Who Should We Sign? (2023 Off-Season)

Assuming they would agree to sign here, which SF/PF would be your top choice in free agency?

  • Cam Johnson

  • Dillon Brooks

  • Grant Williams

  • Jae Crowder

  • Jalen McDaniels

  • Jerami Grant

  • Josh Hart

  • Kyle Kuzma

  • PJ Washington

  • Other


Results are only viewable after voting.
I’d imagine if it comes down to Russell or Reaves it’s a no brainer in favor of Austin.
I'm curious as to why? Reeves looks like a nice young player who can be a solid rotation player. Russell has been a solid starting guard for a number of years. If the Lakers sign Reeves and let Russell walk, they will take a clear step backwards.
 
I'm curious as to why? Reeves looks like a nice young player who can be a solid rotation player. Russell has been a solid starting guard for a number of years. If the Lakers sign Reeves and let Russell walk, they will take a clear step backwards.
In my opinion Reaves is already a better player so if it came down to one of them I’d take him. I won’t be surprised if they end up with both unless they somehow land Kyrie
 
In my opinion Reaves is already a better player so if it came down to one of them I’d take him. I won’t be surprised if they end up with both unless they somehow land Kyrie
The only way they get Kyrie is if Dallas is willing to do a sign and trade (which I doubt).
Choosing Reeves would be a huge gamble for the Lakers. He has essentially been good for less than one season. Russell has been good for many seasons. Russell also gives them a player who can carry a team for stretches when AD and/or LBJ are out with injury. Reeves can't.

Personally, I think they should blow it up by letting Russell walk and trading AD. That would allow them to start building for the future. However, they would never even consider that.
 
In my opinion Reaves is already a better player so if it came down to one of them I’d take him. I won’t be surprised if they end up with both unless they somehow land Kyrie
Reaves is garbage. He’s just overly benefitting from BS free throw trips he’d never get playing for most any other team and playing with LBJ and AD.

Don’t be fooled.

He’s a poor man’s Vinny Del Negro getting super star whistles due to a LAL league agenda.
 
I'd take Reaves over Russell for sure. The only real risk with him is he doesn't have a huge sample of being great yet; so you're gambling that this continues with a big contract.

The FTr doesn't seem sustainable, but there's no doubt he does have a good skill for drawing contact. He just shouldn't be getting calls like LeBron lol. But he's an excellent shooter, an excellent secondary playmaker and seems to be an above average defender. So if this holds, I think he's like Huerter-lite on offense, but can actually be a + defender. I'd pay 4/50- 4/60 for him in a heartbeat.
 
Reaves over D'lo for me. Even if D'lo accepted a salary that was more appropriate for his contributions... like D'lo @$10m or Reaves @$10m? I'm still taking Reaves.
 
Last edited:
I'd take Reaves over Russell for sure. The only real risk with him is he doesn't have a huge sample of being great yet; so you're gambling that this continues with a big contract.

The FTr doesn't seem sustainable, but there's no doubt he does have a good skill for drawing contact. He just shouldn't be getting calls like LeBron lol. But he's an excellent shooter, an excellent secondary playmaker and seems to be an above average defender. So if this holds, I think he's like Huerter-lite on offense, but can actually be a + defender. I'd pay 4/50- 4/60 for him in a heartbeat.

I don’t like watching players who hunt contact but there is no question he is good at it. Normal Powell is another guy that does it well. Don’t like it from an entertainment perspective but can’t deny it helps the team
 
Reaves is still a solid player, even without the free throws. His first two years in the league have the hallmark signs of a "this guy could blow up into a great player" trajectory.

Would suck to get hung up in RFA jail with him and miss out on other players, only to have the Lakers match and leave us out dry.
 

hrdboild

Moloch in whom I dream Angels!
Staff member
How is adding another shooting guard going to help us when our biggest flaws this past year were our lack of size in the post and Mike Brown's inability to find a defensive wing player in his rotation that he trusted enough to keep them on the floor? Fox, Monk, Huerter, and Mitchell is already a fantastic guard rotation. If you could trade Huerter for Reaves somehow maybe there's an argument to be made but as a RFA there's just no chance we pull off that swap without selling extremely low on Huerter and odds are the Lakers match whatever we offer Reaves after all the other top FA targets are signed.

Huerter had a poor showing in the playoffs this year but he was a perfect fit during the regular season and he's one of the most valuable assets we have right now when you account for the value of his contract relative to performance. Swapping him out for anyone is just going to be a lateral move unless we're talking about All-Star level talent coming our way.
 
