Lakers Must Upgrade Center Position for Chance to Contend amid NBA Rumors
The Los Angeles Lakers know the impact of solid (or better) play from the center spot.
Back when they were bullying their way to the NBA bubble title in 2020, they not only had Anthony Davis holding down the interior, they had Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee providing size, length and strength at the center spot.
Maybe that's why this team went out and signed both Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes last summer. And since neither of those signings panned out—both had negative net differentials, per NBA.com—it sounds like it's back to the big-man drawing board this offseason.
The Lakers are reportedly "monitoring their offseason options at center closely," per SNY's Ian Begley. Now, that could mean addressing the position during next year's draft, where L.A. holds the Nos. 17 and 55 picks, or it might be a priority spot in free agency. If the Lakers sense a big enough need, they could even dabble in Columns A and B.
They should plan on being active on the interior, though, because a productive big man (or two) could quietly go a long way toward getting this team back on the championship track.
Center Rotation Needs a Lift
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If you think of the Lakers' center rotation as a baseball pitcher's arsenal, having Anthony Davis man the middle is their triple-digit heater. They went to this look a lot this past season—5,642 possessions to be precise, per Cleaning the Glass—and comfortably outscored the opposition by 2.9 points per 100 possessions when they did.
Think of two-big lineups, then, as L.A.'s off-speed stuff. Those curveballs that keep hitters guessing all the way until they find the catcher's mitt.
To continue the metaphor, the Lakers threw a lot of hanging breaking balls this season. Lineups with Davis and Wood were fine—plus-1.5 points per 100 possessions—but far from phenomenal. And lineups with Davis and Hayes were a dumpster fire (minus-9.4 points per 100 possessions).
A change-of-pace double-big lineup should be an asset for this club. With a productive enough offseason, it can get back to being that.
Options at the Draft
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If the Lakers seek size with the No. 17 pick, they should be able to find it.
B/R's Jonathan Wasserman has them taking Purdue big man Zach Edey in that spot, noting that teams "will be willing to take a chance that 7'4" size, improved mobility and inside touch could translate to effective offensive rebounding, post scoring, rim protection and adequate enough defensive foot speed in space.
And that's far from being L.A.'s only option here.
Three more bigs were mocked in Wasserman's first round after the Edey pick: Baylor's Yves Missi (No. 21), Dayton's DaRon Holmes II (No. 25) and Duke's Kyle Filipowski (No. 28). It all depends on the front office's preference. Edey is the biggest, Missi is the bounciest, Holmes has flashed an interesting mix of spacing and shot-blocking and Filipowski could be the best passer and shooter.
Alternatives in Free Agency
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The Lakers shouldn't have much wiggle room in free agency—if they do, the doomsday scenario of LeBron James leaving will have happened—but they also shouldn't need much to find a capable backup big man.
Andre Drummond, who spent part of the 2020-21 season with the Lakers, could be an option. He is about as productive as any reserve center you'll find, but modern teams don't really blow their budget on a 30-year-old, interior-bound big.
Jalen Smith might be another, depending on how he handles his $5.4 million player option with the Indiana Pacers, per Spotrac. He stays active on the basket and boasts shooting range out to the perimeter.
There will be others, too. The Lakers just need to be sure they pick the right one. Wood and Hayes both seemed like reasonable investments last offseason, but the return on said investments didn't deliver. L.A. can't let that happen again.
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