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

I told y’all Orlando would be a bad matchup for Detroit and they win.

They looking at theyselves in the mirror. Young athletic athletes. Wings. Bigs.

Banchero Wagner Carter and Black. Baine.

they’re young like Detroit. They got those wings they have to defend.

 

Absolutely. They were talking so much s*** about Pau Gasol and they ended up getting Marc Gasol who became a hall of famer.

 

I'm thinking he will take less than 25m, but Lakers should give the man respect and keep him in the loop about it. They may be coordinating something with Rich Paul to bring in Watson or Dort, or something like that. Lebron is going to want to go out on top, so I feel like he will be very flexible to maximize chances at a chip. But again, I wouldn't assume that. I would gladly sign him for 25m, besides there are honestly not any better options at the 4 anyway. You got like the John Collins,Tobias Harris, and Dean Wade's. Weak free agent class.

 

On the flip side: was him being "bad" a direct sign of decline or the fact that each of the big 3 were on a revolving door to the medical bay. They had to get reps, they had to figure it out to get to where we were in March. That's going to be clunky until it isn't.

I'd argue that the Team USA Draybron role with the lower usage he could play for another 5 years, if he wanted. For the record: I don't think he does. I think he wants one more legitimate shot and to enjoy time on the court with his son along that journey. That's most likely one more season...2 tops.

I don't think you can replace his production with anything on the market unless you're getting a one name level recognition player. That's not happening.

Ant only played 1 more game than him, Wemby and Booker 4. Joker 5.

League is different. Top end doesn't play the full season regardless of age and it's why the whole 65 games to qualify is now a big talking point.

This is where Rob can't afford to be the child regardless of what Bron and Rich Paul do or say. His job is in the balance and someone actually is watching him this year. The distance and lack of a dialog can't happen this time around because of the cap space. By middle of June, Rob and Bron need to sit down and leave that meeting on the same page regardless of what the outcome is.

First they need to go through the timeline, the plan, the targets, and the most importantly the money.

I'd go hey Bron...Luka, Austin, JJ, myself, Jeanie, Mark, and the whole Lakers family want you back. We want you to retire a Laker.
*Rambii collectively cough from the other room*
Kurt and Linda, too. He loves your Halloween costumes.

To give us the best chance to contend, we can't pay you what you're worth. You know our books, you know your salary, you know what these guys both inside and outside our building are going to cost. We don't want to offend you, but we need to know what you think is fair. To really have a chance, you might have to take between a 55-60% cut. We might not know that exact amount until we fill some of these needs this summer. Are you good with something roughly in that range or is there a locked amount you're expecting.

These are who some of the guys we're trying to sign... Who we're trying to trade for....

And if we have to pay you north of X, that pool shrinks to Y...


But that clarity needs to happen very, very soon.

 

OH Yeah that's it!! Now you get it! I'm sure those teams can't wait, to fork those guys over to us. What took you so long to figure that out?


Well..I'd rather project with a player that has at least started in this League. Preferably a multi year starter with playoffs experience.

I'm sure there are multiple options out there, besides the same Watson or Ellis scenarios, that keep getting bandied about around here.

Who saw Smart and Ayton coming this summer?

 

you have to project a bit: I mean Derrick White on the Spurs was this good player who I don't think many thought was going to be Jrue Holiday 2.0

 

It's a fine point, so let's have a look at it (my assumption is a best case scenario that we get Watson and turn Vando & Knecht into Hart):

1. Luka (49.5m)
2. Reaves (41m)
3. Watson (30m)
4. Hart (20.9m)
5. Lebron (20m)
6. Kennard (9m)
7. Ayton (8.1m)
8. Jake (6m)
9. Smart (5.4m)

That's 9 slots above vet minimums. If Lebron retires after playing next year, we'd have some flexibility in my opinion. First of all, we'd have the ability to resign Jake, Ayton & Smart with early bird rights up to 175% of their contract - so we should be able to retain these guys. We'll also have a club option on Hart, who we could keep, resign for a smaller amount and more years or trade for a piece. If we can manage our assets right and stay below the first apron, that'll be around 220m that year, we could get access to the MLE (16m) and BAE (6m) to use to add 2 more players.

