greek dude, Andrew Z,

I know what you're saying that's why the Darius Miles deal is a sweatheart of a deal for the Lakers. We can match salaries with Mihm, Cook, and Walton or McKie and open up 2 roster spots in the process. With those roster spots we can bring in D. Green or Pinnock and a guy like Marus Douthit. Whoever! The thing is that the Miles deal makes that posssible for us.

mike

Taliq and Edwin,

Also, Pinnock was the 57th player drafted, it's not like teams were lining up to get him. I think the fact that he got to play in the SPL with the Lakers and the fact that they will either invite him to training camp or think highly enough to want to keep his rights should be considered a success at this point.

I just don't think there were that many teams, if any at all, willing to give the guy any chance.

What does "Godfather" Don Nelson replacing Mike Montgomery and returning to Golden State's bench mean to the Lakers' chances of making it into the playoffs?
The road methinks just got a little rougher.

I have to apologize to you lakers fans about the article written in the akron beacon about Kobe. You see, I'm from Ohio and our once brilliant state is going under the ground fast, and we are hoping Lebron will rejuvenate our state especially Northeast ohio, so we have to glorify Lebron while desecrating the best player in the world in Kobe. I hope Lakerland won't take the article personnel, but we can't watch Ohio slip into a state of oblivion. So pardon us for using Kobe to promote our agenda.

Sincerely,
A true laker fan

AK/BK,

Give us your take on Don Nelson going back to coach Golden State. The Warriors have a lot offensive talent for Don to work with.

Mike T,

although I like the idea of opening up roster spots, and the trade you proposed for Miles would do that, I have a couple issues. One, I just don't think Andrew Bynum can give us 20+ effective minutes a night at the 5, which Mihm can. If we want to be a serious playoff team, we're going to need Mihm to back up Kwame and spell the four spot (unless Bynum and Turiaf are completely awesome in training camp, then all bets are off). Second, I just don't like the length and price of Darius Miles' contract. If it was for one year I might do the deal, those guys for Miles, but I think he has four more years at $9 million per and that would completely debilitate the Lakers financial flexibility (what little they have). Taking on Miles would basically be saying we aren't adding any players for the next few years, this is the team that is taking us to the title, and I don't think Darius Miles is good enough to get us over that hump.

I do like some of the outgoing people on your trade though, McKie and Cook are kind of irrelevant for us at this point.

Taliq,
Pinnock had a full scholarship to just about any school in the country. (I'm making a logical assumption there.) That's about as fair as it gets. He has nothing to complain about.

Taliq,

Perhaps, he should not be treated fairly because his name is "Pinnock" short for Pinnochio and to some people in this blog who never saw him play already reserved a judgement where he should be. (no reference to you AK or AZ) Here is the irony on the fate of two outstanding players in the GWU team. The No. 1 player there is Danilo Pinnock, a SG with a PPG 14.5 APG 3.1 RPG 5.3 He's an Olympian and a popular player in GWU as well as in Panama. There is another player at GWU by the name of Pops Mensah Bonsu,PF with PPG 12.6 APG 0.8 RPG 6.7 he is the No.2 guy. He was not chosen in the draft while Pinnock was rejoicing for being chosen in the 58th pick and traded by the Mavericks to the Lakers. It was a double joy and cried twice. It was his dream team and he said he will do his best to get to the roster even via D'League, he will just follow what he's told to do just to make his dream come true. (I'm not making this up, it's all published in the Google about the story of Danilo Pinnock.)

Come SPL time, Pops Mensah was invited by the Mavericks while Pinnock was in the Laker team. Danilo did a decent job in the SPL but never heard anything from the Lakers tho' coaching staff like Kurt Rambis and Tex Winter have high praises with his performance as a shooting guard. Pops Mensah Bonsu on the other hand, got a guaranteed contract from the Mavericks for two years and guaranteed to receive $ 412K per year, despite the fact that there are already 17 players under contract and he's the 18th. Lakertom has indicated in the previous posts Dallas is way over the cap and that full amount of Pops is equivalent to additional luxury taxes. Come Fiba time, Pinnock was supposed to play with Team Panama but he begged off not to join the team due to personal reason. Whatever the reasons were not divulged maybe to continue praticing for preseason & avoiding possible injury or just plain disgusted and be with his family, we don't know.

