The Lakers’ blockbuster trade to acquire Luka Doncic has many eager to judge the success of the team this season. However, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka didn’t make this trade to win now. Of course, Luka is one of the best players in the NBA, but Los Angeles pulled the trigger to acquire their next franchise cornerstone following the LeBron James era. Despite the trade, the Lakers still have many existing flaws in their roster construction. NBA insider Brian Windhorst reveals he isn’t holding this team to any expectations this year. The true evaluation will come in the 2025-26 season.
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In an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, Windhorst shared his thoughts on Doncic’s fit with the Lakers. He believes Luka will be exceptional with the purple and gold, but the team needs to improve in many areas, saying specifically, “The Lakers are in need of a center.”
Trading away Anthony Davis, leaves Jaxson Hayes as the replacement. Until the Lakers can fill that void, Windhorst won’t get too excited. He said,
“They have a weakness on defense, and it starts at the rim. Rob yesterday said the market is dry, and I would agree. The Lakers aren’t going to be who they can be until next year. I’m not holding them to any expectations this season.”
The Lakers are desperate to add competent center depth to their roster immediately. Pelinka is very active in talks to acquire a big but revealed that there currently aren’t many options in the market for a center. AD was responsible for ensuring their defense remained adequate. Even with Davis, the Lakers ranked 21st in defense. They could easily plummet without their sole defensive rim presence. Aside from Hayes, the rest of their center depth is Trey Jemison III and Christian Koloko.
Los Angeles acquired big man Maxi Kleber in the deal, but he is out with a broken foot. He may return before the postseason, but he won’t be at his peak performance level. As a result, Windhorst doesn’t believe it’s fair to assess the Lakers until they acquire a big man in free agency.
Lakers are adamant on adding a big
Despite Pelinka’s comments about the market, the Lakers aren’t slowing down in their hunt for a big man. They won’t be able to find a replacement who does the same things AD did, but there are plenty of very good centers who could thrive in the Lakers system.
During the Mavericks’ 2024 Finals run, Doncic displayed his ability to raise the ceiling of the big men he plays with. He tapped into the potential of Derrick Lively and Daniel Gafford. The Lakers hope he can do the same with Hayes, but they are also considering a few veteran big men.
Rockets center Steven Adams is on that list the Lakers have made inquiries for. The Lakers also hold interest in Raptors big man Jakob Poeltl, but Toronto is reportedly seeking a first-round pick for the seven-footer. A more realistic option for the Lakers is Knicks center Jericho Sims.
