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-Brunson got you wiped down

-Kat got you wiped down

-mikail got you wiped down

-OG got you wiped down

-hart got you wiped down

-Your own shooting getting you wiped down.

Do you think he'd make a good addition to the Lakers? Would he improve the roster potentially if Vincent and/or Vanderbilt are included in a trade package?

My stance has been to keep the draft picks for a big fish trade even though the team only has one tradable FR in 2031. But with a weak free agent market and not wanting to overpay in trades, I think addressing the team's weaknesses (center, athletic wing) might have to be done via the draft.

Last summer, the T'Wolves traded a 2030 pick swap and 2031 FRP to draft Rob Dillingham at #8. I'm not sure I'm willing to give up two picks for a lotto pick, but maybe in the mid-first round pick (looking at you Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz) for the 2031 FRP or a future pick swap. What are your thoughts?

“Trade Reaves, he’s no good for us. He was the worst player”

“JJ is a terrible coach, he’s so shit, fire him”

“Look at Kerr playing all his players unlike JJ”

“We need to get bam(or any other C the lakers can’t afford)”

The amount of stupid posts I’ve seen is driving me insane. I get it’s the off season but what happened to common sense?

Reaves had a bad series yes. But all of a sudden he needs to be shipped out? It’s not even like lakers are paying him a shit ton either. He’s been out playing his contract this season.

JJ did make some mistakes as a rookie coach would. He should’ve at least attempted to put Hayes out there again but look at the roster construction. Hayes is a backup big who is expected to play like a starter against an All star C? Vando can’t play offensively, Gabe is inconsistent, dalton can’t play defence, and the rest of the bench can’t really make an impact.

JJ can’t play a bench when there is no bench to play. Simple.

As for a C. We aren’t going get a team’s starting C. Stop it. What assets would we give up? How will we match the contracts?

It's just one half, and things can turn around, but 31 points by halftime?! Lol, where was this performance vs. us? They played the Lakers like it was the NBA Finals. Now, well... we'll see!

Halftime: Warriors 44 - Wolves 31.

Hello Lakers faithful!

Never posted a thread here but…..

As a die-hard fan who’s been bleeding purple and gold for over 40 years, I’ve seen the highs, the lows, and everything in between. This season’s first-round exit fu@kin sucked, no doubt. But this is just the beginning.

Bringing Luka to L.A. was a game-changer. Trading Anthony Davis for him was rough, but it’s the kind of move that sets up dynasties.

Luka’s already showing he’s the cornerstone we need, and with his chemistry with Coach JJ Redick, we’re building something special.

JJ’s transition from player to coach has been seamless. His vision for the team and his relationship with Luka are evident on the court. He’s instilling a culture of accountability and excellence that’s reminiscent of our championship years.

With Luka as our centerpiece, it’s time to make strategic moves. Everyone else should be on the table if it means building a roster that complements his talents. We need players who can defend, shoot, and run the floor. Pelinka has shown he’s not afraid to make big moves, and I trust he’ll get it done.

LeBron has given us everything, and as he contemplates his future, we honor his contributions. He helped the franchise the year Kobe passed on, and cemented banner 17.

But the torch has been passed, and Luka is ready to carry it. It’s a new chapter, and the story is just beginning.

We’ve weathered storms before, and we’ve always come out stronger. This is a time for unity, for belief, and for unwavering support. The pieces are coming together, and with Luka leading the way, our next championship isn’t a matter of if…..it’s a matter of when.

LAKESHOW!!!!!!!!

And trying to argue Jaxson Hayes would’ve made a difference had he played 25+ minutes is diabolical. We were the 3rd seed that ran out of gas with an incomplete roster. Get a grip.

Proposed trade was Westbrook and our two picks at the time 27 & 29. Do we regret not doing this trade at the time? We would have added a true center next to AD that could guard the rim and hit 3's at a decent clip plus Buddy was/is still an elite shooter although spotty.

If the Cavs continue to get embarrassed do you think they’d be willing to part ways with one of their bigs? What would we have to give up to get Jarret Allen?

Something that can’t be overstated is that great teams have deep bonds and friendships. Some of our players should fly to Slovenia this summer to kick it with Luka and/or go watch him play in EuroBasket. This team needs to become a brotherhood to be prosperous and I think a move like this would only strengthen the bond. I’m specifically looking at Rui and AR. I see them as key pieces of our team and I’d like to see them supporting one another.

Lakers season is over. Talk about the other playoff series, what offseason moves we should make or whatever you want.

This could be a long one, but it's only been a week and I'm tired of some of these narratives being talked about with absolutely no basis in fact. A whole lot of people utterly convinced on what does and doesn't work with no backup to that opinion besides feelings. Let's breakdown a few tired narratives.

