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

I'm absolutely doing it if it means we're getting one of their good players in Lu Dort and one of their multiple First picks in what is arguably the most hyped NBA Draft Class in over two decades, enabling us to walk out of Draft Night with two promising prospects on cheap rookie contracts and a ready-to-go starting wing to compliment Luka and AR and address an all too notable weakness in the current roster.

To me, that's just smart GMing, even if it means giving a very dangerous rival team in our conference a valuable First several years down the line. It's still in service of actually constructing a competitive Lakers roster around our two stars in Luka and AR with the assets and cap space we have available to us.

IMO it's just a smarter way to go about things as opposed to the idea of betting every single penny in our piggy bank on one aging superstar whose game doesn't compliment the superstar we already have and is reliant on his athleticism, which is one of the first things to go as a player exits their physical prime.

 

To be clear, Claxton will struggle against Jokic, (Embiid is almost finished), and maybe Sengun in his best day. But I’m not really worried about the rest. Where I think he brings value is his versatility on defense.

- He is an elite PNR defender in the same vein Chris Bosh was, he can stay with the smaller guards and challenge them at the rim.
- He has also shown to play drop coverage well and block floaters at their apex or be quick to step out snd contest a shot.
- He can also help from the weak side if he isn’t in the PNR.

Pair him with Watson and you’ve got two very good shot blockers at the PF/C - admittedly neither can guard Jokic well. But I imagine we’d be able to stop the rest of the team and take away his playmaking - so let Jokic try to beat us every night offensively and then he won’t have much for the defensive end.

As for his offense, Claxton looked phenomenal next to a playmaker of James Harden’s caliber. Well, we’ve got two of those. If people want a lob threat and a finisher, he’s one of the better ones. He’s also developed a little hook shot the last few years.

Ask yourself the question how would Hayes look playing next to the Brooklyn team? And how would Claxton look in a team trying to compete defensively with two fantastic playmakers in Luka and Reaves.

I’m really liking Hayes, but Claxton is far better defensively and at 23m next year with a contract that’s descending, that’s not a ton of money for a high level defender and lob threat at the 5.

At his apex, Ayton is the better player. But he hasn’t shown the drive mentally to stay at that level. The big worry with Ayton is, he’ll let you down in the big moments with just a lack of effort. And that’s inexcusable - you don’t build a foundation on poor footing.

Secondly, if we’re trying to thread the needle and steal Peyton Watson, we need salaries to be close to matching. That’s why we send Ayton and Vando (both expiring so neutral value) and the first is what prizes Claxton away from Brooklyn.

Why do we waste the first? Because Claxton may be one of the best available centers in the style that Luka likes to play with. High flying lob threat that defends well.

I’d personally trade 2 firsts for Jalen Duren, but I don’t think Detroit is doing that. Who else is there out there that’s better than Claxton and gettable for less? Maybe Hartenstein… but he isn’t in the mold that Luka prefers.

 

I highly doubt Denver is going to trade Watson to us unless it’s a clear over pay. I imagine they’ll just call our bluff and say give him the offer sheet, we’ll just match it.

And I’m calling their bluff back. I’m giving Watson that 32m offer sheet. At which point they’ll be roughly $30m over the 2nd Apron and have a $100m+ tax bill. To get below that, they’ll have to get rid of Gordon and Cam Johnson. Let all the other cap teams know, we’ll take one of them for a first.

If they don’t believe in Watson enough to get rid of both of them, he is ours. And we haven’t lost an asset.

Same situation holds true for OKC, they’re already over the 2nd apron by $50 million and have about $215 million to pay in luxury tax. We should be able to take one or even two of Hartenstein, Dort or Caruso for trade assets into our cap space. If we’re doing a trade, make them take back a small salary like Knecht.

 

Would you trade Adou and 2? Or 3? Detroit probably sees him as a core piece and won't let him go.

 

f***ing Refs it’s 3 shots!!!!!!!

 

Luka Luka Luka Luka Luka Luka .

 

Reaves!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Best game of the year!!!!!

 

Luka told Jokic see you at santa Anita.

 

Slick Abeer we wining this season. We winning thus championship this season. Yall stop talking about next season. This is the Lakers we run this s***!!!!!!


Slick you never wavered. Elgin the Great.come on keep hope.!!!!!!

 

I want every Laker fan in here posting tonight great game. The crowd. Marcas Smart Deandre Ayton. Huge shot. Great job.

 

Bring on the friggin Firecrackers!!!!!!

 

Watching the game, couldn’t help thinking that Denver is just a really good team. They took OKC to 7 and could have won the title and they’ve improved a lot since then.

I really want to weaken them this offseason. Even if we don’t think we can steal Watson… I’d love for them to have to discard Gordon and Cam Johnson to keep him.

And if by some off chance we can land Gordon, I’d be all for that. That guy has the same mentality as smart and has become such a winning player.

 

I wanna win a championship this season.

 

Nah man you don't just offer an offer sheet and tie up your cap-room in order to just weaken another team. That's like Kangs mentality. We are above that. That makes no sense. You just try your best to strengthen your own team. If the otehr team gets weak in the process, then great. But dont prioritize that. The other teams are out of our control. Now if you are legitimately trying to get that player, then you try to work out a sign and trade and don't mess around with the offer-sheet drama IMO.

 

I don't agree at all. For the following reasons:

• Teams have to match any RFA offer sheet in 48 hours, not a week like it used to be.
• Why would Denver trade with us? They'll just offer Peyton the extension that they can afford and call our bluff.
• Look at the unrestricted free agent class this year, it's kind of terrible: Quentin Grimes, John Collins, Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Kristaps Porzingis, Norman Powell, CJ McCollum, Khris Middleton, Tobias Harris, Jordan Clarkson.

Most of those guys are minimum players apart from the first 3. Unless you think getting John Collins and Mitchell Robinson is a coup, who are we actually missing out on? The only ones I'd want to take a chance on is Robert Williams and Thybulle for the minimum.

From my point of view, we should be utilising the cap problems OKC & Denver have aiming to weaken them by strengthening ourselves. So I'm sending that RFA for Watson on the first minute. Either they get rid of Cam & Gordon or we get Watson. And if they do get rid of the former guys, what use do the other cap space teams, Brooklyn and Chicago have for win now guys? I'm also calling OKC up and offering them a first for Dort and then trying to find a trade for Vando/Knecht/Ayton etc with the remaining draft capital.

 

Note to NBA no more Sacramento Kings games on T.V. Next season.