The Lakers Chinese country
Author | Jovan Buha
Translate | Charlie
Proofreading | JOGI
Image source | gettyimages.com
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Last week, the Lakers traded Rondo to the Cavaliers through a three-way deal with the Knicks and Cavaliers, and through this deal, the Lakers gained some salary space and flexibility in the team roster.
The main contents of this transaction are:
The Cavaliers received the right to sign Rondo, the Knicks to Denzel Valentine (who has since been cut), Brad Newley (54th pick in 2007) and Wang Zhelin (57th pick in 2016), and then the Lakers to sign Louis Rabeli (57th pick in 2014).
Now this Lakers, Rondo's role is actually not big, especially under the premise of having multiple players and scorers, his sense of existence is indeed not strong.
After Nunn's comeback, Rondo's time will definitely be further compressed.
While Rondo's ability in the playoffs is well known (especially in the 2020 Lakers championship season), the Lakers really can't afford to spend that time.
The Lakers' current record is 21 wins and 20 losses, seventh in the West.
Stanley Johnson, who signed another 10-day contract, or another player, is better suited to the Lakers in both the long and short term.
Moreover, in the 18 games in which Rondo appeared, the Lakers' record was a dismal 5-13.
The deal vacated the 15th spot on the Lakers' roster (because Rabéry would be cut) so they had room to sign johnson.
What's more, Rondo's base salary is $2.6 million (taking up 1.7 million space for the Lakers), so the Lakers have freed up a 1.7 million deal exception through this deal, and can save between 4 million and 6 million luxury taxes.
Last week was important because the Lakers need to decide the future of Johnson and Bradley.
Vogel also said in an interview: "We don't know what to do next, I'm sure Pelinka and Rambis will make the decision they see fit, and we'll know in a few days." ”
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Johnson's contract
The first thing to discuss is Johnson's contract.
The Lakers have used their fifteenth position to sign him.
You know, Johnson has played three starts in five games, and he also looks very suitable for the Lakers' current small lineup, especially Davis is now out of the lineup due to injury.
January 5 was the time when teams could sign a ten-day non-COVID-19 contract with players in compliance, so he missed the No. 4 game against the Kings.
Theoretically, it was possible to sign him directly, but the Lakers still signed him on a 10-day contract to save money.
The Lakers have three options: either sign him directly; sign him on a 10-day contract before signing him formally; or sign him after two consecutive 10-day contracts.
Vogel said: "We hope Johnson can come back and play a few more games, and now there are answers." ”
Bradley's non-guaranteed contract
After being cut by the Warriors, Bradley signed a non-guaranteed contract that expired on Jan. 7, so the Lakers need to decide whether to keep his 2.6 million veteran base salary contract before the contract expires.
Vogel has publicly shown his support for Bradley and, like he did in Boston and with Clippers head coach Rivers, believes his numbers are not enough to account for his influence on the court.
Bradley played 25 starts in 30 games, providing the team with a high-intensity ball-handler defense and shooting 40 percent from three-point range.
So unless management disagrees with the coaching team, his contract will be regularized, which seems simpler than Johnson's.
As a result, the Lakers still left Bradley.
Flexibility of future lists
The main benefit of this deal is that it guarantees the flexibility of the Lakers' salary cap and lineup.
If the Lakers fail to strike the deal, Johnson can't keep him when his contract expires;
Or, to keep him represents the need to cut Bradley, but Bradley's contribution this season far exceeds his;
So trading Rondo to a team that needs him is the best way to create that resilience.
Vogel said: "I think Pelinka values the future of the team and the resilience of the squad, which is why we made this decision."
The Lakers certainly haven't completed their operations yet, even if this season has been affected a lot by the new crown, but it is clear that the Lakers' team roster still needs to make a lot of adjustments, there are still many problems.
So in order to win the championship, they still have a lot to optimize.
They could put their two non-veteran contracts with Nunn, or Horton Tucker;
Trade exceptions can be used, or Jordan Jr. or Bazemore can be packed with cash or draft picks to get roster space;
Or sign a buyout player if needed;
Or take in a player who needs to get in another trade.
The Lakers could actually lay off both of them, but this would affect their salaries and not meet their desire to save money.
The two players fell out of the rotation from the opening starter.
It's hard to imagine Jordan Jr. snatching back place and time from Howard, especially when the Lakers have basically decided to play small lineup centers with James and Davis.
As in the case of Rondo, perhaps the Lakers need to consider giving Jordan Jr. and Bazemore a chance to play.
Vogel agrees: "We're their partners, we're going to do the work for them and we definitely want this player to succeed. ”
The purpose of making this choice is actually because the Lakers frequently used small-ball tactics during Davis' absence.
Although Howard still has a need to play, the Lakers' lineup is still adjusting so far.
And before the trading deadline on February 10, there is still a possibility of more changes.
Vogel said: "It's actually in line with the situation at the beginning of the season, I think we need to use the whole season to confirm our formation, the combination, and the position of our players. There's a lot of situations where we need to make adjustments, and I think it's going to be a big difference from the playoffs, especially now that we're missing Davis. ”
But we need to play with a learning mindset, watch videos and train, especially since we don't know how Nunn is, Ariza is still a rookie in the lineup and Johnson seems to have the potential to fit our needs.
So, we need to evaluate these players and see how they fit into our team.
Teams now often use small squads and will adjust throughout the season.
However, we need to confirm the lineup we can play best before the playoffs, and we need to win in the process.
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