The Los Angeles Lakers have two centers that have the option to hit free agency this summer in Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee. McGee was tabbed the starter early on in the season, but he split minutes with Dwight Howard throughout the season. JaVale McGee has a player option this summer for nearly $4 million, while Dwight Howard will become an unrestricted free agent no matter what. If both JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard decide to leave in free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers will need to look elsewhere for a starting center. Lakers Report host Jimmy Crowther discusses four free agent centers the Los Angeles Lakers should target, if both McGee and Howard leave this summer.
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Serge Ibaka is now an NBA Champion, but he will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Ibaka is just 30 years old, despite being in the NBA for 11 seasons now. In his prime, Ibaka was an elite shotblocker with the Oklahoma City Thunder. His rim protecting ability has slipped a little bit since moving on from the Thunder, but offensively, he has become even more deadly. A frontcourt pairing of Anthony Davis and Serge Ibaka in Los Angeles would be a fearsome one for any NBA team to have to go up against on either end of the floor.
Tristan Thompson will also become an unrestricted free agent this year after a pretty impressive season with the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers. Many expected Tristan Thompson to be bought out by the Cavaliers after they traded for Andre Drummond and never traded Thompson, but they held onto him for the remainder of the season. Thompson is one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA, and has been averaging a double-double this entire season with over 12 points per game and 10 rebounds per game to match. Thompson would be a welcomed veteran addition to any team looking to make a Championship run.
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The Lakers showed a lot of interest in Aron Baynes last summer, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, but they just missed out on him to the Phoenix Suns. Baynes will become an unrestricted free agent once again this summer. Aron Baynes has been one of the best stretch fives this season, and he proved himself the most when DeAndre Ayton was suspended for PED’s. Baynes would make a lot of sense for the Lakers this summer as a stretch five alongside Anthony Davis, but he may be a little bit too expensive for the Lakers with his improved play.
Four Free Agent Centers for the Lakers:
- Serge Ibaka
- Marc Gasol
- Aron Baynes
- Tristan Thompson
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