2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Maybe the big money TV sponsors, are coming up with these ideas. They want more entertainment, for all those billions of dollars, that they are coughing up. IDK

Might as well throw in a one on one tournament too. 250K for the winner.

 

this team is winning at pretty much the same pace as the previous two seasons

 

With Lebron being 2 years older and clearly not the same guy he was in that WCF run. That alone is a pretty significant difference. Throw in how important Vando was to that run, Dennis being better than the corpse of Gabe…not the same team at all.

 

Rob wake up ASAP.
Denver and Washington held talks on a possible trade
Jonas Valanciunas can go to Denver
According to The Athletic insider Sam Amick, Nuggets and Wizards are discussing a possible deal with the participation of Jonas Valanciunas.

Denver just need to include Zeke Nnaji and the draft pick so that Washington considers the offer

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6002502/2024/12/17/zach-lavine-trade-rumors-nuggets/

 

Bracing for the worst, hoping for the best.

 

Rob ain’t doing a thing, again.
I believe that he has no faith in this team going far with the realistic additions we could trade for.
I don’t blame him for not giving up the firsts for someone that won’t have a future with us after LeBron retires, but he built this flawed team last summer and it’s his job to make some moves to correct at least a couple of his mistakes.

 

So Zeke—widely considered to be a terrible contract—is part of all these nuggets deals, huh? I smell a booth leak.

 

Meh..How is that supposed to be some kind of flex? Two seasons ago we went to the WCF, after the Westbrook, Bev saga, Nunn Mia, the Rui trade etc, and with Lebron playing on a hurt foot. Jams and Davis both only played in around 55 games.If Redick gets us to the WCF, in his 1st season as a HC, with a similar scenario, that's a success isn't it?

Last season the coach underachieved (supposedly) and was considered to be the problem, due to the things you pointed out. If JJ corrected Darvin's shortcomings, how does winning at basically the same pace,with the same guys, prove Ham was the problem?

 

With Lebron being 2 years older and clearly not the same guy he was in that WCF run. That alone is a pretty significant difference. Throw in how important Vando was to that run, Dennis being better than the corpse of Gabe…not the same team at all.

That team won two playoff series and had one of the best records in the West, after the trade. If Redick duplicates that, is he the problem?
Vando was hurt most of last season and Dennis wasn't here. That team finished 12 games over 500. That team "sucked" because the coach "sucked" and ended up getting fired.

Well..again we have the same guys,and are actually winning at a lower pace, with his replacement. We knew Lebron was 38 when we got to the Conference Finals, and haven't made any improvements since then. I don't see this evidence, of the HC being the issue. Ergo.JJ Redick isn't the problem either.

 

I guess Denver understands, that if you aren't a legit chip contender, changes need to be made.

 

He has some options at his disposal.

The big question: How much do the Lakers prioritize flexibility below the second apron next season if the roster can improve now?

Los Angeles has D'Angelo Russell's $18.7 million expiring contract, which could be used to ease the workloads for LeBron James and Anthony Davis while improving a bench unit that ranks 27th in minutes played per game and continues to be an Achilles heel. This is the worst defensive team since James' first season with the Lakers in 2018, which opens the questions of whether L.A. should mirror Dallas' approach to last year's deadline, when the Mavs added P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford in two separate trades for two first-rounders. Finally, if the Lakers' struggles continue, do they approach James about a move? James has a no-trade clause in his contract.

play
1:55
Stephen A.: Lakers are going nowhere, so LeBron can take time off
Stephen A. Smith explains why LeBron James missing time to rest shouldn't be a big story.

