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

Luka is basically another forward in terms of size and his preference in terms of who to guard - he's your SF.

The guards are legit woah this looks like a rebuilding team worth of trash after AR.
Cardio-Gabe, Bronny (i like bronny but he's probably still a year or two away), Godwin (again like Godwin but he needs to improve his shooting)

No POA defender right now.
No legit backup PG (an alvarodo, TJ mcconnel hedgehog type of player who can change the pace of your offense and take pressure of your primary scorers).

GP2 would be a great add on - he's a rotation POA defender who can get you 20 minutes a game. Don't know what the solution to the Gabe problem though: Lakers need to be the Gabe from Miami

 

I’d prefer Melton to GP2 personally. Think he’s an excellent 3&D PG.

 

Some people around here have the patience of a left or right wing radical!! DO IT NOW, MOOOORON!!!!

 

I’m all for bringing in De’Anthony Melton, he had always reminded me of Alex Caruso in terms of defence and generating steals. The unknown is if he is able to get back to his pre-injury form, if he’s willing to come to LA at a reasonable price I think it’s definitely worth taking a shot on.

 

I was enjoying catching up as well. Between the emotionals, drama queens and over reactors we had some quality entertainment...lol.

 

This.

When people make their starting lineups, they most often think of offense, so they list it as

Luka
Austin
LeBron
Rui
Ayton

Since Luka is the main PG, this makes sense. However, on defense, Luka is not guarding PG's. In this lineup, Austin has to guard PG's, Luka guard SG's, and LeBron or Rui guard SF's, which is why the defense looks bad with this lineup. Even if we shift Rui to the 6th man bench score role, we should not fill the starting slot with a SF, because that still leaves Austin on PG's and Luka on SG's. We should want a POA defender in the starting lineup. For example, Melton or GP2, even though maybe not thought of as starters, would fit better since they can guard the PG, which lets Austin guard the SG and Luka the SF, which makes the whole defense better.

Melton
Austin
Luka
LeBron
Ayton

Is a much more balanced lineup. Rui can even still get starting minutes, it's just a matter of balancing out who plays with who.

 

Interesting language with his injury- a partially torn ACL?
That seems more likely to fully heal I would think

 

ACL’s are the death knell they were 20 years ago. In fact I’d say 95% of them make a full recovery. Whereas I think GP2 has actually lost some of his top line athleticism that made him such a positive defender.

I tend to agree with you. I put Luka as the PG because I think it’s advantageous having a large athletic team. Defensively, Luka needs to guard the weakest option out of the 2-4.

So all last year, I spoke about putting DFS into the starting lineup to allow him to handle the best player 1-3. But DFS isn’t that kind of player.

If I could build this team in a vacuum, I probably get a SG/SF that can guard 1-3. Herb Jones does a great job of balancing out our roster because of the size and defensive athleticism he brings. Everyone can then kind of slot accordingly in. I’ve also played around with the idea of Reaves and Rui coming off the bench until LeBron leaves. In a perfect world:

Luka / Reaves
Melton / Reaves
Herb / Rui
Lebron / Rui
Ayton / Horford

That would be the 8 man roster. Melton can guard POA, Herb handles 1-3. And then you’ve got Luka, Reaves, Lebron doing the playmaking. Rui as a scorer off the bench, Horford as the 5 out center and Ayton as the 28 min lob threat.

I think we’d be favourites with that roster.

I also would rather not trade Rui. I think when Lebron leaves he’ll be an excellent PF for half a decade. Luka, Reaves, Herb, Rui and Ayton post LeBron is enough to compete for the chip. With a good bench, we can compete for 5 years.

 

keon ellis.

 

Another insider or what ? LoL
https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketb...-james-austin-reaves-fond-playing-luka-doncic

 

Was Wiggins hurt the last 2 years?
Was going to say contract year jokes but he had advanced metrics his first year after signing the deal of the title. His ESPN net points just crashed the last 2 years.
he's only 29 years old - I could see why the Lakers would want to take a chance on him

 

Ayton was never a defensive anchor coming out of Arizona. He was an offensive scoring skilled player big.

I repeat teams tanked for him. He was supposed to be the next Karl Anthony Towns.

great AAU kid.

when everybody tells you your Shaq since you’re 12 years old it hits differently.

grew up in the Bahamas wanting to play like Tim Duncan.

The kid has skill. Hes only 26. Bigs take longer.

got to Phoenix no vets to show him how to be a pro kind of like Cousins in Sacramento.

