The Lakers 2006/2007 Season

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

when you get blown out by 30 pts in a game 7, you gotta make big changes. Phil said there's going be big changes in the summer.

LO for KG

I like the way we looked when we played to full potential. I think we just need one more veteran contributor...PeACe

Like Stu said , "a VET that's actually going to play and not sit on the bench"

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

when you get blown out by 30 pts in a game 7, you gotta make big changes. Phil said there's going be big changes in the summer.

LO for KG

I like the way we looked when we played to full potential. I think we just need one more veteran contributor...PeACe

Like Stu said , "a VET that's actually going to play and not sit on the bench"

YUP...That's why I said veteran contributor...PeACe

[7even]

Lakers must spend wisely
By Ross Siler Staff Writer

      
   IN NEED OF SOME ASSISTANCE: Lakers management must be smart about who they acquire to give franchise player Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Lakers a better team next season. (Chris Carlson / Associated Press)   

The last two summers, the Lakers have chosen to spend what free agent money they had on Vlade Divac and Aaron McKie. That investment of $9.4 million so far has returned a combined 251 minutes played in two seasons, not even six full games.

Divac signed for the full mid-level exception in July 2004, intending to replace Shaquille O'Neal, only to suffer a herniated disc in his back before training camp started. He played in 15 games all season and retired after taking a $2 million buyout in October.

McKie was a luxury-tax amnesty casualty in Philadelphia who signed for half of the mid-level exception last August. The veteran guard suffered a torn quadriceps tendon in December, missed four months with the injury and appeared in 14 games during the season.

For an example of a team that spent its mid-level exception well, the Lakers need look no further than Phoenix guard Raja Bell. While Bell battled with Kobe Bryant throughout their first-round series, McKie played in one game and was not used in Game 7.

As they head into this off-season, the Lakers cannot afford to spend unwisely. They have limited options to remake their team with little salary-cap flexibility until Brian Grant's monster contract runs out after next season.

"We have to make some large decisions about this team, about who stays and what we build our team around," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "But we feel comfortable that we have a nucleus and that we can go from there.

"Hopefully, we can find some additional pieces that will make us a little bit better next year."

The Lakers will have the No. 26 pick in the NBA draft, coming from Miami as part of the O'Neal trade, as well
   
Advertisement
   
as the standard salary-cap exceptions available to every team.

They will have a mid-level exception that was worth $5 million last season and a biannual exception worth $1.75 million. The Lakers' top priorities will be finding a starting guard and a power forward, both of which they also could accomplish through a trade.

The Lakers, however, have made preserving future cap flexibility a goal with every move since the O'Neal trade. Only Bryant, Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown are under contract past the 2006-07 season.

The most intriguing decision for the Lakers this summer might come in opting to part with one of their centers. Chris Mihm started 56 games and was having a career season before suffering a severe ankle sprain in March.

Brown averaged 12.4 points and 8.6 rebounds after replacing Mihm in the starting lineup. The Lakers have concluded that Brown is best suited as a center in the triangle offense and have $17.4 million invested in his development the next two seasons.

Mihm will be entering the final year of his contract, but has been a more consistent player than Brown. Another factor comes with the Lakers hoping to get teenage center Andrew Bynum more minutes next season.

ross.siler@dailynews.com








Btw.. If Lakers steal Garnett I kill somebody.. pz

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^^^I don't really want Garnett that bad if we have to trade Odom in a package...Honestly, we don't even need to rebuild like that, this team went through a growth process...All we really need is a veteran guard who will contribute (ala Sam Cassel) and a one more serviceable power forward (ala Chris Wilcox)...Both Wilcox and Cassel are free agents this summer.


PG Sam Cassel...Smush Parker/Sasha Vujacic
SG Kobe Bryant...Laron Profit/Von Wafer
SF Lamar Odom...Luke Walton/Devin Green
PF Chris Wilcox...Brian Cook/Ronny Turiaf
C Kwame Brown...Andrew Bynum/Chris Mihm

Coach: Phil Jackson


^^A roster like this WILL contend...

[Doggystylin]

Sam Cassell is gettin old and plus after a season like that I don't think the clippers will give him up

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Sam Cassell is gettin old and plus after a season like that I don't think the clippers will give him up

Sorry, but he's a free agent after this season and said he wouldn't mind being on another team as long as he could stay in LA...He's getting old, but he's a veteran with capabilities, and that's just what we need...We have enough young players...PeACe

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Sam Cassell is gettin old and plus after a season like that I don't think the clippers will give him up

Sorry, but he's a free agent after this season and said he wouldn't mind being on another team as long as he could stay in LA...He's getting old, but he's a veteran with capabilities, and that's just what we need...We have enough young players...PeACe

He'll get injuired in the first month if he signs with the Lakers. Just like McKie. I'm calling it.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Sam Cassell is gettin old and plus after a season like that I don't think the clippers will give him up

Sorry, but he's a free agent after this season and said he wouldn't mind being on another team as long as he could stay in LA...He's getting old, but he's a veteran with capabilities, and that's just what we need...We have enough young players...PeACe

He'll get injuired in the first month if he signs with the Lakers. Just like McKie. I'm calling it.

LOL...Lets hope not.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

I don't even think the Lakers can afford Cassel. He's had a great season with the Clippers, so he'll probably want at least the same amount of money he got last season ($6,100,000).




Anyone got any trade ideas for the Lakers that look plausible for both teams?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I don't even think the Lakers can afford Cassel. He's had a great season with the Clippers, so he'll probably want at least the same amount of money he got last season ($6,100,000).

He said he will sign with a team that will offer him a front-office or coaching position...Who better to learn under than Phil Jax?