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

Yeah, and also Rich Paul is his agent. It's to my understanding that Klutch is Los Angeles based. He probably prefers his clients to be local. He will do what's best for his client, and the Lakers are a very viable option.

 

I don’t think they’ll sign and trade Watson elsewhere, I’m saying if we force them to cut other players to keep him, they’ll send those guys elsewhere.

If we send a RFA offer, Denver can’t trade Watson elsewhere, they can either match or they don’t. We force their hand effectively.

From what I can see, they see us as a rival that they don’t want to help in any way. Maybe not as bad as the Kings… but I think they’re similar to the Pacers.

 

Also; if we’re aggressive enough, around that 30-32 million offer sheet, it could be high enough where Denver just let him go instead of hollowing out their team.

At that point we saved assets for other moves. One that could be with OKC. And another elsewhere. It’s one of the only logical ways I see in getting 3 pieces this summer. Using assets in a sign and trade for Watson means only another additional move.

 

Eh Denver is probably going to do salary dumps with the most significant being Cam Johnson.I don’t believe Watson is going anywhere

 

The assumption is that Denver wants to stay under the 2nd Apron. This is Denver's team right now:

Murray / Brown
Braun / THJ / Strawther
Johnson / Watson
Gordon / Spencer Jones
Jokic / Valancunias / Nnaji

If we force them to sign Watson to 32 million. They're close to 40m above the second apron. So they either get rid of Gordon & Valancunias (42m), or Cam Johnson, Valancunias and another of their young guys like Strawther (38m). Either way that's harmed their depth which is the major thing that held them back the last 3-4 years.

With OKC, hopefully they lose both Hartenstein and Dort.

 

Peyton Watson is from Long Beach UCLA kid. Would love to come home.

Denver won’t want to be in a second apron or any kind of luxury tax. That’s why they traded Michael Porter Jr.

They don’t want to pay a bunch of people. They paid Murray they paid Jokic. They paid Gordon. They tried to maximize thier championship window. They paid Porter Jr. and traded him away. They are trying to get off of salary.

 

I hear you. But offer-sheets are extremely rare. I wonder what the % of time is that RFAs don't get matched vs what the % is of them getting signed and traded? I get it, we are in an apron environment and only 4 teams with room. We might set a new trend, but still. If we sign Keon Ellis for 18 mil on July 1, we get our 1st team all defense potential POA defender and pure shooter/good athlete. We don't have to trade a y assets for him. Then we could try to get Watson. Maybe give up Knecht + 2031 1st. We still have the 26 drafted player and the 33 1st. If they don't want to send us a Watson we could try to get Cam + Strawther + 23rd pick in a salary dump wher we send out a 1st or 2nd. Cam is not the defender nor long term building block that Watson is, but hes better than the 4s in free agency. Strawrher and the 1st are a nice bonus. Maybe we send out Knecht in that deal too.

 

yeah, he looked like klay james against us yesterday, but he's missing time with injuries and is on the wrong side of 30 for guys whose game is predicated on athleticism.

my dark horse take is that denver will move him this offseason to keep watson. we could jrue holiday that if they dump him in bkn or chicago, btw.

lol, he never even got his hand high enough to get to the ball.

 

Offer sheets never really worked. I know Houston lucked out on Jeremy Lin and that center that year (can't remember his name) and there were less than a handful since then that I remember. I would never advocate for a RFA, it's why no-one gave Reaves an offer sheet. It's also why I probably wouldn't bother with Tari Eason - anything in our favour and they match and anything over what they're comfortable with is an overpay.

Watson just happens to be a perfect storm, a team at or just over the 2nd apron, who can't afford the tax at all and is a contender who doesn't want to decimate their team. From their point of view whats better Gordon + Valancunias or Cam + Valancunias + Jones/Strawther or Watson? They'll have to blink twice.

Best case scenario: we land Watson
Good case scenario: they dump Gordon and we land him for a first
Mid case scenario: we weaken a competitor substantially, can't land who they dump and miss out on a pretty poor FA class (who I don't believe we'll go for anyway)

I mean worst case scenario, we just bring Lebron back anyway...

 

I'd still take Gordon, I think he has improved alot in Denver. People say his shot is shaky, but he as over 100 games in the last two seasons now (if he is healthy to end the year and playoffs that number should rise to 120-130) that shows he has improved his shot. He spoke about the changes he made over the last 3 years with hand placement.

