2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

I think Mamu starts at the 4 and plays backup 5. Looney probably plays a stint each half to balance the minutes.

Our offensive model will be heavily based on Luka/Kessler P&R. If teams close the paint, a 3 is open and Kessler is well positioned for the off reb. If they defend the 3, easy dunk. If they stay in between, a more contested 3 or mid J and Kessler is there for the reb.
Kessler is an elite offensive rebounder and I think we will chuck 3s like never before. It's JJ model, we saw it when he started. Then he started to adjust to the personnel. Now it's the 1st time he hand picked each of the players in the core rotation.

Vando/Thiero will play when Mamu is at the 5. I think we will always have four 3-pt threats on the floor.
Let's see if it works

 

I still expect us to do something, but at a certain point I wonder if that's wishful thinking.

I could just as likely see a scenario where Rob announces a press conference next week and this is him revealing his plans for our starting wing to the fanbase:

 

I think that's Rob's vision; there isn't much difference, between Ham and Redick with the 5 out preference. It goes back to AD at 5 and Frank wanting him to shoot 5-6 3's a game.

 

Luka 30 points
Reaves 25 points
Kessler 15 points

that's 70 points already if those 3 are healthy

I think we need to be mindful of signing a guy like Kuminga who feels like he needs a lot of touches to show his value as an offensive talent. He's not ready at his age to accept a role of a 2 way player/defensive stopper/part time offense. There are better fits for less.

That position we need rebounds and defense more than we need points. I like the young players we have in the funnel, and would be happy to develop Adou/Kuluma/Mamu and sign a defensive stalwart. That doesn't need to be a 10mil+ guy in my opinion.

Get these young guys some meaningful minutes!

 

I will say Kessler is a very good promising player. Hes only 24. You know who else is 24. Lamelo Ball. This guy is super talented. Kessler will form a core with these guys.


It’s clear Kaminga is waiting for Cleveland. If Cleveland gets LeBron Kaminga is coming.

if LeBron doesn’t go to Cleveland they are making a full court for Kaminga. I hate that we have to wait for the Cavs to see if they get LeBron for us to get Kaminga. Cleveland will make a full court press but I think Kaminga is ours.

 

i wouldn't be surprised. kessler was their big move

 

Flat out The Lakers need guys that can score. And Kaminga can score. Gotta let me be who he is. Hes a scorer. Gotta have the Benifet of having him in the game. Hes gotta be a scorer for us. Kaminga has to be a scorer for us to have him in the game. You can’t tell him to be something he’s not let the scorer.

 

and with Mr. Microwave off of the bench for another 15 points, we are at 85 points with 4 players. We have 20-35 points (105 to 120 points scored a game) to spread between another 6 players if we have a 10 player rotation. That's 3.5 to 6 points each. That's not a lot to go around, that's all I'm saying. Are you going to take away shots from Reaves or Luka to make Kuminga happy? I'm not sure if it's the best move when you'll have plenty of players happy to score 10 points or less. Do we have room for a guy who expects to score 20 points? I just don't see it.

Why? He's young, egotistical to the point that Draymond had to show him what was what. If he's not mature enough to accept that his employer doesn't think he's worth 24mil, and he's still pushing for the money AND the role, is he the right guy?

 

I get lost with the Kuminga stuff..we offered the minimum, then 2 years 20M? It doesn't sound like we were all that serious, about him in the 1st place.

 

I like this as well.

 

For the regular season, starting Vando isn't the end of the world. At least he'll set the tone for us on defense, and his lack of offense won't hurt us because Luka tends to start the game gunning anyway.

 

We have some decent options and for now we have what we have.

 

Vando may actually fit in better with this current squad, as we seem to have more offensive options now. Can JJ find a role for him though? I seriously doubt it.

 

That’s my point too. The 1st quarter is Luka time. Why not start a guy who’s not gonna want the ball and set a defensive tone?

 

I feel like we could actually use him this year but he has to finish better around the basket for being such a strong dude.

 

He does. Can he improve on this stage of his career though? It seems like he's made absolutely no progress on offense since joining the Lakers, which seriously baffles me. I always liked Vando, but he's not helping his own cause. It also doesn't help JJ seems to absolutely hate to play him.

 

wouldn’t be the first but should be last. You can’t clean house and then roll in without even a reasonable placeholder at starting forward opposite Luka. Why pursue Kuminga if you’re not going to get near his price? Why is Washington’s 4-year deal worse than the ones you just signed? Because there’s no player option?!

The expiring and seconds can net you a player at the deadline, but it will be a dfs/kennard type, not a long term piece. And you’ll let them walk the next year anyway. You emptied all the big bullets but are holding onto a small amount of flexibility and picks now? Makes no sense to me.

You can’t sell me on starting Jake or vando. I can’t buy thiero playing regularly much less starting.

why move ayton’s larger expiring for 2nds when you have no immediate plans for the seconds? Reminds me of when we cleared the extra rooom in the LeBron summer for no apparent reason (iirc this involved letting Randle walk).

everything else this offseason seemed planned carefully.

 

I see the narrative is already being changed to "we don't need Kuminga anyway" or "we don't need a starting PF anyway".

Rob's failures are always relativized. Must be nice to suck so much at your job and have this kind of tolerance.