The Los Angeles Lakers have 16 players on guaranteed contracts entering training camp, but only two of those players are legitimate centers.
While Sandro Mamukelashvili can play a little five in small-ball units, the Lakers have only Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney assigned as centers entering the season.
A Lakers trade idea doing the rounds would give JJ Redick a legitimate third center who is also versatile enough to play next to Kessler or Looney in certain lineups. The proposed trade lands the Lakers veteran big man Zach Collins from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Dalton Knecht, whose days in Los Angeles are reportedly numbered.
Lakers Trade Idea Lands Zach Collins
Lakers would receive: Zach Collins
Bulls would receive: Dalton Knecht
The straight 1-on-1 trade works in favor of both franchise, especially since both Collins and Knecht can be waived in the summer of 2027.
Why the Lakers Do It
It’s far too risky a proposition to rely on Kessler and Looney to carry the center rotation, given that the duo played a combined total of 26 games last year due to injuries. Although both men have stated that they are 100% healthy entering the new season, the Lakers would be wise to gain some insurance in the form of Collins.
Collins will also bring a different element to the center rotation with his three-point shooting. Last season, he shot an impressive 42.9% from three while attempting 2.1 shots per game from beyond the arc. Collins is also a good shot-blocker, having averaged 1.4 rejections PER36 in his eight-year NBA career.
The Lakers are not obligated to keep Collins if he doesn’t prove to be a good fit. They can simply decline his $8.5M Team Option next summer to create cap flexiblity.
Dalton Knecht’s Days Numbered
With 16 players on the roster, the Lakers can either make a 2-for-1 trade or waive a player before the start of the regular season. If they are unable to find a suitable trade, the Lakers are widely expected to cut Knecht, who has simply not panned out as a useful contributor in his first two seasons. According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, Knecht will be lucky to still be a Laker at the end of preseason.
“Overall, the Lakers’ roster crunch is certainly centered on Knecht,” Siegel reported on Thursday. “He is a player the team has been trying to move for quite some time (and actually did if you remember the failed Mark Williams trade with Charlotte), as things just haven’t worked out for the 25-year-old.
“Knecht was on the trade block heading into February’s deadline, and sources at the time told ClutchPoints that there were rumblings of him being a potential buyout candidate. Ultimately, Knecht remains on the Lakers roster, and the team was unable to move him in trade talks this offseason.”
Lakers Proposed to Trade Dalton Knecht for Vet Big to Finalize Roster