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2025-2026: Around the League

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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#421 » by Optimus_Steel » Mon Jun 30, 2025 2:32 pm

The Effect wrote:
Optimus_Steel wrote:
Black and Blue wrote:Blazers are my second favorite team so I watched way too much of him last year. Ayton is a nice guy but man he is a poster child for low effort. The Blazers have 4 other centers and two are first rounders in Clingan and Yang.

This saves the team money (based on how much he is giving back), he was an expiring anyway, opens up a roster slot, and pushes the youth movement in Portland into the spotlight. With smart vets in Jrue and Grant, that team is going to make some noise next season.

FYI if the Lakers do indeed sign him like the rumors suggest, Lebron and Redick are going to murder Ayton. He is just beyond frustrating to watch.




The guy just doesn’t play with any fire. He doesn’t come across as someone who enjoys basketball.


I still can't believe that some team watched him play and thought "yeah this guy is gonna be better than Luka doncic"......while having Luka's coach as their head coach ......wtf :crazy:



Measurables vs intangibles....
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#422 » by pepe1991 » Mon Jun 30, 2025 4:03 pm

Optimus_Steel wrote:
The Effect wrote:
Optimus_Steel wrote:


The guy just doesn’t play with any fire. He doesn’t come across as someone who enjoys basketball.


I still can't believe that some team watched him play and thought "yeah this guy is gonna be better than Luka doncic"......while having Luka's coach as their head coach ......wtf :crazy:



Measurables vs intangibles....


It's classic case of overrating what you have.
They saw 22 y.o. Devin Booker, 21 years old Josh Jackson ( lol remember him ? ) and figured that they want no other ball handler.

They also screwed up bigs in draft with 2 picks ( Bender, Chriss) and wanted "sure shot" as they probably viewed Dončić as gamble ( now we can laugh why was that case but it was serious talk back in a day)
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#423 » by OrlandoNed » Mon Jun 30, 2025 4:35 pm

pepe1991 wrote:
Optimus_Steel wrote:
The Effect wrote:
I still can't believe that some team watched him play and thought "yeah this guy is gonna be better than Luka doncic"......while having Luka's coach as their head coach ......wtf :crazy:



Measurables vs intangibles....


It's classic case of overrating what you have.
They saw 22 y.o. Devin Booker, 21 years old Josh Jackson ( lol remember him ? ) and figured that they want no other ball handler.

They also screwed up bigs in draft with 2 picks ( Bender, Chriss) and wanted "sure shot" as they probably viewed Dončić as gamble ( now we can laugh why was that case but it was serious talk back in a day)

I was on the Doncic wagon really early in the pre-draft process. I thought he was easily the best prospect and a no doubt #1 pick over Ayton.

Ayton was no slouch as a prospect and had the potential and measurables to be Ewing 2.0, but hindsight has shown that he has zero desire to be great and lacks any semblance of competitive fire. Doncic as a prospect had shown not a ton of athleticism but had such an incredible feel for the game and a skill set tailor-made to be a high level #1 option in the NBA. He showed that he was just a straight up baller and most importantly, he gives a damn about winning.

I was 100% sure on the Doncic Koolaid, but I should of been 1000% sure.
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#424 » by Optimus_Steel » Mon Jun 30, 2025 7:31 pm

Bojan Bogdanovic retires. One less Magic killer is available....
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#425 » by Skybox » Mon Jun 30, 2025 7:32 pm

Ingles staying with MIN...dang...would have loved him as the last piece or even coaching staff
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#426 » by pepe1991 » Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:28 pm

Optimus_Steel wrote:Bojan Bogdanovic retires. One less Magic killer is available....


Bojan was very good. Lethal moderate usage, sky high efficiency scorer. Career 22% usage, 15 ppg, 59,5% TS player, picture perfect jumpshot.
Type of player every player without much athletics should study to keep himself in nba for long. ( hello, Jett Howard, i hope you read this :lol: )
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#427 » by dsg2021 » Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:39 pm

I have nothing but my gut feeling, but I think Luka leaves LAL next year. I don’t even mean it in like a Luka to ORL sense. Just another big market instead. I don’t think he appreciated being publicly called fat by people in the LAL organization. I thought it was a major mistake. He also had no ownership in him being there. And LeBron is doing his typical diva stuff, doesn’t like his teammates for getting a title, always looms bigger in the locker room. I think Luka got the message by now of what kind of conditioning/weight he needs to chase but he already sees the vapidness and cynicism the franchise is. Like they don’t appreciate Luka’s journey and will get more cynical on him every year. I don’t think it’s Luka running from pressure. Pressure is when he wins. I think he wants the motivation from Nico and LAL and to be his own man somewhere else in a franchise properly thrilled to have him.
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#428 » by BlueBlazer » Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:47 pm

dsg2021 wrote:I have nothing but my gut feeling, but I think Luka leaves LAL next year. I don’t even mean it in like a Luka to ORL sense. Just another big market maybe. I don’t think he appreciated being publicly called fat by people in the LAL organization. I thought it was a major mistake. He also had no ownership in him being there. And LeBron is doing his typical diva stuff, doesn’t like his teammates for getting a title, always looms bigger in the locker room. I think Luka got the message by now of what kind of conditioning/weight he needs to chase but he already sees the vapidness and cynicism the franchise is. Like they don’t appreciate Luka’s journey and will get more cynical on him every year. I don’t think it’s Luka running from pressure. Pressure is when he wins. I think he wants the motivation from Nico and LAL and to be his own man somewhere else in a franchise properly thrilled to have him.

