05-23-2023, 08:18 AM
(05-23-2023, 08:04 AM)omahen Wrote: Assuming Kyrie is prepared to take a discount to sign with Lakers. If they renounce all cap holds but Reaves, trade #17 for future assets (which they can still trade later in the season) and decline their team options (Bamba, Beasley, Harrison), they can offer 30 mil to Kyrie. Would he really draw a hard line at 34 he could get in the SnT scenario you proposed? Because if he takes "just" 30, Lakers keep the draft capital enabling them to further improve the team. However, Lakers would be very limited without negotiating a SnT with Dallas to be able to operate over the cap and access the full MLE and BAE.Ok, the only angle that hasn’t been thrown out there is Lebron restructuring his contract. If Lebron takes the paycut to get Kyrie, all bets are off. That also falls under what I was talking about with a team being able to sign him with space. At least I believe that is an angle, if not, I have a hard time believing Kyrie would take that much of a paycut to play another non-championship season with Lebron, who BTW leaves to his son’s drafted team the season after.
Still, I find it hard to believe that 4 mil difference in Kyrie salary would be worth both picks and Vandy for Lakers (in addition to Russell, Hachimura, Beasley and Bamba they lose in both cases). I think Kyrie to Lakers makes sense only, if they can construct a SnT around Russell, either to Dallas or third team. Otherwise, they just lose too much. But I agree, if LeBron would really want it to happen,