Reaves is still a solid player, even without the free throws. His first two years in the league have the hallmark signs of a "this guy could blow up into a great player" trajectory.

Would suck to get hung up in RFA jail with him and miss out on other players, only to have the Lakers match and leave us out dry.
The Lakers off-season is going to get real interesting. Do they make the same mistake of star-hunting for Kyrie and letting all their excellent role players walk again? Or do they actually do the right team-building concept, keep Reaves, Keep Vandy, go get a few more excellent complimentary guys and give Bron another chance to win a ring next year.
 
How is adding another shooting guard going to help us when our biggest flaws this past year were our lack of size in the post and Mike Brown's inability to find a defensive wing player in his rotation that he trusted enough to keep them on the floor? Fox, Monk, Huerter, and Mitchell is already a fantastic guard rotation. If you could trade Huerter for Reaves somehow maybe there's an argument to be made but as a RFA there's just no chance we pull off that swap without selling extremely low on Huerter and odds are the Lakers match whatever we offer Reaves after all the other top FA targets are signed.

Huerter had a poor showing in the playoffs this year but he was a perfect fit during the regular season and he's one of the most valuable assets we have right now when you account for the value of his contract relative to performance. Swapping him out for anyone is just going to be a lateral move unless we're talking about All-Star level talent coming our way.
Yeah, feels like there's way too much Huerter FUD. He had a horrid playoffs, no doubt. But dude was awesome and had a real leap this year in the regular season. Only 25 next season.
 
Yeah, feels like there's way too much Huerter FUD. He had a horrid playoffs, no doubt. But dude was awesome and had a real leap this year in the regular season. Only 25 next season.
Would you trade Davion, Huerter, #24 and one more first for OG?

Fox Monk
OG Pody
Keegan Edwards
Barnes Sasha
Sabonis Lyles
 
Would you trade Davion, Huerter, #24 and one more first for OG?

Fox Monk
OG Pody
Keegan Edwards
Barnes Sasha
Sabonis Lyles
Hmm.

Probably like right at the line of us giving up too much, but I'd say yes. Still a pretty massive risk with OG only under contract for 2 more seasons. You'd have to be sure you could reup him with Domas and Monk next off-season.

Fox
Monk
OG
Keegan
Domas

I could absolutely buy that developing into a title contender if you could keep it together. Problem is, I don't think that's enough to get TOR to pick up them phone.
 

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
Hmm.

Probably like right at the line of us giving up too much, but I'd say yes. Still a pretty massive risk with OG only under contract for 2 more seasons. You'd have to be sure you could reup him with Domas and Monk next off-season.

Fox
Monk
OG
Keegan
Domas

I could absolutely buy that developing into a title contender if you could keep it together. Problem is, I don't think that's enough to get TOR to pick up them phone.
That'd be tough to say no to, but I don't know that you make a trade for Anunoby only to force him to chase around opposing SGs. If anything you move for him as an upgrade to Barnes.

Huerter's ability to play off Domas shouldn't be discounted. Or the fact that he's on a reasonable deal for 3 more seasons.
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
I’d be more for keeping the team core the same and adding some effective role players similar to Trey Lyles.

This draft is going to be real interesting for Monte. Haliburton was an easy one once he fell, Davion was relatively an in the ballpark move, Keegan was also an in the ballpark move…..granted the correct move with Ivy also on the board.

But down at 24…….let’s see if Monte can nail this like some of the other GMs who have consistently found players down at the bottom of the round.
 
That'd be tough to say no to, but I don't know that you make a trade for Anunoby only to force him to chase around opposing SGs. If anything you move for him as an upgrade to Barnes.

Huerter's ability to play off Domas shouldn't be discounted. Or the fact that he's on a reasonable deal for 3 more seasons.
I think the only case for dealing Huerter is we actually bet that Monk can be an offensive hub like he showed in the playoffs and flashed throughout the season. Monk was eye-opening in the playoffs; that's just not a Jamal Crawford/Lou Williams, he was giving us Brad Beal/Zach Lavine sort of offensive production in all phases. .527 FTr is insane; that's the best in the NBA level numbers. He was the best PnR passer by a mile on the team and showed a real chemistry with both Fox (obviously) and Domas. And just the fact he was able to create off his own bounce was the main difference maker in keeping our offense alive when the Warriors shut down the DHO. Huerter exposed a bit of a weakness that when the system went offline, he couldn't adjust and use some of his secondary scoring/playmaking.

