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

Actually yes, you do. You cant be a complete zero on offense and stay on the court in today’s game. Look at the best teams this year (OKC, Denver, Minny, Indiana, Knicks), not one of them plays a complete zero on offense like Vando. Vando isn’t just a bad shooter, there’s literally nothing he does at an average level on offense. Can’t shoot, can’t finish, can’t pass, not an especially good screen setter, not a great cutter, nothing. He had two buckets in the entire Wolves series. Two in 61 minutes.

Before his foot injuries he could at least finish fairly well, but that’s gone down the drain. Hopefully he can regain some of that. But right now he’s unplayable bad offensively, and not good enough defensively to make up for it. Maybe if he was a DPOY caliber defender, but he’s never even made an All-Defense team. I’m not sure he’s ever even gotten a vote. His defense has fallen off after the injuries too.

 

Maybe we could make it a 3 team trade with Brooklyn. We send Gabe and a second to BKN (they don't have a single point guard over 19), then send Knecht & Shake to Philly for the S&T of Grimes.

Grimes gets 18.5m per
Philly gets Knecht and the expiring of Shake
Brooklyn gets an expiring Gabe and a second

Everyone stays under the first apron.

When Lebron retires next season:

Luka - 30%
Reaves - 21%
Ayton - 18% (or another center if he doesn't work out)
Rui - 14%
Grimes - 12%
6th Man (MLE level) - 10%
Backup Center - 5%
Backup Wing (TPMLE) - 3.6%
Minimums - 8%
Total: 125%

 

Melton may not be a better POA defender than Vando, however he is a better shooter and a result a better two way player. So then, he’ll get playing time in the playoffs and won’t be sitting on the bench next to Vando.

As for the front office, wasn’t there reports that the front office and Rob saying we need to get younger on the wings? I’ve read various reports about that. So at the end of the day, we need to improve at the 5 and on the wing. There’s nothing wrong with trying to do both.

 

You need two way players in the playoffs: relative strengths and weakness can vary but you can't be just black hole. And you very well know that a guy like KCP isn't just going to be left open even Caruso. Caruso is a terrific finisher and off ball cutter and KCP has a nice mid range counter to close outs.

Vando has NONE of these.

And yes if you flipped KCP to the Lakers two years ago they win that series.

 

Ok...well consider this.
Melton hasn't played much in two seasons, we have no idea, if he is any better than Gabe. I get the optimism, but I wouldn't automatically assume, that he's going to an upgrade over the people already here.

Look at our roster brother, Lebron is going to be 41 this season, he's the old dude. Kleber is the only other guy over 30. We are going to have to replace Lebron eventually.

 

Melton is low risk at 4m that’s 2.5% of the cap. It’s like having two minimum players, who cares if he doesn’t work out? Just use him as a trade expiring the year after.

If he works out you got a clear upgrade to Gabe. Low risk, decent reward play. What would you rather do with the BAE? Chris Boucher?

 

No.what was KCP going to do, guard Jokic? Shut down Murray? Put a body on Gordon and Mpj? No he was not

Kcp and Caruso were all those things against Phoenix. It's more to it than that. Role players play their roles, and fit in with the other players on the team, that have different roles,
that's what makes a great team.

Disruption of the other team's offense is important too. Bringing energy and physicality to the game make as much impact, as hitting a few more shots. We want to make things streamlined and easy for some reason, without looking at the team as a whole.

There have been 7 different Championship teams, over the last 7 seasons. They didn't all have a team full of two way players. Everyone is playing hard in the playoffs, if it was just a select few group of guys, doing Championship caliber things, they would be winning all the Championships.

 

I'd hold on to it and wait to see who else gets bought out, or dumped by training camp, if needed. Melton can get a vet minimum contract and earn his way.

 

I’m happy to do that too. I’d prefer it actually, that way you could pick up a Vucevic or Smart if they get bought out.

I do expect Denver to be aggressive on the buyout market they’re armed with the full MLE.

 

I guess you can just chop it up to shooting. But Dalton Knect should be crushing summer league.

 

Rui is the perfect player to play with Luka and Ayton when Lebron retires.

 

Yes!!! We are on the same page now.

 

Look I'm not arguing with you guys, and trying to belittle your opinions. I just see some things, from a different perspective, and I am presenting a different viewpoint. Most things aren't just straight Black or White, it's usually varying degrees of gray involved.

