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

why did they still hold the rights to some of these guys who haven't been on the team for years?

 

Maybe to leave options open. You never know, maybe you could use them in a sign and trade if needed? Only the first year needs to be guaranteed. The Lakers did something like this with Aaron McKie many years ago, I believe in the Pau Gasol trade. McKie had just retired after the previous season and I think was working as an assistant coach with the Sixers. They signed and traded him for salary matching, so he got some free money. That was Mitch Kupchak. Good on him for being creative.

 

yeah, he was an assistant with the sixers at the time and the lakers paid him close to a million just to sign him for a day and include him in the trade. can you still pull off tricks like that though? i feel like the 2011 CBA eliminated stuff like that, but i might be wrong

good point though

 

That's right, it was probbaly banned. I think in a CBA after that they might have even made sign and trades minimum 3 years guaranteed, but then it changed back later. But great outside the box thinking by the Lakers front office at that time. There are always loopholes, Mark Walter's would be proud.

 

Agreed, and we need to see a clear vision on this from JJ day one. Young players need meaningful minutes with the main guys, garbage time minutes are better than nothing but not much. Sometimes those late minutes develop bad habits as players feel the need to prove something in such a limited time they can become selfish. To be a competitive franchise going forward we have to be better.

 

longer the kuminga thing drags, the more i think we're out. cleveland has a first round pick to offer if they want to, and strus or schroder, who could be routed elsewhere or used by atlanta as both rotation players and expiring salary ballast.

cleveland can give kuminga a salary above 20 per if lebron is coming for the minimum.

if they put a first on the table in S&T, we can't compete.

 

i'm certain we do, and i'm pretty sure it involves something more than rounding out the roster with vet mins.

i just feel like if we have to go that, it will be a substantial downgrade.

 

Have to play off the bench behind 42 year old LeBron in bum **** frigid Cleveland rather than starting next to Luka and AR who will get him looks forever on the glamour franchise in the NBA? Come on Jonny what would really be better for your wants to shine psyche? Then again .... what Kobe always said about wanting to be a Laker.

 

I am not sold on what is left out there. Our back up plan should be our first plan. Develop our young guys. Especially Carr, we got something there. I like Manyooon and well and Adou is ready to turn a corner.

 

The sweet spot for Mamu right now is probably at the back up 5, with some extra minutes at the back up 4. This would mean, the other back up 4 or 5 doesn't necessarily have to be a shooter, meaning Vando could actually be in the rotation, if it's not Thiero. Also, could be Looney. We still would need that starting 4 though. If not Kuminga, then probably Zaire Williams.

 

...is it crazy that I might actually prefer Williams?

 

Jake better not get tossed out with the bathwater here unless someone better/stronger/more disruptive on D (when he played well) is coming back. We lost Smart and LeBron and Rui's size and D. JJ liked what Jake brought enough to start him for the first third of the season. He unquestionably has room to improve and my money is on he'll do exactly that. For 6M a year I hope it's not somewhere else because of a bad decision.

 

watson's either staying in denver or going to the clips

 

Who cares about Watson ??
He still can't shoot s*** it's like modern version of Ben Simmons

 

Yep, of course people who ban themselves over statements like this, only come back as a newbie poster that is obnoxious to the tenth degree.