I'm not entirely sure what a fair deal for Huerter would be, but maybe that opens up some S&T opportunities with a few of these RFA options. I would think BKN would be interested in consolidating Cam Johnson into an excellent guard like Huerter. Basically around the same talent as well.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
Yeah, feels like there's way too much Huerter FUD. He had a horrid playoffs, no doubt. But dude was awesome and had a real leap this year in the regular season. Only 25 next season.
Yeah, the "Austin Reaves is a potential breakout star young player!" narrative looks a little less awesome when you realize he's like three months older than Kevin Huerter.
 
Hmm.

Probably like right at the line of us giving up too much, but I'd say yes. Still a pretty massive risk with OG only under contract for 2 more seasons. You'd have to be sure you could reup him with Domas and Monk next off-season.

Fox
Monk
OG
Keegan
Domas

I could absolutely buy that developing into a title contender if you could keep it together. Problem is, I don't think that's enough to get TOR to pick up them phone.
Yeh it’s essentially 4 first round picks. KD trade netted the equivalent of 9. I won’t even mention the pieces sent out for Gobert. We know 3 wasn’t enough for OG. I’d have to think 4 is the appropriate amount. Any more than that seems too much in my mind
 
Little temp check, but what would everyone think of these deals?

Huerter for PJW at 4/60+Pick 34

Huerter for Grant Williams at 4/60+ Pick 33

Huerter for Cam Johnson.
 
I'd take Reaves over Russell for sure. The only real risk with him is he doesn't have a huge sample of being great yet; so you're gambling that this continues with a big contract.

The FTr doesn't seem sustainable, but there's no doubt he does have a good skill for drawing contact. He just shouldn't be getting calls like LeBron lol. But he's an excellent shooter, an excellent secondary playmaker and seems to be an above average defender. So if this holds, I think he's like Huerter-lite on offense, but can actually be a + defender. I'd pay 4/50- 4/60 for him in a heartbeat.
The Lakers can't pay that much. He was originally sign to a 2 year contract contract. With them over the cap (even if they let Russell walk) they are limited in how much they can pay him. He made $1.56 million this season. Someone who knows the cap rules better might know the limit they can pay him.
 

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
Little temp check, but what would everyone think of these deals?

Huerter for PJW at 4/60+Pick 34

Huerter for Grant Williams at 4/60+ Pick 33

Huerter for Cam Johnson.
For any of them I think it would have to be dependent on not resigning HB. Otherwise we're just creating a logjam with Murray, Barnes, Lyles, and Vezenkov.
 
For any of them I think it would have to be dependent on not resigning HB. Otherwise we're just creating a logjam with Murray, Barnes, Lyles, and Vezenkov.
Yeah, if you did this, we'd let HB walk and use that cash on something else. Even if that's just like 1+1 type deals so we make sure we have enough to secure Monk along with Domas after next season.

Basically my thinking here is we make a serious bet that Monk is actually an elite offensive player and buy into those skills he showed this year with the shooting, scoring and playmaking out of the PnR. And we got a first hand look how much that is needed in the playoffs. Like I think Monk would be a pretty easy bet to be 20-5 with 32+ MPG next season. Whether or not he can maintain his effiency or if he can keep getting to the line like he did in the playoffs are the gambles you're looking at.
 
Last edited:
This is true but Vecenie said that he can go sign an offer sheet with another team (he gets Arenas provisioned which means the first two years of the deal has to be the same as the early bird max for 2 year contracts but the last two can be up to the max ie 14,14,30,30). The Lakers are still allowed to match that contract according to Sam.
 
This is true but Vecenie said that he can go sign an offer sheet with another team (he gets Arenas provisioned which means the first two years of the deal has to be the same as the Lakers max offer but the last two can be up to the max ie 14,14,30,30). The Lakers are still allowed to match that contract according to Sam.
Which means a smart GM simply makes sure that one of the first 2 years is more than the Lakers' max.
 
Which means a smart GM simply makes sure that one of the first 2 years is more than the Lakers' max.
They can’t do it due to the Arenas provision

“The Arenas provision limits the first-year salary that rival suitors can offer restricted free agents who have only been in the league for one or two years.”
 
It's tough for me to see losing Barnes and Huerter for any of those three as a net upgrade, even though I like all of them.
I mean, HB isn't a guarantee to come back as of now, even though he said he'd like to.

Depends what you did with that cash. Like could you go grab Josh Hart? Naz Reid? And I don't think it would totally exclude HB from coming back, you probably just wouldn't bring Vezenkov (who isn't a guarantee also to come over).