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

DFS can walk. Good luck to him.

 

Don't think you're getting him locked in a deal that team friendly. It's a 1 + 1 and that second is a PO. If he pops, he's opting out looking to recoup his lost financial trajectory. IF he doesn't, then he's still getting that same amount that following year and that would be just his going rate moving forward.

Safe to say, we probably had an idea.

 

Ayton’s agent also represents Luka…

 

Man Luka is pulling strings like LeBron!


DFS? You guys are tripping..Luka would make Ayton into an All-Star here.

 

Keep DFS sign Ayton and then trade your assets for a true wing. I won’t speak ill on you again Rob

 

Irwin on his pod earlier this evening said it looked like we were planning to sign Lopez, but it would be as a backup.

This was before even Sharpe's FA was announced, a lot happened after the pod.

But if the plan was for him as a backup, that means it was A) for the minimum and/or B) we had a trade lined up. Cause you can't have been planning to give him any form of the MLE for a backup role if you don't have a starter locked.

So I wonder if a Ayton/Lopez depth chart at C is an option.

 

it's funny because i've been advocating for an ayton trade, and now i'm like...it's good but not as great as folks are saying. because my ayton trade was under the assumption we kept DFS. now, we have some assets available to replace DFS with perhaps a better-fitting wing or POA defender type should ayton sign for the mle, but both would be great.

i'd be surprised if lopez came here to be a backup on a vet min (which is what it would take, i think).

i guess if we truly let DFS walk, that puts us about 20 million under the apron, which allows enough wiggle room to both use the full mle and accept a S&T (we'd be hardcapped at apron 1 in either case, so whatever).

 

We have Bird Rights on DFS, and an owner with deep pockets. We could sign Ayton to the full MLE ,and still bring Finney-Smith back. Trade Kleber and Gabe for something else.

 

I don’t think you can sign Ayton to the MLE unless DFS rights are renounced

 

I have a legitimate question, I understand how the Lakers need a POA defender…. But who would be someone we would be able to target and obtain?

In a perfect Laker world the answer is Derrick White, Alex Caruso, or Jalen Suggs but I don’t think we can get any of those guys.

I think the list of POA defenders would be:
- Jrue Holiday: He’s still a capable POA defender and has shown he can be effective without needing any plays run for him offensively. Downside is he’s 35 and has $95 million owed to him on a 3 year contract.
- Marcus Smart: He can defend but isn’t much of a perimeter threat so teams may dare him to shoot the 3. He’s been injured a lot the past 2 seasons but he’s on an expiring contract. I think if the Lakers offered Knect/Kleber/Vincent, the Wizards would be open to the idea.

You do the Marcus Smart trade, sign Ayton, and bring back DFS (assuming Ayton takes TPMLE), try to fill out the roster with vet minimum guys like Jaxon Hayes, Spencer Dinwiddie, and maybe even Mason Plumlee and you gotta give the Lakers a A+ offseason.

Luka/Dinwiddie/Bronny
Reaves/Smart
DFS/Vando/Thiero
Lebron/Rui
Ayton/Hayes/Plumlee

Maybe even see if we can get Luke Kennard as our shooter off the bench… LFG!

 

That’s not how it works. The full MLE has to fit below the first apron figure of 193m or so.

So it doesn’t matter how deep our pockets are. If we let DFS walk and sign Ayton to the MLE we only have around 4-5m in cap space left.

 

Okay let’s take the Cap off of this.

No more bull. Lebron opted in. Finney gone.

You better get your money together and sign Ayton. Sign Deandre Ayton.

Lebron made his statement. I want to see what the Lakers do.

No Trade Knect No trade Reaves No trade Hachimura. Everybody stays.

Here’s the kicker Finney Smith he gotta go. He’s getting a bag.

But you sign Ayton give him his money and you sign Paul and Simmons or if Paul chooses the clippers sign Simmons.

Best we can do.

But don’t come in here with that crap Capela you can get Ayton now. Sign him. Now we know why the Lakers were waiting it makes sense.


All those bum centers went and teams jumped and paid for them.

it’s Charlotte and us.

Lebron putting the heat on. 2 yrs. 44 million for Ayton player option after year 1

 

Don’t forget the Spurs as a sleeper team in need of a center

 

Holiday is too $ and Smart hasn't been the same. If Smart gets Ayton'ed and hits the buyout market, that's another story.

Ellis or Thybulle are more realistic, especially after Sacramento's f*** up with his contract today.

I call them up and offer DK, a swap and a future 2nd for Ellis.

 

I don’t want to lose DFS but you gotta take the chance on Ayton in our situation

 

Then let DFS walk.

 

I and yall know I have been adamant about us trading for and acquiring Deandre Ayton or signing him. Now you get the buyout and you don’t have to deal with Portland. All those teams trying to jack us and force us into bad trades.

in my 2pac voice. Utah Ainge can you see us???? Do we look clear to you. How’s that Kessler trade look now??? You get nothing. No 2031 1st round pick unprotected no Reaves No Knect no Hachimura. Nothing. Keep Kessler.

Can you see us??? Picture us rolling.


We keep everybody all our assets. Beautiful 2031 1st round pick unprotected.


Look at us. We got depth. Onu Vando Hachimura Knect


Lebron Reaves

Luka and Vincent.

now sign Ayton get your center. No more excuses man. Takes care of the Mark Williams stuff. Phoenix gave a 1st rounder and a second rounder up for Mark Williams.

All the teams sabotaging us. Boston.

and oh yeah we still got Luka. We are sitting pretty. Sign Doreen Finney Smith or let some other team over pay for him.

We can sign Ben Simmons for very cheap.

 

CP3 and Simmons would be a minor coup

 

Rob did all that talking about turning over every stone for a starting center. I don't see him passing over Ayton just to keep Finney-Smith.