There is nothing secret about what the Los Angeles Lakers have to do next. They landed rising star big man Walker Kessler to be Luka Doncic’s long-term frontcourt runningmate, but the Lakers do not have a traditional big man to turn to it Kessler misses time.
Even if Kessler, who appeared in just five games for the Utah Jazz last season, stays healthy, L.A. may be looking at having to run him into the ground with the amount of minutes he’ll have to play. With all due respect, Kevon Looney may be a three-time champion and a steady option for those Golden State Warriors teams years ago, but he isn’t someone the Lakers want to be stuck looking at if push comes to shove.
So, that means L.A. is exploring some free agents, maybe a few trades, right? Well…
The Options the Lakers Have to Address the Frontcourt
Even though there are big men remaining on the open market, none of them appear to be an ideal option for the Lakers. Team insider Khobi Price mentioned Doncic’s former teammate Dwight Powell as a free-agent option, but he’s 35 and on the backside of his career. Similar can be said for other options. As for a trade, there are some stumbling blocks in the way, namely L.A. possessing just one tradeable first-round pick — and that being a measly pick swap.
That’s one reason why Lakers reporter Alex Regla notes that the team may need to designate a backup center internally, with newly signed Sandro Mamukelashvili as the best option to take on those duties.
“Instead, a more practical outcome is that Looney is used only situationally,” Regla wrote for Silver Screen and Roll. “Whether that’s in the form of defending the post, setting a bone-crushing screen, or helping grease the wheels of the offense, his lasting impact may boil down to his veteran leadership. As a result, the Lakers will likely have to hope Sandro Mamukelashvili can allow them to go small in the minutes Kessler is off the floor. And if not, they will be forced to find someone who can effectively fill the role Looney was expected to.”
Mamukelashvili, 27, was signed to a four-year contract worth roughly $52 million in free agency after spending last season in Toronto, where he averaged 11.2 points per game and shot an impressive 39 percent from the 3-point line in 80 games for the Raptors.
Mamu To the Rescue?
Clearly, the Lakers like what Mamukelashvili brings to the table, as evidenced by the four-year deal they handed him.
Mamukelashvili could provide steady minutes as the backup center … but perhaps only on one side of the ball. He is an efficient, willing scorer but doesn’t nearly possess the profile of a defensive stopper or rim-protector. Heck, Mamukelashvili isn’t some towering big man — he stands at a modest 6’9”.
But he may be the Lakers’ most feasible option considering the circumstances. While there are players out there the Lakers could target in a trade, unless they aim for a low-to-medium-tier player, they simply don’t have enough in their war chest to acquire a high-impact star.
That’s not to mention that the Lakers may need to use Mamukelashvili plenty at power forward, another position where they are rather thin.
Who knows. Maybe he does contribute to both positions. Maybe he becomes beloved in Laker Land for that reason.
So much so that the crowd establishes a Mamuuuuu chant every time he loads up a 3-pointer.
Lakers Expected to Turn to 6’9″ Elite 3-Point Shooter to Back Up Walker Kessler