I go with you Taliq that the rule is already unfair to this man who has a family and still in 3rd year college to suffer from indecision on his fate in the NBA. If Lakers don't want him CUT HIM OFF from their draft umbilical chord, but to hold him committed without any compensation is unfair for the next three years. Now if we are the outsiders and have no relation with Pinnock, it's OK to speculate on his destiny but to BLAME him for joining the draft and not prepared to face these trials is just adding salt to the wound. He is not yet married but he has a family to feed. Lakers are known to be a stable institution, they buy out contracts Vlade at $2M, buy out Brian Grant at $15M for two years, buy out Rudy Tomjanovich quitting at midyear and paid him a substantial amount as a Laker scout but for this poor Panamaian decent there is just indecision.

PS Sorry for the long post.

**Odds to Win 2006/7 NBA ROY**

Here are the latest odds for rookies to win the ROY award. Farmar is tied for 12th at 33 to 1.

http://www.oddschecker.com/betting/mode/o/card/basketball-nba/odds/1372338x/sid/703436

01 - Morrison, Adam 7/2
02 - Foye, Randy 4/1
03 - Roy, Brandon 9/2
04 - Bargnani, Andrea 15/2
05 - Gay, Rudy 8/1
06 - Carney, Rodney 10/1
07 - Thomas, Tyrus 14/1
07 - Redick, J-J 14/1
07 - Douby, Quincy 14/1
10 - Aldridge, Lamarcus 25/1
11 - Brown, Shannon 28/1
12 - Farmar, Jordan 33/1
12 - Brewer, Ronnie 33/1
12 - Lowry, Kyle 33/1
15 - Deron Williams 40/1
16 - Sefolosha, Thabo 50/1
17 - Simmons, Cedric 100/1
17 - Armstrong, Hilton 100/1
17 - Balkman, Renaldo 100/1
20 - Pecherov, Oleksiy 150/1
20 - O Bryant, Patrick 150/1
22 - Sene, Saer 200/1

Tom

Edwin,

It's bad business sense to just give away money, I don't care how much the Lakers have. And for all we know, the Lakers might have told Pinnock their plans. I have a hard time believing that they don't know if they are going to invite him to camp or not right now.

I agree that maybe for those players who get drafted in the second round it's better to not be drafted at all and become a free agent, but from the article you mentioned, Pinnock seemed damn happy to be picked by the Lakers.

I'd be willing to say that the Lakers aren't sitting around wondering how best to screw the "poor Panamanian" as you called him, but are thinking about what is in the best interests of the Los Angeles Lakers, as they very well should be.

Exhelodrvr,

No more scholarship after he was drafted. If the Lakers release him now, perhaps GWU Colonials could accommodate him for September since he is their No. 1 player over there that placed 15th in the nation.

Exhelodrvr,

Please explain to me what school has to do with any of this. I have 2 degrees, I'd burn em for and sign an affidavit saying I never went to college if in return I'd get a job paying $1million a year.

Pinnok is being prevented from staying in his country and getting a gig in a league where other teams are interested in him. Why do people keep bringing up school, last time I checked Duke or GW or w/e other school isn't offering million dollar compensation packages. Sure he can go to Europe, but he shouldn't have to if say the clippers were willing to offer him money.

In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers

Andrew Z,

"At a certain point the employer (the team) needs to have some power over their employees or possible employees (the players)."

Umm wow, possible employees. What's that, anyone that applies. So next time you go for a job interview, wouldn't it be great if all the companies make you sign a paper that if they like you ( a possible employee ), they can prevent you from getting a job with another US company for the next 3 years. And if all the companies had this rule, would you choose never to apply for a job? And if you did and are b*tching about how unfair the system is, wouldn't it be great to have a room full of bloggers know you can go work off shore in say India.

In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers

16 to 1 the Lakers win the Western conference this year is kind of appealing, because what were the odds they would win the Western conference when they led the Suns 3-1 in the playoffs? Must have been a lot better than 16 to 1 at that point, and I don't see the improvement of the other teams as enough of a reason the Lakers can't do better this year than they did last year...

Fearless: Nick Van Exel! I'm ambivalent. He's been a real force some times for various teams for sure. But he never won a ring did he? And wasn't he one of those Lakers during the Del Harris days who were telling people in the locker room during the playoffs that they (the Lakers)ought to just lose the next couple of games and get the playoffs over with so they could all finally go home for a break?

Taliq,
1) The entire situation that is presented to athletes such as Pinnock is more than fair. That package includes the education.

2) If he was good enough right now to be getting $1M per year, there would be other teams discussing trades with the Lakers. Clearly he is not at that level, because the Lakers are clearly weak at the other guard position, and he is not good enough to be a serious contender to make their roster.

