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

Did we though? In the first 26 games, we started 19-7, which is a 73% win rate. After that Luka and Reaves went down and we lost 9 out of 14 games. When we righted the ship around the middle of January to the end of March we went 26-10 which is a 72% win rate. We were on track for a 60 win rate for 3/4 of the season and if we had Lebron healthy at the start of the season or if Luka and Reaves (especially Reaves) miss a few less games, we probably hit 60 wins.

I think this is a fair comment, continuity is important. But we now have a coach who we should keep for half a decade and we have a star in Luka and his running mate in Austin that can be here for the long haul. We also have Adou, Jake and Hayes who are good players to surround them with for that time. And we have the ability to retain Smart and Ayton if we want too as well - if the front office and coaching staff feel like they're good pieces.

We can also bring in 2 pieces this offseason that can be around for the long haul.

I just don't think we're as far away from being a contender as you do, so I don't think this is a bad roster. It could be better - and I've probably spoken at ad nauseam about how we could build the roster this season. We can probably add a 30m player (like Watson), bring back Lebron at 20m and have the ability to turn Vando & Knecht into a 20m player. Effectively adding 2 players to a core of Luka, Lebron, Reaves, Ayton, Smart/Kennard (if one of them has to go), Hayes, Jake & Adou.

Defensively we found a winning formula in that mid January section where we had a rating of 115 for half the month, followed by 115 in February and when we really got going it was 112 (top 5 for that stretch). Obviously having 2 extra two way players that play defense would help alot.

Also that OKC loss is hardly an indictment of how good/bad, we or they are. Here are our losses this year:

• GSW: without Lebron & Smart - they shot 44% as a team (Kuminga had 4 threes)
• Portland: without Luka, Lebron & Smart
• Hawks: without Reaves & Lebron
• OKC: without Lebron
• Suns: disappointing loss, got beaten by the more physical, hungrier team
• Boston: without Lebron & Luka
• Spurs: they had Wemby out but shot 45% from 3, we were at full strength
• Clippers: without Reaves & Luka
• Suns: without Reaves & Luka
  
• Rockets: we were back to full strength and got stomped (3 game losing streak)
• Pistons: without Reaves, they shot 46% from 3
• Spurs: without Lebron, but disappointing loss nontheless
• Bucks: no reaves, but crappy loss
• Kings: no reaves, they shot 65% from 3
• Hornets: no reaves, they shot 47% from 3
• Portland: without Ayton, Luka & Reaves
• Clippers: no reaves
• Cavs: no reaves
• Knicks: no reaves, shot 43% from 3
• OKC: no Luka, reaves on mins restriction
• Spurs: no Luka, Lebron, Reaves, Ayton or Smart
• Boston: got stomped at full strength
• Magic: lost on a buzzer beater
• Suns: lost by 3
• Nuggets: they shot 45% from 3, we were close
• Pistons: lost by 3, no smart
• OKC: got stomped, Luka gets injured 1st half, Reaves injured first half, no smart
• Dallas: team was out of it after losing Luka & Reaves, no Smart
• OKC: no Lebron, Luka, Reaves or Smart

We could have split one of the losses against both Portland and Hawks if we're at full strength instead of missing 2 or 3 key players four times? Maybe we pick one game against our rivals Boston & Clippers each if we had our big 3 instead of just a single option 3 times. We probably don't lose to Dallas if we aren't missing Luka, Reaves and Smart for that one. Also we probably play one of the top seeds OKC or Spurs harder for another win if we're healthy instead of facing them without 2 of our big 3, three times that season.

Health wasn't kind to us, but we're a good team.

We can retain Lebron, while adding a 30m piece and trading for another 20m piece.

So I'm not sure why the stress over losing Lebron's 20m salary slot? Once we lose that, that offseason we can use the MLE and BAE to bring back a 16m and a 6m player. Hardly seems like something to fret over? We'd have the following salary slots after Lebron is gone - roughly:

54 - Luka
44 - Reaves
33 - FA Piece
22 - Trade Piece
16 - MLE
10-14 - Ayton resigned
10 - Jake resigned
10 - Smart resigned
9 - Kennard Room
6 - BAE

Plus Adou & Bronny that can be signed to higher contracts and retained or traded

 

I get this strange feeling that lots of people just want to be done with LeBron so we can go into the Luka era free of his influence. Like they’re just sick of him.

