Following the acquisition of Walker Kessler in free agency, it seemed as if the Los Angeles Lakers might enter the season with last year’s starter, Deandre Ayton, now operating as their backup. But that won’t be the case as the front office agreed to deal Ayton to the Washington Wizards.
Now with a hole at the backup center position, the Lakers are now reportedly eyeing the free agency market for a veteran backup with the likes of Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney being considered, via Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
L.A., which agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz for center Walker Kessler earlier this week, will now search for a backup big man on the market and Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney are among those being considered, sources told Charania.
Of course, the Lakers are already familiar with Drummond as he spent a brief time with the franchise back in 2021. Even though he has been in the league 14 seasons, he showed he still has plenty left in the tank last season as he was a more than solid option for the Philadelphia 76ers who can still make an impact on the glass and as a finisher at the rim. He even added the corner 3-point shot to his game.
Looney didn’t play much last year for the New Orleans Pelicans, but spent years with the Golden State Warriors and is a proven physical presence in the paint who is a great screen setter and offensive rebounder. Valanciunas is the most offensively skilled of the three options mentioned here and was solid as a backup with the Denver Nuggets last year, but won’t provide much on the defensive end.
What is important here is that the Lakers clearly are not done making moves this offseason. There is still a major need for another wing along with filling this backup center position and trading Ayton gives the team a little more cap flexibility as well as a couple extra draft picks the team needed in order to facilitate future deals.
Lakers lost Jaxson Hayes to Jazz
Jaxson Hayes would have made sense as a backup center option for the Lakers, but he is off the board after agreeing to a two-year contract with the Utah Jazz in free agency.
If the Lakers don’t like any of the remaining free agent center options then perhaps they turn to the trade market.
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