FanPost

LA will be awful next year - it's fine if the pick doesn't convey

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying that it's preferable to get the LA pick next year. I'd love to have it this year, and that's a whole different argument. That being said, we're really in a win-win situation with them as their ineptitude will likely carry over into next season.

Since starting the season 10-10, the Lakers have been 10-41 ever since. That 10-41 record since their hot start is the pace of a 16 win team - I'd put money on even the Nets this year getting more than 16 wins. They're a horrible team, far worse then people realize actually. Their point differential, even with their hot start, is approaching that of the Nets.

"They're young, they'll get better," everyone seems to say. While we can expect some improvement from Russell, Ingram, and maybe even Randle next season, let's also not forget that they will enter next season without Lou Williams, and probably Nick Young as well - arguably the two best players on the team this year. Hell, the terrible basketball they've been playing, imagine how much worse they'd be without those two guys all season. Both Williams and Young gave LA career years. Even if their young talent improves, they have to make up for these big losses. Any overall team improvement that results due to their young talent developing will be minimal, if present at all.

If they keep their pick, they'll be adding a top 3 talent to their roster. While this is a great addition in the longterm for them, rookies almost never have a real positive impact on their teams. Two of the top 3 talents are PGs and would be competing for and splitting minutes with Russell and Clarkson. If they take Jackson, he's fighting Ingram for playing time. A rookie isn't going to make them much better.

Free agency of course is a question mark, but I don't expect much happening here either. People are scared of PG13(more on that later) joining LA, but he's a FA in 2018, not this Summer. People always talk about LA adding a big FA, but those days are long gone as proven by last Summer's acquisitions and their constant failure aiming at guys like Carmelo, DeRozan, Whiteside, Durant, Westbrook, etc. in the past. Sure Magic is there, but players want to compete. They want to win. The days of heading to LA just for the sake of it being LA have mostly passed thanks to the advent of social media.

Due to bad contracts handed out to Mozgov and Deng, they're not in the best salary situation either with ~$80mil already committed. The cap was projected in December at $103mil, and don't be surprised if it's lower than that. The Lakers will only have ~$20mil to spend. Contracts are going up at a fast rate, the best they can hope for is to add some decent role players off the bench as they're not going to invest in starters over their "budding stars."

Then you have Paul George. He's said that he'd be happy to play in LA if not Indiana, but I just don't see the Lakers rushing into a trade for a player they'd have a great chance at signing in FA. They'd probably have to move Ingram, multiple draft picks, and maybe even some more young pieces on top to get George. I'm not saying that they won't make a trade, but if they do it'll probably be at the deadline next year; certainly not enough time for PG to make a major impact. We're also assuming that LA is the only trade partner for Indiana. Boston will always remain a threat, we apparently made a decent offer, and I could see teams like Phoenix, Portland, New York, etc. all willing to make some sizable offers. Let's also not forget the chance of PG13 just staying in Indiana, he might not want to throw away all that extra cash.

Who knows what'll happen with all of these bad teams in FA, but right now it looks like LA will be in the bottom 3 once again next season with Brooklyn and Sacramento. With the pick being unprotected, we'll have great odds at a top 3 pick from them, better than anything we could get this season. While next year's draft lacks the depth of stars that are present this year, it's got a great crop of superstar prospects at the top in DeAndre Ayton, Michael Porter Jr., and my personal favorite who just so happens to fit like a glove, the 6'8" SG Luka Doncic.

Do not fret about those Lakers, whatever happens we'll be in a great spot.

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