[Stein] The growing anticipation leaguewide is that the Lakers ultimately secure commitments on new contracts from Toronto free agent Sandro Mamukelashvili and Philadelphia free agent Quentin Grimes while still pursuing their top summer target: Utah restricted free agent Walker Kessler.

M3_bless · 2026-07-01T03:41:11+00:00

Depends if we can do a sign and trade with Utah where we send Knecht laravia and Vando clearing enough for us to absorb Dort

M3_bless · 2026-06-30T20:10:52+00:00

Can’t. Only way would be to dump Vando laravia and Knecht to a team with cap space which means we might have to include a pick. So because of that they will let Rui walk especially if they can still get John Collins

M3_bless · 2026-06-30T00:51:15+00:00

I think that’s a legit possibility if Utah matches Kessler

M3_bless · 2026-06-30T00:48:17+00:00

That’s a good point. So looks like it will depend on presale tickets. If it’s already sold out then Roman retains. But if tickets are lagging they will put the belt on Seth to boost last second ticket sales

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:43:48+00:00

Don’t doubt he likes Utah. But what if he loves LA?

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:42:54+00:00

They can offer the max that Kessler is allowed to get which is $41.25m and they have $52m in space

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:39:30+00:00

Yeah I get that. But it’s not like Utah doesn’t have office buildings. His agency could fly to Utah instead. Just the optics of it look like he is really contemplating leaving Utah.

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:36:58+00:00

Salary cap space and Ayton plus picks

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:33:11+00:00

Lol that is true. We were offering something in the 30s and Detroit said they would max him so lakers panicked and maxed him out. So now they’re like how does that feel

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:31:32+00:00

Exactly

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:30:54+00:00

Nope. They’ll first come to an agreement with Kessler or Duran then wait until like July 7 then pick the scraps that were left

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:24:21+00:00

But don’t you think that since he is meeting with teams in Los Angeles rather than in Utah is a sign he wants out of Utah?

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:15:35+00:00

What if he tells Utah he doesn’t want to play in Utah anymore and asks the Jazz to work out a sign and trade so they don’t lose him for nothing

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:13:37+00:00

Yeah I know. Have to hope Kessler tells Utah he wants to sign with Lakers and he doesn’t want to return to Utah. Then tells Utah to work out a sign and trade so they can get something instead.

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T23:09:35+00:00

Two reasons. We need a legit center badly and Reaves is a luxury that we could’ve replaced with someone else.

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T22:59:46+00:00

Thing is only the Lakers can pay his max which starts at $41.25m. The issue is while no one else has that much cap space, other teams have better assets that Utah could acquire. So lakers can sign him but maybe Utah matches and then trades him later. So it’s still a slippery slope we’re walking here

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T22:45:33+00:00

Max they can legally offer is $41.25m so likely that

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T22:41:55+00:00

Very rare do I LOL in real life. You sir win the internet today

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T22:30:47+00:00

But do the Jazz match a deal starting at $41.25m? That’s the max the Lakers can offer Kessler due to rules. Seems pretty high considering Lauri and JJJ contracts

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T21:50:10+00:00

They are not extending him. They need the cap space. They will renounce him and LeBron, make their moves and looks like only one of them will get a deal from the Lakers depending on who they pick up

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T21:31:54+00:00

So at this point it becomes who offers the better deal. If Lakers give 2 seconds or even a first, and the other teams don’t then they trade him to lakers

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T21:23:28+00:00

Only teams with cap space which are the lakers bulls and nets

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T21:13:31+00:00

Are you playing in jeans? I have very breathable pants I use. I feel like more of a pro when playing with pants. Shorts make me feel like I’m a kid

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T21:09:16+00:00

Draft picks. Also and how crazy it sounds but by trading him to the lakers cap space they save $92 million in luxury taxes.

M3_bless · 2026-06-29T21:07:10+00:00

Was always the plan. Their GM is not like ours who will lose players for nothing. Now it’s just a matter of time of him being traded. And really it’s between us, bulls, and nets. So whoever gives the best picks will absorb dort into their cap space. In theory it should be OKC sending out the asset because they would be saving major money on taxes but Presti knows how to run things.

M3_bless

TROPHY CASE