A 10 Step Ideal Front Office Plan for the Lakers this season: Step 7
Ideal Lakers 2017 2018 Front Office Plan: Step Seven
In the first six parts of my Ideal Lakers 2017-2018 Front Office Plan, a lot has happened so far. Not only has the team cleared off the long term salaries of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Luol Deng all without giving up any core pieces (only future draft picks, plus Ivica Zubak and Thomas Bryant), but they have also added both Paul George and LeBron James to the fold, the latter at a small but feasible one-year discount. So, all of the hard work is done right? Not quite.
While there are a number of chronicled off-court reasons why both stars would want to join LA, winning is still the goal on the court. With salaries for George and James starting at $30.6 million each, based on 30% of a projected $102 million salary cap, the salaries of Lonzo Ball (just under $7.5 million) and Brandon Ingram ($5.7 million), and the smaller salaries of the players I didn't trade along the way (Larry Nance $2.3 million, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart at $1.7 each), the Lakers still have only $80 million in committed salary. Add in 850k for the 2018 second rounder from Denver and five cap holds each at that same amount, all totaling another $5.1 million, and the Lakers somehow still have about $17 million in 2018 cap space to offer.
As mentioned in step six, the Lakers are now looking at a starting lineup of LeBron and PG in the frontcourt, Lonzo at the point, and two open spots at shooting guard and center. Again, with my belief that Ingram is too slow to start at the two, and will be just fine finishing his rookie contract off the bench like James Harden did, filling an Andre Iguodala type role in starter level minutes while learning from George and James, then the Lakers should target the two guard spot first.
Getting centers is easier than ever, but getting young or prime age, quality two way shooting guards is extremely difficult. Fortunately, LA will be in strong position to once again nab arguably the best of the available, two-way shooting guards, someone still only 25, and a player already on their team. Therefore I think this is the move to make.
Step Seven: Retaining Kentavious Caldwell Pope
The first impulse here may be to chase a more proven vet like Avery Bradley or Danny Green to compete now, but I think the fact that KCP is already on the team, famously shares agent Rich Paul with LeBron, and should age more nicely next to the Laker's kids than Bradley, makes him the better choice both short and long term. Of course, there is also the issue of salary.
If KCP is insisting on the full remaining cap space, about $18 million if you subtract one cap hold when he joins the roster, then Bradley may actually be the better choice at that price. Bradley is still probably the better player overall, especially if KCP's 3-point shooting regresses at all, but Avery's age will likely dictate him going after every dollar he can. KCP on the other hand just might come a tad cheaper, at least in this first and most critical year of my plan.
Say, for instance, that Rich Paul (and his partner LBJ), were open to a starting salary for KCP in the range of more like 13 or even 12 million, especially if the Lakers were willing to go a full five years. This assumes that he fits well next to Lonzo on the court this season and the Lakers want him back, but at his young age and defensive versatility, this would be a fair if not slightly undervalued price for Pope. KCP may want an option in the final year, but even if he plays the whole thing out he will only be 29 for most of that last season, making him tradeable if necessary.
Fortunately for LA, next summer is a really tight cap market, and KCP didn't exactly light up outside interest this past year, restricted status notwithstanding. But once again, since this is my ideal yet realistic plan, I am betting that the starting job on a title contending team, the extra year the Lakers can offer (along with LeBron's influence and own sacrifice for winning) will get this deal done starting around $12 million a year. If the Lakers use the whole 18 on one guy, be it KCP, Bradley or someone else, then they are now out of cap space and have a very nice team, but one with no center and only a room exemption to work with. While that amount would probably net a serviceable big, LeBron and PG aren't looking to chase Golden State with serviceable teammates, particularly in the starting lineup. So they would need to get this deal done at a reasonable price to add a good center.
Now the Lakers would have the ability to offer a starting salary to one more player in the range of 6-7 million, as this other player would also be eating up one of the cap holds when signed. With their remaining starting lineup hole at center, the Lakers would be wise to use this space created by discounts from both LeBron and KCP to lock in someone already on their roster.
To read the next part of my plan, check out the post Step Eight: Resigning Brooke Lopez.
To let me know what you think of my plan so far, you can tweet me @plain_fiction, or email me directly at plainfiction@gmail.com.
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