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

I feel like someone more desperate for a perimeter scorer/ballhandler, like the Wolves, are going to swoop in on White.

Vando/Gabe/Kleber for Patrick Williams/Okoro also works. Bulls would save some money swapping the Vando contract for Williams, and they may be one of the few teams that could actually play Vando given they have Vuc. Adding Okoro is just another dart through on an athletic wing type.

Timpf was saying on Laker Collective yesterday that this team may need more of a 2018 style Cavs deadline, where we do a handful of my misfit toy for your misfit toy trades, instead of pooling assets to go after one guy like Herb Jones. I think I agree with that, both because the athleticism problem is more of a collective roster issue and because there's not one perfect trade that I see out there. The issue is whether the FO will be willing to eat into next summer's cap space on reclamation project type guys.

 

Williams is basically a 4 and mostly guards power forwards. Okoro wasn’t even in Cleveland’s rotation before he got traded to the Bulls.

I’m not including a first-round pick for anyone unless it’s a legit, can’t-miss player who actually solves our wing issues and can slot in as the 5th starter.

I’d even consider moving Rui, especially if he’s not happy coming off the bench once we add someone who fits the starting unit better. Rui and LeBron are redundant, and Rui just doesn’t guard wings well enough. Teams hunt him in screens, and navigating those actions simply isn’t his game.

Right now, we have to be nearly perfect offensively because if the game turns into a track meet, we’re not winning it. As Jovan said, we might have the most unathletic starting five in the NBA.

Pretty damn bad…

 

you're going to drop that and not tell us the solution we've all been looking for? Naughty naughty.

 

I love LeBron James.

LOL.

 

I'm very open to trading Rui. I think he's an awkward fit on this team and I'm not confident at all that we can just slot him in as our starting 4 once LeBron moves on.

As for the bolded, though, I think we need to be realistic on prices. A legit, can't miss player that we can plug in as a 5th starter costs more than expiring salary and one first-round pick. The only reason why someone like Herb Jones could maybe be available for just one first is because he's been playing poorly for over a year now. Teams have wisened up and realized that a good role player that slots the rest of your lineup correctly is very valuable and that in the playoffs you're only as good as your weakest link on the court.

Maybe it's not Patrick Williams or Okoro, but those are the types of guys we need to be looking at tbh. Reclamation projects. The Mavs picked up DJJ off the scrap heap and turned him into a viable 3&D guy. Now they got him for the minimum, while we're talking about trading for guys that have significant money owed to them beyond this season. Hence why I agree with Abeer that this probably doesn't get "fixed" until the offseason. If we can get Ellis for Knecht and a 1st at some point closer to the deadline, great. I'm willing to trade a first for him. Then we fill in the gaps in the offseason either by signing guys into cap space, or using cap space for the same types of trades we're talking about now. I'm just not sure we'll be able to pull off the volume of roster overhaul we need midseason.

 

What are we thinking about Terrance Mann?

 

Yeah Timpf did say that. I could very well see the Lakers doing that his season. Trades we are not even thinking about right now.

• LaRavia + 2032 2nd + 2030 swap for Abaji?
• Knecht for Devin Carter?
• Kleber + 2032 swap for Highsmith + Zaire Williams?

Something along those lines?

 

You make great points. Also, I have noticed more and more posters come around to including a 1st for Ellis. That's good, because people usually say that it is an over pay. Knecht + 2031 1st for Ellis is a risk I would comfortable in taking.

 

We would be fortunate to get Ellis for Knecht + 2031 1st. I'm not putting that pick on a pedestal.

 

LaRavia could be traded in three days from now.

 

Yeah, a 2031 1st from us now is a lot different than a 2031 1st from us this time last year. We have a 26 year old superstar and a new owner who is going to cause a lockout in MLB because everyone is mad at how good his team is lol.

 

Yeah that's what the narrative seems to be right now, but I have felt the value of the pick decreased when we got Luka.

 

The Kings loved Jake LaRavia when he was with them.

 

Rui + Knecht + 2031 1st for Ellis + Monk or LaRavia + Vincent + Knecht + 2031 1st for Ellis + Monk

 

I don’t think GG is a bad defender. You can teach.

and he’s a legit 6,9” 210 that screams wing. He’s 20 yrs old. I just want his athleticism length and youth. I’ll take care of the rest.

you can coach good defense. That’s Trevor’s height. He ain’t Trevor.

the guy scored 44 in a game. I would trade a 2028 unprotected trade for him. 2032 unprotected 1st round pick for him.

cause if you develop him you got a star under team control.

those are the types of trades the Dodgers and Andrew Friedman mark walter make. Guys who have something and they find something they like that they do good. He’s essentially a prospect.

he’s like Max Muncy when he was on the A’s. With the right coaching we can get what we want.

all this team needs is athleticism on the wings. You don’t need to go crazy.

and they can hate on Mark Walter but he’s not the reason teams don’t win. The Mets could’ve kept Edwin Diaz Steve Coehn didn’t want to pay 3 more million. He’s got more money than Mark Walter. He just got cheap. The Mets are right there with spending.

Back to Basketball. I like Terrence Man. Not a lot of scoring. Is he gonna give us the perimeter defense we need????? Maybe we need a bigger guy that’s why I like GG cause GG can be a OG if coached right. Player development is so important.

Terrence Mann is 6,7” what is Jonathan Isaac doing? I’m sure his names been kicked around.

We’ve covered all the legit wings available.

 

We kind of have that big defensive wing arch type already in Thiero. I completely get what you are saying in regards to prospects. Yes, that is correct. We can't be wanting to trade for only ready made players. Need to look into buying low on some players.

 

Mann is 29 already and he is a low volume three point shooter. His defense is steady but his steal % is very low. I know that's not the only indicator of defense,but I think we need more ball hawk types like Smart.

 

that's why i mentioned dalen terry in chicago. he's not doing much there, but might be able to here. but my mind is 100% on defense first, youth, athleticism.

 

Makes you wonder right??? How does Reaves all of a sudden come up with a calf injury. Mild calf strain. How many calf injuries is that from guys this season? Didnt Luka have a calf strain earlier when he missed a week at the begining of the season or was it a Knee????

What did Reaves miss a week before in the season???? Was it a hamstring.

this today after the study that might be the reason for all the calf injuries that they came out with the step backs in the league. And Stephen Curry all the guys doing step backs. Read up on it. Okay I’m pissed.

 

And f*** the In season tournament.