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

Thybulle. You spell it okay. Big deal.

 

Watson definitely looks good. He’s making himself a lot of money with his play.

 

my hope on watson is that denver sees him as valuable in the hunt for a ring this year, so they don't trade him for picks in-season. i think we have a very good shot at signing him away if he stays there. again, maybe denver matches our offer, but then they'll have to move somebody else.

and i guess they can trade cam johnson into space, but i'd like to make them make the choice.

i wonder if there might be a pat riley/clippers situation this summer, where we can use our space to leverage a team into paying one player and losing another to us like he did with elton brand/lamar odom. but i'm not sure anyone has two FAs. just thought of it because i do think a long-term deal for watson means braun or johnson needs to be offloaded. obviously, denver would try to move them anywhere but here, but sometimes options are limited.

 

Rich Paul stuff is interesting. He’s stepped in it. And reeves camp isnt having it.

 

Rightfully so. He has to know he went too far with that. Not sure what the end game was, but openly talking about trading your client's teammate is wild. Especially with LeBron having a rep for getting guys shipped out.

Rich needed to be checked and hopefully he shuts up. Just not good for anyone and completely undermines LeBron who, from what I have always understood and been told, legitimately does like Austin.

 

I don't want to over rate Bufkin. But looks like he could be a nice 3 and D player to ad to our pipeline. His final year at Michigan, he got 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game in 34 minutes and had a 3.4 DBPM. I mean that is solid. He was also a solid 36% 3 pt shooter on 1.5 threes made per game. In his NBA career, shooting has been bad in very limited sample size, but also 1.1 steals/ 0.8 blocker per 36 minutes. He ahs since upped his 3-point volume in the Gleague and has been defending very well, with 1.8 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. I mean, I know it's the G-league, but when you zero in on his qualities (seems to be a real 3-pt shooter and defender). I mean, I think if given the chance, he's going to help a team's perimeter defense. Might be a guy that averages 1.3 steals/0.7 blocks, and holding opposing guards to under their typical scoring average. Additionally, he could be a 2.0 + /6.0 + -/ 33% + type three-point shooter. He can also score in other ways, if needed. Kid has upside, and nice to get for free. Reminds me of players we keep circling back to, such as Grimes and Ellis. Probably closer to a Grimes, who I think is a B offensive player and B defensive player. Gabe is C/C, Knecht is C/D, Smith is B-/D+, Vando is D/A-, Rui is B/D. Too much volatility there. In the pipeline, Thiero is D+/A-and Manon is D+/A-, but both of those guys have a lot of room for upside. Bufkin is in that same category, but much further along offensively. I wou;d say right now he is C/C+, with potential to improve to B/B. I mean compared to players on our roster, Bufkin actually might have the best two way balance in this letter grade context. Just a matter of it translating to the NBA kevel, and the kid getting a fair opportunity. He doesn't jump out of the gym, so that might be a detriment, but will see.

 

i've been beating the drum to get him on a two-way. i think he might have the most potential of all our development projects, which makes sense considering he's only a couple years removed from being a mid-first round pick.

 

Imo, Thiero has the most potential, and Manon might be the best defensive player, and Smith the best offensive player of that group. But in terms of NBA ready two-way ability (3 and D), I think Bufkin is the best of the group. I mean I think Thiero should get minutes for sure, but hes injured. As of right now, Bufkin though.

 

yeah, i was thinking of guys who aren't under regular contracts.

 

Between him being hurt all summer, missing training camp, and now being hurt again, I'm really not expecting anything from Thiero this season. I think the hope should be that we go into the summer, swap out a few guys in our Top 8 for better fitting pieces, and that one of the deep bench guys (Thiero, Manon, Bufkin if he sticks around, maybe even Bronny) plays well enough in camp to be a legitimate 9th or 10th guy in the rotation.

 

Debate I'm having with a friend. Think people here might have some good takes on it.

Which team is better? (Assuming a solid complementary bench for each team.)

A) Ellis, Reaves, Dort, Luka, Gafford

B) Ellis, Monk, Dort, Luka, JJJ

Can swap out some of the players if you prefer, as long as it reasonably compares a Luka-Reaves team vs a Luka-JJJ team.

And what upgrades or additions would it take to make either of these teams a real contender? (Not necessarily equal to OKC, but relatively on par with Denver, Houston, SA or so.)

 

Option A imo and it's by a fairly wide margin. Positions are different, but Monk/Gafford are in similar tiers, and Reaves/JJJ are in similar tiers.

• There is a correlation between free throw attempts and winning. It's a money ball stat. Jackson get to the line a solid amount, but Reaves is elite here.
• Lakers obtain two elite defenders, who also hit 35% + threes on good volume. These are the precise defenders you want to put with Luka and Reaves.
• When comparing Monk and Gafford, I would give a 1st for Gafford, but would expect additional assets for absorbing Monk, so Gafford > Monk. Gafford is an equal rim-protector to JJJ, but is by far the superior rebounder. In terms of fit with Luka, Gafford is by far the better fit, being an elite rim-runner. JJJ is a stretch 5 and sort of needs the ball,which is also bad.

 

stein:

ok, so...if this was true, i'd offer expirings and a 1st for quickley. he's worth punting most of the cap space for, imo, as he slots in as a credible two-way starter who fits with luka and reaves (and lebron, really). would anyone beat that offer? dallas probably won't deal with us right now, though.

 

Yuck, do I have really have to support Dort? Dude is going to foul out with us all the time.

 

I haven't kept up much with Quickley since he left NY, is he still a pretty good defender? I've liked Barrett too.

 

yes, he's still solid defensively, i think. under contract for a few years, but the right age and price point for a starter for us, imo.

barrett's a more awkward fit, though i guess if you like wiggins, why not like barrett? i don't love either for us, though.

just sucks that it would have to come via dallas, as i'm pretty sure us getting a starting pg for expirings and a first from them would cause a revolt.

 

Swap out Dort for Herb or whatever you like though.

 

Thx, agree with all. How close to a contender is this, and what would it take to make it one?