The Los Angeles Lakers improved to 3-0 after beating the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Sunday.
The Lakers were down by as many as 18 points in the first half before storming back to complete the 132-123 comeback win.
Luka Doncic led with 52 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists, while Austin Reaves added 29 points and four assists.
Lakers Urged to Target Dallas Mavericks Big Man
Despite their 3-0 record to start the season, the Los Angeles Lakers still need a better backup option at center.
Kevon Looney has looked sluggish, with Jovan Buha of The Athletic calling him a “glaring hole” in the Lakers’ roster.
Speaking on his 132-123 podcast recently, Buha named Moussa Cisse of the Dallas Mavericks as a trade option they might want to explore.
“To me, Moussa Cisse, I don’t wanna overrate Moussa Cisse, but I think he’s the exact type of big that would just eat with the Lakers,” Buha said via BasketNews. “And he would be a dynamic lob threat with Luka and Austin, and he just has to screen, roll, finish. He could do that.”
“He’s also a solid rebounder and rim protector, at least by bench-big standards,” the insider added. “So to me, Moussa Cisse, like, you’re not asking for the moon. You’re not asking to draft an Aday Mara. You’re not asking to add Mitchell Robinson to the bench. Keeping it realistic with a minimum-level player, Moussa Cisse is the archetype to me.”
Looney played just five minutes against the Jazz, with coach JJ Redick opting for Sandro Mamukelashvili as his small-ball center.
On the other hand, Cisse is averaging just 3.7 minutes in the first three games for the Mavericks. He is behind Daniel Gafford and Morez Johnson Jr. in the current rotation. He’ll likely fall behind more once Dereck Lively II has been cleared to play.
Knicks Went After Moussa Cisse in Free Agency
After losing Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics in free agency, the New York Knicks signed Moussa Cisse to an offer sheet.
The Dallas Mavericks matched the offer sheet to keep the 24-year-old big man. The franchise was also put in a dilemma before the season, when they had to choose between Cisse and long-time veteran big man Dwight Powell.
It was a hard decision, but the Mavs went with youth. They kept Cisse and waived Powell, who was with the franchise for 11 and a half seasons.
Nevertheless, the Knicks’ interest meant that the Los Angeles Lakers will have competition for Cisse if they want to pursue him.
Jovan Buha also named Jericho Sims of the Milwaukee Bucks as another option for the Lakers.
Los Angeles Lakers Urged to Target 24-Year-Old Dallas Mavericks Center