The Los Angeles Lakers, fittingly, hit a new gear this summer after the departure of LeBron James. The Luka Doncic era is officially underway.
The franchise has been busy making moves, from free agent signings to a seismic sign-and-trade for 25-year-old rising star big man Walker Kessler. But the Lakers aren’t done. Well, because they legally cannot stop there. They must trim their roster count to meet the league-mandated limit. Meanwhile, the L.A. front office is still on the lookout to further fortify the roster entering an all-important 2026-27 season.
Lakers Set Sights on Multiple Big Men to Finish Roster Around Luka Doncic
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 10: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up prior to a game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on February 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Lakers may have their center of the future, but they don’t quite have anyone to back him up. That should soon change as the franchise scouts the market for potential back up options. According to team insider Dan Woike, the Lakers have three names on their radar, one of them being Jericho Sims of the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Sims fits the run-and-jump archetype that you’d love to put around Doncic because he’s big and a tremendous athlete. He’s currently slated as the Bucks’ No. 3 center behind Myles Turner and Kel’el Ware,” Woike wrote. “Scouts have defensive concerns away from the basket, and Sims has never really been able to produce consistently. But he’s a dunker and rebounder whom the Lakers could use second-round draft capital to try and pry loose.”
L.A. might also look into acquiring Jalen Smith from the Chicago Bulls.
“Smith has some fans within the organization because he plays with motor and has worked himself into a pretty good outside shooter,” Woike wrote. “But Smith is expensive (two years, $18 million remaining on his deal) and undersized at 6-foot-8. The previous Bulls’ regime was a fan of his, which puts his actual availability into question.”
The other name Woike mentioned is New Orleans Pelicans big man Karl Matkovic, the 25-year-old Croatian who averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season.
How About Another Free Agent?
Woike notes the big men are in high-demand this offseason, though availability remains slim. As the offseason moves along, more players could hit free agency after a buyout.
One name continuing to float around the Lakers is Suns big man Nick Richards, who remains unsigned nearly a month into free agency.
“Richards is probably the biggest name here thanks to his counting stats and experience as a part-time starter, but his inability to consistently impact winning has kept teams from getting all that excited,” Woike wrote.
It’ll be interesting to see what direction the Lakers take to round out the roster this offseason. L.A. already has plenty to look forward to next season after the additions of multiple potentially high impact players, including Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Ziaire Williams, among others.
Meanwhile, the Lakers remain interested in coming to terms with Jonathan Kuminga, whom the team has pursued since the end of June.
Names like Bronny James have come up in plenty of trade speculation. Might the Lakers move James in exchange for an intriguing young asset?
This offseason is far from over, and the Lakers have opportunities to make additional depth upgrades.
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