Ever since LeBron James’ arrival in 2018, the Los Angeles Lakers have belonged to him, on and off the court. In fact, some have criticized him and his camp for exerting too much control over the franchise, which, critics say, led to some poor personnel moves.
But four months ago, the Lakers landed a young, generational superstar in Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. It seemed to herald a passing of the torch from James to Doncic while setting Doncic up to be the face of the franchise for the next decade or so.
Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins said that the Lakers are now Doncic’s team, even though James is expected to return this fall for his 23rd NBA season.
Ever since they landed Doncic, the Lakers have been looking to build the rest of the team around and for him. That includes their quest for a starting-level center, which started with the failed trade for Mark Williams in February.
They would love to get their hands on a relatively young and athletic big man who not only defends and rebounds at a high level but is also a lob threat. Doncic did well playing with big men who are lob threats while with the Dallas Mavericks, whether it was Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II or Kristaps Porziņģis.
