The Lakers continue to get players on cheaper offers than other teams are giving them
The Los Angeles Lakers, despite a slow-down in their overall championship success over the last handful of years, still have the bright lights of Los Angeles and the many winning years in the rafters of the Staples Center (er... Crypto.com Arena) that continue to help them accrue free agent signings that are probably better deals than any other team can get.
Look no further for recent proof than Christian Wood signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dave McMenamin reported that Rob Pelinka recently said the Lakers signed center Christian Wood to a contract at a cheaper rate than other offers he had on the table.
McMenamin (and by proxy, Pelinka) point out that other stars like Malik Monk and Dennis Schroder have signed similar deals, using Los Angeles as a launching pad to restore their reputation in the NBA to sign bigger deals down the line.
Schroder -- who infamously turned down an abusrd extension to sign with the Lakers -- is on a two-year deal with the Raptors worth over $25 million. That's the biggest average annual value contract he has had since 2020 when he was closing out a four year, $70 million deal. Malik Monk went from $1.789 million with the Lakers to $9.5 million with the Kings.
It's hard to see exactly what the appeal is, but the appeal to play for the Lakers is clear. Is it the knowledge your team has a shot at competing for a title, since LeBron is the star in tow? Or is it the legacy that comes with the purple and gold?
Either way, it's clear that taking a discount to play for the Lakers is not a problem for fringe star players, but it's unlikely they'll stick around for long if they prove their worth.
Jrue Holiday will net the Blazers a foundational return
The Portland Trail Blazers are getting interest in their newly-acquired star Jrue Holiday from the Clippers, Sixers, and Celtics already, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN's comments on Get Up Thursday morning. As you can expect, a bidding war with that many interesting parties right away figures to be one that gets the price pushed high.
The Blazers, ultimately, are expected to land multiple picks and possibly also a young player on a rookie deal in a forthcoming Holiday trade, which Wojnarowski has also added should happen very quickly. Portland probably won't even stitch "Holiday" on a Blazers jersey.
The Blazers, then, will ultimately net a huge return for Damian Lillard. Here is what they already acquired:
- Deandre Ayton (via Suns)
- Toumani Camara (via Suns)
- Jrue Holiday (via Bucks)
- 2029 1st-round pick (via Bucks)
- Two first-round pick swaps with Bucks (2028, 2030)
So, swap out Holiday for even more picks, and you can see how this trade could set Portland up to build a competitive starting lineup built around strong young players in just a few years.
Whether or not the Blazers hold onto Deandre Ayton remains an interesting thing to watch as well.
Giannis Antetokounmpo did not have a chance to hear trade before the world did
With such a massive trade, one has to wonder how much the Milwaukee Bucks involved their star centerpiece, Giannis Antetokoumpo, in discussions. Giannis and Dame did discuss teaming up years ago, but neither player wanted to leave their team then.
So one might think Antetokounmpo, once Lillard became available, was a thought leader in the organization pushing them to get a deal done. Evidently, not so much. Adrian Wojnarowski reported on NBA Today that Antetokounmpo, "literally played no role."
Woj adds that Bucks general manager Jon Horst didn't bring the trade to his star player for a final sign-off, because Antetokounmpo is close with Holiday, and feared Giannis may feel the weight of the decision on his conscience.
In the end, Horst did his job and made the decision for the organization regardless of how his star might felt. He simply made the trade he felt would set the team up best to win another title.
