As NBA free agency nears, one team that continues to be linked to several players is the Los Angeles Lakers.
Of course, the Lakers are looking to build around Luka Doncic this offseason as they try to build a championship-caliber roster around their superstar guard.
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Los Angeles has already made one major move to begin the offseason as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Austin Reaves intends to sign a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to return to the Lakers.
The Lakers may also elect to bring back LeBron James, who is a free agent this summer, and they will likely look at others on the open market to upgrade their roster, most notably their frontcourt.
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With the Lakers likely to upgrade their frontcourt this offseason, they have been linked to multiple players, including restricted free agents Jalen Duren and Walker Kessley, though ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne recently linked them to Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jalen Smith.
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili is coming off a breakout campaign with the Raptors last season where he averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 52.3% from the field and 38.9% from three.
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The 27-year-old center would provide the Lakers with a reliable scorer who can help space the floor due to his three-point shooting, though he does struggle on the defensive end at times and there is also a chance he could return to Toronto by opting into his player option.
Jalen Smith
Smith is also coming off one of the best seasons of his NBA career last year with the Chicago Bulls as he averaged 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.3% from three.
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The 26-year-old center would provide Los Angeles with a solid inside scorer who can also knock down outside shots, though there may be multiple teams around the league who may target him who are in need of a backup big man.
Shelburne also linked the Lakers to Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons, though he is under contract through the 2027-28 season, meaning Los Angeles would have to trade for him.
While the Lakers could show interest in these big men, they may also look elsewhere to upgrade their frontcourt this offseason as they continue to build their roster around Doncic.
