Keep Grant as a backup center?

Keep Grant as backup center? After the deal for Kwame goes through the lineup is likely to look as follows:

PG : (PG Free Agent/Waiver),Sasha,Conroy (I know people are in luv with Smush but Phil prefers defense from his third stringer role player)
SG : Kobe,J.J.,Wafer
C : Mihm, Grant, Bynum
PF : Kwame,Cook,Turiaf (Turiaf has a chance to break into second string after the all-start break)
SF : Odom,George,Walton (Phil loves Luke so he's going to be the one to stay)

So the question is: If the above fleshes out then do you payoff Grant's $30 to avoid the luxury tax hit, or do you keep Slava and save the money? Who would you rather have as Mihms backup? Grant or Mevedenko?

You keep them both if you can...Vlade is a good player despite his age. Grant's body is shot but his contract is going to be nice come next season.

what a great trade rumor....

we should not keep them there a waist of money. we have bynum and mihm thats enough

lakerstuntman wrote:we should not keep them there a waist of money. we have bynum and mihm thats enough

naw man, we would need one of the vets to teach our youngin's a thing or too about basketball. mihm looks scared to do anything against superstarts like o'neal and duncan. plus, brian grant still knows good techniques and he could teach them to bynum about reboundning. and vlade a good passer.

the answer is obvious...burn them at the stake

we can't resign if we waive

We don't need both players but I disagree strongly that we don't need either! Of the two keep Vlade - he's more experienced and more of a player than Grant. Grant may be more productive on the numbers front but Divac is a wiley old player who can teach our young pups something.

Wow, three different things to discuss in this string: 1) Vlade vs Grant, 2) Kwame for Caron and Atkins or George, and 3) starting lineup.

1. I'd go with Vlade for size, passing ability (even more valuable in the triangle), and lower salary. Plus you'll probably get more out of him than Grant. All the years of playing against bigger men has taken a toll on Grant.

2. This is a great trade. Caron is good, but there are a ton of players in the NBA like him and Odom is much more valuable at the 3. I think Kwame is ready to bust out soon. He's a big talented body. Many of your high school entrants take about 5-6 years before they blossom in the NBA (Jermaine O'Neal anybody?). Throw in Atkins or George (or both), it doesn't matter. They both suck.

3. Starting lineup: You don't need a true PG in the triangle, you need players that are interchangeable in multiple roles/positions. So I'm going to go for a stretch on this one:

Kwame - 5 (can also be moved to the 4)
Turiaf - 4 (the Rambis, AC Green, Brian Grant role)
Odom - 3 (situationally plays the 4, 2, and 1)
Kobe - 2 (situationally plays 1, such as bringing the ball up and in fast break opportunities)
Walton - 1 (situationally plays the 2 and 3, but in the triangle half court set plays a point forward type role)

That's right, Walton. His passing ability, smart play, size, unselfish play, ability to make things happen, and low-mistake play would make him a great fit in the triangle as a point forward.

Bench rotation: Mihm is normally your first guy off the bench gettng 12-17 minutes at the 4 or 5. Vlade gets 7-10 minutes (maybe less, but more in the playoffs) at center. Cook get 4 or 5 minutes at PF and Sasha is the first sub in the backcourt getting his minutes at either guard position.

This is a lineup that would get me excited and with Phil's coaching could win 50 plus games. Anyone else think this would work?

There's a rumor going around that Vlade has retired from the game, because of too many complications and failed attempts to recover from back surgery. I don't know if it's real or not. But that would make it seem that since the next valuable trade bait is gone, the Lakers are going to push even harder to TRADE Brian Grant rather than waive him.

Both players will not be on the Laker's roster next year.

If anything, Divac might be some sort of consultant.

Outside of the possibility that Grant could show kwame some new moves and techniques I really see nothing positive to Grant, his net worth is dragging this team and the management won't have any problem saving $30million in luxury tax by dropping him.

Vlade would only play for the Lakers if he played another year, but the proposition of having Vlade be in the lakers organization as something other than a player sounds very appealing. His knowledge of the game and position (although may lose some in translation) could be an intangible for kwame.

I really like Kwame and although he make lake the inspiration to win for an organization like the wizards, once you put on the yellow and purple you have a responsibility to carry the torch. Kwame is a great talent and definitely has potential to be in the same league as say a Jermaine O'Neal.

Jacko on the forums.

Waive Grant, and retain Divac as a consultant. That way we clear roster spots for people who will actually contribute.

jimbo327 wrote:Waive Grant, and retain Divac as a consultant. That way we clear roster spots for people who will actually contribute.

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I guess it depends upon our options. Who's going to contribute? Slava? Douthit? If we have no better options than Grant and Vlade, it's stupid to ditch them. It's just stupid to waive Grant, at any rate.

Between the two, you have to keep Grant. Even his poor knees have more miles left than Vlade's back.

Problem is Grants contract, we may opt out of it with the Allan Houston rule. Vlade would be great for a mentor for the young guys, but neither is all that great.

I highly doubt the Lakers will waive Grant. Sure it will save them $30 million in luxury tax, but his salary still counts against the cap for teh remainder of his contract. Yes $30 million is heavy change, even for Jerry Buss, but Grant's contract becomes a trade commodity next season and if we were to ever trade for a big salary player, we'd need his salary thrown in there to balance things.

If we don't get rid of Vlade, I see the roster as something like this (feel free to tell me why I'm wrong):

Daniels / Green / Vujacic / Parker
Bryant / Wafer / Walton
Odom / Jones / George
Brown / Grant / Turiaf / Slava
Mihm / Divac / Bynum

with Sasha and Parker going to the NBADL.

I wouldn't mind getting rid of Vlade in the least if we could sign a decent FA center like Dale Davis.

Why are we all assuming AD is coming to LA.......all the reports I've heard suggest he's going to follow his Nate Mcmillin to POR. Does anybody have any suggestions of a point we can pick up other than him?

SBLaker$ wrote::bang: Why are we all assuming AD is coming to LA.......all the reports I've heard suggest he's going to follow his Nate Mcmillin to POR. Does anybody have any suggestions of a point we can pick up other than him?

SBLaker$ wrote::bang: Why are we all assuming AD is coming to LA.......all the reports I've heard suggest he's going to follow his Nate Mcmillin to POR. Does anybody have any suggestions of a point we can pick up other than him?

Maybe you haven't been reading all of the reports then. Maybe it's because he has narrowed his choices to Portland and LA. Weigh the pros and cons of both teams. Portland: coach and longer contract. LA: starting job, playing with Kobe, Phil. It's not a simple decision but I'm wagering that LA will be better than Portland, he'll get paid well either way, and in LA he'll be the starter, not fighting it out for PT with two young, highly-drafted players.

And if you read the message board, you'd see there's a thread for cheaper options at PG. I guess you just read selectively.