The Los Angeles Lakers' frontcourt woes have persisted throughout the 2025-26 campaign with Deandre Ayton as their starting center.
Rebounding and rim-protection remain massive concerns for the Luka Dončić-led squad, and it's likely that general manager Rob Pelinka will take another stab at adding a valuable two-way big in free agency.
Dončić, Austin Reaves and 22-time All-Star LeBron James thrive alongside big men who can set hard screens, roll to the basket, finish pin-point lob passes while rejecting shots on the other end of the floor.
Of the options set to be available in unrestricted free agency, FanSided's Maxwell Ogden suggests that New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will rise towards the top of the Lakers' wish list despite a few deep flaws with the rebounder's overall game.
"As the Los Angeles Lakers survey the 2026 free agency market for the ideal center, Mitchell Robinson will inevitably surface on their radar," Ogden wrote.
"He's an explosive athlete with elite defensive range, unrivaled offensive rebounding proficiency, and the perfect skill set to thrive as the lob threat Luka Dončić needs."
"Robinson missed 51 games in 2023-24 and another 65 in 2024-25... For as alarming as that may be, one simply can't ignore how perfect Robinson would be for Doncic as a lob threat, interior defensive anchor, and truly untouchable offensive rebounder."
Even with Robinson's injury history and a reputation as one of the worst free-throw shooters in NBA history, he'll still be a premier target for contenders once free agency begins.
The 7-foot, 240-pound big man may be known widely for his embarrassing career 50.9% percentage at the charity stripe, but he's also lauded for his all-time great offensive rebounding and defensive impact in a postseason setting. He's also a fantastic finisher at the basket and owns the NBA record for highest field goal percentage in a single season (74.2%, 2019-20).
Through 49 appearances this season with the Knicks, Robinson has contributed 5.3 points, 8.9 rebounds (4.4 offensive boards) and 1.1 blocks on a ridiculous 70.2% field goal percentage. He's also registered an elite 107 defensive rating per 100 possessions.
Naturally, it's easy to visualize Robinson screening and rolling to the rim to throw down monstrous dunks off of Dončić dimes. It must also be tantalizing for a Lakers squad averaging just 13.1 second-chance points (No. 28 in NBA) this season to imagine all of the extra possessions Robinson could manufacture.
Injury concerns are still a looming issue with regard to his future, but the upside of a Dončić-Robinson pick-and-roll tandem might be too tempting for the Lakers to pass on.
The only problem left to solve is how Los Angeles would manage to pay the athletic big man. If Robinson helps lead the Knicks to another deep postseason run and dominates on the boards along the way, there's little doubt that a team would be willing to throw him a deal exceeding $20 million annually over four years.
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