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

Agree with you, except that Smart won't get MLE offers. He's the type of guy that brings winning and grit culture, he can basically be plugged in in any team seamlessly. Apart from OKC and Spurs, I think he fits any team as a starter or 6th man
But absolutely we need to play the market and for sure that's what we will do

I understand that argument, I'm not strongly against it because he has been absolutely amazing, it's really insane how good he still is. There's no words.

I just think this is our only shot of maximizing Bron's expiring and set up the new iteration of Luka. Whatever contract he signs, low or high, he will expire to vacuum in future years because AR max and any other longer contracts we sign will count towards the cap.
Unless we kick it another year down the road and sign 1y deals with guys, which is... what we have done in all Bron's tenure and made us pray for continuity every single season.

So it's more timing really. I'm strongly against signing 1y deals and kick it down the road another year of Luka's prime. I'm against losing Bron for nothing without getting any cap space back. This last one gets offset if he accepts a lower deal, because we already used that money to boost up the roster. That's why I'm ok if he signs for the X amount that allows us to do the other things.

Because I absolutely believe we need to do the other things as the priority. We need defense, physicality, athleticism and depth. We spent months until February complaining about this roster and wanting to fire Rob if he didn't traded for Wiggins or wtv. And now we want to run it back, makes no sense. The roster is indeed flawed and short for championship contention. For that you need money and you only have money if Bron doesn't re-sign for the value he 'deserves'. He needs to re-sign for the value we need or potentially not sign at all, don't see any other way

 

And use that money on WHO? Frankly we don't really know if Luka/Austin, are a contender caliber duo. Spending money on a " maybe" prospect, with potential, doesn't make us any better, whoever you get ,wont be as good as Lebron.

I'd go for bringing Bron, Rui, Smart and Ayton back, adding the 3 guys I mentioned. That's a better shot at a chip next season IMO. We can just eat Lebron's salary, when he retires. A Championship is worth that price.

 

pika's made my points for me. i still think there are ways to bring back a lot of the roster and be happy, but if we can't walk away from this offseason having added one long-term starting quality player, i'm just not sure why we didn't trade a first for wiggins or something. you don't sit like we did to just bring everyone back (at a much higher price), imo.

lol, brad stevens just won executive of the year for doing basically the exact opposite, lol (get rid of everyone to save money...profit!).

 

Stephens had a recent Championship team, and then an Achilles injury to his super star. He had different priorities.

I'm still waiting on the reasons, Watson and Ellis, for instance, makes us a Championship contender.

Maybe this was more of a : Show me what you got" season. Instead of this is the end.

 

ironically, watson's still mostly theoretical (and he has more fan backing at a higher dollar amount!), but the reason is that they are both quick, two-way perimeter guys who can knock down shots. watson's bigger and has shown a little creation/playmaking chops, hence the extra expense. these kinds of players have done very well around luka.

anyway, i think that ship has largely sailed. the pathway to both was trading for ellis to get his bird rights and low cap hold, then making a huge RFA offer to watson. not happening now.

 

I like this owner! Anyone who prevents this from hijacking the entire f***ing summer is OK in my book.



at Kidd

 

Lebron is playing at a high level but I do think its time to move on. We wont win with Lebron so so its best to just move on get younger and more athletic. We cant continue with an even older Lebron plus Austin/Luka.

 

Brad Steven’s won executive of the year for over performing in the regular season. But that team was fools gold, and they flamed out in the first round. So good for them. Now it’s looking like they’ll trade one of Brown or White - so not sure we should be using them as a barometer, they’re off for a rebuild in my opinion.

You kind of lose LeBron’s wage slot either way. If we operate under the cap, we’ve lost it for cap space and can’t easily go above it without bird rights, the MLE or rookies getting bigger contracts.

If we operate over the cap and give him 20-25m, we have to replace him with the MLE, trades or rookies getting bigger contracts once again.

so to me that isn’t a good enough reason to not bring him back.

 

lol, i was half-joking. in another thread, i ranted about how incredibly stupid giving a gm an award for a team wildly overperforming its talent.

the only way you don't truly lose it is by having him re-sign at vet min with a wink/wink to make him whole on the back end (this is what walter's money should be for, imo). if he ONLY wanted to win, this is the way. we could make a godfather offer to watson whilst retaining lebron, smart, ayton, and probably kennard if we wanted.

lebron at one-year mle money beats whatever else is available at mle money, for certain.

but again, i'm not sure if the real debate is whether to bring him back. it's just at what cost. i mean, i'm having to endure folks suggesting that letting reaves walk is a good strategy while having to defend the idea that a 41 year old not being paid 25 million might end up ok for the franchise.

