Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Mailbag! Could Pelinka's Best Move be to Kick the Can Down the Road, Again? Is Kawhi an Option?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Would the Lakers actually be better off waiting one more off season to make their big moves? We open up the mailbag and answer your questions. You are locked on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks to everybody for stopping by Locked on Lakers, Brian Kiminoski, Andy Komenetsky. It's time, Andy, to rip open the Locked on Lakers mailbag. You can send us questions.

Starting point is 00:00:35 on Twitter or X, if you prefer. At Cam Brothers is our handle there, or we always are looking on the YouTube page, the Locked on Liquors YouTube page. You can respond to our calls for a mailbag, send your own questions. However, you want to do it. Email us as well at Kamenetsky Brothers at gmail.com.

Starting point is 00:00:57 Let's get to the mailbag, Andy, because what's funny about this is we got obviously lots of questions about free agents. Who do you like? Who's this guy, that guy? And we're going to do a lot of that over the course of the off season. I got into some names for the big show on Thursday as well. But I think people are starting to look at the available talent

Starting point is 00:01:21 and maybe not liking so much what they see because both of the questions we'll lead with today are kind of related to this idea of maybe waiting is better. Socio is back, apparently, 661, asks the question, do you see the Lakers do bloated one-year deals on mid-tier free agents like Robert Williams, Quentin Grimes, et cetera, if they strike out on a free agency and hope for next year's free agent class being better. Fully use the caps space on one-year deals and so on, so on, so on, after you bring back your own guys. Scott Semple asks a similar question.

Starting point is 00:01:59 I understood next year was a better free agent class in the, If we give up our assets this year, will we not have anything to use to keep building, i.e., would the Lakers actually be better off waiting until next year, 80? So now it's not just Rob Polinka kicking the can down the road. It's actual Lakers fans, too. Finally, after all these years, Laker fans have come around to the idea that Rob Polinka is a damn genius, and he's known exactly what he's doing.

Starting point is 00:02:30 Yes. They saw where Rob Polinka kicked the can too. They went out there. They took a look around and they said, keep kicking, Rob. Keep kicking. But let's deal with these substance of the questions here as we started. You know, would the Lakers be better off doing these sort of bloated one-year deals thing, as Socio puts it? And trying to keep as much of their proverbial powder dry for.

Starting point is 00:03:00 or a better free agent class next year? No, I do not at all. First of all, looking over the list of the 2027 free agents, there are maybe more names, like just names, than the 2026. But if you really start peeling back the layers of the onion and thinking about some of the bigger names, it's a lot of guys who are later in their career. You look and you start seeing some younger guys that why are their teams actually going to let them go in the first place?

Starting point is 00:03:36 There's guys who are on player options that maybe they're going to pick up, maybe they won't. You just start playing the waiting and guessing game. Unless you really hate, like just truly hate the options this year that you would not want to commit to them at all, beyond one year because you think they will be, A, not good enough to really get you where you want to go and be difficult to trade. You are far better off signing guys to actual deals and giving yourselves tradable contracts that maybe you can use down the road to help build a better roster. If you just keep reassembling, reassembling, reassembling, reassembling, you're just

Starting point is 00:04:25 continuing the exact same path that I've heard all of y'all complain about. I will say two things. First is next year's free agent class is never as good as you think it is. It never turns out to be as good as you think it is. This is true. I don't mean just literally next year's free agent class. I mean any next year's free agent class. It never turns out to be as.

Starting point is 00:04:55 good as you want because in part like you say you're choosing between names you might have to sort of overpay or you're getting them at the end of their their their their uh careers or whatever it might be or you're talking about essentially players that aren't available like walker kessler is a great example of this like he's been linked to the lakers because the jazz are tanking they're doing he's never been a viable target for the lakers because the lakers didn't have enough don't have anything to give Utah really, you know, within a sign in trade or this or that or whatever. But also it makes no sense like for the Jazz to,

Starting point is 00:05:34 he's never really been available short for of anything but the most godfathery of godfather offers, you know, that obviously the Jazz just simply can't refuse. The worst thing I think the Lakers can do, optically and sort of in reality, when you think about appeasing your star and Luca Dantzich and all of these other things, is look like they're wasting a year of his time. Well, free agency has become less of a way that teams are building out over the last few years for a reason. Generally speaking, players tend to stick around with their team or sign extensions.