Andrew Z,

"It's bad business sense to just give away money", but it's great business sense to treat people with class. Inspite of Nash's antics this past playoff, phoenix to me is one of the classiest organizations in the league. Why? Becuase when Danny went down, they didn't have to throw away their money on him, but they did.

http://www.nba.com/suns/history/Danny_Manning-26771-68.html

And also, I'm not saying the Lakers are at fault. I'm just saying I don't think the system is fair and I don't think it's the lakers responsibility to fix it. I don't know Pinnock at all so I'm not saying I'll lose any sleep over this. Just saying if I read an article that said the players were asking for a change on this issue on the next CBA, I'd say someone in there union is doing a good job.

In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers

Taliq,

I agree the system isn't perfect, hell, I think 18 year-olds should be able to enter the league. If you can die for your country, vote, and buy lottery tickets, why not get a job, right?

What I'm saying is that guys who enter the draft know what they are getting into, however good or bad it may be.

I agree, that was cool by the Suns in regards to Danny Manning, but I think it's a slightly different situation. A comparable example would be Ronny Turiaf. Last year he didn't have a guaranteed contract (still doesn't) and yet when he had his heart problem the Lakers not only kept him around, eventually signed him to a contract, but also paid for the surgery. That's the epiotmy of class in my book.

As for Pinnock, he worked hard and played hard in the SPL and I want to believe that the Lakers have been open and forthright with what their plans are for him at least as much as they can.

AZ, Exhelodrvr,

What is the risk on the Lakers part for releasing Pinnock? You already have six guards on contract, why do still need Danilo Pinnock? Are the Lakers afraid that another team could pick him up and develop him into a star. If you (The lakers) do not think that his ability is needed why do you have to hold on him? Are you holding a poultry of 2nd draft picks? Why are the Lakers fond of holding "iffie" players as you said in including Pinnock in that group and I include Sasha, Smush, Mckie, I have not seen Williams and Evans, I can't tell? There are lot of good players who are not yet contracted but could help the Lakers in guard position and they exhibit their abilities in the FIBA tournament. Why don't we get the best players? My point here is Mitch K. loves to hoard on players just like us keeping old items in the garage. GO FOR GARAGE SALE!!!lol

wiZo:

Thanks for your superb post. As I have said many times, I can easily understand why other bloggers might question whether Farmar is ready to start, especially not having seen him in training camp or the preseason. I would probably agree with them if we had a better option, but I just don't believe that we will be able to play at our optimum with Smush at the point. At any rate, I am confident that Farmar will start at some point and just hope that it is soon enough to help us win this year.

What I really appreciated was your well presented support of many of the same points that I have been vainly trying to make, especially about the value of a “true” point guard and the capability to quickly understand and adapt to the Triangle Offense. Hopefully, you will be able to reach some of the posters who disregard my posts as too brash or optimistic. As everyone knows, I am not hesitant to push the envelope on an issue and don’t mind taking controversial or even outrageous stands, especially when the blog slows down.

Like you, I was also a starting point guard in high school and have always viewed basketball from that perspective. I believe that the skills that a “true” point guard brings to a team are the key source for positive team synergy. I actually ran a variation of Tex Winter’s Triangle Offense in high school and have read Tex’s Triple Post Offense coach’s manual from cover to cover. It would be great if we could have a thread on the blog where Roland or maybe even Tex himself could explain the offense so that the entire blog would better understand what is really happening when the Lakers run their offense.

Thanks again for your superb post. I hope it gets everybody’s attention as it clarifies some important points and explains better than I have been able to why Farmar may become the catalyst for the Lakers to return to championship form.

Tom

Edwin,

Obviously Mitch saw something in Pinnock that he really likes. I think Kurt Rambis' and Tex Winter's comments about his play in the SPL show that. But maybe Mitch sees that Pinnock is a year or two away from being able to contribute at the NBA level but since he opted for the draft this year, they'd like to secure his rights to see his development. Now, maybe his play in the SPL was good enough to get him an invite to camp, maybe not. But knowing that he probably can't contribute this year, especially with all the guards on the roster you mentioned, Mitch picked a guy he even said he had his eye on with hopes that a year of development will get him to a level to play for the Lakers. I believe Mitch made a very smart move. If the kid isn't going to develop next year at college, he can work on his game, and get paid, in Europe or wherever and next year have a better chance to make the roster when Williams, Sasha, Cook, McKie all are gone and more spots are available.

As for other players in the FIBA tourney, a lot of them are under contract with other professional leagues. If they were to come over I believe they would have to go through the draft and then we start the whole thing over.

