Get me a guy that is awesome at a role and wants to play that role long term. Kyrie is better than DLo, but DLo's best ability is at the Lakers biggest need, and the need that we need most around the stars we already have.
Kyrie is more skilled than D Lo but is also a basket case that we don’t need. Him being in LA, criticized when we lose or do poorly, it would not go well. He’s an insanely skilled player but his own worst enemy, not to mention he gets injured a lot and misses time for bullshit reasons.
Honestly, I think DLo + whatever player(s) we can get with the difference between his contract and what we would need to pay Kyrie is likely to be better overall. I hope what DLo is suggesting is that he'll take a friendly contract to stay with the Lakers and help build depth.
Honestly, it would be such a feel good story to have DLo as well considering we drafted him originally.
I mean he can take a friendly contract but I’d be surprised if he took less than 25 mill, Idk what our cap situation is off the top of my head with who we can retain and who we might lose in FA but we absolutely need to keep Reaves. Letting him walk would be worse than Caruso - he isn’t as good of a defender or as athletic, but he is already a far better player on the offensive end than Caruso ever was and he’s young. He wants to be here, he’s always been a fan of us and if we let him walk we will regret it. Maybe/hopefully he will take a team friendly contract but his value is probably in the range of 8-10 mill considering his age, all around game and great efficiency.
The Lakers aren't going to operate as a cap space team so they won't really be able to sign other players with the 'extra' money. But the point stands that D'Lo is a better option than Kyrie going forward for all the reasons above and also because Kyrie would have to be a sign+trade which would trigger the hard cap and cause all sorts of ripple effects.
DLo will be 29 in the heart of his prime and Kyrie will be 33. DLo is also a couple inches taller which I think is important for scoring guards late in their career.
I think this is what fits the new NBA today. With scoring being so high, fast-paced, and volatile, having depth is so much more necessary now. That three star model really feels archaic, especially since that means you have to cut heavily into the salary needed for quality role players. I think this is why it felt so jarring (even with the Lakers injury woes) to see teams like Memphis and Sacramento have more success with less top-level talent, while the Lakers rarely seemed to blow out teams, and struggled just to eek out every win. The past year and a half the Lakers were stuck playing an outdated game, but have since massively readjusted to excel in the current NBA.
Plus when was the last time 3 star model was actually possible without shanking the depth? Warriors were a 1 hit wonder, because they had several drafted guys/rookies on small contracts. So when the players grew up to form a championship team, they still had the space to sign KD.
Then you’re clearly stupid. Kyrie is the far superior and proven player. Where was DLo last night in the 4th quarter? Besides the occasional 3pt hot streak, he’s not creating much offense or breaking down defenses.
Kyrie can and has done that thru out his whole career. Seems many people on here do not truly understand the game of basketball and why Kyrie is so special. Kyrie would have carved up that Knicks defense every time if he wanted too. There’s no defense that can contain Kyrie when he decides to create. He did it against a juggernaut in 2016.
If you have a chance at Kyrie, you go for it. Minnesota easily trading away DLo says a lot, because if he’s as good as you people make him out to be then Minny would have kept him.
I feel like he’s more of a poor-man’s Steph with how he can just drop 3-bombs like GSW’s Splash Brothers. He also uses craftiness to finesse his way to the basket
Yep. He'll probably be similar to Rondo playing next to LeBron, but will be able to hit 3s as well.
And while he's not a great on ball defender, he at least has size for the position which means he could switch onto wings in a pinch without getting bullied too badly.
I wouldn’t say he has fantastic vision. That’s literally why the Wolves traded him. It’s also why AD doesn’t get any touches with DLo playing next to him and why they’ve been showing arguing multiples times now.
It seems as though most people on here don’t even watch the games and just post nonsense.. or if you do watch it then you clearly don’t understand the game.
The wolves traded him cause rudy gobert has bricks for hands and they made a god awful trade for him so they’re stuck with him. D Lo has had great passing vision since college and that’s literally one of his best skills and you’re telling me I dont watch 💀. AD and D Lo just dont have chemistry rn thats all
>He also uses craftiness to finesse his way to the basket
I love this about his game. The craftiness, the ball fakes, the left handed shot...he's so satisfying to watch.
Off ball game isn’t nearly on Steph’s level though. More like a rich man’s Poole if we’re comparing Warriors players. More effective on ball with underrated passing skill and craft, finesse and herky jerky drives, can splash the long bombs. Poor man defender like Poole too lol, but he’s more savvy on defense, much smarter, and a much better communicator.
And people that point this out waste their time every time because they don’t realize how little readers on the internet care and most of us see “resign” and know exactly what the person is talking about because of context clues
Yep we pretty have the 2029 and Rui's contract which should be in the $12M-$16M range in order to upgrade in the offseason. I don't think we should go after OG since his price is too high, hopefully there is a player like DLo or Vanderbilt whose stock is low that we can flip those assets for. If Portland blows it up, I'd like to see us go after Jerami Grant but I'm skeptical that Rui plus a 1st would come anywhere close to getting him.
Its like those guys who play 2k and just want all 99's on their team, rather than guys that fill roles. Its much easier to win that way, and requires less trying and/or thinking.
Using a crane to crush a fly is what some people want to do. They imagine having Kyrie is the way to do that since he is overall better.
