The Lakers’ biggest roster question isn’t at the top of the chart. It’s deeper down, where the backup center spot still looks shaky behind Walker Kessler.
Los Angeles has plenty to like elsewhere. Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, and Sandro Mamukelashvili give the roster real firepower. But the frontcourt behind Kessler is where the concern starts to show, and that’s why Dallas has suddenly become a team to watch.
“I mean, they’re looking. They’re looking, said Dan Woike on the Zach Lowe Show.
“But a lot of teams are looking at backup bigs, and it’s not a super robust market. A situation I would say that I’m monitoring is like what’s going on with the back of Dallas’ bench, like, are they going to carry four centers?”
Right now, Kevon Looney is the only bench option, and his projected role doesn’t inspire much confidence. Last season, he averaged 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks while shooting 41.7% from the field.
The Lakers can’t do much immediately, but the clock is ticking toward February’s trade deadline, and the Mavericks may offer the cleanest path to a fix. Dallas is rebuilding around Cooper Flagg, which raises the question of whether it really needs to keep a four-center setup with two aging veteran bigs.
Dereck Lively II would be the prize. At 7’1″ and 22 years old, he would be the ideal answer for Los Angeles, but the Mavericks are almost certain to hold onto him.
That makes Daniel Gafford the more realistic name. The 6’10” center has spent seven NBA seasons carving out a valuable role, and his numbers speak for themselves: 9.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game on 70.2% shooting. He has been a defensive presence for Dallas and also shared the floor with Luka Doncic during the Mavericks’ only run to the NBA Finals in 2024.
If not Gafford or Lively, the Lakers could look at Moussa Cisse or Santi Aldama. Any of those paths would require a return package, and the source points to a likely cost built around Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, and multiple future picks.
For now, Los Angeles is staying patient and waiting to see what the current group can deliver. After reaching the Western Semifinals last season, the Lakers aren’t far from the league’s top tier. One or two moves could change that fast, and Dallas looks like the place where the next opening might come.
In Other News...
Lakers Final Roster Crunch Just Clarified One Preseason Battle
The Lakers roster picture got a little clearer this week as the league moved closer to the regular-season deadline, with several teams making the kind of late cuts that usually say more about the back end of the roster than the top of it. Los Angeles waived Cole Swider and Jahmir Young on Oct. 14, part of the leaguewide scramble to get down to the 15-man limit before the Oct. 19 cutoff.
For the Lakers, the moves help settle at least one preseason battle and point the two players toward the next stage of their careers, most likely with the G League or another opportunity elsewhere. It also underscores how little margin there is this time of year, when a handful of fringe roster spots can turn over quickly and the final decisions often come down to fit, timing and what a team thinks it may need later. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Make Another Late Roster Move Worth Watching
With the opening night roster deadline approaching, the Lakers have added another name to the mix by signing forward Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones to an Exhibit 10 contract. It is the kind of late-stage move that has become familiar around this time of year, as teams sort through the edges of the roster and look for flexibility while keeping an eye on developmental upside.
Tait-Jones arrives after a strong run with Valmiera Glass VIA in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League, where he was named Finals MVP. The Lakers are still above the standard roster limit as they continue trimming and shaping the group, with recent waives including Jahmir Young and Cole Swider, so this latest signing fits into a broader picture that is still settling into place. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Face Growing Pressure After Bronny And Knecht's Rough Preseason
Bronny James and Dalton Knecht have given the Lakers an early preseason problem that goes beyond box-score numbers. Both 2024 draftees have had rough stretches with low shooting percentages and modest production, and that has added to the scrutiny around a roster that is already being pushed toward decisions. Lakers coach JJ Redick has openly acknowledged Bronnys uneven preseason, while also hinting that the young guard may not have been put in the best position to succeed.
For Knecht, the situation is even less complicated and, for the Lakers, more urgent. He has been on the trade block for more than a year, and with the roster cut deadline looming, his time in Los Angeles appears close to ending. Bronnys path is less clear, and the Lakers now have to sort through how much patience remains for a pair of players whose preseason struggles have become part of the larger pressure surrounding the team. [Read more 🡒]