![\"Jakob](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2178662463-e1749369122684.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780\")
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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.<\/p>\n
In a recent 14-player, 4-team trade proposal from Bleacher Report\u2019s Eric Pincus, the Lakers land a new big man. And while the incoming center isn\u2019t a lob threat, he would drastically improve JJ Redick\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
The monster trade proposal looks like this:<\/strong><\/p>\n Toronto Raptors get:<\/strong><\/p>\n Giannis Antetokounmpo,\u00a0Jalen Smith\u00a0and\u00a0Jevon Carter<\/p>\n Milwaukee Bucks get:<\/strong><\/p>\n RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Chris Boucher, Ja\u2019Kobe 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)<\/p>\n Los Angeles Lakers get:<\/strong><\/p>\n Jakob Poeltl\u00a0and\u00a0Lonzo Ball<\/p>\n Chicago Bulls get:<\/strong><\/p>\n Dalton Knecht,\u00a0Jarred Vanderbilt,\u00a0Shake Milton,\u00a0AJ Lawson, $10 million trade exception (Ball), $9 million trade exception (Smith) and a $1.5 million trade exception (Carter)<\/p>\n Pincus noted that an important aspect of his proposal is that it couldn\u2019t take place until after July 12.<\/p>\n \u201cPoeltl is not flashy, but he\u2019s a legit 7\u20190\u2033, 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,\u201d Pincus reasoned. \u201cThe Lakers can retain Hayes, a shared client of WME\u2019s Bill Duffy, who represents Doncic, giving the team the lob option. L.A. would continue to target that archetype\u2026Still, Poeltl is an immediate upgrade, better suited with the necessary heft that Hayes doesn\u2019t bring.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n While Poletl isn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Ball missed the final 22 games of the\u00a0Chicago Bulls\u2019\u00a0season with a wrist injury. It was the latest absence of his patchy tenure with the franchise. However, during a recent episode of his\u00a0\u2018What An Experience with Lonzo Ball\u2019 podcast,\u00a0the former Lakers guard gave a positive update on his recovery.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m feeling great, man. Back on the court this week, man,\u201d Ball said. \u201cSo, moving around. Got a long summer. Gearing up for next year.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n If healthy, Ball would give the Lakers a high-level playmaker and perimeter defender. He would easily slot into JJ Redick\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n So, while Pincus\u2019 trade proposal doesn\u2019t solve every need for the Lakers, it does improve the current roster. Rob Pelinka could then look to make further tweaks throughout the summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68303,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\nPoeltl Could Elevate the Lakers<\/h2>\n
\nLonzo Ball Should be Ready for Next Season<\/h2>\n