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

that luka's much more valuable than lebron at this point?

 

yeah, i'm definitely the one with the rep for hating facts and numbers.

 

btw, if everyone's really hellbent on paying lebron what he's actually worth, all offseason plans need to shift to operating over the cap.

that would mean convincing smart (and probably ayton) to take non-bird raises, re-signing kennard using bird rights, scouring the trade market for what knecht, vando, s&t'd rui, and picks would get.

i'm not fundamentally opposed to that approach, either, tbh. it would just make like, zero sense given the work we put in to have that flexibility. it's possible stuff happened after the allstar break that changed rob's mind, just like whatever happened that helped lebron realize that draybron (as opposed to the stephen james act we saw for large chunks of the last couple years) was actually a good idea.

 

Me...The facts and numbers, presented in response to your Dirk/Duncan scenario, said that you were stlll lowballing James.

 

and i've said, maybe seventy times now, that i'm perfectly ok lowballing lebron.

 

Everyone has a plan until reality alters it. I would hope that Pelinka has been evaluating everything, as the season goes along. We have a lot of options.

 

Well...You've also said about 100 times now, that you would prefer to move on from LeBron James period too.

 

Of course he is and that was my point.LeBron isn’t the retiring “superstar” because Luka is the superstar of this team

 

Guys let me shed some light on this. Before LeBron was a billionaire he manipulated the salary cap with Miami and got paid less then he was worth or could’ve got.

Lebron is a billionaire he’s making more off the court. His biggest employer or partner is Nike. Where do they want him??? In L.A. with another Nike Jordan Brand Luka

or San Francisco with the Warriors???. What does that Do??? Curry’s there. One of the reasons Durant left.

Buisness plays in this to. Also Lebrons post playing career as a fixture here in L.A.


Bronnys here making strides. At this point Lebron cares about his Son and his Sons success. He can still compete here.

Grown men will get together and figure out the best way to improve the team here. Ayton probably opts in.

and they see other options. Specially player development will be huge here our draft for our bench.

and bringing Kennard back. Lebron helps and I think. He will do whatever he can to come back. But don’t get it twisted Lebron is not sweating for poverty or like this is his last big contract. At this point Bronnys contract is more important than his.

only definite championships is Denver with Jokic San Antonio with Wembyana and OKC with Shai. And I don’t see Lebron doing that.

 

Minnesota takes out Denver in a great game. Jokic and Murray got locked down in the 4th quarter. Salute

 

risacher didn't even see the court for the hawks tonight

not looking good for him so far in his career

 

The flopping horse got locked down by Gobert .

 

Look.. James has already said that playing with Bronny, is the highlight of his career. So I wouldn't be shocked, in the least, if he was open to anything ,to finish his career here.

I'm just amused that certain people around here, have shifted from he's old, semi washed and the team is simply better without him,and Klutch Sports, to he really needs to take one for the team,and take the least amount, in order to hang around, while we build around Luka and Reaves. While ironically pursuing a Klutch client in Watson, being the big plan moving forward.

The other amusing storyline developing, is the Lebron is in the way, hindering our full development of the Luka/Austin pairing narrative. Yet Luka and Austin haven't won a playoff game here without Lebron, but he might very well, win a series without them.

 

Lebron makes more money here with his shoes off the court than the NBA contract he’ll get.

Markets matter. A true fairwell tour is playing your final NBA season with your son.

yall rule out so much of the Dad aspect. Coming home with your son after games. Just talking about things even off the court at the house. Having your wife able to be right there to see it and Moms. Not having to uproot family and make it uncomfortable for Bronny. And his wife and Daughter and Bryce. They all west cost based.

and I know Bronny gotta grow up. But even road trips quality time with Pops. LeBrons father wasn’t present. That’s a lot. And showing up for your kids is important to him. I’m just giving yall some off the court factors.

We’re past the what’s respectful for Lebron. Lebron just wants to be comfortable. So the Los Angeles factor is huge. And I think that’s with the Lakers.

