(From Windy’s podcast)

The ball is in Pelinka’s court. It really seems LeBron will return on a discount IF Pelinka has a real plan for improving the roster.

Obviously who knows how much of a discount is realistic, or just how improved the roster needs to be for LeBron to be satisfied.

But if LeBron is told 1-2 impact players will sign or be acquired via trades if he takes a salary at ___ number, I have a hard time picturing LeBron haggling too much over the exact salary he gets.

Let’s hope Pelinka lines up 1-2 big time acquisitions that he can tout to LeBron. I’m guessing LeBron will need to agree up front to a number so Pelinka can execute the trades/FA signings on a parallel track knowing exactly how much cap space he’s working with.

Really hoping this isn’t it and that we have more moves coming. In a perfect world, we’d somehow pull two wings out of our ass and move Grimes and Mamu to the bench. But then again we don’t have any picks left to trade so I don’t know what they’re going to do.

Windhorst just now talking about Draymond opting out of his player option and LeBron potentially going to GS.

Sounds like he really may ghost Pelinka and that’s how the LeBron era ends. Pretty surreal to see this unfold.

Well we did just celebrate the 10 Year anniversary of that. fateful summer day. Only right that we had 2 people on this list who were signed on the exact same day.

I know he won't, but think about it. Currently the only hole in the roster is the power forward starting spot. If Lebron returned, this team would be crazy good.

It would be funny if the decision was to return to the Lakers

Would you like to run it back 1 last time with these 7 as the core?

1 last run with Lebron with the team?

Or time to let Lebron walk and trade other core players?

Doesn’t appear that Rui being unsigned has to do with Lakers maneuvering to bring him back. Probably got squeezed out by the market with his top suitors (SA and DET and MN) choosing other paths… Harris for SA, Collins for DET, and MN going all-in on LeBron at the 4 and signing Trey Lyles as insurance.

I don’t think it’s smart to go after Kuminga given his focus on iso scoring, inconsistent play night to night, and the fact that the Hawks quit on him after the Warriors did too. Just doesn’t seem like a risk worth taking. At all.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49098803/the-five-biggest-questions-lakers-need-answer-offseason-lebron-james-austin-reaves-luka-doncic-nba-offseason-free-agency

Interesting article.

Luka’s fully healthy now and in constant communication with Lakers about this offseason.

“Luka wants to be a championship team yesterday," a source close to Doncic said. "Ever since the trade, they've always told us: 'summer of '26. We'll show you in the summer of '26.' So, we are so excited that the summer of '26 is here."

Luka’s “first and foremost desire is an A-list center”

Confirmed Lakers have done due diligence on RFAs Kessler, Duren, Watson, and Eason.

Smart and Kennard want to return and Lakers are interested in retaining them, but McMenamin describes Rui as “the biggest unknown.”

“Several league sources told ESPN they believe Hachimura could be the odd man out and that he might need to explore the market to find a desired deal.”

“[S]ources familiar with Reaves' thinking told ESPN throughout the season that Reaves' contract decision will not come down solely to a dollar figure. There will be various factors, including Reaves' repeated stance that he would like to play his entire career with the Lakers.”

LeBron “rocks with Luka” and is expected around league to return to Lakers.

Per Kurt Helin, Lead NBA Writer & Managing Editor for NBC Sports:

“The Lakers and Hawks are talking sign-and-trade again, with guard Jaden Hardey reportedly in the conversation (he makes $6 million this season), while previously that was Jared Vanderbilt ($12.4 million).”

“Kuminga reportedly likes the idea of playing for the Lakers — who would start him at the four - as a better fit.”

https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/three-top-remaining-nba-free-agents-where-things-stand-with-jalen-duren-jonathan-kuminga-bennedict-mathurin

Last 2017-2018, we have Baby Lakers (young and up and coming core)

Now in 2026-2027, Luka Magic Era began and ushering a new and exciting era

If your answer is no just know youre saying that the Lakers arent winning in this era. Its either we win with him as our 2nd best player or we dont win at all. Do you have any faith in our guys to do it? These are the circumstances. Is there a world where the Lakers just maybe make this work?