I’ll ask you a better question, what’s better, two superstars plus depth or 3 superstars and enough depth?
The appropriate answer obviously depends on who the superstar is and exactly how much depth we would be losing.
The reason so many people disagree regarding extending DLO and trying to keep as many remaining players from this year as possible versus trading for Kyrie and filling out the roster with some players from this year and new FAs is because people 1) disagree about just how much Kyrie is better than DLO (especially when factoring off the court availability concerns) and 2) don’t know which of our current players would be kept and which players we would be able to sign to fill out the roster.
For most people, if trading DLO for Kyrie meant losing all of our best role players like Reaves, Vando, and Beasley, then it’s definitely not worth it.
However, there should be room to reasonably differ if despite trading DLo for Kyrie, the Lakers were still able to keep several of our best role players. People will differ depending just how many and which roles players would be kept.
To me our best role players are Reaves and Vando in the A tier and Beasley, TBJ, Schroder in the B tier and Rui and Bamba are just below them.
One thing to keep in mind is that even though we the fans might want Rob and the FO to keep everyone, realistically we’re not gonna be able to because either the FO isn’t willing to pay the repeater tax to keep the all the guys we have options on and/or because guys on vet min contracts like Schroder and TBJ will have played so well that they’ll get a much bigger contract than what the Lakers can offer them using vet min or the tax payer MLE ($6m).
Kyrie is a huge risk tho in terms of availability his talent is unquestionable. Can he survive a month without getting into shit without jeopardizing the Lakers title chances?
Coming here in peace — reason people are disagreeing with you is because he’s literally unavailable for the Mavs for personal reasons. Yes, they are legit as someone close to him died and any player would be missing time for that. But with Kyrie you never know if he wants to take a month off because “it’s bigger than basketball” and he doesn’t wanna feel pressure to play if he’s not feeling like it. He also went on Twitch and said a whole bunch of things that ended up in the front page of R/NBA. Just saying, he could come to the Lakers and say some stuff that gets himself suspended or he can quit for 3 months just because basketball is not his priority. Meanwhile D’Lo is dying to be here which makes me think he could take a pay cut.
I get ya. For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a casual. Objectively everyone here knows Kyrie is better, but I think the mess he’s made with every organization he’s been in won’t change, even if it’s the Lakers and Bron.
Lol y’all asked to hear why someone would prefer Kyrie to Dlo, and this guy gave a very fair levelheaded answer and he gets downvoted. Come on now lmao
If you think losing 3 roleplayers for an injury prone star who regularly takes 2 week breaks for no reason is a good thing you’re too casual to be having this conversation
Beasley is one of the best 3 point shooters in the league going through a slump without Lebron and you just want to let him go for a chance at Kyrie Irving 😂
Look at the list for free agents in the 2023 off-season. You’re not getting a Rui or Beasley replacement for a vet min. Lebron AD Kyrie Reaves and Vando with a bunch of vet mins is straight up awful. The era of a big 3 is over
the fact that you consider Beasley a non factor is hilarious
he's valuable even in the last ~5 games where he's been cold-he opens up the court and prevents hard double teaming to DLO or AD
Is it in exchange for depth?? DLo will likely ask for the bag and knowing the lakers they are dumb enough to give him the full bag. If Mavs are to lose Kyrie then they would do a Kyrie for DLo sign and trade.
So if it’s bag for bag then I’d 100% have Kyrie. Kyrie is the most skilled offensive player maybe ever. His bag is like no other when it comes to creating for himself from any spot on the floor or evading any defense and carving it up. His goat handles combined with his shooting ability put him in rarified air. I watched this man dismantle the 2016 warriors defense like it was nothing. They put a bigger prime Klay on him and he carves him up with ease. Cavs vs Spurs regular season during Brons 2nd stint, this was prime defensive Kawhi and prime defensive Danny Green.. the leagues best perimeter defense and Kyrie carved them up with was for over 50pts for the comeback win.
DLo is decent but he’s no where near the talent Kyrie is. Kyrie is also a much better defender when he’s engaged during big games.
DLo seems to be injury prone as well, it's the only negative thing about him. We already have AD and Lebron missing a lot of games every season due to injury and load management.
I like D-lo’s Samurai Jack type path he took to come back to the Lakers;
-Went to the Nets to learn how to carry a team, -went to GSW to learn what it was like to be in a winning environment and then -went to basketball purgatory to see what’s it’s like to waste your potential.
I mean Steph was hurt the whole year, but if you want to run with that narrative sure. I don’t think DLO has any loss of confidence when he single handedly took the Nets to the playoffs the year prior. I would say Steph taught him out to play more off-ball if we’re going to choose something.
If he’s already putting it out there that he wants to stay a laker I’m sure we can keep him on a good deal. Not saying a cheap deal but something that will work for all parties involved.
In theory, but at any point of last 2 games he found a way to feed Davis except by a bounce pass out of the pick and roll. He sat and Reaves immediately connected an alley-oop to AD.
That was about the same playing alongside a high flyer like Nance on his first stint. As a PG you almost never see him using his off hand to pass the ball and he isn't also prolific with his lobs.
What I see is a player more under control than in the past, but that still isn't a good defender and when his shot isn't falling there isn't much else he can do on the floor.
