Every offseason is important, of course, but for any number of reasons, the upcoming summer for the Los Angeles Lakers is especially crucial. There’s a new front office that is being built at team headquarters, and that group will be implementing significant changes that will be tested immediately. And good thing, because there are so many decisions to be made–Lakers free agency is headlined by Austin Reaves and LeBron James, but there are six other players teams could target, too.
The Lakers will be selective about which of those players to bring back (Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton are team options), but the reality is, the team has some affinity for just about all of them. James, at 41 years old, will be a tough choice. Reaves is almost certain to return on a big new contract. But the Lakers like Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes. Big man Maxi Kleber is probably the only guy who gets complete ambivalence from the Lakers.
But amid that mix, and even with the rumor mill swirling around every big-name target on the market, the Lakers still are said to have one guiding principle this offseason: Fix the center spot.
Lakers Have Cap Space, Need Center
The Lakers have cap space, of course, which gives them the ability to land a significant player. And though the vicissitudes of the market can cause teams to take drastic and unexpected turns, as one Western Conference executive said, “Anything can happen, and cap space gives you so much optionality, but in the end they seem to be laser focused on a big man. You can’t compete in the West with what they have in the middle.”
That is likely to mean that, if Ayton opts out, the Lakers could be willing to let him go without making a serious bid. Ayton had some ups last season in LA, but he had more downs and the Lakers need a consistent performer at center.
Underwhelming Choices in the Middle
But, what are the choices for the Lakers? Well, they’re not great.
The Lakers (as well as the Bulls) have weighed making a run at Jazz center Walker Kessler, but increasingly, Utah is sending the message that it will shell out to match offers for Kessler, a restricted free agent.
The same can be said for Pistons restricted free agent Jalen Duren, as well as the Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein. And as the Knicks are in The Finals and moving closer to a potential championship, the odds of Mitchell Robinson leaving New York in free agency are dropping.
We’ve noted before that Robert Williams might be the team’s best put free-agent option, even if he comes with serious knee questions and just 120 games played in four seasons.
Lakers Trades Are the Best Bet
There is the trade route and, indeed, the lakers could use their cap space to an advantage here by helping to take on a player another team might not want. The Nets’ Nic Claxton is a player worth watching in that regard, with the big prize being Jarrett Allen of the Cavaliers. It remains to be seen whether the Cavs will put Allen on the market in earnest, though.
Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks is a top target, too.
Maybe the most sensible option would be to finally acquire a player the Lakers have eyed for a long time–Myles Turner, the former Pacers star who was swiped in a stunning free-agent move last summer, a bold risk by the Bucks that flopped badly amid a terrible season for the Bucks. But Turner is a solid 3-point shooter who can clear space for Luka Doncic on offense, and chew up space with his shot-blocking on defense.
The Lakers could absorb a chunk of his $27 million salary for 2026-27, helping the Bucks get off his contract.
There will be other choices, too. The Lakers could weigh moving up in the draft and taking a risky young big man. They could just be happy coming back with Ayton–but just don’t count on that.
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