1. Austin can't fit with Luka on a competitive team. The first reason people bring up- defense. Oh Austin and Luka are too unathletic to defend! From February 1st to March 8th, the Lakers were the 2nd highest Drtg in the league. That's 16 games, nearly a 5th of the season a stretch where they didn't have AD and added Luka without adding a Center to the mix. March 8th marks where the Lakers lost both Bron and Rui (and others) for an extended stretch that killed the rating. The point is- they defended at an elite level over that stretch beating teams like the Knicks twice, Clippers 3x, Warriors, Indiana, Denver, and Minnesota. Obviously injury derailed that momentum as the season carried on. They don't need to be a Top 5 defense either so even if that number balances out over a season to Top 10, that's not nothing either.

2. LeBron, Luka, and Austin are just a bad fit. The Lakers had 4 lineups that totaled over 100 minutes played together for a 5 man rotation. Of them, 3 were between +1.2 and +3.7. The 4th lineup was Luka, DFS, Rui, LeBron, and AR with a whopping +24.1 in 108:07 played. They fit together just fine. That team took 11 more FGA than their opponents because they could get stops and score efficiently on the other end. In fact Luka and Austin feature in 2/3 of the Lakers' best 4 man combos that were +29.7 and +19.3 respectively, 2/4 of the best 3 man combos at +15.8 and +8.7 respectively (Austin was in 4 of the top 5), and were 4th in the two man combos at +7.6 in 667 minutes (DFS was actually in all 3 of our top 2-man groups with the other big 3 member respectively). AR and Luka fit great together, the numbers bear it out.

2b. We have the formula, Luka needs Kyrie and Austin isn't it. In 2024 and 2025 Kyrie averaged almost the exact same thing- 25/4/5 with 1.3 steals on ~48/40/91 splits (+ some efficiency as the 2nd option). Austin just averaged 20/5/6 with 1.1 steals on 46/38/88 over the year and 23/5/5 with 1.1 steals on 48/40/91 in 29 games after the deadline with Luka. The main difference in production for both seasons was Kyrie taking roughly 5 more shots per game to average roughly 5 more points. Kyrie is shiftier and historically better than Austin, no doubt. This is 2025 and Austin has closed that gap. He just put up a season absolutely comparable to Darius Garland, Kyrie Irving, Tyler Herro, and Jalen Williams and they were all All Stars in 2025. I'm not saying he should have been an All Star over them necessarily, I understand why Garland and Williams beat him out, but ultimately he was on their level. Austin put those numbers up for a 50 win team good for 3rd in the West. I understand the playoffs left a bad taste in people's mouths, but skating past the numbers to me is insane.

3. We know what Luka needs to win and the Lakers need to build around him. Duh. The Lakers obviously need to build around Luka, they just said as much in a conference with JJ and Rob. However, why is there only one way to build around him? This mentality is crazy. There's only one way to build a successful team around a generational talent? Why would that be true? Clearly the team needs some changes, but acting like they need to trade Austin to fit that vision is crazy. I just showed you that Austin is not dramatically different from Kyrie in 2025 and ya'll want the Dallas build, so why the push to move Austin specifically? That implies that the team needs to move on from Rui, Bron, Vando, and DFS who aren't analogous enough to PJ Washington, Naji Marshall, Dereck Lively, etc.? I'd rather have the first group tbh as long as the team adds an effective Center.

4. The Lakers have no assets. You'd think fans would have learned by now that those narratives are just wrong? How many times in the last 3 years have we heard that? Westbrook wasn't an asset, he'd cost 2 1sts just to move him! No way we can get Luka! Nunn is a dead asset! The Lakers have over 40 million in expiring contracts. That's not nothing. Knecht is not nothing. They do have picks they can move. Will those all equate to an All Star coming back? No, almost definitely not. They don't need an All Star. They need to balance some salary and fill some holes. Guys like Gabe and Kleber on this team cannot make 11 million dollars each. There are plenty of Centers who make between 10ish-27ish million that the Lakers could get without giving up Austin, Rui, or even Vando who could help the team immediately. They'd also have enough money to spend the TPMLE as well to fill more holes. You don't need to blow up the roster and trade half their usable players just to improve the team.

