Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrate the Lakers win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Hayes replaced Deandre Ayton in the fourth quarter.
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Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrate the Lakers win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Hayes replaced Deandre Ayton in the fourth quarter.
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to look for methods to improve the team’s roster ahead of the upcoming difficult playoff run in the Western Conference. Most trades for big names have too many flaws and tough variables holding them back. One positive sign could see the Lakers benefiting from having MVP candidate Luka Doncic on the roster.
ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon revealed that big men around the league have dreams of joining the Lakers as the perfect situation playing with a star like Luka:
“They have the fact they’re the Los Angeles Lakers, and I can just tell you, big men will do back flips to be able to be in that Lakers uniform paired with Luka. I was talking to an agent who’s got a big man who may or may not be on the move and he would love to get his guy in L.A. Big men are going to want to play with Luka that much I can assure you.”
MacMahon referenced an agent hoping his client could end up on the Lakers for the best-case scenario. The logic makes sense since Doncic’s play style leads to many easy baskets for centers in the paint. DeAndre Ayton doesn’t look reliable as the starting center of the future to warrant looking at other options.
Will A New Center Join Luka?
Lakers fans are currently thinking about this season since the team will likely make the playoffs and have a star trio at the top of the roster. Trades for a center will be hard to make happen since the Lakers are also looking at wing players to improve their defense and offensive versatility.
However, the NBA has seen buy outs becoming more common in recent years with rebuilding teams cutting bait on established talent no longer helping them. The Lakers could easily sign a veteran center on the market to threaten the minutes of Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.
It is unlikely the Lakers will get a big name via this method, but they are trying to find some help for the depth this season. Any playoff success will come off the backs of LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Doncic this season.
Lakers Will Rebuild Team Around Luka
The most likely scenario for this report impacting the Lakers will see them having a chance to add a big man in the offseason. Doncic signing an extension confirms that he will be on the roster for quite some time as the best player on the team.
LeBron’s future is in doubt after reports of the Lakers expecting him to take a pay cut if he returns next season. A roster led by Luka and Reaves will need a strong center and a more impressive all-around team dynamic across the starting lineup.
Centers like Nikola Vucevic, Jusuf Nurkic, and Kristaps Porzingis could help the Lakers as the new big man to pair with Doncic and Reaves. The report is a great one for the Lakers since they’ve lacked a good center for many years now and will need one in the Luka era.