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

That pissed me off too, but if you are the Lakers, you can't be emotional like that.

 

I think Watson should be the #1 target with cap space. I found this in depth analysis by a Nuggets fan

seems they have no chance of keeping Watson unless they shed a bunch of salary first.

 

Yeah, and the owners are kind of tight. They likely wouldn't want to pay any dead money either. I did a similar break down some where on here, months ago. We have several advantages. Th Klutch connection, Los Angeles, we can offer a front loaded contract that makes it virtually impossible for Denver to match. I think ultimately, we could end up doing a sign and trade. Front-loaded deal, where he gets about 33 million. Not sure if this is in conjunction with us getting Lebron for 15 million. Lakers still would have to consolidate some garbage and a pick or two for additional depth, because the 48 mil being allocated to two players isn't the best for depth. We would only have Room exception left.

 

the only path to watson, imo, is he goes to den's FO and says he wants to sign with us at a big number. rob then gets on the phone and says we can work s&t in which they can take one or both of jake/knecht and a second rounder or protected swap or something.

i just don't know if we're a sincere threat to sign him to an offer sheet, and if it got to that, denver would move heaven and earth to stop it, imo. if they take jake and knecht, that's two potential rotation players (i know, i know) AND a 25m TPE that stays good for a year. worse things could happen.

this has always been my plan A hope, but it just feels like denver won't allow it.

but whatever goes on over there, i feel like there should be chances to feed on the fallout. like, what if they tell us to kick rocks on watson, but offer to dump cam johnson into our space, perhaps with a sweetener? or what if we like spencer jones and wait for them to sign watson to a big number, then take jones on a jake-type deal?

i'm also semi-interested in valanciunas as a vet min third center if he doesn't go back to europe.

 

I'm not sure if they would view LaRavia and/or Knecht as positive value. For now, I'm going to assume that they don't want those guys, and that it's going to take the 2031 1st. We sign Watson for 33 million, and the remaining 15 million goes to Lebron, which happens to match the MLE money he would get in Golden State. The room-exception could then be used on a Robert Williams. Let's say we draft a Vassaar with #25, we then have a pretty interesting preliminary rotation.

PLAYMAKER: LUKA
SHOOTER: REAVES, KNECHT
POA SHOOTER: WATSON, BRONNTY
BIG WING: LEBRON, VASSAAR, THIERO, VANDO, LARAVIA
LOB BIG: WILLIAMS, HAYES, AYTON

Shooting still looks kind of rough though, and roster looks lop-sided. Feel like we need a backup POA shooter besides Bronny.

 

4 Draft Night TRADES That Flip VANDO For VALUE | Offseason Lakers Deals That Move The Needle

 

I like the Gafford idea the most, although I feel Dallas might want more than one 1st. Trade would be Vando + Knecht + #25 + 2031 1st for Gafford. I would do that. One of the aforementioned trades could complement a Watson/Lebron combination signing very well, except for the Nnaji Marshall one, that guy can't shoot at all.

 

He’s also injury prone, past his prime and on a bad contract. We have limited assets. There is no reason to target him.

 

I don't think Walter just wastes all that effort and energy that Bennett has put in this year, in good faith that they really want to hit it and get a good bang for the buck player, good on D and whatever else, athlete, great ceiling potential, all that. He didn't get such a great farm system in MLB I'm sure by not wanting always the best new young talent he could get. And we need to start this year. Later picks, later sure that's possible. Just my opinion.

 

A couple of things. Paul George played phenomenal when he came back from his suspension. When Embidd was out he was great. He was huge in the game 6 against Boston. It would help having another ball handler out there that can still play D. He’s healthy now. He can still shoot. And you need a shooter next to Luka and Lebron that can space the floor. Totally opposite of Vando. In the playoffs you need scorer’s. He can score.

It’s getting a free star. Here’s the kicker. He wants to be in L.A. the trade only works if we unload our trash. And gets the roller Bona.

 

Peyton Watson can come here and there definitely can be a deal with him if he forces his way to the Lakers and pulls an Anthony Davis. I’m not sure he does that.

but yes I can see him coming to the Lakers. But you gotta take care of Lebron.

I also think the Lakers need to make Colby White a priority.

1. Peyton Watson

2. Colby White.

get it done.

 

That reddit post was from 3 months ago, before Denver got eliminated in the first round and fell apart.

I think the likely outcome is, they trade Braun, Cam Johnson and retain Watson and Gordon. No way they’re letting Watson go. So I’ve really moved on from that.

If they had made the conference finals or even had a hard fought second round, they could have made the case the team still had it just needed to get healthy. They got embarrassed by Minnesota without its starting back court.

 

i think this is harder than people think. it's long-term, and there's concern he's near ceiling and/or a jokic product.

but yeah, i agree that i'd moved on from the dream after i read some of the stuff from their FO leaking out. but there will be pain there if they truly want to keep watson, and we need to make sure he knows he's got a 30m offer here to help shovel dirt on that particular mine.

 

If it were me, I wouldn't trade for Braun. Nuggets only have the 2032 1st to offer in a salary dump. I'm not sure if that would be enough for a team like Chicago or Brooklyn to absorb that contract. Highly unlikely. Nuggets could also look to waive and stretch Naji, but they have owners that are reportedly kind of cheap. If one of those teams do absorb that salary though, thats good too because thats one more potentially 25 mil slot free agent available to us.

 

There’s no chance we’re the team that takes on Braun…right? He’s 25 and shot well from three the two years prior to this year (on low volume) before falling off a cliff. Defensively, even this year I think he was still pretty solid but better against bigger guards than smaller, quicker ones. He was playing with a calf injury at the beginning of the season and then had a pretty significant ankle injury. Wouldn’t be my first choice, but this is still a 25 year old that has demonstrated solid two-way play.

 

don't think denver has the sweetener for me to take braun. maybe not anyone. and that's not because braun sucks, it's just...you can probably get a braun-level player with the mle. so why commit to four years of something over that without getting something very good back?

if i'm any of denver's trade partners, i'm also VERY wary of which player they choose to offer me, tbh.

 

He might end up being pretty good, but I'm not taking the chance. You said it yourself, his 3's were on low volume.

 

You'd be surprised... I mean they traded MPJ who I thought was untradeable and on a max. Braun could be done, if they attach a first round pick. They'll most likely get one back from Cam Johnson anyway.

I'm more interested in Spencer Jones. Can we offer him 2 years 10m contract? He is a better defender than Watson, and has a Shawn Marion type shot that goes in.

 

would offering the firsts be something people would go for. My suspicion is that would get Denver to budget. They could use the the TPE and pick to fill holes.

And he was awful against NY - he seemed way to trigger happy in that series. I can't imagine this board if PG shoots the Lakers out of a playoff game like it felt he did against NY. If Lebron freakin James was castigated all season for paul george uggh

 

mentioned him a couple posts back. think he can be had for cheap and can fit here.