• Bhangra discussion is still going strong. Join us in our Facebook group!

    New user registration has been closed (as it was entirely spam). We encourage you to post in our Facebook group, even if it's a followup to an existing thread. BTF will continue to be archived and hosted here - Saleem

Dwight and The Lakers

Skariti

Member
Messages
55
Quick thought: Now that Dwight is moving on to the Rockets, how will Kobe and the Lakers be without him in the upcoming season?
 

Bballer

Member
Messages
125
It all depends on Kobe's health. Some say a late November/ early December return. That means they will be led by a 40 yr old and injury prone pg in Nash and a injury prone pf in Pau until he is back. On top of that they have 0 depth. I don't think they make the playoffs (Clippers, Spurs, Rockets, Thunder, Warriors, Grizzlies, Nuggets, T wolves all look better) but if Kobe comes back earlier than expected which he always seems to do and Nash and Pau stay healthy they should be like a 6 seed. A healthy Lakers roster this year looks like first round fodder.
 

Skariti

Member
Messages
55
Totally agree. The Lakers are getting old, and I feel as if Kobe has too much on his shoulders already: to lead his team and recover from his own injury. Metta is also going through the amnesty provision, so his future with the Lakers is also not certain. The likely addition of Chris Kaman in response to Howards leave may have been a rushed decision for the Lakers, considering the difference between the two players' skill level. Maybe something actually turns as a positive for the Lakers. :) As for Howard to the Rockets, I believe he has tremendous talent as a center, but his apathetic performance with the Lakers last season leaves me doubting he'll be a major factor. People were expecting so much from him, but he didn't put up those big numbers that he could have every game. Hopefully, he does better in Housten ;D
 

singhk1

New Member
Messages
416
Lol lakers are an elite team and will remain that way... Howard's overrated he can't exactly make a team good anymore if he has a bad season with the rockets he's probably gonna demand another trade
 

yomamajama

Active Member
Messages
230
They will be horrible. Kobe is probably not coming back to play til december or January for his injury. Nash is old as hell at the point, and gasol is soft. They have a horrible bench with no improvements, except gettin farmar, lol, and kaman. Im hoping they tank and try to have a chance at Wiggins or parker in the draft, more wiggins of course. That way they can have a stud pick and all that cap space for 2014 to reload.
 

Sawhill69

Member
Messages
189
Also I'm sure the Lakers will pull something big with 2014 free agents, hopefully something big enough to get Kobe his sixth before he retires lol
 

Skariti

Member
Messages
55
"LA was too big for him, and he should never have left Orlando". I agree with Skip. Howard couldn't handle the "pressure" of being in LA, a big shot team with Kobe and Pau. He was the star of Orlando, and he should have stayed. I feel that Howard now has even more pressure to perform in Housten. He has so much talent but his mentality to win is not on par with those of other superstars like Kobe and Lebron.

Kobe, plz come back soon :'(
 

SanghaSoldier

Member
Messages
218
Sawhill69 said:
Also I'm sure the Lakers will pull something big with 2014 free agents, hopefully something big enough to get Kobe his sixth before he retires lol
They added Melo and Lebron to their wishlists for the 2014 free agency season. Both of them can opt out of their contact next summer, so lets see. Id hate to see Melo go though, but its hard having him and the leagues richest bench player on the same team.
 

Sawhill69

Member
Messages
189
SanghaSoldier said:
Sawhill69 said:
Also I'm sure the Lakers will pull something big with 2014 free agents, hopefully something big enough to get Kobe his sixth before he retires lol
They added Melo and Lebron to their wishlists for the 2014 free agency season. Both of them can opt out of their contact next summer, so lets see. Id hate to see Melo go though, but its hard having him and the leagues richest bench player on the same team.

Hopefully they will be finally able to get a great point gaurd like Kyrie Irving in 2014
 

Skariti

Member
Messages
55
Lol talking about guards, Jordan Farmar just agreed to sign with the Lakers, again. His words: "I'm happy just to be back and to be able to help this team go wherever we can this year and I would love to be here for the future, so we'll see how it works out."
 

yomamajama

Active Member
Messages
230
Jaskaran96 said:
Lol talking about guards, Jordan Farmar just agreed to sign with the Lakers, again. His words: "I'm happy just to be back and to be able to help this team go wherever we can this year and I would love to be here for the future, so we'll see how it works out."

Farmar gave up 10.5 mil in guaranteed money from his other team just to sign a 1 mil offer sheet with the lakers... lol. Lakers should get paul george in 2014, younger and has more upside than lebron/ melo.
 

