear that up with regards to the player option, hysteria,
[SPEAKER_00]: And why these player options are different than the Renegade ones that we've given to Cam Reddish, Christian Wood, Marcus Smart, DeAndre 8 and all guys that we haven't been able to retain in the past.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyways, that'll do it for the show.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you guys for watching on this Sunday.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hope you guys had a great 4th of July.
[SPEAKER_00]: Have a great rest of your weekend.
[SPEAKER_00]: Please remember to like this video, comment down below and most importantly hit subscribe.
[SPEAKER_00]: And with that said, I will catch you guys.
[SPEAKER_00]: Next time this has been Jonathan Hernandez at the Lakers Legacy Podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: Peace out.
[SPEAKER_00]: Happy Sunday.