Lakers Receive Bad News on Center Target Amid Luka Doncic’s Biggest Request

The Los Angeles Lakers’ search for a starting center may have hit an early obstacle.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported late Saturday in The Stein Line that veteran center Mitchell Robinson, one of the more attainable big men linked to Los Angeles this offseason, is “very open” to remaining with the New York Knicks despite expected interest from around the league.

The report carries added significance because finding a high-level center has become one of the Lakers’ defining offseason priorities.

Since Luka Doncic’s arrival, the roster’s lack of an impact interior presence has emerged as one of Los Angeles’ most glaring weaknesses. The five-time All-NBA guard has historically thrived alongside rim-running centers who can finish lobs, protect the basket and control the glass — traits the Lakers lacked consistently last season.

Robinson appeared to offer a potential solution.

Unlike Utah’s Walker Kessler and Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Robinson is an unrestricted free agent and would not require the Lakers to surrender significant draft capital or young talent in a trade.

But Fischer’s latest report suggests one of Los Angeles’ most appealing pathways toward addressing its biggest roster need may be increasingly difficult to pursue.

Mitchell Robinson Checks Every Box for the Lakers

Robinson’s traditional statistics hardly capture his value.

The 28-year-old center averaged only 3.6 points during the NBA Finals and shot just 26.7% from the free-throw line. Yet his impact on New York’s championship run was undeniable.

Throughout the Finals, Robinson averaged 5.6 rebounds, including 3.0 offensive boards, and 0.6 blocks in only 13.4 minutes per game.

His defining moment came in the title-clinching Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs.

Robinson scored only two points but grabbed 10 rebounds in 20 minutes. None was bigger than his final offensive rebound of the season, when he outmuscled San Antonio’s frontcourt to corral Josh Hart’s missed free throw and effectively seal New York’s first championship in 53 years.

Those are precisely the traits that make him attractive to the Lakers.

Robinson remains one of the NBA’s elite offensive rebounders. He averaged 4.2 offensive rebounds per game last season, ranking fourth in the league despite playing only 19.6 minutes per contest. Before Karl-Anthony Towns’ arrival in New York altered the Knicks’ frontcourt dynamics, Robinson routinely finished at or near the top of the NBA in offensive rebounding.

Lakers’ Biggest Weakness Makes Robinson’s Potential Return to Knicks Costly

The Lakers, meanwhile, desperately needed exactly that skill set.

Los Angeles finished second-last in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game at just 9.4, underscoring its lack of size, physicality and second-chance production in the frontcourt.

The shortcomings became even more apparent after the acquisition of Doncic and the organization’s decision to build around him as its franchise cornerstone.

Throughout his career, Doncic has excelled alongside physical, rim-running centers who can finish lobs, create extra possessions and handle much of the dirty work inside.

Robinson’s game aligns almost perfectly with that archetype.

For that reason, he had emerged as one of the more logical and attainable center options available to the Lakers.

Knicks Appear to Have Momentum in Keeping Robinson

The Knicks, however, have reasons of their own to fight for his return.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Friday that New York has already engaged in “some level of cursory negotiations” with Robinson’s representatives. Windhorst added that he would be surprised if the Knicks ultimately failed to find a way to retain the veteran center.

Because New York possesses Robinson’s Bird rights, the defending champions can exceed the salary cap to re-sign him, even as owner James Dolan has publicly expressed an aversion to crossing the NBA’s punitive second apron.

For the Lakers, though, the immediate takeaway is clear.

One of the offseason’s most intriguing and attainable center targets appears increasingly likely to remain where he is.

Whether the answer ultimately turns out to be Walker Kessler, Jalen Duren or another big man entirely may go a long way toward defining the next phase of the Luka Doncic era in Los Angeles.

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