First it was, he’s holding the team hostage, then he was too injury prone, too old, and now it’s we lose his salary slot when he retires.

That happens all the time… I mean we lose Rui’s salary slot this year because we just won’t resign him? OKC might just let Dort and Hartenstein go to stay under the 2nd Apron.

It’s strange also because we can most likely bring back a MLE slot the year our close to MLE star retires. It’s like we’re trying to find weak reasons. At least sir ron just hates him flat out and is clear about it.

 

i moved nothing. the first part of that sentence was 100% true until he finally stopped trying to be the offensive engine and finally started trying on defense again, and i've been saying he needs to take a paycut for two years.

i've laid out several plans, including watson or not.

you were awfully quiet when we were worse with lebron on the court for the bulk of a season, and thinking that couldn't happen again next year is some next level prisoner of the moment stuff.

the next three years have to be about luka and reaves and not lebron. i'm amused by people who think differently.

and showtime also threw in as an aside there that the aprons didn't exist back then, either (this is not a small issue, with all the S&T and MLE options that were available to everyone no matter what back then). nobody mentioned that dirk's deal was that the team could do what they needed to in FA, then he'd take the rest. thus, he made a low salary for two years, and then a bigger one to level it out. again, such an unholy insult to lebron to suggest this as a possibility! he MUST get what he's worth!! lowballing!!

pretty much every single word of this. was beginning to think nobody had watched any of this for the past year and just tuned in last week or something. i get that we're riding high after winning game 1, but this is not a title team as constructed, and it's not particularly close at the moment. running it back at a higher salary number is grounds for termination. having everyone but luka and reaves on one-year deals again is grounds for termination.

the only thing i'll say slightly differently is that while we have the leverage, as jsm said the other day, there are tactful ways to handle that. i'm 100% certain that rob will sit down with rich paul weeks prior to FA and lay out the plans to see if there's mutual interest. as i said yesterday, nobody has to strong-arm anything, as it's quite clear who has the cards. lebron is free to take less money to play elsewhere, but we'd prefer he take less money to play here. nobody out there is offering you 25+ million dollars to play the style you want on a contending team. that list contains zero teams. so it comes down to who might give you 1 or 2 of those three desiderata. if you can get more of that elsewhere, thanks for the years and hope to see you in the finals!

 

lebron is free to take less money to play elsewhere, but we'd prefer he take less money to play here. nobody out there is offering you 25+ million dollars to play the style you want on a contending team. that list contains zero teams. so it comes down to who might give you 1 or 2 of those three desiderata. if you can get more of that elsewhere, thanks for the years and hope to see you in the finals!

These are your opinions, how do you actually know what contending teams are thinking? You only know what you are thinking , and getting rid of Lebron James period, seems to have been front and center for YOU 3 seasons running.



We are going to see him in the Finals, hell we haven't won a playoffs series with Luka and Austin yet.

 

i'll repeat: it's not a shift in thinking. the loss of the slot has always been a concern, and him being old and injury prone is still a concern. the only reason he's not still holding the team hostage is that finally the FO stood up and took that power for themselves.

we lose it in a year when we can operate under the cap! feel like you know better than this and are just being obtuse at this point.

again, feel like you have a much better understanding of this issue than you're letting on in an attempt to score debate points. like, that situation is NOTHING like our current one.

you were just advocating for him getting paid nearly double the MLE, like 4 inches up the page here.

 

i don't need to know what they're thinking. i can look at their cap sheet and know what's possible.

i know gs is willing to pay lebron 40 million next year. but they can't, so it doesn't matter!

puts on slick hat "see, you've been trying to get rid of luka and reaves for years. you're just a hater. they're dragging lebron down like the team dragged westbrook down."

two can play this game.

