Lakers Can't Overpay for Center Help at Trade Deadline amid Vučević, Williams Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers aren't the only team making moves ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline. However, their trade over the weekend for Dallas Mavericks centerpiece Luka Dončić certainly made the biggest splash.

Adding the 25-year-old gives Los Angeles a legitimate superstar to build around for the next decade. The Lakers' post-LeBron James future doesn't look nearly as bleak as it did a week ago.

Of course, the deal cost L.A. two-way star Anthony Davis. This leaves the team short on defensive help and leads to questions about its ability to compete with James this season. The Lakers probably aren't done making moves, though, and would prefer to add a true center to complement James, Dončić, Austin Reaves and the rest of the now-look roster.

"We know that our roster has continued work to do to become complete," general manager Pelinka said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "We know we have a need for a big."

A few names have been floated as possible options to replace or rotate with Jaxson Hayes at center. The Ringer's Kirk Goldsberry mentioned Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets and Robert Williams III of the Portland Trail Blazers (h/t USA Today's David McKay):

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Lakers are among the teams interested in Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević.

"Vučević has drawn trade interest from the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, most notably, league sources told HoopsHype," Scotto wrote. "Both the Warriors and Lakers intrigue Vucevic from afar, HoopsHype has learned."

In a vacuum, each of these players could help fill Los Angeles' need at center. The problem is that the Lakers are over the first luxury tax apron and aren't don't possess a ton of tradeable assets. Their biggest include Reaves, rookie shooter Dalton Knecht, a future second-round draft selection and the 3031 first-round pick L.A. managed to keep through the Dončić trade.

Unfortunately, the Lakers are highly unlikely to get a player like Vučević or Williams at a bargain price point.

"The Bulls have held out hope for a first-round pick for Vucevic but may have to settle for multiple second-round picks if they move him ahead of the deadline in the eyes of NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype," Scotto wrote.

According to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, other NBA teams view "anything from a late first-rounder to a couple of second-rounders" as a "reasonable" price for Williams.

While Los Angeles would undoubtedly love to make an immediate run with James and Dončić, it can't afford to overpay for a good, not great, center. Pelinka and Co. are now in a balancing act where building the future around Dončić is just as important as chasing a title with James.

Dumping a potential long-term contributor like Knecht or Reaves to get Vučević, Williams or Claxton wouldn't really benefit L.A.'s future. Unless a higher-end option becomes available, moving the future first-round pick wouldn't make sense either.

Los Angeles will have opportunities to build something special around Dončić, but it may need to wait until the offseason—or even 2026—to make another splash.

The Lakers seem to know this and aren't interested in flipping that first-round selection, according to Fred Katz, Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of The Athletic:

"Not many centers whose names are prevalent on the market appeal to them, league sources said. And just as they wouldn't part with the 2031 first-rounder for Dončić, they have no plans to give their best remaining draft asset away for a patch-up role player."

Things could change if a better center becomes available between now and Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline. As Pelinka noted, however, the Lakers can't simply make that happen.

"If there's not a championship big on the market, I can't wave a wand and create that opportunity," Pelinka said, per McMenamin.

None of this means that L.A. can't bolster its center rotation in the coming days. The team will almost certainly scour the buyout market, and a bargain could still emerge. Moving a second-round pick would be acceptable, and forward Rui Hachimura—who carries a $17 million salary—loons as a prime salary-match candidate.

Hachimura has started every game in which he's appeared this season, but trading him could generate more playing time for Dorian Finney-Smith, a longtime teammate of Dončić's with the Mavs.

Unless a legitimate difference-maker who can help L.A. now and for the next several years emerges, however, the Lakers need to hold onto their biggest assets until, at least, the offseason.