The Lakers have a great duo in LeBron James and Luka Doncic, but there’s something missing.
They need a big man to anchor the middle.
The NBA Finals haven’t even ended and one of the ideal targets to fill that role is off the board.
The Rockets resigned Steven Adams to a three-year, $39 million contract Shams Charania reported on Saturday.
It’s a proactive move by Houston to lock down the center to a deal before free agency gets underway.
Adams has been a force off the bench backing up All-Star Alperen Sengun. He only averaged 4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 13 minutes a game during the regular season, but saw an increased role in the playoffs. His best performance was in game six versus the Warriors when he posted 17 points and five rebounds in 31 minutes.
How does this affect the Lakers?
It’s a massive loss for the Lakers who are in desperate need of a capable big man to play defense and rebound. Jaxson Hayes was not up to the task and the Lakers were often forced to play small with LeBron as the quasi-center.
After the trade for Charlotte center Mark Williams fell through, Los Angeles had no other options and were trounced in the first round by a Timberwolves team that boasts Rudy Gobert.
Now with Adams off the board it will be slim pickings for a team who won’t have much of a chance without a decent big man.
Here’s a list of potential targets:
- Clint Capela
- Thomas Bryant
- Myles Turner
- Brook Lopez
- Andre Drummond
- Luke Kornet
- Moritz Wagner
- Bol Bol
Not many glitzy names there. It could be difficult for Los Angeles to sign a marquee player as they’re projected to be a first apron team next year. That will hamper their ability to ink a big deal.
Adams was an inexpensive, quality option but now he’s off the board. Things will only get tougher for the Lakers as free agency approaches.
Steven Adams highlights in the win vs OKC in 23 minutes as a starter…
8 PTS | 12 REB 6 OREB | 2 STL | 1 BLK | +7 +/-
Adams is a backup center by team circumstance, not by impact.
The full MLE ($14mil) is Adams’ free agency floor…pic.twitter.com/tQm0yPRSd3
— Steven Adams Stats (@funakistats) June 13, 2025
Free agency officially begins July 6th and when the time comes you can be sure the Lakers will be targeting some names on that list.
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