 

All the last year and a half has shown me is that when we were healthy and settled, we won at an extremely high clip with the Luka, Lebron & Reaves team. In my opinion, this version of Lebron might be the best player Luka gets to play with in his career. He is better than Reaves and Mavs’ Kyrie.

If we add one or two pieces to a 60 pace team that allows us to be healthy when it matters most and to improve to a top 10 defence, we’re a top contender in this league and as OKC weakens next year, I’d say we’re right there as one of the favorites.

 

i'm just not sure how it happens with lebron at that salary rate.

i guess you could try to s&t rui and a pick and knecht/vando/2 picks in separate deals for these two players? and again, in this scenario, you need smart and ayton to both accept deals below what they'd like, right? i feel like all that's an even taller order than some of the pie-in-the-sky FA plans we've thrown out.

i feel like we've attempted this almost every summer for years without much luck.

 

I’ve been saying we should bring Lebron back for 20-24 million. It’s what lines up with my idea of going after Watson and trying to use the Vando/Knecht salary slot to add two players to our core. This is my post from yesterday that you replied too:

Lebron is currently playing at a max level once again. Let’s leave the start of the year or the growing pains out of it - once they figured it out, he and our team have been elite. And now in the playoffs he is healthy and playing at a max level. At 20-24 million you’re getting elite production for great value. And if we lose that slot, who cares? We can literally bring in an MLE player to replace him.

My point is, it’s up to the front office to figure out ways on how to create salary slots and bring players in. We have many ways to be creative. You’ve brought up one method in signing someone to a minimum and using their bird rights the year after.

Also your point about sign and trades is a good one, but it doesn’t really change the fact that Lebron is performing significantly better than those legends did when they took their pay cuts and using the same percentages they took still determines he should be paid 20-24m.

 

Here is our salary next year if we renounce Lebron, Rui and Hayes (who we bring back on a min)

Luka (49.5m) / x / Bronny (2.3m)
Reaves (Cap Hold - 20.9m) / Smart (PO - 5.4m) / Knecht (4.2m)
x / Jake (6m) / Vando (12.4m)
x / x / Adou (2.1m)
Ayton (PO - 8.1m) / x / x

That's about 110.9m if both guys opt in and we have around 54.1m in cap space.

There’s a few outcomes;

- Ayton and Smart opt in: we go for a 30m FA, Lebron gets 20, and you trade Knecht & Vando for about 20m (their salary + 4m in free cap space) and it works (give or take a million here or there that you make work)

- Ayton opts in, smart opts out: You have about 60m in space, you add the 30m FA, make a trade for a 16m peice with no changes to cap space due to the outgoing salaries of Knecht and Vando, offer LeBron 20m, offer Smart 10m, Kennard gets room

- Ayton opts out, smart opts in: you have 62.2m in cap space, add the 30m FA piece, trade for a big with Knecht and Vando (like Turner that takes their salary and another 10m of cap space), offer LeBron 20, Kennard gets room

- Both opt out: 67.6m in cap space, get your 30m FA, offer LeBron 20m, offer Smart 10m, trade for a big around 20-25m with the 16m salary of Knecht and Vando and free cap space, Kennard gets room

How do we make a trade with Knecht and Vando? We use the 3 firsts we have…

 

Meh..that last part is ridiculous man.. What does Westbrook have to do with anything? You still like deflecting to Westbrook, but ignore that your boy Tinkerbell, choked away a legit Championship opportunity? IMO some players are just more impactful, than their theoretical fit. I think James fits Luka and Austin like a glove, in the playoffs. I'm disappointed that we won't get to see the 3 together, this playoffs campaign.

And perhaps you avoid quoting Luka or Austin, or any innuendo related to them, on the LeBron subject, because they disagree with your opinion.

But look professor you are entitled to your opinion, I just happen to disagree with this anti Lebron take, that you seem to have.

 

i'm fine with all that. it all has lebron maxing out at 20m, though. the thing that got everyone riled up is that i suggested to make some of these things work, he'd have to be willing to possibly accept 15 or even 10. i still think that. especially if the plan is to add 2 playoff rotation quality players.

