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

First time with Luka and Lebron I heard staples Crypto loud like Staples Crypto with Kobe and Shaq tonight.

 

I agree the UFA class is weak. That's why trading 1st rd picks for players that fit seems like good use of the room. Trading a 1st for Dort leaves about 20 million in cap room. There aren't really any UFA power forwards worth that. That's why I had us getting Ellis, although it leaves us a little small, I get that. But most deals are made between July 1 and 7. July 8 is the 1st day offer sheets can be signed. If signed July 8, July 10 is the deadline to match. That's a 10 day turn around from July 1st, when most free agent agreements are made in principle. Basically, but July 10, most free agents would be gone. But I get it from your perspective, like big deal if we don't get Ellis. But Ellis isnt chopped liver either. During that 10 day time frame, additional trades could have been made to absorb players with cap room. Even the sign and trade for an RFA could be agreed to on July 1.

 

And we get the tie breaker over the Nuggets now. This is great.

 

I'd rather the Lakers draft a center than trade or overpay for one.

You're not going to need anything fancy so overpaying just won't do much for the team. Just a guy who can get in there, catch a few lobs/dunks, block some shots, and rebound would be more than sufficient. Then you get to develop them as well and you're guaranteed to have them for a low salary for 5 years. Makes no sense to pay someone $25 million to do that.

I feel like what's gotten the Lakers in trouble since the LeBron-AD era is trading the younger guys away and then those younger guys end up getting paid significantly less than what they are worth and play a huge role on other teams. Why not build on some of these younger talents the way Reaves developed instead of sacking them every chance?

I'm really liking Henry Veesarr. Could end up being a Lauri Markannen/Kristaps type player.

How we feeling about Marvin Bagley? Seems to be having an uptick in performance with the Mavs. Moves really well with his size and can run the floor. Might be able to get him for a relatively low price considering the weak free agency.

 

I think I get what you mean. So, essentially back Denver into a corner? Offer Watson a 32 million-dollar sheet on July 6 @ 12:01 pm. During that time, we are in communication with them. If they want to keep Watson, they might ask us if we want Gordon or Johnson. I'm not crazy about them, but they are better than any free agent power forwards. Gordon is a good defender and improved shooter, but on the older side and his shot is still a little shaky. Cam is an elite shooter, and an average defender at best these days. I could get on board with that. Prior to this, we either sign Ellis or trade for Dort.

 

I'm calling Denver as soon as I can, and letting them know of our intention to offer Watson a contract at 32m, days or weeks before free agency. If they want to trade us Cam or Gordon instead, I'm open to that. If they call our bluff, at 12:01, I'm sending that 30-32m RFA offer to Watson.

How do we make it stack up?

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 (Cap space: 47.3m)

2) Offer Watson 32m as a RFA (Cap space: 15.3m)

3) Trade Knecht + 1st to OKC for Dort (Cap space: 1.8m)

4) Make a trade for someone with Vando and our other first

5) Sign Kennard to the room exception

6) Sign Thybulle & Kleber to the minimum

Luka / Smart / Bronny
Reaves / Kennard / Bufkin
Dort / Thybulle
Watson / Jake / Kleber
Ayton / Hayes

Assuming we want to use this years draft pick on a big; we can cut Bufkin's 2.5m - which will give us about 4.3m for the 20th pick.

 

I like Gordon, because he can play defense, but he would fall in line with those who can’t shoot after they don the coveted Laker Jersey.

 

Yeah, I don't trust his shot. It's too shaky. And his defense and athleticism is starting to decline.

 

I just looked at the Nuggets cap sheet. As of now, they just have to cut Valenciunes ($0 guarenteed), and they would be a comfortable 6.2 million under the 2nd apron, with 15 roster spots. But, they would have to let Watsons walk. If they want to match 32 million, and have 1.33 million left, with 14 roster spots, they would have to essentially cut Valenciunes, waive and stretch Nnaji, trade Cam, Strawther, and the 23rd pick. Either that, or they could cut Valnciunes and trade Gordon, they would end up about 7 million under 2nd apron. There are other combinations they could do to, some involving Braun, but I feel that is unlikely. If we already traded a 1st for Dort, we would only have about 21 million left to use. If Ayton opts out, and LaRavia is waived and stretched, it would give us just enough cap room to be able to either sign Watson for 31.5 million, or to absorb Johnson + Strawther + 23rd pick. But, we would still be a little bit short to absorb Gordon, but I would prefer the other two options anyway. So, it would have to go like this, assuming Reaves cap hold is 26.5, and Hayes 6.5. We are both using different numbers for AR's cap hold. Not sure which it will be, but I'm using the glass is half empty approach.

(1) Ask Ayton to opt-out, and re-sign him to a 1 + 1 with the Room Exception.

(2) Tell Denver on July 1st that we are going to offer Watson and offer sheet, and see if they want to agree to a sign and trade.

(3) If Denver wants to match the 31.5 million, they can do so by trading Johnson, Strawther, and the 23rd pick to us. We could send them the 2033 1st or 2nd.

(4) In order for us to open up the money for either option, LaRavia would have to be waived and stretched in the Johnson scenario. In the Watson scenario, Lakers could either waive and stretch LaRavia, or include him or Knecht in the sign-and-trade.

So, in order for Denver to keep Watson, they would have to release Valanciunes, waive and stretch Nnaji, and trade Johnson, Strawther, and the 23rd pick. That's a lot of mountains to move. If they want to sign and trade Watson, or let him walk, the only cost saving thing they have to do is either release Valenciunes OR waive and stretch Nnaji. Honestly, it makes more sense for them to sign and trade Watson. The professional thing for both sides, would be to agree to a sign and trade early on in the off-season. No need to let it drag on, and wait until July 6 to sign an offer-sheet, and then another 48 hours after that. I would say just send them Knecht + 2033 1st + trade exception and be done with it.

Tbh, I think I also might prefer Keon Ellis over Dort, but I'm not sure if he would take the approx 18 million maximum- to allow the Watson deal. I just have a bad taste in my mouth about Dort's dirty tactics, and Keon has a cleaner shot anyway, and gets a lot more stocks. Although I know thats not the only indicator of defense. But at the end of the day, I would gladly take Dort, if it means Watson or the other Denver package. But, I would check in on him to see if he would. The Dort trade doesn't have to be done on draft day, because we are not getting a 2026 back in this scenario, in order to keep more cap room open.

 

..... taken on its own out of context knee jerk response IMO, not something we should be actively thinking about. Both of them. Unless the Ayton opt out was to open space with a wink wink and then resign at a team friendly deal.

 

Yeah the Ayton one would be a wink wink thing. LaRavia waive and stretch is a break glass option to open up cap room. Since he's on a one-year deal, the stretch would be a painless 2 million per year for 3 years. If DK is stretched, his 4.2 spread over 3 years still puts us a little short. The ideal scenario would be for Denver to take back Knecht in the sign and trade. He is a local kid from Colorado, and i thought I heard talk of interest in him in the past. I mean, that's just with this particular Denver scenario. I know Jake has legitimately been one of our better wing defenders this season.