I’m not sure of its accuracy but the Mavericks were the ones alleged to have criticized Luka’s weight, not the Lakers.
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#429 » by tiderulz » Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:51 pm

BlueBlazer wrote:
dsg2021 wrote:I have nothing but my gut feeling, but I think Luka leaves LAL next year. I don’t even mean it in like a Luka to ORL sense. Just another big market maybe. I don’t think he appreciated being publicly called fat by people in the LAL organization. I thought it was a major mistake. He also had no ownership in him being there. And LeBron is doing his typical diva stuff, doesn’t like his teammates for getting a title, always looms bigger in the locker room. I think Luka got the message by now of what kind of conditioning/weight he needs to chase but he already sees the vapidness and cynicism the franchise is. Like they don’t appreciate Luka’s journey and will get more cynical on him every year. I don’t think it’s Luka running from pressure. Pressure is when he wins. I think he wants the motivation from Nico and LAL and to be his own man somewhere else in a franchise properly thrilled to have him.

I’m not sure of its accuracy but the Mavericks were the ones alleged to have criticized Luka’s weight, not the Lakers.

I think JJ mentioned lack of fitness of players without naming Luka
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#430 » by dsg2021 » Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:57 pm

BlueBlazer wrote:
dsg2021 wrote:I have nothing but my gut feeling, but I think Luka leaves LAL next year. I don’t even mean it in like a Luka to ORL sense. Just another big market maybe. I don’t think he appreciated being publicly called fat by people in the LAL organization. I thought it was a major mistake. He also had no ownership in him being there. And LeBron is doing his typical diva stuff, doesn’t like his teammates for getting a title, always looms bigger in the locker room. I think Luka got the message by now of what kind of conditioning/weight he needs to chase but he already sees the vapidness and cynicism the franchise is. Like they don’t appreciate Luka’s journey and will get more cynical on him every year. I don’t think it’s Luka running from pressure. Pressure is when he wins. I think he wants the motivation from Nico and LAL and to be his own man somewhere else in a franchise properly thrilled to have him.

I’m not sure of its accuracy but the Mavericks were the ones alleged to have criticized Luka’s weight, not the Lakers.

JJ Redick did it after the Playoffs ended. I was really surprised he said it. I think some of the people in the FO said it publicly too, and while most of it was to say “this is what DAL thought”, they never did the smarter move to ignore it and loyally defend him like they should have. It would have been way better to privately harass him into better conditioning and then to also make him the new no. 1 in LAL and not tip-toe around LeBron as much. Who knows though, just random thoughts of the day for me. Maybe Luka loves being in the Lakers’ world.
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#431 » by BlueBlazer » Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:06 pm

dsg2021 wrote:
BlueBlazer wrote:
dsg2021 wrote:I have nothing but my gut feeling, but I think Luka leaves LAL next year. I don’t even mean it in like a Luka to ORL sense. Just another big market maybe. I don’t think he appreciated being publicly called fat by people in the LAL organization. I thought it was a major mistake. He also had no ownership in him being there. And LeBron is doing his typical diva stuff, doesn’t like his teammates for getting a title, always looms bigger in the locker room. I think Luka got the message by now of what kind of conditioning/weight he needs to chase but he already sees the vapidness and cynicism the franchise is. Like they don’t appreciate Luka’s journey and will get more cynical on him every year. I don’t think it’s Luka running from pressure. Pressure is when he wins. I think he wants the motivation from Nico and LAL and to be his own man somewhere else in a franchise properly thrilled to have him.

I’m not sure of its accuracy but the Mavericks were the ones alleged to have criticized Luka’s weight, not the Lakers.

JJ Redick did it after the Playoffs ended. I was really surprised he said it. I think some of the people in the FO said it publicly too, and while most of it was to say “this is what DAL thought”, they never did the smarter move to ignore it and loyally defend him like they should have. It would have been way better to privately harass him into better conditioning and then to also make him the new no. 1 in LAL and not tip-toe around LeBron as much. Who knows though, just random thoughts of the day for me. Maybe Luka loves being in the Lakers’ world.

Ah, gotcha. It really is crazy how big markets take their stars for granted.
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#432 » by dsg2021 » Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:13 pm

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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#433 » by The Effect » Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:16 pm

dsg2021 wrote:https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/281149/Nuggets-Trade-Michael-Porter-Jr-2032-Unprotected-Pick-To-Nets-For-Cam-Johnson

Love the trade for DEN!

Wow that's an awesome trade for both teams

Really curious to see MPjr as a true #1 option
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#434 » by doct3r dr3 » Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:20 pm

Read on Twitter


Grizz thriving in the wake of the Bane trade :cry:
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#435 » by Skybox » Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:41 pm

Kornet, Looney, Capela jumping teams...could be a market for Goga trade
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#436 » by CLosP » Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:54 pm

Capela to the Rockets? Are they about to unload Sengun or just stocking up on bigs?
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#437 » by Skybox » Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:56 pm

BroLo to LAC for $9m x 2...just to be a backup
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#438 » by basketballRob » Tue Jul 1, 2025 12:03 am

Skybox wrote:BroLo to LAC for $9m x 2...just to be a backup
They drafted Sorber. I'd swap Jett for Zubac.

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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#439 » by Optimus_Steel » Tue Jul 1, 2025 12:03 am

Skybox wrote:BroLo to LAC for $9m x 2...just to be a backup




Looney 2 years $16M…
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Re: 2025-2026: Around the League 

Post#440 » by j-ragg » Tue Jul 1, 2025 12:07 am

basketballRob wrote:
Skybox wrote:BroLo to LAC for $9m x 2...just to be a backup
They drafted Sorber. I'd swap Jett for Zubac.

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Damn I guess I’d trade our 15th man for their borderline all NBA center too. Call it in
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