It is no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers need a starting-caliber center who will defend, rebound and run the floor well. But they also need improved guard and wing depth if they are to become true championship contenders next season.
There have been numerous trade ideas circulating on the internet that would provide them with that type of starting-level center. But hardly any of them would address any of their other roster needs.
Jackson Caudell of Sports Illustrated came up with a trade idea involving the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks that would not only answer L.A.’s problems at the 5 but also give it a greatly upgraded bench.
In this mock trade, L.A. would give up forwards Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt, big man Maxi Kleber, rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, guard Shake Milton, an unprotected 2031 first-round draft pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap. In return, it would receive former All-Star center Jarrett Allen, forward Georges Niang, wing Isaac Okoro and guard Terance Mann, as well as 2027 and 2029 second-round draft picks.
Via Sports Illustrated:
“A lot of the talk is going to be around the Lakers trying to get a center to put around [Luka] Doncic and LeBron James, which was a clear weakness for them in their postseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Caudell wrote. “Will the Lakers swing big in their attempt to get a center for this team?
“… Allen is a picture perfect fit beside Doncic and James. He is a rim-running threat on offense and can protect the paint and rebound, the exact qualities the Lakers are looking for. He can be paired with Doncic for the long-term future and is already on a good contract. Mann and Okoro give the Lakers two defensive wings to add to their bench, while Niang is a good shooter and veteran leader on an expiring contract.”
Allen seems to perfectly fit the profile of the type of center the Lakers want and need. He is the type of lob threat Doncic has had success with in the past, and at age 27, he could team up with Doncic in L.A. for years to come. He averaged 13.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 28.0 minutes a game while leading the league with a 70.6% field-goal percentage this season.
Niang could perhaps be somewhat of a replacement for Hachimura up front. At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, the power forward has almost as much size as Hachimura, and he’s a career 39.9% 3-point shooter who averaged 16.6 points per 36 minutes per season. By comparison, Hachimura averaged 14.9 points per 36 minutes this season.
Niang is also a higher-volume 3-point shooter than Hachimura, which would help a Lakers team that needs more floor spacing around Doncic and James.
Okoro, who is 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, can play the 2 as well as the 3. He can be an effective defender against certain players, and he has become a decent, if not a solid, 3-point shooter in his five NBA seasons.
Lakers fans may remember Mann from his time with the Los Angeles Clippers. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he can play both guard spots and at the 3, and he has proven to be a spark plug off the bench on both ends of the floor. He has a career average of 8.1 points in 22.1 minutes a game on 50.2% overall shooting 37.2% from 3-point land.
This mock trade looks like a very good one for Los Angeles. But it remains to be seen how bold the team will be on the trade market once talks begin in earnest just a few weeks from now.