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

i don't think their friendship is/was overblown; i just think it wasn't enough to get us to overpay to keep him (which is what i thought was going to happen, tbf).

but you're right about the sour grapes part. guessing he'll hold a grudge that we didn't create a bidding war for him on his last shot at a bigger contract. the deal he signed in houston was indicative of him having only one suitor.

 

When I say overblown, I don't think teams are making moves, with the players friendships in mind. Personally I wasn't all that enthralled, with Dorian's performance against Minnesota. He's a decent player, however I'm not convinced that this team really misses him.

 

On another note

I will say that ,while I'm generally going to hate on anything Houston related. Tori Eason is a decent young player. He has good size, he competes, has a little edge to him. He's another guy, that would probably do well under Smart's tutelage. However he just declined a 100M extension though, and there are some injury concerns coming with him. I still assume, that the Firecrackers will attempt to match, any offer he gets this summer, (within reason) but Thompson of course is priority number 1.

 

I don’t really know why he wouldn’t, he got his contract and we’re on the way to being as competitive as the rockets.

But to be perfectly honest he’s the only one where the salaries worked so I was just putting my laker shades on.

 

Young will not return to Wednesday's game against the Nets due to a right knee sprain.

Mouhamed Gueye who ?? fell hard into the side of Young's leg, making his right knee bend awkwardly, and Young was in some clear discomfort after the injury. The good news is that he was able to get off the court under his own power, and the team is currently calling it a "sprain," so it appears he has avoided something more serious. Still, this could be something that causes him to miss multiple games, and he'd leave a massive void to fill on offense

 

AD with a possible Achilles injury? Sigh

 

That sucks. Nico saved us. Of course, he is also managing AD in the worst way possible. They should be load managing him.

 

Yeah...He was listed on the injury report, with an Achilles injury pre game.

 

I'm not going to get carried away...yet..

But the early returns suggest, that Ayton, LaRavia, and Smart, were excellent additions to a 50 win team.