Lakers Will be Busy this Off-Season

It is never too early to look ahead to the 2009-2010 season when your Los Angeles Lakers will look to defend their crown.

This team obviously does not need an overhaul, rather we need to keep as many pieces together as possible, while making minor tweaks to improve a couple flaws.

The top five priorities for the Lakers this off-season are:

1. Sign Trevor Ariza
2. Sign Lamar Odom
3. Sign Shannon Brown
4. Find a veteran big who can bring an edge and provide toughness
5. Find some additional outside shooting

This will be a five part segment in which I break down each priority, starting now with the re-signing of Ariza.

Sign Trevor Ariza

Trevor Ariza came into his own this season. His numbers were all very impressive as he tried to fill in as the defensive stopper on one end and the fourth option behind Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom on the other.

• The regular season (19 starts) — 8.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.7 spg, on 46% from the field
• The playoffs (23 starts) — 11.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.7 3pg, on 50% from the field and 48% from the 3-pt line

In his first three seasons, prior to joining the Lakers, the 23 year old missed 41 games due to injury. He came over the the Lakers 11 games into the season for Brian cook and Maurice Evans. He again was injured and appeared in only 24 regular season games. He missed the first two rounds of the playoffs, but only saw 45 minutes in eight games. As such, we really only have this season to judge him by, and unfortunately, it was the year his contract expired.

I am all for re-signing Ariza — I do have him as the number one priority — but the Lakers must be weary. Everyone knows of the contract-year-syndrome in which NBA duds become NBA studs overnight. Eric Dampier got a seven year $73 million contract contract thanks to his strong performance in his last year with Golden State. Jerome James got paid $30 million for his strong playoff performance while with the Sonics.

The most near and dear to me was during my first year working for the Clippers during the ‘04-’05 season, when I was able to witness first hand Bobby Simmons’ explosive season. He averaged nearly 16 ppg, 6 rpg, and 3 apg, while shooting 47% from the field. At only 26 years of age, he had nice size (6′6, 230), could play either wing position, played solid defense, and mastered the mid-range game. He had a great focus and determination to improve with each practice and shoot around before each game. I was convinced his strong play had nothing to do with it being his contract year or that I was able to watch him in person. He was about to enter his prime and looked ready to contribute to a team.

I wanted the Clippers to re-sign him in the worst way. As luck would have it, he signed an offer sheet with the Milwaukee Bucks for five years and $47 million and the Clippers let him go free. Since then, he has been traded to the Nets, had a few injury problems, and saw his playing time (34, 22, & 24 mpg), scoring (13.4, 7.6, & 7.8 ppg), and shooting (45%, 42%, & 45%) fluctuate and decrease well below his career year numbers.

It just goes to show, you never really know.

So, what is the difference between Bobby and Trevor? Well, Trevor is more dynamic on defense, is only 23, seems to be a perfect complement to Kobe and likes to play off of him either spotting up, cutting or running the floor. He gives the Lakers great length at the position and tremendous athleticism. He is also an improved shooter. I also don’t believe Trevor will get anything near the Bobby Simmons type contract offers from other teams, therefore making him very affordable.

The only teams I think will go after Ariza are the Spurs, the Heat, and the Blazers. Each team could offer him their starting small forward spot, but San Antonio and Miami could only offer him the mid-level exception (starting at about $5.5m/yr) while Portland should have about $7-$8 million in cap space (assuming they think he is a definite upgrade over Travis Outlaw). The Grizzlies, Pistons, and Thunder will have plenty of cap space as well, but all those teams already have their small forward entrenched.

Therefore, my best guess is that we sign him to a four year contract in the range of $16-$20 million. Factor in his relatively cheap extension and his young age and you can see why I think he is a greater priority than Lamar, who might command more money in the open market and will be 30 at the start of next season.

In case anyone disagrees, ask yourself one question…would the Lakers have won without him?

Factor in the two game saving steals vs Denver that led to a 2-1 advantage and two huge quarters in the final two games of the Finals (Game 4, we were down 12 at the half when he got us back in the game by scoring 13 points in the third; Game 5, he scored 11 in the second, igniting a 16-0 run and we never looked back).

Need I say more…

Stay tuned for my break down of Lamar Odom and what might happen to him this off-season.