Par Mathieu Seguin | Rédacteur sport
With the announced recruitment of a center, or even two, the Lakers are going to be on the move in the coming weeks. And while many players are being mentioned, two stand out from the crowd to help Luka Doncic.
In front of reporters for the last conference of the season, Rob Pelinka made no secret of the Lakers’ game plan: recruit a center. It’s hard to deny the obvious after the big problems against the Wolves in containing Rudy Gobert. The Angelinos have been outplayed, and if they are to have any chance of winning the championship, having a quality post 5 is a must.
The bad news is that Pelinka may actually need to recruit two centers. Jaxson Hayes, forsaken by JJ Redick, is bitter against the Lakers and knowing he’ll be a free agent this summer, it’s unlikely he’ll decide to come back… but not impossible according to a few insiders. This means that the Californian franchise will have to be aggressive.
Who will the Lakers be recruiting this summer?
But for whom? The Angelinos have a number of players in mind, with an interest in Myles Turner if negotiations fail with the Pacers, while Mitchell Robinson of the Knicks has also been mooted as a possible arrival. However, it’s really two other players who stand out as potential arrivals in the City of Angels.
Because if Turner is a dream, just like Naz Reid who could leave the Wolves, the Lakers also want to target credible, young players capable of combining with Doncic for years to come. Evan Sidery points out that two profiles fit this bill: one from the Nets, the other from the Mavericks, with the famous Nico Harrison.
@esidery : “The Lakers are targeting an athletic rim-running big man. After the voided trade for Mark Williams, two names to keep a close eye on this summer are Nic Claxton and Daniel Gafford. Brooklyn has been open to moving Claxton, while Gafford is seeking an extension with a pay raise.”
Two interesting players for the Lakers, and above all, two players the franchise can afford over the summer. The new center may be in there, with some fans preferring Claxton. Whatever happens, we need to find help for Doncic in the racket.