Last season, after the Luka Dončić trade, the biggest hole on the Los Angeles Lakers roster was at the center spot. While the storied franchise potentially has its all-world superstar for the next decade, it needs to surround the Slovenian with the right pieces.
As a result, priority number one for Los Angeles this summer is to address that hole. So far, they haven’t made any moves to acquire anyone who moves the needle from a big man standpoint. However, a veteran NBA analyst and insider believes some quality moves are on their way in Hollywood.
Los Angeles Lakers Addressing Center Deficit Soon?
To the Lakers’ credit, Rob Pelinka immediately tried to add Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets after acquiring Dončić last season. However, the seven-footer failed his physical, leading to the deal being rescinded and leaving LA without a true big man.
For the second half of the season, and through the relatively short stay in the playoffs in a five-game first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, J.J. Reddick’s center rotation was essentially just Jaxson Hayes.
Beyond their starter, the only options on the roster were Trey Jemison III and Christian Koloko, with Jarred Vanderbilt also manning the position. Suffice it to say, that group wasn’t going to cut it.
With two generational ball handlers and playmakers in Dončić and LeBron James, a rim-running center might be the ideal play for the Lakers, and that is where they’re planning on focusing their efforts, according to ESPN analyst and insider Brian Windhorst.
Speaking on SportsCenter, Windhorst gave an insight into LA’s plans over the coming week. First, he broke down their need at the position. “They absolutely gotta get a center. They didn’t have a starting-level center after they traded for Luka last year.”
As a result, “That will be their priority starting now. The Lakers have a number of guys on their focus. Brook Lopez is near the top of that list. He’s been a standout for a long time in Milwaukee. He isn’t the perfect fit for Luka Dončić, but he can do a lot of things, stretch the floor, defend the rim.”
Windy on the Lakers: “I think they might sign even two centers before this week is up” pic.twitter.com/ppBi0JJGOC
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 30, 2025
The next names, however, could be the ideal pairing for the five-time All-NBA selection. “Clint Capela, who has been in Atlanta [Hawks] and Houston [Rockets], is an option. DeAndre Ayton was bought out yesterday by the Portland Trail Blazers. A last-minute addition to the free agency situation, he is, I’m sure, on the Lakers board as well.”
Capela has been linked to Los Angeles for some time now, and Ayton shares an agent with Dončić, making those rumors even more profound the second the news of his contract buyout hit the airwaves.
In the end, Windhorst added one final line detailing LA’s plan. “I think they might sign even two centers before this week is up.” That would certainly make fans in Los Angeles, as well as fans of their new superstar, a very happy group.
