The Los Angeles Lakers have been in the market for a center since last season.
Their failed attempt to land Mark Williams may have sealed their fate in the first round vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they lacked the size and depth to match up with their physical frontcourt.
There aren't many feasible options in free agency right now, but now that the Milwaukee Bucks signed Myles Turner, the Lakers could have a clear path towards the second-best option.
According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, the Lakers were going toe-to-toe in the race to sign Deandre Ayton:
"The Lakers were competing with the Bucks for Deandre Ayton, and so this leaves Deandre Ayton to go to the Lakers to be their starting center as a possible ramification of this," Windhorst said.
"The Lakers were competing with the Bucks for Deandre Ayton, and so this leaves Deandre Ayton to go to the Lakers to be their starting center as a possible ramification of this."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 1, 2025
Brian Windhorst on what Myles Turner to Milwaukee means for LA pic.twitter.com/Mnkaiu0Soj
Ayton was just waived by the Portland Trail Blazers, and the former first-overall pick has been linked to the Lakers for the past day.
LeBron James put plenty of pressure on Rob Pelinka. His agent, Rich Paul, argued that James knew what a championship-caliber roster looked like, and he was looking forward to playing for another ring before retirement.
James just picked up his $52.6 million player option to return to the Lakers, but Paul's words raised speculation about a potential trade request.
Needless to say, that would spell disaster for a Lakers team banking all hopes on the James-Luka Doncic partnership.
Adding a talented big man who still has plenty of upside might be enough to appease the future Hall of Famer.
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