With someone as gifted as Luka Doncic running the show, the Los Angeles Lakers can never have enough skilled big men.
The Lakers acquired 25-year-old rising big man Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a blockbuster sign-and-trade to be a long-term cornerstone alongside Doncic, but L.A. doesn’t have much to show for behind Kessler. Although signing Kevon Looney was a quality insurance move, the team, which already lacks frontcourt size, doesn’t have someone who can be counted on for major minutes in case Kessler, who played just five games last season, misses time.
Before Kessler, the Lakers were — and still are — heavily linked to Milwaukee Bucks big man Myles Turner, the 30-year-old, 6’11” center who was a centerpiece of the 2024-25 Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers.
Could Lakers Capitalize On Turner?
Turner departed from Indiana last offseason to sign a monster deal with the Bucks, who are only just beginning to transition into rebuild mode after trading two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Bucks pivoting to build for the future, Lakers analyst Trevor Lane expects Turner to be moved soon.
“Look, Turner makes no sense in Milwaukee anymore,” Lane said on “TheBasketballBulletin.” “He was brought in to appease Giannis Antetokounmpo, who took his talents to South Beach. They also already have their big (man) of the future in play in Kel’el Ware. (There’s) no reason to hold on to Myles Turner, certainly a stretch big who a lot of teams could use. … I think somebody will make a move and go land Myles Turner this year.”
Could the Lakers be that team that lands him?
Turner was once the top big man target on the Lakers’ radar, but that was back when LeBron James and Anthony Davis were still running the show. Turner is in his prime and is a proven contributor to a championship-contending team.
The veteran big man still has over $83 million remaining on his contract, but there are ways the Lakers could finagle their cap situation and fit Turner’s salary. There’s no question that L.A. would be immediately better with a starting frontcourt of Kessler and Turner.
Should L.A. Go After Turner?
The Lakers could hammer out a deal for Turner, who is an elite rim-protector and efficient 3-point shooter. A big man of that skillset can be a cheat code alongside Doncic.
“Adding Turner’s upcoming $26 million to the books would take a large chunk out of the Lakers’ cap space this summer, but the team could alleviate the hit by shedding their own unwanted salaries in a potential deal,” Lakers reporter Alex Regla wrote for the Silver Screen and Roll. “For example, the Lakers could send roughly $16 million between Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht to Milwaukee in a Turner swap. That would be a much more palatable $10 million clip to their spending power. If they also want to part ways with Jake LaRavia, Turner would only be adding $4 million to their cap sheet this upcoming year. And if it’s Ayton instead of LaRavia, the cap hit would only be a negligible $2 million difference.”
What the Lakers don’t have right now is a big man who can receive one of those Luka Magic passess on the perimeter and knock down 3-pointers.
“Turner remains one of the NBA’s premier floor-spacing bigs as more than half of his shots (54%) came from behind the arc last season,” Regla wrote. “He not only converted them at a healthy rate (38%), but, compared to the Lakers’ roster last year, his 147 made 3’s would have finished second behind only Dončić.”
Turner is a misfit in Milwaukee’s new timeline, which is why he is expected to get traded soon. Could the Lakers finally get hands on one of their longest-rumored targets?
Lakers Get Good News as $27M Elite Big Man Target Expected to Be Traded