Aside from that, defensively he is still elite. He isn't the high flying Orlando kid, but he is a legitimate 3&D guy who plays with the same type of intensity as Marcus Smart. Give me 2-3 of those any day. As an example a Smart, Reaves, Luka, Gordon + hustle big wins a ton of games when healthy.

I know the caveat is health.

 

Kinda hard for them to do multiple salary dumps when they're basically tapped dry of draft capital to attach as incentive. They'll be able to include their First in this year's draft on Draft Night, but that's literally it for them.

That's part of the gambit with the idea of us targeting Watson- as much as it's obvious that Denver would prefer to hold onto him, they benefit in moving off of him here to keep more of their current roster depth and acquire some much needed draft capital.

 

That’s a severe overpay for Watson not a wise business model especially when you can get a similar player for much less or multiple players for the same price. In my eyes this team needs a 3&D and depth to sustain effort for 48 minutes.

 

I have cap room as ROUGHLY this:

Bulls 42 million, but 27 to 32 if they re-sign Richards for 10-15 mill.
Lakers 39
Pistons 36
Clippers 33, but much more like 8-13 if they re-sign Mathurin for 20-25 mil.
Nets 19, but more like 39 if they renounce Agbaji
Hawks 17
Jazz 9

Maybe more. I just did the math on these ones- the ones we keep hearing about.

-I guess either the Pistons or Clippers could absorb Gordon, and Denver re-signs Watson.
-Eason likely re-signs with Houston. I would inquire though. I'm thinking we sign Ellis for around 4 years/88 million (20 million in year 1). Then, we have 19 left to go after a big wing type. 19 is high for Wade, Harris, and Collins in free agency. Could also try to absorb a player like Herb, Miles Bridges, Wiggins, Kenrich Williams/Joe or Wiggins, etc. Or bring back Rui. Or go smaller, at least temporarily, and absorb a Dort or a Strus type of player, possibly with other assets. Might be able to get the Cavs 1st, and get a 4 that way. But, we still would have Thiero, LaRavia, and Vanderbilt.

Or maybe try to see if Houston would trade us Jabari Smith. I would consider the 25th pick + 2031 1st + 2033 1st for that guy.

 

Would be curious to see who else you think we can get thats as good on both sides of the ball for much less or even the multiple players? To me Watson is one of the best 3&D guys in the league this season. Here are some 3&D starters in the league:

Jaden McDaniels: 26.2m
Dillon Brooks: 21m
Derrick White: 28.1m
OG: 39.6m
Bridges: 24.9m
Hart: 19.5m
Barnes: 38.6m
Ingram: 38m
Quickley: 32.5m
Siakam: 45.5m
Kuminga: 23.8m
NAW: 15.2m
Wiggins: 28.2m
Suggs: 35m
Gordon: 32m
Cam Johnson: 23m
Lu Dort: 18.2m
Caruso: 19.5m
Jrue: 34.8m
Grant: 34.2m
Draymond: 27.7m
John Collins: 26.6m
PJ Washington: 19.8m
Jabari Smith: 23.6m
Dejounte: 32.8m
Herb: 14.9m

Out of those 26 players, the average wage is 27.8m. I think Peyton Watson is clearly better than half of those guys moving forward either due to playing better on both sides of the ball or age. Would love to hear why he would be an overpay?

 

If we can't get Watson, I would try to get Eason, Jabari Smith, Cam Johnson, or Herb. If needed, maybe go a bit smaller with a Dort or a Caruso. Or trade for an over priced player with a 2026 1st attached. Like a Strus + Cavs 1st. If Knicks trying to make a run at Giannis, we could maybe take back Bridges in exchange for some draft capital.

 

The top targets IMO for the Lakers as far as 3&D players go are still Watson and Eason, along with Dort. I'm almost out on Herb at this point, given his health issues and offensive regression and the insane asking price that the Pelicans have for him.

 

Because even if Denver had the money they wouldn’t give him a starting year 32 mil contract so why would anyone else unless they wanted to overpay.
Dort, Eason can fill the 3&D for much less.
After that role is filled you can add depth to the front court with quality because they would still have cap space

 

Ellis/Eason is a lot of STOCKS and DEFLECTIONS,and good rebounding and excellent 3-pt shooting.