Since acquiring Luka Doncic ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers have been in the market for a new center. Doncic is at his best when sharing the court with an explosive lob threat.
In a recent 14-player, 4-team trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, the Lakers land a new big man. And while the incoming center isn’t a lob threat, he would drastically improve JJ Redick’s team.
The monster trade proposal looks like this:
Toronto Raptors get:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Smith and Jevon Carter
Milwaukee Bucks get:
RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Chris Boucher, Ja’Kobe Walter, Gabe Vincent, Raptors 2025 No. 9 draft pick, 2026 first-round swap rights with Raptors, 2026 Lakers second-rounder, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round swap rights, 2029 first-round pick, 2030 first-round swap rights, 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 first-round swap rights (top-five protected for the Raptors)
Los Angeles Lakers get:
Jakob Poeltl and Lonzo Ball
Chicago Bulls get:
Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, Shake Milton, AJ Lawson, $10 million trade exception (Ball), $9 million trade exception (Smith) and a $1.5 million trade exception (Carter)
Pincus noted that an important aspect of his proposal is that it couldn’t take place until after July 12.
“Poeltl is not flashy, but he’s a legit 7’0″, 260-pound center who averaged 14.5 points and 62.7 percent shooting with 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Against the Boston Celtics, he scored a career-high 35 points with 12 rebounds. He fills one of the two needs at the position,” Pincus reasoned. “The Lakers can retain Hayes, a shared client of WME’s Bill Duffy, who represents Doncic, giving the team the lob option. L.A. would continue to target that archetype…Still, Poeltl is an immediate upgrade, better suited with the necessary heft that Hayes doesn’t bring.”
Poeltl Could Elevate the Lakers
Poeltl is a fundamentally sound big man. He can protect the rim, operate as an offensive hub on the perimeter or around the elbows, and is a highly talented screener and rebounder. The Lakers would be adding a reliable presence to their center rotation and could potentially become a dominant rebounding team.
While Poletl isn’t the absurd athlete the Lakers are probably looking for, he is a true professional who would slot seamlessly into the locker room. He may not be a three-point threat, but his dribble hand-off creation and his screening would allow him to operate as part of a five-out offense.
Teams generally put non-shooting bigs into the weakside slot in those situations, where defenses have to respect the threat of a cut, and thus, spacing can be created.
Lonzo Ball Should be Ready for Next Season
Ball missed the final 22 games of the Chicago Bulls’ season with a wrist injury. It was the latest absence of his patchy tenure with the franchise. However, during a recent episode of his ‘What An Experience with Lonzo Ball’ podcast, the former Lakers guard gave a positive update on his recovery.
“I’m feeling great, man. Back on the court this week, man,” Ball said. “So, moving around. Got a long summer. Gearing up for next year.”
If healthy, Ball would give the Lakers a high-level playmaker and perimeter defender. He would easily slot into JJ Redick’s system and could be a reliable leader for the second unit. Furthermore, his $20 million contract is highly tradable. And, if the Lakers failed to flip him, they could decline their team option next summer.
So, while Pincus’ trade proposal doesn’t solve every need for the Lakers, it does improve the current roster. Rob Pelinka could then look to make further tweaks throughout the summer.
