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

Absolutely that's the issue. But then I look at Boston and they played Pritchard, Hauser, Scheierman, Gonzalez. Not exactly big physical guys. Even White, Brown or Walsh aren't. They just played hard, hustled and got into our chest and we had no answer. It's worrisome

 

Do you say f*** it and start Smart and Vanderbilt

Luka
Smart
James
Vanderbilt
Ayton.

 

If they pay AR max money and next to Luka long term they are doomed. Don’t know why people still think they can coexist. Of course people will say Dallas did it. Lol no they didn’t you are comparing Kyrie to AR.

 

so we'll be better?

 

if you can only pick one between Luka and AR, you absolutely have to pick Luka. He's proven, and a superstar. AR is still becoming what he'll be, but who knows for how long. Luka has been balling since he was a teen as a pro. I'd love to keep the hometown guy, but business is business. I think we help him get his bag this Summer, but I think we are going after Giannis.

we have needs that we can't adequately fill if we pay of those guys the max. It won't math.

 

this is lunacy. it was one game.

 

people have been talking about it all year. I don't think it's lunacy to believe putting 100 mil a year into a slow white boy backcourt with mediocre defense might be a problem for the rest of the roster.

 

I am upset about the game but don’t think we should conclude that AR has to go. I mean he had 36 and 8 against Boston last time they played.

The problem is our overall roster. It’s not built to succeed around pretty much any combo IMO. I’m not convinced at all that you can’t build around Luka and AR.

 

Dort will foul out by the end of 3rd Q. Just say no to this pos.

 

Hustling is a key part of physicality. Hustling shows a willingness to throw your body around

 

Austin is my guy, but he has to step up his game, in the playoffs period. I want to see him get paid, but I want what's best for the team moving forward too. I'd lock him in at 30M per, for 3-4 years and see how it goes. We are going to probably need another guy in that same pay range IMO.

 

you're not keeping reaves for 30 per. we'll pay the 40 and be glad we're not hunting for a reaves-level player using late first round picks as the enticement. i can't believe this conversation is ongoing.

 

You Pay Reaves. But that doesn’t mean you can’t trade him if you have to.

We can’t compare Kyrie because Kyrie could shoot off the catch and is a tremendous Ballhandler. Kyrie can play with anybody.

Kyrie was able to play with LeBron.

do they explore acquiring Kyrie. or bringing him in after Gianiss. And trading Reaves for Kyrie? Anything is on the table.

But if you trade Reaves you’re getting premium talent back.

that’s an Avilla that’s a Kyrie that’s a Markanen you have to acquire that talent back.

would people welcome a Austin Reaves for Jaden Mcdaniels. Yall talk about this coveted 3-D. You have to give up something to get something. That’s just how these trades work.

Austin is fine. I just think he needs to come off the bench. You limit his game when he plays next to Luka.

and you need to maximize him when he has the ball in his hands and is driving for a pick and roll.

I do think Gugengheim and Mark Walters will access it smart and get guys like Peyton Watson they’ll look at Nic Claxton.

But I do think Gianiss is the guy we’re aquiring. After the trade I’m not sure how that looks.

 

yes.

reaves can shoot off the catch and is a tremendous ballhandler. reaves can play with anybody.

significantly younger lebron.

no.

he's not coming, so no.

dallas would feel like they got half the luka trade back.

yes. which is why you don't fuss about the max contract. he'll still be valuable in trade if you're all right (you're not) and he can't play with luka, post-lebron (he can and will).

if they're adding firsts, but we'd still need a good secondary creator, which also costs assets.

used to think this, but i don't anymore. they play well together. those two and lebron are the problematic fit that won't be a problem six months from now.

you can still do this during the 2nd and 3rd quarters. you just sub reaves out early with ayton, let luka work spread pick and roll with hayes, then when luka sits bring back reaves and ayton for a different looking offense.

i'll be disappointed if we don't bring in at least one starting caliber guy who is young, athletic, and can play defense this summer.

i'm still just not seeing it. i don't think giannis will demand here and only here, and that's the only way to really make it work.

 

We're not getting Giannis. That isn't happening. We need to move on quickly from that and pivot to build a roster.

Reaves is highly overrated on Lakers forums, but as I noted, he'll get paid. He deserves it. There's a lot more guys making $30 million and Austin is better than all of them.

But I wouldn't count him as your number 2 guy going forward.

There's no way, and I'll bet anybody on this site, that Mark Walters is going to increase ticket prices to sell a Luka/Austin pairing for the next 5 years. That just isn't happening, and if it does, he'll be waiting an eternity to recoup his money he spent on the team.

That said, we don't have as much flexibility this summer as people tend to think. This is going to take 2-3 transaction cycles to build the right way, and I'm not sure Rob will be here for it.

 

I really don't think the Reaves thing is that complicated. He's a below average athlete at his position so that makes matchup resilience more difficult. It's the same issue that DLo has, with Reaves obviously being a much, much better player than DLo. Can you maintain production, and even scale up, against better teams that have better (and typically more athletic) defenders and more coverage versatility.

Does that mean you let Reaves walk for nothing? Absolutely not. Does that mean you sign and trade him for someone like Jaden McDaniels? No, I love McDaniels but a true scorer/creator like Reaves is just the more valuable archetype. But do you have to be open the idea of either bringing in another Top 35ish guy as another release valve in the offense, or trading Reaves for a more matchup resilient #2? Yeah, you do.

 

You’re just not getting a 25-6-6 guy for less than 40 IMO.

35 if he just wants to be here and we circumvent the cap.

 

Probably not, but there could be an advantage here in having his bird rights which allows us to strike his deal last. If the FO lines up a few moves that make us bona fide contenders on paper, but are premised on him only making like $35 million instead of $40 million, I could see him taking a little less.

 

A Giannis and Luka team with this supporting cast still loses.