2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

the AD trade idea is insane on like, six levels.

 

I could build a realistic team around Luka and Sabonis.

Reaves (41m) for Sabonis (45m) + Kings 1st.

- Kings get an all star caliber guard to fumble in a few years

S&T Rui (17.2) Knecht (4.2) and Ayton (8.1) for Gordon (32) and Spencer (5)

- They save 18m in cap space by doing this deal and cutting Valancunias
- Get off Gordon’s long term salary for no picks
- Get Rui as a PF shooter
- Get Knecht as a reclaimable shooter
- Ayton is probably a positive asset for Denver as a backup center

Trade for Trey Murphy with Vando (12.4) and Kennard (12) plus 3 or 4 firsts.

- They get 4x firsts, those are worth a lot more than they were when Knicks traded 5 for Bridges.

Luka (49.5) / Vet Min (2.5) / Bronny (2.3)
Smart (10) / Thybulle (5.1)
Murphy (27) / Spencer (5) / Jake (6)
Lebron (16) / Gordon (32) / Adou (2.1)
Sabonis (45) / Hayes (4) / Love (2.5)

You need a backup guard, or Bronny needs to step up. Either way that’s a good team.

 

yeah, i don't have time right now, but luka/sabonis could be the core of a title team. we're watching the towns/brunson parade today, man. the knicks' bench was robinson, shamet, mcbride, alvarado, and clarkson (holy s***, btw, just typing that...).

there are many ways to build contenders. the luka in dallas way is one. but there are many other possibilities. we have the very hardest part done. but the way we launch out of the current situation will have a big say in whether we get a shot at a ring in the next 4 years.

 

Sorry for the double post but I thought I would address a few things:

- Yes we don’t have another small guard to create, but we have LeBron, Sabonis and Gordon who can all create and Smart as a last resort. I actually believe having a larger creator alongside Luka makes it much more resistant to physical defenses that both Brunson and Kyrie struggled with.

- Yes we don’t have a lob threat at the 5, but Gordon & Lebron should be the primary PNR partner with Sabonis out on the perimeter as a release valve. Sabonis needs to develop his shooting like Pau did here. Last three healthy years he had been 37-42% from 3 on low volume. We need to jack this up to 4-6 attempts.

- We have 4 perimeter defenders with Smart, Thybulle, Spencer and Jake to help slow the guys down on the perimeter to help Sabonis and 2x PF’s that are good defenders next to him.

It’s not the team that I would go for, but it’s balanced and works.

 

It’s a good plan. I’m not in the camp of shooting that down. I just want a player. I suggested Towns. I’ve never been lob threat or bust. A archetype doesn’t guarantee you a championship. Before the playoffs if I offered you Holmgren or Towns for Luka everyone would say Holmgren. To go against Wemby. Towns can’t guard s***. Look who’s holding the Larry O Brien? You just don’t know this s***. Kawhi and Marc Gasol went on a playoff run and got hot.

so I just want a player. I want a Center we can get in camp and work with, I think Sabonis would be awesome. Because he’s a great basketball player. High IQ. And like I said a couple of weeks ago on here. If you get Sabonis it’s the player. We have a great player to take care of the rest. Luka can score. And with Sabonis. Sabonis can rebound. Sets great screens. Which is huge for scoring. Ayton doesn’t do that.

with Fox Sabonis and Murray Sacramento had one of the hottest scoring offenses in the league. So he can play in a high octane offense. And with LeBron anything is possible. Defense is just motivated s*** Kevin Love was playing defense against Golden State in a game 7 against a 73 win team.

so we shall see. The other team has to dance with us. They all hate Rob. We got Luka cause Nico likes Rob. Sacramento will not want to trade with us. But maybe they’ll be motivated after a couple of draft picks we throw their way. Still can’t believe that idiot Ranadive fired Mike Brown. And Mike Brown won a championship. Haha lol.

Masai has two. He loves to trade. Pj Washington and Daniel Gafford. Or Maybe you can pry Derek Lively. But he’s had some risky knee injuries.