 

We're in an interesting spot no doubt. I still think the roster is flawed and prefer to not go bargain bin hunting again. Yes, we made the most of the options we had last summer and I thought the front office did a good job with what it had to work with. But we do need more to be true contenders and I'd like to see us add some good pieces.

The tough part is that despite his age and decline, its going to be really hard to replace LeBron. He can still play at an extremely high level.


Fortunately, the Kennard trade points to something I've largely always believed - we just need real NBA players. Don't have to be superstars, just true role players who can come in and be counted on to contribute in some way whether its shooting, defense, rebounding, etc. I think we're in a good position to add some more guys like that and potentially resign LeBron to a solid contract. We're bidding against ourselves for him and I just don't see anyone offering a huge deal for him despite his ability to still contribute at a high level.

 

One thing Walter does well is sell FAs and deliver them deferred value contracts. Can do it in a different way with LeBron if that’s the plan by what abeer has been saying. Take way less this year and we’ll pay you much more next year.

 

Yeah, for a while there Lebron looked like he wouldn't be able to co-exist with Luka. Made many people feel like the Lakers had to chose between the two at that point, possibly the Lakers included. So, many of us came to the conclusion that Lebron was probably gone after the season. But, when Lebron got hurt and saw how well Luka and Reaves were playing together, he decided to adjust his game to a role that is very complimentary to Luka and Reaves. This role is also better for Lebron, because he exerts a lot less energy without the ball in his hands. You could see how that energy has been re-allocated to his defense and off-ball offensive aggression. I feel like some of us Lakers fans noticed the change, and adjusted our opinion on Lebron staying, similar to how Lebron humbly adjusted his game to fit with Luka and Reaves. Some of us might not trust the change, and feel like Lebron will revert back to wanting to be the alpha. Some people are just Lebron fans, and some people just don't like Lebron. Imo, I believe Lebron has truly humbled himself and will do whatever it takes to stack more chips to his legacy. Afterall, he is a competitor. He is one ring behind Laker greats like, Magic and Kobe He is two rings behind Jordan. It's logical to think that he would at-least like to tie those Lakers greats.

 

I don’t even think he was “humbling” himself. Circumstances including his whole first half of the season getting back into his normal condition and effectiveness, the three of them not having but a few games together with one or two always out made him have to be the creator up top many games for parts of them. He wasn’t trying to hang onto the superstar of the Lakers role and has known Luka is the man now since he got here.

 

Yeah, I agree that those were all factors. But when he was out, he probably was able to do a lot of self-assessing. The self-assessing likely revealed a lot to him. I think there is some elements of humility there. I mean the guy is known for being very analytical and having an elite basketball IQ. He could be a head coach if he wanted to. He gets it. But yeah, it's a lot more than just humbling himself. The injuries were a huge factor, like you mentioned. He constantly in an out of roles. Big 3 rarely getting on the floor together. With Luka only, with Reaves inly, etc. Hard to establish a role that way. At some point he maybe he decided that he would play the off-ball role, even if it was with only one of those guys? But now, he is back to being on the ball a lot, although I do notice Smart doing a lot of the initiating too.

 

I get both sides of the argument. I think the way to give 27 year old Luka Doncic a real championship window over the next few years is to find a way to both add a couple of rotation players and keep LeBron. That cuts both ways. LeBron needs to leave us enough space to make impact moves, but we can't lowball him to the point that he decides to go play for the Warriors or Cavs MLE. We need to be adding two impact players to a roster with LeBron, not replacing him. If we swapped out LeBron and Rui for Watson and Ellis right now I don't think we're any closer to legitimate contention for reasons that mostly have to due with Austin's matchup resilience that I won't reiterate here. I get the concern about overpaying LeBron in a way that limits our improvement and results in him retiring in a year and losing that salary slot. But I'm also worried about a situation where we let him walk instead of paying him like $30 million, sign like John Collins + Keon Ellis, go through another seasons as a 3/4 seed with a second round ceiling and now a 28 year old Luka Doncic starts asking why his FO keeps asking him to bring a knife to a gunfight with these OKC and Spurs rosters.

It's going to be a really hard line to walk this summer.