The Los Angeles Lakers are only two weeks away from the start of their season, but it appears that their roster is far from settled. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Lakers are considering adding a big man to their roster to give them more size.
"The Lakers have been exploring potentially adding a big man, a center to their roster." 👀 @ShamsCharania makes his NBA Today debut with the latest on the Lakers' search for a big 💪 pic.twitter.com/8iqVBTIGrJ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 10, 2024
That has been viewed as their most obvious roster need, with Anthony Davis seemingly preferring to play power forward instead of center.
Surprisingly, however, they didn't make any moves over the summer aside from drafting Dalton Knecht and Bronny James. Now, they are looking to potentially add a frontcourt mate for LeBron James and Davis but it could prove to be costly.
Adding a center now may cost the Los Angeles Lakers big time later on.
If they were to sign a veteran big man, then that would cost them at least $2.3 million depending on their years of experience since minimum contracts are based on that. The problem arises when looking at how close they are to the second apron.
They are just $45,000 below the second apron, meaning that a signing would trigger several harsh penalties. For instance, they wouldn't be able to sign a player who made more than the mid-level exception, something that is useful for playoff teams, when a good player is bought out.
They also wouldn't be able to combine salaries in trades, which would make it virtually impossible for them to make a blockbuster deal or even pursue players such as Kyle Kuzma. Even things like trading distant first-round picks or cash considerations would be restricted. All that is to say that signing a big man now would cause problems later.
Is it worth it for the Lakers to add a big man before the start of the season?
f they are signing a center to their roster, then no, it wouldn't be. There doesn't appear to be any big name that would move the needle enough to make sense for them given what they would have to give up. Charania did mention that Jaxon Hayes and Christian Koloko might be internal options, but they might still add another player.
If they were to make a trade, then that might make more sense with the Washington Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas being rumored, but he can't be traded until December. Other options could include Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams, but he has struggled to stay healthy, even if that might make him more affordable to the Lakers. Ultimately, the Lakers are probably better off playing wait and see rather than risk being unable to make a bigger move later.