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

re: centers--i'm sure this has been discussed, but what's the argument against starting hayes and bringing ayton off the bench? when i think of how to build a team going forward, i think you want luka to be playing with a lob threat quite often, but it's also nice to have a center with a bit more strength for situational purposes. and ayton can play well off reaves, i think (as could a vucevic type or whatever).

i also still think that jj wants a DFS type who he can trot out as a smallball center (guessing this was part of our tepid interest in deandre hunter), so i'm still of the mind that we don't need to spend big on a center unless we get an offer we can't refuse. just find our own missis in the draft (or outside it, like the mavs found cisse).

 

Rich owners help on the margins and I've b****ed about letting Caruso go for tax purposes so I believe in the impact but this isn't baseball or Jerry Buss's/West era, in the this second apron era it's pays to be smarter and patient.

The deep pockets can certainly help with things outside of payroll - better analytics staff, better and more wide spread scouting, more expensive assistant coaches, player development staff, G league, and medical staff. But the money for payroll is much more limited nowadays and the penalties for exceeding the cap really do impact your ability to make moves

I'm concerned the Lakers maybe entering a purgatory phase where Luka with AR is good enough to make the playoffs but they don't have the assets to make it a real contenders. A lot of mention of Luka's Dallas team - they went all in Irving but they also tanked to get the into the lottery before their Finals years with him.

 

Great points, but in this case, I prefer duplication. Having a lob-threat for either Luka or Reaves for 48 minutes per game. Ayton is a good enough lob threat to be the backup, just don't like the offensive flow disruption and him having some sort of touches requirement.

 

An Ayton/Hayes center rotation is just below the threshold of what you can win a championship with.

 

Regarding Hayes, we are literally in the same place we were about a year ago.

Guys wanting to pay him +10M but then he finished the season being unplayable in the playoffs and by June nobody wanting to spend money on Hayes.

Yes, he is indeed better than last year but I don't see him as being a key part on a championship run. Maybe as a backup but the center must be playoff playable.

In any case, definitely count on him next year, hopefully at a very friendly contract, maybe a longer one wouldn't hurt

 

Well..I need to see what happens in the playoffs, before zeroing in on targeting certain players. Austin's playoff performance is crucial for me, how he plays will dictate my preferences moving forward. An honest evaluation of JJ's performance in the playoffs, is the next most important assessment.

I'm an optimistic pragmatic, I'm hoping for a level up with those two, but if that doesn't happen, I'm open to a complete wiping of the slate too...We shall see how it plays out.

I already know who Luka is, we are hoping that Austin and JJ, step up their games in the postseason.

 

Add one more to the list.

 

Does Sacramento own their FRP in this upcoming draft?

I'd be interested in Sabonis this summer if he was on the table.

 

James Ham
@James_HamNBA

Dylan Cardwell sprained his left ankle yesterday at the practice facility and will be re-evaluated in 4 weeks.


1:14 PM · Feb 18, 2026
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I wouldn't. I like his rebounding and screen setting, but the hub archetype is a bad fit with Luka.

 

How is he a bad fit with Luka? A mobile big that can rebound and facilitate? What's the problem?

 

his defense is bad and can’t protect the rim.Love him on the offense end of the floor though

 

He's already a problem as a small ball 5, pair him with an athletic 5 and we are good. I think we can work out the defense.

 

Rich being Rich

 

That's a lot of hoops to jump through for a 45 million dollar big who doesn't fit. Now you are clogging the paint too, with two non-shooting bigs. The facilitating skill is not needed on a Luka/Reaves team. Your basically just getting him for his rebounding, and being "mobile"? It would be an inefficient use of 45 million. Rob might be listening, yikes lol.

 

yeah, put him with edwards, and it would be like pau joining kobe, junior edition.

defense, long-range shooting, vertical threat on offense, preference for dhos.

my god shut up.

 

A good facilitator is always needed, especially in the postseason. Sabonis plays with a high motor, he can score, rebound and dish, Luka and Austin are 3pt threats, I think he'd fit in well here.

 

No man, respectfully, you are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Sabonis is heliocentric. If he was in the Luka role, he would be fine, and that's IF, you also provide a unicorn stretch 5 lob threat. Tall order. I don't know why you would do this.