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

The "LeBron is gone" sugar high, will last all the way, to the first preseason games, around here.



The playoff teams, that returned most of thier core, will be pretty solid out of the gate.
We have some sorting out to do early, on our end; it's going to take some time.

 

The Lakers and the article pointed out what Kessler does for Luka.

people just sleeping on that. Luka specially said he needed a Lob threat. We got the best. That’s what Kessler does he just lobs. “7.2” protects the rim. Who else does that Wemby!!!! We couldn’t get him. One thing Kessler is better at then Wemby he has a strong NBA body. You can’t push him around. He will control the paint.


Arguably for fit for us he’s better then Jokic defensively having a Center that will block shots contest the rim protect the rim contest shots.

with Luka and Reaves you have to have a Center like that.

I’m really trying to look at it logically for yall what Rob did. On paper LeBron great player to have. Defensively post video. Lebron Reaves Luka nobody is getting a stop.

so we made sure to address that. Thybulle Williams Carr Thiero the perimeter is protected the basket rim is protected with Kessler.


Bench scoring Sexton Grimes will come off the bench and score Mamu.

a deep bench with scoring is huge. This team made sure to have balance.

it’s like sports writers forget that Luka led the league in scoring with 33 points a game.

we have the defense now. We have the scoring Reaves. Why not isn’t this team a top 3 team basketball wise we look it.

the lob when Luka dribbles anybody on here who’s on a court me included. You’re going to guard Luka and get up on him you have to.

he has choices to A. Either pull up step back kick in the corner to Grimes which is his strength or lob at Kessler or lob to Thiero or swing to Reaves.

having athletes that can jump is just what you have to have there.

this isn’t Chinese arithmetic. Those athletes are interchangeable. Thiero could be Kaminga Jalen Johnson Duran Amen Thompson Ausar Thompson OG Anouby Jalen Williams.

with this player you must have that athlete because the lob will be there whenever he decides to penetrate.

it’s what his skillset dictates.

that’s why the analytics in this article makes sense. How they rushed to get Kessler. That’s the ideal Center. The defense won’t know what to do.

now big question can Kessler stay healthy? Can they stay healthy? Can Luka stay healthy? That’s basketball. We have to find out. But on paper? No way this is a top 3 team for sure.

I’m not putting Lakers blinders on outside of OKC and San Antonio I don’t see a deeper team. I don’t see a deeper young team. We’re deeper than San Antonio. They’re top heavy. They don’t have our bench. And they can’t shoot like us.

Minnesota forget about it. Nowhere near close to us. They won’t know how to deal with Kessler.

Denver it’s Lazy reporting to just say they’re better than the Lakers. Why? They lost in the first round to Minnesota. You say Jokic but what else do they have? Their bench is a shell of themselves. They have Murray that’s it.

I said it here and screamed it here. Them losing Michael Porter Jr. changed their whole team. Just like I pointed out with Luka and Kessler and Thiero.

Michael Porter Jrs. Spacing with Murray and Jokic made them an impossible cover. You add Gordon to that. OKC beat them in a game 7 and Porter Jr. was hurt and they still took em there. I think Denver under appreciated Porter Jr. now Cam Johnson is good. And as good as he has. He’s not Michael Porter Jr. the spacing.

they beat us with AD and Russell and Lebron and Reaves because we were all on skates against them because you had to. Jokic penetrating inside Murray Porter Jr. top of the key for 3. Gordon Roaming for rebounds. They don’t have that anymore. Peyton Watson is good. But he ain’t that.

 

You're right the West is really top-heavy right now. So 5th seed may be likely. Minny and the Rockets have more balanced rosters than us, and the Rockets kids will be a year older.

I'm not being overly pessimistic because Luka is such a baller and 27-28 is probably the athletic peak of most players.

Basketball is probably the team sport where an individual player can make the biggest difference. We saw Lebron take a bunch of bums to the NBA finals in 2018 and almost single-handedly win Game 1 against one of the best teams ever assembled.

I think Luka if healthy is not far off that 2018 Lebron level.

 

I know … I know … I know I know I know … spelling players names isn’t your thing. But would it kill you to figure out from everything you read everywhere on the guy that it’s Kuminga not Kaminga?

 

this is lost on a lot of fans. people don't quite understand how good luka is offensively. this is jokic-level stuff, nearly unheard of.

it's part of why i think being bullish on minny and down on the lakers is weird. luka is better than anthony edwards. clearly. this has downstream consequences.

and he sees everyone picking us to finish 7th. and i'm guessing he has thoughts about it that nobody can do anything about on the court to counter.

 

There’s no way Houston has a more balanced Roster or Minnesota has a more balanced roster. Then us.

I give you ball Edwards and Mcdaniels.

who’s guarding. Ball is a terrible defender. And after Rudy it’s bare.

people underestimate what Naz Reid did for that Twolves team.

