After losing to the Wolves in the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers have no choice but to recruit a center. It’s not the only objective for the front office, but if the Angelinos want to win the title, having a better post 5 is necessary to keep dreaming. Especially with Luka Doncic around.
Brook Lopez, Daniel Gafford and Mitchell Robinson: these are just a few of the names mentioned in recent weeks as candidates for a move to the City of Angels. It’s impossible to know more at this stage, but we can be sure that the Purple and Gold will be going on the offensive. They would also like a good defender to help Doncic in the future.
But for that to happen, especially when you’re talking about a trade, you’re bound to need a nice quid pro quo in return. Several Lakers are therefore likely to jump ship in the coming months, and how can we not think of Dalton Knecht, already technically traded for Mark Williams, before the trade was finally cancelled by the franchise.
It’s more or less confirmation that Knecht should be traded over the summer, as he wasn’t used much by JJ Redick after this episode. According to Sports Illustrated, two other players should be used to find a center on the market. Pelinka will therefore have to find the right player, and hope that his offer is sufficient.
The loss of Knecht could hurt some fans, but the franchise has made it clear that it isn’t banking on him in particular in the future. Milton and Vincent will be used mainly for salary purposes, but it won’t be enough to get a big player with that. If the Angelinos want a really good pivot, they’ll probably have to make an effort.
