The Los Angeles Lakers‘ first order of business in the aftermath of the shocking trade to swap Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić‘is to fill in the gaping hole at the center position.
They were previously linked to several big men such as Utah’s Walker Kessler, Washington’s Jonas Valančiūnas and Portland’s Robert Williams III. A new name has been added to the list by Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor.
“League sources say the Lakers are looking for a big man and Mitchell Robinson from the New York Knicks is one of the bigs they are targeting,” O’Connor said on his podcast “The Kevin O’Connor Show” on Sunday, Feb. 2. “That’s what I’m hearing in the aftermath so far, after that absolutely nuts Lakers-Mavericks-Jazz trade that happened in the wee hours on Saturday into Sunday.”
Mitchell Robinson’s Durability Concerns
Robinson has not played since May last year. Initially, he was targeting a December or January return, but his slow progress in his recovery from foot surgery has delayed it.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported on Saturday, Feb. 1, before the Lakers beat the Knicks in New York that Robinson is “pretty close” to getting cleared for full contact practice.
When healthy, Robinson is an elite rebounder and rim protector. He led the NBA in offensive rebounds over the last two seasons. But the problem is he’s been injury-prone. He has only played more than 70 games — 72 to be exact — only once in his first six seasons.
Last season, he was limited to only 33 games and he averaged 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.
The Lakers were prepared to select Robinson at No. 39 during the 2018 NBA draft, according to the New York Post, but the Knicks swooped in at No. 36. He has one year left after this season under his current four-year, $60 million contract.
Why Lakers Moved on From Anthony Davis
The Lakers quickly moved on from Davis when offered the golden opportunity to acquire a much younger, better player than him to become the next face of their franchise.
But even before the trade, doubts were bubbling on the surface if Davis was the star they would fully invest in to lead the franchise in the post-LeBron James era, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
“Let’s go back to that keyword for a moment: alpha. While Davis had no shortage of fans within the Lakers’ walls, there was also a strong sense that he wasn’t “1-A” material,” Amick wrote on Feb. 2. “League sources say there were concerns about his durability and availability and a belief that he could never truly be counted on as a top option in the future.”
While Davis has been relatively healthy since last season, Dončić, who is six years younger, is the better choice for the Lakers to become the foundational star of their next great team.
LeBron Isn’t Going Anywhere
James’ future came into focus in the aftermath of the trade that radically shifted the Lakers and the NBA landscape.
Despite the exit of Davis, his close friend, and the Lakers trumpeting Dončić’s “killer instincts and commitment to winning championships” as the team’s “driving force” from hereon, James remained committed to the franchise, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
“League sources inform me that LeBron James intends to remain a member of the Los Angeles Lakers past the Feb. 6 trade deadline,” Haynes wrote on X. “So, even though the Lakers were able to pull off one of the biggest trades in recent history…LeBron James plans to remain with the Lakers…I was told the Lakers were very appreciative of the professionalism displayed by Klutch Points CEO Rich Paul and LeBron James. They felt like those two made this process a seamless process.”
The James and Dončić combo will be fascinating to watch as their playing style is nearly identical.
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