Almost seems like a foregone conclusion that the Lakers will be engaging us hard next summer when their plan to appease LeBron with a big FA splash dramatically implodes.
Lakers have no salary assets to make a significant deal work though. Love is a 2nd tier guy, so they aren't going to be trading Lozno / Ingram / Etc. for him, which makes the financials a lot harder.
They have LeBron at an insane number ($36+ per year) and then a collection of young guys on rookie deals. They had to clear out all the salary matching money left on their books to get LeBron.
Their only moveable salary piece (KCP) can waive any trade as a one-year bird rights player. I doubt he wants to head to the Cleveland dumpster fire for 6 months but who knows.
Salary aggregate needs to be within $5 mil for LA and I don't see $19 million in obvious salary that could go out for Love......unless KCP is unhappy and just wants to play heavy minutes and take shots.
For the sake of this argument (in January), lets assume KCP will go to Cleveland. Cavs would likely be looking at something like:
Out: Kevin Love
In: KCP, Zubac, Mykhailiuk, Beasley + some pick(s)
That is just a player poo-poo platter. But it is a bulk of expiring money. Start clearing the deck and stash whatever picks LA gives up.
The upside being we would really corner the market on unplayable, white European big men.
The Lakers just don't seem like a great trade partner because none of their good or above average young players are expendable for a PF.
