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

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Ship Reaves out for those two and don't look back. OMG!!

 

You’re pretty spot on. Bob Myers is the product of Jerry West drafting Klay Thompson. What did he do???? He’s not a scouter look at guys like Masai who found Pascal and OG.

he’s a good mouthpiece.

I used to watch Stephen A. On Quite Frankly. He got famous and rich off of Embrace Debate. A glorified actor with political ambitions. And enjoys talking politics more. He’s entertainment. And does his stick. Took a PR hit with the LeBron feud. Sometimes these personalities actually think they are NBA personnel and it’s a joke. I do listen to what Kendrick Perkins says because I find him entertaining and enjoy how he embraces the hot take. Just like Broussard A smith is entertainment and that’s all glorified WWF. If you ever listen to ric Flair. That’s Stephen A.

 

I absolutely would trade Austin Reaves for Ace Bailey. I could care less who the crew is. So he hired his boys people to represent him. Where have I heard that before? Oh King.


Man you can look at players and just stay with them that’s cool. I’m an upside guy.

Reaves turned down 89 million. Now you’ll be like get more. Really how much is he worth??? You tell me.

$120 million for him???? Really man. Don’t have the tough negotiation for me. Better get a skill set. Okay he’s great in the regular season. What about the playoffs? So he’s Eddie Jones. Okay.

As beautiful as he looks to you. Austin Reaves has hit his ceiling. There’s no more upside.

and He won’t lead a championship team. When Lebron retires we will have to search for another number 2 next to Luka. Who’s Lebron ilk.

and before you say he’s a Laker he’s a Laker I said that I argued he’s the closest thing to a Laker hard work since Kobe.

but when you turn down 89 million sorry you’re not Anthony Davis.

Ace Bailey a legit top 2 pick worst case scenario he’s Michael Porter Jr. best case scenario he’s Tracey Mcgrady.

give me him on a 4 year 40 million rookie deal. And have him be our superstar with Luka. He’s 18 years old you know that right??? That’s what they call upside. I’ll take a shot at another Anthony Edwards.

young athletic wing who can defend and shoot. He has a beautiful shot. He’s a set shooter. Something Austin Reaves isn’t.

so why give a glorified point guard 120 million when we have a guy who does the same thing and overlaps his game that we’re giving 240 million to??? Basketball is a money numbers game also.

 

Don’t want to be a hypocrite Kobe Bryant did the same thing with Arm Tellem.

Kobe told New Jersey don’t draft me. He wanted to go to the Lakers!!!!

How the F we trade for him???? Charlotte really wanted Vlade.

Dont play yourself. Charlotte would’ve loved to have Kobe. Kobe wasn’t going to that market.

And Kobe threatened to play in Italy.

so now we are seeing it actually with Ace Bailey. Who knows his reason. Guys don’t like a team who routinely tanks.

cause I watch all the games. They sat Keyonte George docked his minutes. Faked injuries. When he was one of the top rookies in the league. Messing with his potential money on a rookie deal.

Yes there are levels to this. He hasn’t earned it.

Kobe didn’t earn it and they called him a punk. Saying who does this kid think he is? I listened to all those shows. This 17 year old kid really thinks he’s that good. Kobe orchestrated his way to the Lakers. And distinctly told teams he would not play for them.


It worked out pretty good for Kobe Hugh!!!! So maybe this kid wants to play for a team who will get the best out of him. I don’t know the kid but from what I hear he’s a great kid.

I know Utah has funky stuff they do. This isn’t Karl Malone’s Utah.

yeah I joked about the black players not wanting to go to Utah. Stuff has happened there just ask Jordan Clarkson.

We can help him. We have a guy who turned down our 89 million 4 year extension. Keep in mind we still have to give Luka his 240 million dollar bag. Would be great to get this kid on a rookie deal with John Collins. I’m all for it. Knect fits better with Luka anyway.

but don’t act like Kobe didn’t do this. Just cause it worked out for us getting the best player in our franchises history.

 

Loltastic post. Quoting it just to laugh at it in the future, probably this season. Austin has improved greatly every year, will keep improving, and thrive next to Luka as his #2 in the future. He could make up to $50 mil/year, will prob be worth $40 mil/yr, may take a discount to remain a Laker and settle for $30-some mil/yr, but you want him to take $22 mil/yr and are knocking him for not stupidly taking it. What a joke.

Austin is already 20.2, 5.8, 4.5, 2.7 & 1.1 and improving. On 38%/55%/88%. Post-Luka trade, post ASB, he had 22, 5 & 5 on 41%/56%/90%. As the 3rd option. Had #'s getting close to T-Mac when the #2 option or better. And you want to knock him. What a joke.

 

Hey man. Panko don’t call my post dumb or a joke. I don’t s on your posts agree to disagree. This wasn’t a debate about Austin Reaves turning down money.

yeah I’m not sure I’m paying Austin Reaves 40 million a year. Not doing it. And we can talk about salaries going up. Based on the playoffs what I saw I’m not sure he is worth that.

News flash he’s not Luka’s number two now. He plays with LeBron. So when you come up on scouting reports can you get yours?

