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

Ellis/Eason is a lot of STOCKS and DEFLECTIONS,and good rebounding and excellent 3-pt shooting. I like that combo.

 

You could sign Thybulle for much less and add a Dort for the same price people want to sign Watson for. Offer Watson 24-25 mil. It still puts Denver in a bad position

 

I think they may need 2 picks to dump Gordon, he's starting next year a 3 year extension ending at 37 mil. Nobody wants that contract

I think Denver has no choice but to let Watson go. Their window is purely Jokic and they don't need to gut the team just to keep Watson. Without Watson they are still a contender and have the pieces.
It's a no brainer for us, I'll be mad if we don't pursue it.
Just get the right number. I think we can get him the range of 25-28m. Just enough for Denver to have to dump 3 assets to match and decide not to.

Then get Ellis,we need to convince him of a starter role for 3 to 5 years.

Then you're settled and you can read the market and see what else you can do.

Luka | Smart | Bronny
AR | Kennard | Bufkin
Ellis | Middleton (MLE)| Thiero
Watson | Jake | Vando
Ayton | Hayes | 2026 pick

This is a solid team. We can use the picks and trade Vando and Knecht for a Eason for example. Or Dort. Or Jabari. Portis. Ware. We have options after guaranteeing Watson and Ellis.
Imagine a 9 man rotation of Luka, AR, Ellis, Watson, Smart, Middleton, Eason, Kennard and Ayton

 

Big Wings:

Watson
Eason
Smith
Cam Johnson
Gordon
Wiggins
Wade
Collins
Bridges
Bridges
Rechaser
Rui
Harris

 

yes or Ellis and Thybulle and still have cap space.

 

We could sign Ellis outright, since he's a UFA. I would go as far as trading this year's 1st for Watson, if needed. Nuggets might want an immediate cheap asset.

 

Yeah, good point. Thybulle does have a 6-11 wingspan, so he could play bigger.

 

Thybulle has been injury plagued. Him alone doesn't sound like much, but when you combine him with Smart, Thiero, etc, you create duplication (in a good way), and create a defensive identity. How much do you think he will get paid?

 

Ellis bricked a lot of open 3 with the Cavs - I don't think people would be happy with him if he played like that with the Lakers

 

Yes this team needs depth to keep the defensive effort for 48 minutes.He made 11mil this year.Because of his injury history he won’t get any more than that I would assume. He has been playing well since returning getting about 15 minutes a game

 

can't tell if that's even him but i agree...

 

Agreed. Defensive Specialists almost never really pan out as Lakers

 

Marcus Smart

 

How so? He's shooting 40% from three for them, and making 1.5 threes per game.

 

Yeah, and the way Smart is playing, I'm concerned that he will opt out. He's outplaying his 5.4 million contract. Might have to pay him the room exception. Ayton is more replaceable imo, he could opt in, or opt out.

 

that’s why I used the word “almost”

 

If Rich Paul delivered us Dort and Watson, I'm good...save a draft pick for the best player available (hopefully a young long athletic big) and let's go get after it next season!

I'd try to hold on to Ayton and Smart, but Rui, Vando and Jake are expendable. Thiero needs some burn.

 

had thiero played this year, i wonder if we're thinking of him as a rookie tari eason. eason's maybe an inch taller (has three inches standing reach on thiero), but thiero's stronger. this is another reason why i've never considered going after eason this summer.

watson and ellis are archetypes we don't currently have on the roster, established or developing, really.

 

I’ve spoken about why Eason is unlikely. Houston don’t have any reason not to match a fair offer, they aren’t in cap hell - and anything too high for Eason and it’s a negative contract.

Dort we can probably go out and get. For me I’d rather have Dort and Watson than Dort and Ellis who are smaller guys, although Dort is built like a 1960s fridge.

I really liked Ellis when we could trade for him and retain his bird rights. It was an excellent way to build our team when Reaves and Ellis had low cap holds. Now that we’d have to sign him into cap space or trade assets for him and not have the cap advantage, I see more issues.

I don’t believe we can even sign and trade Lebron to them for Ellis and another piece because they’re so high in the tax.