TO TRADE FOR SUPERSTAR NEXT SUMMER,LAKERS MUST CONVERT EXPIRING CONTRACTS!Once Luka signs his extension in early August, the Lakers will proceed with their strategic plans to trade for a max contract superstar to replace LeBron James and complement Luka Doncic next summer. Top… pic.twitter.com/RDapnKi4xn— LakerTom (@LakerTom) July 24, 2025
I don’t know why the Trailblazers do this trade. They have 15 guys under contract and would need to cut two of their young guys they are developing. That would also give them 7 forwards with overlapping skills.
The purpose of the trade is dump Jrue’s contract to get expiring contracts and more cap flexibility.
You assuming they want to dump him. There is no indication of that. Plus how would a 36 year old with two more years help us land the Joker? Or Giannis? Better off signing a few younger guys with our cap space next summer. That would be more appealing.
LOL. If you read the article, you would understand. Look at who is under contract after this season besides Luka and Reaves.
The Lakers need to convert their $40M in expiring contracts into players who will be here next summer so we will have $60M to trade for Giannis or Joker or an elite wing.
Right now, once our $40M in expiring contracts go away, we can’t match salaries for a superstar.
I did read the article. And it doesn’t make sense for the Trailblazers. If they truly want to dump Holiday, there are better ways to do it. As for us, it leaves us undersized. Sure we can add from the scrap heap but our rotation would be much smaller.
I’m not sure that is the best strategy, having ample cap space can be an asset in and of itself in that you can offer multiple desirable options to modern teams: FRPs, cap relief, and young players via signing and trading. Being able to absorb salary in the summer can be as good, if not better, then having players people want. Taking in money while offering picks and say Reaves or Rui in a S&T might be our best option.
The one benefit of having cap space is there is often very few teams to compete with. No superstar free agents next summer but maybe the best option is to use the picks for a young wing like Jones or promising big like JJJ rather than Giannis or Jokic who are already 4 years older than Luka at 30.
None of those dudes are available for 3 picks, even if they demand a trade. Bridges went for 4. AD and Luka was a talent trade, not much else. We’re not gonna have an AD to trade.
I’m thinking second tier stars, high quality role-players (Dort, Suggs, guys like that) that can fit right in next to Luka.
The key is to load up on players who can help you win because they’re always in value and can be traded.
Specifically, though, to be able to trade for a superstar, you need a couple of large desirable tradable contracts.
That’s the opposite of cap space but much more valuable in the end in my opinion. Hard to predict free agency. In the end, trades are the key imo.
If you bothered to look at how trades impact winning you would see that very few do, at least in the immediacy of when they happen. There are far more lot misses than home runs. Free agency affords the Lakers to flaunt their natural assets: biggest market/brand, live in LA, win a title and be instant history forever. Trades require a smart GM. We don’t have that. We have a lucky goofball GM.
This assumes a superstar will be available. I doubt they will be. But second tier stars and quality role players will be the casualties of the modern CBA. That’s where we should look to feast. If they’re good they can work in a trade.