The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the more mysterious teams as we enter the 2024-25 NBA season.
The Lakers will look to be one of the better teams in the NBA, and they will be led by their superstar duo, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Los Angeles has as good a shot as anyone to win the title, especially if their duo and the rest of the roster are healthy and available.
The goal for Los Angeles will be to stay healthy, but many questions if they have enough on their roster to compete. The Lakers are confident they do, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t exploring trades to bolster their roster.
According to ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania, the Lakers are exploring a trade for a center as Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood continue recovering from offseason procedures.
“Sources tell me the Lakers have been exploring potentially adding a big man, a center, to their roster,” he said. “Not sure exactly when that will take place, but they have started looking into the marketplace.”
Vanderbilt and Wood are set to play vital roles in the team this season; however, the Lakers could wait a while for both to be on the court.
General Manager Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks with the media during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on September 25, 2024 in El Segundo, California. The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to add a center via the trade market as the season approaches.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Vanderbilt’s status for the Laker’s season opener on Oct. 22 is uncertain as he recovers from procedures on each of his feet. He will miss training camp and the rest of the preseason.
As for Wood, he will miss the first game of the season and possibly a lot more. Wood underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in September. A month ago, he was scheduled to miss eight weeks. If all goes well for Wood, he could be back before the team’s 15th game of the season in mid to late November.
A search for another big man has been in the works for some time. However, the new CBA makes it tough to trade, and because of that, the Lakers have had a slow offseason.
The Lakers have wanted to trade for a while, and there are many centers out there that could perfectly complement Davis. This doesn’t mean a trade will happen, but the front office will do its best to find the perfect player for JJ Redick’s vision.
In the meantime, the Lakers have Jaxson Hayes, who averaged 4.3 points in 12.5 minutes per night as a backup for Davis, is the only other roster player available for the season opener. They also will have Colin Castleton, who made 16 NBA appearances last season, and the two-way option, Christian Koloko.
Koloko last played for the Toronto Raptors in 2022-23 before he was sidelined with a blood clot issue and signed with the Lakers in September.
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