5. This team isn't a contender. "How can anyone think they're a contender after that flameout!?" Because they just put up a 50 win season, 3rd in the West, and they have Luka Doncic. They are a contender who burnt out against a bigger, stronger team after trying to fight their way back from injuries and a roster without a Center. You don't think LeBron might hold up better if he doesn't have to be a full time small ball Center for 30 games? You don't think Austin holds up better if Luka/Bron aren't constantly in and out of the lineup because they're banged up trying to make up for a lack of Center? JJ was a rookie coach who just hit 50 wins with an ever evolving roster. Luka had to make it work on the fly. The future is bright for this team, they are absolutely a contender. It's a disappointing end to the season, no doubt, but this panic and need to blow it up is just nonsensical to me. The need to pit Bron vs. Luka or jettison AR is reactionary as hell.

tldr- This sub has devolved into a glass bubble of self hate towards the team in which "objectivity" has become synonymous with "the team stinks". Ya'll need perspective. The roster is imperfect, but completely capable of being balanced without losing the Big 3.

Note- nowhere in here do I say the team doesn't need changes. nowhere in here do I say the team doesn't need a C or doesn't need to get more athletic. nowhere in here do I say the team is good as is and shouldn't look for improvements.

Assuming Rob can land 1 of these centers, who would you guys prefer?

Play-style, Assets given up, Fit with team, Age, Temperament, Injury history,

Taking these things into account, who would you guys pick?

I love his hustle but I am tired of his inability to play offense. Dude can’t make layups without getting blocked. He can’t shoot any kind of midrange and his 3ball is non-existent.

He’s a 1D player who is not serviceable in the playoffs and takes 12 mil in cap space. I would move him for anything other than a guard if possible. Maybe try and package him with Reaves for someone else. Would love shipping him off if we can sign NAW to the MLE as well

Apparently, Shaq would dump weeks' worth of his human waste on rookies' heads to haze them

https://streamable.com/pinxx3?src=player-page-share

While I know it isn’t happening, why haven’t we seen creative tradesmen start floating a three team trade. Lebron to Houston so they can get their big player and Lebron can go for one last title. Houston’s youth to Milwaukee, so they can rebuild. And Giannis to the Lakers so they can create their super team without losing depth.

AGAIN I know it’s like a 1% chance. But we see all kinds of crazy ideas pop up. Fans will suggest Lebron play for the minimum, but you won’t see creative trades like this.

Do you think it’s because fans are rational when it comes to bigger trades? Or know LeBron has a no trade clause and loves LA? Curious if we will start seeing crazier trade ideas the closer we get to the draft. Do you think that comes?

At this point, is there still room for Austin Reaves to take a meaningful step forward defensively?

Assuming he puts in the work this offseason, what exactly needs to improve? Is it lateral quickness and agility to stay in front of quicker guards? Or is it more about anticipation, positioning, and defensive IQ?

And more importantly, would one offseason really be enough for him to hold his own come playoff time, and justify being part of the long-term core next to Luka?

Curious to hear your thoughts on what his realistic progress looks like if he works on it this summer, and if that potential growth is enough for how the front office evaluates his fit moving forward.

Hell yeah. Anyone but Boston from the East at this point. Eat shit, Boston! Y’all already know it but it still feels good to shit on em every chance we get

The arguments for trading AR, has simply been, 'he's redundant with Luka.'

edit. And no, I'm not taking into account the 40-year old Lebron James as the secondary playmaker. That's idiotic. Just, no. He's the $50m cherry on top of the sundae, he isn't included in the construction of said sundae, at least not anymore.

Here's a top (cope) comment on a post when Brunson was announced he was leaving for the NYK:

Obviously I would have loved to keep Brunson.. But if we want to maximize our potential, Brunson just isnt the right fit in the starting lineup. Especially at $25+M a year...When Luka is your PG, your combo guard's best strengths cannot be primary-ball handler and ISO ball if you want to maximize the Lineups effectiveness.

Do you know what happened the following season after making the WCF with Brunson?

• They missed the playoffs.
• Thought they could bump Dinwiddie to that role (from 6th man). He ended up being traded mid-season.
• At the deadline, they went out and traded (Dinwiddie) specifically for Kyrie, "a combo guard who's best strengths are a primary-ball handler and ISO ball."

Then, after an off-season and a full season together, drafting Lively, and also making trade(s) for Washington and Gafford mid-season, they reached the NBA Finals.

The point is, both problems existed at the same time; lack of another playmaker, and need for athletic bigs. Which one did they go solve first? Which one also takes more time to develop chemistry? Probably the one where they control the ball.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Need for trading Rui:

Lakers tax, or lack there of. That's it. How many good to great 3PT shooters come to LA, and then forget how to shoot?

He's averaging 46.4% from 3PT in the playoffs, and a solid 40.1% thru the regular season thru 2.5 seasons here.

He, along with DFS this season, are 2 of only 13 Forwards (either SF or PF) to have higher than 40% from 3PT% (on a minimum of 200 attempts).

Rui came here as basically a non-shooter, and turned into one of the league's best spot up 3PT shooters. Those don't grow on trees.

