Official 2025 Offseason Thread

[Skybox]

I don’t think Reeves is worth picks, especially not with the Lakers so desperate for a center. Send some of KCP/Harris/Cole to make salaries match, sure, but picks are too expensive.

C'mon Mr Drafter...what do you really think #25 is worth? or even #16 (Goga & KCP fit LAL's needs, but their "market value" is questionable)

LAL might be able to coerce some vet UFA to come play for a couple of years for vet min...Capela, Steven Adams, Lopez

I don't think Goga's youth and the opportunity for building something for longevity is a factor for LAL right now. Hopefully, Nico is forbidden from talking to Pelinka because Gafford is the best match that could be available.

I can easily GM lebron being like... "Bring my boy KCP back... we got this"... And goga is just goga. Doesn't work for our scheme when full healthy... (franz and paolo) with heavy switching... but i can see him looking good in others. And he had one of our better +/- or net ratings. I love the attitude of Goga... and he can take it to another level.... ESPECIALLY with 2 playmakers that will continuously look for him and get him the ball in high percentage territories. But if the 25th is needed to sweeten the pot... i'm down.

The other reason is.... leveraging for AR and that cheap contract for the next two years is pretty damn good and beyond cost effective.

Yeah I could see Goga running through walls and smiling like a doofy young Vlade Divac as Luka and Lebron cheer him on and coach him up. He's limited but he's, probably, "enough" to get the job done with that squad...KCP would slide right into a valuable role as well...they're loaded with solid wing defenders that are the right size to cover up and down and hit 3's. I actually really think it works for LAL, especially with some draft equity for their next move.

[pepe1991]

Austin Reaves is one year rental. He has player's option after next season. For sure he is not opting in to $14M contract, Pistons would be first team to dump $40M on him this summer if he is FA.

[eyriq]

Austin Reaves is one year rental. He has player's option after next season. For sure he is not opting in to $14M contract, Pistons would be first team to dump $40M on him this summer if he is FA.

If we trade for him it's because we are willing to beat any offer he'd get on the market.

[yoyojw17]

Austin Reaves is one year rental. He has player's option after next season. For sure he is not opting in to $14M contract, Pistons would be first team to dump $40M on him this summer if he is FA.

Didn't notice the 2nd year option. Yeah ... That makes it tougher to swallow. Haha .. yeah... Definitely no pick included. Actually rescinding everything .... Goga and Houston for a 1 year rental works for me.

At the minimum.... We see what that impact could have. Maybe sign and trade him if possible.... Best case... We win our championship.

[Skybox]

Austin Reaves is one year rental. He has player's option after next season. For sure he is not opting in to $14M contract, Pistons would be first team to dump $40M on him this summer if he is FA.

Didn't notice the 2nd year option. Yeah ... That makes it tougher to swallow. Haha .. yeah... Definitely no pick included. Actually rescinding everything .... Goga and Houston for a 1 year rental works for me.

At the minimum.... We see what that impact could have. Maybe sign and trade him if possible.... Best case... We win our championship.

Good luck with your "tough guy" negotiating...that's why Weltman gets laughed at. Great GM's like Riley just make s**t happen and they create an environment where good players believe they are in the right place...there would, of course, have to be a head check with Reaves and his agency to see what his vision for the future was. We're obviously not talking about a Kawhi to TOR situation here.

[basketballRob]

Austin Reaves is one year rental. He has player's option after next season. For sure he is not opting in to $14M contract, Pistons would be first team to dump $40M on him this summer if he is FA.

Didn't notice the 2nd year option. Yeah ... That makes it tougher to swallow. Haha .. yeah... Definitely no pick included. Actually rescinding everything .... Goga and Houston for a 1 year rental works for me.

At the minimum.... We see what that impact could have. Maybe sign and trade him if possible.... Best case... We win our championship.

