The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a much-improved season under first-year head coach JJ Redick, who led them to heights they hadn't reached since their last NBA Championship. However, all of that progress was quickly undone in the playoffs, where they managed to win just one game in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
One glaring issue was the center position, which proved to be lackluster throughout the series. The Lakers had no answer for the dominant frontcourt trio of Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid. As a result, this offseason has become all about finding a center—one who can truly make an impact.
“Regardless of how it happens, the Lakers need to find players who can win the battle on the boards. Defense and value in the pick and roll may take precedence, but the perfect result for Los Angeles would be an opportunity to give its potentially elite offense a new source of reliability,” Lake Show Life’s Maxwell Ogden wrote.
The Lakers actually attempted to trade for a center last season, offering Dalton Knecht for Mark Williams of the Charlotte Hornets, but the deal was ultimately rescinded.
Now, with the 2025 NBA Draft approaching, ESPN’s Bobby Marks believes Knecht could be moved on draft night, which takes place this Wednesday.
“In a recent article, he proposed a three-team deal in which Los Angeles would send out Dalton Knecht to the Portland Trail Blazers and an unprotected 2031 first-round draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets for the No. 8 pick and No. 36 pick this year. It would then select Khaman Maluach at No. 8,” Yahoo Sports’ Robert Marvi wrote.
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Maluach offers strong rim protection and brings youth and upside to the table. He’ll enter the league with something to prove and could benefit greatly from learning alongside LeBron James—assuming James chooses not to retire and returns for at least one more season. If Maluach develops a solid pick-and-roll game, he could also become a valuable lob target for Luka Doncic. Getting Maluach would be a great start to acquiring centers this offseason.