2025-26 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

goodwin will be better than either next year, imo, so our hope is that we're good enough not to notice (i.e., smart has a great year).

i don't know, the extension and trade rules have basically turned FA into an non-entity, so i think this buyout route keeps player movement more possible. the league kind of overcorrected in response to the lebron thing in 2010, which was unusual event.

and they already closed a buyout loophole by not letting apron teams get guys on big deals bought out during the season. maybe they'll just extend that part to the summer, but that wouldn't have stopped us this year, anyway. to stop what we did, they'd have to do some pretty serious stuff that i think the players would be against.

 

Have been thinking the same thing.

 

if buyouts are allowed, and both parties agree to it, not sure I see anything you can do about it. But it's for sure a loophole haha.

 

I am not really sure this is more profitable for the league. In a utopian existence, it feels nice but we all know that they make more money in the playoffs when the big markets are in the finals. Lakers vs Knicks would sell a lot of tickets.

 

When we had Magic, our guard rotation was basically, Magic, Scott and Cooper. The other guys were not meaningful, guys like Wes Matthews, Milt Wagner and Ronnie Lester. The first three guys played 90%-95% of the time. I am hoping that is what we do with Luka, Austin and Smart.

 

What are these “major” doubts? Back to “surely” it can’t be that he’s “only” 6’3” but built and using his strength and athleticism like a mini LeBron out there in the years to come including this one at 21 for some regular season experience. Yeah there are no good - great 6’3” players in the NBA now or in its history. What else with his work ethic and mental tutelage from best of the best he’s now surrounded by …. gives you these doubts?

 

NBA rebuild rankings: How close are 14 teams to a title?

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45798048/2025-nba-rebuild-rankings-14-teams-mavericks-spurs-blazers-suns

 

Hope this doesn't come back to bite us in the a**

 

When I'm talking about PG, I'm referring to the defensive guys that are going to guard POA. It's like with Avery Bradley, he was only PG in name on offense. Chase the quick guys and hit a few 3's.

 

What is he going to do, lock Luka or Reaves down? Goodwin is like Stanley Johnson, has some nice attributes, and does the job in spots, but has a hard time finding a long term home. .

 

Yeah I'm a bit confused with this logic, that every player on the team, needs to be this mythical two way stalwart. They need to be able to score, rebound, shoot threes, defend at a high level on switches, etc...EVERYONE, that's the only way that you can win in this modern NBA!!

LOL..Yeah we have 7 straight seasons of evidence, that this is absolutely the case!



Meh..aspire to be a star in your role, if everyone takes that approach, we'll be fine. IMO

 

i think we're coming off a couple years where boston won a title that way (all two-way players) and the two finalists last year were 90% two-way players (haliburton's not a defender).

i do think nba offense is getting so sophisticated and precise that having a dead link on the chain defensively in the playoffs is VERY difficult to survive. but like, reaves isn't that. luka definitely isn't that.

our problem is that reaves and rui can't cover for lebron and luka's difficulty containing penetration, particularly on closeouts (the BLOW BY stats!).

anyway, i've long been a proponent of the general principle that there's more than one way to win. we have luka and lebron and reaves. supporting that we have ayton, smart, and rui. we should be able to figure something out that makes us tough to play against. that part's on jj, and as slick will remind us, this is the time for him to show himself. will he make it past the two-year mark that's been a problem for non-phil jackson laker coaches lately?

 

Houston received: Kevin Durant (from Phoenix) and Clint Capela (from Atlanta);

Phoenix received: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th draft pick, two future second-round picks (from Houston), the 31st draft pick (from Minnesota), the 41st draft pick (from Golden State), and De’Quan Plowden (from Atlanta);

Lakers received the 36th draft pick (from Brooklyn);

Minnesota received the 45th draft pick (from Lakers) and two second-round picks (from Phoenix);

Golden State received the 52nd draft pick (from Phoenix) and the 59th draft pick (from Houston);

Atlanta received David Roddy and the right to swap second-round picks in 2031 (from Houston);

Brooklyn received two second-round picks (from Houston, 2026 and 2030).



---

In total, there are fewer players with actual contracts involved in the trade than teams. Only six players — and two of them (Plowden and Roddy) are on two-way contracts! contracts!

 

Now JJ has to step up too, that's a fact. I'm still more disappointed, with the lack of offensive strategy with Redick.

Also, I think the gameplan was flawed, and we needed more size, and inside presence on D, against Minnesota. However I would have rolled with Hayes, not playing him was a mistake IMO.

Fwiw Edwards shot 42% from the field 33% from deep for the series.

Conley 34% from the field 29% from 3

DiVincenzo 30% from the field 20% from 3

NAW 26% from the field 20% from 3

Their perimeter players didn't kill us at all. It was the guys with size.

Randle 50% from the field 39% from 3

McDaniels 57% from the field 37% from 3

Reid 52% from the field 50% from 3


If we just had Ayton, we win that series IMO. I don't think the perimeter defense, was really the main issue against Denver either. We just couldn't hit shots in the 2nd halves, with our best offensive players on the floor, and getting some damn good looks IMO.

So it's a little more complicated, than POA, two way guys etc. We didn't play to our strengths in those series, and got beat. Granted the other team is trying to take away some of your strengths, but it goes both ways.

Luka and Lebron are unique, they can give you quality production on 3 levels, scoring, rebounding and facilitation. Most teams don't have two guys like that. I don’t think we have to be built like other teams. With AD, you already know how I feel, about the 1st Denver series. The 2nd one wasn't really much different, AD could have used another big, backing him up, which would have kept him fresher, I'm biased on the subject, but IMO, not having another quality big, has bit us in the a** for 3 straight playoffs series. Yet it could have been overcome, if we make our shots.
but our perimeter offensive guys, didn't deliver in crunch time.

I like this squad with Smart and Ayton, it's a lot more balanced than the playoffs team. So we'll see how it goes, but I'm not concerned with Luka and LeBron’s D, we have guys to cover up some of that. Austin and Rui are going to have to knock down their shots, especially in the 2nd halves, we are right there in the mix with everyone if they do. We seem determined that those two must start, ok..well we have added some legit talent at positions of need. My two boys need to deliver the goods this season, or go back to the bench.