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

yeah, i've looked at it, and the only path i see is moving strus or schroder either to atl or into space. it's getting harder to squeeze a contract that size into any space (not sure anyone can just take strus at this point). but they're both a) expiring and b) useful on the floor. ALSO cleveland somehow has more draft capital than we do, so they could theoretically throw a 1st in to get atlanta to eat schroder (whom they might actually play--one could argue flemings is the only pg on the roster this year).

now, the hawks only have 8m in apron room right now (i think), so i don't know if they're trying to avoid that or not.

all of this is assuming harden takes a pretty big paycut, too, and i'm wondering if that paycut differs depending on whether it's making room for lebron or not.

anyway, long story short, this is why i think we still have a pretty decent shot at ending up with him (apparently much to a lot of the fanbase's chagrin). his options are dwindling, and if we have a deal set up wherein we can get him that 10m and keep his rights, it may end up being the best option on the table.

the more i read the tea leaves, the more i think we just have a team that will take knecht and a second into space as part of a three-team deal that sends kuminga here on 10 per with a PO in year 2. he blows up, it's full bird rights. he's the overconfident malcontent others say he is, he's packaged with vando next year as an expiring that can bring in a 25m per player.

 

As I stated not mad just rolling with Thiero and Cam Carr.

it would be imperative for the Lakers to sign Demar Derozan to play power forward.

you’d want him to play power forward? Would he be able to do that?

I think they need to sign Kaminga give him all the money he wants. This gives Thiero time to develop. You don’t want to rush him.

I wont dress up and put lipstick on the pig. No Kaminga off-season C+. Kaminga Off season A+.

it’s basketball. If you really want to help Luka you sign Kaminga. It makes us a deeper way more balanced team.

no excuses. Lebron James is gone that’s 20 points 7 assists.

Hachiumura is gone. That’s 13 points. How are we making that up?

all your doing is making it harder for Luka and Reaves with the spacing. When we have to start Vando cause Reddick won’t start Thiero.


Even if it’s LaRavia. No spacing. Force defenses to have to come up.

Kaminga does alot. And I don’t see a Keegan Murray or a PJ Washington. You can start Mamu but that’s going to be a defensive problem. Don’t let a few Million f*** up a really good team.

 

RIP Kuminga? Or is the dream alive? Wouldn’t we still need to clear a roster spot to have room for Thybulle? I hope Hardy/Knecht outgoing trade is still in the works.

 

WOW, that's cool.

I am curious where this goes from here too.

 

Yeah, exactly. Rob probably read my post earlier about swapping out LaRavia and Hardy for Kuminga and Thybulle. Another option would simplu cutting a player like Knecht, although not ideal. Ideally you would use the apron room in a trade where we take back more salary.

 

Atlanta won’t want anything to do with a second apron not that ownership group.

 

Once again LMAO .... more convinced than ever, just a big fat 0 credit to Rob for checking all the boxes off this off season for what was needed with LeBron no longer being a Laker. It's completely clear now he freaking LURKS on LB and just parrots into reality the moves we come up with for him.




.... so when healthy which positions is he this hot shot defender for? Can he cover the large SFs or the quick PGs?

 

Yeah, still really hoping for a Kuminga trade. Maybe nothing else is imminent, but we’ll continue looking for moves to dump salary and free a roster spot (maybe some lottery team wants to take a flier on Knecht) and worst case we just cut Knecht later in the summer if there are no takers.

 

Who is signed to the team now again?

 

Yeah folks here have been talking about players like Kessler, Grimes and Thybulle on here for a long time.

 

I’d LOVE to have GG! Thybulle ain’t the isolation wing stopper he used to be, BUT he’d be great as a helpside defender and in JJ’s zone scheme. Great locker room guy as well. Finally filling the void we lost with Smart.

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/yearly

with thybulle, we now have 16 guaranteed contracts on the books. we don't have to clear that until camp, but i'm guessing some of bronny, knecht, vando, hardy, and jake may be on their way out in a two for 1? or i guess we can just cut knecht or bronny. not ideal.

 

no, they're still under the first apron, i believe.

 

Yeah, also Lakers might be operating with the knowledge, or under the strong assumption that they could simply trade Bronny to waht ever team his dad goes to. So, essentially operating as if they only had 14 players under contract.

 

guessing this means a trade is coming, right?

if thybulle can stay healthy, he's exactly what this team needs

 

Bronny's not going with Pops. He and the family would be absolutely nuts to do that to his career, if he's / they are serious about it.

 

but think about the documentary!!

 

yes

 

LaRavia, Knecht and a 2033 Lakers 2nd for Portis might be a reasonable deal for both sides. Portis could be a decent stop gap option at power-forward while Thiero continues to develop. Helps ensure that Lakers have three-point shooting and rebounding at the 4, similar to Mamu in a way. He might be a little more mobile, not sure. Also, maybe even Kuzma? He might not be much better than Jake though.