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

LAKERS BORING OFF-SEASON TRADE

DRAFT DAY
If no sufficient pick available, trade Knecht + 2026 1st (#26) + 2031 1st to New Orleans for Missi + 2032 2nd

Why for Lakers?

• Missi has two years of NBA experience under his belt, which is more of a sure thing than similar players in the draft like Bidenga and Quaintance. Missi was 2nd team all rookie, and has put up solid numbers in his young career so far. He has shown he can play solid minutes at an NBA level, which you cant say about rookies. Missi is also still only 21.
• Rim-Protection - This season, Missi is 4th in the NBA with 2.9 blocks per 36 minutes.
• Lob Threat - 7 foot, 9-2 standing reach, 38 inch vertical leap. Has shown that he is a lob-threat at the NBA level. This meshes really well with Luka. We have seen it with similar players like Gafford, Lively, and Hayes.
• Addition by Subtraction - You open up a roster spot for a more useful player than Knecht. Better than cutting Knecht and eating his salary. The kid needs a fresh start.
• Clear cap-room - Including Knecht in the deal clears off an additional 2.8 million in cap-room, leaving the Lakers with about 50.5 million in total cap-room. Missi costs about as much as the outgoing pick, so salaries are a wash there. Lakers gain 2.8 million in cap-room.
• Missi is worth about 1.5 1st round picks. Having them take Knecht and sending over a 2nd makes it palatable to send the future 1st. I think it's fair.

Why for Pelicans?

• They seem to have invested heavily in Queen as their center of the future. They traded a future lottery pick for him, and Missis s minutes have dropped this season.
• They don't have a first-round pick in this year's draft. Sending them our pick gives them a pick, and something they could sell to their fans, whether they are rebuilding or not. They could draft another big with the pick if they want. They might prefer to get a stretchy type big that could play with Queen and Zion. There might be a few good ones available there. We don't need a stretchy big.
• Cost-controlled - Missi already has two years in, so he's going to need a contract soon. The draft pick provides flexibility.
• Assets- The two picks is good for their asset management, and could be used in possible trades.
• They could afford to take a flyer on Knecht. There is a chance he returns to his old form, and his struggles might have just been an isolated Lakers thing, due to the trade and bright lights.

 

Wembys different. He’s concerned about things off the court like Kareem was. I just see similarities. He’s not the average NBA player today. Just different not about the bling maybe I’m wrong but he’s got certain things he’s trying to get done.

Money is not the most important to him. I don’t know L.A. could be attractive to him. Cause of other things. But we have to have a good basketball foundation also. And if San Antonio he doesn’t win.

 

Nick Smith just give him the ball go to work. Shoot shoot. We need scoring. It makes sense. He’s been here. He knows the offense. He’ll be playing with LeBron and Kennard setting him up. Let’s see what he’s got.

 

As for the off season.

focus on Gianiss

AJ Mitchell

Eason

Watson

Johnson

guys you can get that you can actually get. And then you gotta see what LeBron is going to do.

Bring Kennard back.

but to take all the Laker suspense away. It’s gonna go like this.

off season

Lakers resign Austin Reaves

Lakers sign LeBron James to 1 yr. 20 million contract. Lebron will retire a Laker

Lakers bring back Deandre Ayton who exercises his option

Lakers bring back Marcus smart on a 2 year deal.

Lakers sign Tony Eason to a 3 yr. 44 million deal.

Lakers bring back Jaxson Hayes.

Lakers bring back Luke Kennard

and that’s how I see the Lakers off season going.

 

I’ll be shocked to see Nick Smith Jr get any game time. He’s more of a break in case of Smart or Kennard going down emergency.

We have Vando for the SF emergency spot and King Kleber for the bigs.

 

No I’m not expecting him to be Kobe Bryant but he’s gonna get some looks and he needs to be prepared.

 

why do we have to add the 2031 1st? i wouldn't do it. now, if they take vando for herb jones, i add the 2031 pick.

