After the Los Angeles Lakers failed to complete the trade for Mark Williams, it was clear that center was going to be an issue for the team moving forward.
Without a true rim protector, the Lakers were not able to keep their defense in order. The Timberwolves gashed them up and down the court in the first round of the playoffs, and that’s why they are not still playing.
Fixing the issue at the center position is going to be the top priority for the Lakers this offseason. The only way they can really do that is by executing a trade.
One of the potential candidates they could get to fix that problem is Kristaps Porzingis. Porizingis is going to be on the market this offseason as the Celtics look to shed salary.
Porzingis is going to be one of the players that the Celtics shop around. He would be a really nice fit in Los Angeles because of his combination of shooting and rim protection.
While Porzingis isn’t the best shot-blocker in the league, he does enough to deter players from scoring at will in the paint. He has already played with Luka Doncic, as well.
There are a couple of things that could prevent this from happening. One of the biggest issues is the amount of salary that the Lakers would need to send back to Boston to make it work.
Because the Celtics are in the second apron, the salaries have to exactly match. That means that Los Angeles would have to send Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and probably two other guys to make it work.
Los Angeles has to get the center position figured out this offseason. Porzingis’ injury history also could prevent the Lakers from wanting to make a move for him.
Porzingis missed several games again this season, including the playoffs. He did himself no favors when it comes to adding value to himself.
This past season, Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He shot 48.3 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the three-point arc