Bballer

Member
Messages
125
On topic of 2014 free agency I don't expect the Lakers to have a shot at any of the higher profile stars but Melo. James won't go to the Lakers unless the Heat are taken out in the second round this year and if his team looks too old. Even then I would expect him to go back to Cleveland before the Lakers. Also the Pacers, Cavs, Kings will not let the Lakers get Kyrie, George or DMC. The Lakers can't offer more money than those teams due to the new CBA and even then Kyrie and PG seem very loyal. Also who knows if the Lakers can get even one big time free agent. Their pitch in the past was to play with Kobe Bryant and win some rings. Now their team is old and lottery bound without many draft picks. There are many better situations to go too but then again its the Lakers and you can never count them out.
 

yomamajama

Active Member
Messages
230
Count on Jim buss to make the right decisions. The guy is a clown and for some reason has some animosity with the "old" laker management that at least knew how to win rings; i.e. jerry west, brian shaw. All this stuff got to dwights head probably and made him leave. Couldnt we have gotten like 3 draft picks and a player for Dwight as a sign and trade? But ofcourse the lakers got nothing out of it with this fool jim buss running everything.


#wewantphil
 

yomamajama

Active Member
Messages
230
Bballer said:
On topic of 2014 free agency I don't expect the Lakers to have a shot at any of the higher profile stars but Melo. James won't go to the Lakers unless the Heat are taken out in the second round this year and if his team looks too old. Even then I would expect him to go back to Cleveland before the Lakers. Also the Pacers, Cavs, Kings will not let the Lakers get Kyrie, George or DMC. The Lakers can't offer more money than those teams due to the new CBA and even then Kyrie and PG seem very loyal. Also who knows if the Lakers can get even one big time free agent. Their pitch in the past was to play with Kobe Bryant and win some rings. Now their team is old and lottery bound without many draft picks. There are many better situations to go too but then again its the Lakers and you can never count them out.

I can see DMC coming to the lakers. Shaq has actually been helping him with his game and mentoring him. I can see that if he really caused problems with the kings given his attitude, the kings could trade him to the lakers for a couple players. And thats true with what you said about the CBA, but didnt Dwight just prove that having more money offered isnt necessarily going to make a player sign? he took a 4 year 88.3 mil deal with the rockets compared to the 100+ mil deal he could have had with the lakers. leaving 30 mil on the table. Lakers will get someone big its just a matter of marketing and their pitch for 2014.
 

Bballer

Member
Messages
125
That 30 million dollars actually isn't that big of a deal. Texas has no income tax so what Dwight makes in Houston is pretty close if not more than what the Lakers offered.
 

Skariti

Member
Messages
55
Update: "Lakers waived Metta World Peace on Thursday under the NBA's amnesty provision, which will save the team about $15 million in luxury tax. He was set to earn $7.7 million next season, which the Lakers still must pay. Lakers also sign swingman Nick Young." Well, the Lakers, imo, just lost the most physical/craziest player in the NBA lol. Young is a great player, but I would prefer Metta over him anyday :(
 

Basim

♥ BTF ♥
Staff member
Messages
1,459
Bballer said:
That 30 million dollars actually isn't that big of a deal. Texas has no income tax so what Dwight makes in Houston is pretty close if not more than what the Lakers offered.
Exactly.

Here's my math to prove it:

Lakers contract: $118 million/5 years = $23.6 million per year

California taxes paid by residents as pct. of income: 11.2% (http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2012/10/28/state-taxes-states-highest-lowest/1654071/)

$23.6 million/year x 11.2% annual tax rate = 2,643,200 million in taxes per year; total income after taxes per year = $20,956,800


Houston contract: $87.6 million/4 years = $21.9 million per year

Texas taxes by residents as pct. of income: 7.9% (http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2012/10/28/state-taxes-states-highest-lowest/1654071/)

$21.9 million/year x 7.9% annual tax rate = $1,730,100 million in taxes per year; total income after taxes per year = $20,169,900


Difference between Lakers & Houston contract per year (after taxes): $786,900


A lot of people made it a big deal that he forgoed a $30 million "increased" contract with the Lakers, but when you actually do the math do you honestly think that "little" difference that I have proven factored into his decision?

There were definitely much bigger factors outside of the just money that made him leave the Lakers.

~ Basim :)

P.S. - Sorry for bringing math into a thread about basketball, I'm a Finance guy, so I just couldn't resist ;)
 
Top