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

Yup.
He has a ways to go to get his stamina up and learn how to counteract being roughed up by stronger bigs.
I don’t think he will get to Jordan/Kobe status, but if he can stay healthy, he should be able to win at least three or more rings.

 

We will need to make trades in order to significantly upgrade our roster.

 

Look at the post I did a few posts above. We significantly upgrade in the CORRECT role players and depth, just not with stars. But that's just the worst scenario, with nobody taking on our trash, and Lebron leaving.

 

I see what you’re trying to do in the bring in players that should fit Luka well.

Luka / Ellis
Reaves / Smart
Grimes
Rui / Vando
Robinson / Hayes

If Robinson can’t play 65 games, I think this team is closer to the play in than home court.

We added Grimes, Ellis and Robinson, but lost Lebron, Kennard and Ayton. I do wonder why we wouldn’t just run it back over the cap? The guys we lost are cumulatively better than the ones we add.

 

In this scenario, Lebron is replaced with Rui. If Lebron wants to stay, then Rui walks. It's one the other, imo.

Thats fine if you think Kennard is better than Grimes and Ayton is better than Williams, that's your opinion, but not accurate at all imo.

Grimes is 3 and D, Kennard is just 3.
Ayton is in defensive traditional post center, with some mid range game, and low motor. Williams is an elite lob threat and rim protector, ultra high motor. Injury prone, but loaded up center with Hayes and the rookie with the 9'5 standing reach. Could ad another big too with a vet minimum.

Not sure what criteria you are using for what you consider good. I'm using ability to play both sides of the ball, and ability to function with Luka. Ayton and Kennard both don't fit that criteria. It's a perfectly reasonable criteria to go by, and you know the stuff about us wanting to get Luka lob threats and 3 and D players. Why do I have to re hash this?

 

Them calf strains damn.

 

not taking sides on svtzr/showtime's exchange, just like the respectful discussion of plans.

i actually don't think it makes sense right now to make full non-lebron plans. i was encouraged to hear him say he was waiting out FA, as it means that he wants to see if we can make some noise before he decides. let's do it.

 

I’m just saying swapping LeBron, Kennard and Ayton for Grimes, Ellis and Robinson would have us finishing lower. I wasn’t comparing individual players - although I’m happy too.

I’d like to improve this offseason in a meaningful way. It’s certainly tough to do. But if we are the same or worse, I think Rob should be out. It’s inexcusable to be wasting prime Luka years.

Also I think you maybe used hyperbole to overrate a lot of these players. As an example:

Mitchell Robinson: if Wemby is a 10 as a rim protector, Robinson is an 8 and probably the same as a lob threat. The issue is he can’t stay healthy averaging 49 games a season (more like 40 over the last 4 years) and can’t hit a FT. And both of those are major issues. He can’t be your starting center and New York won’t let him go easy because he is so effective in limited time.

I really like Grimes. If Curry is a 10 shooter (volume and percentage), Kennard is like an 8 (lacks volume) - that kinda makes Grimes a 5 or a 6. He shot 33% from 3 this year which is really bad but shot 38% last year on volume which would make him like a 7 or 8. His defense is pretty good. But for whatever reason the advanced stats have him as a slight negative on that side.

Ellis we have all given our 2 cents on. Strange he isn’t getting any time on two teams now for how good he should be in theory.

 

I don’t know why I thought Mitchell Robinson over Robert Williams. My bad!

Both are great players with similar profiles. Timelord is even less healthy than Robinson though. He averages 36 games a year at 19 mins a game. I mean we just can’t give 16m to a guy like that. You’ll be stretch and waiving him in a year.

If he wants to come over for the TPMLE at 6m no problems. But I’m out otherwise. I think the rule should be no more dead salary.

 

You could easily just swap out Rui for Lebron in this build, and it wouldn't affect the other numbers. I believe Lebron would also be in that 15-16 million range. To be clear, I been on the Lebron comes back side, but this particular build is sort of an optimistic worse-case scenario, if that makes sense. Optimistic in terms of those other guys even wanting to sign with us.