 

I think getting Watson is very unlikely. Denver is going to take fire to the team because of the poor showing. Everyone’s on the block apart from I think the Watson and Jokic.

It won’t shock me to see two of Braun, Cam Johnson and Gordon gone. And if they want to go crazy, Murray could be shipped out in a 3 team trade for a Durant or Giannis.

 

I’m just super happy that Boston flamed out - f them. They get every benefit of the doubt and everyone talks about how well they’re run, while no one even wants to do business with us and apparently we’re a poverty run franchise because of that.

If LeBron was open to the minimum, we’d be a contender next year in my opinion. You operate under the cap in that scenario and just renounce everyone. Heck he should just make the avengers call out to the league, 2 years, let’s go win 2 rings. Ideally, you'd get someone like a Wiggins to ask for trade and we give Watson a big offer and Thybulle/Ellis a small one.

Jake, Vando, Knecht + 1 first for Wiggins

Luka: 49.5
Watson: 32
Wiggins: 30.2
Reaves: 20.9 (35)
Smart: 9.1 (room)
Ayton: 8.2
Ellis: 7.3
Vet Min: 2.5
Lebron: 2.5
Hayes: 2.5
Kleber: 2.5
NSJ: 2.5
Bronny: 2.3
Adou: 2.1

Luka (32mins) / Ellis (16) / Bronny
Reaves (30) / Smart (18) / NSJ
Wiggins (30) / Watson (18) / Vet Min
Lebron (28) / Watson (10) / Adou (10)
Ayton (28) / Hayes (20) / Kleber

That's 165m over 13 players before you sign Smart to the room and then Reaves to 35m pushing the final figure to 209m - right at the first apron.

 

I like both Ayo and Shannon the Wolves. Got some holes in both their games but you get them with the right development and you got a high ceiling.

Shannon has no right hand whatsoever if I was his agent I would force him to practice finishing only with his right and you're only allowed to use your left shooting 3s

 

I know it's a business, but you just don't put a Lebron James out to pasture like that. It's not right, and is also a bad look, even if he wasn't playing well it would be borderline bad, but he would just call it a career at that point anyway. He's self aware. But at the level he is playing, he has a lot left, cant do the guy dirty. Not to mention, Luka wants to win-now, anyway.

 

Would you rather have Austin


Or Peyton Watson and Ayo?

 

If it was the Yankees they’d let Reaves walk and get 3 other players to do what he does like Watson Ayo and a Gafford or a Robinson or Claxton.

 

I just think overall Austin has to take a deal that’s fair to the Lakers.

I don’t think you can max him. But 30 million is fair.

we’re gonna have hard conversions about him in the postseason. But I think he stays so I’m not tripping.

 

Austin’s a great player he’s a Eddie Jones he’s a Nick Van Excell a Cedric Ceballos a Lamar Odom

and this is coming from a guy who called him Kobe Bryant and Jerry West at the beginning of the season.

There’s nothing wrong with those players. The first guys are max he’s more of a complimentary player.

 

The Denver Nuggets would never trade Murray never never never never. That would be the dumbest s***.!!!!!!

Murray is just as important to the Nuggets as Jokic. The reason we couldn’t get over Denver with AD was because Jamal Murray was spacing the floor and making 3’s from all over the court.

the Nuggets to some degree were splash brothers light as adjacent to the Warriors with Klay Steph KD when they had it. You couldn’t stop it because there were 3point shooters all over the court. When your point guard shoots like Murray shoots that’s phenomenal.

I would trade you Reaves 4 buckets of watermelon 2031 draft picks for Murray.

He can get buckets. He had one bad series it happens. He’s one of the best guards in the league. They already traded Porter jr.

Johnson Gordon Baun on the way out. Paying Baun all that money made no sense. But s*** if John Koncack can get 40 million as the Clipse said it so be it.

 

I don’t know if yall know but Jimmy Haslam is one of the biggest crash out owners in sports. Hes terrible in the NFL gave Deshawn Watson 240 million fully guranteed totally reset the Quarterback market.

Now he’s crashing out in the NBA with Gianiss.

 

The reason I want Gianiss is because of Chet Holmgren. That’s the only big that we can get to stop Holmgren. We ain’t getting Wemby but Gianiss. Can stop Holmgren he’s athletic enough. He can play 1-5 and he’ll go back at Holmgren and dunk on his a**.

I’m confident there.

Slick on line 1 are we revisiting Reaves for Gianiss talks.

only reason I’m talking Gianiss because Holmgren Wemby we have no answer.

Luka LeBron Gianiss smart for one season can we beat these guys and Hachimura


yeah we can.