 

Bubble Lakers had a bunch of 2 ways players: AD, Lebon, KCP, Rondo, Dwight (his last year as a legit lob threat), Green, Caruso
Bucks: giannis, lopez, jrue, middleton, portis
GS: Wiggins, Klay, Draymond, Porter Jr, Looney
Boston: this was a ridiculous team - an entire team of 2 way players
OKC another ridiculour team - an entire team of 2 way players.
Denver: jokic, brown, gordon, kcp, murray

Only team who couldn't put a solid 5 man lineupe of two way players was GS and their weak link on defense was Curry and maybe Denver in terms of how you rank Murray's defense (I don't think he's a bad defender at all)
NONE of these teams played an incompetent offensive player at the level of Vando - none.

 

What would he need to do to change his game? I'm not talking about him starting; if that's what he wants, (which he probably does), that's a non-starter. If he's open to being a 6th man and coming off the bench and playing in combinations with AR, Luka, and LBJ, I think it works.

Our depth needs to be addressed, and if signed, he'd be the best player coming off our bench, IMO.

There's also a list of buyouts that could potentially happen with better parts that fit, but I'm open to adding the best talent as @Slick2021 added earlier because when you have 5 starters playing in the 2nd half of a critical playoff game (that included a 40 year old)in a game we lost), you need talent = depth.

Let's see how this shakes out, though.

 

Edgecombe looks like the real deal - 76ers need to move on from Embiid and George

 

Rondo couldn't guard his shadow IMO. He didn't try much during the season, he gave higher effort on that end, in the playoffs, but his offense was key. Kuz couldn't guard anybody either, but he hit a few buckets. Dwight and Javale were pretty much non existent on offense. Caruso had a good shooting game or two, but his D was solid. Green got death threats for his shooting woes. I remember the bubble team a bit differently than you. They hit the boards hard, and had great size and length. That played a part in thier dominance too.
The bubble team actually makes my point, a bunch of guys playing their roles, fitting into a great team.

Milwaukee that's 5 guys OK. They didn't play all the minutes tho. I'd have to go back and look up that team, but it wasn't stacked with two way guys.

Same thing with Golden State, Looney was OK, he gave effort. I was bit underwhelmed with Porter Jr..but he had his spots.

Denver Jokic's D isn't great. Murray's either. But they hit big shots, especially down the stretch


Boston was simply loaded true.

Okc was like the bubble team, a lot of guys contributing, but depth, allows you to play a lot of people.

Vando is a specialist, he's not built for 40 minutes, but that's ok..I would have started Vando and Finney-Smith myself, even if it was 10-12 minutes a half. Austin, Rui,and Luka are offensive guys. They will try on D, but two way guys? Now .I thought Lebron held his own at 40. Tinkerbell was absolutely not a two way player. Back to Ham's 1st squad...Vando and AD was our defense.

 

That bubble teams key was Rondos ability to come in and run the offense. We put it on Miami and Rondo was a big part of that. Took alot off of LeBron.

AD was playing out of his mind the most dominant he was his whole career. The Kobe game. I mean he was insane.

KCP was phenomenal I mean we hit everything. The team was built for Frank Vogel. Dwight played Ben Wallace defense.

And that’s the best I’ve seen LeBron play while he’s been here on the Lakers.

Kuzma went into a dry spell hitting his shots but he had his moments.


Boston was the favorite and they lost to Milwaukee and then Miami won. But yeah a lot of people had Boston winning it.

 

That's an inaccurate assessment. First off i'm not worried about, what some other team did, they don't have our players. Not one single team you listed, is assured of getting back to the Finals this season either.

Vando shoots 60% from the field for his career. He avg 6 rebs, his rebounding has taken a dip, because he's been injured, for most of the two previous seasons. Can't pass is inaccurate too, he was a PG in HS, and when he's in a different type of offense, he's can make plays for others. I imagine a guy that had two foot surgeries might not be all the way himself, if he can't work out during the offseason.
His defense hasn't fallen off, again his feet weren't right for a couple of seasons, that impacts everything you do. playing the game of basketball. So..throwing a defensive first out there in a 5 out offense, might not be the best fit for his game...you think? He could have had zero baskets in 61 minutes, and still had a bigger impact, than a guy that hit 4 3's, and couldn't guard his shadow. He's giving it all back or more, anyway.

All Defense? Hell KCP hasn't made the All Defense team in his 12 seasons in the league. That’s CAP..you have to figure that Vand has had an injury spate for a couple of seasons here, and we STILL counted on him, to raise the level of our defense. He's healthy now, sleep on Vando if you want, you will be eating this word salad this season.

 

I agree about Ayton for sure and the other thing we all need to remember is how much better we are going to be with a healthy in shape Luka vs the version we had last season.