Lakers Trade Pitch Flips Vincent, Assets for $48 Million All-Defensive Center

The Los Angeles Lakers need to find a center this offseason, but it isn’t going to be a simple task.

L.A. doesn’t have a ton of salary cap space with which to work, with only $4 million to spend to remain below the first apron and $16 million before the second apron threshold. The Lakers also have a $5.7 million deal to hand out by way of the taxpayer midlevel exception.

A trade, however, is a different story.

“Though the Lakers do not have cap space to sign a free agent big man such as Myles Turner, Los Angeles does have a 2031 or 2032 first-round pick, five years of pick swaps, former first-round pick Dalton Knecht and over $70 million in expiring contracts (Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber and Gabe Vincent) to use in a trade,” Bobby Marks of ESPN wrote on Saturday, June 28.

Given the team’s needs along the front line, Marks proposed a two-prong approach. The first move involves a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers for one of their several centers, while the other has the Lakers using the midlevel exception to sign a former NBA champion in the form of Milwaukee Bucks big man Brook Lopez.

“Build depth at center, starting with trading Vincent, Jordan Goodwin and a second-round pick to Portland for Robert Williams III,” Marks continued. “[Then] sign Lopez to a one-year, $5.7 million contract.”

Robert Williams III Perfect Fit for Lakers if He Can Stay on Court

GettyPortland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III.

Williams represents the potentially perfect fit in Los Angeles alongside Luka Doncic given his ranginess and rim protection on defense, which is possible because of an athleticism that also renders him a quality lob threat on the other side of the court.

The problem with the Lakers dealing for Williams is that betting on his health represents a significant gamble.

Williams was the ideal defensive anchor with a rising Boston Celtics team for multiple years during his 2018-23 stretch with the franchise, but injuries ultimately led to his departure from the eventual championship roster.

He has appeared in more than 50 games only twice in his seven-year NBA career and topped 60 games just once. Williams played in six games for Portland in 2023-24 and hit the hardwood just 20 times last season.

Robert Williams III Has All-Defense Potential When Healthy

GettyFormer Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III.

Williams will play next year at just 28 years old, but youth has not been an indicator of health for him thus far in his career, so the Lakers can’t bank on the fact that the center remains on the right side of 30 as a factor that truly matters in projecting his on-court availability moving forward.

During his healthiest season in 2021-22, however, Williams earned second-team NBA All-Defense honors and averaged 10 points, 9.6 rebounds, two assists and 2.2 blocks per game across 61 contests with Boston.

Williams is about to enter the final season of his four-year, $48 million contract and carries a cap hit of $13.3 million in 2025. As such, the Lakers could move on painlessly in 2026 if Williams doesn’t work out.