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

I'm with LT on this one for sure. Just having the guts to let LeBron go and not give up all that money is an A, Walker makes it an A+. Many of you guys are really underselling Rob. This was a massive transition masterfully done. Rumor has it that LeBron can see we are now the favorite and wants to sneak back in somehow...lol.

 

f*** Bron.

 

Zaire Williams is going to be a huge edition. So much he can do guard 1-4 6,9” long can shoot it. Athletic. I thought he was way underrated. Love the signing. He’s gonna be running with Luka. I’d flirt with starting him. He reminds me of a Derrick Jones type player and I think he’ll outplay his contract. I think he’ll exceed his contract. I like his energy.

our real fast units with Zaire Williams Cam Carr and Thiero are going to be really special. Kaminga would add a lot. But it really is impressive how athletic and young and explosive we’ve become in one off season.

Thybulle and Zaire together there’s alot of defense and athleticsm on the wing. LaRavia guys really can guard Vando.

Rob surrounded Luka with alot of defensive guys who get after it. Hustle guys. I think teams media is going to be surprised how good we are.

Kessler looks like a special player.i can’t emphasize enough how important that signing was.hes a very underrated player. He’s got good touch around the rim. Surprisingly athletic and can rim run. We needed that length. This team has alot of versatility and length.

 

Why do you keep sending strays at Topic haha. Poor guy has had a rough go at it, first an ACL injury and then cancer. He literally hasn’t played more than 160 mins in his career so far. We can’t know how good or bad he is yet.

But in general, I’d say they’ve done a phenomenal job drafting talent. In the last 6 drafts they’ve gotten

2021: Giddey, Tre Mann, Aaron Wiggins
2022: Chet, Dieng, Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams
2023: Cason Wallace, Keyontae Johnson (50th pick though)
2024: Topic and Ajay Mitchell
2025: Thomas Sorber, Brooks Barnziher
2026: Mara & Fritz

I think one of Sorber or Mara will break out. But that’s a lot of talent collected every year. So I do feel like they’ve figured out this CBA and are executing it the best out of annyone else.

I mean they have something like 13 first round picks in the next 7 years and close to 20 seconds. We just traded for Walker Kessler with 2… they have salary and picks to package for great players and they can keep renewing their bench guys yearly with cheap talent.

For example, I could see OKC trading Jalen Williams and 2 firsts next year for a top 3 pick. And picking up a really good wing that they can develop. By doing that, they can reup Wallace for 20ish and get ready for Ajay’s renewal too and still roll something out like:

SGA / McCain
Cason / Ajay
Top 3 pick / Caruso
Chet / Jaylin
IHart / Mara or Sorber

They’re jsut really well run in my opinion.

 

this is why. because he's somehow held up as evidence of great drafting when he's done jack squat and looked pretty bad on the rare occasion he's played. that's a lot of faith people have for reasons i do not understand. again, if rob pelinka picked topic, there would be memes galore about the legendary stupidity and endless discussion of any player drafted after 12th that year that has shown literally anything.

dieng was a lotto pick they dumped for nothing. they had another first (dillon something) who was jhs-ed. tre mann was also dumped. sorber hasn't played; topic's barely played, barhizer's only hyped because he's theirs.

they're probably hitting a similar percentage to others (biggest hits all lotto picks and none of those forthcoming), and as importantly, they don't have the development runway they did for their prior successes. you can't run draft picks out there for 20mpg when you're trying to get home court advantage in the playoffs. you can't make 3 picks in the first round unless you want to clear out some of your recent picks at the bottom of your roster. try to trade topic and sorber for anything of value right now.

based on what? that presti drafted them?

i remain unimpressed squirrel.

AND the 30 million in cap space. we couldn't have gotten kessler without that, as no one was taking our dead weight money (we can't move vando for anything right now). this is the problem once you get good: now when salary is outgoing, it means losing something to gain something. we just gained something. there will be no such avenues for a team operating on the razor's edge of the 2nd apron for the foreseeable future.

the theory is you just keep cycling your newly established guys (before you have to pay them) for someone just like that but two years behind. good luck with that. VERY hard to do, and they've yet to actually succeed. dort just walked out the door for seconds. they already had to pay jalen williams. they're about to pay (or trade) cason wallace and mitchell. they're not going to be able to move caruso for younger caruso.

so, yeah, they'll be in on any trade for anyone, but every single one will require someone contributing to their winning right now plus that draft compensation.

again, it's just very different going from bad to good vs. sustaining excellence.

i could see this. but they'd immediately fall out of contention (chet/wallace/ajay are not #2 guys offensively), with at least two to three years before that pick can possibly replicate jalen williams's ability, by which time we can't be sure the previously indestructible SGA hasn't lost a step, rendering the entire operation effectively finished.

again, dynasties are hard. i was told four years ago denver would win all the championships 4evar.

yeah, that team doesn't actually scare me that much. i don't disagree that they're well set up for the future, but i don't agree that it's because they're geniuses and everyone else isn't. they capitalized on a fortunate set of circumstances, but i don't think that same formula can continue to be applied. again, presti fumbled at this juncture before. because again, it's harder to keep winning than it is to start winning.

 

Oh yeah. I'm very high on Zaire. I think he's going to be huge for us.

 

I still feel like we end up with Kuminga but won't necessarily be hurt if we don't. The only real viable option for him outside of us is if LeBron does not go to Cleveland.

 

I'd give us a B right now. I think Kessler was huge and a bigger deal than the media will admit. I don't really feel like we gave up a haul as its really just 2 picks. i like Williams and Thybulle and think Mamu is going to be better than some think. Grimes too. Still not a fan of the player options but it is what it is at this point.

If we can get a four then I would go up a bit on my score.

The team goes as far as Luka can carry us, but that will always be the case. He has definitely influenced the roster and rightfully so. I think the additions to the front office are also coming into play though they have only been here a short period of time.

Overall, I think we did a solid job and see us remaining in the top half of the west absent injury to Luka, Austin, or Kessler.

 

I honestly don't care much about draft grades even though I've been throwing them around. I think Rob has done a great job and I believe JJ will too with a championship level roster. I'm excited to see the Laker ship sail without dragging a 50 ton anchor behind it. KobeLuka99 has done a great job of evaluating our young talent and abeer has the contractual/trade scenarios covered like no other so I won't repeat everything here. LB is the place to be. I am absolutely thrilled with the talent and athleticism we have and I know JJ is even more so. He goes to sleep with schemes running through his head about 2am (maybe 3) and wakes up at 5am with the same happening. How to make the defense work and get the best out of every guy. On top of that I haven't had a single forest fire near my cabin this summer. Life is good.