Monty was there once again was thinking Tim Duncan played with Tim Duncan so wanted to ride him like Pop rode Duncan. Like these Bellicheck coaching tree guys. Stop yelling. Every guy isn’t like that. He’s Bahamas.

with all that still was successful and put up numbers. All the talking heads can tell you what they want. Cap is cap. You doing something right if you get a max contract. You put some type of tape out that teams like.

He did his job took Phoenix to the championship. So the media puts you in a vacum. So if Phoenix doesn’t choke and wins the championship and beats Gianiss and the Lakers and the Clippers. Now Booker and Ayton are Kobe and Shaq both young players entering the prime of their career together.

I watched that whole run cause I was hate watching the Suns after what they did to us. Low key really really really great team. I think Monty won coach of the year that year.

Take all the Cap out. We were a flucking great team that year. I’m biased if Davis doesn’t get hurt with his groin we win the championship because he was playing out of his mind.

the suns beat our team of Lebron AD Caruso Kuzma KCP and McGee and Howard. We were really good.

Reason they won was cause of Ayton and Booker Ayton cleaned up the glass the entire series. Made us had to pay attention to him. On offense. The mid range game was great. But he was hitting the offensive shot jump shot.

I’ll stay with this statement next to Jokic who was the best. Nobody no other Center made Davis play him and play him that straight up like Ayton did that season. He boarded with Davis. It was a Center matchup.

Ayton is a mild mannered kid but that series somebody lit a fire under his but. Because he was active and talking. Then the alley oop valley oop against the clippers. Don’t let people tell you he disappeared and was darko Milich he had NBA runs.


After Milwaukee he took the blame and Monty put a lot of blame on him. Ironically the Luka Magic 54 point blowout was the game where he and Monty got into it and that was the last game he played for the Suns. I wouldn’t let a man talk to me like that. Shaq wouldn’t Phil had the credibility so he could do it. Brian Hill never did.

He gets to Portland. Guys I’m just giving you like inside player coach stuff. If you look at Chauncey and Williams they are like oil and water. Chauncey players coach was huge with players development on the clippers reminds me of a guy I know Sam Cassell. Players love coach Cassell. Billups talked to Ayton like he was a man. And he got 16-10 outa him. The guy had a dominant season in some games. Like 25-15 like getting boards finishing lobs constantly. And that was with Simmons and Sharpe Simmons is one of the worst guards like a Russell it was respective what he did.


Now the Cons I don’t Cap you guys. Ayton got paid and got lazy. Instead of leading young players he became one of the young players took advantage of being the big money guy. And not doing things professionally. When keep losing you start to not give a F. But I saw him engaged in games and postgame.

my experience guys when they come here they change. Checkered guys. Ron Artest champion. Lamar Odom Champion. Robert Horry champion. After Phoenix Ainge the towel labeled an entitled punk and he remade his brand.

Bynum I say cause before the Knees mild mannered guy but when motivated probably the second best big in the game next to Dwight.

We have a similar situation here. Kobe expected guys to work. When you’re on the court it’s about championships.

Same thing with LeBron to some degree and Luka LeBron ain’t gonna kick your a** Kobe would. That’s the Mamba. But Shaq raised him.

so this will be a combo of Shaq and Bynum big Fella show up. Play how you’re capable of. And we expect you to impose your will. Board control the paint and finish at the rim. He makes his free throws.

not the defender Shaq and Bynum were. I wanna see how JJ works with him. But I love our staff we have here.

just his presence will open up the lob and make it easier for Luka. More spacing for him. Guys were sagging off of Hayes.


But Ayton has great hands. So with the skillset of LeBron and Luka two of the most gifted passers in the league. I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy averaged 20-10. He’s just gonna be really open. He’ll have plays were your like WTF. He’s got some Elden Campbell to him. But he’s a big man. And really completes our team. And gives us an element we haven’t had since AD!!!!!!

now get some defense sign Ben Simmons Melton and Horford and maybe Gary Payton Jr. I think Paul goes back to the. Clippers.

had to give yall an assessment. I’ll leave it at this. When you saw OKC with Chet Holmgren he won’t be able to punk us like he did.

because We got all of our players that’s what’s so great about this. We didn’t trade any of the core and got an addition. Even with the Mark Williams trade we gave up the coveted 2031 first round draft pick unprotected and Knect. We keep all of that. We got pieces.

Rob’s loading us up for a huge championship run. My goal is We don’t even have to talk about Jokic on here.

 

I’m a little hesitant to bring in Melton. For some reason Heat and Warriors players seldom do well at other teams, especially the Lakers.

 

The Laker hate is real.

 

Seriously?

 

Now Ayton is going to be Andre Drummond.

 

Haha Laker hate.