The Los Angeles Lakers are on the hunt for frontcourt depth.
While LA's general manager Rob Pelinka is willing to spend, the Lakers could benefit from a cost-effective big man with some postseason experience under his belt.
One under-the-radar free agent from the Boston Celtics has caught the attention of analysts, making him a potential fit for Los Angeles as they aim to bolster their bench for the 2025-26 season.
Sam Quinn of CBS Sports recently highlighted this player’s intriguing skill set, noting, “Pros: A stellar rim-protector on his length alone. (Luke) Kornet has a 7-6 wingspan and uses it as aggressively as any player in basketball. ... That giant wingspan gives him an extremely wide catch radius on lob passes. Only six players who played as many or fewer minutes as he did racked up as many dunks as him (86) last season. A surprisingly effective offensive rebounder given how skinny he is. He shot 3s fairly well early in his career. He's abandoned them, and that's probably where the offensive rebounding comes from, but perhaps it's a skill he could revisit in a different context. He is an absolute metrics darling who shines in just about every all-in-one metric."
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Quinn also reviewed some of the drawbacks of Kornet's game.
"Cons: Has never played 20 minutes per game in his career," Quinn wrote.
"Barely rebounds on defense. The degree of difficulty on his pick-and-roll scoring was, frankly, laughable. A ton of his points came on free runs to the basket that were the result of Boston's historic spacing. It's less clear how he'd navigate the tighter quarters that would come with running pick-and-roll with (Luka) Dončić against the best Western Conference defenses (specifically Oklahoma City, which takes away all pocket passes). His playoff samples are pretty small. Joe Mazzulla didn't use him much in the 2024 playoff run. He got more time this year, but that was partially a function of Kristaps Porziņģis being physically compromised.”
In the 2024-25 season, Kornet averaged 6.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 18.6 minutes across 73 regular-season games, with standout performances coming in the postseason like a seven-block Game 5 against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Kornet’s NCAA record for three-pointers by a 7-footer (150 at Vanderbilt) hints at a stretch-big potential that could be revived under coach JJ Redick’s system, which emphasizes floor spacing.
While his playoff minutes have been inconsistent, his Game 5 heroics mentioned above show he can step up when needed.
Kornet’s length, defensive instincts, and low cost make him a wise consideration for the Lake Show.
More NBA: Lakers predicted to cut ties with $53.8 million rising star in Mavs trade