The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to avoid disaster. Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are at least going to miss a portion of the first round of the playoffs. If that’s the case, they could be one-and-done.
That would be a nightmare end to what was once a promising season. The Lakers might want to start thinking hard about their future beyond the season. One issue that has plagued the team for a few years is a lack of quality size.
Deandre Ayton has played well at times, but he’s too inconsistent. He’s also not an elite rebounder for his size. The Lakers could look to free agency or the trade market to find another big man, but there’s an intriguing option in the draft.
CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno projects the Lakers to select Washington forward Hannes Steinbach with the No. 25 pick.
“Lakers coach JJ Redick made a joke last week about center Deandre Ayton not being able to catch the basketball,” Salerno wrote. “The perfect solution to that problem would be to draft Steinbach, who has some of the best hands in college basketball. Steinbach was a double-double machine at Washington and has a chance to go much higher than 25. I love the fit with the Lakers if it does happen.”
Steinbach ‘No-Brainer’ in Late First Round
Steinbach is a very interesting prospect. He’s only 19, but he led the NCAA in rebounding as a freshman. He also hit 34% of his 3-point shots, which is a decent number for a 6-foot-11 forward.
Though Steinbach isn’t likely to be a lottery pick, The Athletic’s John Hollinger thinks he makes a ton of sense in the late first round.
“Steinbach also has a very strong year as an 18-year-old in the German pro league on his resume,” Hollinger wrote. “Historically, players who are good enough to play well in an overseas league as teenagers basically never fail. That makes him almost a no-brainer once you get to about the 20th pick, owing mostly to the strength of this year’s class. In a weaker draft, he’d have a case to go much higher because of his floor, but between the surfeit of high-ceiling talent and the questions about whether Steinbach is a long-term starter or more of a “third big,” he likely falls just outside the lottery in 2026.”
Will Ayton Be One-and-Done With Lakers?
The Lakers are eventually going to have to find a long-term solution in the frontcourt. For now, Ayton doesn’t appear to be that solution. He’s been able to play in 72 games, but is only averaging 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds a game.
He’s also been plagued by a bunch of mistakes. Ayton has a player option on his contract, so it’ll be up to him whether or not he returns.
From the Lakers’ perspective, they’d likely rather use that money elsewhere. However, he might be more inclined to take advantage of the guaranteed money coming off a lackluster season. If the Lakers are able to add another serviceable big man, Ayton wouldn’t be bad depth to have.
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