 

For a guy his size and measurables he seems to be a bit weak on the boards. However he might be more realistic than Kessler. If we got him and Watson, and kept a FRP..I wouldn't be mad at that scenario. I would still like a pick in this upcoming draft. A couple of high 2nd rd picks isn't a terrible idea.

 

I think you have to really value your draft picks. Nobody’s doling out 1st rounds for second rate players it ain’t happening.

Those are only for tier players like Gianiss or any other players that become available.

See I’d empty the whole barrel and go after a Keyshawn George. Young and under control. That’s who I’d package unprotected 2031 1st round picks for. Young Wings.


Another guy I could see the Lakers signing for 1 yr. 10 million Kristof Porzingis.

would I give a 2031 for Dort??? Yes.

you guys haven’t even mentioned the most important thing. This off season Mark Walter is redoing the whole scouting department. He’s cleaning it all out. So we could get top tier scouting and start hitting on these second round picks.


Also a guy the Lakers need to be zeroing in on and I would give a 2031 1st round pick for. Because I think he’s perfect to pair with Luka. Is Jamie Jaquez jr.

 

Because the #26 pick is not a super attractive asset. There is also the Knecht salary dump aspect of the it. Ths't worth something too. They have the supply, and we have the demand. I know on the surface it sounds like a tough pill to swallow, but it's really not. They even send us a 2nd our way. They probably would do that Jones/Vando swap too, but I'm not sure if I would want to, tbh. Herb's extension kicks in after next season, so 4 more years left. Granted, it's not grossly expensive, but its 25 mil per year or so after next season. We need 2-way players. Herb is only a marginal offensive upgrade over Vando, when you think about it. Vando under contract only 2 more seasons. Also, Vando's deal is about 2.5 mil cheaper than Herbs for this season, so a bit more cap-room to spend on more of a 2-way player 3 and D, like Ellis, Dort, or maybe Melton.

 

Your really zeroing in on a very specific thing here. I'm not saying the guy is Wilt Chamberlain, but he gets 10.9 rebounds per 36 minutes for his career. That's better than anybody we have on our team. Ayton is 10.5.

 

eh, missi was a pick in the 20s in a weaker draft. decent chance there's a big as good or better than missi at 26. i'd argue they have the problem, having drafted two consecutive centers and clearly preferring one.

i get it on herb. i view him as reclamation now, and i think if there's a place he can work, it's with luka doncic.

anyway, i'd give a hard no to knecht and 2 1sts for missi. that's more than what we got mark williams for, and he's shown a lot more than missi, imo.

 

Nah man Mark Williams isn't a rim-protector lol. Also, Knecht's value was higher back then, and we also included two swaps i believe. Dalton's is now NEGATIVE value. If we could just put everyone's ideas together, like putting Vando's defense with Luka's offense, we would be on the same page.

 

Yeah, I have 20-25 for Lebron, 10-12 for Smart, and maybe 16-18 million for someone else (Ellis, Dort, Melton, Eason, Mitchell Robinson, etc.). I agree, DA opts-in. Kennard probably gets the room exception. Reaves and Hayes sigh last, using their cap holds. Reaves get max or near max, and Hayes gets bumped up to about 7-8 million. Rim-protecting big is the top-priority imo. It will be interesting to see what we do about that. Either the 1st or someone in a trade. If not, then Robinson.

 

Doc Rivers is departing as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, sources told ESPN on Sunday

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48470896/sources-doc-rivers-three-years-bucks-coach

 

Playoffs Rockets Lakers crypto let’s Go!!!!!!!!!


My unsung under the radar star of this series Dalton Knect.

 

I feel you.

 

This is about the best outcome we could have gotten with what’s happened. The team got some momentum behind them, a week off and facing the rockets that are probably the weakest team in the top 6 (apart from us).

We got a chance.

 

Man...losing to the firecrackers will suck royally for me. I'm going to lose money and have it thrown in my face all summer.