2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

only exception i could see is if knecht's agent quietly asks for a trade. this stuff happens with young guys, too. you don't have to grant it due to the extreme team control of the contract (and its low cost), but if he really wanted out (i mean, we did trade him already) we might try to honor the request.

 

LoL
Haliburton already at war with media

 

lol, good. clowns like smith don't really know or care what they're talking about, and it's just devolved over time into them thinking they're what we're here for. nobody is here for stephen a smith.

 

I told y’all about them Pacers read my post. Pacers in 6.

Their bigs are playing OKCs bigs out of the series. Toppin Siakm Turner

it’s all matchup Basketball is matchup. This is a bad matchup for OKC because they look in the mirror at the team and see themselves.

When they wanna push tempo Indiana can push tempo to.

deep bench Indiana has a deep bench Mathurian who I mentioned Mconell


Guys who come in and do a job. They have legit bench they can just sub in and keep their guys fresh.

OKC has a bench so does Indiana. Where’s the advantage???? OKC has Williams but Indiana has Siakm and Naeismith.


Shai is the best player in the series but Indiana has Haliburton who makes Shai work.


Unlike Minnesota and Denver Indiana has a full squad bench who makes OKC work.


Advantage the head coach Carlisle running circles around OKCs coach the lineups the adjustments. I told y’all championship coach who’s won it all who’s done it with Dallas. This guy knows how to coach but better yet this guy knows how to coach in the playoffs.

coaching is underrated in the NBA because of superstars but it’s the difference in winning a championship sometimes you have a coach who can get over on another coach. This is a coaching mismatch.


So it’s gonna be close OKC might win it by one but just because they have to win it doesn’t mean they are going to win it. So I got pacers winning by 4. You know what F it Pacers by 25.

and I’m keeping my Pacers in 6.

 

Habernstein and Holmgren. Have to run around with those centers who space. It’s just making them run all over the court they get tired. It opens up the paint for Haliburton.

Jokic continuously did that. It affected them. But Denver couldn’t make their perimeter shots. And Michael Porter Jr. was horrible.

Minnesota Gobert complete opposite. Sag inside cause he can’t shoot he has no skill. Mismatch OKC.

Indiana is a machine. They play fast. They move the ball. Everybody can shoot it. I scouted them when we played them. Surprisingly we were able to play with their tempo. But they are a tough team.

Playing games in Indiana that crowd.

 

I didn't even realize that Ball is actually tradable. I would definitely be interested. What would we be looking at? Something like Vincent + Knecht + Milton for Ball + Ayo?

 

Now to Free Agency. That Laker tax.

I keep telling yall Copy Cat league. Teams are going to want to keep Depth when Indiana wins the championship. Everybody’s gonna wanna have a Haliburton.

well we got one better then him Luka.
Now the Center everybody knows we want one. Everybody knows we need one.

so I’m gonna keep our centers I’m gonna keep our depth and build this. I know yall don’t want to hear it. But the coach was the problem and the reason we lost. Looking at Indiana you gotta play your depth.

he repeatedly didn’t play Jaxson Hayes or Dalton Knect that was inexcusable. He cost us two games. Game 1 and 4. The roster needs a little bit.

I bring Jaxson Hayes back cheap. Jumping jack center. Sign Clint Capela sign Paul Reed. If you don’t want to go the Clint Capela route sign Brook Lopez.

The guy I want is in Charlotte Mark Williams 23 year old Center give me him. Wait we had him. I would also talk to Portland about acquiring Deandre Ayton. All good. He’s not gonna be on that roster anyway so don’t d*** us with an offer. You’re gonna get our 2031 unprotected pick. That’s a lot for a glorified expiring. And you’re going to take our garbage Vando and Vincent.


All that other stuff out there is garbage. We don’t have to mess up our core for a need. And I hate trades where you are trying to correct a wrong because now you just look desperate. And teams will pounce.

You played yourself. You have a superstar and I know we’ll talk about the Williams and the knee. But fact of the matter dude is the perfect rolling Center for Luka.

call Orlando about Bitzdae if you have to or Wendell Carter.

get Valenchunes from Sac.

there are alternatives out there. Preserving your depth is important.

so just sign a Center.

 

Teams try to get over on the Lakers that’s why the Luka trade was so great because we finally got over on a team.

but Hey Dallas still got our Hall of famer Anthony Davis and took our best perimeter defender Max Christie.

we can sign Bruce Brown to.

as you see with Mconell having a point guard who can come off the bench and score is huge. Where are you Gabe Vincent.?


We should really approach Reaves about taking that James Harden role running the bench being the primary scorer and ball handler. Stabolossa started with Durant because it was a better fit.

let Dalton Knect start next to Luka. Better fit.

also BTW Doreen Finney Smith just had foot surgery. I dont want him coming back.

 

I think maybe he picks up his option now.

 

what? oh that's bad.

almost certainly. not sure that's too terrible for us. if he doesn't recover from foot surgery, he's more expiring deadline ballast. if we did nothing in the summer with it all, we'd have like 30+ million in expirings if something really interesting came up.

