Long story short, the Los Angeles Lakers need to shore up their frontcourt. And it needs to happen fast.
Tuesday’s preseason game showed exactly what could derail the Lakers this season if they fail to support star big man Walker Kessler, the marquee offseason acquisition, with a back up. When Kessler was on the floor in the first half, the Lakers looked like a team with championship potential, albeit against an opponent that finished in the play-in tournament last season.
L.A. is above the NBA-mandated roster limit, which means a trade could be on the horizon. League insider Jake Fischer reported that the Lakers are among a few teams actively exploring a trade, and one can’t help but imagine that the team is trying to use all means necessary to acquire another big man.
Knicks Roster Move Could Give Lakers Another Option
Meanwhile, over in the Eastern Conference, the defending NBA champions are in the mix for a frontcourt boost. Fortunately, the Knicks signed multiple big men to their training camp roster and are approaching the deadline to make a decision to finalize their standard 14 or 15-man roster. According to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, the Knicks could go with former lottery pick James Wiseman as their final man, leaving veteran center Drew Eubanks on the outside.
“New York needs a third center and will likely use the 14th roster spot to address it,” Edwards wrote. “James Wiseman has been the first big man on a training-camp deal who Brown has tapped to check into games, with Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley falling behind. The Knicks should strongly consider adding Bruce Brown to the main roster given his championship experience and positional versatility, but all signs point to the team keeping a center right now.”
Wiseman and Eubanks have been speculated as potential Lakers targets, depending on how their futures shake out with the Knicks. With New York predicted to retain Wiseman and let go of Eubanks, the Lakers could step in and sign the 29-year-old center to a veteran’s minimum contract.
The Lakers are roughly $8 million below the first apron, allowing them to hand out another minimum contract without financial penalties. However, the Lakers would have to waive two players just to sign one, which is far from the most ideal scenario.
L.A. Would Probably Much Rather Prefer a Trade
Three weeks ago, general manager Rob Pelinka revealed that the Lakers could make a “consolidation” trade to fortify the roster before the regular season. That would perhaps mean striking a two-for-one deal, sending out two players in exchange for one.
There have been numerous speculated Lakers trade targets, but with L.A.’s limited asset capital, acquiring a player who is more than a short-term solution appears to be an elusive task.
“I would expect the Lakers to leave no stone unturned — do what you can to find a trade, and as long as it makes sense … it just needs to be for a long-term solution and not a short-term one,” Lakers reporter Trevor Lane said during a recent episode of the “Lakers Nation” podcast. “… Maybe it’s a (Chicago Bulls center) Jalen Smith that makes sense. There’s a number of other (guys) — Karlo Matkovic with the Pelicans, (Orlando Magic center) Goga Bitadze being another one.”
Lakers Get Good News on Back Up Big Man After Knicks Expected Roster Move