What seems to be the most important thing in today's NBA? 3&D Wings, especially if they're at least great at one of those two things. Welp, he's great at one. And he's at least league average at D ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).

It's going to take a very interesting piece, one that isn't named Claxton, to justify trading either of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, addressing the Big issue:

Be prepared for the team to make marginal moves. Their key should obviously be to get bigs, and preferably at least one athletic lob threat.

You know how DAL solved their issue at the big, outside of having Lively fall to them? They targeted Gafford, a dude who was splitting time as a starter and backup for a few years. Those are the types of bigs they should target.

BUT...if Claxton is still a target, it'll be for pieces people here aren't looking at:

BKN:

• Knecht ($4m/yr rookie contract)
• Gabe ($11m/yr expiring)
• Kleber ($11m/yr expiring)
• '31 unprotected FRP
• Whatever swaps

LAL: Claxton ($25m).

Reasons LAL does this? Obvious. Conglomerate salary into a playable playoff rotation need.

Reasons BKN does this? They're in rebuild, have a slew of younger centers they can develop (re-sign RFA Sharpe, Clowney to backup, also played Watford and Timme at the end of this season), and creates even more flexibility for the big '26 FA off-season.

Potential FA targets (regardless if they're BAE/TPMLE/Vet Min):

• Steven Adams
• Brook Lopez
• Luke Kornet (keep up the former 'Celtics to Finals win' pipeline, just like McAdoo, Fox and Rondo)
• Sandro Mamukelashvili (a little small, but got some bounce)
• Any other big not named Horford, Capela or Looney

I do think whatever happens, this team is most likely returning about 70% of their rotation minutes back from this year.

Anyways, just temper expectations, and bring chill vibes. This should be an exciting time as a Lakers fan, not a fucking Debbie Downer party wanting to shit on everything.

Lakers have possibly 4 playoff quality NBA players. Outside of Bron, AR, Luka and Rui, the players would struggle for minutes on any other playoff team. (AR didn’t show it but he can make a playoff impact) DFS playing 30+ minutes in the playoffs is not going to make for a good result. Same with Gabe Vincent and Vando, it’s asking too much for these guys to go out and play this much of a role.

The hate of JJ is somewhat deserved due to running starters for a whole half but at the same time looking to the other options puts him between a rock and a hard place.

The criticism has some merit, especially in the defensive scheme could have been improved but looking at all the remaining teams in the playoffs, it’s pretty clear that 4-7 are much more talented or at least fit better with their own schemes

Lakers season is over. Talk about the other playoff series, what offseason moves we should make or whatever you want.

Fuck all the negativity, I miss seeing my boys hoop. Watching these playoff games don't hit the same man. Couldn't really care less on whoever wins this year. Hope we have a good off-season and kill it next year.

I love AR and I love LeBron. But let’s be real—running a lineup with LeBron, Luka, and AR is just too flawed defensively.

LeBron can’t go full speed all game anymore, he’s gotta save his legs. AR isn’t terrible on defense, but he just doesn’t have the physicality for playoff-level intensity. Luka’s been a liability on the perimeter—he’s actually decent in the post and on the boards, but teams are killing us on switches.

Watching Wolves vs. Warriors today, it’s night and day. Their defense was locked in—tight rotations, no easy shots, everything contested. Meanwhile, teams get comfortable looks against us. Every shot the Wolves took vs. the Warriors was rushed. Against us? Smooth rhythm jumpers.

Playoff basketball is a game of inches. And with this trio, we just don’t have the physical tools to close those gaps. No matter how smart or skilled they are, they can’t cover ground like elite defenders.

Jaxson Hayes honestly helped when he got real minutes—length, hustle, could guard 1–5. Yeah, he made a few mistakes, but JJ pulled the plug instead of coaching him up. That told me JJ panicked. It wasn’t “how do we win?”—it was “oh no, we can’t lose.”

At this point, I think we seriously need to explore trading AR to bring in more athleticism. And LeBron? He needs to be on a 25–30 minute cap next season. Let him go all-out when he plays, instead of jogging through possessions—it’s hurting the flow and setting bad habits for the team.

We’ve got to go all-in building around Luka this offseason. I just hope LeBron takes a pay cut so we have some room to maneuver. Because right now, the roster and assets are not in a good place.

1. Elite shooter who can defend PG/SG (40% on 4 attempts) - mostly catch and shoot and transition

2. Can defend PG/SG - 1.5 steals a game and 98th percentile in deflections.

3. ~2M/Yr

Upside: He is a perfect plug and play type of player to put next to Luka/AR. Think of Dennis Shroder type of player.

Downside: He isn't a big player so can't really guard bigger guards. He can't really create for himself and is more of a guard 3&D.