Walker Kessler seems like the most logical. And maybe there is some player tampering going on. Get to work Austin Reaves. If Kessler goes Anthony Davis and says I’m only going to the Lakers and only want to go to the Lakers. Then the Ainges are going to have to come to the table. We’re in play. Rob knows he’s gotta make a deal. In the meantime Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams are in play. Let’s see which one we get.

 

I could definitely be talked into Sabonis. It’s not the worst thing in the world. My only problem is he doesn’t really shoot the 3 and he can’t protect the rim whatsoever. So you would have to fill out the rest of the roster with guys who can guard and shoot the three. Just don’t think that is possible especially at 45M next year.

 

I appreciate the effort but I think that's a stretch in so many levels.

1. Kings maxing AR + giving a pick (when they'll continue to be awful) is... wishful.
2. Still unsure you can combine guys in S&T but let's say it's possible. Does that allow them to pay Watson and stay below the 2nd apron? Doesn't seem like. They also only move Gordon to bet on Watson which makes less sense if they're getting Rui. I don't see Denver make that deal
3. Kennard is UFA. S&T to the Pels? Why would they do that?
4. Betting on Smart as a +30mpg for a full season is asking for trouble
5. That team is 6-deep, 8 max
6. Not sure how you get Smart, Thybulle and Jones at those values. Either Smart opts in and Jones/Thybulle split the MLE or one of those 3 doesn't sign. We are over the cap by signing Bron, Rui and Kennard
7. It looks like the anti-Luka team. Only 1 lob threat in the backup C. Only 1 sharpshooter in Murphy. You get a good level of perimeter defense but you have no rim protection
8. In a couple years Smart, Bron and Gordon are not playing/a shell of themselves + Sabonis is old. None of those players will be a tradable asset. And we have 0 picks to do anything else
9. That's basically a all-in on a 2 year window, with no flexibility to improve after that, betting on a very thin team that needs the healthiest versions of Bron, Smart, Gordon and Luka to have a punchers chance in the playoffs.

I hate it for the present and future. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm really against that idea. Even with a few moves that seem hard to believe teams would bite.

Rather run it back and keep optionality for the deadline lol

 

Luka tampering with Duren lol

 

lol just kill me now

 

I didn’t add Myles Turner to that list. I should’ve. But Rob didn’t want to trade for him when Lebron was begging for him. Do you trade the 2 picks? I know Milwaukee would want draft capital after trading Gianiss a fire sale. But Rob didn’t want to trade those picks to Indiana for him before. Why would he do that now???? Does he put us over the top????

 

myles turner ain't netting two picks anymore. he's 30, off a down year, and has three years left on the contract. dude was a net negative last year and is a career 6rpg center. i've never understood the fascination, tbh, and i definitely don't now.

i shall pay you one vando and zero picks.

 

Westbrook was a stud in his prime. Just saying. His fit and decline was bad timing. No different if it was CP3 past his prime on decline. Russell Westbrook is widely considered one of the most explosive, relentless, and fiercely competitive point guards in basketball history. AS for young Fans reacted the same exact way with Kyrie/Luka. ..... The pairing of Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić was a highly potent offensive backcourt for the Dallas Mavericks that reached the NBA Finals, but it was heavily scrutinized by fans. Criticisms generally stemmed from the pair's overlapping ball-dominant playstyles, defensive liabilities, and doubts about Kyrie's track record and off-court availability. ... I am very much in knowledge it wont be a popular choice or liked by the masses. ........ Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns proved their critics wrong by leading the New York Knicks to an NBA. Brunson—the reigning NBA Finals MVP—publicly fired back at skeptics who claimed a team couldn't win with him and Towns as the focal points. Its not very uncommon of critics. Some even think others are crazy for not sharing the same outlook.

 

Luka Dončić holds a career playoff record of 26 wins and 29 losses, Austin Reaves has a career playoff record of 11 wins and 21 losses Jalen Brunson holds a career playoff record of 51 wins and 35 losses, Trae Young holds a career postseason record of 12-15, Kyrie Irving holds a career NBA playoff record of 63-33,