4 Offseason moves the Lakers must make to win the West next season

4. Find a back up big

This Lakers era with LeBron James and Anthony Davis works best when they can maintain a certain level of defensive productivity. The 2020 championship team hung its hat on defense and this year’s playoffs have been similar. For that defense to be maintained Anthony Davis needs to be healthy.

While that in itself has proven to be difficult, what would be a big help would be finding a serviceable big that can hold the defense down while Davis gets some rest. Currently, the only other center on the roster is Mo Bamba. There is some hope that Bamba could fill that role but it’s unlikely given his last few years.

This means the Lakers need to look at free agency. In free agency, the most ideal candidate would be Jakob Poeltl. Poeltl was arguably the tanking San Antonio Spurs’ best player this year, which is why they traded him. Poeltl quietly became one of the best values in the league at his position and is now looking for proper compensation. The Lakers should try and get him, but he may be overqualified to come off the bench.

Looking elsewhere the market isn’t huge. Another possibility could be Mason Plumlee. Plumlee isn’t the best defender out there but he might be the best option given what the Lakers need, someone to eat minutes. The other route would be to try and make some moves and see what’s out there in the trade market. It’s unclear who might be available, but the Lakers need to be active when those trade talks begin.