I think I have come to the conclusion that we should try to keep our offensive guys that we already have, and instead add defensive players to supplement things.
So I think we should resign Austin, Rui, LeBron, Smart, Hayes and keep with Luka, Adou, Bronny, and then add defense and rebounding (like Kelly Oubre, Rob Williams III, Matisse Thybulle, DayRon Sharpe, Keon Ellis & Josh Minott from the Nets.) This gives us a good balance of offense and defense, plus more athleticism for the team, then try and sign talented 2ways like Timme to add production where we need it.
See my new roster build based on this. Let me know what you think.
x.com/bstonercpa/status/2064…
I am doing another Laker roster build with the idea of adding more defense & athleticism to the bench, so replacing Kennard with Matisse Thybulle and still keeping LeBron, Luka, Austin, Rui, Smart, Hayes, Thiero & Bronny. Ayton opts out of his player option since he feels he can grab a Full MLE somewhere. *June 15-20 -meeting with LeBron - offering LeBron a 2 year $41.6m deal ($20m this year) with the explantions for using $40m of his max to help build up the team ($35m cap space to sign players & $5m to help extend Rui - without that discount we coudn't do either). Explain that we will give him time, but if past July 1 will renounce his cap hold but will keep the $20m available for him until Lakers have used all their other cap space on players, then need an answer.
*June 23 before draft - agree in principal with the Nets to trade LaRavia, Dalton, the 2026 FRP (#25) & 2033 FRP for Josh Minott (6.8" 205lb Forward) & Day'Ron Sharpe (young 6'10" 265lb Monster).
*June 29: Austin, Smart & Ayton opt out of their player options.
*June 30: Lakers sign Rui to an extension of 4 yr $72.1m deal with first year $16m.
*July 1 & beyond: Lakers renounce all old cap holds plus cap holds of LeBron, Kennard, Kleber & Smart, but not Austin or Hayes. Then Lakers trade their 2033 2nd pick to the Bulls as well as trading Jarred Vanderbilt's salary into their cap space. Lakers gain $12.4m cap space & now have net cap space of $60.8m. They set meetings and sign the following players to deals: Marcus Smart $10.3m, Keon Ellis $5m, Robert Williams III $12.3m & Kelly Oubre Jr ($13.2m), leaving $20.00m in cap space. Also on July 1, Lakers trade with Brooklyn for Day'Ron Sharpe & Josh Minott is finalized, and soon after LeBron accepts the Lakers offer and signs the $41.6m 2 year deal, exhausting Lakers Cap Space.
*Then Lakers use their room exception of $9.4m to sign Matisse Thybulle. Jaxson Hayes agrees to a 2-year $12.5 m deal with bird rights ($6m due this year.) Austin Reaves agrees to a 5-year $205.3 m deal ($35m this year) and signs the deal. Ayton, Kleber, Kennard & Nick Smith Jr are all FA and find deals with other teams (or not). See the followup for Salaries, lineups and total cap info.