After making many moves, the Los Angeles Lakers arguably should have had their roster set by now. But that doesn’t appear to be the case, even as we eat into September with the new season around the corner.
A well-understood fact is that the Lakers need to beef up their frontline; they need someone who can compete for the starting power forward position and someone who can be a security option behind the newly-acquired Walker Kessler.
“If they do make any additions to their roster before training camp starts in a month, it’d likely be big man depth behind Kessler and Kevon Looney, who they signed to a veteran’s minimum contract,” Lakers insider Khobi Price reported. “They will still need to trim their roster by at least one player by the start of the regular season to become compliant with the league’s rules. Besides that, most of the Lakers’ major moves are behind them.”
The question now is whether the Lakers will look internally or externally to address their remaining needs. The latter option isn’t off the table.
“I don’t expect a signing, but I still think there’s going to be a trade,” Lakers reporter Jacob Rude wrote for Silver Screen and Roll. “At the very least, the Lakers are going to look hard for one. The problem is, when you look around the league, it’s tough to find a deal. The list of teams with an open roster spot is small and there are multiple teams in the same position as the Lakers in needing to trim their roster.”
Will Lakers Stand Pat, Sign a Player or Make a Trade?
Although Rude believes L.A. is unlikely to make another free-agent signing, there are options out there for the team to choose from, according to Price. One of them is veteran big man Dwight Powell.
“The most significant option for the Lakers could be Dwight Powell, the 6-10, 35-year-old big man who was teammates with Doncic for 6 ½ seasons in Dallas. Notably, Powell has played the most games as a teammate alongside Doncic (389) among the 98 players Doncic has played alongside in his eight-year NBA career. Besides Powell, the other realistic options are veteran journeymen Drew Eubanks, Bismack Biyombo and Mason Plumlee — demonstrating the lack of quality big man free-agent targets.”
Powell’s history with Doncic could make him more appealing to the Lakers. For one, Powell’s return to Dallas, where he has played 763 of 768 career games, looks unlikely, giving the Lakers another big man option to consider.
“The Dallas Mavericks essentially have their 15-man roster set after reaching a buyout agreement with Klay Thompson a few weeks ago. …That puts Dwight Powell’s situation in a tough spot. Powell is essentially a lifelong Maverick, having been included in the Rajon Rondo trade in his rookie season. That was 11 years ago, and despite some rumors that he may be looking to retire, that does not appear to be the case. While Powell would probably like to finish his career with the Mavericks, it’s not appearing to be a viable option.”
He Not a Star Option, But Could Be a Reliable ‘Just-in-Case’ Big Man
At this point, the Lakers are firmly pinning their hopes on Kessler, the 25-year-old rising big man they paid more than a pretty penny to acquire from the Utah Jazz.
L.A. signed Looney as an insurance option; maybe Powell falls under that same category.
Powell is no longer the roughly 11-point-per-game lob threat big man or the near seven-footer who could sometimes step beyond the arc for a 3-pointer that he was when Doncic was an NBA baby.
But for a minimum salary, he perhaps is far from a bad option.
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