Off the board: LeBron James (no-trade clause), Anthony Davis ($43.2M, Player 2027) and Max Christie (Jan. 15. Signing restriction)

Players with trade value: Austin Reaves ($13M, Player 2026) and Rui Hachimura ($17M, UFA 2026)

Free agents in July: D'Angelo Russell ($18.7M, UFA), Jalen Hood-Schifino ($3.9M, UFA), Christian Wood ($3M, UFA), Jaxson Hayes ($2.5M, UFA), Cam Reddish ($2.5M, UFA)

Controllable contracts: Dalton Knecht ($3.8M, UFA 2028), Bronny James ($1.2M, Team 2027), Maxwell Lewis ($1.9M, Team 2026)

Long-term salary: Gabe Vincent ($11M, UFA 2026) and Jarred Vanderbilt ($10.7M, UFA 2028)

Draft capital: The Lakers owe Atlanta a 2025 unprotected first. Los Angeles will send a 2027 top-four-protected first to Utah. The Lakers are allowed to trade a maximum of three first-round picks -- 2027 (if 1-4), 2029 and 2031. They also can trade their 2030 first but not combined with 2029 and 2031. Los Angeles also can trade the right to swap first-rounders in 2026, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2031. The Lakers have four second-round picks available to trade.

Finances and restrictions: The Lakers are $17.4 million over the luxury tax and are projected to pay the highest penalty in franchise history at $53.2 million. The Lakers are $30K below the second apron and are not allowed to use more than 100% of the traded player exception if the post-trade transactions leave them over the first or second apron. The Lakers also are not allowed to aggregate contracts sent in a trade if the salary leaves them over the second apron. Los Angeles cannot sign a player waived who had a pre-existing salary of $12.8 million or more. The Lakers will trigger the second apron if cash is sent in a trade.

 

it's not supposed to be a flex. and the teams of the past two seasons certainly made it as far as they did despite ham and not because of him. who knows, if he had actually been a competent HC they could've made it even further

 

So the team is currently where it is today despite Redick?So the point you're trying to make, is that Redick is no different than Ham? You haven't pointed out any evidence that suggests, that coaching was more of an issue than the roster.

You made some accusations about Ham's faults, but can't point out, how those things being different now, has made any difference in the record.


"he was a god awful HC during his time here. that 23 team got to the WCF in spite of him, not because of him. how many wins did he cost the lakers with his b*******, brain dead lineups? things like playing prince and reddish 35 minutes a game while barely giving rui any time or refusing to go back to the same lineup that got them to the WCF for god knows what reason"

What exactly has changed for the better, and why hasn't it affected winning?

Last season we were 15-11 at this point, this season with all the "coaching improvements", we are 14-12. It would seem that JJ has already concluded,( rather early in fact), that the same lineup that got them to the WCF, doesn't really work.

 

ham can be a terrible coach and the current roster can be flawed. those two things don't need to be mutually exclusive. the 23 and 24 rosters were better than the current roster anyways. ham had better pieces to work with compared to what JJ is working with

it's dumb to judge a coach after 26 games

 

The 23 roster was better true, and they could have gotten to the Finals if Tinkerbell doesn't choke.

This roster is essentially the same as last season's minus Prince. There is nothing wrong with comparing the team at the same points. However Without a trade I don't believe this group gets to 12 games over 500. I don't think it would be Redick's fault either. We'll see.

 

We knew this already but it's coming from elsewhere with this one.



Doesn't much matter though if DA pulled Kessler from the block.

 

I don't get the Kuz interest. Sure he is a good scorer on a bad team, but he doesn't help with defense and rebounding. He has a career DBPM of -1.0 and he only gets 7.3 rebounds per 36 minutes. Not much better than Rui. I like that he is a high volume 3 pt shooter but his percentage is below average at just 33.6%. Getting him would give us a potential good scoring 6th man and he would be good for nostalgia, but this are outside the scope of what our needs are. The 6 man role is not that large of an issue and it's not that hard to fill. We have many candidates for that, like DK, Rui, Dlo, etc. Whoever stays I guess. The nostalgia thing is not something that we should even value imo. Maybe from a chemistry stand point with AD and LBJ, but even then they played with each other about 5 years ago now, so come on.

 

I thought Kuzma was inconsistent but defended well at times when he was here. He moves better on the perimeter than Rui. The 2020 team was a good situation for him; he'd come in and play next to LeBron and AD, who were more athletic than they are now and brought it defensively every night that year, and two good defenders in the backcourt. He got swept up in the defensive effort that team brought every night. I don't think he'd fare as well defensively now.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDxOuh9puuV/?igsh=MXVzdG92ZngzeTNvZw==

The first part of Cam's comment is quite interesting. Can see it being relatable to what Lakers has been going through with this group (and previous ones)