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

Let's not forget that LeBron didn't exactly leave Miami on great terms. Riley did that press conference a few days before LeBron announced he was leaving and basically said champions don't jump ship when you hit some adversity.

 

I'm tired of LeBron, personally. I'm not even going into the "thank you for coming," and all that s***.

Let's compete this year, resign Austin, and retool the roster around Luka next summer.

The contract structure that Keith proposed is genius. I'd do something like that and add a max FA in a heartbeat.

 

Could someone please break it down most simply how much he had going contract wise to our core remaining players and was Rui one of them? TLDNW.

 

Yeah, it's basically Jalen Suggs's contract. Lakers take advantage of having cap space now, but the decreasing salary benefits them moving forward.

 

I don't remember. He did mention Reaves cap hold and something like up to 55M in space. You have to check out the video. Very good video. Everyone here should watch the video. It's worth it. I tried to find out the salaries and this is what i could come up with, not sure if I did it right:

Luka $58,456,490
Reaves $20,900,000 (cap hold)
Vanderbilt $12,428,571
LaRavia $6,000,000
Smart $5,865,500
Bronny $2,296,271
Thierro $2,150,9917
2026 1st $2,500,000 (estimate for pick in 25-30 range)
Roster charge $1,361,971
Roster charge $1,361,971

Total Salaries: $113,321,691

Salary Cap $170,112,000

Not sure if minimum charge is applied for 10 or 12 spots.

About 55-57 M in space?

 

have to carry 12, so it's the lower number, but yes, this is what we've been talking about and why lebron's lack of opt-in opens up avenues--and not just maxes.

if lebron came back on a 20 per, we could probably pay keon ellis and retain ayton. we'd lose rui, but i'd trade rui for ellis. we'd have the room exception to add another bench player or re-sign gabe or whatever, too.

if lebron retired or walked, you could get two starter-level players, potentially.

 

Thanks for clarifying. I wonder how much Ellis would cost? I would for sure want either him or Grimes. Basically, Luka and Reaves with a defensive, rim-running big and two 3 and D players would be ideal. But Luka and Reaves, with Ayton-who is an excellent rebounder, and is showing he wants to work on his defense, and the fact that his inside game actually creates more open shot opportunities for Luka/Reaves is a good compromise. Just, the other two should be 3 and D. We should be able to get that with the 55M. Luka could play the 4, defensively and Reaves the 2 or 3. Ellis could be the defensive 1, and Grimes or somebody else the other defensive 2 or 3.

 

Is he still drunk ?

 

All hate aside, the wheelchair had no offensive weakness that I can recall. That's why we had to go get Ronron to lock him down.