Lakers Eyeing Backup Center Options
While the Lakers remain in pursuit of a starting forward, they also have their eye set on possibly adding to their center depth.
Walker Kessler, Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili are the new Lakers frontcourt, replacing the center rotation of Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.
Mamukelashvili, however, serves more as a power forward/small ball center combo rather than a full-time big at the five spot like Kessler and Looney.
Dan Woike of the New York Times reported the Lakers are “hunting” for reinforcement at the center position, likely for injury insurance. Kevon Looney had been largely available for most of his career up until last season, when he only played 21 games.
Looney experienced a left knee injury during the preseason last October that kept him out for the first few weeks of the season. Once he returned, the Pelicans struggled to find a consistent role for him, prioritizing younger centers Derik Queen and Yves Missi in the rotation.
Kessler, on the other hand, only played 5 games last season due to a season-ending surgery he underwent to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder. Kessler, though, has been back on the floor healthy and preparing for the season.
The Need for More Center Depth
It doesn’t hurt to add more to the roster’s depth. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the prime example of that. They can look up and down their roster 1-15 and find players that are ready to make an immediate impact.
The trouble is, the center market is incredibly spread thin, with very limited options, if any at all. There aren’t many desirable unsigned centers on the free agent market, and because bigs are in high demand, teams aren’t going to give up their centers for cheap.
Potential Trade Targets
Woike reported that team and league sources revealed the types of centers the Lakers could be chasing, including names like:
- Jericho Sims (Bucks)
- Jalen Smith (Bulls)
- Karlo Matkovic (Pelicans)
Sims provides an archetype similar to Jaxson Hayes, a player Luka is accustomed to playing with—an athletic high-flyer, capable of catching lobs and snatching rebounds.
Smith has a high motor, with a great defensive presence around the rim. He’s also developed an outside shot and can serve as a stretch-big at 6’8. He shot 37.3% from three on 4.2 attempts per game.
Matkovic may seem to be harder to acquire, as the Pelicans have shown no interest in moving on from him, but his knack for blocking shots is quite impressive. Very mobile and moves his feet well on the defensive end. He can also stretch the floor, shooting 42.2% from three last season on 1.6 attempts per game. He’ll be entering his 3rd season.
There’s no clear answer here, but still a handful of intriguing names to look out for.
The Lakers still will need to cut down their roster from 16 players to the league’s mandate of 15 maximum between now and the start of the season.
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