The Los Angeles Lakers are one loss away from their season ending at the hands of the defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Once the season ends, all focus will shift to free agency.
The Lakers will have more cap space this summer than they have had in a long time. Free agency will be centered around building a roster around Luka Doncic.
“The Lakers have a megastar in Dončić and a unique amount of potential cap space for a title hopeful this offseason. This summer will go a long way toward determining how well they can build a championship contender around Luka over the next few years,” Silver Screen and Roll’s Bryan Toporek wrote.
One major position of need for Los Angeles will be center, especially if they part ways with Deandre Ayton. Jaxson Hayes is likely to return due to his relationship with Doncic, but the Lakers will still need a starting-caliber center. Look no further than Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein.
“Hartenstein is a bruiser who could set bone-crushing screens for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, rumbling to the rim to catch lobs and perform Gortat screens. He is a monster on the offensive glass and would gain multiple fresh possessions for the Lakers. His defense is solid and he protects the rim quite well. Landing Hartenstein would be a free agency coup, and it may be possible all because the Thunder failed to move up in the Draft Lottery. That set off a domino effect that could very reasonably end in Isaiah Hartenstein starting for the Lakers next season,” Lake Show Life’s Josh Cornelissen wrote.
Hartenstein is putting together another strong season in Oklahoma City while playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderand Chet Holmgren. Los Angeles is seeing firsthand the type of impact player Hartenstein can be.
The Thunder center nearly averaged a double-double during the regular season. For the Lakers, this is the type of move that could significantly help Doncic and strengthen the roster moving forward.
More NBA news: