The Lakers keep circling the same need: size. Even with Los Angeles aggressively reshaping the roster this summer after LeBron James said he would not return, the search for another center has not gone away.
That hunt matters because the Lakers are trying to build around a new core. Outside of Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, the expectation is that the starting lineup will look completely different this season, and the front office is clearly aiming younger. But youth alone does not solve the issue in the middle, which is why the team is still weighing ways to add more depth at center.
“The Lakers are still monitoring the market for big men, team sources told The Athletic," The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported. "They traded for Walker Kessler and signed Kevon Looney to play center, and Mamukelashvili can play the position, too.
The team could address the position either by trade or signing, like with potentially adding Thybulle. The roster is currently at full capacity."
At the same time, Los Angeles has not been shy about exploring the trade market. Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht have both come up in talks as the Lakers look for upgrades.
“The Lakers are actively shopping Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade talks. After gaining two second-round picks in the Deandre Ayton trade, Los Angeles could consolidate those assets in a deal immediately for a starting-caliber wing," NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
That gives Knecht a real chance to be part of the next move if the Lakers decide to chase another big. NBA writer Jake Weinbach has floated a deal that would send Knecht and Jake LaRavia to the Chicago Bulls for Jalen Smith.
“If the Lakers discuss the possibility of acquiring Jalen Smith, a trade package would likely include Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, and second-round draft compensation. Smith is reportedly a trade target for the Lakers, but it’s unclear if the Bulls are willing to move the 26-year-old big man,” Weinbach wrote.
Smith fits the type of player the Lakers are chasing. He can play both power forward and center, and he would give the roster another reliable option behind Walker Kessler. Chicago, meanwhile, could have interest in taking on Knecht as it continues building around its young core.
Smith has earned $36 million throughout his NBA career, and his rim protection is the selling point here. If the Bulls are open to absorbing Knecht’s contract, the Lakers could have a workable path to getting the deal done.
In Other News...
Bulls Trade Idea Puts Patrick Williams At Center Of A Win-Now Debate
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The proposal would send a veteran forward to Chicago, giving the Bulls an experienced name for the present while the Warriors would get a younger player and a stash of picks as they try to reset around an aging core. With Golden State still searching for answers after a disappointing season and no offseason additions so far, the idea lands in that familiar place between urgency and caution, where both teams can see the logic and neither side gets exactly what it wants. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Fans Can Dream On Paolo Banchero For One Huge Reason
Paolo Bancheros name is one that will naturally catch the attention of Bulls fans whenever the trade rumor mill starts turning, and CBS Sports Sam Quinn recently floated a scenario that would certainly qualify as a franchise-shifting swing. On The Third Apron podcast, Quinn suggested the Orlando Magic could one day be forced to think about a Banchero deal as they navigate the kind of salary-cap pressure that has already complicated things for other contenders, with Chicago mentioned as a team that would make sense as a possible partner.
For the Bulls, the appeal is easy to understand. Bancheros offensive ability and his fit with a roster looking for a true front-line centerpiece make him the sort of player who can change the tone of a rebuild in a hurry. For now, though, it remains exactly what it sounds like: speculation, not a reported negotiation, and the kind of idea that gives Chicago fans something to daydream about without any sign the Magic are actually preparing to listen. [Read more 🡒]