Brian Windhorst on Lakers’ next steps after hiring JJ Redick and drafting Bronny James | First Take

Brian Windhorst on Lakers’ next steps after hiring JJ Redick and drafting Bronny James | First Take

GM Rob pinka spoke about the historic day in the history of the NBA there’s never been um a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court and that feels like something that could be magical and we know and have to respect of course that LeBron has a decision about his opt out um and I’m sure he and his family and his agent will deliberate what they’re going to do there and of course he has freedom to decide whatever’s best for him and his family but if it worked out that he was on our team next season NBA history could be made and NBA history should be made in a Lakers uniform Jay will is back and Brian windhorse is here I I just uh I just think it’s important to point out very great tie Wy great tie great tie that’s strong that’s strong right there you sir I just think it’s important to point out that Rob pinka he forgot the tissue stop leave this man alone he just he for got tissue you know what I’m saying I mean when you have a when you have a press conference like that stuff like that I already call General Hospital ready call them ready call you say I mean you got a rooll for him we got the player we’ve been waiting for got the player we’ve been waiting for and and if if if if we’re lucky enough and we’ll see what happens and it’s LeBron’s decision and we’ll see what he’s going to do but if that happens I mean everything thing was there but the tissue the line the line that really got me though essay was we just want LeBron to do what’s right for him and his family right right right right oh shoot the drama I love it come on man unbelievable unbelievable I can’t help myself I’m sorry Wendy I’m going to start with you on this one what do you think is next for the Lakers yeah let me just follow up on Stephen A right there we have seen some elaborate stuff happen over the years in terms of recruiting free agents helicopter rides private Jets you know videos you know all this stuff nothing will Top drafting the guy’s son that is going to go down as the greatest ever move to knock make sure you knock lock up a free agent okay so the Lakers they have had a big week or so hiring JJ reck and then going through the draft not just getting bronny James which is obviously what everybody’s focused on but they had a really interesting pick on Wednesday night with Dalton connect out of Tennessee that is a guy that there’s a lot of people excited about okay now they have to roll their sleeves and really try to look at this roster and they have an interesting set of circumstances guys that is going to surround D’Angelo Russell and his contract U option decision which he has to do by tomorrow now I want to say a point this about Russell Russell played 76 games last year he was effective Off the Bench he was effective in the starting lineup he averaged 18 points in those 76 games he shot 42% from three-point range in those games that is a productive player he is an inconsistent player he is not always great defensively but he’s definitely a productive player he has a contract for n about $19 million if he opts into that contract it will have the Lakers going down one road if he doesn’t opt into that contract he will have the Lakers go down the other Road and this is where the LeBron thing gets interesting now first off the the Ops in the Lakers can keep him run it back with him and Austin Reeves in the starting back court we’ll see whether JJ reck likes that or or they can move him Stephen A that is exactly right there are players out there that are a ailable they would be interest Kyle kusma is a player who’s been very available in the trade market dating back to February has been around obviously with uh won a championship with the Lakers that is a player that you could include in an offer uh put d’angel Russell in there get the Wizards off of the money they owe Kyle kozma I’m not saying either of those would happen I’m just giving you an example of what the Lakers could do if they decided to trade D’Angelo Russell if he opted in they could also keep him just to be clear but if he opted in and they want to trade them those are types of players they could look at okay now let’s get interesting let’s say D’Angelo Russell not sure he wants to get traded unsure what’s going what his role would be under JJ reck decides to opt out okay and to be honest with you I don’t have a great feel for what this is going to be I thought maybe a month or so ago D’Angelo would opt out now I think there’s a chance a stronger chance he will opt in because the market isn’t looking so great right now we can talk about that later but I’m now kind of leaning that direction but if he does opt out now we have something interesting the Lakers don’t have salary cap space even if Russell Ops out but guys but if LeBron was willing to take a little bit of a pay cut now may sound easy for me to say little because um it would be more than $10 million but he was would he can make about 50 if he was Will to take his salary down to about 38 million from about 50 $12 million the Akers would have the ability to sign players on the mid-level exception of $12 million and it would open up more options for them in trade and stuff like that now LeBron as you guys know has always been you’re paying me the max money and he’s been probably worth twice that on most years even with the max he is times are different now is it possible that LeBron would