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

The Slovenian star said he had no role in Hayes acquiring a Slovenian passport.

"I wasn't involved in anything here, I just play for the national team, but Jaxson is really great, a good player, so a great acquisition," Doncic said with a smile

 

Meh..Rob gets a C grade thus far.

 

what chances do we have to resign him if he joins and becomes a solid piece?

 

You’re being very generous bro

 

agreed.

 

I’m all for Kessler.

Sacramento is that you?????

clearly this was our guy. And we established some type of understanding he wanted to be here. I go back to his comments before free agency. With his anger for the contract offer. He was the one who told Utah he quietly didn’t want to be there.

I warn teams don’t just embrace tanking and that culture because you never know who won’t be on board with it or might be like f*** it I’m out. Well Kessler was that guy.

I like all the moves. I just don’t understand giving Mamu that money when that could’ve been given to Rui or Harris or Kaminga for cheaper shorter contracts. Nobody has explained that to me???? I’m still asking.

Rui didn’t deserve the contract that Mamu got for all he’s done for this organization??? I’m just saying.

seems with a big like Kessler with your pick and role you’d like to see some shooting with Hachiumura who can space the floor and go to the basket. And still is athletic. And is a prolific scorer. I wanted to see Rui with no LeBron and know shadow over him. I wanted to see Rui with Luka with no LeBron.

I think Rui has said all the right things and has been the constant professional. Little things like showing up for Lukas contract extension. Team building.

seems like this team wanted a roster overhaul. Well for some reason Rui is still out there. Go get him. Or go get Kaminga. This starting lineup can use some athleticism.

 

Would have liked Hayes back on the minimum but understandable he’d leave for a bigger offer. Probably makes Ayton a bigger need and less likely he’s someone we dump (although he probably has the most value between him, Vando, and Knecht)

In theory Ayton at $8 million is a great value as our backup center, and probably the best option to fill in as a starter if Kessler ever had to miss time. Then Mamu also gives you some versatility in certain lineups as the 5.

But I think in practice I’d be concerned that Ayton in a backup role and without any veteran presence in the locker room, that he mentally checks out and becomes a problem.

 

Luka wanted his lob threat;Rob got him a guy he specificaly asked for. I won't crucify he for that. These contracts seem like potential trouble looming, if things go left. We now have Rui, Vando, Ayton, Dalton, Jake and Bronny..6 guys from last season that we seem not to want. I suspect more moves are coming...who? I have no idea.

 

Kessler is going to miss time;he's never played a full season. If I'm Ayton, I'm looking around for my next landing spot right now.

 

I think Kessler was always the guy they just talked to him and made sure. And Utah knew he wanted to be here and made us give up the most. Cause they weren’t going to be able to trade him anywhere else.

 

depends on how we get him, but basically mle is the rough path next year. We could probably make the room to do that if he signs a vet min. If he comes via trade, could possibly use non-bird.

again, it will take both selling him hard on his role here and possibly selling Atlanta on a player or two.

 

Bidding against yourself for a guy nobody else was chasing, isn't the best look IMO Tony Hawk...However it is what it is.

 

Yeah I don’t get the bidding against yourself. Name one team who was giving Mamu that money???


What were they thinking? I get Kessler the 2 first round picks had to go for something. And that’s what they did.

you were spot on Luka the A-list center. That’s what he wanted. He said I need shooting shooters. Lob threat. So Rob had to get it. Just like AD.


Kind of like Dell Demps. We know yall want this. And this is what it’s going to cost you.

But why the over pays of Mamu. Why not get the athleticsm coming back in Kaminga. Hachimura???? Some familiarity???

the guy averaged 11 points. Like seems the more balance would’ve been a guy like Hachimura or Kaminga.

Kaminga hasn’t played with a shooters like Luka in this offense. Curry was more the ball movement offense. We don’t do that here. Kaminga is more of an isolation player.

 

Don't know if this is true, I saw this on X. The Lakers can create about $7 million in cap space if they waive and stretch Vando’s contract. That would give them the flexibility to make an offer for Jonathan Kuminga. LAL already had legitimate interest in Kuminga earlier this year. If Rob can somehow pull this off, he’d be the perfect final piece.

 

This is my view too.

I like the additions but they are slotted and paid too high.

We basically did straight swaps for each slot:

Kessler for Bron. I like this one, Kessler fits perfectly Luka/AR and we would have to remove the bandaid with Bron at some point. So it's good we get straight away a better fit.

Mamu for Rui. Rui was awful as a bench player and had an insanely good playoffs. He lacks athleticism, defense and rebounding for that wing position and Mamu has at least 2 of those. It's kind of a neutral with potential to be an upgrade.

Grimes for Smart. Grimes is a better shooter, better all around and younger. Smart was a culture setter and absolutely key in the locker room and mentality of this team. I think he is irreplaceable in that sense, but if we lose him, Grimes is a pretty good add. I think it's a loss here either way

Sexton for Kennard. Kind of the same. Sexton is a pure scorer, very efficient, shoots well from everywhere. Sort of neutral here. Sexton brings the speed we were severely lacking to cope with some of the young guards in the West.

So, player for player, and considering Bron is a very isolated case, it's not that bad. Pieces that fit better Luka/AR, are younger, all can shoot and increase athleticism. That's everything we were asking.

My issue is that we had not only to REPLACE our core rotation but also ADD to it.
We should paid less to all of them or send a couple contracts to Utah that would give us the cap space to get Smart + Tobias/Collins/Kuminga/Rui. And that would have been a very solid offseason. We'd have 8 rotation player + Hayes + Carr/Thiero. That's a good build.

Grimes and Mamu off the bench at around 10mil contracts would be great gets. As starters that need to play 30mpg, that's a big stretch.

Very underwhelming.
Let's hope we can pull something else with the vet mins.

But I'm really worried that after our top 6 (Luka, AR, Grimes, Mamu, Kessler, Sexton) and the 2 kids we believe in but are untested yet (Carr, Adou) we have:

Ayton, Jake, Vando, Knecht, Bronny. That's a 1/3 of the roster of guys underwhelming or that our coach don't trust. And most will be asked to be top10 guys. Yuck

 

If you squint hard enough; Kuminga looks like a poor man's Wiggins.

 

Wiggins was a poor man's Wiggins till that title run so Kuminga in year 10 maybe finally become a poor man's Wiggins?

 

We got this …. bunch of hyperventilatin’ over nuthin.

https://twitter.com/ladeig/status/2072374978595709284?s=46&t=VpASWooOp-c0BfbMzXjnIw

 

I liked abeer's idea of finding a bad contract out there of a wing. Makes sense now. We have no assets to trade and cap space for a few years.

Makes sense to get some assets for it and find someone else who can play.

From a quick look: Patrick Williams, Monk, Jovic, potentially Braun or Gordon, Keegan Murray, maybe Suggs or PJ Washington

 

Where’s @sirronstuff when you need him?