The Lakers aren't trading Reaves for 2 players who may not make the team.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

[VFX]

I feel the likely list of PGs we can fit in our cap, can add efficient offense and could be available at the right price are:

Nembhard, Pritchard, Jerome, Donsumu, White, Reaves, Sexton, Porter Jr., McCollum.

Can't imagine us landing or fitting a Maxey/Herro. Can't see Houston letting FVV go. Not sure the wisdom of a real grey beard like Paul or Conley.

Porter Jr. is a v interesting one. He's starting to finally blow up in Milwaukee and they look to be in total disarray and with Lillard still on the books. Edit: and he's a FA whose last paycheck was $2m. Go after him hard and at worst he replaces Cole as 6th Man offensive guard. I know he was a piece of shït in the past, but good scouting can determine whether he's gotten his house in order or not.

Good post.

Nembhard - unlikely
Pritchard - very unlikely
Jerome - very unlikely
Dosunmu - likely
White - money won’t work on extension
Reaves - likely with right trade (tricky extension)
Sexton - likely with right trade
Simons - likely with right trade

Those are the guys that make the most sense. Orlando can “get away”’with a combo guard that can bend defenses. They need more or a trad point than a spot up shooter, but can get away with a hybrid playmaker. The must have skills here are ball handling and shooting. Magic can afford to hide defenses.

Any 1A talent is basically off the books IMO. I consider Maxey and Herro at that level basically.

I’m 100% not interested in 35+ year old vets (Paul,Conley) or old-ish guys with extensive injury histories (Brogdon, McCollum). Last thing Orlando needs is some guy collecting a paycheck by kicking the can down the road to make a decision for 2026-27. No thanks, make a decision.

Kevin Porter Jr has played 150/246 games in the last 3 seasons. I’m good. He’s also about as intelligent as Miles Bridges, James Bouknight, or LaMelo Ball.

Ayo Dosunmu is a name we don’t hear enough around here. I bet he would be gettable at the right price and he’s a somewhat sneaky under the radar low risk move.

[CZ Eddie]

SIAP

Paolo Banchero extension article:

https://hoopshype.com/2025/05/06/paolo-banchero-on-potential-extension-with-magic-hopefully-all-that-stuff-works-out/

No red flags

[eyriq]

SIAP

Paolo Banchero extension article:

https://hoopshype.com/2025/05/06/paolo-banchero-on-potential-extension-with-magic-hopefully-all-that-stuff-works-out/

No red flags

Terrific news! No red flags because he's excited to be joining one of the best young cores of all time in Franz and Suggs!!

[yoyojw17]

Austin Reaves is one year rental. He has player's option after next season. For sure he is not opting in to $14M contract, Pistons would be first team to dump $40M on him this summer if he is FA.

Didn't notice the 2nd year option. Yeah ... That makes it tougher to swallow. Haha .. yeah... Definitely no pick included. Actually rescinding everything .... Goga and Houston for a 1 year rental works for me.

At the minimum.... We see what that impact could have. Maybe sign and trade him if possible.... Best case... We win our championship.

Good luck with your "tough guy" negotiating...that's why Weltman gets laughed at. Great GM's like Riley just make s**t happen and they create an environment where good players believe they are in the right place...there would, of course, have to be a head check with Reaves and his agency to see what his vision for the future was. We're obviously not talking about a Kawhi to TOR situation here.

Lol ... There was meant to be some level of sarcasm in that one. But I do agree with pepe on the pick part. Yet... The Denver pick probably won't be a deal breaker for me.... But not leading with that one either.

But I would have no problem stepping out with KCP+ Goga for Reaves + Salary to start. LA will get 2 players that fit their system and are cost controlled for 2 more season. Probably maximum amount of time LeBron might still be there.

While we will get a one year rental and a possible headache to resign. Haha

[Idiosyncratic]

I think if you get Reaves it means the FO is willing to extend him. You hope it doesn't take as much as it may, but if it does I think he is a good enough fit that you try to make it work. Means no more selling 2nd round picks though.

