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

Here’s a thought and I’m genuinely asking. Could you overpay for Watson AND then sign&trade AR for Duren?

 

Yeah it’s the same scenario as bringing in Watson, resending Lebron, Smart and Kennard. Then going over the cap to resign Reaves.

You’d be hard capped at 209m with a sign and trade, but that probably won’t matter when you go the cap space route anyway.

 

yes. but it would be tricky as a double sign and trade--both teams hardcapped at first apron, complicates other moves/retaining players.

again, everyone seems to want to keep smart, lebron, and kennard. if you want that, some bigger dreams are much harder to realize.

edit: svtzr beat me to it.

 

Should have prefaced for this team.I fully agree with you

 

Lowe talked about this on his pod today, thought it was a pretty good segment. The biggest issue is the Pistons' lack of shooting. All year Duren has gotten his points off rolls to the rim or bully-ballying mismatches if teams switch the pick and roll between him and Cade. The Magic are mostly guarding Cade with Franz, rather than Suggs, Black or Bane, and have been comfortable switching WCJ onto Cade. When they switch that PR, Suggs, who has been guarding Ausar, starts to completely ignore Ausar and start playing centerfielder. Want to enter the ball into Duren to punish the "mismatch" against Franz in the post? Good luck, Suggs is ignoring Ausar and playing that passing lane, or rotating to allow someone also to help deny entry to Duren. If they forget the ballscreen entirely and just feed it to Duren in the post, WCJ is pretty damn strong. There's a reason he was comped to Horford coming out of college - he's not the biggest but he's sturdy, he's not going to be knocked off his spot easily.

It's a good illustration of why non-shooters are so harmful in the playoffs, especially for P&R heavy teams. Ausar has been a really nice player all season, but his non-shooting is a big reason why the 1 seed is probably going home in the first round.

 

Austin for Duren Hell yeah. Is Austin worth Duren? well it depends. Once Lebron retires will need another scorer. At the same time still not sure Austin/Luka back court works when it matters most.

 

So while you’re “not sure” you just ship AR out while admitting now he needs to be replaced with another scorer (that can do it in a Lakers uniform). Someone here yesterday said this guy is NOT a rim protector. But big whoop he can catch lobs and dunk. So can Ayton and so can Hayes. And many are still of the mind Rui who’s a proven deadeye in the playoffs 4 years running is expendable because we’re annoyed he’s weak on rebounding. This place is too much.

 

It amazes me how the Spurs get Fox. I keep going to it. It’s like giving the Lakers who already had Kobe and Shaq Jason Kidd. just an obvious add on.

it’s comical when you look at that spurs roster.

 

Durant around men. You can win a championship. Curry Klay Dray. He’s not the lead guy.

here Lebron Luka he can just float and hide and shoot 3’s. And Reaves.

Durant leading kids can’t work Houston Rockets. I knew that wouldn’t work and said that wouldn’t work.

Brooklyn Nets him and Kyrie and Harden.

Phoenix Beal and Booker.

 

Well with Reaves when he comes back I think we should have a plan against OKC that Orlando has against Cade Cunningham and Detroit. Let Shai get his and get everybody else like Shai says we got a lot of scorers.

 

Wemby closest I’ve seen to Kareem.

 

I like How Shai is trolling Dillon Brooks. Let’s catch them slipping. Looks like they filling themselves. Let’s just focus on Basketball.

 

Ship them all out LT. Time to start fresh!

 

my stance hasn't changed--keeping reaves at max unless someone offers me a two-way allstar in his prime or prospect with that clear potential (not happening).

after that, i'm honestly not that married to anyone besides luka. i probably value roster continuity more than most, but that's actually part of why large changes this year would be ok with me--as long as it sets up future continuity. my fear with bringing the whole gang back is that a couple key members (lebron and smart) are old/aging and won't figure heavily into the plans going forward. further, it's possible that their retention could hamper attempts to find players that would be able to continue as part of a reaves/luka team for 3-4 years. it's also possible that either those players don't become available to us, there are other means to get them, or smart/lebron take less money to allow for those kinds of changes. all of which would also be good.

it's going to be a pretty wild offseason, imo, regardless of what happens tonight or the next couple weeks.

 

OKC vs Spurs collision course. All the other teams are just in the way including the Eastern conference and Lakers with a unhealthy Luka.

 

boston's a threat bc they're healthy and the rest of the east is so meh, meaning they won't be really challenged until the finals. but yeah, i just don't see us beating okc or SA, much less both, with a still-hobbling luka and lebron and smart having to do so much heavy lifting in round 1.

 

Boston is very hit or miss. They may hit enough in each 4 out of 7 but Philly is giving them the works and won 2 at Boston already.
Wouldn't shock me if someone else comes out of the East, but not seeing it too to be honest

Knicks have a chance if they play through KAT, I think

 

As of right now I'd pick the Knicks to make it to the Finals. I think it's too hard to assemble an entirely new supporting cast, get your best player back from an Achilles and make a Finals run all in less than 12 months like the C Bags are trying to do. And people seem to forget that the Knicks were just straight up beating them last year before Tatum's injury.

It's the Knicks or the C Bags, the other side of the bracket is utterly fraudulent. If Detroit manages to come back from 3-1 I guess I could see them beating the Knicks.