In The Refrigerator

We can't have Greg Oden, so how about Zach Randolph?

How bright is the future in Portland?  They land the #1 pick in the deepest draft in years.  Even Paul Allen can't screw this up.  They're going to draft Greg Oden and pair him with rookie of the year Brandon Roy.  When the kids grow up, they're going to be a helluva one-two punch.  And they already have some great, young complementary pieces in Jarret Jack and LaMarcus Aldridge.  If Portland isn't competing for a championship in four or five years, something is seriously wrong up north. 

In the meantime, Zach Randolph just became very expensive dead weight.  He's got more than $60 million remaining on his contract.  There isn't room in the front court for him, Oden, and Aldridge.  He's a knucklehead and Portland management wants to get rid of him so badly they almost traded him for Kenyon Martin (AKA the worst contract in the league).  Surely they'd take an offer of Kwame Brown, Brian Cook, and a draft pick or two to be rid of his contract.  (According to RealGM's trade checker, this deal work's under the salary cap.)

In return, the Lakers would get a legit low post presence, a second scoring option behind Kobe (Randolph is consistently a 20/10 guy), and best yet, they'd keep Lamar and Bynum.  They'd field a line up of Luke (assuming they re-sign him), Lamar, Randolph, Kobe, and Jordan Farmar (unless they can upgrade at the point in the off-season).   Luke and Lamar would keep the ball moving and Kobe and Randolph would put it in the hole.  They would still need another defensive player or two, but on paper, this lineup should get them past the first round next year.

Are they that desperate?

The Kings are eager to trade Ron Artest.  It's their highest priority this off-season.  The Lakers need to get better... fast.  Or else.  That was the meaning behind Kobe's post-exit interview press conference.  A Ron Artest for Kwame Brown deal works under the salary cap.  The question is: are they really that desperate? 

Who, you wonder?  The Lakers **and** the Kings.  Trading Artest for Brown would be an act of desperation for the Kings.  They wouldn't be making the deal because they think they're going to build around Kwame.  They'd be dumping Artest plain and simple. They'd be saying: "we made a horrible mistake - please take him off our hands".  Maybe they'll hold out for the Lakers first pick in the upcoming draft.  But it still isn't close to commensurate value. 

But it would also be an act of desperation for the Lakers.  Artest has blown up two teams already (Indiana and Sacramento).  Can Phil and Kobe keep him from blowing up the Lakers?  It would be a gamble.  If it works, it would make the Lakers a top tier western conference team without costing them Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom.  If it doesn't work, it would cost them their chance at Kevin Garnett.  Without Brown, they don't have enough salary ballast to get him.  (They'd still have a shot at Jermaine O'Neil, though.) 

Let's dream for a minute.  The Lakers make the following moves:

• Trade Kwame & a first round pick to Sacramento for Artest
• Sign Steve Blake for part of the mid-level exception
• Re-sign Luke
• Re-sign Chris Mihm to a veteran minimum deal

Now you've got Kobe & Steve Blake in the backcourt.  Artest, Odom, and Bynum (or Mihm) up front.  Luke Walton as your 6th man.  And Farmar, Mo Evans, Radmanovic, Turiaf, and Cook to give you depth in your rotation. 

I see that team as being at least a middle tier team like Utah and Houston. 

I say, go for it.  I'd like to see what Bynum becomes when he grows up.

Playing GM

It’s time for the fun to begin – the time of year when fans get to play GM.  Kobe has laid down the gauntlet to management.  They must make changes this off-season.  He isn’t saying publicly who should stay and who should go, but he’s made it clear that he won’t tolerate another season at “ground zero”. 

The problem, of course, is that the Lakers don’t have much in the way of options.  They’re over the cap.  They can use the mid-level exception to sign a free agent.  They can go over the cap to re-sign their own free agents (e.g. Luke Walton).  They’re going to have a lower first round draft choice.  It’s a deep draft, but not deep enough that a 20th pick is going to turn around the Lakers’ fortunes.  And they can make trades…

They can make trades, but do they have anything that other teams want?  Actually, they do.  They’ve got 3 tangible trade assets: Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and Kwame Brown’s expiring contract.  Yes, it’s true that no team in the league would take Kwame on his playing merits.  But the contract is valuable.  He’ll make just over $9 million next year.  For a team that wants to clear cap space, that’s appealing. 

There’s a lot of talk of Kevin Garnett playing with the Lakers next year.  I’d love to see that happen, but I just don’t think it’s at all practical.  In theory, the Lakers could get him for Lamar, Kwame, and Bynum.  They’d have some work to do to fill in the roster around Kobe and KG, but it would be a potent two-some.  But I don’t think it will happen.  Kevin McHale isn’t going to want go down in history as the GM who gift wrapped the Lakers next championship.  KG may move, but look for him to end up in Chicago or NY.  Not in LA. 

There’s also a lot of talk of Jermaine O’Neil coming to the Lakers.  This looks more feasible to me.  Larry Bird is more likely to trade O’Neil to a western conference team.  A deal with Lamar, Bynum, and Kwame going to Indiana for O’Neil and Jamal Tinsley works under the cap.  The Lakers may need to throw in a a draft choice to sweeten the pot, but this team is young enough already.  They can do without their pick in the upcoming draft.  I’m not convinced that a new Kobe / O’Neil tandem is enough to elevate the team to elite status, and I would miss Lamar very much, but it’s worth a shot.  A starting 5 of Kobe, Tinsley, Luke, Jermaine O’Neil, and Rony Turiaf might have a shot at winning 50 games next season. 

The problem with each of the above scenarios is that the Lakers have to trade away Lamar leaving the Lakers about where they are now: a player short of a championship roster.  I’d be disappointed to see Bynum go.  He may yet turn into a superstar, but I’d be willing to part with him to win now.  But if we trade Lamar, and can’t get KG in return, I’m not convinced that we’ll get enough back to compete for a championship.  Instead, I’d be in favor of keeping Lamar and getting as much as we can for Kwame and Bynum. 

So here’s a scenario that I think has merit:

Rashard Lewis is likely to opt out of his contract with Seattle this summer.  If he leaves as a free agent, the Sonics won’t get anything for him.  How about the Lakers packaging Kwame and Bynum to Seattle for Lewis?  The Lakers will be able to give him a competitive contract (around $11 million per year).  The Sonics would get Bynum and Kwame’s contract would come off the books in a year.  Lewis would give the Lakers a bona fide second option on offense, freeing Lamar to be the unselfish facilitator that he naturally is. 

There would still be holes to fill on the roster.  The Lakers would have to use their mid-level exception to sign a big man (Jamaal Magloire?).  They might also consider re-signing Chris Mihm to a minimum contract to give them some depth. 

Then they would have to come up with something for the backcourt.  I don’t suppose Seattle would like to help us out by taking back Radmanovic in exchange for Earl Watson or perhaps Cookie for Luke Ridnour. 

For the sake of argument, consider this rotation: an improved Farmar & Kobe in the backcourt, Rashard Lewis, Jamaal Magloire, and Lamar Odom up front.  Luke Walton, Rony Turiaf, Mo Evans, and a productive Radmanovic coming off the bench.  That would be a team that should move up in the western conference standings next year.