The Los Angeles Lakers are still handling offseason business as August has passed its midpoint.
L.A. remains on the lookout for wing and frontcourt reinforcements. According to team insider Khobi Price, the Lakers’ top target is still Atlanta Hawks free agent Jonathan Kuminga, but the Lakers could still add a solid big man to backup the newly-acquired Walker Kessler.
“The Lakers remain interested in Jonathan Kuminga, the unrestricted free agent forward whose free agency has stalled out over the last few weeks,” Price reported for the California Post. “Kuminga would address the Lakers’ last big need, which is a wing/forward who could be a credible starter. They could also add another big man to back up Kessler.”
Kessler will be L.A.’s unquestioned starting big man, but the team lacks depth at the position, having Kevon Looney as the only other option. To add to the frontcourt depth, the Lakers might want to look into bringing back former All-Star big man Brook Lopez.
Lopez Makes Plenty of Sense as Lakers’ Back Up Option
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 09: Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks controls the ball against Brook Lopez #11 of the LA Clippers in the second half at Intuit Dome on March 09, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Lopez is 38 and well past his prime, but he is on an expiring $9 million contract. For a player who averaged 13 points and five rebounds per game while shooting over 37 percent from the 3-point line as recently as the 2024-25 season, adding Lopez, a well-established long-range shooter, could be a valuable move.
Here’s a proposed three-team framework that sends Lopez back to L.A.
Lakers receive: Brook Lopez
Clippers receive: Robert Williams III and 2031 second round pick (via TOR)
Blazers receive: Jarred Vanderbilt and a 2031 second round pick (from LAL, via WAS)
The Lakers use two second round picks to make the deal worthwhile for the Blazers and Clippers, allowing L.A. to shed Vanderbilt’s contract while adding the much cheaper Lopez. Portland gets compensated for taking on Vanderbilt, while the Clippers receive a pick for absorbing Williams’ three-year pact, giving each team a clear incentive to participate.
Lopez spent last season with the Clippers, appearing in 75 games (40 starts) and averaging 8.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. An All-Star in the 2012-13 season, Lopez played one season with the Lakers, which was the season before LeBron James arrived.
L.A. Needs More Frontcourt Options, and Lopez Would Provide One
According to team insider Dan Woike, the Lakers are exploring backup center options around the NBA given their thin frontcourt depth.
“Part of the reason so much hinges on Kessler is the way the Lakers and Luka Dončić prioritized him,” Woike wrote for The Athletic. “Another part is that the Lakers have only Kevon Looney as a backup. Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jarred Vanderbilt are in pencil further down the Lakers’ depth chart, but neither would be capable of playing center on a full-time basis should they need to.
“Between Looney’s 21 games and the five Kessler played last season, the Lakers are, according to team and league sources, hunting for reinforcement at the center position. But that search won’t be easy. The center market is largely a mess. In addition, the Lakers already have 16 guaranteed contracts and no open roster spots.”
The outcome of the 2026-27 season could have a major impact on Doncic’s future with the team. If the Lakers enter the season with only one dependable big man, that may not be a recipe for success.
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