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

I don't think he is. I think him and Luka will have the same issues. I was just pointing out that Austin fans would be opposed to young for the exact same reasons some fans question Austin and Luka fit. But the reality is he may actually be slightly better with Luka since he can be a pure pg and run the floor with wings as he did in the past getting to the conference finals.l

 

Again, he isn't the answer, nor is Reaves as a starter next to Luka that's going to contend/win a ring, IMO.

As far as the answer right now? Nobody I'd want.

 

yeah, failing on our only 1st rounders is a beating and a loss that keeps hitting.

that said...their expected value as mid-first rounders is actually incredibly low. i think people don't appreciate how much the draft is a crapshoot after the top 5 most years (and even there sometimes!). pair that with our absolute inability to or disinterest in actually developing players, and here you are.

as for your hypothetical, teams can ask for reaves all they want, but he's a UFA, so he's not ours to offer.

 

not racism, probably people are just too bought into his fairy tale career arc from going undrafted to borderline all-star that they will put "loyalty" over maximizing our title odds.

I seem to remember someone on the AR thread criticizing other fans for being too focused on winning.

 

Nah Reaves is just a bigger player so isn't as big of a liability as young on straight defense alone. But then he also rebounds way more then Young. When you take into the account the possession differences created by rebounding. Young is a significantly worse defensive player and on top of that his 3 point shooting has gone down.

Throw in the chemistry issues that Young has and I think most NBA team would easily go with AR over Young. In fact I'd go so far as to say all NBA teams would make you package assets to attach to young to swap him for AR

 

this is what i mean by people really not grasping that there are levels to bad defense. equating reaves with young is frankly insane. young and brunson are consistently in the very bottom of the league on defense. reaves's worst years (before this one) were still noticeably better. not the same.

 

too focused on title or bust. i stand by it. i don't get it. recipe for unhappiness, as if one is actively pursuing it.

 

That's my thought as well. Always a very slight chance but to bet on it no way.

 

I'm not sure we failed with drafting Knecht. I'm pretty sure he could be a legit 20ppg scorer in the league by now if he had landed with the right team.

 

young is a good pg how do you fill out the rest of the team? Building a team is different than saying who is better

 

Obviously kyrie was better than white, however white fit better with what Boston was doing. Yes Astin is bigger and more defensive than Young but young can actually run a team.

 

Aspiration dude got 14 years in prison. Is he going to start dropping the dime?

 

Fisher has as much titles as Kobe. Was never a top tier guard quick. He just fit. But if you cought up that you need jason Williams then fit goes out the door.

 

Not that part of it.

Same. WHEN your position is well known as some here on LeBron's positions most definitely were and are, mainly personality. OK we got it the first 20-2,000 times you said it but just keep on badgering about it and ignore whenever possible the hard/make that impossible to replace POSITIVE basketball effects he brought to and even now still brings to the Lakers. WTF are the rest of us to do with your unhappiness about the situation that no one here can do a damn thing about?

And frankly that's what's happening with Reaves with the dialogue from some of you about Reaves. Are any of his supporters / realists about the situation that the Lakers for NOW and who knows maybe the next 3 seasons (Vlade will owe me $100 if he suits up in P&G for the 3rd) ..... continuing to badger saying it's all going to be guaranteed successful and give us the best chance one, two years from now?? NO! How the **** would we know that without seeing what other personnel moves our new FO makes? But this clique of AR = Doom with regard to ever winning a championship spouted with the certainty of tablets down from the mountain top .... keeps being "badgered" at us. And some, like sorry, Vlade, you're the prime offender .... pepper their frustrations with actually nasty things said including calling him a stat chaser early in the season in a contract year, mock his injuries etc, as if they don't happen for a thousand reasons in the league to everyone.

This from @FrontOfJersey22 is sarcasm but most of it true from this group. You want these ideal players when there's no realistic ways at the moment, and letting AR walk is sure as hell not a way to achieve them, plus you give Luka, apex competitor that he is, zero credit for how HE values what AR does for the team. Or Redick who most definitely has input. Or a front office LOATHE to repeat the Caruso mistake.

"Also, don’t forget these rules:
They can’t dominate just on one side of the ball and be excellent passers. (ME ... and Yes, run an offense too as needed with Luka out injured, on the bench for simple rotation)
They all have to be at least All Star level while being on the All NBA defensive team every season as well.
This is Ludicrousness beyond warp speed.
Engaging in a nonsensical pie in the sky manner is not what honest discussion is about."

 

We don't need Trae running the team, we have Luka. Trae is a primary ballhandler that requires over 30% usage. AR is a secondary playmaker that doesn't need the ball at all times and is content with 20% usage.

I don't get why you're bringing up Trae so much. You made the point about defense, I get that but as abeer said, there are levels and Trae-AR are not comparable. So really don't get the insistence, they are totally different players on both sides and AR is considerably a better fit than Trae

 

The last sentence doesn't change the larger issue (looking past this season) that opposing teams will ask for Reaves. They already have reportedly...

We've hit on mid-rounders before; either way to completely miss two in a row on a player that's out of the league and one who couldn't even break the rotation? Got to do better.

As a result, now we're here.

 

I mean if you put a gun to my head I'd rather have marcus smart run my team rather then Trae Young. Much more fun and more conducive to.winning.

AR is a better player and fit for Luka points blank

 

Reaves is a good player. You gotta pay him. He won’t guarantee you a championship. I would argue I like his will more than Luka.

I trust him more. More Laker more will do his all to play and will do what’s best for the team.

just on what I saw. You pay guys like that. Does he have limitations. Certainly.

how do you protect that??? Hope Adou develops into OG.

Facts Luka and Reaves can’t guard for s***.

we have two of our best players that need the ball.

this isn’t OKC because Shai is protected by Williams. When Williams has to guard he guards. And if Wemby isn’t there Chet is the anchor back there. They got Dort but they have other guys to.

our thing has to be player development.

 

The only thing that the Lakers had in their powers to do and didn't depend on luck were two things the Brick trade and letting Caruso go

If you kept Caruso and take the luxury tax hit even after the Brick trade Lakers assets would have been a lot better and your talking about title team right now and frankly they may have gotten one before the AD trade as well.

 

Team building takes time to find the right pieces. This isn't going to happen overnight.