Report: Lakers mulling adding championship-winning big amid playoff push
By Cal Durrett
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the thick of a playoff race that is going down to the wire Lakers news, Los Angeles Lakers roster, Los Angeles Lakers Rumors, Meyers Leonard
. The Lakers are currently 10th in the West and just half a game ahead of the Utah Jazz for the final spot in the play-in tournament. With less than a dozen games remaining, they may just hold onto that lead, but they aren’t taking any chances.
According to the Athletics’ Shams Charania and Jovan Buha, Los Angeles will work out a former teammate of LeBron James, possibly in hopes of adding depth to the roster during the final three weeks of the regular season.
The Los Angeles Lakers are working out free agent centers Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley this week, sources tell me and @jovanbuha. Thompson, an 11-year NBA veteran, was a key member of the 2016 championship Cavaliers team alongside LeBron James.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 20, 2023
Tristian Thompson retired last season but is still only 32 years old and could theoretically provide the Lakers with rebounding and defense. He spent most of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, went to four straight NBA Finals with James, and won a championship in 2016. Meanwhile, Bradley has played in the NBA this season but only logged two games before being waived by the Chicago Bulls.
Bradley is just 25 years old but has bounced around the NBA and mostly found work as a third-string center. That would likely be his role, were the Lakers to actually sign him. However, the Lakers do have one final roster spot left to fill ahead of hopefully a long playoff run, and they may opt for a veteran center over a relatively inexperienced one.
James having played so many games alongside Thompson may also give him an advantage over Bradley. That being said, if the Lakers were to sign one of the two, it would strictly be for a depth role, with neither player likely to play much if everything goes right. Additionally, the Lakers have been working out several players before and after the trade deadline but have yet to sign anyone.
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As a result, it remains to be seen whether Thompson or Bradley will ultimately make the Lakers roster. It also remains to be seen whether Los Angeles will actually make the playoffs, but that appears to be more likely at the moment.