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

Damn, I had to put that dude on ignore. Just essay upon essay with everything he writes. Good grief.

On topic, looks like Melton is off the board. Rob is golfing. @ElginTheGreat I think Smart might be bought out. I don't know if he can be healthy for a season or shoot league average, but we might have to find out, lol.

I'm thinking Rob is going to roll into the season with these guys minus Shake. I hope I am wrong.

 

It would be terrible if we don't get Melton, GP2, or better at POA defender. Even abeer (who I think is one of the best posters here) would have to say that this is one example of ineptitude if this doesn't happen, when at least one of them is there for the taking, right?

 

"No, Darius Bazley cannot be signed to a two-way contract.Due to his more than three years of NBA experience, he is no longer eligible for a two-way contract.Two-way contracts are reserved for players with three or fewer years of NBA service, according to the NBA.Bazley has played for five seasons in the NBA.
To clarify, a two-way contract allows players to split time between the NBA team and its G League affiliate, with a salary dependent on the league they are playing in. Players with more experience, like Bazley, must be signed to the main NBA roster or solely to the G League team."

 

fans are super harsh on players

gotta love it

 

I dare you. Laker Offseason Song

 

Fair is fair

 

Damn, saw over 100 posts to read in this thread and thought something happen. But no, just Slick defending the indefensible.

Yeah he's a tough one. They had multiple opportunities to trade him but I think they overvalued him. I don't think he's a top2 option in a contending team. I think he will get a bag next year from some team with cap space that misses out. He will get more than AR I think, and he's worse imo

Wouldn't give him a roster spot. Unless we clear additional 2 via trade. Rui, Bron, LaRavia and Vando already eat all the forward minutes. You had Knecht/Goodwin ability to play the 3, there's no room for him. We need a defensive guard

 

We desperately need defense on the POA.
If we played a competitive game tomorrow, we'd easily take 20-30 points from a player like Fox.
Not much to say about that.

I don't think a move now will change our lives in that regard, but it could at least try to make up for it.
Smart or Thybulle won't change our lives in that regard, but they're certainly better than nothing; or rather, they're certainly better than the current situation, which would mean one between Reaves and Vanderbilt.

 

Melton could have helped there.

Grimes could too.

Let’s see what we have on the roster with Gabe and Bronny to start the season as well.

 

Thybulle makes so much sense, both in need and ability to make it happen, that not happening yet signals to me that there's something cooking. I mean there's a bunch of signings on hold in many teams, so there should be some domino waiting to fall

Not even Horford signed yet, if not mistaken. Melton, Russ, CP3, Simmons, Coffey, Smart and Beal buyout situation, etc, all those guys haven't signed yet so I'm guessing teams are trying to finalize some trades before committing to these guys

 

i think a lot of this started with an admonishment of people ready to move on from lebron, and i'm still sympathetic to this despite your points. he's leaving soon in any case, so the timing matters, and we have to field a team after he leaves--despite his own disinterest in this prospect.

IF lebron suddenly becomes more interested in playing defense and not taking off the dribble threes, he may indeed be worth his contract next year. but that fact wouldn't change my mind about being conservative with trade assets and cap flexibility for when he inevitably moves on.

i get why lebron's annoyed about it; i don't get why anyone else is, tbh.

 

what does "there for the taking" mean? it's important to qualify these things before events happen.

and i'm not sure if it's ineptitude--as if all it takes is some sort of fundamental skill everyone else has--that governs these things.

i would agree that not finding a perimeter defensive player would definitely be frustrating, as it was a clear deficiency on the roster and is a substantially limiting factor on success. i'm just not sure i can say it means the front office is stupid or something.

like, if the front office claims it wasn't an issue that needed addressing, ok, that's not good. but it seems to me we're trying on this front. if teams are doing the same thing in trade talks that they were clearly doing for centers, i'm not sure what we can do. i'm not emptying the asset chest for thybulle, as much as i think he would really help us. you need that stuff for when a big difference maker comes free.

anyway, training camp is still a couple months away. the offseason doesn't end with FA. my hope is that we actually have a better idea than melton (who's coming off a major injury) or gpII (who's pretty old for the role we want), tbh.

 

Melton is a good defender, absolutely.

I don't think the duo Gabe - Bronny is enough to get our backcourt decent on the defensive side.

 

Your loss …. one of many top contributors on site with great observations that you could just flick past with a finger gesture if TLDNR for you …. many are shorter.

 

About the Marcus Smart rumor...
34 and 20 games played in the last two seasons.

Mmm...

 

Or we go into the offseason with Gabe and Bronny as the only non AR guards - I think I'd take Smart risk anyday of the week

(sorry forgot about Godwin - he deserves a mention and he may actually be a guy who becomes a playoff caliber rotation player)

 

And Goodwin

I think Goodwin will have his best year