Some of these packages for Reaves feel light to me. I think there is a really good chance the Lakers don't care about Goga and picks. I almost feel like the only way a deal gets done is if the Lakers view AB as a good longterm fit next to Luka.

[ogmagicfan]

Read on Twitter

Who voted for Weltham?!

[Skybox]

Read on Twitter

Who voted for Weltham?!

Not to pile on ...but I'd love to hear the reasoning

Honestly, it seems weird that more than 4 or 5 guys should ever get votes in a given year...aren't the actions & results pretty clear? I only mean that people would seemingly be arguing between only a handful of realistic candidates.

[ogmagicfan]

I think if you get Reaves it means the FO is willing to extend him. You hope it doesn't take as much as it may, but if it does I think he is a good enough fit that you try to make it work. Means no more selling 2nd round picks though.

Some of these packages for Reaves feel light to me. I think there is a really good chance the Lakers don't care about Goga and picks. I almost feel like the only way a deal gets done is if the Lakers view AB as a good longterm fit next to Luka.

My thing is Reaves even the solution at PG?

I dont think so. A Lakers fan on Twitter a couple months ago gave a great deep dive into Reaves weaknesses with passing the ball. I also watch a solid amount of Lakers ball.

He excels at certain things (like kick outs to shooter) but struggles in so many other different ways (like decision making, alot of the basic prerequisites for a PG, etc etc) that I wouldnt feel comfortable trading as many pieces, or giving him the kinda extension he'd want. Neutralizing his passing game would be fairly easy in the playoffs, and the Timberwolves did a great job of relegating him to being a 3 pt shooter who does the occassional drive

He's improved alot since joining the NBA, but not enough in the specific skill set we need from a PG, especially for the price.

[Idiosyncratic]

I think if you get Reaves it means the FO is willing to extend him. You hope it doesn't take as much as it may, but if it does I think he is a good enough fit that you try to make it work. Means no more selling 2nd round picks though.

Some of these packages for Reaves feel light to me. I think there is a really good chance the Lakers don't care about Goga and picks. I almost feel like the only way a deal gets done is if the Lakers view AB as a good longterm fit next to Luka.

My thing is Reaves even the solution at PG?

I dont think so. A Lakers fan on Twitter a couple months ago gave a great deep dive into Reaves weaknesses with passing the ball. I also watch a solid amount of Lakers ball.

He excels at certain things (like kick outs to shooter) but struggles in so many other different ways (like decision making, alot of the basic prerequisites for a PG, etc etc) that I wouldnt feel comfortable trading as many pieces, or giving him the kinda extension he'd want. Neutralizing his passing game would be fairly easy in the playoffs, and the Timberwolves did a great job of relegating him to being a 3 pt shooter who does the occassional drive

He's improved alot since joining the NBA, but not enough in the specific skill set we need from a PG, especially for the price.

My thing with the PG position is I think they are going to go with more of a combo type like Simons/Sexton etc. I think they still want Paolo and Franz handling it a ton. And Reaves to me is just a solid step above the other combo options at passing and scoring efficiency. Plus he has improved each year. He is like a 90th percentile PnR ball-handler, he has flaws, but would make a big difference for us.

I think you have valid concerns and criticisms, I think there is a real chance our offense will still be bad with all of these guys, but I would personally be pretty comfortable taking a shot on Reaves-- Especially in comparison to the other realistic options.

To find a guy that can pass it at a high level and score would be to trade for a star like Lamelo, Trae or Maxey etc. I just don't think they are going that route yet. They could get a good passer that can hit an occasional 3 like an upgraded CoJo, but then spacing issues will still probably persist. I just feel of the combo guys who deliver a combination of the two things we need, Reaves is the best.

I'm not even sure Reaves is going to be available and I think the Lakers will shoot for higher than what we have, but I would make the call. The extension definitely would be tricky. I really see Reaves as unlikely, but my personal ideal combo guard.

