When the Lakers entered the most difficult stage of the season, in contrast to the rapid rise of a wave of young people on the Cavaliers side, there is a background of becoming a new upstart in the league, and two days ago, there were media reports in the United States that James may return to the Cavaliers. But just yesterday, the big god Shams has denied the rumors that Old Zhan left the Lakers.
With 37 years to go, Old Zhan is still working in the direction of competing for the championship. It's just that the Lakers' prospects for the championship are extremely unoptimistic, and the US media FTE predicts that the Lakers' odds of winning the championship this season are only 0.3%, which is only higher than the probability of several teams competing for the title.
When the Many Problems Exposed by the Lakers this season have been visible to the naked eye, it is time for them to adjust. TA reporter Kelly Iko broke the news that the Lakers are interested in House, who was cut by the Rockets (House has signed a 10-day contract with the Knicks). But even if a player of House's level comes to the Lakers, it is unlikely to change the overall situation, Shams confirmed again yesterday that the Two main targets of the Lakers in the trading market are Simmons of the 76ers and Grant of the Pistons.
Some time ago, ESPN counted some data from the Lakers this season, they are the slowest average speed team in the league, and they are also the team with the largest proportion of walking and the second least running distance per game in the league. When the outside world ridicules the Lakers are currently old, weak, sick and disabled, the 33-year-old Wei Shao is the most dynamic player on this team, 37-year-old Zhan and Gua Ge, 36-year-old Ariza even have to play center in the Lakers, and now this Lakers urgently need height and athletic ability. The 27-year-old Grant registered to be 6 feet 8 tall and 2 meters 2 arm span, with excellent body shape and athletic ability; Simmons, who registered a height of 6 feet 10, is only 25 years old and can defend from 1 to 5; these two people, no matter who comes to the Lakers, can improve the team's athleticism and individual defense ability.
The Lakers are interested in Simmons and Grant, but both trades are very difficult to operate.
After grabbing seven in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, Simmons and the 76ers broke up. Simmons himself has hinted at wanting to go to the Warriors, but the 76ers don't want to sell Simmons cheaply, they want to knock someone else out on the Simmons deal. When the 76ers' asking price for Simmons is an All-Star + two first rounds, or one or two high-potential young people + multiple first rounds, which is much higher than the Pelicans' asking price for Davis that year, and the Rockets' original asking price for Harden, which leads to no team willing to trade with the 76ers.
And the Lakers, a draft is limited (the next tradeable first-round pick is not until 2026), the second is no high-potential youngster, the third can not come up with players who can match Simmons' salary (the Lakers only have thick eyebrows can be exchanged with Simmons 1 for 1, but the Lakers can not produce thick eyebrows), the Lakers can not directly trade with the 76ers to change to Simmons.
Can the Lakers get Simmons through a multi-party transaction? From the perspective of salary, in the case of impossible to move old Zhan and thick eyebrows, the Lakers must send away Westbrook if they want to get Simmons; and they have to eat a contract with an annual salary of around tens of millions in the case of getting Simmons. However, Wei Shao's salary this season is 44.21 million, and next season it will reach 47.06 million, how many teams dare to pick up Wei Shao?
Moreover, the outside world has been saying that Wei Shao is not suitable for playing without the ball; but after Wei Shao came to the Lakers, at least he was trying to change himself, and he played a lot of no-ball this season. And Simmons is like a giant baby, the reason why the 76ers let Butler go that year is because he is very dissatisfied with the model of Butler holding a lot of ball in the 19-year playoffs, which led to his becoming a blue-collar worker. However, with Simmons as the big core of the ball, the other side directly released the shot and sent him to the free throw line. And the Lakers' current offensive space can already be described as a "disaster", in the old Zhan side, in addition to the thick eyebrows of 17.9% shooting rate of three-point shooting this season, Horton of 24.2% shooting rate of three-point shooting. Tucker, if you give him another career three-point shooting rate of 14.7%, last season's playoff free throw shooting rate of 34.2%, against Trey. Young's assistant defense did not dare to attack Simmons under the basket, and it is estimated that old Zhan got 200 without moving his blood pressure on the court.