Oh, as for Mitch "wasting the time" of Pinnock, I find it very hard to believe that Pinnock feels getting drafted by the Lakers is a waste of his time, he barely got drafted at all.

"And wasn't he [Van Exel] one of those Lakers during the Del Harris days who were telling people in the locker room during the playoffs that they (the Lakers)ought to just lose the next couple of games and get the playoffs over with so they could all finally go home for a break?"

Heresy!!! Where the heck did that story come from?
I think that is a rumor probably stemming from the incident when Nick yelled "Cancun!" in the huddle right before they got swept in the playoffs. It was a joke (although maybe a distasteful one)...but a joke nonetheless. If you watch that game Nick played his butt off and had a great game.
Of course Shaq was furious after that comment and this led to Nick being ousted. Of course, if SHAQ made that joke, the media would probably be like "haha! that goofy Shaq. what a comedian!"

Taliq,
Athletes do get paid to play; it's called tuition, room, and board. Yes, a few colleges do make money from sports, but the most by far do not. And the "training" they get in college sports prepares them to make millions later in life, if they are good enough.

Edwin:

I agree with you that every year there are a bunch of talented underclass college basketball players who opt for the NBA draft, sign with an agent, and then end up not being drafted at all and unable to return to school to play or get their degree. You have to remember, though, that these players made their choice in most cases fully understanding the inherent risks and realizing that they might have to play basketball in a minor league or overseas in order to keep their hoops dream alive.

I also agree that it does seem unfair that the schools and the coaches can earn substantial profits from the contributions of these players but that the players are not allowed to share in the profits that they helped generate. But the situation here is again a two-way street. The players are usually being given the opportunity for a free college education, often including specialized tutoring and support, worth tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars plus the chance to become millionaires if they are good enough to be a 1st round pick and play in the NBA. I don’t think that is an unfair deal. And if they are really good, like Greg Oden, they only have to go to college for one year before they can cash in on the NBA.

I also think that the gap between the guys who get left out in the cold versus the guys who get drafted in the 1st round has been closed dramatically by the new D-League as well as the many pro leagues overseas. Just look at all of the players you are seeing in the FIBA games who are making a great living playing the game they love as a career. I would kill to be good enough to have had a career playing basketball or any sport. Look at Shammond Williams, who bounced around the NBA for four years after leaving North Carolina before being forced to go overseas to continue his career. Based on his play overseas, Williams was able to get a 1 year contract for $1.75M to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. The only guys on the blog making that kind of bling are probably the Kamenetzky brothers.

In the end, I don’t think any of these players deserve the level of sympathy you feel for them. They’ve been able to leverage their physical talents into a free education and a long shot chance to earn obscene money most of us would die for – all just to play a game we all willingly play or played for free.

Tom

exhelodrvr:

Actually, I don't think that playing sports for a living is overrated. It is probably the dream job of every fan on this blog. Who wouldn't want to play basketball for a living rather than balancing books or selling products or providing services? Or flying helocopters?

What is underestimated are the long odds facing each high school or college player who sets their mind on playing professional basketball as a career. On the other hand, getting a free or subsidized college education in return for playing the game you would play for free is not really that bad a deal, provided that they really did get that education, which is the only complaint that I have against the current system.

Tom

wiZo:

I had totally forgotten about Nick's "Cancun" call. It was obviously way out-of-line but actually pretty d@mn funny when you get down to it.

And you are absolutely correct that it would have been spun as an example of a great sense of humor had Shaq made the call rather than Nick and undoubtedly a sign of selfishly quitting on his team had Kobe done it.

Tom

Exhelodrvr,

"If Pinnock is good, then he will be asked by other teams. If he is that good, he can work outside of US."

Now we're getting closer with our arguments. That's the whole problem we don't know whether there was a team out there asking for him. The fellow cannot go abroad yet because there is no word of his release, they still continue playing him for the preseason. Now do you get my point, there is absolutely a sound of silence where this organization is heading with all the stock of guards and 18players in preseason, more will join from SPL team. I'm not promoting Pinnock to become a Laker, as I said if the fellow is not ripe then release him now or get another player that will support Kobe and LO to get to our coveted goal. Thank you there is this blog if not, no Laker fan would ever know the machinations going on yet they absorb the annual price increase.

LakerTom,

Your figure for the Kamenetzky are understated, what $1.75M ONLY, they are two at least $ 2.0M plus, eventually they need a league of editors just to manage this blog. This is gold mine that Kamanetzky struck to discover LakerTom and Mike T.

