Derozan and Whiteside. You'll get derozan. And mahimi

That's the obvious candidates but any sane person would argue that DeRozan has played himself out of a max contract. I doubt Luke would want him on our team.
To go from coaching the new era basketball, with players great at shooting from beyond the arc, to giving a max to DeRozan who cannot shoot 3s? Not happening.
If we had like Byron as coach still, I'd bet bank on him wanting DeRozan tho rofl

As for Whiteside, I don't know. His stats say yes, but every person watching the Heat tells me he's just like Love in Minny. Padding them stats but his on/off numbers are bad.

Can Ben Simmons Force His Way to the Lakers?

Most pundits do not believe the 76ers will have the courage to pass on Simmons, who is the best player available in the draft, even if Ingram is also an intriguing prospect and might be a better fit for what they need right now. Thus, Simmons may have to take matters into his own hands, which might explain why he has maintained a low profile of late. After all, why talk to other teams if in his mind it is the Lakers or bust?

One thing Simmons can do to convince Philadelphia to take Ingram is to refuse to work out for or interview with them before the draft. He can also let it be known, through his agent, that he does not want to play for the 76ers and will not be happy if they choose him. If he wants to go all out, Simmons, who is Australian, can tell the 76ers they would be wasting the pick on him because, if chosen, he will opt to play abroad instead.

Simmons’ reputation might take a temporary hit if he pursues this course of action, but time (and winning) heals all. When they left college, quarterbacks John Elway and Eli Manning successfully pulled similar stunts to force their way to different teams, instead of accepting their fate and playing where they first appeared headed. Things turned out just fine for them.

Simmons seems tailor-made for Hollywood. He is used to being in the spotlight, as documentary cameras followed him around through much of his high school and college careers. Presumably, he wants to reunite with his old high school friend and teammate, D’Angelo Russell, with whom he won a national prep title, and he may be willing to go to extreme lengths to make it happen. If they repeat that success as pros, all will be forgiven.

Ben Simmons is missing in action. Little has been seen or heard from him since the LSU Tigers failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in March and then decided not to participate in the NIT. He was a no-show at the NBA Draft Combine and failed to appear for the NBA Lottery. Many of his peers, including chief rival Brandon Ingram, have been very visible of late, showcasing themselves and lobbying to improve their fortunes in the draft, but Simmons has remained out of sight.


If Simmons wants to be selected number one, it sure seems that he is going about it the wrong way. Which raises the question, does he want to be the first pick?

Simmons gave signs all year that he fully intends to be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers next season, and that no other option is fathomable. He was often photographed proudly wearing his Magic Johnson Lakers jersey with a big smile on this face. He famously proclaimed at one point, “You can catch me on the Lakers next season.” At the time, it was a bold and amusing statement, though it seemed a highly unlikely scenario. Simmons was going to be the top pick in the draft, and when the season started, the Lakers were expected to be improved over the team that finished with the fourth worst record the year before.

I'm sure nothing would bring you more pleasure than derozan on the lakers.

But umade is right, I highly doubt he's coming here.

The fact that he didn't show up to the lottery is meaningless. Lakers could have very well lost their pick then how was he going to force his way to LA? I'm sure Simmons wants to be a Laker but there's a pretty significant salary difference between being the #1 overall and the #2. Leaving that much money on the table and tarnishing your reputation is a heavy cost that I doubt he would be willing to pay just to come to LA. Unless Nike really has a huge offer on the table pending him being drafted by the Lakers.

The kids era

It all depends on what we do with the draft pick, m8. I wouldn't put it past Kupchak/Buss trading it considering the promise Jim made for the Lakers to be contenders by next season.

Mitch already said he won't be trading the draft pick

He said it was "unlikely". And of course he's going to say that. If he outright said he was looking to trade the pick, he would have less leverage in a trade.