2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

They’re looking at replacing the German Shepherd, Maxi Kleber with Love. It could be worse, you gain one of LeBron’s buddies and an all around good locker room guy who can still rebound and shoot.

I do worry about giving up a piece that can still continue to develop in Kleber though. He might go elsewhere and make a few all star appearances in a couple of years when everything falls into place for him.

 

Pairing Trae with Luka is one of the all-time worst ideas I’ve seen on this forum. Won’t waste the energy repeating why, but it’s awful.

 

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I look at it a little strange. Luka/Austin would be better on defense but i think Luka/young have the potential to be better on offence. The trick with teaming them up however the other players has to be 3/d athletic and defensive. Th e team would have to be kind of similar to Luka/Kyrie Dallas team. both Young and Luka led teams to at least the conference finals. Trey young best teammate so far. Murry, Clint, Johnson. So this would be his first time with a legit top 5 star. Austin have had the luxury of playing with Lebron, Luka, Davis and have the worst playoff record. So for that reason alone i would try something else if i can. So yes while i think young is a worst defender i think he is the better PG and floor general. Key how the rest of the team fills out. This is not saying Austin is bad i am more looking at the results.

Teaming Young/Luka is like a home run swing. If you miss your out. But if you hit it ball out the park. It raises the teams potential ceiling, Austin is more of a safe low risk knowing you have a solid efficient player. A player one is still waiting on to have that playoff success but have should the potential.

 

Seriously have 0 problem with adding Love as your 15th guy if you are getting off of either Vando/DK. And Maxi is gone. Let it all play out!

 

I think it’s time we add some defense. I’m not a fan of Robinson due to the free throw shooting mixed with the poor health. Instead, I’m officially barracking for Nic Claxton. I think he is a great option to pair with Luka, excellent in a switching defense and a genuine lob threat. Vando and Knecht plus a first could get it done (in an ideal world they take #26).

I’d then offer Ayton and a second for Spencer Jones in a S&T to Denver. They get to cut Valancunias for Ayton who’ll be really good for them in the backup 16-20 mins a game. This frees up about 8m for them to help resign Watson.

I’d then see if I can split the MLE between Smart (9.1m) and Timelord (6m). RW3 is an elite rim protector when he is healthy and we should use him sparingly during the regular season.

I’m not sure if there is anything else we can do, I’d love to sign Thybulle for the minimum or even in a S&T for Jake. Not sure either of those are realistic though.

Luka (49.5) / Kennard (10) / Bronny (2.3)
Reaves (35) / Smart (9.1)
Spence (8) / Jake (6) / Adou (2.1)
Lebron (30) / Rui (16) / Love (2.5)
Claxton (23.3) / Timelord (6) / Hayes (6)

206m in salary.

Rui gets 4 years 72m with TO year 4
Timelord gets 3 years 20m with TO year 3
Hayes gets 3 years 20m with TO year 3
Lebron gets 1 year 30m
Kennard gets 3 years 32m with PO year 3
Smart gets 3 years 30m with PO year 3
Reaves gets 5 years 205m with PO year 4 and TO year 5

This teams goes from very good to contender if Adou becomes Adou Anunonby.

 

i don't think we're the only ones after claxton (charlotte reportedly wants in), and i don't see the nets' incentive to move him, tbh. if i'm their gm, a solid big on a contract isn't someone i move for dead salary and a future 1st. i'm probably more interested in him being part of a trade to upgrade.


and with denver's financial issues, i don't think they'll do a S&T for ayton (they'll just go back to vet min centers or wait for ayton to be bought out again, which could definitely happen).

 

Big trade that could possibly happen. I’m going to state all my reasons.

1. the Lakers have to make the championship. The Lakers have to win the championship. You need to maximize Luka’s window. Do a Mikal Bridges trade. But go all in. Put the chips in. Cash in the chips. I know yall are going to say it’s unrealistic I get it. I know Herbert Jones is what’s wanted to Trey Murphy. But when I look at what went for Luka or Gobert. let’s get a difference maker. Wemby Shai in the conference. How do we make something out of this?


2. Utah has to have AJ Debanesta. He’s their LeBron.

3. Washington might need to acquire all of their picks.

I was looking How could we get AD


Washington

No.2 Overall pick
Lauri Markanen
Jarred Vanderbilt
Dalton Knect
Los Angeles Lakers unprotected 2030 first round pick Lakers 2032 unprotected first round pick With new rules this could be a very high pick. Future first round picks. Los Angeles Lakers second round pick 2032.


Lakers receive
Anthony Davis
Ace Bailey
Two Utah Jazz second round picks.

*Trey young will have to take option or sign wink wink deal.

Utah receives

#1 Overall pick from Washington
Lakers number 1 pick 25 overall
Potential Laker pick swaps

Jazz Draft AJ Debansta

Jazz receive Trey Young
Jazz receive Jake LaRavia


New lineups

Lakers

Pg Luka Doncic
Sg Austin Reaves
Sf Ace Bailey
Pf LeBron James
C Anthony Davis

bench Adou Thiero Luke Kenard Jaxson Hayes Bronny James Marcus Smart Rui Hachimura


Why Lakers. Lakers have the money now to afford this Mark Walters. Dodgers make big moves like this. No more Jeanie Buss penny pinching.

