Lakers Receive Good News on Rumored Pursuit of $217 Million Star Center

Among the several notes on the Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason bulletin board is to improve at the center position.

Winners of over 50 games for the second year in a row, the Lakers have plenty of positives to take away from the 2025-26 campaign. But, in addition to the Luka Doncic “what if,” the Lakers have to have thought hard about how much more they could’ve gotten out of their season had they not been plagued by inconsistent frontcourt play. 

Recognizing the center position is the most glaring hole on the roster, the Lakers are expected to work hard to land an ideal big man who can demonstrate the perfect fit with superstar point guard Luka Doncic. 

Good News: Lakers’ Rumored Trade Target to Be Made Available for Trade

GettySACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 09: Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Sacramento Kings and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves compete for a rebound at Golden 1 Center on November 09, 2025 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

There are a plethora of ways the Lakers could go to satisfy the center position this summer, but fans are always hopeful for the big names. There haven’t been any reports of whom the Lakers have at the top of their wishlist, but it is safe to assume the franchise will look to be aggressive in acquiring if not a marquee name, pretty close to it. 

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Sacramento Kings intend to make star big man Domantas Sabonis available in trade talks. 

Sabonis, 30, is at the point in his career where he could use a change of scenery and play for a team that has championship aspirations. Simply put, the Kings are far from contention and appear to be in the early stages of yet another rebuild. 

Sabonis hasn’t enjoyed much team success in the 4 ½ seasons he has been in Sacramento. The most the Kings have been able to muster up since then was a seven-game series against the then-defending champion Golden State Warriors in 2023, when Sacramento was led by Sabonis and star guard De’Aaron Fox, who departed for San Antonio ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. 

It finally appears the Kings will follow suit with Sabonis. When healthy, the 30-year-old big man is one of the top versatile centers in the NBA. He possesses excellent playmaking and rebounding capabilities, and he has been largely healthy over his career before last season, where he played just 19 games. 

Sabonis is the Kind of Big Man Luka Doncic Needs

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers hold hands during a time out in the second half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Acquiring Sabonis via trade won’t come easy; the Lakers would likely need to package multiple players and picks to land the former All-Star. 

If L.A. finds itself in the running for Sabonis, it should satisfy every means to grab the big man from Sacramento. Sabonis would instantly resolve the Lakers’ rim-protection and rebounding problems and would deliver a major all-around frontcourt upgrade over the oft-inconsistent DeAndre Ayton. 

There haven’t been any confirmed reports that have noted the Lakers’ interest in Sabonis, but given the team’s challenges in receiving stable frontcourt play over the last two seasons, it is reasonable to conclude the Lakers would at least explore ways they could acquire Sabonis, who would create an ideal 1-2 punch with Doncic, a fellow European star. 

In the event the Lakers watch LeBron James depart for another franchise this offseason, acquiring Sabonis would be a solid way to pivot to a system manned by Doncic, Sabonis and Austin Reaves.

Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

The post Lakers Receive Good News on Rumored Pursuit of $217 Million Star Center appeared first on HEAVY.