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

[DanSchwartzgan]

I think he's a level above the others you mention in terms of a physically imposing presence, and would love to keep him, even as a backup. 

But honestly, my love affair with whom I think he'll be is part of why I'm usually cool on these talks. I think he's going to be better than any of these guys.

I think that’s optimistic, but we all have guys we love.  It can’t be proved either way.  If we’ve learned anything this season it is that you can’t point to college as evidence of anything.  Lively does more on a nightly basis than he did in his best game at Duke.  So, let’s assume you are close to being right…what should we do?

I hate the idea of just sitting on our hands in a year where we have this version of Luka and Kyrie.  I love Lively, but don’t want to give away a playoff game(s) when he picks up too many fouls.  I also hate betting our entire offseason on Maxi’s health.  Someone like Olynyk helps with both issues as he can play with or instead of Lively.  People here have said he’s not the defender he once was.  But, you have to look at lineups in Utah to see what is going on.  In lineups where he plays with Kessler (Utah’s Lively), the D is golden.  The issue is Olynyk at Center next to stud defenders like Collins/Markkanen and Sexton et al.  The numbers are horrendous.  It might look different next to DJJ and Exum, GWill and Green.

If we keep our current starters, I like the Olynyk, GWill, THJ and Green bench a ton.  They can mix and match at multiple positions and we have 3 ball handlers of varying sizes who can make the rest of that work.  Olynyk cleans up several issues I have with Maxi, Powell/Holmes and Lively’s status as a rookie big.  He also helps on nights where DJJ can’t find his 3 point shot.  Olynyk is a Schwartz guy and Schwartz just signed Powell here for a very reasonable number at a similar age.  I think we might be able to retain him for a number that is far enough below the first apron that you could also keep DJJ.  At that point, you are solid 9 deep and you can keep shopping for the big deal that brings the third star.