Starting point is 00:06:19 and then if they want to leave, you know, they figure out a way to get to their next team. You know, the idea of a bloated one-year deal on a mid-tier free agent, Robert Williams or Quentin Grimes, was exemplary through out there as opposed to, say, Rui. I don't know what makes Rob Williams, particularly with Robert Williams' injury history, and Quentin Grimes, what makes them better or more appealing than just signing Rui? When you take into account talent and availability, he is a better option. option than both Rob Williams or Quentin Grimes, I would just sign Rui. Assuming it's a reasonable deal, there's more value to Rui under contract as both a player

Starting point is 00:07:00 and a potential trade asset than just one year deals on Robert Williams, Quentin Grimes, or guys of that level. I think you're better off to signing Rui. Yeah, I got a couple more things to say about that. And then just the other part of the problem with this plan. I'm not saying necessarily these two guys are advocating for it. I think you're just asking reasonable questions based on, wait a minute, hold on before the Lakers go, you know, take big swings of players who might not be that worth it. What about next year?

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Starting point is 00:08:57 Fandul, play your game. There are two sets of issues here. The Lakers have a great relationship with Luca Dantzich by every report. They have, you know, this first full year went as other than that late injury, basically went as well as it possibly could have you. Luca, you know, rededicating himself to fitness and, and his body. It comes in camp in great shape. And he signs an extension, like, within, like, the first, like, hours that he's able to do it.

Starting point is 00:09:38 Commits to the franchise, franchise commits to him. He's out there recruiting guys like Marcus Smart, and plays at an MVP level, finishes fourth, like, all, you know, first team, all NBA. everything was great. That said, the Lakers do not have an unlimited amount of runway here. It's not like he is a first or second year player under contract for the next few years. If Luca doesn't feel like the organization is properly capitalizing on his prime, and Luca is in his prime right now, if there, you know, it is not unreasonable to worry about.

Starting point is 00:10:20 how he'll age, not from a skill set standpoint, but just from a mileage standpoint, the guy has played a ton of professional basketball going back into his teens. He is not here to screw around. I don't think he expects the Lakers to turn the roster from a really good team in the West to a championship, you know, favor it instantly. But I only expects me to go backwards, and that's for sure. And so. Or to just remain in place. Just remain in careful.

Starting point is 00:10:55 Yeah. And also, too, if say they went that route, it would represent a massive miscalculation with all of the planning and decisions they made heading into this summer, beginning from last off season, where they ultimately decided not to make any aggressive moves.

Starting point is 00:11:18 and in fairness to them, I don't really think there were many, if any, out there worth it for them. But if ultimately they opted not to do anything like that or not to be more aggressive than Luke Kinnard at the trade deadline, because ultimately they were looking for the flexibility and choices of this offseason, which Rob Polinka very much has signaled, includes free agency. if their best options end up Robert Williams and Quentin Grimes on one year deals and, I don't know, hashtag other stuff, that represents just a massive miscalculation of hell. I'd go so far as to like the space in between when you got Luca to where we are now, because there was one other trade deadline.

Starting point is 00:12:12 And then you look back at the Mark Williams rescinded deal and start thinking. about the opportunity costs there when they ultimately went after a guy that once they looked at it, you know, under the hood, it is physical, it said, nope, which again, I can understand why that could happen, but it starts making the past year and a half look really bad up to this point. This is the problem that Polinka essentially created for himself and by extension of the franchise is like every year, every deadline, every summer, every draft. It's always like, okay, tell me what the Lakers said no to. And they've been so restricted in what's been available to them.

Starting point is 00:12:52 I actually don't think they've said no to much, like of like big consequences. Like stuff you would want them to say yes to. Depending on how much of a difference you think he would have made overpaying finger quotes or maybe reality, overpaying for Andrew Wiggins. Right, because Miami is expecting a lot. You know, that's been the reporting is Miami's open for business on. Wiggins, but only if you are willing to kind of go way over. But generally speaking, I don't think they've said no to much because they've been so hamster. I don't think they've had anything to say no too.

Starting point is 00:13:26 But instead of just saying, yeah, you know what, we're kind of, we're a little stuck. We're being patient because we got to do it. It was always, you know, we were optionality and this and that one said this, the sales job of, yeah, but the next trade deadline, you know, whether the, the next trade season, that's when we're really going to make an impact. And they've done it two or three or four or five times now. At some point, you have to stop overpromising and under-delivering. Getting back to what you said about, we don't know what they've said no to. And I tend to agree that given their situation, they probably have not had a lot of big

Starting point is 00:14:06 opportunities in front of them that they said no to. But what did they try to make other teams say yes to? like what did they actually put in front of other teams trying to get a yes like if you ultimately end up with this off season given the context and the stakes essentially placeholding and kicking the can down the road again for what starts really becoming magical thinking then i really start thinking about okay how aggressive were you in trying to make moves at all to your point i think the other issue that they've had is the the say what you want about the Russell Westbrook trade that was a big swing that was a yeah we are

Starting point is 00:14:52 we are making big swings here and it went so poorly I think they've been very risk-averse to the point where like if it's not some sort of really obviously good like obviously good would you like Luca Donchich for example for example

Starting point is 00:15:07 well like Luke Kinard for Gabe Vincent in the second round like that's that that's it's good work, but it's a very low risk. They have been, I think, making better the enemy of good for a few seasons. And at some point you have to show a little confidence to stop that. Not so much confidence, Andy, that I think you follow through on Daily ROMS Nation 615.

