The Lakers are rebuilding. They don’t want to sell it as that because they are the Lakers, yet in reality what they will really sell the next couple of years is Kobe Bryant and the hope of landing a big star. But make no mistake, they are rebuilding. Carmelo Anthony is not coming to skip over steps in the process, not after the moves the Lakers have made.
What it takes to rebuild is draft picks — and the Lakers are woefully lacking in that category, having sent picks out in deals to get veterans such as Steve Nash. So the moves the Lakers are making now are more about the picks and the future than they are the pieces com in
With that, the Lakers agreed to a deal with the Houston Rockets to trade for Jeremy Lin and a future pick. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports has the details.The Rockets will send a 2015 first-round pick, and other draft considerations to the Lakers to unload the final year of Lin’s $14 million expiring contract that includes a salary cap hit of $8.3 million based on the deal’s structure.
The Lakers will send cash and the rights to an overseas player, sources said.
For the Rockets, this is one of a number of trades and steps for them to sign Chris Bosh to a max or near max deal. That is moving forward rapidly (which the Rockets are pushing so they can match Chandler Parsons).
Lin, with his Taiwanese ancestry and still incredible popularity, makes for good marketing for the Lakers for a year. With Lakers fans always voting for Lakers, don’t be shocked if Lin is an All-Star starter next year once the fans have voted.
But what the Lakers really need is the 2015 pick.
Which is why the Lakers might engage in some sign-and-trade talk with the Chicago Bulls about Pau Gasol for Carlos Boozer, reports Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report.
Regarding Jeremy Lin (and Carlos Boozer in possible Pau sign-and-trade w/CHI), Lakers could get draft-pick assets they almost totally lack.
— KEVIN DING (@KevinDing) July 11, 2014
It’s not about Boozer, but if Gasol is gone anyway (and he likely is without Anthony in Los Angeles) the Lakers might as well get something to help the rebuilding along as part of the process.