 

NBA
Sources: Lakers' Dorian Finney-Smith undergoes ankle surgery

Dave McMenamin
Jun 12, 2025, 02:58 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith underwent surgery on his left ankle and is expected to be able to participate in training camp ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, sources told ESPN.

The procedure will allow the 32-year-old Finney-Smith to play pain-free after cleaning up a lingering ankle injury that he fought to play through the past several seasons.

Finney-Smith missed eight games with what the Lakers called "left ankle injury management" after being traded to L.A. from the Brooklyn Nets.

 

I take that back. Maybe he agrees with an extension for something like 3 years/ 36 million. About 11 million to start. He gets security. Lakers save 4 million or so off this season's payroll. DFS is too old to do a bet-on-yourself type move.

 

yeah, but do we gamble three years on a guy his age coming off surgery sight unseen?

I guess he is Luka’s guy, though. And definitely a positive culture guy, which matters.

 

Doreen Finney Smith will be back.

 

I’d like to sign the Center first so we can have some leverage in some of these trades for a Center.

 

Weak draft? Not for us, I think there are multiple decent bigs available in this upcoming draft. It's a "fit draft" IMO, and luckily for the Lakers, bigs are aplenty. I'd definitely look to trade in to the late first rd, or try to get two early 2nd rd picks.

 

We have Bronny, we have Goodwin, maybe Olivera, at guard. We should be looking at collecting some young bigs to develop IMO. There are also several interesting tweeners SF/PF guys in this draft. Time for our scouting department to earn that, one of the best in the League, moniker. I wish we hadn't given up a 100 2nd rd picks, for Finney-Smith.

 

I would like to get something done asap, like on draft night.

1. Trade Kleiber + Vincent + Knecht + 2031 1st + #55 to BKN for Claxton + #26 + #36. Draft Yanic Konan-Niederhauser with #26 (He is 7-0 247, 7-3 wingspan, 9-3 standing reach, large hands, 37 inch max vertical). This guy looks like he was built in a lab to be a lob-threat for Luka. We solidify out two-headed monster at the 5. Both players will help cover for guards/wings weak perimeter defense if we are unable to upgrade in that area. At this point, we are good at 5. Don't have to worry about if Capela or Lopez will sign with us or not.

2. Probably sign DFS to deal similar to the 3yrs/36 mil i guessed.

3. Hopefully could get NAW with 5.7M TPMLE, but it could also end up being Melton.

4. Maybe a semi-pipe Rui trade: Rui + 2030 swap to CHI for Lonzo + Jalen Smith

5. Probably sign CP3

Offensive Rotation
PG: Doncic/CP3/Bronny
SG: Ball/NAW/Goodwin
SF: Reaves/DFS
PF: James/Smith/Vando
C: Claxton/Yanic/36th pick

Or if we dont do the Rui trade:
PG: Doncic/CP3/Bronny
SG: NAW/Goodwin
SF: Reaves/DFS
PF: James/Rui/Vando
C: Claxton/Janic/#36

 

I like where you're headed. Although I see Rui as part of the core this year with Luka, AR, Lebron and DFS. I'd love to get NAW for the tpmle but sounds like he'll go for more than that. If not definitely go for Melton. I think Okoro could be another option (if available) without having to give up some core guys. I prefer using Dalton plus the pick or a swap to find a young big like we already tried. So that would give us a 7 man rotation. I'd also explore Brooke Lopez on a vet min with a (low minutes) starting promise given he already has a ring and his prior relationship with the Lakers. If not then bring Hayes 2nd string and keep Koloko as the 3rd string big. CP3 as the vet min PG or I also thought about Tyus Jones as he took a vet min last year with Phoenix I think. Another guy I thought about was Gary Trent Jr, I think he took a vet min to chase a ring with the Bucks. With the 55th pick I'd go for one of Jamir Watkins, Micah Peavy, Tamar Bates and then it's pretty clear we're looking for an undrafted center for one of our 2ways. That also leaves us with two of Gabe, Vando, Kleber to use at the deadline to get another playoff rotation guy.

PG: Doncic/CP3/Bronny
SG: Reaves/Melton/Goodwin
SF: Rui/DFS
PF: James/Vando
C: Williams? or BLopez/Hayes/Koloko

 

yeah, i just said weak because it wasn't considered deep by the draftniks, and a few guys in the late first/early second area pulled out. in truth, there are always guys taken late who end up good. i just don't like trading birds in the hand for birds in the bush. knecht is a bird in hand to me. he WILL be an nba rotation-quality player, imo. draft guys are maybes.

i would argue koloko and jemison are young bigs we're trying to develop, no?



if koloko was in this year's draft, where would he be mocked? will, say, maluach actually be better? how soon?

these can be bought if you really want them. we've shown that several times.

1. i'm beginning to wonder if your boy will even be there at 26. feel like he's been getting buzz.
2. i don't like any plan that involves penciling a rookie in the rotation.

no chance on NAW at tpmle unless something wild happens with the market. melton maybe, though.

big question is are we willing to wait out FA for this year's tyus jones (there's always one) or are we worried we'll be left with nothing?

don't love after you've already moved for claxton. lonzo's a huge injury risk.

i keep thinking this will happen and it doesn't lol.

i'm more here.