The Los Angeles Lakers need depth at center and according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the team is exploring options to add a big man to the roster.
It must or risk wasting the final years of LeBron James’ career and Anthony Davis’ prime.
“The Lakers have been exploring potentially adding a big man, a center to their roster.” 👀 @ShamsCharania makes his NBA Today debut with the latest on the Lakers’ search for a big 💪 pic.twitter.com/8iqVBTIGrJ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 10, 2024
Christian Wood is still recovering from knee surgery while Christian Koloko is still waiting to be cleared for action after experiencing blood clots in his lungs. That leaves Jaxson Hayes as the primary backup to Anthony Davis, who had previously expressed his desire not to play the five position.
There are options for the team to consider.
Atlanta’s Clint Capela has an expiring $22 million deal that would immediately improve the Lakers’ roster and further establish them as a legitimate threat out west, but the team would have to be willing to trade a valued player for him as the Hawks are not likely to sit back and accept nothing of substance in return.
Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, and/or Jarred Vanderbilt would almost have to be involved in whatever deal the team would put together, and even then, dealing Vanderbilt to another team undermines the intent to get stronger at center.
That there would be no commitment beyond 2024 is equally as concerning given what the team would give up to acquire Capela, who averaged 25.8 minutes, 11.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists last season.
The Utah Jazz’s characteristically enormous trade demand for Walker Kessler (two first-rounders per Marc Stein) means the talented young center is unlikely to be a realistic option for the Lakers, even if he fits the team and could make for a potent one-two punch with Davis.
The best option for the team might be Robert Williams III, a defensive-minded center from the Portland Trailblazers. While he has a history of injuries and has played in more than 50 games only twice in his career, he can be acquired relatively easily from a team brimming with centers and at a reasonable cap hit of just under $12.5 million in 2024-25.
If the intent is to keep Davis at the center position and use Vanderbilt once he is back at the beginning of the season, acquiring Williams for depth carries much less risk than if the team needed him to step in and play significant minutes every game.
Williams is a career 72.9 percent shooter from the paint, with 4.3 defensive rebounds, 2.6 offensive rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. His stats will not jump off the page at anyone, but he plays gritty defense and can provide the team a level of toughness at the rim that it could use as it looks to set a tone in a jam-packed Western Conference.
For a team that has championship aspirations under first-year coach JJ Redick, it cannot roll into another season in which James and Davis are healthy but a lack of depth behind them limits production and ultimately lands them in play-in games.
The front office must make a deal to secure quality at a needed position if the team will live up to expectations. Otherwise, the result is another lost year, something neither of the organization’s two biggest stars has many of left.
It will not be easy, especially given their abysmal cap situation, but some creative maneuvering by the front office should still be able to make something work with a trade here and some salary dumping there, to ensure the team maximizes its potential.