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

It's not a reality. You won't find a player better than LeBron at $15m despite the issues he does bring

I don't think you're going to find a competent player to replace LeBron at $20-25 million for the next two years.

He's still capable of giving you 24/6/7 right now on good efficiency. In two years, he'll still be capable of that because he's mastered the game. Physically, he looked off the first couple of months but he's looked so much younger and has a lift to his game since February. He's leading the league in transition points scored.

Like without LeBron right now, there would be zero chance the Lakers would beat the Rockets. It's the fact that he's still on the team that the Lakers have a chance.

I really don't think LeBron is the issue right now with how he has been playing and adjusting. His defense improved, he's playing off-ball just fine, and he has the capability to still take over games. Passing wise, he's still one of the top passers in the game. Top 5, easily.

If he is declining, it's not going to be one of those CP3 declines and more like a steady and slow decline because he's still physically and mentally way above average compared to the league.

Main issues to me are Vando and Rui. $30 million collective salary and I don't think they're going to help get it done. Rui is off contract but he's a $12 million per year player because he doesn't do anything but hit midrange shots.

Bron at $20 million is great value. Rui/Vando made $30 million this season and I don't see the value there. IMO, Lakers gotta draft some senior college dudes and build their way from there. When you have 3 players making good money, every team needs those ready-to-go young players who can contribute and then you develop/lock them in long-term for a low salary. Draft two dudes who can contribute as a role player and all of a sudden, you have a deep bench. Problem is Lakers keep trading them away just when they're getting good.

 

Not a bad take at all...NO..it's not the sexy... "Hey...let's go get us another young stud!" type of proposal, but it's a reasonable frame work to move forward with IMO. I would still look at OKC as a potential path to move up in this upcoming draft. They have 3 FRP, One being a lottery pick from the Clippers. They are pretty stocked with some young talent as it is, they might be motivated to trade a pick or two, for a future FRP. That Philly pick will be better than ours

 

Objectively, LeBron was All NBA last year and is playing at that level right now too. I don’t see a signing of two rotation players that would be more valuable and conductive to winning than resigning him.

I get greedy when I want to steal Watson away from Denver as a RFA. But I recognise they may just resign him and then be forced to cut other pieces damaging their team. I also think OKC will fall a peg too. So even bringing back this team we should be right there in that contender pack as a result of the teams above us getting worse.

If we don’t get Watson, the hope is the Giannis trade takes a little while to happen and we can pivot into helping him get to Miami or NY and take back a good player as a result.

I think this summer really needs to be focused on getting 2 additional players. A 5th starter and a 6th man quality piece.

 

Re: Vando and Rui(???) being not getting it done at 30M collectively …. Maxi says, “What the H … what am I … chopped liver?” in that regard at 11M.

…. sorry @svtzr

 

Luka and Austin will be 28 for the 2027 playoffs, we don't have a super long runway here. It's hard for me to see a scenario where we're an actual contender next year without LeBron on the team, and it would be hard to stomach another playoff run where we're clearly a rung below multiple teams in our conference.

 

The team we have currently assembled is pretty solid, but we could still make some marginal moves or a big move.

POA defender
Marcus Smart has been a huge contributor for us. He's essentially our only real playable POA defender. So, it's a priority that he gets re-signed. But, he doesn't really have a true POA defender backup, or start in front of him. This is where it would make sense to replace Rui with this type of player. Somebody like Watson or Ellis. Depending on how little LeBron is willing to take.

Lob-catching Rim Protector
Ayton is overa good value at 8.1 million and he is playing great right now, but he's an enigma that you never know what you gonna get. He maxes out at about 1 block per 36 minutes, and he likes to post up more than rim-run. Lakers could swap #25 for Missi. Great shot blocker and rim runner.

Back-up Forward
LaRavia has been an overall decent back up forward, but Thiero is going to start eating into those minutes, and he will likely be a huge upgrade. Insane vertically.

 

They should make a big effort to get Bobby Portis

 

We should have held on to Julian Reese. A pretty decent, low cost 6'9 hustle player. On a two-way contract with Washington

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/reeseju01.html

 

Vando and a 2nd rd pick?

 

yeah, i'm not going to keep going round and round with the folks who want to further fund lebron's retirement. i feel like i've repeated the same arguments since august, haven't really changed, and weirdly agree with most of the folks arguing with me about it. astros's and slick's most recent responses to me just flat out ignore the fact that i'm admitting lebron is "worth" more than 15 million. i don't care. duncan and nowitzki were worth more than their salaries when they tried to hang onto contention in their golden years, too. duncan was still producing at all-nba level making less than i'm asking of lebron. if lebron wants the cash, by all means go chase it.

the opportunity cost of paying him his value when his salary slot is going to evaporate the moment he retires and we have an mvp candidate in his prime on the roster is just a bad proposition to me. you can't trade lebron. you can at least trade a john collins at the same price in year 3 of his three year deal. i don't know how else to stress the retirement issue. i'm begging people to look this s*** up, man. when superstars retire, their teams go to s***. we had to exhibit incredible restraint to put ourselves in a position where that might not be the case for us.

and once again, i'm not super worried about it, because i know the front office is definitely on my side on this one.

 

So basically you'd rather have John Collins over LeBron, because James can retire next season, and Collins can still be traded 3 years later?

 

They can have DK as well.Its a fair trade

 

Also LeBron isn’t the “superstar “ Luka is

 

i overstated, but...sort of, yes. again, i just feel like the pro-pay-lebron contingent is not thinking about what happens when he goes. it's a bandaid ripping situation...UNLESS he plays for less than his market value for a year. i view this as a win/win.

like, lebron could take a vet min next year, we could retain his bird rights, and then balloon payment him the following year. the mavs did this with dirk. i don't know why the proposition is such an insult for lebron (or his fans, i guess?).

 

yes. wait...is this being debated right now?

 

Duncan (10.3m in 12-13) and Dirk (7.9m in 14-15) did take less money at the end there, and it's a good example for Lebron.

However, Duncan's number was still 18% of the salary cap back in 12-13, and Dirk's number was 12.5%. That's equivalent to 27.9m and 19.4m for Lebron, in terms of the 26-27 salary cap. The 16m number that I'm suggesting is only 10.3% of the salary cap, meaning the paycut is more significant than the ones by Duncan and Dirk. I know it's different now, with the apron, but still.

 

Well now... don't start throwing numbers at Abeer..lol..he just wants LeBron at the minimum.No he really just wants Lebron gone period..It's personal.

 

I know it could be hard to fathom how the guy is still this good at 41-years old, but 16-million for this version of Lebron on this team is excellent value.

 

Pretty much like 30M is great value for Austin?

 

Is what being debated?