Lebron has AD force his way to tinsletown back to the Lakers finally to be united paired up with Luka. AD is the lob threat paint protecting big. You get no bigger than that. This is gives us Luka LeBron the championship roster to compete for a championship.

We get our 3-D young cornerstone. Small forward that we can pair with Luka and Reaves to protect them on the perimeter. He can score. But doesn’t need to be the man here. With Dylan Harper Shai Jalen Williams we are going to need this.

Why Does Utah do it. They get thier franchise superstar AJ Debanesta. And they still field a competitive roster with a vet like Trey Young.

Jazz

Pg/Trey Young
Sg/Keonte George
Sf/Aj Debanesta
Pf/Jaren Jackson
C/Walker Kessler


Why does Washington do it. They can still develop their young squad. Trey young clearly doesn’t want to be there. They don’t want him. Anthony Davis clearly doesn’t want to be there. And Anthony Davis can come back to L.A. where he was raising a family compete for championships and do his Hollywood stuff. Continue to build his Laker legacy. new ownership now. It’s all good. He gets to play with his boy Lebron where he had his most success in the NBA. A unique opportunity to play with Luka. He’s always enjoyed playing with Reaves. Everybody is happy. Get Rich Paul on the phone and on it.

Washington gets the player they really want who they think is a superstar. Who’s cancelled pre draft interviews with everyone not named the Washington Wizards. They get a young player to build with them. Can still develop their young core. Remember this team just drafted Tre Johnson. They can always flip those picks for a player. But now you have in the fold.

pg/Deren Peterson who wants to play point guard.
Sg/Tre Johnson maybe you’ll have the new best shooting backcourt in the league. Curry Klay

Sf/Keshawn George

Pf/Lauri Markanen

C/Alex Sarr.

and now Dalton Knect can learn and play in a chill environment where nothing is expected. Worse he’s another Corey Kispert. Best he’s your new Dan Marjlie. And Washington is a team.

 

Meh, it feels like Love can still shoot the 3 and he always had the LA Connection, I am fine with just a one season deal for just that little bit alone.

 

yeah, we need to be playing the margins on these bigger name moves in the coming weeks, not being directly involved. like, were young to move, how could the fallout benefit us?

one possibility would be that if bkn is the only max suitor for reaves, it might drive the price down a bit (don't think washington would pivot to reaves, tbh, as letting young walk would mean not wanting to tie up a max on a non-two-way star).

 

i was always a big AD fan, but i don't want him back on his current contract. we don't need a particularly offensively skilled big, so we could break up that 60 million in much more effective ways.

 

Abeer you gotta think outside the Box. We need that 3-D wing. You get Bailey. A young wing to pair with Luka. I get you your big. You’re going to need scoring at Center in the playoffs. You saw Towns. You still got AD coming back. He knows the team. LeBrons happy. He got his boys Davis and Love. Lukas happy Lob threat 3-D Baileys happy he’s in L.A. and Reaves don’t have to chase anybody.

Utahs happy they get their guy Debanesta. And still compete.

Washington’s happy they get picks and Markenen and Peterson the guy they wanted.

come on Abeer what you gonna tell me well you didn’t get me Shai and Id rather have Jalen Williams and Chet.

man if I bought you a Bentley you’d be like well You didn’t put any gas in the tank. And the cars not gassed up.

I’m hearing it’s us and the Warriors for AD.

 

https://x.com/PlayoffDude/status/2067580791127998868?s=20

Wait is this not exactly what Kobeluka pasted lol?

 

After thinking about it I think I’d rather trade for a center like DaRon Sharpe over giving Kessler 35 million. Then resign JH and sign RW3. You have a 3 bouncy centers and I think all 3 are a good fit next to Luka. You save some money as well. However a lot of reporting out this morning that Luka prefers an all star level big man. Maybe Da’Ron isn’t necessarily “Bouncy” but he’s young and can get you boards.

 

i'm pretty sure neither of the other teams do it (especially utah).

further, i'm pretty sure we'd have to operate under the cap to make this trade, and unless lebron's going vet min, you're losing rui and one or both of smart/kennard in the process.

 

hadn't seen that, and that's a pretty tall order, tbh. i've wondered if minny might take a big swing that involves gobert moving, and we could pick him up holiday-style, but which all star centers are moving this summer?

 

https://x.com/LALMuse/status/2067595595389235346?s=20

VERY interesting statement. Dave is actually the one guy where I believe there is 100% some validity to this.

 

this is part of why i don't think we're running it back. we made too many sacrifices to have space this summer when we could have made incremental improvements over the past year on par with what people are suggesting now. our plans are bigger than that. whether we accomplish them...we'll find out soon...

and if we don't; rob's gone-zo, imo.

 

I can't really think of a " big plan" that doesn't include trading Reaves. He's the only guy left on the roster, that can be traded for a big salary.

 

you're imagining star acquisition. "big plan" could be just clearing out everyone but reaves and luka and starting from scratch with a mind to build a sensible team around them instead of franken-teaming it again.

again, we'll know soon.