The Lakers still have one big question hanging over the roster as the season nears: who fills the starting power forward spot?
Even after a flurry of moves, Los Angeles has not finished the job. The club has been trying to build out the roster after LeBron James left for the Philadelphia 76ers, but it has not landed every target it has chased. The latest miss came with Jonathan Kuminga, who went to the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
That leaves the Lakers with a vacancy they still need to solve, and it’s not a minor one. Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk pointed directly to that open spot in the starting five, writing, “Then, there is the power forward position.
This is the last domino among the starting lineup that really does not have full clarity just yet. There are certainly players internally, and even externally, who could fill the vacancy," Lake Show Life's Svyatoslav Rovenchuk wrote.
One name that keeps surfacing is Derrick Jones Jr. of the Los Angeles Clippers, a $48 million ex-Heat wing who would fit the 3-and-D mold the Lakers have been searching for. But getting him would require a trade, and the situation may be more complicated than a simple phone call.
ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly said Jones could push for a move if the right opportunity comes along. “I think sometimes agents see different opportunities around the league to play more, make more money, contend for a championship, potentially, so that could also weigh into it,” said Azarly. “If they see a better opportunity elsewhere, they’ll approach the Clippers, and the Clippers, in good faith, will try to get them where they want to go.”
There is also a belief that Jones would prefer to stay in Los Angeles. If that holds true, it could give the Lakers a real advantage in any pursuit. And if the door opens, the Lakers are expected to be ready.
The message is clear: Los Angeles still needs help at power forward, and if Derrick Jones Jr. becomes available, the Lakers do not plan to hesitate.
In Other News...
Clippers Finally Have A Clearer Endgame For The Kawhi Leonard Saga
The Kawhi Leonard situation finally has a clearer shape, even if the paperwork is still catching up. Toronto has agreed to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple draft picks to the Clippers in the long-discussed deal, giving Los Angeles a path out of a saga that has hovered over the franchise while the league sorted through the consequences.
The trade still has not been finalized because of NBA sanctions on the Clippers, but there is growing confidence it will get done before training camp begins. Leonard has already been around Raptors teammates on an unofficial team trip, a sign of how far along this has moved even with the formal finish line still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonard And Clippers Face A Far Bigger Threat Than NBA Punishment
The federal investigation hanging over Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers has already moved well beyond a basketball headline, and the legal questions around it are starting to look more complicated than any immediate league discipline. Two former prosecutors who weighed in on the matter pointed to the scrutiny around possible salary cap circumvention and the broader implications for the NBA, while urging everyone involved to get legal counsel as the case develops.
From the Clippers perspective, the unsettling part is how many different layers this kind of inquiry can involve before it ever gets to the league office. The former prosecutors suggested Leonard may not be the easiest target for a direct charge, which leaves the focus on a wider web of relationships and decisions as investigators sort through what actually happened and who knew what. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Face A Jakob Poeltl Decision That Could Shape Their Next Move
The Clippers are in a spot where every asset matters, and the search for draft capital has only intensified after the penalties that stripped away five first-round picks and with Kawhi Leonards looming departure. In that kind of market, even a move that looks more like a reset than a splash starts to make sense, especially if it helps Los Angeles rebuild around whatever remains of its foundation.
One idea floating around has the Clippers looking at Torontos frontcourt for help on the long-term side of the ledger. The logic is pretty straightforward: take on a big contract, give the Raptors some roster flexibility, and potentially come away with future value in the form of draft compensation. It is still very much a speculative path, but for a Clippers team trying to recover from a brutal asset hit, those kinds of discussions are likely to keep coming. [Read more 🡒]