Outside of his rebounding totals (11.0 per game), Andre Drummond wasn’t much of a factor in the first-round series against the Suns. He was even taken out of the lineup for Game 6, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel is hopeful the unrestricted free agent will re-sign with the team, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
“‘Dre was great for us,” Vogel said. “We’re hopeful that he’s a Laker for a long time. He really played well for us and was a good culture fit.”
GM Rob Pelinka, Drummond’s one-time agent, said that signing the veteran center after he cleared waivers was something he’d “do again and again,” Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register tweets. Pelinka added, “We’re proud of some of the big games and big moments he had,” but didn’t make any pledges about trying to bring him back.
We have more on the Lakers:
- Vogel didn’t want to comment about the possibility of getting a contract extension, but confirmed he’s entering the last year of his deal, Goon adds in another tweet. Vogel was hired on a three-year contract in 2019. “Obviously I love it here,” he said. “I love this organization, and I hope to be a Laker for life.”
- Some of Anthony Davis‘ teammates tried to talk him out of playing in Game 6 but Davis ultimately decided to give it a try, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports. AD lasted a little over five minutes before being sidelined by a groin injury. “I knew the only way I was going to be healthy enough to play was to get some rest, but time wasn’t on my side,” he said. “So, I tried to give it a go. I don’t regret anything.” A lingering high ankle sprain prevented LeBron James routinely attacking the paint, Haynes added, with estimations that James was about 85% health-wise for the series.
- Marc Gasol knew his role would be diminished after Drummond was signed but family reasons helped convince him to remain on the roster, rather than pursuing a buyout, Goon tweets. His family had settled into the Los Angeles area and he didn’t want to uproot them.
I’m thrilled with LBJ sent home early. I also hope no team helps him out like always such as Lillard coming to LA.
The Lakers have no way of improving themselves, they’re stuck with two injury-prone superstars and a bunch of role players who don’t do much.
Andddd they’re still better than Houston. Save the “if they keep their top 4 pick with this solid core of young players” crap. Houston won’t be relevant for another 10 years minimum.
“ Houston won’t be relevant for another 10 years minimum.” Neither will the Cubs
What a stupid statement Cubs are in first place and won a World Series 2016 and have been to the playoffs regularly..
Because that’s who I’m talking about here. Gtfo
Pretty much every team in the league would love to be “stuck” with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. You’re takes are beyond horrific.
Rockets really have no way of improving themselves.. you dumped a lot of money on woiod and wall.. lakers can make trades and sign and trades. And vet minimums
According to laker fans they’ll sign or trade for a 3rd super star and Anthony Davis will stay healthy next season. And they will 10 straight nba championships.
They’ll trade for Luka Doncic, Bradley Beal, and Nikola Jokic while only giving up Alex Caruso, Talen Horten Tucker, and a couple 2nd rounders.
Not sure how a dude on a recent supermax comes to LA. They have nothing to trade and are already cap limited. It’s not like dame can opt out and sign a min contract.
The key is a schroder sign and trade.. say schroder gets 25 million per and Kyle kuzma contract is at 13 mil, that’s 38 million going out.. it can be done money wise.. or if Chris Paul opts out.. they can sign and trade schroder for Lowry or Chris Paul.. they have options
Money wise, it can be done. But that would require two things: an acquiring team willing to pay Schroeder $25 million a year, and the Lakers having assets to attach to Schroeder and Kuzma. Neither of those seems likely, even if a third team is involved.
Good luck with that….duping another team into thinking those dudes have ANY value.
@Lakers1 what you miss out is no team in the west wants to make the Lakers better so whoever they trade for will come out of the east. Trying to get a 3rd all star will be very tough unless they get somebody on a down year and over paid. Lowry I could see them getting but it would take Kuzma, Thororton and Pope plus a 1st round pick.
I don’t see why the Suns would want to pay Schroeder and Kuzma $38M when they could just pay Paul $38M. Same with Toronto and Lowry.
lmao who wants kuzma. dude is trash
1.Lebron’s style of play is different with MJ & kobe
2. Even MJ, & kobe needs some players to step up for their team to win. Imagine if pippen got injured, or pau gasol? That would have changed a lot for MJ & Kobe’s team.
LeBron was 100% when it came to crying to referees in seeking phantom calls and 100% in poor sportsmanship.
Maybe the most self-entitled athlete I’ve seen…
name 1 superstar who doesn’t cry to referees.. or maybe not literally but contest their calls…?
Must not get much hoops out there in Singapore
It amazes me the level of “hate” you’re displaying. Says a lot about you.
I’ll second that…..LBJ should never be called the GOAT, let alone mentioned in the same breath as MJ & Kobe. This guys never would have went out in RD1 following a ring and the NBA wasn’t soft as baby doo doo then like it is today.
Kobe was the leader of a team that blew a 3-1 lead to the Suns. But hey that doesn’t fit the “built different” narrative.
