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

Bronny for Bona would be a deft move.

 

Yes. Would love him to come up off the ball just a tad at times for a number of reasons. One Sometimes he can get in a zone and stall the offense killing others and turns the ball over on failed foul bait vs more disciplined defenses. Two he get off to hot starts then cools off. Takes ill long shots at times which shows up in shooting percentage. As a good shooter he hovers around Lebron percentage because of this. Three it lets him conserve some energy to help on defense and finish game stronger. Thats really about it. very minor adjustments to go with a more team approach. Kind of what Phill did for Kobe and MJ. Cant just have guys out there just doing dirty work and fight over crumbs. One man bands dont produce rings in the NBA.

 

Made that point the other day. We move like Austin been super star that lead teams and teaming up with Luka and Walker is this dominate all star big . They can base on potential but yet to do so at this point. With bigger roles i think they will be decent not all time greats Level but good enough to form a solid team.

 

There's definitely a disconnect between most of the opinions I read here about our new players, and what they've shown so far in their careers

 

Jazz fans it's not a lot of them lol said that Kessler was better than Gobert in the beginning of his career on offense and he was top in blockis and rebounds in his college career too
I just today learned that he played in Auburn and had a few big games there too

 

Austin is 28 and not exactly a spring chicken and is considered a win now piece. Not his first rodeo playing with a super star or stars to be exact. Walker is still young at 25 and bigs seem to develop slower With that said he is on Pace to be a Zubac which is Solid. So yeah we have a good bit of data. Now its just a matter of how they all mesh to form a solid team. If Luka usage rate stays in that 38% range then no shot at a ring. If we can be a solid team and get him down to a pushing it 34% then we may have a shot.

 

Not sure which players you're talking about or what's being said that you think is over the top. But we're sure fortunate to have you continually pointing out that whatever it is just isn't so. The veiled comments are appreciated to keep whatever it is in check.

 

Synergy and vision. Hopefully JJ has the vision to build the synergy. Pieces are in place for the next dynasty. Time to start stacking them up. Magic Johnson/Larry Bird hybrid, Paul Westphal and Robert Parrish will get it done. Ring of honor recipients after multiple championships.

 

Well yeah and then there’s our basketball equivalent of a boxing spirit dude in the corner with Toklat.

 

Lonnie Walker IV has agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Denver Nuggets, agent George S. Langberg of @GSLSportsGroup told ESPN. Walker was with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague after last playing in the NBA in 2024-25 and now enters his 8th season in the league

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lakers-insider-says-team-knows-051225728.html I dont think they got worst. If healthy still should be a 3 to 6th seed team. If injured however wont have a Lebron to carry the load so could end up a play in team if injured. Odds of winning IMO is about the same.

 

I mean, of course we took a step back. We lost a top 30 player.

but we were going to, one way or another, very soon anyway. This was the right play.

 

top 30? ouch says Lebron.

 

I'd like to see Adou out there with crazy Ivan , and Kessler, imparting some physicality on folks for some stretches.

 

Only on paper. Did not need that version of Lebron when healthy. At least not with how they played. No team has won a title with their star player above 35% usage rate. Shai was the latest player to do it followed by MJ. Both players a shade just under 35%. Luka lead the league coming in at 38%. So while i agree they have less front end talent its still possible they can be a better team.

High usage rate players rarely win titles because extreme ball dominance strains team balance. When one player uses over 35% of possessions via shots, free throws, and turnovers, teammates lose rhythm. This makes the offense predictable in deep playoff rounds. Championship teams typically require ball movement and multiple scoring options.

• Defenses can easily scheme against a single focal point during a seven-game series.

• Fatigue: Carrying a massive offensive burden leaves players exhausted by the fourth quarter or late playoff rounds.

• Teammate freeze-out: Low involvement stops secondary players from developing confidence or staying engaged.

• Historical proof: Single-season usage records belong to players like Rus sell Westbrook and James Harden, who did not win the title that year. Elite champions like Michael Jordan or LeBron James balanced high production with team flow.

• So unless something changes they will be very similar if healthy IMO.

• The Los Angeles Lakers finished the 2025–26 NBA season with a 14-8 record in games played without LeBron James. [1]

 

He was probably top 29 anyway.

 

so then you answered your question Adou Thiero.

 

I keep telling yall he’s more like Andrew Bynum before his knee injury.

 

I like the sound Adou/Walker combo. People coming to the rim better watch out...lol. Walker is a skilled high IQ dude and Adou's energy and athleticism is off the charts. Let him start and play his way into the game slowing down. He will have some moments but the games will be fun to watch. I would love a Luka, AR, Cam, Adou, Walker line up and hope we start the season that way. By playoff time we would be smokin! Same caveat, I want them to earn it, nothing given but nothing withheld just bc of youth. If we make a move we can recalibrate if needed. This team is going to be so much fun I have to do squats and planks every time I talk about them. Cam is going to take the NBA by storm. Bring it on but remember, Cam ain't no pretty boy, he is here to win!! He has areas to improve and will do that playing.