The Los Angeles Lakers‘ top free-agent center option in the offseason is predicted to re-sign with his current team.
Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner, who has been on the Lakers’ radar even before the Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis swap, will likely stay in the East, according to Bleacher Report’s salary cap expert Eric Pincus.
“The running theme continues since the best available free agents won’t have anywhere to go unless their current teams are willing to execute a sign-and-trade. The Pacers have all the leverage with Turner unless the Nets or Pistons chase him.
Indiana is arguably the most successful franchise over the last few decades at competing at a high level without paying any luxury taxes.
Assuming the Pacers don’t radically change their financial approach, Turner may receive an offer lower than he’s hoping. He’ll be fortunate to get a starting salary of $18 million since that could require Indiana to find a small trade to get under the tax,” Pincus wrote.
The Lakers do not have the cap room to compete with the Nets or Pistons unless LeBron James declines his $52.6 million player option for next season and re-sign for a substantial pay cut. But they can also execute a sign-and-trade using their 2031 first-round pick as their bait the same way they did in the rescinded Mark Williams trade.
However, the Nets and the Pistons have deeper draft capital.
Lakers Have Internal Talks About Trading for Myles Turner
In January, Clutchpoints’ Anthony Irwin reported that the Lakers have held extensive internal conversations about making an offer for Turner and weighed “whether it makes sense to put both the first-rounders they can move this trade deadline on the table for him.”
The Lakers only have one first-rounder after they gave up their 2029 first-round pick in the Dončić trade.
The 7-foot Turner is the best center who will be available in the free agent market this offseason. He’s a rim protector (2.2 blocks career average) and has a range that extends beyond the arc (36.2% career 3-point shooter). But he can also mix it inside the paint.
Clint Capela a Cheaper Alternative
If Turner will not be available, the Lakers could look at a cheaper center in the market.
One of them will be Atlanta Hawks‘ Clint Capela.
If the Hawks, who have Capela’s bird rights, do not bring him back, the Lakers could get him for the cheap — as low as the taxpayer midlevel exception or more than the non-taxpayer midlevel — depending on his market this summer.
“Capela should find suitors elsewhere, although he’ll undoubtedly be taking a pay cut from his $22.3 million salary this season. He should sign a new deal in the $5-14 million-per-year range,” Pincus wrote.
Capela perfectly fits the mold of a rim-running center whichDončić asked the Lakers to get for him upon his arrival.
Jaxson Hayes showed some flashes but he is inexperienced and has yet to put together a large sample size to make the Lakers believe he could be their long-term center. Hayes is also set to become an unrestricted free agent.
