The Los Angeles Lakers have played 12 games this season, and starting center Walker Kessler has played all of them. That puts to rest earlier concerns during the preseason when talks about his availability were in the air. There is no guarantee he will always be on the floor, but the early signs are good.
However, a solid backup to ease the workload may be explored. Kevon Looney has only seen a handful of minutes so far and any injury to Kessler may push that up. But the veteran center is not a favorite to get decent minutes when the starting center is off the floor:
According to Lake Show Life’s Collin Keane, one particular option could be Goga Bitadze, but there is lingering bad blood between the center and the Lakers’ Slovenian superstar.
“There’s one potential problem with the Lakers going after Bitadze, and that’s Luka Doncic,” Keane wrote. “Bitadze and Doncic got into an on-court altercation last season in which (according to Doncic) Bitadze said some truly awful things about Luka’s family. If Doncic still holds a grudge about this, Bitadze might be as off-limits as Gafford is.”
Bitadze is also seeing limited minutes as a backup for the Orlando Magic however, he still produces strong numbers expected for a decent backup big.
Lakers Could Target Goga Bitadze Despite Some History
Doncic and Bitadze’s situation is one of those altercations that didn’t have much to do with the heat of the game at least to an extent. It looked to have become personal and putting both players together in one room may not be the greatest idea. However, the Lakers superstar, now as the sole leader, may have to settle any tension with the Georgian big for the good of the team.
Bitadze is also a national teammate of another Lakers player Sandro Mamukelashvili which may help ease any rough edges should a move to L.A. materialize.
The Magic are currently in a tough spot form-wise. They have only won two games all season and are battling injuries from all angles. However, Bitadze isn’t a player they won’t be open to trading. Wendell Carter Jr. is the starting center and he is logging significant minutes.
Bitadze Primed to be a Reliable Kessler Backup
Bitadze’s career has been as a backup player from his Indiana Pacers days down to Orlando. However, he is an influential presence when on the floor as evidenced in his 2024-25 season for the Magic. He started a career-high 42 games and he averaged a career high across the board. That was the only season he played over 20 minutes a night.
As center backups go, Bitadze is one of the top options at the moment. He played 60 or more games in the past three seasons which gives his availability a pass. His biggest strength is his rebounding prowess which the Lakers will not miss when Kessler is absent.
“Bitadze is an experienced center with averages of 13.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per 36 minutes throughout his seven-plus seasons in the Association,” Keane added. “He’s tough, physical, and more than capable of backing up Kessler. Some might say he’s overqualified for the role.”
Orlando’s demands will not be far-fetched given that Bitadze is a role player. However, the Lakers may still have to churn out at least some draft assets like second round picks.
Lakers ‘Could Target’ Key 6’11” Center in Trade Despite Serious Luka Doncic Beef