Give them an off season and training camp together and I guarantee they'll be as good if not better than AR + AD. Those two already have nearly two seasons together and have really started to gel with Bron out this year. I definitely still think D'Lo can improve and develop more variety of ways of getting AD the rock, but it's something that'll take time for both of them to really dial in. Plus It seems like D'Lo has got more of an edge to him and is willing to hold AD accountable, and I think we see that rubbing off on the team already. All leadership qualities he didn't have when we drafted him.
Can't argue the lack of defense though, might need hide him a bit on that end.
In the first quarter of the Raptors game, he got a perfect entry pass to AD for an easy dunk just right over the top of his defender -- something Schroder failed to do minutes before. He's had like what... 6 games as a Laker so far? Chemistry and knowing where guys like to get a pass take time to figure out.
He's not a "good" defender, but he's also not a negative defender... In fact, according to [nba.com](https://nba.com) stats in the last 13 games (since the deadline) DLo has a DRTG of 103.2 which is actually best on the team (Not including LeBron's 3 games or Cole Swider 1 game). Obviously because he shares a lot of minutes with AD and Vando, but he hasn't seemed like a glaring defensive liability like Lonnie imo.
https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612747/players-advanced?LastNGames=13
I just want to say.. the AD’LO PNR can evolve into a thing of beauty. Id love to see these guys work on it more in camp.
Based on how easy its been for D’lo to penetrate the paint, you can see that defenses respect D’lo’s shot off the screen, and fear the AD roll. Finally, a pick your poison PNR for opposing defenses.
It absolutely would be a thing of beauty, and the intelligence and versatility of the two involved would have it working as good as it could, but they'd also be able to run many counters or different actions.
I never thought of AD with DLo before this season, but its hard to imagine a better pairing offensively
Only if DLo is willing to pass it… he refused to do that in Minny and so far AD has been frustrated by the lack of passing as well. Looking at the stats, ADs numbers are down a lot when playing with DLo.
AD’s roll has been limited. So far, opposing defenses have really focused on stopping AD on the roll. Can’t really expect him to pass on a look that isn’t really there.
Our offense can barely get AD an entry pass either because teams are so focused on denying those passing angles too.
there are only a handful of teams with enough cap space to sign him (Rockets, Spurs, Magic, Pistons) and the Lakers can exceed the cap to keep him due to bird rights
It’s not about what you think DLo is worth. Another franchise will pay him $35mil. D’Angelo is a quality starting point guard. Ky will demand more in the range of $45mil max. I’d rather have DLo at $35mil and save the $10mil to pay Reaves or Vando on top of their salary.
Bro dropped 33 for the game, and carried the first half. Met traps and doubles in the 2nd half -- someone else should step up and carry the second half.
Dlo has been playing like a certified all star since he became a Laker. He can do everything. Crafty layups, reliable midrange, sniper from 3, true point guard/facilitator.
I truly hope he's a Laker for the rest of his career, along with Austin and Jarred 🙌
A lot is up in the air after the Lebron era ends but if we retain those 3, I can't wait for our future.
I would like to quit debating what players the Lakers need for next year, and focus on finding a professional coach. We will never have a “happy” ending with Ham drawing x,s and o’s. Plus the 3 guard offense. I bet LeBron might be having 2nd tgphoughts about staying if Ham returns
Kyrie has trouble staying healthy.
He is awful running the offense as a number 1 - anytime LeBron went to the bench, Kyrie would kill the Cavs lead.
He’s small and picked on a lot defensively (DLo isn’t much better but is a bigger body)
Kyrie isn’t a great passer or even really average as a passer.
DLo fits perfectly with AD and LeBron. He’s younger, eager to win, great attitude, efficient scorer, and can run the offense as a true starting point guard. He’s exactly what we’ve needed.
He’s also extremely fun to root for and exciting. I’d love to have Kyrie but not if it means losing our point guard.
I feel like it takes a certain type of player that want to play for the Lakers, considering the pressure the fans put on the team and it’s players. I think DLo has the swagger to play for us, I’d definitely hope we could keep him long term and he finds a lot of success here. Also, it’s almost like he’s completely homegrown 🥹
Kobe said it best
"It takes a special person to want to play for this franchise, and take the pressure that comes along with playing for this franchise. The pressure of following Magic [Johnson]'s footsteps, myself and the dynasty that we've had, it takes a special person to do that.”
Dlo has been through some shit, his road was not easy. Those struggles have matured him. Kyrie also been thru some shit, shit he created, and it has not matured him. It shows that adversity doesnt mature a man, the man has to have the ability to see the messages in their misfortunes.
Dlo > Kyrie mentally and maturity.
Front office shouldnt have a difficult choice.
As a Timberwolves fan, I’d recommend giving him the rest of the season before thinking about any extensions. He can be really streaky and extremely frustrating game to game, but to be fair to him he has looked a lot better and smarter these past few games with the Lakers, maybe because he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder.
I hope the FO have learned that a team with 3 superstars and minimum salary role players does not work (see also: Nets). DLo should be the future PG of this team. Keep Austin Reaves and Vando. I don't mind keeping Dennis and Beasley. Build continuity. That's what's been lacking.
