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

LeBrons opting in.

 

This clears the new path and definite signing of Clint Capela 5.7 tpmle.

so Capela will be the signing.

look for smaller signings Jaxson Hayes resigned to back him up.

Ben Simmons Chris Paul possibly. Maybe Tim Hardaway jr.

 

Yes make an all out trade for Ayton give all the trash away Vincent Vando Kleber and reward them with the beautiful unprotected 2031 1st round draft pick.

 

Projected 2025/26 Lakers


Point guard/Luka/James/Reaves/Paul

shooting guard/Reaves/Finney Smith/Vincent

small forward /James/Hachimura/Knect/Anou




power forward/Hachiumura/Vando/James/Simmons

Center/Capela/Hayes/Hachiumura/Simmons


Is that championship???? We shall see.

 

I expect huge jumps from Bronnie James and Dalton Knect. These are all my expectation summer league stats.

Bronny and Knect should beast summer league and I expect to see it.

James 18 points 5 rebounds 5assists 2 steal average. Give the kid 35 minutes a night.

Dalton Knect 35 minutes a game. 32 points a game. 4 rebounds 45% from 3.

this is summer league he should be cooking these guys. I wanna see it.

 

Dalton Knect should play so good they send him home after two games.

 

Looking like Capela and CP3 are going to be the big offseason moves boys

 

Bummed can’t say I’d consider ourselves contenders in the west with that. I’m hoping it’s just we are very tight lipped w leaks and we have something coming out of nowhere

 

Capela would be a good back up. The Hawks have had a -2 net rating with him since 2023

 

If we are considering Ayton, why not also consider Vucevic? Vucevic put up solid numbers this past season, 18pt/10rpg/1.8 3pm. Vucevic is also an expiring contract as well.

I can see a deal be intriguing enough for both the Lakers and Chicago if it were Knect/Kleber/Vincent for Vucevic/Dosunmu.

Lakers get a capable starting center and an intriguing younger guard who can come off the bench, Bulls get Knect who fits their rebuild timeline.

You still sign Capela with the TPMLE, Chris Paul with the vet min? maybe even bring back Hayes as well.

Depth chart:
Luka/CP3/Bronny
Reaves/Dosunmo
DFS/Rui/Thiero
LeBron/Vando
Vucevic/Capela/Hayes

If you can find another wing 3 point threat, it’s a solid rotation

 

I'd take Chris Paul, I'd also take Ben Simmons. Probably not both.

Right now this is what we look like:

Luka / Gabe / Shake / Bronny
Reaves / Goodwin / Knecht
Rui / DFS / Adou
Lebron / Vando
- / Kleber

I think we have a fairly strong starting 5, but Rui is kind of slotted oddly and we don't have good perimeter defence with him and Reaves. The elephant in the room is we're missing a center.

On the bench: DFS is our best two way bench player. Goodwin is interesting if his shooting has improved and would join DFS as a two way player. Gabe is ok, but we could use an upgrade at POA for sure. Vando can soak up some regular season minutes with his energy. Knecht is a bit of an unknown, if he has improved, he could be a significant rotational player. Kleber is also an unknown, the player of 2 years ago helps us tremendously, but maybe that guy is gone. Then you got Bronny & Adou who I don't expect to contribute much.

We need a center and a backup. We need a POA defender and an athletic wing - ideally that's a single player.

 

I could be way off. But I feel like DFS sees the writing on the wall that the Lakers have 17 power forwards on the roster, which is obviously not ideal for him.

I could see DFS signing elsewhere. This would open up the full MLE. So, depending on what we trade for, we could us the MLE on greater needs than power forward. NAW > DFS makes sense. I wonder how much Lopez or Capela would take up of the MLE? Would they split it 7 million each?

 

I’m all for letting DFS walk if it meant we could get NAW with the full MLE.

 

I feel like something like this might happen.

Current Lakers power forwards:

1)James
2)Hachimura
3)Finney-Smith (bird-rights)
4)Vanderbilt
5)Thierro
6)Two-way dynamo

Current POA defenders:

1)Vincent
2)Goodwin
3)Bronny

We seem to need more help right now at POA defender than power forward, so it makes sense to swap out 32 yr old DFS for 27? Yr old NAW.

 

Yup, it would immediately balance out the roster a bit. Luka/Austin/NAW/Goodwin could take all the guard minutes, maybe through a few to CP3 on a minimum. LeBron and Rui take the bulk of the forward minutes, but with some better guard depth Luka can play forward some as well. If the front office really had Thiero as a first round talent, he’s going to play some. Plus I think Vando is going to get a shot to re-establish himself after finally having a healthy offseason.

We’d still have Vincent, Kleber and Knecht, the 2031 pick and swaps to turn into a starting center. I do think NAW is the only full MLE guy I’m willing to let DFS walk for though.

 

I like lakers signing Zach Collins

 

How do you sign someone who's not a FA? Asking for a friend.

 

Now you’re onto something. The Chicago Bulls can make a trade. They’ve made trades. No beef with bulls Lakers talked Lavigne.

I would be all for a vucevic expiring contract. Trade the 2031 first round unprotected pick.

try to pry Demar Derozen from Sacramento somehow now you’re talking. Cooking. Just try to flece Demar Derozen from Sacramento.


I also like signing Capela as the backup.

and Chris Paul.

NaW seems like a pipe dream.

 

I actually prefer Gabe and Vando lol and I still don't understand why would Portland accept that.
But even aside of that, let's say they accept it, we are ignoring the opportunity cost.
If we make that trade for Ayton, we have:

Luka | Bronny
AR | Goodwin
Bron | Thiero
Rui | DFS
Ayton

That's your roster. You have the TPMLE and vet mins to round it out. Do you think we are better? I don't.
Plus, you are then pretty much out of any additional trades, unless it's a 1 for 1 with Rui

I want to use Gabe, Kleber, Knecht and 1 or both of Rui/Vando in TWO trades. That's how we improve our roster, imo. So you get something like this:

Luka | trade #1
AR | Goodwin
TPMLE | Rui/Vando
Bron | DFS
Trade #2 |

You have more depth and round it out with a couple vet mins.
You can jiggle the 3 new players as the market dictates (TPMLE for a center, so you trade for a SF, etc)