04-10-2021, 02:48 PM
(04-10-2021, 02:29 PM)soog Wrote: 2) Is he worth $51M/y to the Lakers?
It is not just about him. It is about ability to bring a 15+ mil player to the team. As Lakers are now, you have LeBron, Davis, Schroeder, KCP, Harrell and Kuzma as solid rotation players. Vet min guys are vet min for a reason. Look what guys like Matthews, Gasol, Dudley are giving them. Even Caruso and Morris are very limited. A capable rotation guy would mean gold for them. That's why I am confident they would match a 15 mil offer for THT. But of course, a cost controlled guy like Richardson (assuming he opts in) who is arguably better NOW, would mean a lot for them.
Sure, they can be cheap. But Brooklyn payroll for next year is 164 mil on 8 guys (counting Dinwiddie), Golden state is at 164 mil, Clippers at 146 mil for 10 players and several other teams (Philly, Portland, Utah) at the tax line with far from complete rosters. Do you really think Lakers can afford to be cheap? I don't believe for a second they will jeopardize last couple of LeBron years, no matter the cost. Don't forget, if they let THT walk for nothing, they basically don't have an avenue to improve the team.