Now with regards to the rule, I understand that there is a risk for getting to the draft and possibly forfeiting the scholarship rights. If you ask owners of the Lakers such Jerry Bush, Magic and AEG, I don't think they will hold any player like Mitch K. does. During the time of Jerry West, we did not think of these scenarios because he's a straight shooter. He knows what he wants and decide immediately. In the case of Mitch K. he made blunders in the past for making hasty decisions now he's too cautious but time over run him and he missed all the good guys. With Pinnock, there is no problem if we don't get him but don't let the fellow drag his future by indecisiveness. First of all, if he likes Pinnock why not give him a little contract as much as $ 250K; Secondly, if Mitch has plans for everyone then communicate to the reporters especially that he missed getting Al Harrington, where are the Lakers heading? Thirdly, we have now a blog which acts as the gatekeepper for the officials and the players as well as the fans. These are no longer the 90's when nobody questions decisions coming from the Front Office except those sport columnists and broadcasters, today it is a free for all. If you are a Laker official and made a decision, you have to ask yourself "Can you defend this with the Laker fans in the blog? The future could be more daring since news will come from the blog, Q & A will be instant, that's what technology is doing. Therefore, having said that, Mitch K. has to adjust with the changing times.

Edwin:

I think the Lakers roster at this point is pretty well set. From the information we have been given by the K-Brothers, Eric Pincus, and Roland Lazenby we are looking at the following 15 players as our roster (inactive list in parentheses and ignore the depth chart if you don’t agree):

1 – Farmar, Smush, Williams, (McKie)
2 – Kobe, Evans, (Sasha)
3 – Vlade, Luke
4 – Lamar, Turiaf, (Cook)
5 – Kwame, Mihm, Bynum

You have to realize that these guys are not clueless. They all have agents who have probably explained what is going on and what their options are going to be.

McKie knows that the Lakers won’t pay him to go away so and he probably knows due to his age and injury history that this is his last year. He is a class guy and will therefore try to help make the year successful by being a positive influence so that he can possibly land an assistant's coaching job in Philly. And the $2.5M he will be paid this year should let him continue to smile.

Sasha knows that the chances of making the active roster are now much tougher than last year and that the chances that the Lakers will exercise the team option to pay him $1.8M next year are slim, so hopefully he has been working hard on his game in hopes of changing the Lakers opinions of him. As a European, Sasha may already have places overseas where he knows he can continue to make money and try to improve. And the $973K he will make this year should keep him smiling.

Same with Cook, who realizes that Vlade’s signing has left him in a vulnerable position. He knows the chances are that the Lakers will not give him a qualifying offer and let him become a free agent next year. He is probably planning right now how he can up his play in his contract year. He knows he can shoot the ball and that there will always be a place for a shooter. And the $1.5M he will make sitting on the inactive list until somebody is injured will sit just fine with him.

Pinnock also probably realizes that he will not be invited to camp and is also already discussing with his agent where to play next year so that he can prove to the Lakers he deserves to be on the roster. He is probably happy that at least one team in the NBA thought enough of him to have him drafted #58 out of 60 and traded to them. And maybe, if he is real lucky, a roster spot will magically open up for him.

Jim Jackson already has his agent exploring where he could play next year to continue getting a check while Von Wafer is probably just working on his half court shot and living off the $665K he was paid last year to be on our practice squad, and Devin Green is hoping and praying – with Danillo Pinnock – that Mike. T’s imaginary trade somehow opens up a spot so that he won’t have to scramble for a job and will be able to continue to make the $665K we paid him last year. And you can be sure that all three guys have an agent working to get them the best possible spot if it is not with the Lakers.

I am sure that there are some posters who are currently looking for a new job or new opportunity and I seriously doubt if they have a professional agent looking out to make sure they land on their feet and get a chance to make big money.

Tom

Lakertom,

Based on the trends, I agree with you. Pinnock, Green, VW are longshots. They could not dispense Mckie, since he's contracted of $2M and probably no team is interested on him. He's also getting another ton of money from his fat contract with Philly. LakerTom, this is what summer is all about in the blog, speculating here and there and I know you tinkering the imaginations of people who are anti-Farmar to start, just to be relieved from the boring hot weather. You and I belonged to the old school where there were few players to choose from and fans were not as demanding as they are today. We were definitely spoiled by the Laker greats like: Bill Sharman, Jerry West and Chick Hearns, these guys are daring especially Chickie baby. I wonder if Chick is one of the K-Bros., I'm sure he would ask directly the Front Office, not minding the protocol or condon sanitaire but he would not leave any questions unanswered or speculate ad infinitum, that's why the fans really love him and miss him for those three decades of faithful and honest service.

