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

If you just want to win regular season games sure but that unit was getting destroyed by OKC bench starters or not

 

Destroyed?

Look if you think OKC are light years ahead of us, fair enough. I don’t think so, and I thought the guys we played held their own. It’s our deeper bench guys that were getting smacked, the Vando, Jake, Ayton etc.

I think keeping Luka, Reaves, Lebron, Smart, Rui, Kennard, Adou and Hayes is a terrific start. Add a starting 3 and a starting center to that is plenty good for me.

The goal by the way isn’t a dominating OKC or Spurs, they’re the best teams in the league, the goal is to match them.

 

I’m Hearing things.

My boy says a team would give Duren has his money.

Could I see the Lakers overpaying Jalen Duran 4 yrs. 80 million yes.

my boy said he wouldn’t pay Jalen Duran 4 yrs. 40 million. How could you pay a guy who’s averaging 7 points a game in the playoffs and can’t get off the bench?????

 

Love Duren bc he’s both beef and lob. Hayes and Kleber as the backups and you’re totally fine. If he gets played off the floor, it’s the draybron/rui 4/5.

I like Mitchell Robinson and Dayron sharpe for similar reasons.

 

Austin’s gonna get paid. Would you trade Austin to Brooklyn for Michael Porter Jr.???? I would argue Porter Jr.fits better next To Luka then Austin does. Porter Jr. fits better next to Luka. He’s a set shooter. Get in the corner shoot that 3 space the floor. Doesn’t need the ball more like a Klay.

would you really just build it out and go for it???
Ayton Reaves to Brooklyn for Porter Jr. Claxton?????

 

I would Argue Michael Porter Jr. fits better on the Lakers then Gianiss.

 

You could get Pascal for Reaves.

 

You could get Markanan for Reaves.

 

Reaves has a market but there’s no way the Lakers are trading him because he’s Luka’s boy.

 

Only way Lebron leaves the Lakers is if it’s down the street to the Clippers.

Kawhis there they have a Center a top 5 pick and his coach Lue. And they still have Garland Klutch guy who he basically mentored.

I know for a fact Lebrons not leaving his family and uprooting them from L.A. he loves Los Angeles. Has a daughter here in school. Son close by at Arizona university. And playing with his other son.

He’s just gotta have his ego stroked a little bit. 2yr deal 40 million boom. Player option after next season. Flexibility to sign other players. So I think he signs with the Lakers.

 

I just don’t see the Knicks or Cavs messing with what they got going now.

No Gianiss to New York.

No Lebron to Cleveland.

I got Gianiss to Miami for a package centered around Tyler Herro who is from Milwaukee and Kelel Ware and Jacquez and a pick. Future 1 st round pick.

Any other Gianiss team is Portland and Washington.

also don’t rule out Charlotte for Gianiss.

 

Yeah the Luka injury crushed us.

 

Duran can be had for the right price.

 

I like the Duran fit with Luka and AR.
Out of all the centers listed in here, I would be the most excited to add him for his defense alone.
We gotta upgrade Ayton. If he opts in, just trade him for what you can get at the deadline.

 

Amazing Article on Calf injuries soft tissue injuries in the Ringer.

there were 18 step back threes in the NBA 2010-2011 2025-2026 there were 60.

Crazy crazy s***. Tatum was one of the most step back guys.

There were 18 calf injuries in the NBA Rui was one of them.

Two of the Achilles guys Tatum and Lillard were two of the most Step back guys.

Luka had soft tissue injuries. And he’s very step back him and Curry.

Luka is going to have to change his game a little and eliminate some of those step backs. It’s like playing with fire. He doesn’t realize how much weight he’s putting on that.

Shai not really a step back guy. The team needs to talk to him.

another guy who’s Luka’s boy who probably trains with him. Leaned into the step back and got a calf injury. Reaves.

Lebron not really a step back guy.

 

Hey true story I posited that same theory within the past year about all the jump backwards land and elevate same motion “step back” Js maybe accounting for the increase in ruptured achilles injuries. I think abeer shot it down with his opinion.

 

Yeah, I figured as much. I was thinking Euro Steps are probably also a contributor.

 

Any kind of stopping, instant deceleration and then explosion is tough on the ligaments. It’s loading them up to high multipliers and repeated 1000s of times.

 

Well the difference is that Ginobili didn't come off the bench because the fit with Parker was awkward, he fit next to Parker just fine. He came off the bench because his play style was pretty reckless and they wanted to keep his minutes down. If the concern is that Austin and Luka aren't a great fit together, I don't think bringing him off the bench really changes anything because at the end of the day they'd still close games together.

 

Panko has done lots of good work before on rotations and how to have 2 out of LeBron, Luka and Reaves out at all times. This should be a strength we have regardless if Reaves starts or not.