The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing for life without LeBron James after the 41-year-old decided to enter free agency.
James is expected to join the Golden State Warriors after ending his eight-year spell with the Lakers.
General manager Rob Pelinka will now be tasked with building a team around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
And the Lakers have already identified at least two free-agent targets to replace James ahead of next season.
The two free agents linked with replacing LeBron James in Los Angeles
The Lakers have desperately needed a starting center since they traded Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.
They need not only a lob threat to catch Doncic’s passes but also a defensive anchor to offset his and Reaves’ struggles on that end.
NBA insider Brett Siegel has reported that the Lakers have identified the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren and the Utah Jazz’s Walker Kessler.
“Expect LA to make a big move to find their center of the future in either Jalen Duren or Walker Kessler,” Siegel wrote. “I’d be surprised if they didn’t land one of them in the coming days.”
Duren is a restricted free agent following the expiration of his $6.5 million-per-year contract with the Pistons.
The 22-year-old made the All-NBA Third Team last season, as the Pistons earned the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.
Duren may now be seeking a contract worth over $40m per season, which the Pistons may be unwilling to match.
The Lakers have also identified Kessler as an alternative to Duren after his $4.9m-per-year deal expired this summer.
The center missed all but five games last season, but he averaged an impressive 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
The Jazz have reportedly offered Kessler around $140m, on a five-year deal, whereas his agents have demanded $150m.
Additionally, ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne has reported that Peyton Watson, Mitchell Robinson, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Luke Kennard are on the Lakers’ shortlist.
It promises to be a busy summer in Los Angeles following the departure of an all-time great, LeBron James.
Read more:
