![\"Robert](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Lakers-Predicted-Robert-Williams-III-Celtics-Trade.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780\")
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The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves mired in a mediocre season after 26 games, standing at 14-12 in 10th place in the Western Conference, which would give the franchise that just four years ago won its 17th NBA championship the fourth and final play-in spot.<\/p>\n
Lakers legend Earvin \u201cMagic\u201d Johnson said on Sirius XM Thursday that the team needs \u201cone more player if you\u2019re going to contend in the West,\u201d specifically, a third scorer alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis who can pour in 20 points per game on a consistent basis.<\/p>\n
But the team itself believes it needs more than that, according to one Lakers insider journalist. Jovan Buha, senior writer for The Athletic covering the Lakers reported this week that the Los Angeles front office has identified three major needs \u2014 but tops on that list is \u201ca tough, physical, defensive-minded center.\u201d<\/p>\n
A player fitting that description would be intended to make sure the Lakers do not suffer a lapse in paint defense when Anthony Davis is on the bench.<\/p>\n
The name often linked to the Lakers to fill that need has been Washington Wizards big man Jonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas, a 13-year veteran currently in the first year of a three-year, $30.3 million contract with the team that at 3-21 is\u00a0proving to be the NBA\u2019s worst\u00a0by a considerable margin.<\/p>\n
But there is another defensive center \u2014 in fact one who in his healthiest season placed seventh in\u00a0Defensive Player of the Year\u00a0voting \u2014 who according to\u00a0Yahoo! Sports Senior NBA Insider Jake Fischer \u201cstands as perhaps the most coveted center on this season\u2019s trade market\u2026 another player on the Lakers\u2019 wish list of bigs and renowned for his defensive presence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Acquiring that center would have the added bonus for the Lakers of getting under the skin of their cross-country arch-rival the Boston Celtics, because this player until Boston traded him away a year ago was a fan favorite at TD Garden and one of the most popular players of the Celtics\u2019 current era.<\/p>\n
On the third year of a four-year, $48 million contract, Williams represents less of a financial commitment for the Lakers, and could act \u201cas a backup behind five-time All-NBA big man Anthony Davis, but perhaps also to occasionally play alongside him,\u201d according to\u00a0an\u00a0SI.com\u00a0report.<\/p>\n
In that season, Williams played in 61 games and started them all, the only season of his career in which he started every game he played. He averaged 2.2 blocked shots and 9.6 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n
Before the 2023-2024 season, the Celtics sent Williams to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the deal that brought two-time All Star point guard Jrue Holiday to Boston.<\/p>\n
But Williams missed all but six of Portland\u2019s contests that season.<\/p>\n
This year, Williams appears on the road to recovery and has already played in eight games, averaging 18.5 minutes, 1.6 blocks and 5.6 rebounds.<\/p>\n
On the third year of a four-year, $48 million contract, Williams represents less of a financial commitment for the Lakers, and could act \u201cas a backup behind five-time All-NBA big man Anthony Davis, but perhaps also to occasionally play alongside him,\u201d according to\u00a0an\u00a0SI.com\u00a0report.<\/em><\/p>\n Buha also mentioned Williams as a player under consideraton by the Lakers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves mired in a mediocre season after 26 games, standing at 14-12 in 10th place in the Western Conference, which would give… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19031,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n