In the playoffs we see that. I’ve argued on not including Reaves in deals.

but if I can get a potential two pick who was debated with Cooper flag in the draft get a guy 18 rebuild and still be competitive yes I would do that.

hey you don’t have to like it. I’m upside I like upside. Jaylon Brown wasn’t always Jaylon Brown same with Tatum.I look at a player and see skillset and that’s what I do.

this is a league predicated on Wings who can go get it whenever they want to.

Jaylin Williams

Anthony Edwards

Jalon Johnson

Jayson Tatum

Jaylon Brown

Amen Thompson

Paolo Banchero

Franz Wagner.

We don’t have guys that can defend that and go back at that. You’re giving me Ace Bailey with Luka and Anou yeah we would have a young athletic squad that could switch.

that’s how you protect Luka Kncet and Lebron. Well probably resign Reaves but don’t act like my logic isn’t a smart basketball logic cause it is.

and it’s been done before.

who knows what Reaves will command.

Anthony Davis was getting 40 million a year and was the centerpiece of a championship team. Worth every penny of it. Best two way player big in the league. 25 15 every night. That’s a hall of fame player. That’s a guy I give 40 million a season to.

I don’t get forced into Zach Lavine contracts or Michael Porter jr. Contracts. Just cause a guy can do something or has a nice game.

and when we look at negotiations that’s what they look at.

 

Ok, I will not characterize your post. I will let it speak for itself, and just highlight certain parts.

"Austin Reaves has hit his ceiling. There’s no more upside."
"Austin Reaves has hit his ceiling. There’s no more upside."
"Austin Reaves has hit his ceiling. There’s no more upside."

 

And in this corner...

 

But wait, there's more...

 

Love his sisters game.

 

That’s bait

 

Gabe, Vando & Kleber for Ayton works. The more I think about it, the more I believe Portland would ask for a swap as well. Vando is the only salary that's not expiring and they're going to want a first to take him on - so they're not really getting anything from Ayton.

Maybe if we were Boston they'd consider it.

 

I genuinely believe AD would want to play with Russ again. They're pretty close and every teammate of Westbrook has liked his energy. Wouldn't shock me if he is pushing for Westbrook over DLO especially.

 

You have points ... fine but stop jumping all around on the salary part from dissing AR for not taking ANOTHER less than market value deal at 22M (all we can extend at) like he took for 3 years just at MLE money (again all we could extend at) .... and then go and talk 40M. The Lakers and no one else likely is paying him 40M. Maybe a bit above 30M and maybe not but he said he'd be happy at 30M, with next year's cap probably a deal too, and a bit of a home town discount, like Caruso would have done. They're not going to screw up twice like that with all the skills he brings to the game and can run the Lakers offense great when Luka's off the floor. Again your points are valid but quit being disingenuous with the salary numbers much higher than likely going to take, and faulting him for not shortchanging himself yet again because he wants be be a Laker. As I've maintained he's not coming back plateaued and the SAME player he progressed 3 years in a row to last season and asking for his salary to be doubled or a bit more. He has to put up and perform THIS coming season which will be MORE valuable to our chances of winning with LeBron still here than 19 year old Bailey would this season no matter what his potential is 2-3 years from now.

And for all your claimed fantastic player evaluation skills .... because of all the reasons I've mentioned above, in a "career contract year" this statement of yours is BS. Fail. Do better. Watch and see.

"As beautiful as he looks to you. Austin Reaves has hit his ceiling. There’s no more upside."

And what in the world are you talking about with THIS??? " Better get a skill set" WTF man that's why he's so valuable BECAUSE of the entire repertoire of his SKILLS.

 

Latest from Jake on his B/R chat

 

People forget Austin had an injured toe in the playoffs and was limited. Not so sure he should be judged too hard for not being peak AR.

 

I think it's a legitimate concern that Reaves has flamed out in the playoffs. But on reflection, he had an excellent run to the WCF in 22/23 with some excellent shooting and decent playmaking.

I thought in 23/24 he had a bad start to the series against Den, but rebounded really well in the last 3 games. His 3 ball was really off that series and I think if he shot it close to the 38-40% he normally does. He hits an extra three in the second game, that we lost 101-99 and an extra 3 in the last game that we lost 108-106. If he just shoots a bit better we're probably up 3-2 heading home for game 6. I don't blame him for that series, DLO went missing and Rui wasn't utilised properly.

This last playoffs I think we can put more of the blame on AR. His numbers look ok, but his shooting splits were BAD and Minnesota really bothered him and forced alot of turnovers. He also couldn't draw fouls like he was accustomed to. We had chances to win each of the last 3 games and honestly AR needs to shoulder alot of that blame.

What does that mean moving forward? Not a great deal, he is a really solid 3rd option. I'd like to keep him as that third option however, and I think he would be miscast as the second option. Which means you can't be paying him more 30-35m if you want to build a competitive team. I'm hopeful that we have solid channels with his representatives and we know whether he'll sign for that amount, because losing him if someone pays him 40-45m would be a blow.