Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Robert Marvi

Lakers want to add another center — possibly Mo Bamba or Tristan Thompson

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a rather successful first two days of free agency. They accomplished their main objective of keeping as much of their core intact as possible, as Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell all reportedly agreed to stay on new contracts. Even better, the Lakers did so without overpaying for any of the three men.

Buy Lakers Tickets

They also went out and got forwards Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish, as well as guard Gabe Vincent. All three have the potential to give the team some additional 3-point shooting and perimeter defense.

Amidst these moves, the center position is looking rather weak. Los Angeles got Jaxson Hayes, a young, athletic and energetic 6-foot-11 man, to agree to a two-year deal, but he’s a rather underwhelming player who will, in all likelihood, come off the bench and play no more than 15-20 minutes a game.

As a result, the team wants to get one more center to fill one of its two remaining roster spots (h/t Lakers Nation).

The Lakers recently waived Mo Bamba, a 7-footer with shot-blocking and 3-point shooting skills, in order to free up their entire non-taxpayer midlevel exception, which they used on Vincent. Bamba remains an option for that roster spot, as does Tristan Thompson, a veteran big man they signed near the end of the 2022-23 regular season.

Via The Athletic:

“L.A. is targeting another big man with its 14th roster spot, according to team sources. They are likely to carry 14 guaranteed contracts into the season, leaving one roster spot open. Mo Bamba, whom the Lakers waived on Thursday, and Tristan Thompson, who joined the team right before their playoff run, remain options to fill that 14th spot, according to league sources. The big man market has been dry so far during this free-agency period, so the Lakers could also wait to see if better options present themselves.”

The Lakers could use a center with legitimate size and girth who can play solid positional defense on the likes of Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis and Joel Embiid. Thompson may be able to do some of that, but he’s just 6-foot-9. On the other hand, Bamba’s ability to hit from the outside could open things up offensively for LeBron James and Anthony Davis, among others.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.