The Los Angeles Lakers need a long-term solution to the lack of options in the middle of the floor. Rob Pelinka has reportedly made it a priority to give Luka Doncic an athletic running mate like he had with the Dallas Mavericks.
However, the answer to the Lakers’ big man position may not be a rim-running lob threat. In fact, it could be in the form of arguably the best shooting big the league has seen.
In a recent trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, the Lakers make the bold move of trading away LeBron James in return for Karl-Anthony Towns. The proposed trade looks like this
Los Angeles Lakers Get: Karl-Anthony Towns
New York Knicks Get: LeBron James
“The Lakers would wave bye-bye to their 2027 cap-space plan with Towns in the fold, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll sign or trade for anyone who’s actively better than him,” Favale reasoned. “Plus, he will be an expiring contract that summer. Moving him for value or as part of a larger deal would absolutely be on the table…In the meantime, while Towns is a little ground-bound for a Luka Dončić partner, Los Angeles could get the best of floor-spacing and rim-running worlds with him and Deandre Ayton.”
Towns played in 72 regular-season games last season. He averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 52.6% from the field and 42% from deep.
Towns Could Play Next to Deandre Ayton
After the Lakers signed Deandre Ayton, fans may feel the team has already found its answer at the center position. However, Ayton has a lot to prove if he’s going to stick with JJ Redick’s team beyond the 2025-26 season.
Therefore, it could make sense to pair Ayton and Towns together to help lighten the expectations on Ayton’s shoulders. Furthermore, putting the Knicks’ big man at the power forward position has proven to be a wise move in the past, as he thrived when sharing the court with Rudy Gobert for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Redick would likely need to rebuild his rotations if he decided to run a double-big lineup; however, given Doncic’s playmaking and scoring skill, pairing him with both Ayton and Towns could be a recipe for success.
LeBron’s Relationship With Lakers is Strained
Lakers insider Jovan Buha recently noted that LeBron James has a strained relationship with the Lakers’ front office.
“I wanna be careful with what I say about like Bron’s relationship with the front office or the organization, but I don’t think it’s in like the best place right now to be completely honest,” Buha said via his “Buha’s Block” podcast. “…And then he’s had his stuff on social media or whatever he’s posted and there was obviously the statement when he opted in. So I don’t think things are in the best place they’ve ever been. I’ll just say that.”
It’s clear that the Lakers are Doncic’s team now. Therefore, finding a new home for LeBron could be the best outcome for everyone. If that means getting back one of the best offensive big men in the NBA, then that’s a huge win for Pelinka and the Lakers franchise.
Whether the Knicks would be willing to part with Towns for one or two years of a 40-year-old LeBron is another story.