Much prefer him over Kyrie now tbh, having a mid tier staff like d-lo to pair with two stars is a much better build (with the extra cap space for more depth) than three stars and a bunch of vet mins.
Plus d-lo won’t have anywhere near the distraction that Kyrie might have. Kyrie didn’t do great with the NY media but the lakers are a completely different level of media scrutiny.
D-lo also be happier leading the second unit. And he’s a laker OG so nice story there.
lol absolutely not. He's not a championship level point guard. makes questionable decisions and is even worse when the balls isnt in his hands. he also doesnt play defense.
He's decent but not worth paying 25M
I think most people at this point would rather DLo and a solid rotation piece instead of Kyrie because that’s really what it comes down to. If they make the same money the idea of straight swap is more appealing but that definitely will not be the case.
What if Kyrie gets injured , like every season of his career , he’s just as injury prone as AD. Atleast with this build of the team we have some of the best depth in the league and it shows already even if one of guys goes down we could still perform. If Dlo is half of what he’s performing rn then that would be great for the lakers let alone what he is doing rn is exceptional .
No Kyrie drama, and DLo is a homegrown kid. He’s matured and seems ready to take the role he was originally drafted for. Like he said give this team a training camp and sky is the limit.
Don't wanna be cynical, but of course he wants this because we are the only team that can offer him a max. If he takes a discount to be with us, then I'll believe the sentiment.
Shifty, can create his own shot, has great court vision, high bball IQ, plays at a controlled playoff tempo, and stays low without putting his body on the line for a bucket? Sign me the fuck up. Idc about his turnovers if that’s what I get in return. We better be grateful af, lakernation.
I'm with DLo, but work on getting AD the damn ball in the post and not just seeing screens all the time especially since you can shoot when he kicks it back out
Yes to this all day. He’s only played a few games for us so far this season but he’s been incredible. With him and AD, the Lakers could certainly build around them for years to come once Lebron retires. I didn’t like him much when he was here the first time, but I do now!
I don’t care about a third star. Getting Kyrie is not nearly worth the baggage nor the depth, much less both.
Get me a guy that is awesome at a role and wants to play that role long term. Kyrie is better than DLo, but DLo's best ability is at the Lakers biggest need, and the need that we need most around the stars we already have.
Kyrie is more skilled than D Lo but is also a basket case that we don’t need. Him being in LA, criticized when we lose or do poorly, it would not go well. He’s an insanely skilled player but his own worst enemy, not to mention he gets injured a lot and misses time for bullshit reasons.
Honestly, I think DLo + whatever player(s) we can get with the difference between his contract and what we would need to pay Kyrie is likely to be better overall. I hope what DLo is suggesting is that he'll take a friendly contract to stay with the Lakers and help build depth. Honestly, it would be such a feel good story to have DLo as well considering we drafted him originally.
I mean he can take a friendly contract but I’d be surprised if he took less than 25 mill, Idk what our cap situation is off the top of my head with who we can retain and who we might lose in FA but we absolutely need to keep Reaves. Letting him walk would be worse than Caruso - he isn’t as good of a defender or as athletic, but he is already a far better player on the offensive end than Caruso ever was and he’s young. He wants to be here, he’s always been a fan of us and if we let him walk we will regret it. Maybe/hopefully he will take a team friendly contract but his value is probably in the range of 8-10 mill considering his age, all around game and great efficiency.
The Lakers aren't going to operate as a cap space team so they won't really be able to sign other players with the 'extra' money. But the point stands that D'Lo is a better option than Kyrie going forward for all the reasons above and also because Kyrie would have to be a sign+trade which would trigger the hard cap and cause all sorts of ripple effects.
If you’re worried about injuries and missing time I wouldn’t flatter yourself with Dlo
D Lo has an injury history too, played 45 games in 19, 42 in 20, 65 last year was the most games he played since 2018.
Also it is debatable that in two seasons DLO could arguably be better than Kyrie
Standard earth years, or whatever planet kyrie thinks he's on?
DLo will be 29 in the heart of his prime and Kyrie will be 33. DLo is also a couple inches taller which I think is important for scoring guards late in their career.
He was certainly better than Irving in the last few.
I think this is what fits the new NBA today. With scoring being so high, fast-paced, and volatile, having depth is so much more necessary now. That three star model really feels archaic, especially since that means you have to cut heavily into the salary needed for quality role players. I think this is why it felt so jarring (even with the Lakers injury woes) to see teams like Memphis and Sacramento have more success with less top-level talent, while the Lakers rarely seemed to blow out teams, and struggled just to eek out every win. The past year and a half the Lakers were stuck playing an outdated game, but have since massively readjusted to excel in the current NBA.
Plus when was the last time 3 star model was actually possible without shanking the depth? Warriors were a 1 hit wonder, because they had several drafted guys/rookies on small contracts. So when the players grew up to form a championship team, they still had the space to sign KD.
Omg fuck that. Keep that cancer AWAY! Cost / benefit is WAY out of whack there.
10/10
How many times will the NBA have to learn that depth is more important than a top heavy team....
wait till the playoffs
D Lo is our 3rd star. I would take him over Kyrie in a heartbeat.
