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

i think he still fits, tbh. he won't be what he was pre-achilles, but 80% of that can thrive alongside reaves/luka, imo.

i believe if you re-sign with the same team--even after renouncing--the bird clock resumes. this is a VERY powerful weapon we have, imo. requires trust and adam silver to set precedents like not punishing the clippers for much, much worse maneuvers (that are actual violations of the cba).

we've got full bird on lebron, rui, and kennard (maybe hayes, too, at this point?). technically, all of them could sign at the vet min and retain their bird rights next year. again, we yo-yo-ed kcp, and the mavs did this with dirk at the end of his career. there's plenty of precedent for this.

 

Lebron, Rui, and Kennard probably get renounced. If signed, it would be either with a vet-minimum, room-exception, or cap-space. Hayes has a 6.5 million cap hold, which is pretty reasonable. I could see him getting 7-8 million. He's a good back-up center that fits perfectly with Luka.

 

This is one of those: You're fired, no I quit scenarios.

Can't wait to see what 3rd string scrub Riley refuses to include in this cycle

 

If you have Smart and Watson on the court your perimeter isn’t weak.

To be honest, both Reaves and Luka are good defenders in a system and LeBron has shown he is still a positive defender when he isn’t shouldering all the offensive load. The defense is terrible stuff is overblown. We were a top 10 defensive team to end the season over March and April. Top 5 at times during our run.

 

I could see Hayes getting MLE money for us and used as a future trade piece or just as likely signing for just above the minimum.

 

Watson is a step in the right direction in terms of defense. He takes Smart's spot in the starting lineup. Smart then provides defense off the bench for us. But in terms of the starting lineup, we are simply just swapping out Smart for Watson. The rim protector piece is an important piece for us. Watson is an elite weak side shot blocker, but if we are going to roll with a backcourt of Luka and Reaves, and still have a 42 yr old Lebron at the 4, we are definitely going to need a rim-protector. It's really not that complicated. A rim protecting 5 is mandatory if we are going to continue to go with the weak defenders. On a team that has Luka, Reaves, and Lebron, virtually everyone else on the team needs to be a defender, let alone the starting center. This is common knowledge at this point.

 

Ima say it right now. If LeBron doesn’t resign and we don’t get Gianiss. Kawhi is coming to the Lakers.

 

Kawhi actually makes more sense than Gianiss. And Abeer will like this. You don’t have to gut the team.

if Kawhi really wants to stay in L.A.

Give em Hachimura a pick cause they need picks. Lebron can manipulate sign a minimum.

Luka
Reaves
Leonard
Lebron
Ayton

2nd unit
Bronny
Thiero
LaRavia
Kennard
Hayes.

 

For how much?

 

Kawhi is on Luka’s timeline and Reaves.

The Clippers are in a huge rebuild.

 

A good price. Kawhis made money. I think at this point he wants to be in L.A. Southern California. He has his place In San Diego.

going somewhere like New York at this point of his career makes no sense.

you still compete with Luka and this core here. Kawhi legit was a top 5 player in the nba this year.

he’s productive. Name a better player that you can get better then Kawhi on the market this off season to pair next to Luka and Reaves.??????

 

Remember if we get Gianiss Reaves is gone. If Kawhi comes you keep Reaves Luka even Ayton the kids Thiero and James.

and your getting the clippers off of salary give them Hachimura picks that they need. They want the pick. It is a win win for everybody. And this is mark Walter here. New ownership.

its just a trade to keep him home and compete. Perfect guy to play with Luka who doesn’t need the ball.

 

Leonard is polarizing. Half the people here are going to say no. He's awesome when available. He obviously misses a lot og games. Hr makes 50 million, and we have 48 mil in cap room, so it's doable. Could simply trade the 24th pick and the 2031 1st for him. Lebron would have to be on board with it, and take the room exception or minimum. The Clippers woukd have to agree to trade with us too, which is unlikely. I wouldn't rule out this option. Lakers essentially choose between him and Watson.

 

Ayton has shown to be decent enough when he is switched on, even Hayes is much improved. Our defence improved with our scheme that was a hybrid of man and zone.

The starting unit also doesn’t worry me that much, in the first quarter we have about 6 mins before Smart and another defender like Jake comes in. During the start of games, we routinely out score everyone because Luka starts the first quarter like a bat out of hell.

To end the first half and most of the 4th quarter - I’m positive we’ll play Smart, Reaves, Luka, Watson and Lebron. All of those guys are high IQ and will play the passing lanes, we’ll get lots of turnovers just like we did this year. Yes we don’t have shot blocking, but it won’t matter, we’ll be the best team in the clutch like we were this year.

 

I’m still keen to go out and get Claxton too. If Ayton opts in, I’d look to see if we could trade Vando, Ayton and this years first to the nets for Claxton.

Everything else stays the same in my regular team building scenario.

Luka / Kennard / Bronny
Reaves / Smart / Knecht
Watson / Thybulle
Lebron / Jake / Adou
Claxton / Hayes / Kleber

You get your rim protector and lob threat, but can also defend the perimeter extremely well for our switch defense. We also have Smart, Thybulle, LaRavia and Hayes off the bench for defense. Lots of ball handlers.

A few development guys in Bronny, Knecht and Adou.

That’s probably my favorite team.

 

Yeah, Claxton is another option, similar to Missi. It's a matter of what team wants to make a deal.

 

kawhi's probably going to GS after they void his contract

 

Good point OG I didn’t think of that.