The Lakers have begun the summer with several objectives among their plans for the offseason. With Deandre Ayton potentially opting in or out of his $8.1 million player-option and Jaxson Hayes becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Lakers may need to add size and depth to their roster in terms of centers.
Even though the Lakers’ front office has reportedly said that they do not plan to make major roster changes this summer, they are still expected to be active in the market for potential upgrades in elite wings or big men. Among these rumors, one potential addition that has popped up among rumors is the Knicks’ backup center, Mitchell Robinson.
According to the NBA insider, Jake L. Fischer, the Lakers are among four teams that are expected to have interest in getting Robinson’s services.
“Teams regularly relayed to me when I’ve asked around about Robinson’s status have pointed to the Bulls, Hornets, Lakers, and Raptors. Those are all clubs known to be looking for center upgrades,” Fischer wrote in his recent report on Marc Stein’s substack.
The Knicks’ backup big man is currently recovering from a fracture in his hand that is seeing his previously-limited contributions for the team, limited even further during arguably the most important time of his career, his first visit to the NBA Finals.
He is a solid lob threat and an elite rebounder on both ends of the floor, which is also something that the Lakers are expected to seek. Robinson ended the season averaging 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks while going 72.3% from the field.
But in the playoffs, his contributions have been significantly limited as he is second-fiddle to Karl-Anthony Towns. Mike Brown loves Mitchell Robinson, so if the Knicks’ front office consults with Brown, they might push to retain Robinson in free agency. But his trainer’s comments suggest Robinson might be unhappy with his role on Brown’s team.
Mitchell Robinson signed a four-year, $60 million contract in 2022 that will expire this summer. Although Robinson doesn’t have a significant impact on his team, he does a good job as a defensive rim-running big man who can regularly grab rebounds and block shots.
The Lakers currently need assistance in those two areas, and since Robinson only makes $12.9 million a year, it could be a salary cap-friendly addition. Robinson, who stands seven-feet-tall and weighs 340 pounds, is the ideal size to disrupt in the paint, and just his presence should improve the Lakers’ defense.
He is also young enough to fit Luka Doncic’s timeline at age 28. Seeing as Robinson agreed to a declining contract, he could be a potential short-term experiment for the Lakers to see his fit alongside Doncic. It will certainly be interesting to see what the Lakers do to upgrade their roster’s depth in size in the free agency and whether Robinson fits into their plans in some way for them to want to pursue him.
