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

If Lakers absorb Dort's 18.2 million, who would you want to get with the remaining 20 million or so?

 

For me, it has to be a big who can play defense and finish the lobs.
I think the only way to get this ask is via trade. If we can flip Rui plus a couple of the firsts plus throw ins, I think we could be there. I just don’t know which GM is willing to trade with us. It’s not going to be easy.

 

Rui has a 27 million dollar cap hold. So, if we don't renounce him, we wouldn't be able to absorb Dort with 11 million. Jaxon's cap hold in 6.5 million. I'm in favor of signing him for 8 million per year, after we fill the cap room. I think we could get a decent center in the draft. I't a draft rich in lob threat bigs, and those type of player typically adjust to the NBA quickly, give the relative simplicity of their games. We would still need to fill another position, so I'm in favor of going after Ellis or Grimes with the remaining 20 million.

 

I'd love to pick up Grimes in a vaccuum, but I'm wincing at the thought of having such a small starting lineup between Austin, Dort and Ellis or Grimes all being 6'5" or under and all having relatively similar wingspans as their heights. I'd be more open to the idea if one of either Dort or Ellis/Grimes had a wingspan of 7ft or longer, to at least compensate for the height differential. Heaven forbid we draft a Center who's under 6'10", like Morez Johnson Jr. or Flory Bidunga, in this scenario.

Again, IMO the play is to trade for Dort, draft a Center or two and figure out whatever it takes to have enough cap space still afterwards to get to an agreeable contract price for Tari Eason in a S&T with Houston. Eason brings needed size to the roster to balance things out alongside Luka to where we can potentially draft a somewhat undersized Center and not have to worry too much about it overall.

 

That's a good plan. Do you have some backup plans?

 

I think we have a legit shot with Luka this season. With Luka shooting the ball. If the ball and offense is revolving around Luka we can win it all. Some people don’t see it from basketball. Luka has to shoot at a high volume for the Lakers to win. Because that pushes the tempo of the game. Less dribbles more shots. Shoot shoot shoot push pase. When Luka is shooting like that it’s on a string and the defense doesn’t know where the ball is going. That’s how we beat the Twolves twice. And that’s how the Lakers beat the Twolves. And that’s how the Mavs beat the Twolves. Push the ball and just shoot hoist it up. Luka and Austin are playing how Kyrie and Luka played. It keeps the defense on skates. At that pace Edwards can’t slow it down and go to work on offense . Because the tempo is so fast he’s running around chasing Luka and Reaves. Like he was chasing Luka and Kyrie. If Jj reddick was smart. He would show the team that tape. And say that’s how they should play.

Lebron just fit in do a little bit of everything.

and you’ll win your championship.

Yall talk about the Lob threat. Ayton can be the lob threat because the ball is moving so fast. The lobs are going to be open. In an offense like that I’m a lob threat. Just be at the rim and you’ll get the ball.

that’s the secret of Luka.

 

The only backup plans I can think of at the moment are either:

• Go after Andrew Wiggins somehow
• If we get Dort and either Ellis or Grimes, drafting at least one defensive anchor 7ft+ sized Center is a non-negotiable mandate, to help clean up any size issues at the perimeter defensively with a dedicated rim protector

 

I’m not hopeful that a rookie center taken late 1st or 2nd round will have much of an impact for a season or two. In general, it’s going to be the defensive side where they’ll struggle. Most big guys take a little while to learn how to play defense effectively without fouling constantly in the NBA.

It’s one of the reasons I’d want an established big man, albeit a role playing one. I might be in the minority but I’d be interested in going after Claxton.

 

Good point on the wingspans. Ellis has the same wingspan as Cason Wallace (6'8.5). Luka has the same wingspan as SGA (6'11) But, Jalen Williams has a (7'2) wingspan though, compared to Reaves (6'6.25). So, I get your point on wingspans. Eason has a 7'2 wingspan.

(1) Draft Night: Trade the 2031 1st to OKC for the 18th pick and the worst of their 2027 1st's. Draft lob-threat bigs with #18 and #23.

(2) Tell Houston you are going to offer Eason a descending offer sheet starting at 35 million. Contract is 4-years and 124 million. Agree to sign-and-trade with Houston. Send them either the 18th or 23rd pick and the 2033 1st. If they want players, go ahead and give them, just not Thiero. Likely deal is something like the 18th pick and the 2033 1st to Houston.

(3) Sign Kennard with the room exception.

(4) Sign Goodwin for vet minimum.

(5) Sign Robert Williams with vet minimum.

(6) Sign Clarkson with vet minimum.

(7) Sign Aaron Holiday with the vet minimum.

(8) Waive Ayton and Knecht.

Role
Scorer: Luka 36 min, Reaves 12, Clarkson
Shooter: Reaves 24, Kennard 24
POA: Smart 28, Goodwin 20, Holiday, Bronny
Tough Wing: Eason 28, Thiero 20, LaRavia, Vanderbilt
Lob Threat: Hayes 18, Cyril 18, Williams 12

Just keep in mind, in this scenario, you are essentially choosing Eason over Dort AND Ellis.

 

why the hell would jordan goodwin sign for the vet minimum - he's going to get a good deal from somebody

 

Damn, yeah you are right. Who's a decent backup POA for the vet minimum?

 

Just want to preface this with, I really like the energy and constant reworking of potential teams. I have a few points:

1) I don't think OKC will trade 2 firsts for our 2033 1st. They've created a situation where they can recycle their team by developing draft picks. Their aim will be to continue to have the most draft picks so they can have multiple bites of the cherry. I assume this is also a reason why they could maybe trade us Dort or Hartenstein, to bolster their future draft war chest.

2) If we go for a RFA, the only way it's going to happen is if that team is in cap trouble. Denver is right up against the 2nd Apron, we can blow them right through it with a huge offer for Watson. At that point, they either choose to let him walk, or dump good players. The higher our offer, the more players they have to dump to keep him. At what point do they just say, you can have him?

As an aside, the teams that are at the tax threshold (201.7m) or over it are OKC (48.9m over), CLE (20.5m over), ORL (13m over), DEN (12.1m over), NYK (3.7m over). We should try to do some business with these teams. Houston as an example has 16.7m before the tax threshold. So even offering Eason 30m, means they'll only be over by 13.3m and have roughly a similar tax bill - not enough for them to blow things up.

4-6) Don't think they sign for the vet minimum.

8) If we waive Ayton and Knecht, isn't that money guaranteed, so it still applies against our cap anyway? Doesn't make sense to pay someone to stay home.

 

Waiving them in that scenario was ro open roster spots. Lakers still way under 1st apron after doing that.

 

I have to quadruple up on the don't think Giannis is a good fit here. He has already stated he does not want to play with a ball dominant guard. We have the #1 ball dominant guard in the league. We need to go another direction.

 

An option to build the team;

Luka - 49.8m
Reaves - 20.9m CAP HOLD
Vando - 12.4m
Ayton - 8.1m PLAYER OPTION
Hayes - 6.5m CAP HOLD
Jake - 6m
Smart - 5.4m PLAYER OPTION
Knecht - 4.2m
Bufkin - 2.5m
Bronny - 2.3m
Adou - 2.1m

Total: 120.2m

Cap is 166m, so our cap space is 45.8m

1) Sign Hayes to 5m

2) Offer Watson 32m as a RFA

3) Trade Knecht + 1st to OKC for Dort

4) Trade Ayton, Vando + a 1st for Claxton

5) Sign Kennard to the room exception

Luka / Smart / Bronny
Reaves / Kennard / Bufkin
Dort / Jake
Watson / Adou / Kleber
Claxton / Hayes

That's 3 high level defenders around Luka & Reaves in the starting unit with Smart, Jake, Adou and Hayes off the bench with the defense. Claxton and Hayes are high level lob threats, but also very good switch defenders.

Not sure if we could get any other vets who want to ring chase?

 

Would ya'll do Vando and a 1st for Bobby Portis?

 

I really like Bobby, guys a dog. Plays hard, tries on D, shoots real well. Would be a fantastic big off the bench and if we could turn Vando + 1st into him, I'd consider it strongly.

If we're keeping Ayton & Hayes, Bobby is a good get for that PF/C rotation. You could make it work with the team above like so:

Luka / Smart / Bronny
Reaves / Kennard / Bufkin
Dort / Jake
Watson / Bobby / Adou
Ayton / Hayes

 

so wild that it's (again) essentially a 4-way tie for 3rd/6th with 15 games to go. as such, my eyes are on phx at 7. i want zero part of playing the clippers in the 7/8 game, followed by a mostly-healthy gs in the 9/10, all for the right to get smashed by okc or the spurs.

gotta get at least one, preferably 2 of the next three.

8 of our next 11 games are against teams probably favored to beat us (the other three are must-wins against tankers that unfortunately occur all in a row).

our last 5 are sketchy, as we don't know who will still be playing for seeding (phx, gs, okc are in there). the phx game could be for 6th/7th, tbh.

 

I like it.

I started using Reaves cap hold of 26.5 lately. That's the conservative number i havse seen people using lately. We don't know the actual number yet until we find out if Reaves 25-26 salary was less than the average nba salary or something like that. It looks like it's going to be right on the cusp. That's also why Jaxons cap hold went from 4.5 to 6.5.

Yeah, Watson is a much lower hanging fruit than Eason. We would have a good chance of getting him. Probably not thru and offer sheet though. Would have to be sign and trade imo. Maybe just the 2033 2nd + 2032 swap + trade exception.

I'm not sure of OKC has the roster space to take back Knecht. If so, the probably just cut him. But they get a first so it still might be a better option than just letting Dort wall. Idk how dire thier apron situation is this year though. They might not be able to take him.

I like the Claxton deal. I have been interested for a few years now. But, Brooklyn doesn't really have to trade him. They have a boat load of picks already accumulated. They might try to actually compete soon. Though Claxton might be a little older for their timeline. It's a possibility though.

I agree with Kennard for the room exception. Hopefully Reaves cap hold does come back at 20.9.