The Los Angeles Lakers need a reserve center after acquiring Walker Kessler and trading away DeAndre Ayton. Last season saw the flawed duo of Ayton and Jaxson Hayes on the roster, but both have left for new teams with the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz. Kessler needs a credible backup center after playing just 5 games last season due to injury woes.
Yahoo and Bleacher Report each reported that the Lakers see three names as viable options for the role:
“The Los Angeles Lakers have already found a long-term solution to their biggest offseason priority by acquiring Walker Kessler, but they aren’t done reshaping their roster. After trading away Deandre Ayton, they are looking to add a backup center according to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, and are down to three options: Jonas Valanciunas, Kevon Looney, and Moussa Diabate.”
The three names of Jonas Valanciunas, Kevon Looney, and Moussa Diabate would all be welcomed additions to the Lakers to add more depth to their roster. Each name is credible enough to get a spot in the rotation backing up Kessler. However, the paths are different since some are free agents and others would require trades to get them to Los Angeles.
How The Lakers Can Get Each Name
Valanciunas stands out as the biggest name on this list since he’s been a respected center in the NBA for over a decade now. The Denver Nuggets acquired him last summer, so the Lakers will have to pull off a trade to land the reliable reserve.
Diabate may be the hardest name on the list to land since the Charlotte Hornets do value him as a young talent with room to improve. Charlotte’s success last season came partially due to Diabate stepping up at center. The Lakers would likely have to give up more for Diabate than Valanciunas in a trade.
Looney stands out as the easiest name to sign since he’s a free agent and coming off a terrible year with the New Orleans Pelicans. The respected tenure with the Golden State Warriors showed Looney contributing to winning basketball. Looney would contribute more for a team led by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on offense.
Lakers Likely Reget Losing Jaxson Hayes
Ayton using his player clause to opt into another year with the Lakers is the main reason they likely didn’t re-sign Hayes. Utah offered Hayes a two-year contract at a modest $6 million per season, but the Lakers were on the hook to pay Ayton.
General Manager Rob Pelinka traded Ayton a few days after Hayes was already off the market to lose both centers. Hayes developed strong chemistry with Doncic during the year and change together to make him the perfect reserve big man.
The bond with Luka was impressive enough to see Hayes trying to play for the Slovenia national team. If Ayton hadn’t opted in, the Lakers would have been more prone to working out a deal with Hayes. Now the team must scour every option to find a respectable center to bac up Kessler.
Lakers View Three Names As Realistic Backup Center Targets