(07-03-2025, 07:57 AM)FireNicoHarrison Wrote: Street clothes for Siakam&Nembhard... End of our roster problem.

(07-03-2025, 02:45 AM)ACMFFL Wrote: Lakers defense is gonna be comical bad unless they acquire multiple good wing defenders.

(07-03-2025, 10:01 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: I think they’ll be a little better than you think on most nights when Ayton is locked in.


Keeping him locked in will be a problem though. Reddick has a challenge. Not only does he have to balance Lebrons ego, but he also has to not step on Ayton’s toes.

Him and Monty used to get into it all the time and it was difficult keeping his motor up. When that motor is high though, he’s a fantastic player. But I fear if JJ and Ayton clash the divide will be too big to overcome within the season.

(07-03-2025, 12:09 PM)Smitty Wrote: @Gambo987
I don't know if they trade him never said one way or the other. Just mentioned what I was told plain and simple and those who know me understand this info only comes from really good sources. Lebron and Reaves don't like playing with him (LUKA) and that LA would love to move on from Lebron if they can. No idea if he gets traded or bought out but time will tell.


This is just wild to me. I thought LeBron loved Luka's game. Don't care about the Reaves part. BUT the Lakers would "love to move on from LeBron" is also kinda crazy... Love him or hate him, he made the Lakers relevant again after a long drought. Won a title... Now they would love to move on from him?

(07-03-2025, 12:09 PM)Smitty Wrote: @Gambo987
I don't know if they trade him never said one way or the other. Just mentioned what I was told plain and simple and those who know me understand this info only comes from really good sources. Lebron and Reaves don't like playing with him (LUKA) and that LA would love to move on from Lebron if they can. No idea if he gets traded or bought out but time will tell.


This is just wild to me. I thought LeBron loved Luka's game. Don't care about the Reaves part. BUT the Lakers would "love to move on from LeBron" is also kinda crazy... Love him or hate him, he made the Lakers relevant again after a long drought. Won a title... Now they would love to move on from him?

(07-03-2025, 12:09 PM)Smitty Wrote: @Gambo987
I don't know if they trade him never said one way or the other. Just mentioned what I was told plain and simple and those who know me understand this info only comes from really good sources. Lebron and Reaves don't like playing with him (LUKA) and that LA would love to move on from Lebron if they can. No idea if he gets traded or bought out but time will tell.


This is just wild to me. I thought LeBron loved Luka's game. Don't care about the Reaves part. BUT the Lakers would "love to move on from LeBron" is also kinda crazy... Love him or hate him, he made the Lakers relevant again after a long drought. Won a title... Now they would love to move on from him?

(07-03-2025, 12:09 PM)Smitty Wrote: @Gambo987
I don't know if they trade him never said one way or the other. Just mentioned what I was told plain and simple and those who know me understand this info only comes from really good sources. Lebron and Reaves don't like playing with him (LUKA) and that LA would love to move on from Lebron if they can. No idea if he gets traded or bought out but time will tell.


This is just wild to me. I thought LeBron loved Luka's game. Don't care about the Reaves part. BUT the Lakers would "love to move on from LeBron" is also kinda crazy... Love him or hate him, he made the Lakers relevant again after a long drought. Won a title... Now they would love to move on from him?

(07-03-2025, 12:13 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Cam Whitmore has been linked to the Lakers in a potential sign-and-trade for Dorian Finney-Smith, per @AnthonyIrwinLA

“Another name league sources have linked to the Lakers: Cam Whitmore. If Houston decides to shed a little salary or if they expand the Kevin Durant trade to include their acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith, Whitmore – who is looking for a larger role than he’d have on that loaded Rockets roster – is considered a candidate to be moved.”

(07-03-2025, 12:15 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: It's probably being overblown, but I have exactly zero trouble believing the two ball-handlers for LA prior to the Luka trade are less than thrilled with their new roles after acquiring him. We've talked a ton around here about how difficult it is to get into rhythm on offense with one guy monopolizing the ball for 20 seconds of every 24-second shot clock. 

Personally, I'm happy the Mavs are out from under that style of play (though I wish they had a little more skill with the ball to replace Luka).

(07-03-2025, 12:18 PM)Smitty Wrote: I get that. But the biggest takeaway for me might be that this is pretty damaging to Luka and there's no way LeBron is back with the Lakers this season with this getting out there.

(07-03-2025, 12:18 PM)Smitty Wrote: I get that. But the biggest takeaway for me might be that this is pretty damaging to Luka and there's no way LeBron is back with the Lakers this season with this getting out there.

(07-03-2025, 06:44 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: Caruso, Monk and KCP are still possibilities.

(07-03-2025, 12:21 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Well...I for one DON'T think this latest round of LeBron drama is just a media creation. I think he (LeBron) really wants...something. Not sure if it's a trade, a buyout, or just for the Lakers to continue catering to him and not Luka during his last year or two. But, I don't think it's all a big nothing, as has been suggested. 

At the end of the day though, I'm not sure it will amount to anything. Nobody is going to trade for him, as we've discussed ad nauseam. I've wondered if his goal is to force a buyout, but I'm not sure.

(07-03-2025, 12:36 PM)Winter Wrote: Can you imagine JJ Reddick trying to sleep at night? You have to think about pleasing these guys every night. Luka, LeBron, Ayton, Whitmore. You'd probably love Reaves when he's stacked up against all these other players who are complaining about something. You'd probably forget completely that you have LaRiva.

(07-03-2025, 12:44 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Yeah, it's kind of all a mess. What strikes me is how hopeless their situation is. They have Luka, yes, and we think that's likely to make the next era easy to reach, but he's already going to be 27, and LA is basically right where Dallas was when he was younger. He/they are faced with almost starting over, and with one of the worst front offices in all of sports, right after a big sale where ownership cashed in (providing a glimpse of what the Buss family has been focused on, recently). I think the new ownership group has been very good for the Dodgers, but I doubt they'll be able to affect too much positive change until Pelinka is removed, and meanwhile, the clock on Luka's career is ticking away. 

Honestly, I'm growing less and less interested in the Lakers as each day passes. When the deal went down I had nightmares of watching Luka succeed in a different team's uniform (at the expense of my team, fairly often) and while I'm sure he'll have some good games against Dallas, I mostly just feel sorry for him now because I don't think LA will be a team of any consequence for quite some time. I'm starting to wonder if it might be prudent for Luka to jump to either Denver or Miami when he gets the chance.

(07-03-2025, 12:15 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: It’s genuinely insane to me how Lebron and Reaves were gifted the most talented player under 26 in the NBA and top 3 in the league and they are still finding ways to complain. 

Luka does require some intricacies more than others but what star doesn’t? One of them is that he requires a lot of effort from all of his other teammates. Lebron and Reaves don’t have that effort.