Lakers Pursuing $23 Million Former Champion Center:
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to prioritize adding a center to their roster.
Alongside the Lakers’ interest in acquiring Utah Jazz’s young center Walker Kessler, they’re also considering a former player, according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer.
We discussed the Lakers’ interest in Brook Lopez last summer,” Fischer mentioned in his “NBA Insider Notebook” live stream on Bleacher Report.
Lopez, now 36, is on a one-year $23 million contract.
The Lakers could assemble a trade package involving D’Angelo Russell’s $18.6 million expiring deal, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a draft pick, and an additional salary filler like Jaxson Hayes ($2.4 million).
Brook Lopez Could Be an Ideal Fit Next to Anthony Davis Lopez’s ability as a stretch and physical center makes him a potentially strong complement to Anthony Davis in the Lakers’ lineup.
Lakers coach JJ Redick expressed over the summer his desire for a bruising center to pair with Davis, especially against Western Conference’s elite big men.
Though Lopez’s stats have declined, he still provides shooting range to support Davis and LeBron James within Redick’s dynamic offensive strategies.
Lopez currently averages 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and ranks third in the league with 2.6 blocks over his first five games. His 3-point accuracy is down to a nine-year low of 29.6%, but he’s still hitting 1.6 triples per game.
The 7-foot-1 center previously played for the Lakers during the 2017-18 season before joining the Bucks, where he anchored their defense as a rim protector on their championship run.
However, the Bucks are struggling, starting this season at 1-4, a far cry from their 2021 title-winning form.
If the Bucks’ struggles persist until February’s trade deadline, Lopez, alongside Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton, could be trade candidates, Fischer suggested.
Jazz Unlikely to Be Enticed by D’Angelo Russell-led Offer: Report While Bovada lists the Lakers as the favorites (+350) to land Kessler, executing a trade with the Jazz may be challenging, especially under Jazz CEO Danny Ainge’s watch.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, a trade centered around Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell and multiple first-round picks likely wouldn’t tempt the Jazz to trade Kessler to L.A.
While our Jovan Buha recently reported the Lakers’ interest in Kessler, a Jazz source said that a potential deal — D’Angelo Russell and multiple first-round picks — wouldn’t be appealing,” Amick noted.
Amick highlighted Ainge’s tendency for blockbuster deals, developed during his tenure in Boston, and brought to Utah.
As the architect of the Celtics’ 2008 championship, Ainge’s legacy includes trading for stars like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. He later fueled Boston’s rebuild by trading veterans Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets in exchange for picks that eventually brought Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
In his initial significant moves with the Jazz, Ainge secured eight first-round picks, including Kessler, by trading former stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.