If there was one name that most caught attention for the Los Angeles Lakers as they seek to find a way to round out their roster that has been rebuilt around Luka Doncic, now with special attention being paid to the backup center spot, it’s one that might not be able to be had in a trade–but one that does have some buzz heading into 2026-27. That would be Karlo Matkovic, the 25-year-old tweener big man who was a Pelicans second-round pick in 2022 and has remained on the back end of the New Orleans roster since.
Matkovic is similar to new Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili in that he is probably more comfortable as a power forward, but more effective as a mismatch guy as a center. He has been relatively underused by New Orleans to date, averaging 14.7 minutes in 62 games last year, as he was behind Derik Queen and Yves Missi at center and Zion WIlliamson and Saddiq Bey at power forward.
And he came into the orbit of Lakers fandom this week when Dan Woike of The Athletic named him as a potential target for the Lakers as a backup big man.
Karlo Matkovic ID’d as Lakers Target for Luka Doncic
Karlo Matkovic has potential as an athletic shot blocker and dunker who can develop into a consistent 3-point shooter. That suits the Lakers’ aims, as their current backup center is Kevon Looney, whom they do not want to rely on too heavily.
Wrote Woike: “Looney became a free agent in New Orleans when the team declined his option for next year, a move the Pelicans made a day after officially picking up Matkovic’s option. While he’s a bit of a tweener at power forward and center, Matkovic has a lot of fans around the NBA. The trouble is, New Orleans has signaled to intrigued teams this summer that it doesn’t have interest in trading him.”
Lakers Lacking Assets for a Karlo Matkovic Trade
That’s the big issue for the Lakers–the Pelicans have been stubborn about bringing back much the same roster that struggled through last season, and that includes wanting to Matkovic one more year to develop. Considering the players ahead of him in the depth chart, he might remain underused next season.
Thus, there is a chance he could be a trade deadline target for outside teams, perhaps even the Lakers. Another obstacle, though: the Lakers are decidedly low on draft capital, with three second-round picks (in 2031, 2032 and 2033) and a 2032 pick swap all they have on offer.
Luka Doncic ‘Would Absolutely Love Him’
But Matkovic remains a player worth watching, for the Lakers and for teams around the league as the summer wears on and into the season. He was born in Bonsia and Herzegovina, but plays for the Croatian national team and played professionally in Slovenia before coming to the NBA.
One Western Conference assistant coach said Matkovic was well-scouted in Europe, and agreed that he would be an ideal fit with Luka Doncic: “Luka would absolutely love him. Really great athleticism, I mean, if you put a pass near the rim, he is going to get up and get it and score. Very good help defense, he can make up ground and block shots if there’s a blow-by. The 3-pointer is still a work in progress, but he can do it.
“A lot of us saw him in Europe and playing for Croatia and he looked like a young guy who we thought would be more of a contributor by now. Sometimes it takes a little while, but he should be right there if he gets a chance.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Lakers’ Luka Doncic ‘Would Absolutely Love’ Big Man Trade Target: Coach appeared first on HEAVY.