The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the best trades in franchise history when they acquired Luka Doncic over the weekend, but getting him meant overhauling their existing roster. The Lakers may have the next face of their franchise in place, but they have a lot of work to do to put a sensible team around him.
Take the center position, for instance. It was already a bit of a weakness even with star big man Anthony Davis in place. While Davis more than did his job as a rim-protector and interior scorer, depth behind him was a problem as Jaxson Hayes never grew into a strong backup as the team had hoped. Now, with Davis gone, Hayes is in line to start. That obviously isn’t going to work with or without Doncic. Landing a center at the deadline is paramount.
But at Doncic’s introductory press conference Tuesday, general manager Rob Pelinka tempered expectations about a second big trade before Thursday’s deadline. “There’s just not a lot available,” Pelinka said. “Maybe we’ll be able to do some stuff around the margins. In terms of a big move for that position, it’s probably more realistic that would come in the offseason.”
Now, keep in mind: general managers rarely like to tip their hand to the public, especially during heavy transactional periods. It is possible that there are available centers that the Lakers have their eye on, but have not come close to actually acquiring. It is also possible that the Lakers would simply prefer to hold onto their assets and figure out a remade roster over the summer, when a wider pool of options would presumably be available.
But the message here is, essentially, that the Lakers are unlikely to make a second major splash before Thursday. That messaging makes sense. Right now, the Lakers are down to one tradable first-round pick in 2031. They still have rookie Dalton Knecht, but they don’t yet know how he’ll fit next to Doncic. Depending on what kind of centers hit the market over the summer, the Lakers may even be open to moving standout guard Austin Reaves, though all of the messaging this season has been that the Lakers view him as a long-term piece.
Making a major move without evaluating the existing roster might be rash, so from that perspective, a marginal move makes sense. The Lakers do need a warm body at center simply because Hayes and Maxi Kleber are not up to playing 48 minutes at center, but if the right player isn’t available today, there’s no sense in forcing a deal.
So, what exactly does the right player look like? Pelinka cited mobility, versatility and the athleticism to finish lob passes as key traits he’s looking for. A few potential names out there right now who could fit the bill would be Nic Claxton, Clint Capela and Robert Williams III. The three of them would likely come at varying price points, with Claxton being the most expensive of the three.
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Given how much longer their runway is with Doncic than it was with Davis, though, the Lakers aren’t going to be hasty. If they need to sacrifice the rest of this season to get the roster around Doncic right for the long haul, so be it. If they manage things correctly, they could be in the championship picture for the next decade.
