The Los Angeles Lakers 2026 Offseason Thread

[DJ "I'm blessed" Fieri]

The question is...should they?

Like most Lakers fans, I love AR and hope he stays. But what if they can improve the team by letting him walk and bringing a couple of quality 3 and D guys, or a rim running big who protects the paint?

One thing the Walter group has shown with the Dodgers is that they're not afraid to move on from popular and/or All Star caliber players if they think they can improve the team overall. They moved on from Corey Seager and Trea Turner just to name a couple. Hard to argue the results...but folks weren't real happy at time they happened.

I know.....I have thought the same.....he and Luka in the same backcourt is pretty weak defensively.

Or they could sign and trade just him to another team.....maybe.

 

[DJ "I'm blessed" Fieri]

Smart could start (28mpg or so) next to Luka and they could re-sign Hach and go get a few defensive guys.....maybe use the MLE on a better C than Ayton if he declines his option.

Especially if Bron returns for another season.

 

[Retroram52]

Lots of clickbait going on with potential trades. I like the three-team trade bringing back AD and getting Ace Bailey and four Second Rounders from Washington and Utah. The Lakers would move Knecht and Vanderbilt and maybe LaRavia and of course future First and Second Rounders!

 

[shopson67]

To be fair, we don't know what Lebron wants right now. From what has been said, he's taking some time to decide.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens. This is the first off-season in his career where he doesn't hold all the cards. If he wants a max or near max deal, the only team within shouting distance of being a contender who can give it to him is the Lakers. If the Lakers don't want to give him that much, his only other choice would be to go to a bad team who'll just be looking to put butts in seats.

For the first time, he's going to be negotiating with a team that can tell him..."we can pay you considerably less, use that space to improve the team around and maybe get one last run...or we can not re-sign you and have even more cap space to improve the team around Luka...your choice".

He's "taken some time" every year he's been a potential free agent, nothing new to see here really. Odds are he wants to stay with the Lakers, question becomes at what salary. Other contenders are going to either offer the MLE at most or need a S&T, hard capping them at the 1st apron.

 

[trojanfan12]

He's "taken some time" every year he's been a potential free agent, nothing new to see here really. Odds are he wants to stay with the Lakers, question becomes at what salary. Other contenders are going to either offer the MLE at most or need a S&T, hard capping them at the 1st apron.

Yeah, it's just interesting because this is arguably the first time that a team he's negotiating with can actually negotiate from a position of strength.

 

[shopson67]

Yeah, it's just interesting because this is arguably the first time that a team he's negotiating with can actually negotiate from a position of strength.

He had previously offered to take a little less during his last free agency. Now the reality is a bit harsher.

 

[shopson67]

Harsher is an odd way to put it as well. He's a billionaire that has made nearly full max available to him for his entire career. Expecting that to continue in year 24 would be excessive at this point.

 

[DJ "I'm blessed" Fieri]

 

[shopson67]

View attachment 429769

What is with that bad photoshop pic lol?

 

[DJ "I'm blessed" Fieri]

What is with that bad photoshop pic lol?

What?


He said it.

 

[shopson67]

What?
View attachment 429812

He said it.

I didn't question the quote, just the bad photoshop job behind it.

 

[DJ "I'm blessed" Fieri]

I didn't question the quote, just the bad photoshop job behind it.

Fucking picky and petty today.

SMH.

 

[shopson67]

Fucking picky and petty today.

SMH.

It's not directed at you, unless you assembled that. It's distractingly out of perspective.

 

[DJ "I'm blessed" Fieri]

 

[DJ "I'm blessed" Fieri]

He gonna be doing the analytics and strategy stuff Walter does with the Dodgers.

 

[trojanfan12]

View attachment 430011

Dude's an actual Rocket Scientist.

Maybe it's rocket science after all?

 

[Retroram52]

Pretty darn good hire and Walter is making his transformative moves!!

 

[trojanfan12]

Just heard an interesting possibility re: Lebron.

Lebron has a $54 million cap hold. This means that until the Lakers and Lebron reach an agreement or the Lakers renounce their rights to him...the Lakers have no cap space.

They simply don't have time to wait until late July or August for Lebron to decide if he wants to play or not...

This could create a scenario where they end up renouncing their rights to him in June or early July, then maybe revisiting signing him for a lower amount, later in the off-season.

 

[shopson67]

Just heard an interesting possibility re: Lebron.

Lebron has a $54 million cap hold. This means that until the Lakers and Lebron reach an agreement or the Lakers renounce their rights to him...the Lakers have no cap space.

They simply don't have time to wait until late July or August for Lebron to decide if he wants to play or not...

This could create a scenario where they end up renouncing their rights to him in June or early July, then maybe revisiting signing him for a lower amount, later in the off-season.

This may be where his recent quote comes into play. If he's in contact with Rob about what the Lakers would plan to do with that cap space, he may re-sign early to a lower number, freeing up that cap.

I think that July/August talk was a bit of trolling by Lebron to drum up more talk.

 

[Retroram52]

Apparently it is safe to say that the Lakers are not waiting until July to hear from or decide on LeBron James.

With all the moves Walter is making in the front office, he is also planning for the draft.

As Walter as proven many times with the Dodgers and as TJF12 has stated several times, James is not in control of Walter and the Lakers as he used to be when the Lakers were owned by the Buss Family.

Walter will continual pursuit of his roster development and if James works out, so be it. If not, I am quite sure Walter has plans that he can continue forward without allowing James to call the shots!!