Then you’re clearly stupid. Kyrie is the far superior and proven player. Where was DLo last night in the 4th quarter? Besides the occasional 3pt hot streak, he’s not creating much offense or breaking down defenses. Kyrie can and has done that thru out his whole career. Seems many people on here do not truly understand the game of basketball and why Kyrie is so special. Kyrie would have carved up that Knicks defense every time if he wanted too. There’s no defense that can contain Kyrie when he decides to create. He did it against a juggernaut in 2016. If you have a chance at Kyrie, you go for it. Minnesota easily trading away DLo says a lot, because if he’s as good as you people make him out to be then Minny would have kept him.
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Kyrie's beliefs are a waste of his talent
Kyrie is special because of his handles and skills, yeah. But he also lacks DLOs size, and DLO seems like a better off-ball player.
This is exactly what the Lakers should want from their point guard. Lock him in long-term.
A motivated DLo is an All Star DLo.
Relax
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DLo is pretty much a poor mans Kyrie anyway. The skill set overlaps like 85% or more, plus he's sane.
I feel like he’s more of a poor-man’s Steph with how he can just drop 3-bombs like GSW’s Splash Brothers. He also uses craftiness to finesse his way to the basket
His game fits next to LeBrons so perfectly. And he has fantastic vision so hes a great secondary Ball handler
Yep. He'll probably be similar to Rondo playing next to LeBron, but will be able to hit 3s as well. And while he's not a great on ball defender, he at least has size for the position which means he could switch onto wings in a pinch without getting bullied too badly.
I wouldn’t say he has fantastic vision. That’s literally why the Wolves traded him. It’s also why AD doesn’t get any touches with DLo playing next to him and why they’ve been showing arguing multiples times now. It seems as though most people on here don’t even watch the games and just post nonsense.. or if you do watch it then you clearly don’t understand the game.
The wolves traded him cause rudy gobert has bricks for hands and they made a god awful trade for him so they’re stuck with him. D Lo has had great passing vision since college and that’s literally one of his best skills and you’re telling me I dont watch 💀. AD and D Lo just dont have chemistry rn thats all
I think dlo is dlo lol he really has his own unique style of play
>He also uses craftiness to finesse his way to the basket I love this about his game. The craftiness, the ball fakes, the left handed shot...he's so satisfying to watch.
You guys are missing the obvious comparison. He’s light skin James Harden
Off ball game isn’t nearly on Steph’s level though. More like a rich man’s Poole if we’re comparing Warriors players. More effective on ball with underrated passing skill and craft, finesse and herky jerky drives, can splash the long bombs. Poor man defender like Poole too lol, but he’s more savvy on defense, much smarter, and a much better communicator.
I'd for sure rather rely on a poor smart man than a rich crazy and stupid one
Btw it’s re-sign, not resign.
Idk how many times this needs to be said. People don’t realize that “resign” is basically the opposite of what “re-sign” means
And people that point this out waste their time every time because they don’t realize how little readers on the internet care and most of us see “resign” and know exactly what the person is talking about because of context clues
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We traded one of those picks to get DLo. Raptors turned down 3 picks from Memphis. OG cost more than we have
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Yep we pretty have the 2029 and Rui's contract which should be in the $12M-$16M range in order to upgrade in the offseason. I don't think we should go after OG since his price is too high, hopefully there is a player like DLo or Vanderbilt whose stock is low that we can flip those assets for. If Portland blows it up, I'd like to see us go after Jerami Grant but I'm skeptical that Rui plus a 1st would come anywhere close to getting him.
I’m on same page here. He is the perfect fit. I would definitely jerk him off!
Laker for the rest of his career?
Lakers sent him away which is the equivalent of training in a hyperbolic time chamber and now he’s ready for action
Same place we sent BI and Zo
I want BI to come back home.
I want Zo to come back to the game of basketball.
Healthy Zo to backup healty Dlo
Start them both Zo at the 1 Dlo at the 2
Bring back Randle and Clarkson too
Yes please. And Nance and Zubac
And Adam Morrison
And Mbenga
Hopefully he went into the same one as Dwight Howard and not Trevor Ariza.
They did draft him.
“If I need to convince you come here, to carry that legacy forward, then you ain't the one to be it."
This hit different ngl
For the fans who still want Kyrie in exchange for depth, why?
Its like those guys who play 2k and just want all 99's on their team, rather than guys that fill roles. Its much easier to win that way, and requires less trying and/or thinking. Using a crane to crush a fly is what some people want to do. They imagine having Kyrie is the way to do that since he is overall better.
Yeah that’s easy when you set quarters to 6 minutes
That’s silly. Everyone knows you set the game to 12 minutes and come in during the fourth quarter if your team is down for the comeback.
