The Los Angeles Lakers may, or may not, have considerable salary cap space to fill come the opening of the NBA free agency negotiating period on June 30, but one outcome is certain regardless of the team’s financial circumstances: the Lakers will be acquiring a rim-protector/lob threat to play alongside Luka Doncic.
Free agency is the most likely path forward for most of what L.A. wants to do this offseason, though the Lakers could also look to the trade market as well depending on the specific talent available via each pathway.
One name floating as a potential trade target for prospective contenders in need of front-court additions is Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons, a 25-year-old center and defensive specialist with two years remaining on his $60 million contract.
“Will his name come up in trade talks? I’m sure of it,” Omari Sankfora II of the Detroit Free Press wrote on Friday, June 5. “He has two years and $30 million remaining on his contract — a very reasonable figure for one of the league’s top rim protectors. Postseason performance aside, Stewart is a coveted player.”
Lakers Looking for Archetype Role Players to Fill in Around Luka Doncic
GettyLuka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers.
A few types of players have proven crucial to the highest levels of success on Doncic-driven teams across his eight-year career.
Among them is a secondary playmaker/ball-handler with elite scoring chops (Jaylen Brunson and Kyrie Irving). Another archetype has been the 3-and-D wing, of which there have been several examples.
However, what unlocked an NBA Finals run for the Dallas Mavericks in 2023-24 was the dual presence of big man Dereck Lively II, who was a rookie that year, and center Daniel Gafford, who the team traded to acquire ahead of the mid-season deadline.
Their combined interior defense and offensive athleticism helped Doncic transform into the best version of himself, and the result was the Mavericks coming up just three wins shy of a championship.
Stewart is capable of providing the same type of rim protection for Doncic in L.A. as Lively and Gafford did for the six-time All-Star in Dallas.
Stewart averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.6 blocks in 22.7 minutes per night across 58 games played in 2025-26 on his way to finishing in seventh-place in 6th Man of the Year voting.
He shot 55 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the 3-point line, while also connecting on 75.6 percent of his free throw attempts. So while Stewart is not a floor spacer, he’s also not an offensive liability.
LeBron James, Rui Hachimura Could Each Work as Sign-and-Trade Options in Isaiah Stewart Deal
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Stewart’s moderate salary would allow him to fit relatively seamlessly alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves, the latter of whom will presumably return to L.A. this offseason on a massive multiyear extension after opting out of the final season of his contract in 2026-27.
The Lakers would have to find $15 million in salary to match Stewart’s number in any deal, and would need to do so via a player(s) in whom the Pistons would actually be interested.
Both LeBron James and Rui Hachimura are free agents this summer, and while Los Angeles has expressed interest in bringing both back, each could be a sign-and-trade candidate for a player like Stewart because each could potentially offer Detroit something it is currently missing.
James could serve as a legitimate second playmaker/scorer alongside Cade Cunningham, while Hachimura could offer versatile defense from the power forward spot as well as floor spacing on offense due to his exceptional 3-point shooting.
Lakers Trade Pitch Pairs Luka Doncic with Ascending $60 Million Rim Protector