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

Kuminga been in talks this free agency on a new contract or a potential sign-and-trade out of Atlanta, but nothing has materialized nearly a month into the process. According to NBA insider Keith Smith, the biggest obstacle with Kuminga is the length of the deal. He can only be traded if he signs a three-year deal, but he insists on signing a one-year contract if he has to accept less money than he’s aiming for.

“The challenge with Kuminga is that if he’s gonna take less money than what he wants, then he only wants to do it for a year,” reported Keith Smith. “He doesn’t want to do a three-year deal, and in order to do a sign-and-trade, he would have to have a three-year contract. That gets him stuck a little bit. He doesn’t want to be on a smaller contract that devalues himself.”

Kuminga may accept a long-term deal, and he may accept less than his asking price, but he won’t accept both, and that’s bad news for a Lakers team that can hardly afford him as it is. As it stands, they are willing to offer Jarred Vanderbilt and picks for JK, and the Hawks would accept right now if they could. But it’s Kuminga who continues to stall a deal, in the hope of maximizing his returns.

“For the Hawks, they are ready to go for something centered around Jarred Vanderbilt and outgoing draft capital,” Smith added. “It sounds like it’s on Kuminga’s side, where he wants a little bit more money.”

 

No. We used to see these videos of him every offseason to suggest he finally added a jump shot.

 

So then basically only teams with cap-room or trade exceptions could get him? What if they don't want him? Maybe he is waiting to see what happens with players like Watson, who are still unsigned. Lakers are proabably offering up to 20 million per year, but only with the first year being guarenteed. Lakers would probably just waive him after the season, they probably don't really want to pay him that for three years. 20 million for one year isn't bad for him, he should just take it.

 

A few people have come up with some crazy idea I don't like LeBron. It isn't personal and I would never boo him. I think he will get a huge welcome back as he won't be staying. He had just kind of run his course here. Laker fans are classy for the most part. I was actually hoping he was going to sign with the Warriors.

 

Yeah, Do not want Dumbinga. Obvious headcase AND has a moron for an agent.

 

What am I missing that AR’s “assignment” here still says POA and no one has commented on that yet?

 

Pretty interesting but strange line up. 3 6'5 players. with no Riu or Lebron and the number of 6'5 Players do we play Luka more at pf.

 

man...again...i like keith smith's work, but i don't know that he's an insider in this way, and the hawks taking vando just doesn't make sense to me. IF this were true, then we'd already have it done, imo, as kuminga supposedly just wants something in the 20m range. we could make that happen with vando outgoing.

 

….. maybe for the 352 posts if you just had added “on the Lakers”?

 

grimes is POA, thybulle is assigned best wing scorer. the big plus is both grimes and thybulle are very mobile defensively and have enough size that if they get switched onto a bigger perimeter guy, it's not the end of the world. you can also scheme defensively so that it's one of them in switch situations instead of luka or reaves, which is what the opposing offense wants to do.

 

We had too many 6-9 players before. The height is a great plus, but Rui and an older Lebron were slow-footed. So, that was a problem that already needed to be corrected. Yeah, Luka likley more at PF, but I wouldn't be suprised at all if Thiero and/or Kaluma pop. I thin kwe just need a place holder for one of those two young guys to step in. I don't think the Lakers view filling the 4 spot as some kind of desperation thing. They are proabably just looking for that short-term placeholder, which tracks with the hesitancy for Washington, or Kuminga on a more expensive long-term deal. I could very easily see a Kaluma stepping in the rotation, playing 18 minutes per game and getting something like 8 points and 4 rebounds.

 

YES. Where were you?

 

If we make no other moves i also wonder if Van plays some PF. Him and JJ was not on the best terms.