LakerTom,
By overrated I was referring to the potential for someone actually achieving it. Overrated was a poor choice of words.

"On the other hand, getting a free or subsidized college education in return for playing the game you would play for free is not really that bad a deal, provided that they really did get that education, which is the only complaint that I have against the current system."

Agreed; the actual education a significant portion of these players get is pitiful.

Edwin:

You raised a very interesting point about the Lakers Blog being a goldmine. After all, we know the LA Times is not a charitable organization. I wonder how much actual advertising revenue the LA Times is getting for all of the hits the blog is attracting. Web advertising is definitely directly tied to hits and more hits definitely mean more money.

In fact, maybe my last "joking" post about AK and BK being paid by the number of posts generated might be the "real" truth about the K-Bros and the Lakers Blog. It really makes sense. That is why AK always disagrees with my "optimistic" posts. He knows that will drive me crazy and make me post like a maniac. He and BK (and their agent or agents) are probably laughing all the way to the bank. This is almost funny as Nick shouting “Cancun” in the huddle. I can just see AK and BK clapping their hands in glee and shouting “Bling, Bling” at their computers every time that we post.

Taking this post to its next logical step, are you familiar with the use of “Props” in casinos? Props are players who are hired by the casinos to sit in poker games to make sure there are enough players and to add interest. Props work regular 8 hour shifts for which they receive payment from the casino but actually play with their own bankroll.

It is entirely possible that I may be a “Prop” hired by the K-Brothers to spike the blog with outlandish predictions and unrealistic assessments of the Lakers in order to generate more posts, which will generate more advertising dollars, which will generate more K-Bros income. But then, I wonder which other posters might also be K-Bros props. There is this guy Edwin, who always has something to say about everything…

If we now suddenly get a new thread on an entirely different subject, it may well be because this post is getting a little too close to the truth for comfort.

Tom

Mike T:

Not as imaginary as the Lakers trading for Darius Miles. LOL.

Tom

Laker Tom,

What I do is called a proposal. What you're saying is just not going to happen. Whether you like it or not Mihm is gone! As is Cook and someone else.

mike

Faith,

We're not sure yet the final fate of Pinnock, he will still play in the preseason. He is not entirely Byron Scott, well is a great role player and I didn't see perfection on those shots. However, Pinnock has better approach in going to the hoop than Byron when he was new and acquired from the San Diego Clippers. Pinnock is more of an assist guard and a good rebounder cuz' he could jump high and has a court general mentality in distributing the ball. That's the reason why his APG is 3.1 at Washington Colonials.

LakerTom,

Did you notice eversince you joined the blog, there no more stopping? We either hynotized or drugged by the K-Bros, the more you post, the more addicted you are. The K-Bros are the conductor and they know how to tease the main attractions like LakerTom and Mike T. to create circus of post that sounds like rat...tat..tat..tat..tat!!! In the case of the K-Bros it's music in their ears like playing casino machines hitting the jackpot. You better erase those cookies Tom, I noticed I'm getting a lot of emails offering sports paraphernalias. Haha

Marcus,
"...I think every guard except Kobe will have to prove his value & fight for minutes this year."

Yes, some will argue but this team has improved. There will be more competion. Mike T. correctly identified the three that are least likely to remain with the team past this year-McKie, Cook & Vujacic. Another trade could happen before training camp; it could be before the trading deadline, but these three will all certainly be gone by end of season. We dont know who or what we will get in return but surely Mitch is working on deals as we speak and will continue through the year. His job is to improve this team. He has done that this year and will continue to do that. Pinnock, Green and Profit will all get a chance to play, if that is meant to be. Let's be patient with our hopes for an all-star savior (Garnett-Artest) to match with Kobe and Lamar. And finally a reminder to Edwin-Pinnock is likely to have a good professional career. He is certainly no poor immigrant coming to work in the fields and vineyards. Most professional players will make in one year, more than you and I will make in our lifetime. Seriously, what is there to feel sorry about?

LakerTom
Now that you will be our agent, we can call ourselves, Bloggers United, or something catchy like that. Maybe we can even have a naming contest with the winner getting a free trip to Vegas to wager on the odds you provided earlier.
Hmmmmm, maybe we can even get NorCal and Socal united in this effort-Kind of like Kings and Lakers playing on one team! Man, the ideas are just going crazy in my head! Maybe even get Sunny involved! Opps, I think I've had too much wine to drink tonight.