Honestly when he retires I can see him joining Mark Walters group in Ownership and doing that with the Lakers. Basketball with the Lakers wasn’t just basketball it was the James building their basketball family in the Lakers here in Los Angeles.

also if we want Peyton Watson you don’t think LeBron will have some type of factor of him coming here.

just like the Anthony Davis thing. ?

 

Honestly when he retires I can see him joining Mark Walters group in Ownership and doing that with the Lakers. Basketball with the Lakers wasn’t just basketball it was the James building their basketball family in the Lakers here in Los Angeles.

Some folks around here would puke over that! Where's Rock? My man Sirronstuff?



also if we want Peyton Watson you don’t think LeBron will have some type of factor of him coming here.

Man those discussions have already been had! It wouldn't be shocking if Lebron, is behind the Watson and Dort speculation in the first place.




If the Flippers skate on that Hyena/Aspiration stuff. Don't be shocked, if the Lakers pay Lebron's film production company, let's say 50M, to produce a Last Dance type of Documentary!

We got all kinds of options on several fronts.

 

You've brought up Dirk & Duncan as players who took pay cuts.

You beat me to it showtime haha!

Salary cap by year:

18-19:$101,869,000
17-18 $99,093,000
16-17 $94,143,000
15-16 $70,000,000
14-15 $63,065,000
13-14 $58,679,000
12-13 $58,044,000
11-12 $58,044,000
10-11 $58,044,000

Duncan Salary by Season:
(39 y/o) 15-16: $5,250,000 - 7.5% of cap
Stats: 9/7/3
(38 y/o) 14-15: $10,361,446 - 16.43% of cap
Stats: 14/9/3
(37 y/o) 13-14: $10,361,446 - 17.66% of cap
15/9/3
(36 y/o) 12-13: $9,638,554 - 16.61% of cap
18/10/3
(35 y/o) 11-12: $21,164,619 - 36.46% of cap
15/9/2
(34 y/o) 10-11: $18,835,381 - 32.45% of cap
13/9/3

Dirk Salary by Season:
(40 y/o) 18-19: $5,000,000 - 4.9% of cap
Stats: 7/3/3
(39 y/o) 17-18: $5,000,000 - 5.05% of cap
Stats: 12/6/2
(38 y/o) 16-17: $25,000,000 - 26.55% of cap
Stats: 14/6/1
(37 y/o) 15-16: $8,333,333 - 11.9% of cap
Stats: 18/7/2
(36 y/o) 14-15: $7,974,482 - 12.64% of cap
Stats: 22/6/3
(35 y/o) 13-14: $22,721,381 - 38.72% of cap
Stats: 17/7/2
(34 y/o) 12-13: $20,907,128 - 36.02% of cap
Stats: 22/7/2

Meanwhile with Lebron since he came to the lakers:

(41 y/o) 25–26: $52,627,153 - 34.03% of cap
Stats: 21/6/7
(40 y/o) 24–25: $51,415,938 - 36.57% of cap
Stats: 24/8/8
(39 y/o) 23–24: $47,607,350 - 35% of cap
Stats: 26/7/8
(38 y/o) 22–23: $44,474,988 - 35.97% of cap
Stats: 29/8/7
(37 y/o) 21–22: $41,180,544 - 36.63% of cap
Stats: 30/8/6
(36 y/o) 20–21: $39,219,566 - 35.94% of cap
Stats: 25/8/8
(35 y/o) 19–20: $37,436,858 - 34.3% of cap
Stats: 25/8/10
(34 y/o) 18–19: $35,654,150 - 35% of cap
Stats: 27/9/8

If we say that Lebron at 42 is producing at a similar leve as Dirk/Duncan at 36 (I'd argue he is still performing better than both at that age), that would be 13-17% of the cap which would put Lebron in a salary bracket of 21.5m - 28m.

I think 20-24m is about the right price for him based off this and the other estimate I did the other day of the average wage other teams could offer him.

 

The Nuggets and the Spurs did the most head scratching last game of the season... The Spurs f***ed around and lost to the Nuggets theoretically earning a harder second round opponent, Nuggets, instead of the injured Lakers, and the Nuggets intentionally winning when they always have trouble with the Wolves...