 

I seriously doubt it, unless he suprises with a 3-ball in camp. I think if we don't make any other moves, the young power forwards that we do have on the roster will battle it out, and one of them might even get the starting nod (albeit not neccesarily starters minutes), if Redick doesn't go with Luka at the 4. Kaluma is arguably the most well rounded between him, Thiero and LaRavia. At some point, you are goingto want Thiero playing minutes with Luka in order to maximize that lob-threat. If Kessler shows some decent horizontal spacing, I wouldn't be suprised if Thiero became the starter at some point next season. I don't think we should break the bank trading for our next 4, becasue they likely would just be a short-term placeholder. The team had good young power-forward talent. I'm not generally optimistic, but I feel pretty decent about the 4 position with the young players we have, granted they do still have to continue on their trajectory and force Redick's hand to play them. Potential scenarios where each coud start:

• Jake improves his three-point shooting to the point where they can't sag off of him
• Kessler improves his three-point shooting and Thiero continues with his strong play and shows improvement and under-control
• Kaluma impresses in camp and/or G-league with catch-and-shoot, rebounding, defense, etc.

Lakers could get a short-term placeholder if they want, but shouldn't break the bank. Examples:

• LaRavia, Hardy, Knecht, two 2nds for Kuzma, Sims
• LaRavia, Hardy, two 2nds for Gafford
• LaRavia, Hardy, Knecht, two 2nds for Cam Johnson

 

The Laker YouTuber JSM isn’t our JSM. At least he said he wasn’t when I asked a long time ago.

 

https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/2081427354673360946



Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
EuroLeague star Mario Hezonja has agreed to a one-year, $2.8 million deal to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Michael Tellem of Excel Sports Management told ESPN.

 

Abeer already replied but on defense:

Grimes POA
AR worst guard
Thybulle 2nd best perimeter
Luka 4
Kessler 5

This was already happening, which is why Smart needed to start over Rui last year because we had Luka, Bron, Rui defending forwards. And why Luka/Bron together were iffy defensively because both should be guarding 4s. And why it made sense not to keep Rui because he was always a weird fit with Luka on defense.

It would end on something like this without any addition:

Luka, AR, Grimes, Thybulle, Kessler
7:00: Luka, AR, Jake, Mamu, Kessler
5:00: Luka, Sexton, Grimes, Jake, Mamu
2:00: Luka, Sexton, Carr, Ziaire, Mamu

Q2
AR, Sexton, Grimes, Ziaire, Mamu
9:00: AR, Carr, Grimes, Jake, Mamu
7:00: Luka, AR, Carr, Jake, Kessler
5:00: Luka, Sexton, Thybulle, Ziaire, Kessler
3:00: Luka, AR, Grimes, Thybulle, Kessler

Similar rotation on the 2nd half with some tweaks on the 4th in crunch time.

You always have at least 2 offensive scorers on Luka/AR/Sexton/Grimes.
Always 2 defensive specialists on Thybulle/Ziaire/Kessler/Jake/Grimes
When one of Luka/AR sit, one or both Sexton/Grimes are there to pick up the slack

Minutes distribution on a 10man rotation:

Luka (35), AR (35), Grimes (28), Kessler (28), Mamu (24), Sexton (20), Jake (18), Thybulle (18), Ziaire (16), Carr (12)

3rd string: Thiero, Looney, Vando, Bronny, Knecht/Hardy

Thiero gets minutes whenever we load manage Thybulle. He's also the first man up if we have any injury, which happens in like 75% of the games.
I think Looney can eat some minutes too, but I know most don't agree so I won't even go there for now.

I'm quite comfortable with that rotation. It will be nice if we can add someone else, but this is a good solid team and will provide much needed opportunities for Carr/Thiero to develop.
Yes that's not a title team but I don't think that's a reasonable ask this year, the gap to the top was too big. But has the same floor as last year's team.

I think the main thing is not to look at the names and individual skills, but rather the fit and clarity of roles on each guy of our team. I'm positive it will provide as good or better results than last year

 

Oh! Always thought it was and were spamming likes ahah

 

We will.

 

It's official now.

Sorry overseas media for doubting you.



And while they still have the money, they don't have the same role to offer him any longer. To get Mario, he's not coming to be the 10th man.