engage in looking at taking a pay cut if he knew who they were going to sign and so the these are the things we’re going to take you know and I can’t I’m not as clear on who that would be yet because we haven’t seen who’s opted out of their contract and who may be available but that is something to watch over the next couple of days well it’s about who’s worth it number one and it’s about number two if you’re the Los Angeles Lakers man we just drafted your son all right you know we we’re going to develop him we’re going to help him be all he wants to be we did that could you do this for us mhm now LeBron at that particular moment has a decision to make and part of it is okay if I’m willing to make that decision am I willing to make that decision or am I willing to look at you and say I owe you no damn favors I’m about to re reup I’m here because I’m I a’t have to be here but I’m here it could be that attitude I don’t think it would be I don’t think LeBron would do that but I also don’t think that he’s gonna shave 12 million off of his salary because he uh Rich Paul is representing them and and and Rich Paul if nothing else you saying Rich Paul ain’t trying to give you a dime that he don’t have to give you as an NBA team okay that that that that’s not who he is so it’s going to be interesting to see what’s happening in terms of what’s next for the Los Angeles Lakers but I personally believe that I I’m not against D’Angelo Russell but I’m not a fan I’m not a fan of people who are not consistent I’m just not and when I saw him there were times last year he was great and then he show up the next game and you had to put an APB out for him you know where the hell I thought he was in the arena I thought he was in uniform I thought he was playing absolutely positively nothing was what you got from him one game is high another game is low and I think that when you’re that unreliable that’s I believe that as a player uh Jay he the 186 that he do if he opts in he’s worth that I personally believe in today’s NBA economy he’s worth 25 million year so I’m not questioning that in terms of his talent and his and and and his capability to produce my problem with him is that he’s here one day going the next and you can’t trust him that’s my issue with D’Angelo Russell yeah the the DLo thing is the thing that’s really I don’t think he’ll get that type of money on the market which is why I think he opt in probably makes more sense for him to opt in you bring up the level of inconsistency I forget what playoff game it was where he got benched and I remember watching the game at home and seeing him on the sideline not engaged in the Huddle and I get that throughout different times of the Season Stephen A you can have your ups and you can have your Downs with the rotation you can have your issues with other players on the team but while you’re in the playoffs to me that that became a defining moment MH where me personally I made a decision I he’s a talented player but while trying to win a championship he can’t get out of his own way about what the team was trying to accomplish it was more about him during the playoffs I don’t know if I like that mentality overall with where LeBron ad are trying to take this team okay I think they’re in a really tough situation with that okay and you know listen that’s just me personally I will say this what we need to do is we need to work on the one thing that I will say we need to work on is being far more complimentary of Anthony Davis than we have been and it’s not to say that we haven’t complimented him this year but to play 76 games showed up to play on the level that he played on when he didn’t play on that level because he was injured well he always plays on that level when he’s on the court when it’s just that he was he wasn’t reliable because of his injury history but Charles Barkley had CAU them Street clothed I caught them Six Flags because you never could know he roller coaster right that wasn’t the case last year he showed up and him showing up that way last year if he does that again let me tell you something right now we literally Wendy was there we literally will love the mindset Denver is the bad matchup we viewed no one else as being a bad matchup for the Los Angeles Lakers we have to remember that we really really do and I think that elevates the level of importance that you have to apply to guard play people that’s going to be on the court with them that LeBron and AD are relying upon cuz I’m not worried about ad and I’m not worried about LeBron I’m worried about the parts around him and who’s going to show up and number one on my list is D’Angelo Russell can I tell you something I I I know I heard you on the draft talk and I’ve seen him play in person okay and you know I’m quick to be like oh that’s that that’s different I’ll tell you real you know I’ll call Stephen A that he ain’t right he ain’t like that right y connect is like that I like that you start me raving about him [Music]

Brian Windhorst on Lakers’ next steps after hiring JJ Redick and drafting Bronny James | First Take
On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Brian Windhorst and Jay Williams react to Bronny James being drafted to the Los Angeles Lakers, making history as the father-son duo in the NBA and discuss what’s next for the Lakers.
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0:00 What’s next for the Lakers?
6:00 Stephen A.’s issue with D’Angelo Russell
8:00 Jay Williams weighs in on Stephen A.’s comments about D’Angelo Russell

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