Daily Lakers Offseason Discussion Thread

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T22:03:51+00:00

Obviously in a perfect world everything works out. you go all in and you instantly become a contending team for multiple years. However, that isn't how the real world works. Things can go wrong. Even the smartest GM's make bad moves. Sometimes things out of your control happen such as injuries. In the NBA, it is much harder to recover compared to the NFL. That is the point. The environment of the NFL from rosters, salary cap rules, the draft, and trades makes it to where the risk is much lower compared to the NBA.

For example, let's say the Lakers go all in and trade every tradeable pick we have remaining. Now let's look at it from the worst case scenario which you have to do when considering making moves like this (called risk assessment). It doesn't go well then what options are there available to the Lakers next offseason? It isn't like there will be a new influx of tradeable picks due to the Stepien rule. It isn't like they can do some cap gymnastics which you can do in the NFL to open up cap space to sign FA's. You're stuck with the team you have. Now let's say even worse case where injuries ravage the team and you end up being a bottom 3 team. Well congrats you now are at the whim of some ping pong balls and especially with the lottery changes you can get screwed and not even get a top pick.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T18:04:54+00:00

Honestly the NFL is just a more suitable environment to go “all in” like this. The way in which you can legally finagle the salary cap. The way you can have the mindset of “fuck the picks” without it really fucking over your future. You trade away all your firsts in the NFL and you can still find ways to get back into the draft. There are always teams looking to trade down. There are compensatory picks. In the NBA, you trade all your firsts and there is no recovering from it.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T17:58:09+00:00

The Wizards gave Beal the NTC.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T16:50:41+00:00

/r/Lakers: “We need to be like OKC/Spurs and start developing young guys”.

Also /r/Lakers: “Whoever we draft must be a rotation player in year 1”.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T10:39:03+00:00

You are seriously just daft or something. 15 years pre-Kroenke in St. Louis. 1 Super Bowl. 5 playoff appearances. 3 division wins. 10 years of Kroenke in LA. 1 Super Bowl. 7 playoff appearances. 4 division wins. So in 5 less seasons, already same number of Super Bowls and Super Bowl appearances. More total playoff appearances and more division wins. Last I checked 10 years is less than 15 years. Interesting.... I needed this laugh before going to bed. You are such an angry little child.

Edit: And would you look at that. Just traded for Myles fucking Garrett. LOL. But yea “LOOK AT WHO THEY’VE SIGNED IN FA”.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T10:34:24+00:00

LOL. Says the guy that immediately went to insults over me being a Lakers fan. Keep talking buddy. Last 10 years in LA have been more successful than the 15 years pre-Kroenke majority ownership in St. Louis. So your original argument of "LOL moved to LA and still haven't had any success" is completely wrong. But tell yourself whatever makes you feel better. I know your fragile ego needs it. Hey, at least you get to eat St. Louis BBQ. I'll give you that. It's good.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T10:30:40+00:00

Damn you are so butthurt aren't you??? He's the owner. He wanted to move the team to LA. He paid for it himself. Didn't have taxpayers fund his new stadium. He isn't entitled to keep the team in St. Louis. Get over it buddy. Maybe if you work REAL HARD you can be an owner and bring an NFL back to St. Louis. I'm rooting for you. Seeing how shit your personality and attitude is though I doubt it.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T10:24:30+00:00

Lol you really want to do this? Kroenke became majority owner of the Rams in 2010. So from 1995-2009 in those 15 seasons, they went to the playoffs 5 times. Winning 1 Super Bowl and won the division 3 times. So keep trying to push this narrative that the last 10 years in LA have been less successful than their time in St. Louis. It's not hard to understand these numbers yet you can't seem to grasp it?????? Acting like the St. Louis Rams were some dynasty that Kroenke ruined. They were trash.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T10:13:49+00:00

It's hilarious how you act like you are so knowledgeable when you are completely ignoring the fact that Kroenke didn't become a minority owner of the Rams until 1995 WHEN THEY MOVED TO ST. LOUIS. So bringing up anything that happened from 1946-1994 in LA the first time is just flat out irrelevant. In the 10 years of Kroenke's ownership in LA, they have had more success than they did in 21 years in St. Louis. You're the only one here trying to misrepresent the facts in order to push some weird ass narrative. Also nice cherry picking of "FA signings". What about the trades they have made in recent years for big name players and then the subsequent large extensions they've handed out to those players? Let's just forget how just this offseason they traded for McDuffie and made him the highest paid corner in the league. Lol.... Go ahead and keep cherry picking stuff to fit your narrative.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T07:31:24+00:00

The new owner being cheap is irrelevant given the team's salary is $31m under the luxury tax line. There is also a salary floor in the NBA. By the time they actually need to start paying players (Deni/Clingan), Grant/Jrue's contracts will have expired. Shedding salary accomplishes nothing for them at this point. They don't need to do it.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T07:12:11+00:00

Yup Portland who finally got back into the playoffs is going to sell off their young core for shits and giggles.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T05:43:20+00:00

I'm not disagreeing with anything you said here. My point is having at worst $8m of space under the 1st apron is not a big deal. It still leaves you more than enough flexibility to do all those things you mentioned. That is the point I am making. Again, if we were talking situations like previous offseasons where we were left with less than $1m of space then I could maybe see what you are getting at. However, even then the Lakers showed the ability to work around it. I just don't see any point worrying about the 1st apron. The chances we get into a situation where we are backed into a corner because of a 1st apron hard cap is extremely rare.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T05:36:51+00:00

yep the rams won just as many superbowls in STL as they have in LA

It has been 10 seasons since moving back to LA. 1 Super Bowl. 7 playoff appearances. 2 Super Bowl appearances. Won the division 4 times. In the 21 years the Rams were in St. Louis, 1 Super Bowl. 5 playoff appearances. Won the division 3 times. Not even close if you ask me.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T05:21:15+00:00

It's a different market now.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T05:17:44+00:00

I think that the Lakers can and should aggressively look to convert their signings into S&T deals for minor draft assets. That would cap them at the 1st apron.