 

My hope is they get in on Giannis trade to upgrade the roster.Seems like the best way to improve and keep their players

 

LOL so keep Kennard, who cant defend, and Ayton who's lack of motor is toxic and cant even catch the ball? Come on man, are you serious right now? Does this site have contrarian bots or what?

 

I actually think that the changing of the draft odds has adjusted the value of first round picks. The bottom dweller's picks are worth less now while the sub elite team's picks could be worth more. All in all, we'll probably find that draft picks are worth more now due to the flattening of the odds.

So when I say we should trade our junk for a player, I'm usually looking at teams that are going to break things up and want/need draft picks - which are worth more now. They effectively don't need their vet as they're going into a rebuild, and don't mind taking on a player like Vando that is a good tank commander and a great locker room guy. I would argue our junk isn't so bad, Knecht - expiring shooter who could rediscover form in a new environment, Jake - shown two way potential and could develop into a real roster guy, Ayton - outplays his contract significantly and is a top 10 center on a good day and Vando - the worst of our contracts.

 

Yeah, hopefully some team will bite.

 

It's not that Kennard and Ayton are better than any of Grimes, Ellis and Timelord (although it's not cut and dry as you make it out to seem). It's that losing Lebron makes our team worse regardless of which FA we land at that role player level. And yes, I know, I know, you said replace Rui with Lebron. I do think Rui is better than the other 3 guys.

Also, it was only 4 weeks ago you were saying that Kennard would get the full MLE and you were saying we should sign him for one of those 16 million slots. He hasn't magically forgotten how to play basketball since then because OKC neutered him - once Luka is back, all our guys get slotted into better positions. Kennard is who he always was, a smart IQ guy who is a slight negative defensively but tries hard, he can playmake and handle a little but he is a total lights out shooter. It's valuable to have players who are absolutely elite at an important skill - it's why you're prioritising rim protection, shooting can also be prioritised.

If we can put together an offence that really gets the most out of Rui & Kennard's shooting from the creation of Luka, Reaves and Lebron - we will win a lot of games. We may even be one of the best 3pt shooting teams in the league. If we can somehow add a starting 3 & 5 that can defend while retaining Smart on the bench as a defender and seeing Adou blossom on that side of the ball, we could be a contender next season.

I'm not being contrarian, I've just held the same opinion, we were close to a 60 win team and we can compete with OKC when healthy (especially since they're losing pieces this offseason). We should build ON the team, not start again.

 

Why wouldn't someone want draft picks. There are plenty of teams that want to make moves next year.

Brooklyn - not going anywhere, would take draft picks for a player or absorbing someone
Chicago - want to do something with their cap space
Memphis - going to blow it up, could take players on for picks
New Orleans - going to build around fears & queen - going to sell off a lot of players and could take players back for draft picks
Orlando - need to make tough choices on wagner/banchero, suggs/black and bitazde/wendell Carter - we could absorb one of these players into cap space while sending a Vando back with picks
Sacramento - going to blow it up and rent out cap space

Not to mention that most likely Denver (retool), Milwaukee (Giannis), Minnesota (Randle & Rudy) & Houston (Durant) are all going to be involved in major trades. Lots of players are going to be moving and we have 3 draft picks available if you send us back something good and take Vando + another guy.

 

I'm hopeful that they will.

 

going to say that a) sacramento is dumb and b) cleveland just has a ton of options at guard (mitchell, harden, strus, merrill, tyson, schroder, ellis).

for the latter, i much prefer ellis to schroder, and really any of those guys a) is worth 10m per and b) could crack our rotation.

 

I think that was a fair criticism, and I thought Cade was too big for Ellis. But why isn't he guarding Brunson now? It's odd to me that he can't get time over Strus, Merrill, Tyson & Schroeder. But the Cavs fans are pretty adamant that he is too small and gambles for steals and blocks too often. It's not a good look, Kenny Atkinson is also a guy who gives players chances. Make of that what you will I guess...

I assume it means that Ellis could be available this offseason and for not that much - TPMLE money?

 

If we can't get a trade done this offseason for a starting center or a starting wing - Rob has to go. We've been holding assets for the last 3 years of AD & Lebron and this will make the second full season of Luka. That's 5 years without being a competitor.