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

Damn Ruskies!

 

I would be very surprised if LeBron or Austin is not with Lakers next season. The team had a decent amount of success to inspire hope. The last two times lakers added an allstar bigman they went to the finals and both resulted in a title within 2 post seasons.

 

Yeah I’m kind of on the same page with you, we’ll end up running it back with a modest upgrade. I could see packages of Herb & Missi, Coulibaly & Champagnie, Claxton & Clowney etc.

I'm a bit more worried about Herb's offence than most on this forum though. Outside of one season where he shot it 42%, Herb has been a 32% shooter for his career - a league average 3 pt shot is about 36%. The guy just isn't a shooter - his finishing has also gotten worse too as his athleticism has declined (or injuries happened).

First of all, I do really like his shot distribution - generally 70%+ of his shots come either at the rim or from 3. This is his finishing at the rim by year (65-68% is usually league average including bigs, so a guard to be at league average is very good) and 3 by yer (league average 35-36%):

Year 1: 68% (good) / 33.7% (below average)
Year 2: 66% (good) / 33.5% (below average)
Year 3: 70.5% (elite) / 41.5% (elite)
Year 4: 68.1% (good) / 30.6% (bad)
Year 5: 61.7% (bad) / 30.9% (bad)

So outside of one amazing year from 3, he has either been below league average or bad (more like terrible the last 2 years) from 3. Outside of last year, he has generally been a good to very good finisher at the rim, but if you look at his attempts at the rim, in year 1 he took 41% of his shots there, year 2 - 38%, year 3 - 31%, year 4: 27% and year 5 - 22%. For someone who use to attack the rim alot and finish very well, his attempts are way down and so is his finishing ability which is usually a sign of injuries or age robbing a player of athleticism - this is the kind of stuff we see in players past 33/34 and not at 27.

At year 3, Herb was trending towards McDaniels level territory as a great finisher and 3pt threat (without any creation however) with elite defense. I was as high as you could get. I don't know what exactly clicked in year 3 for him, maybe it was the starting unit? McCollum - Herb - Murphy - Ingram - Zion slotted him last the 5th guy and not many people were guarding him so he could be really elite efficiently.

But unfortunately, he has regressed badly since then - I don't know if it's just injuries or more. If we believe that playing alongside better creators will bring back his efficiency as a 5th starter, then we can take the chancee on a buy low candidate that was elite for a single season, but it should only be for a single first.

 

Lebron/AD/Austin went to the WCF. Just stop already.

 

I actually see the fit offensively. Sabonis is an elite passer and hub. Surround him with the quality of shooters that Charlotte has and it's a top offence. They just need to figure out how to sure up the defense enough so they can outscore other teams consistently.

 

I’ll take Sabonis if nobody wants him.

 

LeBrons coming back to the Lakers.

 

Sabonis is just a slightly worse Jokic? I'd have him in a heartbeat if healthy. His impact on this team would be Pau-like, but he's an even better passer than Pau was.

 

What would it cost to trade for Coulibaly and Justin Champagnie? They're surplus to requirements at Washington. Washington have Tre Johnson (Starting SG), Kyshawn George (Starting SF) and AJ Dybansta (Starting PF) and still have Hardy, Whitmore & Riley for backups to them off the bench.

They don't need Coulibaly (hasn't developed offensively at all) and Champagnie - both are RFA's next yer and I doubt they want to pay them.

Does Vando (traded into Washington's TPE), Knecht + '26 First for Coulibaly and Champagnie get it done? That's adding a lot of athleticism and youth to our team. While adding a shooter and more assets to theirs.

Man Washington could be dangerous if Alex Sarr develops. Tre Johnson is a sniper with a huge wingspan that needs to add defence, George can be an all around glue guy that can score, defend and playmake to really high levels, Dybansta can be a top player in the league and Trae can be a deadly shooter and playmaker. If they pull it together, they're going to be dangerous.

I heard rumours that AD for Butler + 11th pick. So Washington could add another high draft pick too (maybe one of the centers you guys liked?). They're going to be a problem next year and top of the East in 2 years.

 

If Golden State get AD, I could see them getting Lebron and rolling out a Steph - Podz - Lebron - Green - AD. with Melton, Moody, Santos, Horford off the bench.

If that's the case, we should do a big offer to Watson, try to execute that Coulibaly/Champagnie trade (Knecht & Ayton) and trade for Claxton (Vando & Jake).

Luka / Kennard / Bronny
Reaves / Smart (Room)
Watson / Champagnie
Rui / Coulibaly / Adou
Claxton / Hayes

 

not going to lie, would be hard not to root for a Warriors team with Steph, Lebron and AD, when not playing the Lakers.

 

my cap mechanics knowledge is not great, so I was looking this up on ChatGPT and I think I'm 100% in the not resigning Lebron for more than 20M camp

Option A: Re-sign LeBron for 1 year / $40M
You keep LeBron for one season. If he is still elite, that may be worth it. But if he retires after that, the Lakers may have effectively used a major salary slot on a one-year rental and then lose that spending power next summer.

Option B: Use the money/flexibility now on two useful role players on multi-year deals
This can be better asset management because those contracts remain movable salary. Even if the players are not stars, they become matching salary in future trades. That matters more than people think. A $18M wing and a $15M center/guard are not just players, they are trade ballast.

The brutal answer: if the Lakers think they are a true title contender with LeBron next year, paying him $40M for one year is defensible. If they are not a real title contender, it is probably weak team-building. You are paying nostalgia money and sacrificing future flexibility.

 

Spurs by +25 in the second quarter and 11 by 16 from 3
WTF

 

And got swept. by Denver. At no point Lakers were viewed as a true contender. I ask AI lol. Austin Reaves has been a polarizing player for the Los Angeles Lakers. While he evolved into an elite offensive creator—averaging 23.3 points and 5.5 assists—the Lakers have struggled to find consistent postseason success with him as a core piece. This is largely due to his defensive limitations and significant offensive drop-offs against elite defenses. In 2023 they had Van, Dennis, Gabriel, Walker, So to my point went further when they were more athletic have struggled when they dont. The point your missing is Davis and Lebron were champs but struggled to make any noise with Austin and that trend has continued.

 

Spurs in 6!!!

 

That’s not a flagrant. Reid was a flagrant. He’s “7,6” how’s he supposed to f***ing play defense through contact. The guy he’s guarding “7,0”.

 

Think about it. during the past 3 postseasons when facing a top tier team won just 1 game. Denver Swept, Denver 1 game, OKC swept.

 

That’s b*******.

 

First towns put his arm in his rib.

 

Refs are f***ing idiots.