NBA Rumors: Lakers to target an underrated center to beef up their front court

The NBA preseason is less than a month away and the Los Angeles Lakers roster looks eerily similar to last year's team that was bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Their lack of a move is questionable since this could be their final season with LeBron James.

To their credit, they have made big in-season moves, and in the recent past, they acquired several players ahead of the 2023 trade deadline resulting in them making the Western Conference Finals that year.

They could use a similar strategy this season by targeting several veterans to try and bolster their playoff chances. In fact, Lakers insider Jovan Buddha believes that they will target Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas.

Jonas Valanciunas would be a smart trade target for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Valanciunas is an intriguing trade target considering his size at 6'11, length at, and 7'5 wingspan. He is known for putting up big numbers across the board, with him being a skilled rebounder, and being able to score inside and outside the paint.

Before joining the Wizards, he spent three seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds and shooting an outrageous 61.2% true shooting and only 26.1 minutes per game.

Even so, the Pelicans opted to let him walk and he signed with the Wizards, who are widely expected to trade him later this year. Putting him next to Anthony Davis would allow Davis to play more away from the rim without sacrificing spacing. Although Valanciunas isn't a high-volume three-point shooter, he has shot around league average from outside over the last three years.

That would allow the Lakers to play big with LeBron, Davis, and Valanciunas, with size often correlating to success on the defensive end. Although the Lakers weren't a bad defensive team, they were around league average, with Davis' dominance on that end of the floor getting them to that point.

Better still, if Kyle Kuzma isn't traded near the deadline, the Lakers could build a package around trying to acquire both Valanciunas and Kuzma. That may be a few months away, however. Still, that gives Los Angeles a valuable player or two to target midseason.