The Los Angeles Lakers have about a week before plans must start turning into formal action. The NBA’s free agency window opens on June 30, and the Lakers are under significant pressure to build a contending team after promises around the summer of 2026.
One area the Lakers desperately need to improve is the center position. Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes performed admirably as the big man tandem, but Ayton is the wrong archetype to pair with Luka Doncic and Hayes cannot provide the minutes required. This will lead L.A. to look in other directions this summer, including two risky choices in Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams III, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer:
The Lakers have been linked to all sorts of veteran big men in the forthcoming free agent market as well. They could emerge as a suitor for the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson and the Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III, although sources say both players are very open to remaining in their incumbent roles with the Knicks and Blazers.
Robinson and Williams represent the archetype of big man that the Lakers would greatly benefit from having on the roster next to Doncic. Both are elite athletic defensive presences that can catch lobs on the offensive end. Both could, in theory, be available to the Lakers at a relatively cheap price point. However, the reason for that is the risk of signing them.
Both players, while excellent talents and ideal fits, have major injury issues. Robinson has played more than 65 games in a season just twice in eight years and has three seasons with 31 or fewer games played. He has never averaged more than 27.5 minutes per game in a season, and averaged just 19.6 in the regular season — and 13.9 in the playoffs — for the NBA champion New York Knicks last season.
Williams is the same story, but arguably even less durable. He’s played over 60 games just once in eight seasons, and has played 35 games or fewer five times. His best and most available season was five years ago, when he played 61 games at 29.6 minutes per game and made the All-Defense Second Team.
Both players would be fit upgrades over Ayton. However, it’s unclear if either will be able to handle the workload of being a starting center for a full season.
Rumored unrestricted free agent targets for Lakers
If the Lakers are going to go for the route of having cap space, they will need to add talent to make that worthwhile. The easiest way to do that is signing unrestricted free agents. The class of 2026 includes Tobias Harris, Norman Powell, Anfernee Simons, Robinson, Coby White, Quentin Grimes, Dean Wade and Landry Shamet, who all fit L.A.’s needs to varying degrees.
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