{"id":74658,"date":"2025-06-30T07:36:07","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T07:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=74658"},"modified":"2025-06-30T07:36:07","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T07:36:07","slug":"report-2-fresh-centers-hit-the-market-as-lakers-target-veteran-big-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=74658","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: 2 Fresh Centers Hit the Market as Lakers Target Veteran Big Man"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rob<\/p>\n

Two new centers have been added to the free agent pool where the Los Angeles Lakers hope to get at least one for next season.<\/p>\n

Moe Wagner became an unrestricted free agent when the Orlando Magic declined his $11 million team option, ESPN\u2019s senior NBA insider Shams Charania reports. However, the Magic retains Wagner\u2019s Bird Rights, which means they can re-sign him above the salary cap.<\/p>\n

According to Hoopshype\u2019s Michael Scotto, the Magic \u201chave interest\u201d in re-signing Wagner, who is going to be one of the coveted free agents after a career season.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old German center posted career highs in points (12.9), 3-point percentage (.360) and rebounds (4.9) last season.<\/p>\n

Moe is the older brother of Magic star Franz Wagner.<\/p>\n

Day\u2019Rone Sharpe joined Wagner in the unrestricted free agent pool after the Brooklyn Nets did not extend a qualifying offer for the 23-year-old center. But the Nets are hoping to re-sign him with their cap flexibility, Scotto reports.<\/p>\n

Sharpe was previously linked to the Lakers. But he is an undersized center at 6\u20199. Selected 29th overall in 2021, Sharpe is coming off a breakout season for the Nets, averaging career-highs across the board: 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18.1 minutes.<\/p>\n

Lakers\u2019 Top Target<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks is a name to keep an eye on for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.<\/p>\n

Myles Turner and Brook Lopez headline the free agent center class this offseason. However, Turner is expected to re-sign with the Indiana Pacers after he played a key role in their Finals run, per multiple reports.<\/p>\n

Lopez is perhaps the Lakers\u2019 top free agent target.<\/p>\n

The one-time Lakers center is an unrestricted free agent and there are rumblings he would not return to the Milwaukee Bucks, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.<\/p>\n

\u201cNumerous rival teams are bracing for the center-craving Los Angeles Lakers to make a run at luring Lopez away from the Bucks,\u201d Fischer wrote on \u201cThe Stein Line\u201d Substack newsletter.<\/p>\n

Lopez averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.8 assists in 80 games last season for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he won a championship in 2021. He shot 37.3% from the 3-point line.<\/p>\n

Other notable centers available in the free agent market are Clint Capela, Kevon Looney and Al Horford and Luke Kornet.<\/p>\n

The Lakers could also revisit their trade interest in Onyeka Okongwu after the Atlanta Hawks acquired Kristaps Porzingis.<\/p>\n

According to ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin, the Hawks\u2019 starting center last season was on the Lakers\u2019 radar as a potential lob partner for Luka Doncic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lakers called the Atlanta Hawks about their 6-10, athletic big man Onyeka Okongwu last season, sources told ESPN,\u201d McMenamin wrote.<\/p>\n

Okongwu seized the starting role in Atlanta midway through last season. The 24-year-old center who boasts a 7-foot-2 wingspan averaged 15.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists with 1.2 steals and nearly a block in 31.2 minutes across 40 starts last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel overall I\u2019ve always had the tools, but since I became a starter, it\u2019s just putting it all together,\u201d Okongwu said during the Hawks\u2019 exit interviews.<\/p>\n

The Lakers only have one first-round pick (2031 or 2023) and up to four pick swaps to dangle in a potential trade.<\/p>\n

Lakers president Rob Pelinka vowed that there will be no stone unturned this offseason in their search for a starting center after they rescinded the Mark Williams trade at the deadline and JJ Redick lost faith in Jaxson Hayes in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Pelinka said they are \u201csuper active\u201d in the trade market.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re gonna turn over every stone and whatever resources the collective bargaining agreement gives us, we\u2019re gonna use to the utmost,\u201d Pelinka said. \u201cThat\u2019s what we gotta do.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two new centers have been added to the free agent pool where the Los Angeles Lakers hope to get at least one for next season. Moe Wagner… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":74661,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\nREPORT: 2 Fresh Centers Hit the Market as Lakers Target Veteran Big Man - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=74658\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"REPORT: 2 Fresh Centers Hit the Market as Lakers Target Veteran Big Man - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Two new centers have been added to the free agent pool where the Los Angeles Lakers hope to get at least one for next season. 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