A lob threat center is the Los Angeles Lakers‘ top priority this offseason.
But with the dearth of free-agent centers that fit the mold, the Lakers could take a flier on young, athletic centers to run with Luka Dončić.
Bleacher Report’s salary cap expert Eric Pincus named Jericho Sims and Day’Ron Sharpe as potential free agent signings for the Lakers.
The center options in free agency aren’t great. Myles Turner, who’d be the best fit, will get more to stay with the Indiana Pacers. The Houston Rockets won’t lose Steven Adams to the Lakers at $5.7 million. Precious Achiuwa isn’t part of the New York Knicks’ rotation, but he’s only 6’8″ and 225 lbs. Andre Drummond is expected to pick up his $5 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Sixers forward Guerschon Yabusele has heft (265 lbs), but he’s more of a 6’8″ offensive player than the defensive lob threat whom the Lakers crave. Luke Kornet is solid, but don’t let one big postseason performance with the Boston Celtics sway you into thinking he’s a full-time NBA starter. And the Golden State Warriors will presumably retain Kevon Looney.
That may leave older veterans like Brook Lopez (37) and Clint Capela (31) as among the best available options. However, neither is that bouncy, so they should be considered short-term placeholders without a better answer.
The Lakers could instead chase younger bigs who might be able to fit the bill like Jericho Sims, Day’Ron Sharpe (potentially a restricted free agent) or some other off-the-radar candidate.
Under-the-Radar Defensive Juggernaut
Getty Max Christie of the Dallas Mavericks makes a move to the basket against Jericho Sims of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Sims, an unrestricted free agent, is the easier target for the Lakers. They have shown interest in him before the rescinded Mark Williams deal, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“The Lakers considered adding bruising 6-10 center Jericho Sims, sources said, before he was moved from New York to Milwaukee for Delon Wright as an addition to the Kyle Kuzma-for-Khris Middleton deal. Sims would have fit the “stuff around the margins” category that Pelinka vowed the team would explore during Doncic’s introductory news conference because, the GM said, “the market for bigs right now … is very dry. There’s just not a lot available,” McMenamin wrote.
Sims registered a 44.5-inch vertical jump at the 2021 NBA draft combine. The 26-year-old center was the 58th overall pick in 2021. He may not be as skilled and as polished as Williams, but he is an “under-the-radar defensive juggernaut,” per the New York Post.
In 14 games with the Bucks after the trade deadline, Sims’ per-36-minute numbers are 5.8 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 blocks. In the playoffs, Sims’ per-36-minute numbers jumped to 8.7 points and 12.4 rebounds.
More Proven Contributor
Getty Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles as Day’Ron Sharpe of the Brooklyn Nets defends.
On the other hand, Sharpe also drew interest from the Lakers at the trade deadline.
Erik Slater of ClutchPoints reported near the trade deadline that the Lakers were one of several teams that had inquired about Sharpe’s availability.
The 6-foot-11 Sharpe is not as bouncy as Sims, but he’s a brute force inside the paint and a more proven contributor. He averaged 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18.1 minutes across 50 games this season.
The problem, however, is the Lakers do not have spending power with their $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception as their only primary tool to add a free agent.
