Comments on an evaluation of Mitch's 2005 off-season moves

Posted on LakersGround.net on 5/10/06.

Good post

Laker7 wrote:
1. Traded Caron Butler and Chuck Atkins for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit.
:
Grade B+.

The grade could increase if Kwame works hard this off-season

Laker7 wrote:
2. Signed Aaron McKie, Luke Walton, Devin Green, Smush Parker and Jim Jackson as free agents.
:
Grade C-.

What GM had better luck with free agents? San Antonio, but Finley and Van Exel were drawn by closeness to home and the likelyhood of rings. I think you have to rate him higher, like a B/B+.

Laker7 wrote:
3. Drafted Andrew Bynum, Ronny Turaif and Von Wafer.
:
Grade B

I would give him an incomplete as it is really too early to judge any of those players.

Laker7 wrote:
Outlook – Both Mitch and Phil have stated they are not looking to overhaul the roster. Given that the roster is young and now has some playoff experience (Odom, Luke and Brown with 2 years / Smush, Sasha, and Ronny with 1 year), that makes the most sense to me. I look for Rush to be signed for the vet minimum / LLE to back up Kobe and a PG to be signed with the MLE but I am not sure who. Cassell and Banks seem the most likely (Cassell wants a ring and to learn some coaching from Phil / Mitch has coveted Banks for a while) but I could be wrong. Jackson, Green and George will likely be gone. Profit will likely be signed to a vets minimum contract as well. If Mitch can pull off Cassell, Rush and Profit, he will get an A- in my grade book. Banks instead of Cassell only gets him a B.

I don't know what Mitch will do this off-season. Last off-season, he said that he was going after a former lottery pick who had been a disappointment so far. Everyone raise their hands who guessed Kwame Brown. I sure didn't.