[J the Drafter]

Watch on YouTube

Austin Reaves for Goga + more? I would throw a couple picks

That would be something!

Also discusses other trade scenarios.

Goga + KCP + Denver pick for Reaves + Match salary?

I don’t think Reeves is worth picks, especially not with the Lakers so desperate for a center. Send some of KCP/Harris/Cole to make salaries match, sure, but picks are too expensive.

C'mon Mr Drafter...what do you really think #25 is worth? or even #16 (Goga & KCP fit LAL's needs, but their "market value" is questionable)

LAL might be able to coerce some vet UFA to come play for a couple of years for vet min...Capela, Steven Adams, Lopez

I don't think Goga's youth and the opportunity for building something for longevity is a factor for LAL right now. Hopefully, Nico is forbidden from talking to Pelinka because Gafford is the best match that could be available.

Lakers fans consider Jaxson Hayes to be a backup center forced to play starter. Center appears to be a serious need for them. The Lakers need a center if they want to dream of challenging for a title. Given that, I don’t want to offer a pick when Goga alone is everything they’re desperate for.

[eyriq]

Rewiring this offense is an interesting task. Our top 4 in usage, the first three options and 6th man, are:

Paolo 33.6% usage, 26% AST%
Franz 31% usage, 26.6% AST%
Suggs 27.5% usage, 21.6% AST%
Moritz 26.8% usage, 13.7% AST%

Usages are inflated due to injuries expanding roles, but it's still illustrative. In fact, the inflated usages explain some of the poorer offense, but that's not the point.

The point of that is to say that in order to overhaul the offense in a significant way these roles are the 80/20 starting points.

Are any of them getting a demotion?

Paolo and Franz, no. First and second options that will drive shot creation.

Suggs, maybe. Needs to make the jump as a creator.

Moritz, uncertain. He's never been 6th man according to MPG. His usage is driven by his one dimensional skill set as an offense only big. Coming back from injury will further reduce his impact.

Cole (24.6 usage, 25.5% AST%) is the closest thing to a sixth man but failed conclusively in that role.

So, Suggs. If we target a Coby/Reeves/Simons/Poole/Sexton isn't the implication that Suggs has lost the third option role to a poor man's Murray? If you are doing that would you just trade Suggs outright?

Regardless of Suggs, it's obvious that Cole needs to be upgraded for a sixth man. I think this should be Black. Moritz enables this by having high usage and just requiring that AB sets the table at times.

We almost can't acquire a starting scoring guard without trading KCP, unless we think KCP is going to the bench.

Other offensive upgrades,

WCJ swapped for a better shooting big?
JI swapped for a offensive roleplayer?
Do we acquire a 4th guard or forward that is offensively oriented?

My guess is that we try to trade KCP for Coby/Reeves/Simons/Poole/Sexton and downgrade Suggs on offense. Then we try and trade for Cam Johnson to be our primary scorer off the bench and bring in a fourth guard via free agency.

[Bensational]

I don’t see the Lakers moving Reaves for anything short of a superstar. That’s just how the dice roll for that franchise. But realistically he’s their 3rd best player after an aging LeBron who could retire any year now and leave the Lakers with a big hole in talent.

I definitely think Goga will be our best trade chip this summer though.

I’d like to think we could convert Cole + Jett + pick into Cam Johnson to add to an offer for a bigger name. Goga + Cam Johnson for D.White? Giddey? Add KCP and the rest of the picks and go big game hunting with $50M outgoing?

[basketballRob]

Rewiring this offense is an interesting task. Our top 4 in usage, the first three options and 6th man, are:

Paolo 33.6% usage, 26% AST%
Franz 31% usage, 26.6% AST%
Suggs 27.5% usage, 21.6% AST%
Moritz 26.8% usage, 13.7% AST%

Usages are inflated due to injuries expanding roles, but it's still illustrative. In fact, the inflated usages explain some of the poorer offense, but that's not the point.

