The Lakers have spent the offseason reshaping their roster around Luka Doncic, and they still may not be finished hunting for size.
Los Angeles has already added Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Ziaire Williams, Jaden Hardy through trade, Kevon Looney and Walker Kessler in a blockbuster deal from the Utah Jazz. The team also kept Austin Reaves on a years-long extension, giving Doncic another major piece to work with going forward.
But even with that flurry of moves, the Lakers are still being linked to more frontcourt help. Dan Woike of The Athletic wrote in a Lakers intel piece on July 20: “ The Lakers are still monitoring the market for big men, team sources told The Athletic. They traded for Walker Kessler and signed Kevon Looney to play center, and Mamukelashvili can play the position, too.“
That search could send them back to Toronto.
The Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl has become one of the bigger question marks on the roster, especially with Collin Murray-Boyles pushing into the conversation at center. Poeltl is Toronto’s only true 7-footer, but his production has slipped, and the idea of giving Murray-Boyles the full-time center job has already been floated. Even so, the larger issue remains the same: finding a team willing to take Poeltl on.
The Kings and Grizzlies have both come up as possible landing spots before, and Memphis was mentioned as a team that still made sense as a fit. Los Angeles could also enter that mix, especially because the Lakers have contracts that can help make the money work.
Jarred Vanderbilt’s deal, which has two years left on his $48 million contract, could be used to match Poeltl’s salary. To fill out the rest, the Lakers could include Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy or Bronny James, all of whom the team is reportedly trying to move on from.
From Toronto’s side, the appeal would be pretty straightforward. Vanderbilt, Knecht and Hardy do not carry much positive value on the market, and the same basic problem applies to Poeltl. That could make the framework of a deal relatively modest, possibly involving a pick swap or a few second-rounders.
In that kind of swap, both teams would be trying to move off contracts they no longer want while taking a fresh swing with new pieces. For Poeltl, landing in Los Angeles would give him a chance to play next to Luka Doncic, a player who has made a habit of making even ordinary centers look far better.
And for Toronto, the move would at least answer one of the biggest roster questions hanging over the team. The Raptors would still need to sort out center, but with their all-forward, positionless approach, the loss might not hit as hard as it would for most teams.
In the end, the idea is simple: Toronto gets a way out of Poeltl’s contract, and the Lakers get a veteran big who could still work as a backup, or even an emergency starter, behind their current frontcourt options.
In Other News...
Raptors Still Stuck Waiting While The East Keeps Getting Worse
The Eastern Conference has spent the summer rearranging itself in ways that should matter to Toronto, even if the Raptors are still mostly in a holding pattern. Atlantas latest move gives it another useful piece and keeps its long-term flexibility intact, while other contenders are also finding ways to improve through injuries healing, offseason additions and the kind of roster tinkering that can change the balance of the bracket before a game is even played.
For the Raptors, the frustration is less about what they have done than what they are still waiting to learn. Kawhi Leonards future remains the key swing point in their own story, and until that gets resolved, Toronto is watching rivals around the East add talent, regain health and position themselves for another run. In a conference that already felt crowded, the path forward for the Raptors only gets harder if the teams around them keep moving first. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Offseason Is Suddenly On Hold Because Of Kawhi Again
A quiet stretch around the NBA has started to feel less like the usual summer lull and more like a league waiting on a few big names to move first. Uncertainty around LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard is slowing trade chatter and free-agent decisions across the board, with teams reluctant to lock in plans while two of the sports most influential situations remain unsettled.
For the Clippers, that caution has real roster implications. They remain interested in bringing back restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin, but Leonards ongoing Aspiration investigation has added another layer of hesitation to their offseason approach, leaving one of the leagues most watched front offices in a holding pattern as other decisions around the league wait for clarity. [Read more 🡒]
What Lu Dorts Market Just Revealed About The Hawks Move
The Raptors search for a defensive-minded wing has been one of the quieter but more revealing themes of their offseason, and Lu Dorts market only sharpened that picture. Toronto was reportedly among the teams that checked in before he was moved, a sign that the front office is still looking for the kind of tough, versatile perimeter stopper it once chased so aggressively in its pursuit of Kawhi Leonard.
Dorts expiring contract made him an especially interesting fit, but also a complicated one for a team trying to keep its books clean. Adding that kind of money would have pushed Toronto over the first apron, a line it has been careful not to cross, which helps explain why the Raptors may have to keep scanning for alternatives such as Josh Green later in the offseason. [Read more 🡒]