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

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by TIME, Jun 24, 2025.

  1. Kobeluka99

    Kobeluka99 - Lakers 6th Man -

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    Well Reddicks gotta open it up a little bit but he won’t. I’d mix some Thiero in there. At times LeBron plays drunk meaning he just carelessly dribbles that ball.

    this is the game where you need Luka we have Luka we close it out.

    next game Houston will get a little tight on their shots. And I hope we establish the post more. I dont see Durant playing anymore in this series like I said.

    But we gotta get back to the ball movement. Some Bronny

    and Lebron has to establish himself go at them. More of Reaves.

    Basketball is adjustments. And Udoka made his. And now it’s time for Reddick to make his.
     
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  2. 432J

    432J - Lakers All Star -

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    okc laughing at how mediocre the lakers and rockets are
     
  3. Slick2021

    Slick2021 - Lakers MVP -

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  4. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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    so...about that running it back...
     
  5. Slick2021

    Slick2021 - Lakers MVP -

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    They still should, it's pretty obvious to me, that the way they are being used ,is more of the problem. If Luka and Austin were healthy, we'd still be running Luka iso, Austin iso, and every one else, get in where they fit in. That's not going to be successful IMO.

    I'm leaning more towards it's not Rob, it's JJ now. However Rob did hire JJ.

    :Kobe Shrug:
     
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  6. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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    jj outcoached udoka for games 1 and 2 and got the drop on him with vastly inferior talent. if it weren't for the rockets peeing themselves in game 3, we'd be getting closed out by the favored team in one more game than most expected.

    the coach can't make open threes or not throw the ball to the other team.
     
  7. Slick2021

    Slick2021 - Lakers MVP -

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    Meh..Houston doesn't have vastly superior talent dude;that's cap. .we have enough talented players.

    A coach can run different sets, change up defensive looks, determine who plays and when, and what strategy to employ. They arent being paid millions of dollars, to simply watch the games. We are going to close em out in 6. That's not some kind of failure. JJ needs to tighten up some s***, I expect him to do so.
     
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  8. Hurricane Billy

    Hurricane Billy - Rookie -

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    Agreed. Granted, I was always one of the people more in favor of using the incoming free cap space to make a more significant roster overhaul over mostly running it back.
     
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  9. showtime24

    showtime24 - Lakers Starter -

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    It's too early to tell either way which direction we go in the off-season. Could a player really loose 38% of his projected annual salary in two games? Feels like that's what Kennard is doing. He might be going from a full MLE to a Room exception. Smart could be going back to 12 million. Lebron might be closer to 15 than 20. Ayton might actually opt out? That opens up some money. We could end up with 20-30 million to work with.
     
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  10. VladeD714

    VladeD714 - Lakers 6th Man -

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    All I know from reading this from is Austin is "HIM" and deserves max money.
     
  11. showtime24

    showtime24 - Lakers Starter -

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    Yeah, the man will get paid.
     
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  12. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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    i believe he's trolling, but he's going to be very sad in about two months.
     
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  13. ldawg

    ldawg - Rookie -

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    Austin will get paid. But if I am going to be honest he is not a max player. To date Austin have not proven anything in the playoffs. Over the past 3 years 1 win.
     
  14. FrontOfJersey22

    FrontOfJersey22 - Lakers All Star -

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    Yeah, Austin is the only player in NBA history to come back from an injury and play rusty.
    :Laugh:
     
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  15. ADKOBE

    ADKOBE - Lakers 6th Man -

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  16. sk2408

    sk2408 - Lakers Starter -

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    2 awesome games to start this series doesn't outweigh 9 years worth of evidence as to what Kennard is as a player. He's an incredible shooter, but not a high volume one. All the playmaking and off the dribble stuff we saw from him the first two games, he flashed that with Detroit and then the Clippers and then the Hawks. He's never going to be the second unit ballhandler guy, he's just not wired to be that. He only leans into the playmaking and off the dribble stuff when he absolutely has to, i.e. when other guys are out with injury. That's fine, it's good to have role players that can scale up to fill a bigger role when your main guys are out. But if we bring Kennard back next year he's not going to magically start shooting way more threes or handling the ball more in his age 30 season. He is what he is - an awesome shooter that doesn't shoot as much as you'd like, and a competent ballhandler that doesn't handle the ball as much as you'd like.

    I'd be fine bringing him back, but if we need to let someone go in order to make actual improvements in the offseason I'm letting Kennard walk before Smart or LeBron. Rui I just assume is probably gone, I think the writing has been on the wall for a while.
     
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  17. ldawg

    ldawg - Rookie -

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    It's not about him being rusty. It's more about a team picking on you on defense bodying you up. It also has to do with being able to do other things when not asked to be a scorer. So when you go max 2 questions. Are you a #1 offensive player on a championship team and 2 can you strive on a championship team if not being an offensive player. So is he worth max money? Well it depends on what your goals are. To date we have no success with Austin in the playoffs. 1?won game to date in the past 3 years. So it's not to far fetched to ask if he would serve better in a Manu role on a championship team.
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2026 at 11:31 AM
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  18. ldawg

    ldawg - Rookie -

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    Lauri Markkanen Is a max player but would i want to pay him max on a championship team as a number 1 or 2. That's kind of what I mean with Austin.
     
  19. abeer3

    abeer3 - Lakers Legend -

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    i agree that they're players of similar value (i take reaves, but i'm biased). i disagree that they can't be your #2.

    also, markkanen will make 5 million more than reaves's max next year. people are getting hung up on the word max without realizing that devin booker is going to make like, 40% more than reaves's max next year (and there are many teams that would gladly pay him that, too).

    reaves is getting his max, and it will be just fine.
     
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  20. showtime24

    showtime24 - Lakers Starter -

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    I sincerely think Reaves will get paid. He's going to get a max contract, although it wouldn't surprise me if he gave a bit of a discount, but I woudlnt count on that.
     

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