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

Lol..right...Gabe over Goodwin all day. I wouldn't dump Dalton just to keep him either. I am pretty interested in this Knecht/Lavaria dynamic tho.

 

Bronny playing well also made Goodwin expendable, to a degree. Luka, Gabe, AR, Smart (2/3), and Bronny. No minutes for Goodwin anyway. Not saying I like it. I don’t. But I see it.

 

I imagine we could cut bait with Jemison, and bring Goodwin back on a two way.

 

Agree with the sentiment of the first part of your post, but if the trade's not there right now, it's not there right now. I haven't seen anyone moved who I would want, who we could get but is worth giving up Rui, Knecht, expirings, and draft assets for. Have you? This is not a loaded question, I'm asking, what trade did you want made that was doable?

As for the bench, it's balanced enough with the starters, who are also unbalanced, in terms of all offense, little defense. I don't see why we would ever play an all bench lineup, outside of garbage time. There should always be 1 or 2 of Luka, Austin, and LeBron on the floor, mixed with bench players, outside of garbage time. When including Rui, Ayton, Luka, Austin, and LeBron, there should almost always be 2 or 3 of them on the floor, mixed with bench players.

Every lineup we put out there can be properly balanced, except for the starters being light on defense, which is hopefully made up for on offense. And that could be limited to the first 4 minutes of each half, if needed.

 

JJ is only going to play 9-10 guys anyway, during the regular season.

 

I think this is right, but it's close. Players are eligible for two ways if they have less than 4 years of service. Goodwin just completed his 4th year, so I think is ineligible...except that in his 1st year, he only played in 2 games, for just 3 min each. Sucks if that still counts as a year, but I think that's the case. I could be wrong, and hope we could re-acquire him somehow, if better opportunities don't present themselves.

 

They got a lot of guards who want minutes and Chinese Bill Walton neophyte at the C whose the most exciting Blazers player since a young Dame.

Actually makes sense for them to move off from Williams and Thybulle to match team construction with their best future prospects

 

We just couldn’t find the right consolidation trade - it is what it is.

Better not to do a trade than to make a bad one. I imagine we go into the season like this, and see if we can improve at the deadline.

Luka (32) / Gabe (16) / Bronny
Reaves (32) / Smart (16)
Rui (32) / Vando (18) / Knecht
Lebron (32) / LaRavia (14) / Adou
Ayton (30) / Kleber (18) / Hayes

Something along those lines would be nice.

 

With Luka and Lebron and a competent center now, it times to move Rui back to the bench.

Would help even out the scoring as getting Larivia and Rui would help with all the scoring problems the Lakers bench had last year

 

Sure, we can just agree to disagree about trade opportunities. For the roster balance part, though, it doesn't sound like we actually disagree that much. I agreed and also mentioned that the starting unit is still the imbalanced one, not the bench, but that's for contract reasons, due to us probably wanting to start Rui in a contract year. It can be addressed simply by replacing Rui with Smart, as soon as seems reasonable, like after 4 min. Then you have reasonably balanced defense with Smart, Reaves, Luka, LeBron & Ayton. Cranjis addressed this, I'm re-posting the tweet from the Smart thread:

 

^To you point, I was listening to Pete from LFR and a little bit of Jovan: they're both advocating for Smart to start right away. Pete likes the way he slots in between Luka & Austin. I'm not sure how I feel about that given his health history. Either way, that would place Rui on the bench in a contract year.

Pete & Darius both agreed we're probably 1-2 moves away from being in that group of 4-5 teams that have a legit chance at winning it all; Pete advocated for another backup center (doesn't trust Hayes) and a replacement with a little more offensive pop than Vincent. He said he would love a Malik Monk on this team to add some athleticism. I'd also add a Sexton or a Rozier as the archetype he's looking for, IMO. There's probably more out there...

Pete & Darius both like the work the FO did; Pete was extremely happy. Very good offseason with expiring(s) and draft capital potentially make a push.

 

relying on bronny to take on anything more than an end of the bench role is not a good idea at all. don't let his play in summer league fool you

he's not an nba caliber player

 

lol that's the whole point. isn't it?

 

Luka had a huge role in recruiting Smart and Ayton. Luka had smart chose us over the Suns.

getting Ayton was huge. Luka putting in work for us. That’s what LeBron used to do with AD!!!!

These signings are all legendary. Remember Artest in the shower with Kobe after the Thumping of the Boston C Bags???

then we got Ron and Game 7 happened.

 

How many bench guys do you want???? We can’t go get Monk. Sacramento ain’t trading with us.

only trade I would try to do. I don’t know how we dump the salary Vincent Knect 2031 1st round pick unprotected for Derozen let him come off the bench to give us some scoring. That can negate Bronny taking Vincent’s role.

or if Derozen reaches a buyout with Sacramento pouncing on him.

I love this bench I’m good give me the cigar. Rob beasted this s***. Got us our Center got us our rim runner. Got us our perimeter defender.

Luka said he wanted a rim runner and we got Ayton and he wanted Ayton.

Luka said he wanted a perimeter defender and we got him Marcus Smart. And we got him who he wanted. Rob doing everything his superstar is asking him for. I’m good.

We have depth just like Indiana did and OkC did. So what am I missing here.?

Knect is the shooter off the bench you have LaRavia you have smart. You have space the floor center shooter 3 pointer center in Kleber who’s like a Horford. You have the rim runner shot blocker rim protector in Hayes.

perimeter defender in smart and Vando. 3 point shooting with Vincent. Young defender in Thiero. yall gotta let these guys do their jobs.


I would really think about this if I was Reddick. Yo Reaves is going to get paid he’s good. But for the betterment of the team. A more balanced lineup is

Luka/Smart next to him to protect him
Lebron
Hachimura
Ayton

Luka gets to handle the ball run the offense. He has set shooter Hachimura plenty of ball handling with James Smart can be in position to score. You have Ayton for pick and roll.

Bench

Reaves/Vincent
Laravia/Knect
Vando
Kleber

Hayes Thiero James

more balanced let Reaves run the bench where he can do everything score we need that scoring off the bench find Knect they actually play better together. Knect off the catch and shoot. You have Vando Thiero for Defense Kleber for some spacing shooting.

that way Reaves can be your point guard facilitating. Then you close out with your strongest lineup anyway. That makes sense to me.

 

Denver got all this credit for signing Tim Hardaway trading for a Center Valenchunze who wanted to play in Greece.

Trading for Cam Johnson and trading away Micheal Porter Jr. an essential piece of their only championship.

They get credit for a great off season.

We don’t trade anybody away. Keep all our core players add Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart. And now both guys are over the hill

Ayton only 26 7 years younger then AD

Likw we did good. All I need is Ayton to be half Of AD and we are winning a championship 75% of AD and we have a dynasty.

Smart gonna play D. Ayton will get those boards he’s a great rebounder. Get that lob when it comes to you. Hit that mid range shot. And just control the paint. Run hard and we good.

He’s the guy here. In Portland it was Clingman and Robert Williams.

 

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With Smart here now I "bet" he will be a LOT sooner than you think, like this year at some point probably outplaying what Jordan gave us last year.