2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

OK

OK, maybe some, not me, are using the term "steal" over exuberantly, because they really like the players or fit. But the contract amounts and terms over what you would have been "OK" with .... none of us know the specifics of what the competitive offers might have been for these specific guys (aside from Kessler) the FO and ownership had their targets set on closing and wanting on the team in their strategic plan.

That's an absurd analogy. You're big on fit as are many who railed against the idea of going forward with AR as a 2nd option to Luka. You can't possibly be serious these moves in this most important of off seasons were done without deepest due diligence concerning fit and roster building for post LeBron. Equating their chances of having it "work out" to you buying some random stock with no DD for a 10 bagger is "irrational".

 

Yeah I just don't think there's any chance at that, it might be one of the most unrealistic trade proposal ideas I've seen this offseason lol

Getting just Watson would be a pipe dream. Throw Watson out of the mix, I'm not sure we'd have enough to even just get Jones and Bey from New Orleans. The Pelicans are reportedly asking for first round picks for Jones (to be fair, personally I think that's unreasonable; Jones is another down shooting year away from becoming a negative value asset in my opinion, just a slightly less poor man's Vando)

I am intrigued by Bey. I wonder if he could be a cheaper backup option that Rob pivots to. I really don't know too much about his game, but 27 years old 6'8" 215 lb SF fits the profile of what we're looking for. He's only on a $6.5 million contract, coming off a year where he averaged 17.7 points on 36.7% from 3. Just looking at his career numbers, he's essentially provided starting level SF production every year of his career (~70+ games played, ~25+ minutes per game, double digit scoring). I almost have to assume he's a mediocre defender, otherwise I feel like I'd be hearing more buzz around him.

 

The more I'm seeing if Adou and Carr the less I'm concerned over trades. Adou is ready to break out and Carr is just one of those rooks ready to go. Make s good trade if you can but the need to do something iffy is less.

 

Yes it would be great to have a vet in front of them, but don't mortgage the future over it.

 

We can lowkey have the next Tatum and Brown in Adou and Carr.

if it were me they are off the table in all trade talks. This is the NBA so you know teams are asking about those players for any trade.

what’s good is certain players would be like trade those young guys get me the vet.

but mark walters leaning into player development.

What’s cool is Luka Reaves locked up. Grimes Mamu Kessler.

you have these two young cornerstones that you can build around and you have them on the cheap on team control.

so that’s valuable in todays NBA. I like how our team is structured. That’s why I’m so adamant about Thiero and Carr because they are young players who do what we need athletic shooters. 3-D players. On the wing. You need that so much in the NBA. I know it’s summer league.

but everything I wanted to see out of Thiero I’m seeing. Which is improvement active on the boards. Shooting. That’s a bonus. But just let me see an athletic Ron Artest or OG and I’m fine.

it’s huge to have a Thiero and Carr when you have Luka and Reaves. Really gives our team the balance we need.

let’s see what happens with Kaminga. But I wouldn’t go crazy trading any of these young guys. The foot has to be put down.

btw regards to LeBron I think he made the decision to leave when the Jeanie Buss stuff came out. She really f***ed us up with her comments. Be thankful. be grateful. We did him a favor with Bronny. Lebron never forgot that and I think it had something to do with his thinking about not coming back. just my opinion. And then she issues the statement when he leaves. just stop having her speak for the team. I don’t know why they agreed to her letting her run the team for 5 years.

 

Completely agree about Adou and Cam. IMO management just got tired of dealing with LeBron. As sick of him as most fans were, management had to be even more so.

 

Uhhh… what?

Someone hide this news from Kuminga, if he sees this he’s gonna be demanding the max

 

Cap circumvention? Two years at the minimum then four at 15 AAV? Something fishy about this when you have a look at his terrible production last year.

 

Fully guaranteed?! What in the blackmail is this?!





Found Pablo's next investigation.

 

Who cares, leave Trent alone lol.

 

That would be a great trade.

But the more realistic version is probably something like:

Lakers get: Watson at 23 million, worst Nets 2032 2nd

Nets get: LaRavia, Hardy, 2031 Wizards 2nd, 2032 Wizards 2nd, top 55 protected 2033 Nuggets 2nd

Nuggets get: 2033 Lakers 2nd, 2032 Lakers pick swap, worst Nets 2029 2nd

We dont know where Bronny is going to go yet, probably waiting for his dad.

 

No way the Nuggets do that

 

Their payroll is really tight. It's going to be really hard for them to keep Watson without going over the 2nd apron.

Who has cap room left? Looks like Brooklyn only has about 13-14 million after the Randle trade goes through. I mean, we could take Cam Johnson in a lopsided trade, but I haven't heard anything about him. He would give us a bigger wing, but then all POA duties fall on Grimes. I rather get a Watson or a Kuminga to help out with that.

 

This the framework of the proposed deal:

The Heat receive Bronny James from Los Angeles.
The Nuggets get Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaden Hardy and Jake LaRavia from Los Angeles.
The Lakers get Peyton Watson from Denver, Herb Jones and Saddiq Bey from New Orleans.
The Pelicans get Dru Smith from Miami and Cameron Johnson from Denver.

Let's just start off with the salary stuff, we're sending out 26.7m, so that means we can take back 35.8m. Herb Jones (14.9) and Bey (6.6) are 21.5m, which means that guy is proposing Watson signs for 14.3m - which is a joke.

I could see the Pelicans doing the deal for Cam Johnson. I could see Miami getting Bronny. We obviously would do the deal, we make out like bandits.

But why would the Nuggets do this? They lose Cam Johnson AND Watson? Like why? If they just get rid of one them for cap space reasons, they're good. They sure as heck aren't getting rid of both for a package of Vando, Hardy & Larvaia package - that's organisational suicide. To even interest them a little, you'd have to send out all 3 seconds, the swap, Carr and Adou - and even then, I can't see them considering it.

I think if they're moving on from Watson, they're doing it for 2 firsts and retaining the rest of the team. Most likely situation is Nets trade MPJ somewhere like Golden State/Suns/Detroit, then those assets get rerouted to Denver by the Nets for Watson.

They're probably still trying to see if they can get rid of Braun first. I don't see them moving Watson for two seconds. Just no way.

 

How about Spencer Jones? We probbaky could get him for 2nds, but I have three questions?

1. Can he play the 4?

2. Can he play POA defense?

3. Should we be concerned about his shooting? He has shot well all through college and thus far in the nba, but his shot is very awkward.

 

1. Next to Luka, yes.
2. Imo, no, but I’m not sure how many guys can truly play pf and poa

 

1. Yes, but more in the way Jake or Vando play PF.

2. I don't agree with abeer, I'd say he is an extremely versatile POA. He is a significantly better defender than Watson and superior as a POA defender to Braun at the Nuggets. He just sticks to guys and challenges everything - this is underpinned by elite effort and surprising lateral quickness. He also gets through screens because of his size 6'7 with 230lbs and a 6'11 wingspan.

His biggest knock has been fouling too much, but as he has developed a reputation as a defender, that's gone down some. He isn't the defensive playmaker Smart or Caruso are, but he has their tenacity, effort and versatility.

3. He sets really fantastic screens. So his defender tends to over help and he gets quite a few open threes as a result. Playing with Reaves and Luka would be a dream for him. Everyone's been waiting for his shot to come down, but he is a 40% three guy since college on volume too.

If we want Spencer, we should be closing him now. Get rid of Knecht and offer him 5m before Denver figures out the Watson situation.

 

Can't wait on Bron and the Cavs for our move. He's in no rush. It might be another month+ from recent reports before he makes a decision.