The Los Angeles Lakers desperately need to beef up their center rotation to optimize their window with Luka Doncic. Should that search for a big man lead them to someone who played alongside their newest superstar on the Dallas Mavericks?
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report sure seems to think so. He recently cobbled together a blockbuster trade that has the Lakers targeting one of Luka’s ex-teammates. And it isn’t Daniel Gafford. Or even Dereck Lively II.
It’s Kristaps Porzingis.
Proposed trade has the Lakers giving up Rui Hachimura and picks for Porzingis
Porzingis and Luka? Together again? How would that even work? Well, for starters, here's the deal Mr. Bailey proposed:
"More to the point, the Los Angeles Lakers just need a real center," Bailey writes of the trade. "Porzingis provides shot blocking, floor spacing and the occasional post-up. And he'd be a dramatic upgrade over Jaxson Hayes."
There's no doubt Porzingis is an upgrade over what the Lakers already have in place. That's also not saying much. Granted, Porzingis is a high-end talent at full strength. But his checkered health bill looms large. He has missed fewer than 15 games in a single season just once—and it was during his rookie year. His availability could get even dicier when he's about to turn 30 in August, and coming off a playoff campaign to forget while dealing with a (somewhat mysterious) illness later revealed to be post-viral syndrome.
Still, bagging a potential All-Star without surrendering a flat-out first-round pick is an intriguing dice roll. Losing Hachimura is tough; he's turned into a deadeye shooter since joining the Lakers. But his offense is at least partially expendable if Los Angeles is keeping Luka, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Porzingis coming off the books after next season could also be part of the appeal. If we assume Doncic signs a new deal, the Lakers' only guaranteed salaries on the books in the summer of 2026 following this trade would be Luka himself, and Jarred Vanderbilt, who'd be entering the final year of his pact.
Los Angeles will no doubt add money to its 2026 books before then. LeBron (player option) and Dorian Finney-Smith (player option) could sign longer-term deals this summer. The overarching point still stands. Subbing out Hachimura's money for Porzingis' contract would arm the Lakers with even more flexibility one year from now.
Does reuniting Porzingis and Doncic make sense for the Lakers?
There is real merit to giving Doncic and Porzingis another opportunity to figure things out. Their partnership in Dallas didn't work out amid injuries and functional awkwardness, but the bones of their games can complement one another.
At the same time, the cost here is too high. The swaps, in particular, are steep. Even though the Boston Celtics may not exercise them, this structure limits the Lakers' control over their own future. You need to get more back than a soon-to-be absence-prone 30-year-old on an expiring contract if you're going that route.
Plus, Doncic seems most comfortable beside higher-volume lob threats. Despite standing 7'2", Porzingis isn't much of an above-the-rim presence. He has never seen more than 13 percent of his shot attempts come as dunks. Compare that to Gafford, who has seen 38 percent of his career attempts come as dunks, and you're talking about a real difference.
To be fair, Porzingis is far more versatile than a rim-running lob threat. You could easily talk yourself into this if he were younger and healthier. Right now, though, this is a tough sell. Especially when Doncic and Porzingis were barely a net-positive together during their time on the court in Dallas, according to PBP Stats.
Removing one of the swaps could change things. But chances are the Lakers can find a more bankable, cheaper, less-risky, and potentially longer-term fit than Porzingis.
Grade: D+
Dan Favale is a Senior NBA Contributor for FanSided and National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to theHardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report'sGrant Hughes.