2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

A good draft day trade would be Vanderbilt, Knecht, the 25th pick (Veesaar?), unprotected 2031 1st to Dallas for Gafford and #49. This secures Luka's ideal lob-threat big that could block shots and rebound AND it clears Vanderbilt and Knecht off the books, WHILE adding a late 2nd round pick in the vicinity of where we have been working out players. Could end up with Gafford and another lob-threat big like Okarpa or Castro on draft night. Combine that with Hayes, and you have a nice three-headed monster at center.

Then when free agency hits, you could turn your attention to Lebron, Smart and some good shooters, like Kennard and Ellis (For example). I know a lot of folks also trash Ellis. Some of these are probably the ones that want the Sabonis's and Poertls of the world.

 

I’d love your input on how Boston managed to neutralise the Mavs PnR in the finals too. I know people will comment that the team didn’t have enough shooting etc, but it’s a real worry, you build your team around Luka + a lob threat and a secondary player in Reaves.

Then you hit a defensive buzzsaw, they put a physical defender on Reaves and then sell out to stop the Luka + Big PNR. If we don’t have the shooters to finish them, we’re toast. Hence why I don’t want to let Rui or Kennard go for nothing.

 

Jokic could also be seen as an empty-stats guy until the Nuggets built a good team around him.

Sabonis is almost as good as Jokic is in many things that make Jokic great, minus the shooting

he's an elite rebounder, elite passer, one of the highest bball IQ guys in the league.

 

The numbers don’t stack up on AD, we don’t have the contracts to trade for him…

Vando, Ayton and Knecht only gets us to 25m. If you absorb the rest into capspace, you can’t bring back LeBron, Rui or Kennard for anything.

It’s a nice concept to solve a problem, and I know you like Ace Bailey, but it’s not doable with the numbers.

 

Jokic is a much more creative passer, Magic Johnsonesque. Jokis also has much better defenive metrics, and also the shooting as you mentioned. If he could just be a better shooter, I might be able to talk myself into it, but just having to say that is a red flag in of itself.

 

last full season he played he shot 42% at 2.2 attempts per game. I have no idea why he doesn't shoot more.

 

You’re viewing everything from the prism of rebuilding the Mavs roster and having a lob threat/rim protector. I get it, but that team was probabaly the worst finalist of the last decade and also got hammered in the finals when they ran into a top team.

Sabonis for example is a top 10 MVP candidate when healthy, are we really going to say it would be better to get Sabonis for a first or Gafford for 2?

 

I don't get the Sabonis/Gasol comp. Pau played the 4 almost 20 years ago. Very different players, different skills and different NBA.
Sabonis has all the deficiencies you least want near Luka and all the skills, apart from rebounding, you don't need with Luka.
I don't see it at all

 

Yeah, I am. Luka is basically asking for centers who could jump. You really gonna present him with "We got you a hub big-man who can't jump"? Sabonis is not gonna catch any lobs, and he's going to muck up your offense. Lukas gonna pass him and then Sabonis gonna pass back and then Kenanrd gonna pass back. Lukas gonna get a career low in assists. Luka doesn't need a hub, he is the hub. The Sabonis idea is almost as bad as the Westbrook one. That one, people tried to justify the heck out of too. Even if theres a slight chance it would work, the contract alone is too risky.

 

Might be crazy, but I’d throw some money at Mark Williams. Phoenix will likely let him walk. Ayton/Williams/Jax is a decent 3 big rotation. Williams is insurance if Ayton spazzes out and when Jax wets the bed come playoff time.

 

Lu Dort OUT In OKC?! Lakers Choose LeBron OR Reaves? Plus Bucks Getting Cold Feet!

 

same could be said of Reaves.

The question is, would we be a better team if we swapped Reaves for Sabonis + a first-rounder? Rather than spending assets to get an average role player in Poetl who makes almost 30M/yr anyway.

then paired Sabonis with a defensive big and Luka with a defensive guard.

I say yes. Sabonis is an all-star level player and top 5 center in the league when healthy.

 

you know who would be available for nothing except to make the salaries work would be Ja Morant. Now that would be risky and ballsy move.

 

live look at pika:





no, but seriously, i don't see how someone couldn't see the quite obvious comparison. sabonis has also played a lot of pf, and i think you're forgetting how much center gasol played for us.

 

He played but he doesn't. Nor he would in a Luka build. Right?

Pau played the 5 too but he started at 4. And again, it was a completely different NBA.

I swear, I'm really baffled with you being up for it. To the point of me trying to play devil's advocate to myself because I feel I'm missing something because I almost always agree with your views.

But I really see Sabonis fit as a Russ-like mistake. Including because he's expensive and he means having less depth.

I guess seeing Brunson/KAT winning it plays a role. But they got the supporting cast through 11 FRPs (either players picked with FRP like Quickley/Barrett/Randle or trading the FRPs). We have 3 to give and no FRP like player, maybe Thiero. That's 7/8 less lol. And Mikal/OG types aren't available either at bunch

I rather pay Sabonis salary on Kessler than on Sabonis for this team.

Lastly, Luka doesn't like playing off ball nor is he strong at it. Not even with Bron/AR he ever thrived off ball. His best games is doing what he does best. He would benefit very little from Sabonis hogging the ball at the top of the key.

Arghhh I really really don't see it mate!

 

Luka isn't askimg for much. He just wants bigs that could jump. It's pretty simple, they come a dime a dozen. And people and/or bots are recommending these obsure skillsets that don't complement Luka at all, in fact detrimental skillsets. The opposite of what the guy is asking for.

 

Yeah Luka can leave and will leave if we don’t get that Center that’s where it’s at. He can leave. And he will opt out and he can go play somewhere. So I laid out a precise list of Centers that we could acquire. We’ll need to get one. So there will be one. I mentioned Poetl because he was a potential Center we would get. You can throw Sabonis in to. But the Lakers said we’ll get that Center for Luka. Superstar Center the Lakers said 26 summer of 26. So Luka’s watching he’s put them on notice. So we’ll see. Is that Gianiss. But Luka is the one who told them. Pelinka knows he gets fired if he doesn’t get the Center. We’re gonna see.

 

We should go and get what Luka wants. I’m in total agreement with you.

But if Gafford costs 2 picks and Sabonis costs 1, then sometimes you have to just get the best talent you can.

I mean we talk about these lob threat bigs for Luka… but in the finals they were ineffective, here are the minutes played and stats:

Game 1
Gafford: 14 mins - 8/3 (-10 in +/- in his min)
Lively: 18 mins - 2/5 (-15)

Game 2
Gafford: 23 mins - 13/9 (0)
Lively: 19 mins - 2/7 (-15)

Game 3
Gafford: 16 mins - 6/3 (-11)
Lively: 30 mins - 11/13 (+6)

Game 4
Gafford: 9 mins - 7/4 (+12)
Lively: 22 mins - 11/13 (+20)

Game 5:
Gafford: 10 mins - 6/3 (-7)
Lively: 24 mins - 2/4 (-6)

Gafford was -17 for the series and Lively was -10. Ayton performed in line with them and got killed.

The 5 out offense, great 3 pt shooting and switching defence of Boston eviscerated that Mavs team. Outside of game 4 where Luka went ballistic (25 at the half), that Mavs team just got killed. So I don’t take it as some kind of bible on how to build a team around Luka. No one is looking at his WCF year and saying let’s copy that.

Luka needs spacing, vertical spacing and defense. We should just do the best we can, with what’s available out there, even looking at players that may not be the archetype he thinks he needs.