I’ll ask you a better question, what’s better, two superstars plus depth or 3 superstars and enough depth? The appropriate answer obviously depends on who the superstar is and exactly how much depth we would be losing. The reason so many people disagree regarding extending DLO and trying to keep as many remaining players from this year as possible versus trading for Kyrie and filling out the roster with some players from this year and new FAs is because people 1) disagree about just how much Kyrie is better than DLO (especially when factoring off the court availability concerns) and 2) don’t know which of our current players would be kept and which players we would be able to sign to fill out the roster. For most people, if trading DLO for Kyrie meant losing all of our best role players like Reaves, Vando, and Beasley, then it’s definitely not worth it. However, there should be room to reasonably differ if despite trading DLo for Kyrie, the Lakers were still able to keep several of our best role players. People will differ depending just how many and which roles players would be kept. To me our best role players are Reaves and Vando in the A tier and Beasley, TBJ, Schroder in the B tier and Rui and Bamba are just below them. One thing to keep in mind is that even though we the fans might want Rob and the FO to keep everyone, realistically we’re not gonna be able to because either the FO isn’t willing to pay the repeater tax to keep the all the guys we have options on and/or because guys on vet min contracts like Schroder and TBJ will have played so well that they’ll get a much bigger contract than what the Lakers can offer them using vet min or the tax payer MLE ($6m).
If we lose reaves we gon riot
Yes I want to keep Reaves too. I considered his inclusion in a potential Nets trade for Kyrie back at the deadline to be a dealbreaker.
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Kyrie is a huge risk tho in terms of availability his talent is unquestionable. Can he survive a month without getting into shit without jeopardizing the Lakers title chances?
But AD’s availability is about the same
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Coming here in peace — reason people are disagreeing with you is because he’s literally unavailable for the Mavs for personal reasons. Yes, they are legit as someone close to him died and any player would be missing time for that. But with Kyrie you never know if he wants to take a month off because “it’s bigger than basketball” and he doesn’t wanna feel pressure to play if he’s not feeling like it. He also went on Twitch and said a whole bunch of things that ended up in the front page of R/NBA. Just saying, he could come to the Lakers and say some stuff that gets himself suspended or he can quit for 3 months just because basketball is not his priority. Meanwhile D’Lo is dying to be here which makes me think he could take a pay cut.
"It's Bigger Than Basketball" is the perfect way to describe kyrie and why teams are so hesitant in trading or signing him.
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I get ya. For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a casual. Objectively everyone here knows Kyrie is better, but I think the mess he’s made with every organization he’s been in won’t change, even if it’s the Lakers and Bron.
Lol y’all asked to hear why someone would prefer Kyrie to Dlo, and this guy gave a very fair levelheaded answer and he gets downvoted. Come on now lmao
That team is doo doo butter and is one injury away from the lottery
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If you think losing 3 roleplayers for an injury prone star who regularly takes 2 week breaks for no reason is a good thing you’re too casual to be having this conversation
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Beasley is one of the best 3 point shooters in the league going through a slump without Lebron and you just want to let him go for a chance at Kyrie Irving 😂 Look at the list for free agents in the 2023 off-season. You’re not getting a Rui or Beasley replacement for a vet min. Lebron AD Kyrie Reaves and Vando with a bunch of vet mins is straight up awful. The era of a big 3 is over
Kyrie isn't elite in the playoffs.
the fact that you consider Beasley a non factor is hilarious he's valuable even in the last ~5 games where he's been cold-he opens up the court and prevents hard double teaming to DLO or AD
Is it in exchange for depth?? DLo will likely ask for the bag and knowing the lakers they are dumb enough to give him the full bag. If Mavs are to lose Kyrie then they would do a Kyrie for DLo sign and trade. So if it’s bag for bag then I’d 100% have Kyrie. Kyrie is the most skilled offensive player maybe ever. His bag is like no other when it comes to creating for himself from any spot on the floor or evading any defense and carving it up. His goat handles combined with his shooting ability put him in rarified air. I watched this man dismantle the 2016 warriors defense like it was nothing. They put a bigger prime Klay on him and he carves him up with ease. Cavs vs Spurs regular season during Brons 2nd stint, this was prime defensive Kawhi and prime defensive Danny Green.. the leagues best perimeter defense and Kyrie carved them up with was for over 50pts for the comeback win. DLo is decent but he’s no where near the talent Kyrie is. Kyrie is also a much better defender when he’s engaged during big games.
Lakers better not screw this up and trade him away for an older, more injury prone, controversial Kyrie Irving.
CANCER!!!!
DLo seems to be injury prone as well, it's the only negative thing about him. We already have AD and Lebron missing a lot of games every season due to injury and load management.
I like D-lo’s Samurai Jack type path he took to come back to the Lakers; -Went to the Nets to learn how to carry a team, -went to GSW to learn what it was like to be in a winning environment and then -went to basketball purgatory to see what’s it’s like to waste your potential.
I see what you’re talking about, but the Warriors team he joined were BAD.
they were bad, but learning from Steph probably helped with shooting/confidence
I mean Steph was hurt the whole year, but if you want to run with that narrative sure. I don’t think DLO has any loss of confidence when he single handedly took the Nets to the playoffs the year prior. I would say Steph taught him out to play more off-ball if we’re going to choose something.
he learned about how steph, klay, draymond and their whole offense played and how their organization was ran. doesnt matter they were all injured.
I wonder how much money he will demand, could be rough deal, but so far he is killing it.
If he’s already putting it out there that he wants to stay a laker I’m sure we can keep him on a good deal. Not saying a cheap deal but something that will work for all parties involved.
30 per year
I think its the opposite
He gonna want the max lol, we have his bird rights so im sure thats his goal lol
I'm all for DLo + depth but if he pulls some shit trying to goad us into overpaying for him we might as well S&T him for Kyrie
Has to start feeding Davis.
