We need to jump on this deal!

Gerald Green is unhappy and requesting a trade in Minny. We need to jump on this as quickly as possible. Green is an athletic 6'8 swingman who can rotate between the 2 and 3. He was selected by Boston with the 18th pick in the 2005 draft and was labeled as the next Tracy McGrady. I still believe he has potential, not T-Mac potential but the potential to be a solid roleplayer. He averaged 5 points in his rookie year and those numbers jumped to 10 points when Pierce was injured. I propose the following trade http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=549~207~2761~2197~923&teams=16~12~13~13~16&te=&cash= What about this trade? Lakers....

wouldn't we be backed up in the 2 and 3 positions? i'd love to just get luke out of the equation, but if this trade goes through...

kobe/sasha/jcritt

walton/ariza

so green would play at the 3 mostly? and i think he's a defensive liability. he's only 200 lbs, versus ariza's 220.

if luke was somehow taken out of the equation, i'd love the ariza/green at the 3 as well. but we have luke. and we're stuck with him.

Green can rotate to the 2, as far as D is concerned...Luke isn't giving us much of that either and I'm sure he can work with Kobe or a defensive specialist during the course of the season or this offseason. I'd rather take athletic swing over Luke who is in a funk right now

Don't forget the SLam Dunk Champion Gerald Green is only 21 years old. So he still has another year or two to bulk up a little bit. And all very young guys who come out early take a couple of years to learn how to play D. But the potential here is enormous. The upside is unlimited.

This guy is sick. I say deal. This guy can definitely finish at the rim, and that is the kind of player we need. I say deal.

I do think if we got him we would be too backed up on the 2-3 position.................

BUT, Green is a very good prospect and i think we should gamble on him.

my only problem with this trade is do you think Minny would want a little bit more?

So Green, Ariza, & Sasha would all have expiring contracts...that would mean that signing Ariza & Green would give the Lakers backups for the 2 & 3 positions...or if Green doesn't show any good signs then the Lakers can just let him walk...I've seen Green play, & he does remind me alot of McGrady...he won the dunk competition last year...last season, when Paul Pierce wasn't playing, he was doing quite well...he can hit the three and finish at the rim...Green would probably fit in with the 2nd unit...Farmar, Green, Ariza, Radman, Turiaf(or Brown for later in the season)...the 2nd unit would have two finishers, two good 3-pt shooters, & Turiaf who hustles and doesn't let up...that's a good trade...

we already have a slasher called Trevor. This makes no sense, we're one LEGITIMATE deal from the finals, and we have trevor.

Trevor is out for 8 more weeks. And although both are slasher type players, one focuses on offense, while one focuses on defense

No deal for me. Despite Green's athleticism, how can Phil like him with his D? Yeah he is a prospect, but considering Luke's know how of the Tri, I think Phil would rather stick it out with Luke than Green.

how in he l l will this deal help us become a better team

Quote from Forum Blue and Gold: (http://www.forumblueandgold.com )

From: Preview and Chat: The Cleveland Cavaliers -- January 27th, 2008

“Three weeks ago people were debating if this team could beat the Spurs in a seven game series, and after two losses in a row half the fan base is willing to trade anyone and everyone just to stop the bleeding. Relax, people. This is not the time for a panic move to “salvage the season” because that is how you end up with the Knicks roster.”

There is a lot more in today’s article, it’s a good read. This is not time for drastic actions; we need to keep building this team by making only deliberate and well thought out trades that make the team stronger in the long run. We can’t panic and tear up the team just because of a few injuries; the team just has to learn to weather the storm, and us fans as well.

So how many of you still think we can rely on Luke?

People we're actually relying on him?

I like the Green trade, we give up a 2nd round pick but we get rid of Mihm who doesn't even last half the season and we get in Green who is a player with a lot of potential. He can be a better player in the future with mentoring from Kobe. I say deal but realistically, what are the chances of this happening?

Gerald Green ---- SF --- Height: 6-8 --- Weight: 200 lbs---Age: 22 2008 Salary: $1,440,960 PPG 4.9 | RPG 2.1 | APG 1.2

Luke Walton ---- SF --- Height: 6-8 --- Weight: 232 lbs---Age: 27 2008 Salary: $4,000,000 PPG 7.4 | RPG 3.8 | APG 3.1

Walton will never be an all-star, but he is a role player who knows the triangle and fits snugly into the SF position, and we just got Ariza who is likely to start the SF position if he can stay healthy. Luke wins in every stat category against Green except being a slam dunk contest winner, and though I like Green, he seems redundant; is he a luxury we can afford?

I think you forgot to mention something. Green plays less than half of what Luke plays. So you could pretty much double all of Green's stats, so it looks like that Green wins the majority of the important stats.

plus their age difference.

And like I said, is Green at SF luxury we can afford, or even really need? Lets assume Green plays equal minutes and scores a few more points than Luke; is he a better team playmaker? Doubt it. So other players points likely go down. And we have to take Powell in the bargain for three years or until we can dump him, capping us at 15 players. Right now we need help at PF and C more than anything. I like Green, but Arriza was a much better catch.

The only way this trade works from my point of view is if after getting Green we can then trade Luke, perhaps with Kwame, and hopefully Powell, for a true PF. That I like.

In fact, the more I look at it from that point of view the more I like it. This gives us an offensive upgrade at SF (a push with defense there) and we gain a PF that we really need, strengthening us offensively at two positions, plus hopefully some good defense at PF. The question is what Pf can we get? This could be fun, because acquiring a good PF puts Lamar on the trade block this summer; something to consider.

I rather have Luke. He isn't playing @ 100% and I have a lot of confidence in him. Plus, we have Ariza who I think will be our starter for the next couple of seasons at least. Luke can do great things off of the bench.

I like Luke also, it's a shame to see his string of injuries push him off-court. I think it highly unlikely the Lakers would trade him any time soon, but you never know.

The scenario I'm discussing above is a what-if which is note really likely, but interesting to discuss. With Kidd available again, and the issue of Kwame's near certain exit to come, and the need for a big PF or replacement for Kwame, I'm sure the trade discussions will be swirling. The Lakers are in a tight spot right now with shortages at C and SF, I think this will limit the Lakers strategy concerning Kwame and other mid-season trades.

I think Luke has shown how much he is missed. Just look at last nights game. What we need is another forward. We have a few good ones, but need just one more. We don't need an overhaul on our team. We have what we need except that position. Odom is the one that could do it, but his head is not in the game. He is a bust. Let's get someone that wants to win.

Although, currently, I am against another trade. This one would make some sense, since Mihm is pretty much expendable now that Gasol is here. I like the style of play that Ariza brings. It has been a long time since we have had a true slasher like he is. With Green, that makes for a pretty potent offense with constant movement- something that the triangle thrives on. So, I say, go for it. Mihm hasn't been part of our success as of late anyway.

I think the Lakers are set. It's like a scab, you leave it alone, don't pick it. I think it's time for me to spell Kupcakes name right after this deal he made. Well, maybe next time.