The Lakers still have a hole to fill in the frontcourt, and the latest name floating into the conversation is one Luka Doncic knows extremely well.
Los Angeles has spent the summer reshaping the roster, but the two biggest needs remain obvious: a starting power forward and a dependable center. Free agency is winding down, and the Lakers still haven’t solved either problem.
That matters more after a couple of targets slipped away. Jonathan Kuminga was one of the bigger misses.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, “Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender,” Charania wrote.
Nick Richards was another loss that stung. Charania also reported, “Free agent center Nick Richards has agreed to a one-year deal with the Miami Heat, sources tell ESPN. After signing Klay Thompson, the Heat fill roster slot No. 14 with a reserve big man,” Charania wrote.
With those options gone, California Post’s Khobi Price pointed to Dwight Powell as a possible answer for Los Angeles. “The most significant option for the Lakers could be Dwight Powell, the 6-10, 35-year-old big man who was teammates with Doncic for 6 ½ seasons in Dallas. Notably, Powell has played the most games as a teammate alongside Doncic (389) among the 98 players Doncic has played alongside in his eight-year NBA career,” Price wrote.
That connection is the selling point. Powell would give the Lakers another frontcourt body, but more importantly, he’d give Doncic a player he’s already built real comfort with.
Powell has made $83 million in his career, and he brings athleticism around the rim as a finisher. For a Lakers team still searching for size and stability up front, a reunion with Doncic could be the cleanest path left.
In Other News...
Heat Just Made Their Keshad Johnson Decision Clear
After spending part of last season on a standard deal in Miami, Keshad Johnson appears headed back to a more familiar role with the organization. The Heat plan to sign the forward to a two-way contract, a move that keeps him in the system after he turned in strong work with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League.
Johnsons path back has been straightforward enough: no qualifying offer left him as an unrestricted free agent, and he reportedly worked out with the team before this return came together. For Miami, its another sign the front office sees value in keeping a developmental piece close to the roster, even if the next step in his role is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Heat Make Another Frontcourt Move With One Big Roster Question
The Heat kept reshaping the frontcourt by agreeing to a one-year deal with center Nick Richards and bringing back Keshad Johnson on a two-way contract. Richards arrives as a reserve big man, giving Miami another body in the middle as it continues to sort through the rest of its roster, while Johnson stays in the developmental pipeline after showing enough promise to earn another look.
Those moves come on the heels of Miami adding Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr., a sign the team is still building out the edges of its rotation before the season arrives. The bigger question now is how the Heat ultimately balance the frontcourt pieces they have collected with the rest of the roster, and whether there is still another move waiting once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Klay Thompsons Post-Warriors Chase Just Sent A Clear Message
Klay Thompsons move to Miami arrived with a pretty clear basketball message attached to it. After agreeing to a contract buyout with Dallas, Thompson chose the Heat in a decision shaped by the opportunity to play alongside the right mix of players and coaches, with his father, Mychal Thompson, pointing to Miami as the better playoff fit compared with the Lakers.
For the Heat, it is the sort of addition that brings both hope and expectation. Thompson is trying to rediscover the form that made him one of the leagues most dangerous shooters after a difficult season, and Miami is betting that a change of scenery and a stronger postseason path can help get him there. [Read more 🡒]