2025-26 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Make the Knecht for Kessler deal. Give up a FRP and remove the protection off the pick of ours they have.

I'd try to fold Gabe and Kleber into Atlanta's 25M trade exception. That would free up the full MLE. I'm still rather unimpressed with this NAW kid, but now you can sign him.

I'd try to flip Finney-Smith, after he opted in, for Herb Jones.

You just brought 3 young guys in, we still keep Austin,Rui and Vando.

That's an 8 man rotation, and I expect us to be the prime destination, for a couple of vet minimum ring chasers. We get two playable guys with that. We still have Bronny, Goodwin, and the rook, to put into the mix.

13 players with two roster spots open. Let's Go!.

 

you've named three moves that i think are each impossible as single moves and are definitely totally impossible as joint moves, for several reasons.

 

Was only able to get back to this one today.

Yes, agree with you that a lower dunk %, means a larger offensive package. But do we really want that package? Do we want another mid j guy? First, JJ hates that shot and is super analytical, then we already have Bron, Rui, Luka and AR that like that space. I don't think we want our center to do that too.

We need to be careful with freeing up cap space for next year. We also want to have guys who we can re-sign with bird rights and maximize between the cap and the first apron. Those are the guys we can use for trades when Bron leaves and we need to reshape our roster.
Because in FA you can only go until the cap. Then there's a lot of space until the 1st apron and you want to be there and have contracts to use in trades. I rather trade our expirings for a piece that can both contribute now and be used in the future, either on court or as a trade. Wiggins, Claxton, Cam Johnson, Trey Murphy, Herb, etc

Btw, with you trade those expirings for Holiday?

I defo don't want to get rid of DFS. It's more a reality check because he seems to be gone. Today is the deadline to pick up his option. If he was going to re-sign for more years he wouldn't wait until today. Plus when you consider the rumours picking up, it seems either us or himself have other plans.
If we are doing it to open up the MLE to get NAW , I'm down. If not, I think we lose in the process. Even if we use the MLE on Bruce Brown, I probably prefer DFS + TPMLE to that.

Absolutely agree with your 2nd part. Which is why I don't want to burn all the assets on Ayton.
I mean, if it was for the perfect center, I could consider it, but I don't even have him at the top5 of centers we can get. So hard no.
His motor is really awful. No fans from previous teams miss him, he completely disappears in games.

 

What??? We can't trade DFS for Herb?? Why?? If they give us a pick, I think we might accept

 

Sorry as I look like the other guy, but this is my ideal offseason

Trade Wiggins for Rui and Gabe. Miami opens 2026 cap space while remaining competitive and gaining depth.
Claxton for Kleber, Vando and Knecht + '31 FRP and 2 swaps
Open MLE by letting DFS walk and get NAW
Sign CP3, Coffey, Prince, LaRavia, Nance Jr and Sims for the vet min

Luka
AR
Wiggins
Bron
Claxton

Awesome starting 5.

NAW
CP3
Goodwin
Prince
Nance Jr as your primary bench guys

Coffey
LaRavia
Sims

Playing situational minutes and back up for injuries
.
Bronny
Thiero

To develop

 

you're assuming he'd be a midrange guy here and not a lob finisher who serves as a safety valve in the middle of the floor when teams trap luka far from the hoop. having a center with more in his bag than catch and dunk can help here.

it's not just next year, it's this year's trade deadline. having essentially all expiring contracts and still holding knecht and/or most of our future 1sts could be very useful.

ayton qualifies here.

three of these aren't centers, which everyone admits is the biggest need, right?

i'm actually not a big trey murphy fan, btw.

i still need to be convinced claxton is even available. much like many other laker fan obsessions, i'm just not sure his team has much motive to move him (turner, previously, and kessler, currently are other examples).

you mean the supposed ayton package (that, again, i don't even think portland takes)? yeah, probably. that penultimate year of holiday's contract would hurt, though. i'd honestly prefer ayton, weirdly enough.

yeah, this has become clear in recent days, right. we would have solved this if an amicable conclusion were possible. it's funny, because i'd say under rob we've been pretty good about finding common ground with our own FAs. either we have a specific alternative plan or DFS's agent is asking for something unreasonable, imo.

yeah. or we need to have some other move that capitalizes on the flexibility gained. but that move would have to be pretty impressive.

the point of the ayton move is that you don't actually burn assets. you reallocate them a bit (you probably lose a first, but you also lose vando's negative trade value contract) while improving a roster weakness.

i see that some contend that ayton doesn't qualify as improving a roster weakness, but i'd suggest those same people do a deeper dive on the centers you're willing to give up a LOT MORE for. you'll find the differences are not as great as you'd imagine.

 

That was part of the problem with AD.

 

From what I can gather, we made a draft pick after moving up a bit, and may have gotten a 1st round level talent.

and we signed a 2 way player?

besides camp invites or Summer League invites, have I missed anything else?

 

How strong is Luka's relationship with DFS? It would be fine to keep DFS, but Rui would definitely have to go. We have too many power forwards, and need help at center and POA defender. I like that DFS could also defend 2/3s better that Rui and Lebron.

 

Shrug...Ainge won't get a better deal for Kessler.
You have to give the Hawks something, they won't be doing it for free, but they could route those expiring contracts elsewhere.

I'd rather keep Vando over Finney-Smith. Jones is expiring after next season, and coming off a rotator cup injury, I think he be had this summer.

 

Dallas traded DFS and upgraded their team.I doubt that Luka has a , Don’t trade Finney-Smith stipulation, it depends on the other moves. He got traded himself, he knows that's the business.

 

So far we picked up a nice prospect. The real action starts on Monday.

 

I mean DFS has some positives. He is one of the better 3-pt shooters on our team both in terms of percentage and volume and he is alas one of our better defenders. And he does things that don't show up in the stat sheet. But he is not going to be your main perimeter threat or defensive stopper. So, kind of mid. We are talking about a backup power forward/small forward who could get about 24-28 minutes per game. I guess I would lean NAW, since you could say he is a good poa defender, with no significant dropoff in terms of 3-pt fg per 36, and also he is 5 years younger. Also frees up a log-jam. Also, NAW is a clean-fit in the starting line-up next to Luka. He could easily defend point guards, is switchable, and his offense is primarily catch-and-shoot corner threes.

 

We're going to know something today

 

Latest from Stein


NAW

Jerome market

Kornet's suitors

 

Uh oh Beas!



On free agency eve too. Terrible timing.

Did you learn nothing from the bum north of the border?

 

maybe that's why he was so bad with the lakers

 

Duh

 

bingo. screw these bozos. we'll catch you on the flipside--when we're not operating from a position of weakness.

 

If we seriously view Capela as a starter then we have problems