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

Agree with you, except that Smart won't get MLE offers. He's the type of guy that brings winning and grit culture, he can basically be plugged in in any team seamlessly. Apart from OKC and Spurs, I think he fits any team as a starter or 6th man
But absolutely we need to play the market and for sure that's what we will do

I understand that argument, I'm not strongly against it because he has been absolutely amazing, it's really insane how good he still is. There's no words.

I just think this is our only shot of maximizing Bron's expiring and set up the new iteration of Luka. Whatever contract he signs, low or high, he will expire to vacuum in future years because AR max and any other longer contracts we sign will count towards the cap.
Unless we kick it another year down the road and sign 1y deals with guys, which is... what we have done in all Bron's tenure and made us pray for continuity every single season.

So it's more timing really. I'm strongly against signing 1y deals and kick it down the road another year of Luka's prime. I'm against losing Bron for nothing without getting any cap space back. This last one gets offset if he accepts a lower deal, because we already used that money to boost up the roster. That's why I'm ok if he signs for the X amount that allows us to do the other things.

Because I absolutely believe we need to do the other things as the priority. We need defense, physicality, athleticism and depth. We spent months until February complaining about this roster and wanting to fire Rob if he didn't traded for Wiggins or wtv. And now we want to run it back, makes no sense. The roster is indeed flawed and short for championship contention. For that you need money and you only have money if Bron doesn't re-sign for the value he 'deserves'. He needs to re-sign for the value we need or potentially not sign at all, don't see any other way

 

And use that money on WHO? Frankly we don't really know if Luka/Austin, are a contender caliber duo. Spending money on a " maybe" prospect, with potential, doesn't make us any better, whoever you get ,wont be as good as Lebron.

I'd go for bringing Bron, Rui, Smart and Ayton back, adding the 3 guys I mentioned. That's a better shot at a chip next season IMO. We can just eat Lebron's salary, when he retires. A Championship is worth that price.

 

pika's made my points for me. i still think there are ways to bring back a lot of the roster and be happy, but if we can't walk away from this offseason having added one long-term starting quality player, i'm just not sure why we didn't trade a first for wiggins or something. you don't sit like we did to just bring everyone back (at a much higher price), imo.

lol, brad stevens just won executive of the year for doing basically the exact opposite, lol (get rid of everyone to save money...profit!).

 

Stephens had a recent Championship team, and then an Achilles injury to his super star. He had different priorities.

I'm still waiting on the reasons, Watson and Ellis, for instance, makes us a Championship contender.

Maybe this was more of a : Show me what you got" season. Instead of this is the end.

 

ironically, watson's still mostly theoretical (and he has more fan backing at a higher dollar amount!), but the reason is that they are both quick, two-way perimeter guys who can knock down shots. watson's bigger and has shown a little creation/playmaking chops, hence the extra expense. these kinds of players have done very well around luka.

anyway, i think that ship has largely sailed. the pathway to both was trading for ellis to get his bird rights and low cap hold, then making a huge RFA offer to watson. not happening now.