It’s the worst-kept secret in the NBA that the Lakers are in search of a big man.
Not only is LA’s need for a center obvious to anyone who watched them this past season, but with Luka Dončić reportedly asking for an upgrade at that spot, the focus on that position has only increased.
So far, the Lakers haven’t done anything to bolster their frontcourt, but the offseason has just begun. And with the Lakers set to have a ton of cap space, the hope is that they could take advantage of a situation somewhere
and snag a free agent from a team that didn’t want to pay the cost to retain said player.
That exact scenario might be playing out in New York.
On Friday morning, Jake Fisher wrote a piece for The Stein Line explaining how Mitchell Robinson could be leaving the Knicks.
“The Lakers, amid a growing pessimism that the Knicks will be able to hang onto Robinson, are also regarded as a likely suitor for the New York big man once free agency officially begins.”
Keeping a championship team together is tough. If Knicks owner James Dolan remains determined not to go over the second apron, then they could lose Robinson this summer.
Robinson is an unrestricted free agent and made just under $13 million last season, so there’s an opportunity here for LA to be aggressive and snag one of the best centers available this offseason.
The Lakers could certainly use a player like Robinson in their frontcourt, and it’s why they’ve been connected to him before this summer.
He doesn’t put up gaudy numbers, averaging just 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for the Knicks. But he’s a solid role player, a respectable defender and an efficient scorer. Robinson shot 72.3% from the field this season.
He was an integral part of the Knicks’ title run and would certainly bolster the frontcourt even if he isn’t the star center Lakers fans are dreaming about.
If the Lakers can figure out a number that makes Robinson happy, but doesn’t break the bank, then he could be a good fit in LA.
We’ll see if he is actually interested in joining the Lakers or if the Knicks cave and do what it takes to keep their title team intact. For now, this is an intriguing situation to monitor and a potential solution to LA’s frontcourt woes as they try to build a title contending roster.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
