It seems like quite some time ago that the Lakers showed aggression on the trade market. We’re only two weeks removed from it being a full year since Rob Pelinka pushed his chips on the table and acquired,
and unacquired, Mark Williams at the deadline.
In that moment, the Lakers were on a mission to make sure Luka signed his extension. As they sought out a center upgrade, they included Luka in the conversation, asking him the type of center he wanted and, as we’ve now learned, specific names to target as well.
In a recent livestream, Lakers beat writer Jovan Buha gave some full details on who Luka named as the centers he wanted to partner with (h/t rosiros/Reddit).
“…They just trade for Luka, they have the meeting in Rob’s office with ‘Which centers do you want to play with?’ I’ve already reported this that several of the centers on the list were Walker Kessler, Jalen Duren, I believe Nic Claxton was also on that list. They tried to get all three of those guys with the Dalton Knecht package. They did not get any of them. The one guy they were able to land was Mark Williams, who I do believe was lower on the list overall. [Onyeka] Okongwu was also on that list. They were not able to get Okongwu either.”
While we’ve learned about the Lakers’ interest in many of those names before and after acquiring Luka, hearing them together as part of Luka’s wishlist is new context. The biggest takeaway from this is that Luka knows ball because all of these would be great fits alongside him.
That being said, let’s dive into each of the names and the links the Lakers have had.
With Kessler, he’s a player who has constantly been linked to the Lakers over the last few years. Most recently, the team was still expressing interest in him during the offseason but the Jazz weren’t reciprocating.
Duren is an interesting one because it was reported that the Lakers tried to trade for him at the deadline last year, but the Pistons weren’t willing to part with him. They were proven right in their belief as he’s had a breakout year this season.
Claxton has been the fan choice for the center of the future for much of the last year. However, there’s been little in terms of credible reporting linking him to the Lakers in that time.
Obviously, the team attempted to trade for Williams, but it was reported in the offseason that they also called the Hawks about Okongwu.
All of these names make sense to pair with Luka, but that type of center is a valued commodity on the trade market. Teams also know that the Lakers are in search of a lob-catching center, so it’ll cost a premium to acquire one.
But if this is who Luka is interested in acquiring, perhaps the Lakers should involve him more often in these discussions.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