Other options at the margins could be Bronny & Adou developing and being worthy of a new contract. Or a draft pick this year playing above his contract.

The truth is, if we signed someone to MLE money this year, its not like they'd be worth more than the MLE in 2 years anyways - like, Ellis won't become a max player in 2 years. We could still add that caliber of player than and another vet for the BAE like we did Smart this year.

 

It’s one game having watched the NBA for nearly 25 yrs I’ve seen many series where a top seed losing the first game against a lower seed only to win four in a row.

 

There's always going to be left field options for sure. Buy out options on the level of a Smart & Ayton are pretty rare though.

There aren't many proven guys out there that we'd want, that are going to be on the move. They generally come from a team that's going to rebuild or retool. For example, Wiggins is a multi year starter that won a chip and fits the bill. However, he seems to be trending downwards, so is he necessarily better than Watson, who is trending upwards? Jrue was an option, but he is 36 and owed a ton of money still.

I've thrown out ideas on who we could get for Knecht & Vando because I think that angle is being under discussed. We can probably only add 1 piece via FA if we retain Lebron, maybe 2 if they're lesser guys. So we need that trade to go for another quality piece.

 

I'm not knocking your musings brother, you invest a lot more time and energy, into your roster posts than I do. I respect that, I'm just open to the fact, that there are more possibilities out there.

We don't really know who will be available, I'm sure there are players and agents out there right now, eying the Lakers as a preferred destination this summer. Guys that nobody has even mentioned. It's the NBA, there are players looking for a change of scenery, every offseason for different reasons.

My 3 favorite players on the team remain Austin, Vando and Rui...they aren't the 3 best players on the team tho, and if it was for the betterment of the team, I wouldn't revolt if all 3 of them were traded somewhere else. I will still like them and wish them well. So any and everything is possible for me...except trading Luka. I want LeBron back..doubt many players that we are discussing currently are better than him..even at 41.

 

Orlando was smart to avoid Boston and play Detroit. They Match up better. Detroit has no shooting. Thats why the playoffs are different.

 

All matchups Minnesota was a horrible matchup for us. Houston is a better matchup for us.

 

Lebron it is simple and weighs down to this. LeBron is a billionaire money isn’t an option.

what’s happiness going back to Cleveland uprooting your family to have to deal with Detroit and New York.

or playing with your son in L.A. comfortable wife here daughter here everybody happy.

competing with Luka and Reaves and playing with your son. Keeping him in the league. But anyway just the fun experience of playing basketball with your son. Getting that extended time with him. For a dad that’s priceless. People don’t factor that they just have LeBron at one price.

why would LeBron wanna go to Golden State when Kerr won’t be there. He can dap Curry up whenever.

oh Golden State is getting the number 1 pick.

what we’ve seen in this last game is we need Lebron and he can do alot for us.

throw out the regular season. When the playoffs start in half court his game translates and is needed when it’s slowed down.

 

Also we need to bring Kennard back.

 

White is actually a good example. Yes he's elevated his game in Boston, but he was a starter in San Antonio, he was a double digit scorer, with some displayed defensive chops, and a little playoffs experience as a starter. Boston got him at 23 years old. I like prospects like him.

 

unless it’s Luka traded for Wemby.

 

How good would Colby White look in purple and Gold?

 

pistons aren't going to go very far if they get past orlando. that roster isn't great outside of cade and duren

 

The key is making sure these guys like Hachimura Kennard Ayton Smart Vanderbilt play like this when Luka and Reaves come back. Those two are ball dominant players.

if we play with ball movement I think we can beat alot of teams.

 

Orlando missed Franz Wagner this season, he only played in 36 games. They are undersized at 5 with Carter, but that's a pretty solid team. They are another big away from legit East contender status IMO. They might make a play for Mitchell Robinson or even Ayton this summer. I don't think they need a lot, but getting off of Issac's contract will probably be a priority.

That Jenkins kid in Detroit was a nice regular season story, he was lighting folks up, us included. The playoffs hit differently though, they could have used that extra punch.