The point of that is to say that in order to overhaul the offense in a significant way these roles are the 80/20 starting points.

Are any of them getting a demotion?

Paolo and Franz, no. First and second options that will drive shot creation.

Suggs, maybe. Needs to make the jump as a creator.

Moritz, uncertain. He's never been 6th man according to MPG. His usage is driven by his one dimensional skill set as an offense only big. Coming back from injury will further reduce his impact.

Cole (24.6 usage, 25.5% AST%) is the closest thing to a sixth man but failed conclusively in that role.

So, Suggs. If we target a Coby/Reeves/Simons/Poole/Sexton isn't the implication that Suggs has lost the third option role to a poor man's Murray? If you are doing that would you just trade Suggs outright?

Regardless of Suggs, it's obvious that Cole needs to be upgraded for a sixth man. I think this should be Black. Moritz enables this by having high usage and just requiring that AB sets the table at times.

We almost can't acquire a starting scoring guard without trading KCP, unless we think KCP is going to the bench.

Other offensive upgrades,

WCJ swapped for a better shooting big?
JI swapped for a offensive roleplayer?
Do we acquire a 4th guard or forward that is offensively oriented?

My guess is that we try to trade KCP for Coby/Reeves/Simons/Poole/Sexton and downgrade Suggs on offense. Then we try and trade for Cam Johnson to be our primary scorer off the bench and bring in a fourth guard via free agency.

I'm envious of Indiana, who had 7 players average double digits.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

[Skybox]

I don’t think Reeves is worth picks, especially not with the Lakers so desperate for a center. Send some of KCP/Harris/Cole to make salaries match, sure, but picks are too expensive.

C'mon Mr Drafter...what do you really think #25 is worth? or even #16 (Goga & KCP fit LAL's needs, but their "market value" is questionable)

LAL might be able to coerce some vet UFA to come play for a couple of years for vet min...Capela, Steven Adams, Lopez

I don't think Goga's youth and the opportunity for building something for longevity is a factor for LAL right now. Hopefully, Nico is forbidden from talking to Pelinka because Gafford is the best match that could be available.

Lakers fans consider Jaxson Hayes to be a backup center forced to play starter. Center appears to be a serious need for them. The Lakers need a center if they want to dream of challenging for a title. Given that, I don’t want to offer a pick when Goga alone is everything they’re desperate for.

they are desperate for a Center...not necessarily Goga...and it's a matter of relative value with Reaves. Reaves alone could get a lot of Centers around the league, imo. I'm not sure what the national perception of Goga is, but they'd have to see past how his present coach feels about him to envision how he'd look in Laker Gold...I think he'd be "enough" to fill the hole, but they might want more than that.

Gafford and Claxton probably have some degree of availability and quite a few vets are out there that might relish the opportunity to wrap up their career at the Forum with Luka during King James' last run(s)...Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, Steven Adams just off the top of my head...I would expect they'd each want 14m+ to come to ORL, but maybe consider vet min for the great final chapter...not fair -but true. IF MIL taps out due to Dame's injury and sells off Giannis, I could absolutely see Lopez heading out to Cali. Dude's made plenty of money, had lots of individual accolades, collected a ring in MIL...he's one of those thinkers - like Bill Walton. I could totally find it easy to envision him and maybe Robin too-wrapping up their careers in LA with vet min deals and Disney passes.

I'm really happy for DEN pulling that one out and advancing...they're probably not going to get out of the 2nd, but given the turmoil in the FO and coaching change, they may have dodged a bullet with usually stoic Jokic starting to show some visible frustration. How hard would it be to imagine Luka and Pelinka marking time, waiting for LBJ's retirement to time all of their contracts to expire when Luka's big buddy hits UFA? I say not hard at all...those two would have a blast playing together.