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

Yeah they have decisions to make, just think they'll do all they can to not deal with us, which makes sense.

I wonder if they dump Caruso. He can't play many minutes on an ongoing basis and Wallace and Mitchell are about to explode. But he is an elite guy to play in crunch time, which is so valuable. He also looks like very important in the locker room as a professional and quiet presence. In the Old Man & Three pod where he went with JWill and Wallace it was evident, them kids are always goofing around

I'd definitely try to get him, but barring in mind he doesn't play +20mpg on the regular season. He's like a secret ingredient specifically for playoffs and clutch time on games that matter, so we would need a couple more defenders anyway.
But having him and Smart to throw occasionally would be awesome

 

guys let's be real, I understand the draft is fun for a lot of people, but the likelihood of us drafting someone better and more nba-ready than Knecht is extremely low, and look at how that turned out.

we're going to be in win now mode next season, we don't have time to develop rookies.

 

Yeah, Caruso would be a good option too. I like Alex, but I prefer Dort, because I trust his shooting more. Closer to a two-way player than Caruso is. We have several defensive leaning players in our system already, but they are limited, due in large part to offensive deficiencies. Vando, LaRavia, Bronny, Manon, Thiero. Although the latter three are developmental. And we all know about the offensive leaning players, Luka, AR, Knecht, Ayton,Timme, LeBron. Smart really the only true 2-way player, with Hayes as passable. Dort would join those two players, you see what I mean? Same with an Ellis, Watson, or Melton. Caruso is more on the defensive tilting side.

 

I'd love to keep Smart if he's okay with a team-friendly deal and a bench role, assuming he opts out. What is the likelihood this happens?

 

I think it's highly likely that he opts-out. He has out played his contract this season, and he has a player option for about 5.4 million. He is worth more than that. He deserves at least a little bit of a raise. He could be signed with some cap room, or with the room-exception. Same with Lebron. We could also ask Ayton to opt-out and promise him the room exception, which would be a raise for him of about 1.3 million I think. It would give us an additional 8.1 million of cap-room.

 

So we went from contenders to pretenders almost over night

 

You think a healthy Lakers could win at least 2 games vs okc in a 7 game series

 

we have no patience for development, as a franchise (fans, management, coach, etc.). it's a problem.

 

Things will be changing. The apron world. They hired a draft expert, so that's a start.

 

It's funny most are bit****g about that impatience for developing our young cost effective players, but how many now are also ready to move on from 24 year old Jake Laravia at 6M salary. Hell on LG there's a bunch ready to move on from Luka. Entitled Lakers fans for the win. Without the injuries to our key players and perfect health, this "disaster of a roster" had a legit shot to make the WCF after finishing in 3rd place in the stacked West. But like you said about a week ago they think we're supposed to be the predominant favorite every single year.

 

yeah, this is not lost on me. we also wanted to trade a zillion picks for jerami grant and andrew wiggins the last couple years.

we have to get over the laker exceptionalism stuff. even the new ownership can't just magic wand the apron stuff away. we missed a nice window before the new cba when we were penny pinching (caruso) and didn't need to be.

and again, redick came in preaching player development, and i give him an F- there. who's made strides or even been given real opportunity to do so? closest thing is bronny? tired of watching memphis dumpster dive on us and turn folks into rotation players (memphis also plays their draftees, and not just when they're tanking). anyway, i'm ranting again, but i agree that the roster this year was actually pretty good--better than i expected going into the summer. and the results before the last two injuries were really encouraging. but we still have some issues to sort out.

 

Not one of my favorite options, but yeah, it could be a thing.

Lakers get: Anunoby + Hart

Knicks get: Giannis + Vanderbilt

Bucks get: McBride + LaRavia + Knecht + 26 Lakers 1st + 26 Knicks 1st + 31 Lakers 1st + 33 Lakers 1st + 33 Knicks 1st

Something like that.

Pros:

• Get two perimeter players that play both offense and defense.
• Dump Vando, who is a bad contract.
• Dump Knecht who is taking up a roster spot.

Cons

• You have to trade all of the picks.
• You end up with only about 3 million in cap + room exception, or 11 million in cap room if Ayton opts out
• Lebron would have to agree first to take 11 million or room exception before executing the trade.
• Could end up loosing Smart.
• 42.5 million is a lot for OG. Could get a similar player for a lot less money.
• 20.9 million for Hart off the bench.
• Leaves only the vet minimum to sign a rim protector. Would be better if we could keep the 26 1st.

 

I like it, except for the fact that OG is waaay overpaid for what he brings. I would rather just try and pry Hart away in this scenario for 1 first and get in on a deal for a guy who does similar things as OG, but who makes somewhere in the low $30 millions.
I like the one of thinking though of adding TWO, two-way players.

 

Yeah we need two way players around Luka, Reaves, and Lebron. Right now, it's basically just Smart, and he's likely to opt out. I'm not a huge fan of getting Hart though, I wouldn't trade a 1st for him. Doesn't shoot enough threes and is on the older side now. But if included in a deal that gets us Anunoby, then it's fine. He's still a 2-way player.

 

Really I’d be happy to get Portis from Milwaukee somehow.

 

Still feeling the whiplash of going on 16 wins in 18 games, to feeling nervous, tentative: we could beat OKC in OKC, but probably lose in a good game and outside chance we'd get blown out, to blown out early, and our top two scorers done for the regular season and probably the playoffs. Rarely have the Lakers made such a drastic, wild shift in one 2 1/2 hour period.

In my eyes we went from 3rd best in West to probably swept in the first round. Lakers are saying AR's oblique means he's out 4-6 weeks...what? Like we're going to be playing in 4 weeks? Naw. I don't think so.

Whiplash. Man, this one's a beeotch.

 

Well what I took from that game. Thiero can be a player. He looked athletic. Liked the dunk. We just need to develop him. And keep bringing him along. He’s gonna be the running mate to Luka defensively. I can see him being an OG.

Knect I don’t know. ‍♀️

The most important part of the season is what is happening in Spain with that Treatment.

We have to put the full court press on Ajai Mitchell. He can do it all.


See OKC has a great scouting department. They hit on Second Round picks. We gotta start doing that. I’m sure Mark Walter will do that and invest in one.

Who are some second round guys you like??? I love the kid from Duke.

who’s on North Carolina?

Aligah Arenas from USC would be great for us. He can shoot score and he’s “6,7” I’d like to get a young player and develop him as a great defender. That can help Luka. You need guys who can come off the bench and get Buckets and defend.

The kid from St. John’s would be good to. I want guys who have been coached by great Coaches.

so that’s how we gotta do it.

 

Yeah don’t you wish that game in OKC would’ve been a load management game for all our guys????

 

I would Pay OG he’s exactly what we need. We can’t get cute. He has a skillet. We are lacking tough defenders around Luka and Reaves.

 

No team sends out the majority of the picks and doesn’t get the best player in the trade. That’s not how this stuff works.