The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be one of many teams active on the NBA trade market this season and the latest intel suggests they already have a primary position in mind. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers are on the hunt for a big man to help reinforce the frontcourt.
“I think when you look at this team, they’re a team that needs to look at guard help and the center position. What position do they prioritize? That’s for Rob Pelinka and that Lakers front office over the next few months. They’re gonna have to figure it out,” said Shams. “You had D’Angelo Russell starting at the beginning of the season, now he’s coming off the bench. Is he gonna settle into that role? How is he gonna play that role as the year goes on? And they have said for a while that they are looking actively for a big man to add to that lineup so, who could that be? They have assets to play with.”
Many fans were pushing the Lakers to make a move this summer after they were eliminated in the first round by the Nuggets. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka failed to strike a meaningful deal in time but they were able to pick up Dalton Knecht in the draft, who has been huge in JJ Redick’s rotation so far.
But with just one big man under Anthony Davis (Christian Koloko is the only active center), the Lakers have an obvious hole in their roster that only a trade can fix. If Anthony Davis goes down or Koloko is compromised in any way, it’ll leave the Lakers extremely vulnerable in the frontcourt and without any depth at the center position.
Assuming the Lakers are willing to give up D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hacmimura, or another key veteran role player, there are several options they could take and many different players they could pursue.
One potential route is a trade with the Utah Jazz for young standout center Walker Kessler. Kessler isn’t reported to be available but if the Jazz are willing to listen to offers, the Lakers could do worse than to pursue a young big man who was named one of the best in his class last year with averages of 9.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game on 68.6% shooting.
The Lakers could also bring back Brook Lopez, a solid two-way center who brings size, rim protection, and floor spacing after shooting 36% from three last season. He’d be a great fit next to Anthony Davis and, together, they could bring the Lakers’ defense up to another level,
Arguably the best acquisition for the Lakers would be Nic Claxton of the Nets. Since the Nets are in rebuild mode, they don’t have much use for a game-changer like Claxton, who is averaging 8.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game this season. At just 25 years old, Claxton still has years in his prime and he could be a long-term solution at center for the Lakers.
At 9-4 this season, the Lakers are outperforming even their most ambitious expectations and they will do whatever it takes to keep the momentum moving. But with such limited depth in the frontcourt, the Lakers are admittedly vulnerable right now and Rob Pelinka needs to make a move to ensure they can keep up with the best in the West.
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