The Anthony Davis-less Los Angeles Lakers are making it work now, but their No. 1 priority in the offseason should be to acquire an elite low-post threat on an upward trajectory.
While assets like Myles Turner, Robert Williams III, and Walker Kessler could receive calls from Los Angeles this summer, the franchise may opt for a different direction and acquire a Cleveland Cavaliers center enjoying his most productive NBA season from a scoring standpoint.
Evan Mobley was an immediate impact contributor for the Cavaliers coming out of USC. The 2021 lottery pick showcased his gifted rim-running chops, defensive rebounding dependability, graceful ball handling in open space, and unteachable instincts as an above-average shot blocker from Day 1.
Mobley averaged 15.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per contest during his first two NBA seasons, shooting 53.1% from the field.
However, the 23-year-old big man’s glaring weakness was his long-range shooting, which allowed opposing power forwards and centers to sag off him on the perimeter. Mobley connected on 25% of his triples as a rookie and 21.6% as a second-year pro.
Fortunately, Mobley turned the corner in Year 3, shooting 37.3% from deep while averaging 15.7 points per game.
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This season, the ex-Pac-12 Player of the Year’s stellar play on the hardwood has resulted in a 60+ win campaign for the Cavaliers and Mobley’s first NBA All-Star selection.
Mobley is notching 18.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game, shooting 56.1% from the field and 36.8% from three-point land.
Mobley signed a massive five-year, $224 million extension with the Cavaliers last summer. Still, by including Dalton Knecht and/or Austin Reaves in a 2025 free-agency trade package for the promising young frontcourt phenom, the Lakers could enter the 2025-26 season with a complete roster.
It will undoubtedly be a long shot, but it’s far from an impossible trade.
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