Rob Pelinka Emphasizes Urgency to “Get It Right” on Their Center Search as Free Agency Approaches
Thursday night’s showcase of the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft gave us a peek into Rob Pelinka’s mindset entering the 2025 offseason as the Lakers land Adou Thiero with the 36th pick.
In an interview with Spectrum Sportsnet, Pelinka referenced their desire to get younger and more athletic on the wings, and Thiero provides just that, as he’s one of the most athletic players in this year’s draft.
With the consensus being that L.A. came away with a successful draft night, they now turn their attention towards free agency and the trade market.
Pelinka doubled down on the Lakers’ search for a serviceable big man as being their primary focus, saying:
“We won’t rest until we get it right”.
In his interview with Spectrum Sportsnet, Pelinka also assured that the Lakers are “super active” and that they will expend their resources to “turn over every stone” on the trade market and in free agency to address the hole at the center position.
Who that center(s) ends up being or what archetype of center remains to be seen.
If we’re going by the names linked to the Lakers through the flurry of reports and rumors, Nic Claxton and Walker Kessler come up a lot.
Claxton can ideally fit into a Luka-run offense and is a versatile defender, while Kessler is more of a bruising, slow-footed big. Other names, such as DeAndre Ayton, Daniel Gafford, and Robert Williams III, have been mentioned in trade conversations.
Then you look to L.A.’s spending power in free agency. Assuming LeBron James opts into his contract as well as Dorian Finney-Smith, the Lakers will only have the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7 million) and veteran minimum contracts available to them.
Clint Capela and Brook Lopez are two options that the Lakers could prioritize with the TPMLE. Two veteran big men ideally serving as the backup big can really flesh out their need for rebounding and interior defense.
For the 2024-2025 season, Capela averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game, and Lopez averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks.
While roster construction is no easy feat, building a championship-caliber roster is certainly not an enviable task.
Rob Pelinka and the Lakers already feel the pressure of constructing a roster capable of winning now and for years to come, with their franchise star Luka Doncic at the helm.
PHOTO: Nelson Chenault/Imagn Images
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Categorized:Lakers