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

No move is an island in of itself. So I gotta give credit for the aggression and dealing to move up in the draft to nab what’s most likely a lotto talent. But I’m pretty consistent and I think we can’t really judge draft picks in year 1. I think at the very least you have to look 3-5 years into a career. So I’d say the move is great, whether Adou is great or just flames out like JHS and THT - or becomes the next Kawhi can’t be judged today. So to me this is a good move.

LaVaria has some potential and can continue to develop. It’s also a decent move. An example to me of a great move was Malik Monk for the minimum a few years ago, or getting a significant agent like Horford for the minimum. I’m not using this as a barometer to say this is a bad move, I just don’t think it’s clear cut great.

I guess what I’m saying is; it’s fine to appreciate what the front office is doing while asking for more. Teams are getting better around us, while so far (without Ayton) by losing DFS, we have gotten worse. I do expect us to improve, and I hope it’s a significant improvement and not just a micro one because I’m in the boat that every year we should compete with Luka - not in 2027.

 

Don’t set yourself up for disappointment, we aren’t trading for Giannis. Not this year at the very least and not without a handful of firsts and quality players. No one’s taking our junk for a top 5 player.

 

He and Steph having an in game distance comp of who can make the most 3s without crossing half court. Also would set the record for most 3s in a game. Also also smallest backcourt out there.


More from Dave

 

No actually you did NOT go negative on Jake out of the gate, my apology. But in this main thread there were these from you and many others shortly after signing him just because you have zero patience to let them do their job and always assume the dumbest and worst is happening because of unsubstantiated rumors about what the front office is doing or not going to do, when typically it's always something totally unexpected. Just go off with a fury on them literally a few hours after the start. And ready with the dismissal even if the workings began behind the scenes some time before with Luka's agent Duffy, Luka being on board because he would be consulted, and Rob to put that buyout into motion .... rather just luckily dropping into his lap. And he just got off a plane with an LA Dodgers baseball cap on. Having considerable other assets to work with now and THAT kind of center coming in for this year allows the FO to work on trades and strategies toward our other priorities including likely another lesser center and more experienced perimeter help.

 

john collins, right? he's not a center, but you can play him at smallball center.

we may have the wiggle room to just move shake/kleber/gabe for collins, right? utah's supposedly been trying to get off him, so why not just break his deal up?

edit: and i don't get the ayton situation at this point. we should have just made that happen unless we have something much better in the offing. having a hard time buying that.

 

I'm sorry, but I'm taking anything Dave says with a grain of salt. Again, this is not a knock on Dave and I feel like a broken record, but when's the last time Dave, anyone from ESPN, or any of the Lakers beat writers reported on a Lakers trade/signing rumor that actually happens? It just does not happen. We leak info after deals are dead and gone. I'll wait to be proven wrong, but it feels like they need content to keep the interest and using the Lakers name is good for business.

 

i'm not even sure if what leaks afterwards is even 100% accurate in most cases.

 

One thing I’m a bit disappointed on, is that Rob seems to over correct every offseason. We didn’t have enough youth and athleticism last year and now that’s his MO - almost like nothing can be viewed unless it’s through that prism. He’s done this numerous times and it makes me feel like we are a reactive organisation that builds on the fly and for the flavour of the month, rather than one that accumulates over time and builds through consistency and around the edges in a way the organisation, personnel and coach wants to play.

I believe once again we’ll have considerable roster turnover. It’s jsut not a good recipe in my opinion. We may see Rui, Gabe, Vando, DFS, Hayes and Knecht all leave on top of Max Christie, DLO and AD that are gone from trades. That would leave only Reaves and Lebron from the team that started the season last year.

 

can't believe NO would give up missi. he fills a need for them at current low cost (the latter matters). unless the looney signing influenced this, but...what?

i've been on williams for a while, but...you can't rely on him to play, basically at all. so you can't give up much. maybe portland learned their lesson from buying out ayton and will lower their stupid asking prices. how about gabe straight up? they get a vet pg, we get a very good but never available center.

not sure what a nick richards trade would look like, but shake for richards works if we can stay under the apron.

if there was a way to get richards, ayton, and melton (maybe in a S&T for gabe), that would be nice.

ayton/richards/kleber
lebron/vando
rui/laravia/knecht
luka/goodwin
AR/melton/bronny

again, still have knecht, kleber's expiring, and the firsts in case it doesn't work.

 

i think we overcorrected during the vet min roundout seasons, but i wouldn't say that's the case now. i think the luka trade just really shifted a lot of things. building around luka is not building around lebron/AD.

 

this, but flip Dalton + Gabe + 2031 1st for Herb Jones. Hell, throw in a 2028 swap if they're difficult. The sooner the Pels admit to themselves that they'll suck again this year, the better off everyone will be.

 

yeah, i just don't think NO admits defeat. it's joe dumars there. he probably thinks they're in the thick of it.

 

You must be on the really good edibles today.
I appreciate your excitement, but honestly- Giannis?
Take a deep breathe, my guy. It’s only day two of this.

 

The AD trade was built to last season. Even the personel was set for AD Hachimura etc. then the Luka trade all that shifted.

We tried to play on the fly. Shifted all our perimeter defense out in Max Christie. So it’s been his Mo.


Rob just get the best players.

 

I’m with you. When it comes to the Lakers, none of these talking heads have ever called the big moves, or even mid sized moves before they happened. It’s all just speculation thrown around to make it look like they really have “insider clout.”
One thing that Rob does really well is keeping his cards close to his vest.

 

lillard will be 36 when he can return from the achilles injury he suffered. no way he'll be able to keep up with younger, much quicker guards. not to mention he's owed 22 mil until 2030

maybe some team will be dumb enough to take a flyer on him, but seems like his career's over

 

This got a huge laugh out of me haha - of course he does.

 

Bucks will be paying the 22mil. I think someone will take a chance on him for a vet minimum.

 

Yeah...like the Lakers !!