The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[LAKERS_FAN89]

^LMAO. Why aren't you an admin yet?

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

On "Spittin' Pollaseeds" WC said "Cube told me to lie like Odom & Kobe"   ....WTF is up with that

[GangstaBoogy]

Jan. 22 Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

January 22...againts a weak defensive team...Kobe goin for 101 points!

[Spicemuthafuc*in1]

Jan. 22 Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

January 22...againts a weak defensive team...Kobe goin for 101 points!

Yeah GS has loads of offensive talent but they have no idea how to play D, I watched them alot last year they arent good defending vertically as long players destroy them and they rotate slow and horribly, they have a ton of talent but with the D they play they will never contend until it changes

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

[rik]

^ that shit is sick man.

[LAKERS_FAN89]

^ that shit is sick man.

[wcsoldier]

^ that shit is sick man.

[Tha G In Deee]

^ that shit is sick man.

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

LOL 

[LAKERS_FAN89]

LOL 

TIGHT

[GangstaBoogy]

what do you guys think about Kobe playin SF? Text Winters says it might happen if they see one of the guards step up. Smush Parker is 6'4 so he could play the 2 guard spot

C - Chris Mihm
PF - Lamar Odom
SF - Kobe Bryant
SG - Smush Parker
PG -  Jordan Farmar

[Spicemuthafuc*in1]

what do you guys think about Kobe playin SF? Text Winters says it might happen if they see one of the guards step up. Smush Parker is 6'4 so he could play the 2 guard spot

C - Chris Mihm
PF - Lamar Odom
SF - Kobe Bryant
SG - Smush Parker
PG -  Jordan Farmar

I dont like it at all their lineup should be,

pg-Smush
sg-Kobe
sf-Vlad
pf-Odom
c-Kwame

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

what do you guys think about Kobe playin SF? Text Winters says it might happen if they see one of the guards step up. Smush Parker is 6'4 so he could play the 2 guard spot

C - Chris Mihm
PF - Lamar Odom
SF - Kobe Bryant
SG - Smush Parker
PG -  Jordan Farmar

I dont like it at all their lineup should be,

pg-Smush
sg-Kobe
sf-Vlad
pf-Odom
c-Kwame

^^Yes, and that's what it's going to be...LMAO@Mihm starting over Kwame...And Farmar is a rookie, we know what Phil thinks of that...

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Can the Bobcats Help the Lakers Get Harrington?

By Eric Pincus
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Aug 3, 2006, 16:01 
 
 
Just when a deal with the Indiana Pacers seemed inevitable, Atlanta Hawks free agent Al Harrington fired his agent Andy Miller fueling speculation that the Harrington chase will begin anew.  Harrington has subsequently turned to Arn Tellem for representation.  Though it will take two weeks for the paperwork to make the agent change official, Tellem is able to negotiate a deal and receive his commission should an agreement be reached prior to the transition.

In other words, a new Harrington deal could happen immediately should the Hawks, Harrington and a third party strike a deal.

How does this impact the Los Angeles Lakers?  Well it opens the Al Harrington door, albeit slightly.

ESPN.com reported that the Lakers did make a pitch earlier in the summer, but were rebuffed.  For the record, this was after the signing of Vladimir Radmanovic . . . and thus the Lakers were clearly offering a trade package and not the mid-level exception.

The deal that was almost reached between the Pacers and Hawks involved the Pacers taking on the contract of John Edwards along with Harrington.  The Hawks would not add a single player, but would receive a first round pick and cash.  The hold-up with Indiana allegedly centered on how much cash and pick protection.

The key to the trade was the $7.6 million trade exception generated when the Pacers traded Peja Stojakovic to the New Orleans Hornets for essentially $250K.  Despite some cries of shenanigans, suggesting the Hornets made the move to ensure that Harrington wasn't traded West; neither side did anything against the rules.

It is that rather large exception that enables the Pacers to take Harrington without dumping players on the Hawks.  Atlanta appears to be holding a tight budget line with the legal battle brewing on the ownership front.

The Lakers, along with just about every other team in the league, do not have the ability to make a two-team deal that doesn't land salary in Atlanta.

All but the Bobcats are out of cap room and Charlotte appears to be uninterested in Harrington, still holding onto their cap space for some unknown future pursuit.

Which is why Laker GM Mitch Kupchak needs to get Charlotte GM Bernie Bickerstaff on the phone (or even Phil Jackson call up new Bobcat minority owner, Michael Jordan) to orchestrate a three-team deal.  Currently the Bobcats' total salary is just above $31 million (not including the impending signing of Argentinean forward Walter Herrmann).

Teams must spend a minimum of $39,851,250 in total salary this season.  If they are below that mark, the difference is automatically distributed to their existing players.  In other words, if the Bobcats don't add a chunk of payroll before season's end, the money will be given as bonuses to the likes of Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, etc.

For facilitating a deal, the Bobcats could land the likes of Chris Mihm, Brian Cook and Aaron McKie (as filler), raising their team salary to the minimum level but still substantially below the cap . . . without giving up a single player.  The Hawks could dump Edwards on either the Lakers or Bobcats, receive cash from LA and an unprotected pick . . . essentially equaling the offer from the Pacers.

In this theoretical three-way deal, the Lakers could pay Harrington significantly more than the Pacer offer (up to $10.76 million in the first year, though that might be higher than necessary).  The Bobcats in turn get a pair of big men on one-year contracts, while upping their salary to the league minimum.

Of course other teams will be making offers that the Lakers will have to compete against.  If the Bobcats are interested in making a three-team trade, they will certainly shop around for the best prospects available.

If Charlotte has no interest in helping Atlanta move Harrington, the best the Lakers can do is offer a similar package of Mihm, Cook and pieces directly to the Hawks.  If Atlanta decides to take back contracts for Harrington, the Lakers probably lose out when measured by talent offered.  Perhaps the expiring nature of LA's contracts would help, but no one seems confident that the Lakers are a frontrunner in the Harrington pursuit.

The Bottom Line
It's apparent the Lakers have interest in Harrington, but just how much they're willing to offer is uncertain.

Harrington's new agent may have a history with the Lakers (helped orchestrate the Vlade Divac for Kobe Bryant trade), but Tellem currently represents Jermaine O'Neal, Joe Johnson and Shelden Williams.  His current connection to the Lakers is through Kwame Brown and Jordan Farmar.  The agent change doesn't signify any specific benefit to the Lakers.  It only opens the door once again league-wide for offers.

The Pacers still are considered the favorite.

The Lakers are entirely dependent on the participation of the Atlanta Hawks to get a deal done.  Should a three-team trade be feasible, LA would also be relying on the Charlotte Bobcats.

The good news is that Tellem's arrival doesn't delay a deal.  The paperwork to switch agents can still be pending while a trade gets done.

Hopefully closure will be reached soon, regardless of where Harrington lands.





Would be nice...