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

When you look at what we can offer for Kuminga, the 10m per offer isn’t capped by an out going players. It was an offer we gave him when we were an under the cap team and what we could of cleared to sign him straight up. Buha and some other guys reported the same.

I’ve written this out before, but this is what we can take back in various scenarios:

Trading Scenarios

Scenario - 1 Player going out

• Bronny: $4.85m
• Knecht: $8.65m
• Hardy or Jake: $12.25m
• Vando: $21.5m

Scenario - 2 Players going out

• Bronny + Knecht: $13.25m
• Bronny + Jake/Hardy: $17.4m
• Knecht + Jake/Hardy: $19.3m
• Jake + Hardy: $21.1m
• Bronny + Vando: $23.8m
• Knecht + Vando: $25.7m
• Hardy/Jake + Vando: $27.5m

Scenario - 3 Players going out

• Bronny + Knecht + Jake/Hardy: $21.6m
• Knecht + Jake + Hardy: $25.3m
• Bronny + Knecht + Vando: $28m
• Knecht + Hardy/Jake + Vando: $31.7m
• Hardy + Jake + Vando: $33.5m

 

That’s why I’ve been saying the 2year 20m deal was our offer at just clearing space. I believe it would have had a PO in year 2 as well. So he could bolt if he had a good year.

If we sign him for 3 years, I believe it’ll be 60m+ and maybe not guarantee all of year 2 and none of year 3.

I just don’t see Kuminga playing for a low amount for 3 years. Guy wants his money.

 

yeah, it makes sense now. that was a time-sensitive and not standing offer. even so, it wouldn't have preserved his bird rights, so i get the reticence. he'd have to have just signed a standard deal. and it was probably pretty close to the max we could have offered him at the time, which helps me understand the lower dollar value.

i think i was always operating with the idea that he wanted to preserve the bird rights, particularly given how the FA market has been lately.

 

This is how I understand it:

- we offered him the minimum in a “come prove yourself” Monk like deal, which had no traction

- we then said we can clear up to 10m in space and give you 2 year deal with a PO in case you get injured so you have 2 chances to turn that into a bigger deal (most likely not with us as we wouldn’t have cap space if he popped)

- then we’ve been working on a S&T, I assume we know from Kuminga and his team what they would sign for and the reason it hasn’t been done is because we either can’t find a third team to take enough guys back or don’t want to burn so many assets doing so

If Kuminga’s asking price comes down to let’s say 12m, we could send out just one of Hardy or Jake. But we’d then lock him in for 3 years at that amount, so he may just sign for the minimum somewhere. (Even with us)

 

Rob, please read:

Hardy, Knecht, 2032 swap, 2031 Wizards 2nd to Dallas for Gafford

Why for Lakers?
Kessler probably only plays 60 games, so you would need a duplicative skillset at center. Gafford provides just that. You argueably have two of the best lob-threat bigs in the NBA. Both are also elite rim-protectors. Sort of the rich mans version of the TimeLord and MitchRob pairing we were discussing a while back. Kessler and Gafford provide such great interior protection, tjat we don't really need to stress about being short one 6-7+ wing. The trade also opens up a roster spot, and sends out two players that will lilely not be used much, albeit it is a lot of perimter shooting we wou;d be giving up.

Why for Mavs?
Gafford doesn't seem to be in their plans, so they get off of his 3 years / 54 million. They increase their apron space from 9.5 million to 16 million. So, they could theoretically use the full NTMLE if they want. Their roster would be overloaded, but they would gladly take the short and long-term salary relief and the Laker's assets. They could simply cut some players, they are still confortably under the 1st apron.

 

I thought about it and initially liked it but then heard someone argue it doesn't make sense for us to spend 17M or so in a backup center when we don't have a starting 4.
It would also hurt our flexibility in upcoming years because he has like 3 years or so left.
Doesn't really make sense to commit that much for a situational center that has little to no use in postseason.

He'd be great at 10m per or something. Unfortunately he isn't and I think we should spend that type of salary slot in the perimeter


Re: abeer and svtzr, great stuff!
Another thing I read is that we can actually only take 8M on top of the traded contracts because that's how much below we are from the 1st apron, which we are hard-capped to due to Kessler's S&T.
So even if those provisions allow us to get more salary, it seems we can't take more than what we need to be below the 1st apron

 

Yeah, we need another 3/4 more than a 5 imo.