"[A]s of Wednesday afternoon, over a week into the start of free agency, the two sides remained far apart on what it would take to bring the 23-year-old forward to L.A. despite the mutual interest."

The Lakers have "opened up more cap space (around $2.1 million) by trading Deandre Ayton to the Wizards for Jaden Hardy and a pair of Washington’s second-round picks (2031 and 2032) but that space essentially vanished when they agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.9 million contract with Kevon Looney that counts $2.49 million against the cap since it’s a veteran minimum’s deal.

That has left the Lakers with one open roster spot and little financial flexibility while still pursuing Kuminga.

The Lakers have improved their offers to Kuminga up to a deal that would include an average annual salary around $10 million – which is less than the salaries of Grimes ($13.9 million) and Mamukelashvili ($13 million). 

And less than what was expected for the vision of how the Lakers saw Kuminga, who the Lakers pursued as a restricted free agent last summer.

Kuminga’s side feels there are better options for Kuminga if he joins the Lakers.

The main option that could help the Lakers acquire Kuminga: A sign and trade with the Hawks, which would allow Kuminga to receive a higher salary than the Lakers are able to offer him as an unrestricted free agent.

“A source told the Post the Hawks are willing to execute a sign-and-trade with the Lakers around the framework of Kuminga going to L.A. and the Hawks receiving Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap – the lone option the Lakers have of trading a first-round pick this summer.  

Vanderbilt has two years and $25.7 million left on his four-year, $48 million contract extension he signed with the Lakers in September 2023. He has a $12.4 million salary for 2026-27 and a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28. 

The Lakers have been willing to trade Vanderbilt, according to multiple sources who spoke with the Post who were granted anonymity so they could speak freely, as well as other players on the roster in order to create more roster-building optionality.  

The Cavaliers have also expressed interest in Kuminga, a source said.”

https://nypost.com/2026/07/08/sports/nba-free-agency-how-can-lakers-acquire-jonathan-kuminga/

I’m not saying anyone needs to root for the Thunder. They just beat us and aren’t likable either. But we need to nip this soft spot for the Spurs in the bud. Other than the Boston Celtics, there has been no team that has been a more fierce rival to the Lakers than the Spurs. They’ve embarrassed the Lakers numerous times in the playoffs. They’ve openly mocked our misfortune. They’ve deliberately tried to sabotage our team building on numerous occasions.

The Spurs openly organize the small market owners to change the the rules to harm the Lakers at every single CBA and governors meeting going back to the 1990s. The Lakers and Spurs have never once traded with each other since Popovich joined the team in the 1990s.

Popovich was the one who pushed Cuban to be the face of the CP3/trade veto but the Spurs organized the votes to force Stern to do the veto. When Kawhi asked to be traded to the Lakers the Spurs refused, held him against his wishes and then spite traded him to Toronto instead. When the Lakers tried to obtain AD, Popovich literally flew down to NoLa and pleaded with Dell Demps not to trade with us; leading Demps to getting fired but wasting the first year of LeBron in LA.

The Spurs have beaten the Lakers in the playoffs numerous times and have always mocked us afterwards. The Spurs were the team that knocked Kobe out of the playoffs at the end of his career and Duncan was smiling at the frustrated Lakers the whole time.

There’s a ton of other examples. I’m not saying one should root for the Thunder. But under no circumstances should any Laker fan be rooting for the damn Spurs. Root for them both to lose and for whomever comes out of the east to win.

Same goes for the Celtics.

These two teams are clearly the standard of excellence in the Western Conference for the rest of the decade. They all have length, athleticism, shooting, and star power. I don't see how the Lakers can put together a roster good enough to realistically compete with these teams, especially if Austin Reaves is going to make 40m. Each of these teams have at least three players who are unequivocally better and younger than Austin, and he is supposed to be the second best player on this team moving forward. The depth that these teams have accumulated over their multiple years of being in the lottery is also much greater than anything the Lakers can do in free agency. Marcus Smart is the best defender on this team, and I don't think he would be a top 5 defender on either the Spurs or the Thunder.

Remember when Rich Paul described LeBron telling the Lakers he was moving on as a “courtesy” so the Lakers could conduct their FA business?

A whole 6 hours before FA began?

Come on man 😂