On May 17, Beijing time, the Los Angeles Lakers sent 3 pieces of news, let's take a look.
Lao Zhan's contract renewal is imminent
Not long ago, Lakers star LeBron James returned to Cleveland to watch the G4 series between his old club Cavaliers and Celtics, which was considered by the outside world to be putting pressure on the Lakers and also caused speculation about James' next home. Today, according to Lakers reporter Dan Woike, the Lakers have stepped up their efforts to renew James' contract, willing to offer him a two-year, $112 million (with a player option extension) or a three-year contract extension with a maximum salary of $164 million (jumping out of his current contract and renewing his contract). Woike said James' team is happy with the average salary and is currently considering which signing option to choose, as well as framing some contract terms. What is certain is that James is very close to reaching a contract extension with the Lakers.
From a business point of view, the price of the Lakers' renewing James is worth it, because James's popularity and influence are here, which can bring a lot of ticket revenue and off-court economic effects. On the one hand, although James is still in good shape, it has shown a downward trend, especially the problems of physical fitness and defense are becoming more and more prominent; On the other hand, starting next year, James will be 40 years old, and his condition will inevitably get worse and worse, and he may even fall off a cliff, after all, no one can resist the invasion of the years, and the Lakers are likely to do a good job in the next 2 or 3 years.
Mitchell's chances of joining have increased
Yesterday, the Cavaliers lost to the Celtics 98-113 on the road, and were eliminated by a score of 1:4. According to Shams, Mitchell is not happy with the Cavaliers' record of only making it past the first round and wants to join a team that is truly competitive and can go further. Today, according to a reporter from the American media BR, the Lakers are interested in Mitchell and will pursue him fiercely. Later in the evening, the American bookmaker released the next odds for Mitchell to leave the team, and the results showed that the Lakers were the first, and the top ten options were: 1, Lakers +300 (bet on 100 and return 400 if you hit), 2, Nets +400, Heat +500, 4, Knicks +675,5, Spurs & Bulls +1000,7, Hawks +1600,8, Suns & Thunder +1800,10, Timberwolves & Bucks +2200.
Compared to other teams, the Lakers have three advantages. First of all, the Lakers have a good competitiveness, and if Mitchell joins, they are expected to directly transform into the favorites to win the championship; Second, the Lakers have a lot of good chips willing to offer, Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, Vanderbilt, etc., who are above average at the same position, as well as 3 first-round picks (29 and 31 first-round picks, 30 first-round swaps); Finally, the Lakers are located in Los Angeles and have huge traffic and commercial resources, which will definitely be a point for Mitchell to consider. By all indications, once Mitchell decides to leave, the Lakers are likely to be the next stop in his career.
The old will look down on Reddick
Previously, the Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham and members of his coaching staff, and then several people entered the Lakers' new coach selection list, with former NBA player Redick (who currently co-runs a podcast with James) considered the top contender. Today, Lakers veteran and current basketball commentator Frye downplayed Redick on a show, Frye said: "Coaching the Lakers is a tricky job, and Redick is a rookie with no head coaching experience, and he will fail if he becomes the new head coach of the Lakers." ”
Fans have a lot of discussions about Frye's statement, and some people said: "Indeed, the painful failure of rookie coach Ham is in front of you, and the Lakers actually dare to invite Redick, which is really a strength to death." Others said: "Redick is not like Ham, he has a high ball quotient and a great understanding of the game. Moreover, Redick and James have a good relationship, and they can maintain the Lakers' locker room unity. So what do you think about this? You can communicate and discuss in the comment area.