 

Damn Bronny got 4.85 million.

 

My feeling is you could "get away" with playing Mamu a lot at the 4, if you have elite rim-protection in there at all times. Lakers could also call up Kaluma if they are concerend about "traditional" power-forward size and rebounding.

 

No, Bronny is making ~$2.3 million which I’m pretty sure was always a minimum

The point was that if we trade out Bronny’s $2.3 million contract by itself, the cap rules would allow us to trade that for another player making up to $4.85 million

 

I thought that was the initial plan, because I think he's paid too much to be only a back up 5, but Buha makes a good argument that Kessler/Mamu/Luka is an awful frontcourt defensively. Super slow and we'd get killed by quick wings. Who you'd put guarding J-Dub, Brown, Tatum, Amen, even 2nd guards like Castle, Mitchell, etc

But if we don't get any 4 I do think we'll see that. I think it would be between him and Jake

 

No I could totally see where the lakers heads might be at in terms of their rumored interest in another center such as gaffer or Richards.

One of my pet peeves is when folks cry to prioritize luxuries over necessities but I don't think that's really happening in this case considering what is out there.

Kessler and gaffer provide a dominant back line of defense which will help cover for any type of mistakes by perimeter players. In terms of rebounding and traditional part forward size we have a bunch of players that fit that bill such as Luca, Adou, Mamu and potentially Kaluma.

I expect Adou to take up a minimum of aroumd 18 if the PF minutes very soon. Gafford might average 24-28 mogwhen you consider Kessler probably averages around 30 and misses around 20-25 games.

In terms of money when you think about it Gafford only makes a couple million more than the MLE.

Gafford might be one of several options, but it's not a bad one. Provides the vertical spacing that Kuminga does, with better defense albeit a different position.

 

You absolutely have to protect Luka and Reaves. They will be starting with a Carr Grimes or Thiero next to them. Reddick ain’t that stupid.

 

I think Mamu has been brought in as the backup big for both PF and C. He’ll get 20 mins at the backup C which is his best spot by far and allows JJ to play 5 out. If Kessler is out, Mamu is probably doing 28-30 mins at the 5 and Looney is the 16 min backup. We might even play without a 5 for 10 mins a game in that case.

Yes, you're spot on. With this new Matisse signing, we only have 8m under the first apron now, so thats what we can take back. To be honest, unless we cut someone or buy them out, we're probably going to do a 2 for 1 trade to get down to 15. So here is an updated list of moves:

Scenario - 2 Players going out

• Bronny + Knecht: $13.25m
• Bronny + Jake/Hardy: $16.8m
• Knecht + Jake/Hardy: $18.2m
• Jake + Hardy: $20m
• Bronny + Vando: $22.7m
• Knecht + Vando: $24.6m
• Hardy/Jake + Vando: $26.4m

Scenario - 3 Players going out

• Bronny + Knecht + Jake/Hardy: $20.5m
• Knecht + Jake + Hardy: $24.2m
• Bronny + Knecht + Vando: $26.9m
• Knecht + Hardy/Jake + Vando: $30.6m
• Hardy + Jake + Vando: $32.4m

Teams that have roster spots open:

Boston: 1
Brooklyn: 1
Chicago: 1
Cleveland: 4 (Harden should take one)
Denver: 5 (Peyton & Brown should take two - I think Jones is gone)
Golden State: 5 (Green & Melton should take two)
Houston: 3
Indiana: 1
Clippers: 3 (Kawhi trade puts it to 2 and Mathurin should take another leaving 1)
Miami: 4
Minnesota: 3
New Orleans: 1
New York: 2
OKC: 1
Orlando: 1
Philly: 1
Portland: 1
Sacramento: 3
San Antonio: 2
Toronto: 1 (Could be 2 after Kawhi trade)
Washington: 1

There still seems to be a second wave of moves we're waiting for. All of Cleveland, Denver, Golden State, Miami and Minnesota are waiting on Lebron. Houston, I don't know what they're doing exactly. Clippers and Toronto are waiting for the Kawhi trade to happen. New York & San Antonio probably wants to add one more piece in case someone gets bought out or takes a vet min (like a Kuminga). Sacramento as always remains a complete enigma with no clue on what they're doing (maybe waiting on the Jalen Duren S&T).

 

Sacramento would be that dumb team just to sign Kaminga.


Just want to hurry up and get this over with so we can know what the roster is.