Rob Pelinka Discussion: BBall Ops Pres + GM (AKA: Lucky Rob)

7 SURPRISING Vet Min Free Agent Targets. (Who Suddenly Got CHEAPER | 2026 Offseason)

 

I like Sochan, if Vando is moved.
Langdale would be an improvement over Jax for our second string C.

 

Is KNICKS CHAMPIONSHIP a BLUEPRINT for Lakers to BUILD ROSTER around Luka Dončić?

 

pretty much, but we just don't have a path to getting prime anunoby and prime bridges. we could probably trade for a hart-level guy, and could maybe get one guy on the anunoby/bridges level if we were creative.

 

Adou Anunoby

I remember calling for OG for years before he left the Raptors. I was so disappointed he went to the Knicks. I was calling for a Reaves and OG swap.
Man that Raptors team was excellent… Kawhi, Siakam and OG as your 3 and 4’s. FVV, Lowry, Powell and Green as guards. Ibaka and Gasol as your big men. What a team.

I also remember us discussing Bridges quite often - I called him one of the premier 3&D guys in the league that would blow up as a 2nd option. Where you thought he was decent but not elite. I think you were closer to the money on that call.

I would say he has been the 4th option on the Knicks - back to his role he had with the Suns.

I don’t know how we get some more solid two way players but we could use another really solid wing - adding Wiggins to our healthy team I think puts us at 60 wins.

 

yeah, i was thinking that would be our only hope. and it's HIGHLY unlikely, but physically and in terms of play style, they are very similar.

i think everyone wanted him, but we didn't have the assets. i wouldn't have traded reaves for him, and i'm still not sure he's actually better than reaves overall. he had a great year this year and an outstanding playoffs, but it's not like he's been consistently eye-popping. he wasn't a plus player offensively until the last couple years.

yeah, people just didn't understand at the time and thought it was all leonard. me included.

yeah, i never had him as high as you did, but he's definitely good. i'd take him! i think he might actually look better here than there, but it's not happening.

another reason i'm mad riley can't close the giannis deal is i was pretty sure we'd end up with wiggins (at least, if not also ware) after that went down. he's not too far off from bridges in terms of impact (not quite as good, but in the neighborhood).

 

I was also higher on Wiggins than you. I was calling for him to be an all star in his season with Golden State and I’m glad he got it. That year he was really good defending on the perimeter and good offensively.

I still think he is a young 31. The guy has basically hardly played any playoffs in his career, so he has about 150 games less than comparable players of his age and quality. I think he should be a solid wing for the next 3-4 years.

I’d trade 3 firsts for Wiggins and Ware if the bucks would take some salary, namely Vando, Knecht and Ayton.

 

true; another one i wasn't as high on and may still not be. i do think his role here would be closer to what it was in gs, which is a positive.

i didn't want to trade a 1st for him last year because it would have required rui (plus gabe's expiring) for an extra year of salary (we'd have no space option this year), and it was clear miami was trying to unload him. i'm also a little worried about him being on the wrong side of 30 and his history of strange losses of focus.

but i think adding ware to him and not having to eat the full brunt of the salary definitely changes the calculus for me. 2 1sts for ware, 1 for the bucks taking on vando's salary for wiggins (if vando had been part of it last year, i would have been more interested).

but again (this is the idea i stole from you) i think this would require operating under the cap, right? we can't get to wiggins/ware salary numbers with jake/vando/ayton.

 

I think to make it work you need Vando, Ayton, Jake or Knecht and NSJ.

So they’d have to take on NSJ as well, we’re jsut off making it work over the cap with Vando, Ayton and Jake by about 800k.

 

https://x.com/esidery/status/2067333451083071890

 

Updates On LeBron James & Austin Reaves Free Agency

 

Could the Lakers Sneak Into A Giannis Trade?

 

LAKERS CENTER TARGETS: Luka Doncic Shares His Wishlist; Who Could Be AVAILABLE?

 

Lakers EXPECTED to Keep Austin Reaves + LeBron Drawing Interest From 12 Teams

 

IF we end up operating over the cap, i'll be disappointed, but i'll trust it was because the avenues involving the space were deemed unlikely to bear fruit.

still not a great look for management, imo, after using flexibility as the reason to be prudent last summer and at the deadline (something i agreed with).

 

Windhorst on Laker Expectations | Smart & Ayton To Opt Out? | Kessler Opportunity At Center?

 

LeBron & Lakers Negotiating | Luka Sends A Message | Spurs & Rui? | Guest: Trevor Lane

 

ayton opting out is only a gift if we operate under the cap. if we operate over, him opting out hurts a lot, i think, as it removes trade salary ballast AND puts us in weak trade negotiations (AGAIN).

 

OG is basically Kawhi Leonard.

Not as good offensively but he's pretty much playing the Kawhi role that Kawhi played for the Spurs back in 2014.

Elite defender, great size to guard the 2 or 3, can score, play off or on-ball, and has the same personality.

Knicks got a good one in him. If not for Brunson's 45 point game 7, OG could very well have been the Finals MVP.