In comparison, Grant is quite suitable for the Lakers. Although he is at the core of the Pistons, he is actually an excellent 3D. And the season with the highest three-point shooting rate in his career happened to be in the Thunder led by Westbrook and George, and he was a very suitable front line with James and Westbrook.
Grant's salary this season is $20 million and the Lakers only need to get out of Horton if they want to get it. Tucker + Nunn + any player with a base salary can be matched in salary. But the problem is that if the Pistons want to get Grant, they're going to go all out to rebuild around Cunningham. A team to rebuild needs young potential stocks and first-round picks. But the Lakers' biggest problem is that first-round picks are extremely limited, and Horton. Tucker and Cunningham's positions also overlap and the Pistons are unlikely to want Horton. tuck. Considering that the Blazers are also interested in Grant, and the Blazers coach happens to be in the context of pistons star Billups, the Lakers are unlikely to get Grant.
Previously, the US media broke out that the Lakers had talked about whether to trade Wei Shao, but considering that the Lakers could not change to an All-Star level player at this stage, this season, they would not dismantle the Big Three. In the case of the Lakers' lack of height, lack of projection, and lack of athletic ability, in fact, in the current trading market, of all the players who can flow, the most suitable for the Lakers is Turner of the Pacers.
Pacers are currently only in third-to-last place in the East, and the compatibility of the Walkers' twin towers is extremely poor, and it is only a matter of time before the Pacers dismantle the twin towers. Windhorst broke the news that he hadn't heard Sabonis Jr. name on the trade market yet, and he thought the Pacers would trade off a group of two players, and Le Vere and Turner would be the first to deal with.
Turner is a comfortable inside lineman who is used to taking out rather than going down the line after blocking outside the outside of the three-point line; he has shot 54.3% of the shots outside the three-point line this season, averaging 4.6 three-point shots per game, shooting 36.8%, of which 45 degrees on the left and right sides of the three-pointer, which are what he is better at, and he has shot 7 three-pointers in the game against the Knicks. In addition, Turner is also the league's top framer, and his defensive mobility is also excellent, he can change most of the league's outside players. Turner, however, has two distinct weaknesses, one being a thin body and lack of card slot skills, resulting in his lack of rebounds. In a career-high season, he averaged just 7.4 rebounds per game; the other was a lack of autonomy and lack of aggression on the offensive end.
Turner's two weaknesses affected his growing space as a Pacers; but in a way, even his weaknesses fit the Lakers.
Since the start of the season, the Lakers have averaged 36.7 defensive rebounds per game in the league, only 0.2 rebounds per game than the first-place Utah Jazz, and their average rebounds per game are also ranked seventh in the league. Wei Shao, Old Zhan and Thick Brow are very good at grabbing rebounds, so the Lakers don't need a center who can grab rebounds in particular. And this season we have seen the opposing defender and the center after the blocking and dismantling, the thick eyebrows can not come back, the inside line appears in a vacuum, the opponent easily scores under the basket picture; but if there is Turner, he changes defenses out, even if the other side attacks the basket, standing in the No. 4 position of the thick eyebrows can also be his best assistant defense? As for the offensive end, both Old Zhan and Wei Shao have to rush in with the ball, which requires someone to open up space, and Turner is the one who pulls out the shot on the offensive end.
This season, the Lakers decided to put thick eyebrows on the No. 5 position for a long time, and the recent long time to let the old Zhan play 5 are the continuation of solving the problem of offensive space after finalizing Wei Shao. But in fact, to attack space, if you want to speed up, you don't have to put a small lineup. Once the Big Three is paired with Turner, the Lakers are actually playing magic balls with two towers. If the thick eyebrows can also get the middle throw back, the two towers can open up the space, is the breakthrough space of Old Zhan and Wei Shao coming out? On the defensive end, once Turner and Thick Brow join forces, isn't this the most terrifying no-fly zone in the league?
From a salary point of view, Turner's annual salary is only 18 million, and the Lakers can match the salary as long as tucker + Nunn; and since the Pacers decided to send LeVille, in fact, Horton. Tucker has a location in the walkers. Whether a deal can be reached depends on whether the Lakers are willing to take out the 26-year first-round pick, and Turner, a modern 3D center, gives the Pacers a bit of a waste, but it is very suitable for the team that wants to compete for the championship, and the Lakers who have decided to stud when the trade comes to Westbrook are still hesitating?