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

If Luka wanted Giannis, and he wanted LA, Rob wouldn't be worried about spacing. We'd go all out to make it happen.

Sometimes we get carried away with concepts and overlook the fact that talent trumps schemes. Technically Luka and Austin don't really " fit" they are similar players. Lebron and AD didn't really "fit" both wanted to play 4. " Fit " can be overrated too. Top 5 talent is top 5 talent, I can't think of any team that had two guys of that ilk, that didn't win a Championship. The only fail is do to serious injury.

 

What is Austin 's deal in this scenario and were are we left cap wise..first apron?

 

For the cap-hold players, 41.5 million for Reaves, and 8 million for Hayes. With 15 roster spots, with two of those being filled by vet minimums, total salary would be approx 200 million. Leaving us at about 9 million under the 1st apron. So this works with or without a sign-and-trade. Doubtful that LeBron takes the vet minimum though. More realistaiclly, we could end up with Watson for 30 mil, Lebron for 18 mil, and Smart for the room-exception. Hurts our spacing, because we loose out on Ellis, and possibly Kennard. Woudl have to use vet minimums to get shooters. Lock in the best young free agent possibly available to us though, which is a great forward-looking move that simultaneously improves out now, albeit some potentially akword spacing.

 

Lebron and AD were not fitting towards the end there. You have to remember, back in 2020, Lebron could still defend the three, no problem AND AD was more mobile as a 4.

 

So basically it's adding Watson, and keeping the other two FRP?

 

Lebron and AD were top 5 players too. That part isn't to be overlooked. Injuries derailed that combination. Getting two guys like that is a rare opportunity, and making it happen brings Championships. Again when has it failed to be the case? Why should it be so with Luka and Giannis? I really haven't seen a compelling argument, other than it's unlikely to pull off.

 

Yeah, if we traded a 1st and a 2nd for him. The 9 million under the apron number was with us keeping Knecht too. The Watson deal I'm thinking starts off crazy high, but declines every year for 4 years. Lakers would essentially have to use the threat of an offer-sheet to negotiate a sign-and-trade, which would be better for all parties. Get it out of the way early.

 

Whatever the case may be, towards the end, Lebron was clearly a 4 and AD a 5. AD kept thinking he was a 4. And it took us fans a while to adjust to that.

 

But at the end, LeBron and AD weren't top 5 players anymore. AD was never really right fully after straining his Achilles in the bubble, he was still a force but he was not the same dude. LeBron wasn't the same physically after his high ankle sprain either.

I don't think Luka or Giannis have the same issues, as Lebron and AD did.

 

I keep emphasizing that a rim-protecting big is our greatest priority because:

• Smart is more of an NBA starter than Ayton is. Especially for a team like us, who has weak defenders at the other perimeter positions.
• A rim-protecting 5 could help make up for the perimeter defenders letting opposing teams penetrate the defense.

However, a perimeter player like Watson could be impactful on defending the perimeter, and also help with rim-protection, although it's not as impactful from the weak side. But, it's still something. This is where a Watson signing could make sense.

 

Yeah whatever the reason for their decline, whether it was injury, age, combination, etc. Many fans would not acknowledge this and kept wanting us to go with twin towers, liek our glory days, etc. AD himself wanted to play the 4 still, although it made no sense. My point is, we need to recognize awkward fitting, whether it be on defense, lack of spacing, too many ball dominate players (see Westbrook trade), etc.

 

Sidestepping my point..if they were still top 5..whatever position they wanted to play was irrelevant.

It's the same with Luka and Giannis, you can call them whatever, that talent level together, is a Championship favorite regardless.

 

That's a nice idea in theory, but not so much in practice. That's sort of an emotional statement, tbh.

 

Lol..you are still deflecting. When has pairing two top 5 players on the same team, not produced a Championship? What part of that is emotional?

 

watching mark williams last night:

 

KD/Harden Nets, Hardem/CP Rockets, Kobe/Dwight, KD/WB. It's not really grounded in facts. Lots of "feel" and subjectivity. Lol I'll leave it alone before you have me trying to thread more needles.

 

Those weren't top 5 combinations in the first place.. Steph/KD LeBron/AD yeah. LeBron/Wade could probably be argued top 5 for a season or two. LeBron elevated in Miami,Wade slowed with injuries but that's pretty close. They were more potent than what you came up with.

But just taking these anyway for the sake of argument...which one of these didn't involve serious injuries. You are actually deflecting more and more as you go along! Let me pull you back to the question again, the premise was based off of two parts...Talent and injury. It's not the name on the back of the jersey, it's the game of the guy wearing it.

When has pairing two top 5 players not produced a Championship?

 

Circling back to this post. So technically...We could sign and trade Austin to a Max and absorb the rest of Giannis contract (18M) into cap space, and still sign Ellis or Dort correct?

 

the answer may be never, but every positive example is from another era. since then, LOTS of rules have been made to try to prevent it from even happening, and they've been largely effective in doing so, to the point where i don't think the theory can rest on the same assumptions. like, you don't have the mle to round out the team anymore. miami slowly built around their big three, first by hot dog stand-ing haslem, then by using the mle to pick up guys like battier. you can't get haslem and battier-level players to flank two supermax guys now. no way.

 

Ye still... we are in the unique position to actually be able to do it though...right? Just taking the young blood's salary cap post..trading Austin for Giannis, isn't really any different, than keeping Austin at a max and adding another player at 18M.

We'd still have a MLE..why is it a given that Smart or Ayton wouldn't opt in order to get a ring? Who says Lebron wouldn't take whatever in order to have a legit shot at another ring? Why is this to be considered, such an outrageous proposition?