Can Kupchak Make Lightning Strike Twice?
Other than dumping players on unwanted salaries (Sasha Vujacic), the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been active on the trade market this season.
According to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, that may change.
General Manager Mitch Kupchak told Cooper, "Regarding a trade, I may have to."
The Lakers and Kupchak are generally concerned about the level their talent has played much of the season.
Kupchak cited too many home losses and including a number of big games, Mitch likely referring to Sunday’s defeat to the Boston Celtics.
It’s probably safe to say that Kupchak’s comments were more about motivating players than putting up a for sale sign on the roster.
That said, it’s time to take a look at what the Lakers can actually do.
Let’s get the initial gauntlet thrown. Just because Kupchak turned Kwame Brown into Pau Gasol doesn’t mean the Lakers are likely to get any of the following by the trade deadline: Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Andre Iguodala, Danny Granger or some other All-Star level talent.
Lightning does strike twice on occasion but given the bait the Lakers have to offer, it doesn’t appear likely in this particular situation.
Then again, Kupchak has proven to be a very nimble general manager.
Two quick notes: Kobe Bryant has a well-publicized no-trade clause but he’s not the only Laker who can block a trade.
Shannon Brown, by virtue of his one-year deal that will expire when the team has his Bird rights, can veto any trade he’s named in – should he so choose.
Even though Shannon has a player option for next year, his specific situation is a technicality that could get in the way of anything Kupchak might want to do with the guard.
As a team, the Lakers are getting older. Kupchak and owner Dr. Jerry Buss would have to decide if adding veteran talent would be worth giving up on some of their younger prospects like Devin Ebanks and Derrick Character.
Steve Blake is well-regarded around the league as a reserve point guard. He’s on a reasonable dollar at $4 million a season but his contract has three more years which may or may not be an easy sell.
Theo Ratliff and Joe Smith are on minimum deal and are easily movable (although there might be some packaging issues with Smith until the 15th of February).
Matt Barnes is injured and seems to be a piece the Lakers are fond of.
Luke Walton has been available for some time but is difficult to trade given his two remaining years at $11.5 million total – not to mention a 7.5% trade kicker.
Ron Artest has struggled this season. Does that make his three additional years at $21.8 million more attractive? No, it doesn’t.
The trade deadline a few weeks away (February 24th), would Kupchak be bold enough to break up the trio of bigs (Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom). Can he do so without sacrificing what is believed to be Coach Phil Jackson’s final year?
Bynum has value but it’s not nearly what it was before his multiple knee injuries. If he was to be eventually traded, now wouldn’t necessarily be selling at the high.
Odom’s contract is the most friendly, given that he’s guaranteed for $8.9 million next season and just $2.4 million the following. {AUTHOR_BOX}
Odom out would put a lot of pressure on Bynum and Gasol, unless LA got someone of equal value up front in return.
So basically Kupchak is looking at moving youth when his team is aging, trying to sell a team on a player getting paid for multiple years or breaking up a core piece and risking the Lakers won’t have enough ammunition to compete this year.
The one obvious tool the team has is the $5.5 million trade exception gained in the Vujacic trade to the New Jersey Nets. The caveat is that any dollar the Lakers bring in will be doubled by the luxury tax.
Is there a $5 million player worth acquiring that would cost the Lakers $10 million?
Does Buss have the desire to put more into the pot, given how much he’s already spent for a team that has under-produced this season?
An obvious target might be a veteran like Tayshaun Prince but given than he makes $11.1 million this season, the Lakers would have to send out approximately $8.8 million to bring him back.
At first glance that sounds like Odom but Prince can’t play power forward. Gasol is Bynum’s backup at center. How do the Lakers make that deal and stay strong up front?
Taking advantage of the Lakers’ trade exception, LA could do a complicated Walton and Blake for Jason Maxiell and Prince (with the trade exception massaging the numbers) but how does that benefit the Pistons? The Lakers could send over pieces like Ebanks, Character and/or draft considerations.
Seems a longshot . . .
Players on big deals like Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson are difficult to attain for the same reason given their salaries – and why would Buss want to invest heavily in more of the same when age is becoming a factor?
OJ Mayo is under suspension after failing a drug test (performance enhancing, not recreational). Given his salary fits in LA’s trade exception, he’d be a strong acquisition but that’s not necessarily an easy get from the Memphis Grizzlies.
That might be a good place for Kupchak to start.
Carl Landry of the Sacramento Kings fits within the trade exception as well.
Martel Webster, of the Minnesota Timberwolves, is on a somewhat similar contract to Luke Walton’s but Webster’s final deal is only locked in for $600k. Given that the Wolves run the triangle offense, could Walton be of interest to Coach Kurt Rambis?
Ultimately, there are many, many possibilities for the Lakers but the most likely scenario is that Kupchak was looking to motivate his team with a little bit of fear.
It may be fun to come up with a wild 10-player trade that brings back Carmelo Anthony to the Lakers.
Is it possible? Absolutely. Likely? Come on now.
Until the deadline, just about anything is technically possible if the numbers work.
The reality is that the Lakers have a pretty set core. To avoid upsetting the balance with a trade, Kupchak is going to have to tread very carefully.
The odds of another Gasol-like deal are . . . slim.
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