The Los Angeles Lakers arguably had the most dramatic trade deadline of any team in recent years. First, they acquired Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis in a blockbuster trade. An obvious need for a center emerged following AD’s departure.
The Lakers filled that need by giving up Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and a pick swap for Hornets big man Mark Williams.
Shockingly enough, the drama didn’t end there. On Saturday, it was reported that the Williams deal was voided after the 23-year-old center failed to pass his physical.
The injury-prone big man reportedly had too many concerns surrounding him that the Lakers didn’t feel comfortable with the deal.
The team currently has no healthy centers other than Jaxson Hayes. Another big man is needed to soak up regular-season minutes, provide rim protection, and be a pick-and-roll partner for Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
At this stage of the season, the pickings are obviously slim in free agency. Here are the four best options for the Lakers.
Daniel Theis
The 32-year-old center started the season on the New Orleans Pelicans but was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the deadline and was subsequently waived.
The German big man may choose to sign with a Euroleague team and end his career in Europe, but he should still be able to contribute if he were to come to Los Angeles.
Theis is not the rim-runner and finisher Doncic likes playing with but he provides outside shooting and spacing. He is a low-level three-and-D option who has a lot of postseason experience. As a short-term stopgap, the Lakers could do much worse than the competent veteran.
Mo Bamba
How bleak the free agent market for centers is couldn’t be highlighted better than the fact that Mo Bamba is probably the best player available.
Lakers fans are familiar with Bamba, who was acquired by LA at the 2023 trade deadline in exchange for Patrick Beverley. In the final stretch of the season, Bamba was used very sparingly, appearing in nine regular-season and three postseason games.
After the Lakers’ conference finals run, Bamba was waived in the summer of 2023. He then signed a one-year deal with the 76ers but struggled to establish a consistent rotation role there.
He signed with the Clippers before the 2024-25 season but was traded to the Utah Jazz last week. The Jazz ended up waiving him, making him a free agent once again.
Throughout his NBA career, Bamba has been more of an intrigue on paper as he was never able to put it together on the basketball court. As a seven-footer with a soft touch and shooting ability, Bamba has the skillset of a modern big man.
He has hit 35.7% of his threes throughout his pro career but hasn’t grown an offensive game outside of shooting.
Bamba can also protect the rim. His career average of 1.3 blocks per game in only 16.8 minutes of action is why he keeps getting chances in the NBA.
His biggest weakness remains his lack of physicality despite his size. He still has the upside that is worthy of a look by the Lakers. At age 26, he is deserving of another opportunity, and that may very well come from the desperate Lakers.
JaVale McGee
Another former Laker who could make his return to LA is JaVale McGee. After being a crucial part of the 2020 title team with the Lakers, the veteran center hasn’t had much success in his subsequent stops.
He played for the Cavs, Nuggets, Suns, Mavericks, and the Kings since then before signing a professional contract in Puerto Rico in January 2025.
From that 2020 championship team, Dwight Howard is generally considered a potential option for the Lakers on social media and among the fans.
What is a more likely and probably better option, however, is JaVale McGee. He is younger and has been a productive NBA player more recently.
In his heyday, McGee was an elite lob threat and would have been an excellent partner with Doncic. He has already played with him in Dallas and played with LeBron in LA. He has a ton of playoff experience and won three rings.
How close physically he is to his heyday is the biggest question about his potential addition. At 37, he likely doesn’t have the same level of athleticism anymore. But, if he can rebound the ball, block some shots, and finish lobs for 15 minutes a game, there could be a role for him with the Lakers.
Robin Lopez
The 36-year-old center should be considered a last resort for the Lakers.
The 16-year veteran has been a free agent since the 2024 trade deadline when he was traded from the Bucks to the Kings and subsequently waived.
In his prime, Lopez was a solid two-way center. He was a good scorer around the basket with an intriguing post-up game and an extensive portfolio of hook shots and creative finishes. He was also a good rim protector with excellent size at 7-foot-1 and an elite wingspan.
At this stage of his career, Lopez is not the player he used to be. He has played sparingly in his last three stops in Orlando, Cleveland, and Milwaukee.
He likely can’t play too many minutes, either.
However, he has the size, length, and the experience to eat up regular-season minutes. He can still be a deterrent around the basket defensively and provide offensive rebounding and finishing around the basket on the other end of the floor.
Lopez is not the most exciting name on the market, but he can be an end-of-the-bench option for this depleted frontcourt.
