Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[DanSchwartzgan]

A big and/or defensive wing IMO should be the minimum we return in any trade/s from here on. Bojan simply doesn't move the needle enough over THJ IMO, plus he's older. If we make this move, plus another to acquire that big or another versatile defensive wing, then ok, but as the final trade of the offseason, I would not bother with this, certainly not giving up additional assets like the second rounders which could be valuable in a more pressing acquisitions.

I’ll respectfully disagree.  This team would be under the LT (an important factor for future spending).  Yes, we need the things you mention (though I think OMax supplies the defensive wing part in pretty short order).  Yes, Bojan is older.  But he’s better and most importantly he’s on a very friendly contract.  Moving off of McGee and Hardaway’s guaranteed money would be big.

There is a here and now element to team building and there is an element that looks at the next few opportunities to make moves and tries to set us up well for those.  If you can get the better player AND set your payroll up better for future flexibility, that is a HUGE win.  Our second unit needs some playmaking and Bojan would provide that from a position other than the one Hardy plays.

Looked at another way, If I said before the summer that we got Lively, OMax, Holmes, Grant W. Bogdanovic, Seth and Exum for #10, THJ, Reggie, McGee and a 2030 pick swap.  Would you have signed up?  I’m celebrating what we have (or would have).  We will never arrive at a place where the roster feels done.

Edit: BTW, I think we all need to recalibrate our thinking toward the tax line vs. the first apron. I think FG called this one correctly. If there isn’t someone worth going over the LT, I doubt we will. Right now, I don’t see that player. Even if it was just THJ for Bojan, we’d be snuggled up just under the tax.