Meka to Lakers?

[MTHusky]

Fox Sports radio talking heads are reporting this as one of the changes being offered in the CP3 trade package. This would supposedly free up 20 million in cap room.

 

[champs99and04]

That might make the Lakers a little more tolerable

 

[Kitaman]

Still wouldn't be enough to make me a Laker fan.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

If they could somehow pull of that then a Howard trade, no one would ever top 100 against that team. A starting five of Paul, Kobe, Artest, Emeka, and Howard would be a defensive juggernaut.

 

[Brochacho]

They'd be better off trading for West so that way they have a big that can score from farther than 5 feet from the basket. Would hate to see Okafor in a Lakers jersey, being a Celtics fan and all. And if the Lakers get both CP3 and Dwight the NBA will be locked out hardcore in a few years. Hope it doesn't happen. Hope LA gets swallowed by the ocean.

 

[tzznandrew]

If they could somehow pull of that then a Howard trade, no one would ever top 100 against that team. A starting five of Paul, Kobe, Artest, Emeka, and Howard would be a defensive juggernaut.

I don't see how they could pull a Howard trade here. He wants to go to the Nets. They will have traded (in this "revised trade") Gasol and Bynum. Who is left to entice Orlando?

In this scenario, I don't even think the Lakers end up that good. Paul and Kobe is a good backcourt (but both have had knee issues), even with Kobe on the decine that's probably the best backcourt (I've thought about it for 5 seconds, so it is possible I'm forgetting one).

But there goes their balance. Paul-Kobe-Metta World Peace-Odom-Emeka. That team just won't be able to score much down low, and teams with more than one decent big man will kill them on the boards.

I just don't think it's a great trade for the Lakers. Maybe I'm crazy or forgetting people.

 

[Brochacho]

From what I've read: Okafor, CP3 to Lakers
Odom, Ebanks, Caracter, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, a first to New Orleans
Gasol to Houston

Its a moutful, but it seems as if Houston does most fo the heavy lifting to get Paul to the Lakers. I'm assuming one or both of Ebanks and Caracter are going to Houston.

 

[tzznandrew]

From what I've read: Okafor, CP3 to Lakers
Odom, Ebanks, Caracter, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, a first to New Orleans
Gasol to Houston

Its a moutful, but it seems as if Houston does most fo the heavy lifting to get Paul to the Lakers. I'm assuming one or both of Ebanks and Caracter are going to Houston.

I thought that was the trade that Stern vetoed. He said that trade was unacceptable. Hollinger on twitter suggested that they would need Bynum to NO for it to work--so swap Odom and Bynum.

Even if I'm wrong, I just don't think you can trust Bynum. He's always injured and seems to struggle containing his emotions.

That said, a Paul-Kobe-Metta World Peace-Okafor-Bynum team is more intimidating than the version I was suggesting. I don't know if it is an upgrade, overall talent wise, though.

 

[UConn990411]

Yeah, Houston seems to be getting royally ****ed in all scenarios...and apparently their GM doesn't even care.

As much as I would hate to see Emeka in a Laker uni, it would pretty much squash any chance of them adding Howard (not enough cap room, and I don't see him as a centerpiece to a Howard deal). I could definitely take that tradeoff as a Celtics fan.

 

[FluxTZ]

I'm a Laker fan so I can get on board with Emeka coming here with CP3. It would definitely help our frontcourt after what we'd be losing in the deal itself. Then if Howard is still available sending Bynum to Orlando for him and we're good to go without having an entirely bare bones set of forwards.

 

[tzznandrew]

I'm a Laker fan so I can get on board with Emeka coming here with CP3. It would definitely help our frontcourt after what we'd be losing in the deal itself. Then if Howard is still available sending Bynum to Orlando for him and we're good to go without having an entirely bare bones set of forwards.

That's a coup if that happens. But why would Orlando make that trade? They'd need some third party involved. But Howard wants to go to the Nets...

 

[UConn990411]

There's no chance the Lakers can take on Paul, Emeka, and Howard's contracts. None.

 

[Brochacho]

I thought that was the trade that Stern vetoed. He said that trade was unacceptable. Hollinger on twitter suggested that they would need Bynum to NO for it to work--so swap Odom and Bynum.

Even if I'm wrong, I just don't think you can trust Bynum. He's always injured and seems to struggle containing his emotions.

That said, a Paul-Kobe-Metta World Peace-Okafor-Bynum team is more intimidating than the version I was suggesting. I don't know if it is an upgrade, overall talent wise, though.

The most reliable NBA sources are saying that its still largely the same just that the Lakers take on more salary and the Hornets get more youth. Basically the big complaints by other owners. The first Paul trade they could have signed Howard as a FA with all the space they cleared.

I still don't get taking on Kevin Martin and Odom though. Yeah, Odom has an option after this year and KMart only 2 years, but still if you're going to suck do it the right way at least.

 

[superjohn]

I thought the Celticsa were getting David West?

 

[Brochacho]

There's no chance the Lakers can take on Paul, Emeka, and Howard's contracts. None.

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ctb3rm8

 

[Brochacho]

I thought the Celticsa were getting David West?

They are, they're in final stages of a West/Green S&T.

 

[tzznandrew]

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ctb3rm8

Interesting that you got it to work. I'm still not convinced Orlando would make that trade just to get a guy who has not played a full season in a while. It would be a spectacularly stupid trade on their part, and the league (if the Hornets are involved) would certainly veto it.

 

[champs99and04]

If LA sends Bynum to Orlando and takes on Hedo's ugly contract would it be enough to grab Howard?

 

[Brochacho]

Well, for some reason everybody in the league thinks Bynum is the next great thing. The Magic would do that just to get something back of value, and he is a player that probably would actually be interested in staying there long term. If the Nets are truly offering Brook Lopez and 2 firsts for Dwight, then I see no reason why that trade hasn't happened already.

 

[Brochacho]

If LA sends Bynum to Orlando and takes on Hedo's ugly contract would it be enough to grab Howard?

Yes if the Lakers throw in Steve Blake, Luke Walton, and a guy making league min. then they would have enough $ involved to take Hedo. And the Magic won't dump Dwight without Hedo.

 

[tzznandrew]

If LA sends Bynum to Orlando and takes on Hedo's ugly contract would it be enough to grab Howard?

There's too much money there, and they don't have a large enough exemption. Howard and Hedo are $29M. Bynum is $15M. LA's trade exception is $5.5M, but still leaves them millions short. They'd have to throw in a number of other players.

 

[tzznandrew]

Well, for some reason everybody in the league thinks Bynum is the next great thing. The Magic would do that just to get something back of value, and he is a player that probably would actually be interested in staying there long term. If the Nets are truly offering Brook Lopez and 2 firsts for Dwight, then I see no reason why that trade hasn't happened already.

Do they still? I think that ship has sailed. He's only 24, but 11 and 9 is just not that impressive at this point (especially when he only played 54 games)

 

[Brochacho]

Do they still? I think that ship has sailed. He's only 24, but 11 and 9 is just not that impressive at this point (especially when he only played 54 games)

He is 24 and 7 feet tall. That is one part. And most times he is the third or fourth option on offense, so his scoring isn't bad. It did look like he turned the corner 2 seasons ago when he was averaging 15 ppg but then busted his knee or whatever, I forgot what happened.