That the year the Lakers were 42-40 playing the 61-21 Suns as an 8th seed?
That the laker team who’s top 5 scorers that year were
Kobe Bryant 31.5
Lamar Odom 15.9
Luke Walton 11.4
Smush Parker 11.4
Kwame Brown 8.4
One man winning 3 games against a #1 seed in the playoffs with a bunch of scrubbs is the definition of “built different”.
7 seed. Kobe is my favorite player but he had some forgettable moments too. Up 3-1 there is no excuse. Like the 2016 Warriors. The idea that LeBron isn’t on Kobes level of competitiveness is just dumb.
Forgettable like raping someone
What about if we talk LeBron in the next breath, after the vital first MJ/Kobe breath…
Maybe even take an in-between pause for added suspense?
Would that suffice?
That dude, is like one of the top five people at what he does EVER! What a loser.
He’s a strong man, I feel more for the family
Well now I know why they signed Drummond rofl
Can we have all the people who whined incessantly about the buyout market come convince us again why it needs to be top of the list for the next CBA?
I’ll wait…
I’ll hold off just in case Blake puts up 25 & 10 and shuts down Giannis in the 2nd round
Has there ever been a less inspiring RFA than Drummond, he’s going to be coming off a max extension and will be lucky to get league min.
Lol Larry sanders
Lebron can’t win without superstar talent/s by his side.
Vogel can’t coach.
If Vogel doesn’t win a championship next year, he’s gone.
Coach K will probably be at the top of the Lakers list.
I think Pelinka’s roster construction is mostly to blame.
If AD and Lebron care about winning most, they have to go year to year or take less money.
That’s something Pelinka, should have convinced them of.
Coach K isn’t coming to the NBA. Stop.
I said all the playin teams would be irrelevant anyway and people acted like I was crazy for saying that.
Well.
LeBron never carried a team like Kobe did. You can’t surround LeBron with scrubs and win. His act has worn thin. Great player but MJ and Kobe we assassins. LeBron is the kid hiding under the table.
What are you smoking? LeBron dragged Sasha Pavlovic, Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, and Ilgauskas to the finals. Kobe had future HOF and in his prime Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Odom, Artest, and Fisher was still on that team.
MJ and Kobe never went to a finals without a HOF teammate in their prime.
Comments like this are even worse than the trolls because clueless people actually believe it. Kobe had 3 years of his prime where the Lakers did nothing. LeBron missed the playoffs in his prime one time and it was at the same age Kobe was already washed at.
LOL. It’s Kobe, more than any other star, that couldn’t carry a team anywhere without an elite players around him. That’s one area in which LBJ doesn’t take a back seat to anyone since the 1970s.
People really need to throw Kobe in the google machine, but I won’t speak ill on the deceased.
Is it ill will if you think he is a top 12-18 player all time, maybe absolute lowest 22-23? I’ve had this conversation for pretty much 17-18 years, and it’s crazy how that’s somehow insulting. People really always said I was a Kobe hater, when I was a fan, and had his jersey, and a pair of his shoes when I was a kid/early in his career
Adam silver will direct someone to trade their superstar to the Lakers for a bag of used basketball’s to keep Lebrun happy! Lebron is a baby!
I think they can target a few guys using their current pieces. Few names I see on the move in their price range: Malik Beasley, Jerami Grant, Buddy Hield, Markkanen. Could be another year with lots of movement in the league, teams seem willing to deal.
Lakers have few ways to improve their roster.
But they don’t need to if Bron and AD are healthy. They were the best team in the league before the injuries.
Barring LeBron showing signs of being human this exact roster could win it all next year if healthy.
Lebron is and has been a great talent obviously
But his body language the last couple games was awful, and he did not show up.
He wants to be known as the greatest ever, this was a prime time to show up even just to take it to a game 7 considering the situation
I know he wasn’t 100%
But if you’re 85% you should be able to give more effort than he did, specifically driving and getting to line more than he did
One of the greatest coaches in sports history once said even if you are 95% healthy… you are 100% not healthy & on top of your game…
So if LBJ was just at 85% he played to an incredible level, as you would expect of him, end of… if the team wins or loses has nothin’ to do with it, like blamin’ Dame that POR lost, he just played to an absolute historical level, team ain’t good enough nothin’ to do with Dame, right?
He says he’s 85% healthy no one really knows. He makes excuses when he loses. Him walking back on defense was selfish. The other players running back have played more minutes and more games. He’s just a whiny baby. MJ would have never walked back on defense.
MJ also never would be a sore loser and leave the court before end of game.
MJ not sore? My goodness, MJ was a complete a-hole to anybody not named Michael Jordan
This board is full of revisionist history
Let Schroeder go and sign Lonzo ……
LA is finished. Bron is history. AD might even leave. He can’t handle the pressure of expectations. It’s back to the lottery in one yr.