The Los Angeles Lakers might surprisingly sign a different kind of center this summer than the type they were looking for at the trade deadline.
The Lakers were trying to bring in an athletic lob threat at the deadline for Luka Dončić and LeBron James to throw alley oops to.
Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams became that guy until the trade was mysteriously rescinded. A few days later, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka picked up Alex Len, but Len’s looked less effective than LA’s in-house option at center, Jaxson Hayes, who is beginning to look like a player the Lakers should re-sign.
Pelinka will surely head back into the market this summer to snag a center in free agency, but the Lakers don’t have a ton of money to spend. Luka and LeBron represent a combined $100-plus million cap hit, and Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney Smith represent another $33-plus million combined if DFS opts in.
Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, and Jarred Vanderbilt are each on the books for next year, too, and none of them are making less than $11 million.
In sum, the Lakers won’t have a fat wallet when they’re looking for a center.
Conveniently for Pelinka, former NBA rebounding champ Clint Capela has seen his market value shrink recently, meaning that the Lakers could snag the Atlanta Hawks center this summer for a bargain price.
Capela’s upcoming free agency was talked about on Friday by Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.
“Capela has slowed down a bit, but he’s a starting-capable big man who sets screens, rebounds and can block shots,” Pincus wrote.
“The Hawks may go in a different direction with Onyeka Okongwu coming on. Double-digit rebounders (like Capela) aren’t easy to find at a career average of 10.6 boards per game. Still, with age, the 30-year-old has dipped to 9.0 this season as his minutes have slightly shrunk (25.8 in 2023-24 to 22.4).”
“Capela is probably looking at a lower salary but should still find a solid contract this offseason.”
Capela’s never been to an NBA Finals and might get excited about joining the Lakers, so excited that he’s willing to sign a team-friendly deal.
The Swiss big man isn’t exactly a high-flyer, but he’d pair nicely with Hayes at the center position, as each player brings different strengths to the table.
Pelinka and the Lakers could do worse than to enter 2025-26 with a Capela/Hayes center situation.
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