Now, were you saying something about Farmer being better than Smush?.....

LakerAl,

Sorry, but you are wrong.

Once a team is at, or over the cap, they can no longer sign outside players for more than the exceptions. Since the Lakers are basically at the cap, they can use the MLE, which would take them over the cap but under the luxury tax. That $10 million you're talking about is more of a "buffer" than anything, and can't be looked at as possible player contract money.

Sorry. The Lakers aren't getting anyone of consequence unless they sign for the MLE.

LakerAl:

I recently went over our salary situation in detail and also reviewed the CBA rules about free agents. Bottom line is that all we will be able to offer at the end of this year, even after losing Brian Grant’s $15M salary, is the MLE again. Because we signed Shammond with our BAE, we will not be able to use that until the following year. Here is how it works:

(1) Add up the salaries of the guys under contract for next year.

Kobe $19.4M
Lamar $13.5M
Kwame $9.1M
Vlade $5.2M
Bynum $2.2M (assuming we exercise team option)
Evans $1.5M
Farmar $1.0M

Total is $51.9M (these all count since we have to pay them)

(2) Add up the last salary of the guys who are free agents:

Mihm $4.2M
McKie $2.5M
Williams $1.8M
Walton $1.3M
Cook $2.2M (assuming we do not make qualifying offer)
Vujacic $1.8M (assuming we do not exercise team option)
Parker $0.8M
Turiaf $0.6M

Total is $15.2M (this is called the free agent amount and gets added when figuring a team's salary cap so that we cannot sign other free agents and then later re-sign our own guys)

Grand total is $67.1M (this is the figure we will have to face)

Since we are over the salary cap of (let’s estimate $57M for next year, was $53.1M TYR and $49.5M LYR), we cannot sign anybody unless we use:

(1) MLE – Mid level exception, which is the average salary. In other words, if you are over the cap, you cannot sign any body better salary-wise than an average player.

(2) Bird Rights – Meaning our own free agents, who we can re-sign with no problem except that their salaries DO get counted when figuring out if we have to pay a luxury tax, which we will estimate for next year at $68M (is $65.4M TYR and $61.7M LYR.)

Thus, we will be over salary cap but probably under luxury tax barely. Teams that are over luxury tax can still use their MLE and Bird Rights to sign players.

Last year, these teams paid luxury tax:

Knicks ($37.2), Mavs ($17.3), Magic ($7.8), Pacers ($4.7), Grizzlies ($3.7), Spurs ($0.9)

Hope that clears up the confusion about free agents next year. As you can see, with Kobe’s and Lamar’s and Kwame’s salaries, there isn’t a lot left over.

The only other way we can get a player who earns more than the MLE, therefore, would be to trade Mihm, Cook, and McKie, for example, before the mid-season trading deadline... or work out a sign and trade for them once they become free agents.

Tom

LakerAl:

I would love to represent Bloggers United but I already work for the K-Bros as their "Prop" to create controversy and interest in the blog and wake up the naturally conservative Laker fans and incite outraged posts from them. By the way, I get paid by the number of Farmar comments that I can generate.

Tom

LakerAl,

I can see where the confusion comes from, basically the second half of LakerTom's statement where he adds up our expiring contracts and adds them to our payroll. This isn't technically happening, but what it does show is that we will need to field a full 15-man roster and since we only have 6 guys that cost about $50 million, we have to assume that the other nine guys we'll put on the squad will cost about the $15 million or so LakerTom showed.

Really, as far as our cap space is concerned, it is a bleak picture. Without trading LO, Kwame, or Kobe we should all get used to this roster because it ain't going to change much over the next two years, we just don't have the cap space to make it happen. I think using the MLE could be beneficial, I liked the Vlad addition, but that's the level of players we're likely to see added in the next couple of years.

exhelodrvr,

Anytime someone talks about free agency and the salary cap it's a brutal reminder how much of the franchise's success is tied up in Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown.

Andrew Z:

"I can see where the confusion comes from, basically the second half of LakerTom's statement where he adds up our expiring contracts and adds them to our payroll. This isn't technically happening."

Unfortunately, it IS technically happening. A team's salary cap figure is always the sum of its contracted amounts plus what is called the "Free Agent amount," which represents the contracts of the team's free agents who have NOT signed with another team. The reason for this is to prevent us being below the cap technically and signing other team's free agents first and then coming back and signing our own with the Bird exception. From you NBA Salary Cap FAQ site:

"29. Can a team sign all the free agents it wants (up to the cap limit) and THEN re-sign its own free agents using the Bird exception?