Starting point is 00:15:36 Hypothetically, if you're Rob, would you ask AR-15, meaning Austin Reeves, to explore a sign and trade with the Clippers to get Kauai Leonard in return. So I think both the Lakers and Clippers benefit from this trade. Austin would likely approve it or be on board, negotiate with the Clippers, sign a deal there since he's just changing locker rooms. Kauai would support. First of all, he's saying yes.

Starting point is 00:16:04 I'll tell you right now. Austin's saying yes to this just because to make the money work, it's essentially like almost $50 million. He'd be like so much money. He might. I think Austin wouldn't just take the money to take the money, but if it's take the money and you don't even have to move, he might see yes to that.

Starting point is 00:16:21 And I don't want to get into the deep into the mechanics of like, is this even legal? Let's exist in a world where this is possible. Would you do us an AR signing trade for Kauai Leonard, who's owed $50 million next year, but is a free agent the year after? and presumably would then be an expiring contract to open up tons of space for the Lakers next year.

Starting point is 00:16:45 First, before you even entertain this, I need to know is Kauai Leonard being suspended for anything tree-related next season? Everyone is waiting for Adam Silver and the league to levy its decision. They're not going to do that until the final. are over. You need to know what's going to happen with Kauai. You know, is his contract getting voided? Is he going to be suspended? If his contract is being voided, if you want Kauai or you think

Starting point is 00:17:18 there's a chance of that, you are better off waiting until his contract gets voided and then trying to get him on the cheap or something like that. But you need resolution with Kauai before you do any of this. Beyond that, I would be very reluctant to rely on Kauai. for anything other than bizarre stories, like bizarre things happening beyond that. And I know he's coming off a really good season. And when the dude could play this year, he was great.

Starting point is 00:17:50 When the dude can generally play, he's great. You cannot count on anything with Kauai. Nope. That's here's, you know, I'd be, I'd be hesitant even if like all of this stuff could, could really have. Like,

Starting point is 00:18:06 Kauai's better, look, just put it out on the table. Kauai's a better player than Austin Reeves. There's nobody's debating. Close. No,

Starting point is 00:18:12 nobody's doing that. It's crystal clear, nobody yells at us. Kauai is better than Austin. And if you don't want to commit to Austin, but you do want to have a competitive team next year, a move like this isn't out. And it's actually,

Starting point is 00:18:28 you know, when I first saw this, I was like, no, we're not doing that. But they've like, it really, like I said,

Starting point is 00:18:34 it, there are some ifs here. But like that's the biggest one. Like I don't really want to commit to Austin. I want to have some flexible, but I can't just give Austin away for players that aren't as good. Kwai Leonard's damn good. And actually would be a nice fit,

Starting point is 00:18:52 I think, with Luca in a lot of ways. And certainly defensively, when he cranks it up, it could still be quite effective. You know, tons of risk. But,

Starting point is 00:19:04 you know, Rob Polinka loves himself some flexibility and then Kauai would come off the books and you'd get it. The biggest reason I would not, one of the biggest reasons I would avoid something like this and we'll quit here is just at some point you got to start building something that's going to last longer than a year. And the team you build around Luca to work with Kauai and then you bring LeBron back or something. Okay, that's actually, you know, if all three of those guys stay healthy, that is not a bad core. Like, you know, there are a lot of things to like us. about the idea of it. But like one of the things that I'm just so frustrated by is this like constant every year.

Starting point is 00:19:42 Because you're certainly not going to re-sign Kauai freaking Leonard to a long-term extension after next year. And, you know, part of the reason we're in this mess, you know, collectively is because Kauai doesn't seem like the kind of person who doesn't want to get what's coming to him and might want a little bit more, actually. He's not into giving discounts. I'd like to see them not have temporary teams. If we've learned anything from the groups that have been successful of late, it's that there is something that is woven through over time and a consistency, and you're not reinventing yourself yearly. And Lord knows, your team would have to be completely reinvented the year after you let LeBron and Kauai go,

Starting point is 00:20:31 basically an empty roster. lot of liquors on YouTube is where you're going to hang out with over 38,000 subscribers. We'll see everyone next time.

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Mailbag! Could Pelinka's Best Move be to Kick the Can Down the Road, Again? Is Kawhi an Option?

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