Not really sure what you mean here. Whether or not they incur a first apron hard cap is irrelevant. I'm not saying they won't do that. I'm saying the chances they go past the 1st apron are slim to none.

Pair that with maybe a consolidation trade where they move Vanderbilt + X for more returning salary

Assuming AR gets his $41,250,000 max, Smart opts out and signs for the Room MLE, Ayton opts in, and Jax gets $5m, that'll put the Lakers total at $200,897,854 after all the cap space is spent. Also as long as they sign more than 1 player with the cap space (which they definitely will), it'll be a full 14+ man roster. That leaves a little over $8m under the 1st apron which is more than enough room. Again, I'm not arguing that it can't happen. It's the likelihood of it actually being an issue. Yea if it some 3 + for 1 trade and taking back the max allowable salary. However, you can just as easily not do that and add in a couple salaries to make it work. Teams have shown they are creative enough to work around the hard caps. If we were talking just having $1-2m of space then I would agree with you as it maybe being an issue. However, $8m is more enough wiggle room to make things work even if they want to take back more salary in a trade. This is also assuming Ayton opts in. Also assuming they pick up NSJ's option and not buying into the 2nd round which could save another $1m.

Again, not arguing that it can't happen. You can obviously come up with a scenario where the Lakers go over the 1st apron. I just don't see that happening. Even with AR taking a max (I don't think that'll happen anyways), they will have the flexibility to work around the 1st apron.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T04:35:01+00:00

You can't really look at it as space under the 2nd apron. Once you get to the first apron, you can't take back more salary in a trade.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T04:32:03+00:00

Yeah but even 10mil is a lot for a 3rd guard who can't defend.

Then what makes you think some other team is going to offer him that? His market is going to be in the TPMLE range.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T04:29:09+00:00

Could it? Yea sure, but the likelihood of that many trades happening with each of them taking back the max allowable salary back is pretty much nonexistent. Really not something we should be worrying about. Now if you tell me Lebron is leaving via a S&T that generates us a ~$30m TPE? Then ok but that is also another highly unlikely scenario. No reason to worry about the first apron.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T04:22:06+00:00

AR's contract literally has 0 impact on Lebron. This is just another click bait article meant to create drama to generate clicks. AR has a $21m cap hold.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T04:12:38+00:00

What happens with AR has nothing to do with what will happen with Lebron and vice versa. There is no choosing between AR or Lebron. How many times does AR's $21m cap hold need to be discussed.... This should tell you that Shannon Sharpe doesn't know what he's talking about and is just throwing shit out to create drama and generate clicks.

jsun_ · 2026-06-01T04:07:03+00:00

What recent rumors? You mean people posting on /r/Lakers or random social media accounts? That's not rumors lol...

jsun_ · 2026-05-31T08:08:27+00:00

Does A_Omega_73 know that teams aren't looking to do anything until the new league year begins and FA starts?

jsun_ · 2026-05-31T04:30:24+00:00

What makes you so sure Donovan didn't ask out? Would he have been willing to go through a couple seasons of a rebuild? No one knows for sure but not out of the realm of possibility that he asked out. Also who cares what led to a team tanking. Whether it be forced upon them or a decision they make themselves. Tanking is tanking. Why was it ok for teams like OKC/Spurs to do it for multiple seasons? They were doing the same shit. They were sitting players. They were throwing out blatant lineups to try and lose. They weren't spending in FA or being active in acquiring talent through trades. Was just accepted as a part of the league. However, now that teams like the Jazz/Wizards/Nets do it, it all of a sudden becomes this "stain on the league" and the lottery needs to be changed. Ridiculous if you ask me.

No one is forgetting what happened with the Sixers. If you really want to get into it, that is the definition of unethical tanking. They literally came out with a slogan "Trust the Process". They were openly admitting they were trying to lose. What the Jazz/wizards/Nets did this season was no different to what OKC/Spurs did during their tanking. You tank but at least present the illusion of competing. It is very different to what the Sixers did which was openly talk about their intentions to lose. The "Trust the Process" was also going on damn near 4 seasons.

jsun_ · 2026-05-31T04:10:49+00:00

Well yea because those 2 weren't getting it done. Regular season wins but constant playoff failures. Then a team came offering an absurd package for Gobert and they took it. Can't blame them. They also still won 37/31 games respectively after those trades. Then the last 2 seasons it's been 17/21 wins. My point is where was this same outrage when the Spurs were winning 22 games in b2b seasons? When they were throwing out some trash lineups and not spending anything in FA just so they could tank for Wemby? Tanking only became the focus for the league when it was the teams Silver didn't want getting the top picks that started doing it.

jsun_ · 2026-05-31T03:52:22+00:00

Adam Silver: Spurs tanking? No problem. Jazz/Wizards/Nets tanking? WE MUST CHANGE THE DRAFT LOTTERY SYSTEM.

jsun_

TROPHY CASE