The Lakers’ roster is coming together, but the picture still isn’t fully clear around the frontcourt. Los Angeles has already added Walker Kessler to open free agency, and the team is still shopping for another center while also trying to sort out the bigger issue: who starts at power forward.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, the Lakers remain active on the big-man market. “The Lakers are still monitoring the market for big men, team sources told The Athletic," 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.”
But the more pressing hole may be the one next to the center spot. Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk pointed to power forward as the final opening in the starting five.
“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," Rovenchuk wrote.
That’s where a trade idea from NBA writer Jake Weinbach comes in. He floated a three-team deal that would send PJ Washington to Los Angeles, with the Mavericks getting Jaden Hardy, Adou Thiero, a 2032 first-round pick swap via the Lakers, and a 2032 second-round pick via Washington from the Lakers. In Weinbach’s proposal, the Bulls would land Jake LaRavia via the RMLE.
“A trade idea between the Lakers, Mavericks, and Bulls: Lakers-PJ Washington. Mavericks-Jaden Hardy, Adou Thiero, 2032 first-round pick swap (via LAL), 2032 second-round pick (via WAS from LAL). Bulls-Jake LaRavia (via RMLE),” Weinbach wrote.
Hardy has been a name the Lakers have tried to move in packages all summer, but the inclusion of Thiero stands out because the Lakers have reportedly been high on him. Still, the appeal of the deal is obvious from LA’s side: Washington would give the Lakers a stronger answer at power forward and a familiar partner for Luka Doncic.
The two have already had success together, reaching the NBA Finals as teammates. For a Lakers team trying to lock in its starting lineup before the season starts, that kind of fit could matter a lot.
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The question is not whether Doncic can pile up points, but how the Lakers want that volume to look over a full season. Windhorst and MacMahon pointed to his scoring last year, his style of play and the ongoing conversation around his conditioning as the key pieces in that equation, which is why this role change feels like more than just a roster adjustment. If it all clicks, Los Angeles could be looking at a version of Doncic that puts him in the middle of something much bigger than a simple scoring chase. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler May Fix The Lakers Problem Luka Needs Solved
After locking in Austin Reaves on a four-year, $185 million deal, the Lakers kept working on the roster around Luka Doncic by adding Walker Kessler from the Jazz in a sign-and-trade. It is a clear attempt to sharpen the teams frontcourt after last seasons need for more reliable play at center, with Kessler arriving as the kind of defensive presence Los Angeles has been chasing.
For a team built around Doncics ability to bend defenses, the fit is obvious on paper. Kessler is seen as a potential upgrade in the middle and a cleaner complement to a star who can create offense at a high level, but the real question is how quickly the Lakers can turn a long-standing weakness into something dependable enough to matter when the games tighten up. [Read more 🡒]
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The Heat have spent the summer adding to a roster that already looks formidable, with Klay Thompson among the recent free-agent signings and the kind of contract structure that leaves Miami with financial flexibility. Even so, the point guard spot remains the one area that still invites questions, which is why the Kyrie Irving chatter has lingered around the team in the first place.
Miamis interest, however, appears to be running into a familiar obstacle. Trade talk around Irving has picked up again, but the sense around the league is that the Heat are unlikely to land him, leaving their backcourt outlook unsettled even as the rest of the roster takes shape. [Read more 🡒]