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

[mvossman]

If this was a transition season...why the hell hire and extend KI...if next year we will have more picks to use,maybe some young guys take a step etc...but also KI is a year older,Maxi will be (even) more unplayable, add a year to players in decline Powell/Curry and the result is +- being at the same point going around in circles.. We have a historically good backcourt, you would have to dig hard to find a more talented one (if there is one) they don't need to accumulate to get a 3 star, only solid complementary players, who can defend themselves... Use unprotected FRP 27, yes It's a real help (if a Caruso type) get a big backer and see where it takes us...this summer we will have 2 more available, we just need good role players (as an example the trades from White to Boston/Gordon to Demver for an FRP )..Caruso is a no brainer, we need him and he is a game changer..don't worry about a little overpayment... By the way, what do you think of Curry for Achiuwa? Achiuwa has been pretty bad, but he is in a terrible role...and he is a very good PF defender, he can rebound...it would be a marginal change, but an interesting bet

The answer to your first question is that there has been a clear shift in methodology this last offseason.  I don't know if its because Cuban sated his long term desire to land a "star", because being a lottery team with said star was the final jolt needed, or because of the influence of Lindsey in the FO, but this team clearly is looking more long term than it has in the past.  

So you need to separate the decision to trade for Kyrie and the decisions made this offseason including resigning him.  The reason for resigning him is simple.  That contract is an asset, and the alternative of not signing him was nothing.  We would not have generated any more cap space than the offer we made to Thybulle.  Even if he does not perfectly fit the timeline, its a no brainer to sign him.  He is still playing at a very high level, and there is reason to hope he can continue that for a couple more years.

I think the decision to focus on the long term makes a lot of sense.  This was a lottery team last season, even more so after the trade and we did not have a truckload of assets to generate a massive turnaround.  The list of guys with improvement potential is a lot longer right now that the list of guys with decline potential.  I don't remember the last time we could have said that.