Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players who may not be around in 2018-19

2. Ivica Zubac

This season, Ivica Zubac was expected to take a step forward after showing real promise as a rookie. Unfortunately, the arrival of Brook Lopez stunted his growth, forcing the Lakers to cut back on his minutes. Julius Randle seeing time at the 5 didn’t help, either.

To make matters worse, a rather intriguing big man is waiting in the wings. Thomas Bryant, a 2017 second round pick, has shown out very well in the G League. Although he’s only made 10 appearances for the Lakers this season, the belief is he has a very bright future with this franchise.

Then, there’s the potential for the Lakers to add more talent at center this offseason. They could target someone such as DeMarcus Cousins via free agency. On top of that, I wouldn’t be surprised if they spent their 2018 first round pick on a big man such as Mitchell Robinson or Chimezie Metu.

So what does this all mean for Zubac? It means he could be a goner sooner rather than later.

It’ll come down to two things: 1) If a superior center is added via free agency or the draft or 2) If the Lakers determine Bryant offers more upside. In the instance one of those things happens, Zubac could be traded or released. Fans wouldn’t be happy about his departure, but I don’t think that’s a prominent factor in Magic’s decision-making process.