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

flagg's a superstar. love his game. only a crazy franchise would trade someone like tha...

anyway, why suggs? big two-way ballhandling guard. he's shot 40% from three for a full season, and i think he can get back to that playing off reaves and luka and lebron. elite POA defender that can take whatever the toughest assignment is on the other side. even if he doesn't recover his shot, then you basically have two marcus smarts on the roster. i think of him as similar to jrue holiday (could argue he's maybe a little better at the same age). only concern is injuries (holiday also had this issue at the same age, interestingly).

does he help against okc? i mean, not without luka. but with him, now you've got two bulldogs to throw at sga (and jwill if he's available) instead of one.

 

Maybe..he's just been terrible from the field in both of his playoffs appearances.

 

yeah, it's a risk. i consider it a buy-low opportunity for a player at a level that you can't easily acquire otherwise.

compare the beginning of his career to derrick white's (keep in mind he's basically the same age white was as a rookie, too).

 

I look at San Antonio and there’s no way around it. If you took me back to 1995 we would be the Phoenix suns or Utah Jazz or Seattle Sonics.

Star player but we can’t beat the snake Orlando Magic Shaq Penny the bulls Jordan The Rockets Hakeem

We don’t have the Jordan Shai or the Pippen Williams or Wemby the Shaq we have Luka who’s John Stockton Charles Barkley

an MVP talent with a nice supporting cast. And a hall of famer on his way out the door. You can call LeBron Malone at this point.

But how you beating Shaq Wemby????? You gotta hope you get a shot to Bring Wemby to L.A. maybe politics comes into it and he wants to get out of Texas or his parents want him in L.A. I don’t know. But I don’t see no one beating that team.

We gotta make sure our star player can stay on the court. That is a concern to me. And he’s had quite a few injuries. But hopefully he can be available for us.

We’ve been snake bitin AD with his groin in a championship window. And now this hamstring. I guess it’s a league thing.

What I’d like to see is Luka take this team over and put them on his back in the playoffs.

For this team to win anything we are going to have to have Luka playing at a high level simple as that.

we can have all the Jalen Suggs in the world. But Luka has to be available.

Wemby is Ohtani. The unicorn. The Dodgers got Ohtani and won two World Series. The Lakers get Wemby they’ll win 2 championships simple as that.

 

LAKERS REALISTIC UNDER CAP BUILD

DRAFT DAY
Trade Knecht + #26 + 2033 2nd to New Orleans for Missi

FREE AGENCY
(1) Renounce everyone except Reaves, end up with 55.7M in cap room
(2) Rui 16.5 million
(3) Lebron 15 million
(4) Ellis, Grimes or Robinson 15 million
(5) Smart 12 million
(6) RWilliams, Ellis, or Thybulle 9.4 million (Room-Exception)

PLAYMAKERS: Luka (36) Reaves (12)
SHOOTERS: Reaves (24) Rui (24)
POA DEF: Smart (24) Ellis (24)
BIG WING: Lebron (32) Rui (6) Thiero (10)
RIM PROTECTOR: Missi (24) Williams (24)

Lakers have playmaker in there at all times, a shooter in there at all times, a POA defender in there at all times , a big athletic wing in there at all times, and a lob-threat rim-protector in there at all times.

Bigs like Missi, and Williams protect the rim, and do not need any players run for them. Their offense is limited to only lobs. You don't have to worry about getting these guys touches, they would come organically. They are both tenacious defenders, highly vertical, and ferocious rebounders. Ayton needs his touches, and is unhappy and often ineffective when he doesn't get them. Although he has made strides with his defense, when he is in the right mood, he cant be counted on to protect the rim. Good rebounder though. But what we need here is a Gafford/Lively type, not someone who is going to try and post up. Hayes in elite at lob-catching, but we have to be real here and compensate for having weak perimeter defenders playing so many minutes. Hayes is not at the defensive level that Missi and Williams are.

Ellis is an upgrade over Kennard, because he is obviously a better defender, and he is not hesitant on the catch-and-shoot. He's faster and more athletic. If Kennard's shot isn't falling, he doesn't contribute much else. At least Ellis could defend, if his shot isn't going in.

Thiero is clearly and upgrade over LaRavia. Redick seems to be learning that the hard way.

None of these transactions are "wishful thinking". The dollar amounts and ability to get these players are all within reason. And all of the pieces fit. No weird clunky fits.

 

Aha! Someone did the work for me! Salute!

I'd still throw in a PJ Washington, for Vando and Jake trade, because both will still be under contract next season. Now you have 4 big wings

Missi, Ellis, Grimes, and Williams, are probably the lowest salary cost foursome, that we could add.

 

I just want to see Luka on a basketball court. Is there anyway we can bring Derek Lively here? I’d like to see him in purple and Gold.

 

Says who?
I hold a very different World View than most of the other developers I have worked for and with for 26 years and have been on some of the most successful games of all time.

 

ughh ayton and hayes have been solid - I don't think this team goes anywhere with marginal upgrades at C and the only other big add is Keon too small Ellis.

Team desperately need a wing who can defend and shoot: ayo, eliis, or bust