Yes, but there's a restriction. A team's free agents continue to count as team salary (against the salary cap). This charge is called the "free agent amount." So there may not be enough money under the cap to sign another team's free agent, because the team's own free agents are taking up all their cap room."

Tom

LakerTom,

I think I'm confused. At what point then do our free agents contracts, when they expire, not count against our cap? Whether it's a specified date or any other way, there has to be a point where they don't count against us. Maybe like you said, when we renounce their rights, or maybe it has something to do with being restricted or unrestricted. Either way, those contracts come off the books sometime.

LakerTom,
"The only way we will be able to upgrade the team will be via the MLE or a trade"
It seems to me management is gambling on the team upgrading by the current roster improving. To be a serious contender by next year (yes, that means this year they are NOT serious contenders), they need the following by 2007-8:

Significant improvement by Brown or Mihm
Significant improvement by Farmar or Parker
Some improvement by Vlad
Significant improvement by Walton or Turiaf
Some improvement by Lamar

That would give them a strong starting lineup and a decent bench. (There is an assumption in the "significant improvement by X or Y" pairings that the one who doesn't improve significantly will improve at least somewhat, and will thus be an adequate substitute.) I see the "other guards" as players who aren't going to improve much at this stage of their careers, and are probably just placeholders. Sacha improving would be a bonus, but I think he will lose out in the playing time area.

It is extremely unlikely that all those improvements will happen by the playoff next spring, which is why I don't see them as contenders yet this year.

LakerTom, Andrew Z, Exhelodrvr:
Thanks for all of your input regarding the cap.

As I tried to say yesterday and probably did a very poor job, the whole idea behind teams having interest in players with expiring contracts, is primarily a desire for cap relief. Therefore, avoiding the luxury tax has been a prime motivation for most teams. One way to reduce your chances of paying the luxury tax the next year is to trade a long term contract for an expiring contract. This is done all the time. As example, last season Orlando acuired Penny Hardaway's large expiring contract from NY exactly for that reason. Orlando's whole purpose was to get their salary structure back under control and try to get back under the basic cap figure. Grant's contract though different in many ways, has been a similar roadblock to the Laker's obtaining cap relief and entering the free agent market.

Below, once again, are the Lakers players with expiring contracts or similar situations:

Grant-Mihm-McKie-Williams-Walton-Parker
Cook: (has a qualifying offer for next year)
Vujacic: (has a team option for next year)
Wafer: (has a non-guaranteed contrat this season)

The only player remotely close to being a keeper at this time is Walton. So I cannot understand any argument that suggests that these players should be counted against the cap when there is no rational reason to maintain their rights. We really dont need more role players. Role players are relatively easy to acquire. We need star players and that is what we should be seeking in free agency, whether its Artest, Boozer or KG.

Most if not all of these players could easily be RENOUNCED, to bring us closer to the basic cap level. That should only be done, IF the team has a realistic opportunity to acquire a star player. A RENOUNCEMENT is clearly allowed by the CBA and is defined under Question 33(and was briefly mentioned by Tom yesterday)

Again, folks, there are no all-stars on our list of expiring contracts. We are not going anywhere with a team of role-players! This team has to continue to improve. We need at least one more really good player. Everyone should be in agreement on that. If it takes RENOUNCING all of these, then that's what the team must do. Mitch K is not stupid. He will sacrifice mediocre talent every day and Sunday to improve this team if possible. You and I would do the same!

The problem we face is not the cap, because that now appears manageable. In my opinion, the big hurdle will be finding key players like Garnett, Artest, or (insert name), who will come and play for us next year. Again, there appears to be means within the CBA to continue our cap management efforts through careful trades, not incurring additional salary debt, and renouncement of our expiring contracts. By the way, even with renouncement there are still ways to get them back or to use them in sign and trade agreements, according to the CBA. Read It! We can manage that. But we cannot begin making excuses for failure and unwillingness to go after quality players that would oherwise be available to us. THAT would be criminal! OK, Let's Roll!

LakerAl,
"The only player remotely close to being a keeper at this time is Walton"
Not true. At this point, Mihm is a better center than Kwame. If Kwame doesn't improve this season, and Bynum continues to progress slowly, the Lakers will probably re-sign Mihm, which won't hurt them from a salary cap perspective since he is their own free agent. Then they will look to trade Kwame (who would be an attractive option to another team because of his large, expiring contract). If Bynum improves significantly, or Kwame improves to the point that he is better than Mihm, than they will let Mihm go. (Or possibly trade him late this season depending on the playoff prospects of this year's team.)