It's time to come clean! Doncic urges the Lakers to sign a top-tier max-contract center.

"Doncic has explicitly told Pelinka and Redick that he desires the Lakers to acquire a premier max-level center..."

The previous player who urged the Lakers to sign a center was traded to the Mavericks and later moved to the Wizards just before the trade deadline this year.

Of course, not everyone is the same. Anthony Davis's previous standing with the Lakers differs from Doncic's. Doncic is now the undisputed new face of the purple and gold, and his requests are always fulfilled.

Moreover, the Lakers currently truly need an elite interior player to anchor the paint. Ayton simply doesn't meet expectations—he averaged 12.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block in the regular season of the 25-26 campaign with a 67.1% field goal percentage; in this year's playoffs, he averaged 10 points, 9.6 rebounds, and shot 54.8%.

This 2018 No. 1 overall pick always puts up decent numbers, but his actual impact on the game is limited. For example, his regular-season defensive rating last season was 115.5, ranking 190th in the league.

Back to the point, an American reporter revealed the following:A Pistons insider joked that Doncic should stop pestering new All-Star center Jalen Duren.

Duren has been heavily criticized due to his poor playoff performance this year, averaging just 10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. However, the Pistons still value him highly, and his expected extension contract could exceed $30 million annually.

The most likely interior player the Lakers can currently pursue is Walker Kessler, who will become a restricted free agent. It is reported that his contract extension negotiations with the Jazz have repeatedly failed, and he has already followed Doncic and Austin Reaves on social media.

Kessler was born on July 26, 2001. He is a heavy center standing 2.18m tall with a 2.24m wingspan. He was the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2022 draft. Due to injury, he played only five regular-season games this season, averaging 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds (4.6 offensive rebounds), 3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 70.3%. He is particularly adept at protecting the rim and blocking shots.

Speaking of which, if Kessler or another interior player joins, Ayton is likely to pack his bags. He can decline his $8.1 million player option for the 26-27 season and enter free agency. Throughout his NBA career, he has always been a guaranteed starting center.