The Los Angeles Lakers love the core they’ve developed, but it became evident last season that Luka Doncic and LeBron James need more help. One of the areas the Lakers know they need to upgrade is at center.
Yet, the Lakers’ front office has already been busy identifying potential solutions. According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, the Lakers are one of several teams that have reached out to the Boston Celtics about trading for one-time All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis this offseason.
“The next order of business in Boston is trading Kristaps Porzingis, sources said. As he enters the final year of his contract, Porzingis has drawn interest from several teams in both conferences. The Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors are a few of the 10-12 teams that have been in contact with the Celtics recently, sources said.”
Brett Siegel on Los Angeles Lakers’ interest in Kristaps Porzingis
As Siegel notes, the Celtics have generated a ton of interest in trading Porzingis. The 7-foot-2 Latvian center/power forward is still just 29, and he continues to produce at a high level, averaging 19.5 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game, and 1.5 blocks per game.
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Porzingis is also signed to a fairly reasonable contract, with a $30.7 million cap hit in 2025-26, the final year of his deal. Yet, that may still be too rich for a Celtics team looking to cut costs, even after trading Jrue Holiday on Monday.
Related: Los Angeles Lakers Eyeing 3 Draft Prospects In Addition To Vet Big Man Trade Candidates