MAVS NEWS:

[F Gump]

1A. I believe they want Sexton for Powell + Hardy + Martin, the T-MLE and maybe an additional late 1st. 

I´m sure there are ways to do this trade and retain the T-MLE by correct sequencing of the events and using only parts of the T-MLE, that`I´m far too lazy to calculate until somebody pays me to do it.

1B  In reality there is an overkill at forward and center. It just makes no sense to keep Powell and Martin, and even both Marshall and Klay is questionable. 

Russell/Irving/Williams
Sexton/Christie/Late 1st round pick
Flagg/Marshall/Thompson
Davis/Washington/Omax
Lively/Gafford/Jones

2. I simply used the future asset as an example for people that think it´s necessary to give up Gafford or even Washington to get the additional pick. Obviously it all depends on how high the pick, how much you rate the available talent and how much the value of the future asset. But to me keeping Washington and getting a Traore/Denim (if you believe in their high ceilings) is much more interesting than preserving that future pick, especially with the Lakers new owners and the pending Bron retirement. Lakers have only 13M in guaranteed contracts for 2027/2028. If they keep that clean, they could easily build a superteam around Luka by the time the pick converts.

1A  That scenario (adding Sexton, MLE, FRP to this year's payroll) with Martin/Powell/Hardy outgoing doesn't work financially. It could work if it's just Sexton and then fill the roster with minimums. The MLE would definitely be unavailable. The FRP is iffy because of the salary size.

1B "It just makes no sense to keep Powell and Martin " --- I don't think anyone disagrees with this. I sure don't. It's just a question of how to get them off the roster, and perhaps get something useful in return.

2 I agree LBJ will be retired, but it remains to be seen what happens after that in LA. I think that if you want to trade the pick some day, the "unprotected" part offers great value in trade, so you need to target superior value in return. Spending it on a low FRP in a crappy draft would be a major blunder.