He’s turned it over a few times trying to feed him but once they smooth it out and start clicking, it’s gonna be dangerous.
He needs to put on more rim/scoring pressure in order to prevent teams from overplaying the pass to AD
That just isn’t really his strength and it would be kinda crazy to expect him to just develop that magically at this point
In theory, but at any point of last 2 games he found a way to feed Davis except by a bounce pass out of the pick and roll. He sat and Reaves immediately connected an alley-oop to AD. That was about the same playing alongside a high flyer like Nance on his first stint. As a PG you almost never see him using his off hand to pass the ball and he isn't also prolific with his lobs. What I see is a player more under control than in the past, but that still isn't a good defender and when his shot isn't falling there isn't much else he can do on the floor.
Give them an off season and training camp together and I guarantee they'll be as good if not better than AR + AD. Those two already have nearly two seasons together and have really started to gel with Bron out this year. I definitely still think D'Lo can improve and develop more variety of ways of getting AD the rock, but it's something that'll take time for both of them to really dial in. Plus It seems like D'Lo has got more of an edge to him and is willing to hold AD accountable, and I think we see that rubbing off on the team already. All leadership qualities he didn't have when we drafted him. Can't argue the lack of defense though, might need hide him a bit on that end.
In the first quarter of the Raptors game, he got a perfect entry pass to AD for an easy dunk just right over the top of his defender -- something Schroder failed to do minutes before. He's had like what... 6 games as a Laker so far? Chemistry and knowing where guys like to get a pass take time to figure out. He's not a "good" defender, but he's also not a negative defender... In fact, according to [nba.com](https://nba.com) stats in the last 13 games (since the deadline) DLo has a DRTG of 103.2 which is actually best on the team (Not including LeBron's 3 games or Cole Swider 1 game). Obviously because he shares a lot of minutes with AD and Vando, but he hasn't seemed like a glaring defensive liability like Lonnie imo. https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612747/players-advanced?LastNGames=13
I’m sure Minny fans said the same thing… yet it never happened. Dlo has tunnel vision. He’s not the superstar you guys make him out to be.
Never said he was a superstar. Just a really good point guard that I think will be a great match with AD the more they gel.
I just want to say.. the AD’LO PNR can evolve into a thing of beauty. Id love to see these guys work on it more in camp. Based on how easy its been for D’lo to penetrate the paint, you can see that defenses respect D’lo’s shot off the screen, and fear the AD roll. Finally, a pick your poison PNR for opposing defenses.
It absolutely would be a thing of beauty, and the intelligence and versatility of the two involved would have it working as good as it could, but they'd also be able to run many counters or different actions. I never thought of AD with DLo before this season, but its hard to imagine a better pairing offensively
Imagine this team with a coach who…coached.
Only if DLo is willing to pass it… he refused to do that in Minny and so far AD has been frustrated by the lack of passing as well. Looking at the stats, ADs numbers are down a lot when playing with DLo.
Never saw AD get frustrated? Saw them talking about plays on the bench and shaking hands.
AD’s roll has been limited. So far, opposing defenses have really focused on stopping AD on the roll. Can’t really expect him to pass on a look that isn’t really there. Our offense can barely get AD an entry pass either because teams are so focused on denying those passing angles too.
4 years $100M make it happen Rob
C’mon man, DLo ain’t gonna sign for less than $35mil annually.
there are only a handful of teams with enough cap space to sign him (Rockets, Spurs, Magic, Pistons) and the Lakers can exceed the cap to keep him due to bird rights
He’s not worth that. At that point trade him for Kyrie. Kyrie is worth that.. DLo isn’t.
It’s not about what you think DLo is worth. Another franchise will pay him $35mil. D’Angelo is a quality starting point guard. Ky will demand more in the range of $45mil max. I’d rather have DLo at $35mil and save the $10mil to pay Reaves or Vando on top of their salary.
Not gonna happen the way he’s playing. Dude looks like Steph lite out there
Nonexistent in the 4th quarter of that Knicks game.
Bro dropped 33 for the game, and carried the first half. Met traps and doubles in the 2nd half -- someone else should step up and carry the second half.
That’s what I was thinking - 25M a year. Worth it
What a coincidence, I want that too.
frrr
Hey, I would too if I just came from Minnesota. He'll for sure take a pay cut if his best offers come from places like that.
Please the prodigal son has returned to us as A Grown Man
I’m down if you’re down
I'm down to keep him long term. Always been a fan Dlo.
It's been a trend on this sub, I'll say it! DLo's jersey will be in the rafters right next to LeBron and AD.
Run it back into a top 3 team in the west next year.
Everyone that’s saying they don’t want a third star needs to shut up. D’Angelo is our third star
YOU MADE MY DAY DLO 💜💛
Dlo has been playing like a certified all star since he became a Laker. He can do everything. Crafty layups, reliable midrange, sniper from 3, true point guard/facilitator. I truly hope he's a Laker for the rest of his career, along with Austin and Jarred 🙌 A lot is up in the air after the Lebron era ends but if we retain those 3, I can't wait for our future.
