The Lakers are still searching for a center! Team reporter lists three potential targets: Bucks' big man is a perfect fit for Doncic

As reported by Lakers beat writer Woike on July 29 (Beijing time), given that Kessler and Looney appeared in just five and twenty-one games last season respectively, Los Angeles remains in pursuit of center upgrades. The road ahead is tough: the center free-agent market is highly volatile. Moreover, the Lakers already have 16 players under guaranteed deals, meaning no open roster slots exist. Acquiring a new center would require additional roster maneuvering.

Although the Lakers are very high on Kessler internally, and he is essentially at the top of Doncic's wish list for acquisitions, the scarcity of center talent has driven up the trade cost that the Lakers must pay. According to sources, if they failed to land Kessler, the Lakers originally planned to pursue free agent Mitchell Robinson; the latter ultimately left the Knicks and signed a three-year, $47.4 million contract with the Celtics.

This summer, a total of 13 centers signed contracts above the minimum salary, and Robinson is one of them. The list includes: Jock Landale ($14.1 million this season), Robert Williams III ($14 million), Jusuf Nurkić ($11 million), Day'Ron Sharpe ($10 million), Mo Wagner ($9.5 million), and Quinten Post ($8.7 million).

Nick Richards, Drew Eubanks, and Xavier Tillman remain unclaimed. Any team willing to trade its center holds the negotiating leverage: a shortage of quality centers drives up their value, and the Lakers may have to pay a significant price.

Although it is not yet clear which method the Lakers will use to fill the frontcourt vacancy, based on multiple sources, the Lakers' potential acquisition targets are as follows —

Jericho Sims (Bucks)

Sims is a hustle-type player who can run and jump, making him a great fit alongside Doncic. He is tall with excellent athleticism. Currently, he is the third center on the Bucks, behind Myles Turner and Ware. Scouts are concerned about his defense outside the paint, and Sims has struggled to consistently contribute. However, he excels at dunking and rebounding, and the Lakers might consider using second-round picks to try to acquire him in a trade.

Jalen Smith (Bulls)

Some within the Lakers organization are high on Smith: he plays with energy and has developed a reliable outside shot. However, the obstacles are clear: he has one year left on his contract at $9.5 million, and he is only 6'8" (2.03 meters). The previous Bulls front office favored him, which means it's questionable whether the current Bulls regime is willing to part with him.

Karlo Matković (Pelicans)

The Pelicans declined to pick up Looney's option for next season, making him a free agent; the day after that decision, New Orleans officially exercised Matković's team option. Matković is a combo forward/center, and many teams around the league are interested in him. The difficulty is that the Pelicans have signaled to interested teams this summer that they are not inclined to trade him.

Among the unsigned free-agent centers, Richards is undoubtedly the most well-known player, with solid basic stats and experience switching between starter and bench roles. However, he has struggled to consistently provide a positive impact on winning, which is why he hasn't generated a frenzy of interest from teams.

Many teams are high on Eubanks, but he is similarly limited by inconsistency, especially on defense, which has kept him without a team. As for veterans like Bismack Biyombo, Mason Plumlee, and Dwight Powell, the Lakers can hardly rely on them to step in temporarily during the dense January schedule and take on 10 starting assignments.

If you think there is no perfect candidate right now, that is indeed the case. There may be players who become available later via buyouts or trades. But looking across the league, quality centers are now a hot commodity.