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

The ones that got away?

 

Just a fun answer to the question I posted last night. Nothing to get but hurt over. Free agency is basically over. And the roster is filled out.

 

According to Slovenian outlets Luka will be signing his extension with us.

 

If we trade Rui, Reaves, Knecht, Ayton and LeBron we could get back Lonzo, Hart, Ingram, Kuzma and Zubac with Caruso, Bryant and Luka off the bench.

 

It just shows the amazing evaluating of talent.

I heard a guy tell me before Lonzos injury he was better than Lamelo really good court vision.

I remember Kuzma and Tatum going at it that summer league. And I was like we got Lonzo and Kuzma we don’t need Tatum. But I was telling myself that trying to make myself say it was okay to not draft Tatum. lol.

Caruso looked like the old guy on the bunch but he was young. I was saying this white guy can play and he’s athletic. Right away didn’t look like a two way guy rosterbable player.

Thomas Bryant was good to. I remember that was Rob’s prized pick. Him saying we really want to stretch the floor. Everybody wants a stretch.

that was after all the Golden state stuff.

we nailed it with Hart. He was so smart defensively. You saw it right away.

Well they were part of a great prize cause that led to Anthony Davis which led to a championship which led to Luka Doncic.

Lebron showing up to summer league in the Laker shorts.

 

Watching Marcus Smart beast cook Gabe Vincent in the post right now. Eastern Conference Finals 2023 And Gabe Vincent hit shot after shot 3 after 3 swish. Come on Gabe bring that Gabe back.

thinking this is our practice now.

 

Top30 defenders taking the toughest assignment.
Coulibaly, Camara, Dyson Daniels, Dort and Nembhard stand out.

My favorite (gettable) name is Josh Green, who I've been on for this season.

Funny enough I don't see Herb Jones

 

Just adding a little bit to this. Was the Lakers had a full summer league team of NBA players legit NBA players. Most summer league teams have the star rookie maybe two and then the rest are Burger King guys.

This Laker team was an all star team.

this is definitely a 30 for 30 what if I told you that a summer league team would field some of the best defensive players and Best young talent in the league today.

it was fun watching because the squad was so competitive and this Caruso kid was playing his a** off.

Thomas Bryant was dancing. And Kuz just looked like a beast. Outa Utah you could see he was a star. What confidence.

I remember the press conference on Spectrum. The rap songs Lonzo and Kuzma.

to me these guys go in the arena of 1990’s Nick Van Excel Lakers. Fun bunch to watch. That caught the eye of LeBron.

 

Also BTW it’s off topic but I miss the Lakers on KCAL 9 broadcasts. The Jazz being played after games. Very cool. Very showtime. I don’t get that on spectrum. I know somebody mentioned NBC and ESPN that’s how I feel about spectrum the song is very productive but it lacks that cool jazz. I want that song I want that sound.

 

Where’s Alex Caruso Where’s Marcus Smart? Where’s Jalen Johnson? Where’s OG?

 

So many different ways to look at defensive stats. Where is Abeer with the breakdown? I'd like to see his top 30





https://craftednba.com/player-traits/defense

 

Caruso and Johnson I believe suffer from the fact that the stat is about taking the toughest assignment, where Dort and Daniels excel, meaning AC and JJ take a less tough assignment.
Smart barely played and Washington is (cleverly) developing Bilal
OG is at the top left of the graph

 

Luka to be in Los Angeles August 3rd. For Jordan Brand promotion. Expected to sign long term extension with Lakers. I guarantee it’s the 4 yrs. 229 million.

he ain’t doing the oh let me make 500 million and just sign 3 yrs.

this was obvious.

 

I’m just saying when on and playing basketball Marcus Smart is better than a lot of guys on that list. Small guy to win NBA defensive player Gary Payton the glove. NBA hall of famer. A dream teamer.

Marcus smart a Defensive player of the year. 3 time all NBA defense. I’ll take Marcus.

as for Johnson I’d rather take Jalen Johnson. Whenever playing Lebron Lakers he’s always got Lebron. If they play Phoenix he’s guarding Durant.

I know it’s just a list but this guy can guard 1-5 a freak.

 

And I’m calling Cap where are my defenders Austin Reaves Dalton Knect Nikola Jokic Stephen Curry. Devin Booker. What kind of list is this?????

 

Herb was injured last season. Only played 20 games so probably not on the chart.

 

Ah yes, good call

 

i tend to like D-LEBRON, but i'd have to see the differences among those stats to choose one. what's pretty instructive is just sorting by column there is that there's a lot of overlap, so they're mostly telling similar stories.

one thing that pops out at me is that jusuf nurkic always turns up high on these lists, which is interesting to me. why does every team want to move him?

it's also funny that a bunch of my hopeful trade and FA targets populate these lists. not unexpected, but i'm pretty predictable, i guess.

edit: one other thing that we've discussed before but matters--a lot of the stats i like probably inflate the value of bigs. i'd have to think more about why (maybe something about defensive rebounding?), but i actually think perimeter guys can be just as vital as the anchor types that these stats favor. like, i think herb jones is a better, more valuable defender than jakob poeltl. but a lot of stats won't say that.