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

well, they drafted a lot. they've had as many or more busts as we have, just more opportunities because they sucked so bad for so long and traded all their stars before they aged out so that they could keep sucking.

 

Okc really didn't suck that long. They had 3 down seasons, and then went straight to the top of the West. They were consistently in the playoffs, with and without KD and Harden. Then they flipped Westbrook and George, and here they are; a short time later. That's not exactly sucking for a long time. Now WE sucked for a long time before LeBron showed up.

Presti is pretty good at his job.

 

Lakers are at an interesting crossroads.

• Current Top-5 NBA player in his prime
• Former Top-5 NBA player who is near the end of his career, but still playing at a top-25 NBA-level
• A third-star who is not good enough to replace the top-25 guy as the 2nd star

What direction do they go?

 

Get some more players. Draft picks and quality vets. The arms race never stops in the West.

 

25.

 

Yeah Keegan’s “6,8” athletic. Had a bad season but has been great his career. That last season everyone sucked in Sacramento. When he had Fox in Mike Browns system he was elite. I’ve always liked his game. Corner 3. With a guy like Luka he’d be great in this system.

 

The Lakers should definitely trade for Kevin Durant. That’s the elite shooter we need with Luka. A guy who Luka can find that will space the court. Durant with Luka and LeBron will fall in Line. I see the Lakers perusing him. We need his scoring.

 

OKC didn’t have an answer for him.

 

He's pretty good but he also traded Harden which cost them titles (maybe it was the owners who didn't want to pay him similar to the Buss/Rob situation but it is what it si) and he got incredibly lucky with the Shai trade. i mean no one including Presti thought Shai was going to become an MVP caliber player. And add in that it took him a long time develop relative to other star players it really helped them

Not taking credit away from him but I think he's best feature as a GM is he is very good at grabbing "ballers" when other teams don't want them for one reason. hartenstein was seriously good on the Cavs and Knicks, McCain had an extremely good rookie year, Caruso, etc. I like that he guys who are just good at basketball and he figures his coaching staff will figure out how to use them

 

The Reason OKC got so good is simple.

STEVE BALLMER!!!!!!!

that trade rebuilt them into a powerhouse. They’d be stuck with Paul George and an overpay in NBA no man’s land. They’d still have solid picks. But you wouldn’t have Chet Holmgren. Cause they wouldn’t have bottomed out. They tanked like everybody else.

But the Trade of Shai to OKC was like Babe Ruth to the Yankees.

that trade essentially netted them Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace. And they’re still getting picks today from that trade.

that trade gave them all their depth.

Clippers traded for Paul George like they were getting LeBron in his rookie season.

 

These are the things a good GM does.

 

Well..Washington got the 1st overall pick. Great..now we can send them Reaves and 2FRP for AD back!