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

he needed the cash

this is all just PR stuff to try and repair his image though. no one believes for a second that he didn't know who the adelsons truly were and that he honestly thought they'd keep him on as part of the decision making team

 

Yeah Kanye was more on the Ivey thing. I think ranting and doing episodes which might be a cry for help. Seems odd cause Ivey was such a quiet dude. And maybe it is something personal. Must be a lot. He gets that injury and clearly isn’t the same player. Gets traded. So maybe he’s projecting frustrations on that. Who knows I would tell him. Read seek help. And talk to somebody. We’ve had guys go on rants before and come back into the NBA Tim Hardaway he had a pretty harsh one. So he just needs to get some reflection.

 

Use a paragraph once in a while. And I’m tired of reading your nonsensical novels.

 

Every time I watch Keon Ellis play I leave completely unimpressed.Rather have Thybulle.They are the same player except Thybulle is bigger and stronger

 

Ellis shoots better, Thybulle healthy is the better perimeter defender. Both create a lot of stocks.

I’m going all in on Watson and hoping we can re-sign Smart and Kennard.

 

Hate Much? Hi Hater. Hi haters.

 

Go listen to Nas Either and that will tell you what I think about you and what you wrote.

 

Lukas on a Heater. 40 again. Ride this all the way to the championship. We would destroy Cleveland in the finals.

 

Is every time you watch Ellis play against the Lakers? If so, then yeah he has played horrible against us. Just, kind of pedestrian. But we are not that simple, there are 28 other teams.

With that said, somebody on here keeps pointing out that Eliis gets beaten up on screens due to his slight frame. Personally, I have elevated Caruso and Melton over Ellis now, if the price is right. Maybe get a 1st to absorb Alex. Melton should cost about as much as Marcus. I think both around 12 million each next year. Caruso and Melton both shooting only 28% from three this year though, so there is some risk. Thybulle gets hurt a lot. He might be a vet minimum signing, at this point. Ellis is a much better shooter than a lot of these defensive guys we talk about though. Also, more durable and consistent.

This aspect is important if Rui end up leaving. But Thybulle would be a good cheap option to give us a second Marcus Smart type player. We very well could go that route too.

Lakers playing pretty damn well without Smart too, but we know you still need defenders, not sustainable in the playoffs without them. I'm also happy with our bigs, but the truth is we still do need to get a rim protector in there.

 

The team's playing great, but I do still think we need defenders and a reliable center. I give credit to Ayton who has raised his level of play since I gave up on him, but I expect us to draft one of the bigs available this year.

 

Ellis isn’t a better shooter,at least not this year . Thybulle and Ellis both attempt 3 three pointers a game the former shoots 39% the latter36%.Ellis offensively has regressed this year. I think we all would like Watson but it’s pie in the sky to me mostly because I believe LeBron is coming back and the Lakers will pay adequately.

 

Yeah, not this year. Thybulle at 39% vs Ellis 36%. But career, Ellis is 41% vs Thybulle 35%. With that said, Thybulle has shown good volume the past 4 seasons. Suggests that his shooting is real, albeit limited sample size due to missing a lot of games. 35% on good volume is good enough, and I would take him for sure. How much do you think Thybulle would cost? But also, I feel like defenses respect Ellis's shooting a lot more. He has been a good shooter since he was at Alabama. They still might sag off of Thybulle, so you have to keep that in mind.

 

Yeah, exactly. I like the rim-protectors in the draft (Mara, Cyril, Bidenga, Krivas, etc.) better than the ones in free agency (Robinson, Richards, Williams). Maybe you try to trade for one of the OKC picks. 2031 1st for #12, and draft Mara. Then, pick best player available at #23. Cavs and Warriors are possible Lebron teams, but they wont have the full-MLE unless they do some serious maneuvering. They might be able to offer the 6.1 million taxpayer MLE at the most. We have the 9.4 million room exception, or could just pay Lebron a fair amount with our cap room. Maybe leave it up to him. I would pay him 20 million though, if push came to shove. Still better than other power forwards for that cost in free agency. The 3 and D player, lately I have been leaning more on the 3 side, because we may lose Rui or Kennard in free agency. This player could essentially be taking Rui's minutes. So, don't want to have too much of a drop off there, especially since we actually have been laying well without Smart. We have developmental stocks machines in shaky, but improving shooters in Thiero and Manon, and a defender with no jumper in Vando. So, makes me hesitant to sign another defender with shaky shooting. Caruso and Melton shooting 28% this season, Caruso fluctuates from bad to good from year to year, Melton coming off ACL. Thybulle has serious injury concerns- and shot still not really respected. If your leaning more towards shooting, then your going into the Ellis category. Shooter and Stock Getter. If you want a stronger bodied version, then Melton, and hope he recovers. If you want the premium version, and nottoo worried about the shooting then Caruso.

So, to recap:

(1) Center who can defend the paint in the draft.

(2) Athletic 3 and D wing = This current version of Lebron.

(3) POA defender = Re-sign Smart, and sign a second POA who is more 3-point shooting leaning, but also plays disruptive defense and gets STOCKS.

(4) If you lose Kennard, the sign a vet minimum shooter, like Tim Hardaway Jr or Gary Trent Jr.

 

I don’t believe Ellis is as good as people make him out to be.Im not saying he doesn’t have value.I wouldn’t offer either of them more than 7-10 mil with the upper being a one year make good

 

I think I would seriously consider Melton. Long track record of high volume and good percentage 3-point shooting, and STOCKS. This season, his shooting has dropped to 28% post ACL injury, but volume remains the same, which is a good sign. He' not scared to shoot. His steals have actually gone up, and his blocks remain solid. Career low 0.2 DBPM, but still positive. The guy is regarded as a shooter and a defender. He's you could confidently put in there as aa 6th man, and say yeah hes gonna generate some scoring off the bench. Career 15ppg per 36, and 6MOY candidate in 21-22, where he had 17.2 ppg per 36.

42 million in cap room.

Smart = 12 million

Melton = 12 million

Lebron = 12.3 million

Rim-Protector (12th pick) = 5.7 million

Room Exception: Kennard = 9.4 million

 

i think gs has melton's early bird rights, and he's signed there twice in a row when i'm sure we had interest both times. but when healthy, he's very good. but he's hurt a lot. not like thybulle, but still a lot.

yeah, this has been true all year. though if we have ledraymond, i could easily sell myself on just adding watson to the current team, as i think he can play POA on defense AND is an athletic 3 and D wing. use the pick on the best center that drops.

reaves/smart/bufkin
watson/kennard/bronny
luka/laravia/knecht?
lebron/vando/thiero
ayton/hayes/pick

 

Ok so let's say we don't make a draft day trade. Draft a rim protector like Bidenga with #23. It's gonna take probably at least 30 of the 42 million to get Watson. 12 million left for either Lebron or Smart, and the one of them take the room-exception. I mean it's good in a lot of ways, can't really complain about upgrading Rui to Watson. Sign shooters with vet minimums. Watson helps protect the rim too. This is a really good outcome.

 

I just saw some April fools jokes that we picked up Ivey on waivers

I guess jesus didn't heal his knee after all.