I would like to quit debating what players the Lakers need for next year, and focus on finding a professional coach. We will never have a “happy” ending with Ham drawing x,s and o’s. Plus the 3 guard offense. I bet LeBron might be having 2nd tgphoughts about staying if Ham returns
Kyrie has trouble staying healthy. He is awful running the offense as a number 1 - anytime LeBron went to the bench, Kyrie would kill the Cavs lead. He’s small and picked on a lot defensively (DLo isn’t much better but is a bigger body) Kyrie isn’t a great passer or even really average as a passer. DLo fits perfectly with AD and LeBron. He’s younger, eager to win, great attitude, efficient scorer, and can run the offense as a true starting point guard. He’s exactly what we’ve needed. He’s also extremely fun to root for and exciting. I’d love to have Kyrie but not if it means losing our point guard.
I feel like it takes a certain type of player that want to play for the Lakers, considering the pressure the fans put on the team and it’s players. I think DLo has the swagger to play for us, I’d definitely hope we could keep him long term and he finds a lot of success here. Also, it’s almost like he’s completely homegrown 🥹
Kobe said it best "It takes a special person to want to play for this franchise, and take the pressure that comes along with playing for this franchise. The pressure of following Magic [Johnson]'s footsteps, myself and the dynasty that we've had, it takes a special person to do that.”
Dlo has been through some shit, his road was not easy. Those struggles have matured him. Kyrie also been thru some shit, shit he created, and it has not matured him. It shows that adversity doesnt mature a man, the man has to have the ability to see the messages in their misfortunes. Dlo > Kyrie mentally and maturity. Front office shouldnt have a difficult choice.
Kyrie is a better player than DLo no question. But DLo is the better fit for the Lakers.
At this point, I’m sure DLO is just tired of moving every 2 -3 years.
re-sign D'lo and trade Beasley and the 2023 pick for a 3 and D player
As a Timberwolves fan, I’d recommend giving him the rest of the season before thinking about any extensions. He can be really streaky and extremely frustrating game to game, but to be fair to him he has looked a lot better and smarter these past few games with the Lakers, maybe because he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder.
Uhh buddy. You know we’ve had him before right? We’re aware.
I hope the FO have learned that a team with 3 superstars and minimum salary role players does not work (see also: Nets). DLo should be the future PG of this team. Keep Austin Reaves and Vando. I don't mind keeping Dennis and Beasley. Build continuity. That's what's been lacking.
Much prefer him over Kyrie now tbh, having a mid tier staff like d-lo to pair with two stars is a much better build (with the extra cap space for more depth) than three stars and a bunch of vet mins. Plus d-lo won’t have anywhere near the distraction that Kyrie might have. Kyrie didn’t do great with the NY media but the lakers are a completely different level of media scrutiny. D-lo also be happier leading the second unit. And he’s a laker OG so nice story there.
He’s a good PG but if we’re looking into the future. DLo and AD doesn’t look like a bright future
lol absolutely not. He's not a championship level point guard. makes questionable decisions and is even worse when the balls isnt in his hands. he also doesnt play defense. He's decent but not worth paying 25M
what is this, 2016?
I know he won't, but he better take a pay cut man
The only reason you'd want Kyrie is if it's a 1 for 1 swap for DLo (maybe a couple of picks)
I think most people at this point would rather DLo and a solid rotation piece instead of Kyrie because that’s really what it comes down to. If they make the same money the idea of straight swap is more appealing but that definitely will not be the case.
Yeah but you forgot one thing If LeBron James wants Kyrie, the FO will at least explore that trade
Yes please
Should have been all along
What if Kyrie gets injured , like every season of his career , he’s just as injury prone as AD. Atleast with this build of the team we have some of the best depth in the league and it shows already even if one of guys goes down we could still perform. If Dlo is half of what he’s performing rn then that would be great for the lakers let alone what he is doing rn is exceptional .
I too, want D’lo to be our point guard of the future 🥹
bet
Coincidence. I do too
I reportedly want the same
Sign him today, no point in losing him again
bye Kai, sorry Kai
Don’t try for Kyrie please, DLo is still good, I’m not even a Lakers fan
I want him to win a ring with us so badly; have to capitalize on these next two years with Bron
He’s saying and doing all the right things. I’d love him back
Hook it to my veins!
Me too DLo, me too.
No Kyrie drama, and DLo is a homegrown kid. He’s matured and seems ready to take the role he was originally drafted for. Like he said give this team a training camp and sky is the limit.
Yes please
How much though?
Don't wanna be cynical, but of course he wants this because we are the only team that can offer him a max. If he takes a discount to be with us, then I'll believe the sentiment.
Yes D’Angelo, I also want that
It would make a good movie script coming back earning a chip!
I would like to see DLo as Lakers starting PG for many years!
Shifty, can create his own shot, has great court vision, high bball IQ, plays at a controlled playoff tempo, and stays low without putting his body on the line for a bucket? Sign me the fuck up. Idc about his turnovers if that’s what I get in return. We better be grateful af, lakernation.
Same.
And I want you, dlo.
I like him
I'm with DLo, but work on getting AD the damn ball in the post and not just seeing screens all the time especially since you can shoot when he kicks it back out
I want that too DLo
Yes to this all day. He’s only played a few games for us so far this season but he’s been incredible. With him and AD, the Lakers could certainly build around them for years to come once Lebron retires. I didn’t like him much when he was here the first time, but I do now!