Deadline day is here. By 5 p.m. Eastern today, teams have to set their opening night roster. For the Los Angeles Lakers, that means they have just hours left to get a trade done.
While the Lakers still appear to be working hard to find a deal for Dalton Knecht, they have to face the uncomfortable reality of potentially having to waive him — or another player, or even two — if they can’t find a taker for the 25-year-old former first round pick.
The ideal scenario is to kill two birds with one stone. L.A. would love to execute a deal that ships out Knecht and brings in a dependable big man to play behind star center Walker Kessler.
Lakers Have “Strong Interest” in Young Big Man
If no trade happens before today’s deadline, the team is prepared to scour the free agent market to find a back up center. One player of interest is 24-year-old Dallas Mavericks big man Moussa Cisse, according to “The Stein Line.”
“There’s a growing expectation among rival teams that Moussa Cissé is the Dallas player in the greatest jeopardy. The Stein Line has learned, however, that Cissé is a real candidate to be claimed off waived in the event he is let go. Chicago, sources say, has interest in the high-energy big man. I’m told Atlanta also has interest even though the Hawks don’t currently have an open standard spot … If Cissé were to be waived Monday and then clear waivers Wednesday, I’m also told that the 76ers and Lakers would have strong interest in signing him to a two-way deal even though neither team currently has a two-way opening,” reported NBA journalist Marc Stein (h/t Ryan Ward, Sports Illustrated’s Lakers on SI)
As Ward noted, the Lakers would have to make room to add Cisse, who is limited to a two-way contract because his two-year deal, worth roughly $4.8 million, exceeds the maximum guaranteed salary allowed for a player to be waived and re-signed to a two-way contract.
“Cisse played in 38 games with the Mavericks last season, averaging 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, while shooting 57.4% from the field,” Ward wrote. “Solid numbers for a 23-year-old big man who played only 13.9 minutes per game off the bench. Of course, the Lakers would have to waive a player on a two-way deal to bring in Cisse.”
Cisse Would Be Strong Option if No Trade Happens
Cisse, who tied a Mavs franchise rookie record with 20 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls in April, would be a high-upside plan B for the Lakers if the team can’t hammer out a deal for another big man before the regular season starts.
The bottom line is that L.A. would be playing a risky game if they entered the season without another big man. Although veteran center Kevon Looney, the 30-year-old, three-time NBA champion, was signed in free agency to help shore up the team’s frontcourt depth, Looney’s minimal preseason play showed that he is not in a position to produce consistently off the bench.
If the Lakers had someone like Cisse to turn to when Kessler is off the floor, that could help alleviate a lot of their troubles. Kessler has already flashed his two-way impact, and we saw how different the Lakers looked in his debut when the 25-year-old center was on the floor versus when he was off it.
Lakers Target 6’11” Rebounding Machine as Potential New Walker Kessler Backup