Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[mvossman]

Nice breakdown...thanks.  

26-27 is year it probably all hits the fan.  PJ/Gaff deal is up, Kyrie likely on a new deal and AD costing $58 million. 

With that in mind, there really isn't a reason not to go all in next season.  I know a potential title would not be near as poetic as Dirk's..nor as sweet without Luka.  However, given the cap situation and no Luka - it seems like a all or nothing year.  

Have Kyrie accept the player option (He'd have to go along with it in order to get KD here...like I assume Nico is planning with old NIKE crew) 

If they could figure out a 3 team deal that allows them to keep PJ, sending out Klay/Gafford/Naji/Powell....you'd have something along the lines of 

Kyrie/Hardy
Max/Martin
KD/PJ
AD/Omax
Lively/Vet FA - combo of AD and Lively when PJ is playing 4 

Then you'd be left in 26-27 with 

Hardy
Max
PJ on new deal
AD/Omax
Lively 

Obviously cap would be in a much better place but team wouldn't be great.

This has you going all in on the one year we still have control of our pick, and then lottery team for the foreseeable future when we don't have control of our picks.  You are probably kicking in the 31 and Lakers 29 to make this happen.  That is a one year window that we watched fail at Brooklyn and Pheonix, and then many, many years of pain.