 

Rick Carlisle compared Luka Dončić to Magic Johnson: "The most unique player I've ever coached."

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle reflected on Luka Dončić, whom he coached during their time together with the Dallas Mavericks.

"When Luka first arrived in the fall, on the very first day of training camp, we had a pretty strong veteran team. We had DeAndre Jordan, Wes Matthews, Harrison Barnes, and several other really good players.

Luka stepped onto the floor and played like Magic Johnson. He grabbed rebounds, delivered incredible passes all over the court, and didn't seem particularly interested in scoring. I remember thinking, 'My God, this guy looks like Magic Johnson.'

Then the season started, and I wasn't entirely sure what position he would play. I initially thought he'd be a small forward because he's nearly 6-foot-8 (203 cm), but Luka kept insisting he was a point guard. After about eight or ten games, we made him the primary point guard and moved Dennis Smith Jr. off the ball. The rest, as they say, is history.

Luka's first three seasons were historic. I've said it many times: in terms of talent, skill, and overall ability, he's the most unique player I've ever coached. He's simply an incredible player. He has a killer instinct. He's a relentless competitor. Put the right players around him, and good luck trying to stop him. He's unbelievably smart, understands every nuance of the game, and knows how to win

 

We need to find the best medical staff to prevent injuries and get everybody in shape so they don't get fatigue type injuries.

Also be able to heal from injuries that they have with the most modern techniques and methods

 

I'm not. If Naz Reid is available and gettable with our remaining assets, I'm doing that trade tomorrow.

 

I'm patiently waiting knowing that we are going to win the championship!! Lakers are back!

 

In these rankings morons will be morons.

 

naw he fat.

 

THAT is a must read for every fan here I would think. To realize that in his young prime is the player we have on the Lakers now. And does Carlyle know enough Ball to explain those aspects of Luka’s game accurately?
Last sentence, “He’s unbelievably smart, understands every nuance of the game, and knows how to win”

The point struck me for all the people who downplayed like it shouldn’t hold much water that Doncic flat told the FO he wanted AR on the team and not traded …. that maybe HE knows what he wanted and why on the team with/after LeBron leaving (whenever that came) better than all the reasons you had for it was a dumb decision? Lots of specific other wants too of course BUT Reaves was the key piece for certainly many reasons that he wanted on the team to Ball with him going forward.

 

Luka ain't half bad, Carlisle knows with the right team you're gonna struggle stopping the offense of Luka.

I think Luka, Grimes and Kessler are going to do their thing - how far we go really rests on how well Reaves and the 5th starter do.

 

yeah I'm not buying that it's a good idea to just go with what the franchise player wants. We've seen over the years how bad that went for the Cavs (and Lakers to an extent), letting Lebron do the GM'ing.

even worse idea when they're supposed to be best friends. This is a ruthless business; you can't let personal relationships get in the way of winning.

when his contract is up in a couple of years, if we haven't been able to put together competitive rosters, he will probably still blame the FO and leave, and the fact that we did exactly what he wanted will not hold much weight.

 

Houston tanked for a team without a true #1 and very little playmaking. They'll be a good regular season team that can out effort older teams (which we no longer are).

Minnesota traded their size for more scoring. Out goes Naz Reid, Julius Randle and in comes LaMelo and Ayo - they need another wing to balance them out, but also how well are Melo and Ant going to work? Both are also kind of injury prone too.

Denver has an unfinished offseason. Can they retain Watson? And at what cost? They're too top heavy and Murray and Gordon are injury prone. I think they gel once again and become the 3rd best team in the West that can knock out one of the top 2. But they're on the down swing now.

Which leaves us. We're in that 3-6 range with these teams. Did we improve, stagnant or get worse? I think we'll have a higher floor with the young guys, but maybe lower ceiling without Lebron. But I can see us being a really good regular season team.

 

https://lakersdaily.com/magic-johnsons-honest-warning-to-lakers-fans-about-the-new-look-roster/ All time great and 5 time champ knows a thing or two.

 

Personally i think they improved. While Lakers were good Last season other than health had other concerns. 1 to be specific is Players were not happy with Roles when everyone was healthy. Health aside after the season was done it was clear they needed to get younger more athletic to compete with the two top teams in the West. Lost all 8 games to OKC.

 

I see it differently and with the defense covered (don’t be ridiculous and claim with 14 other players on the roster Austin Reaves playing 2 or 3 on defense instead of being tasked with POA is going to be the death knell that keeps us from a championship) ultimately …. that we are going to see some magical basketball with virtually 2 Luka Doncics skills wise and near size wise on the floor together and individually running the offenses that JJ will come up with and with the strategic, quality role players, especially Kessler, around them now along with all of the vertical threats and additional guys who can also get their own shot or throw a lob.