The Luka Dončić era of Los Angeles Lakers basketball has begun on a fantastic note, as the group has come away winners of seven consecutive contests to improve their record to 39-21 and assume position as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Though Los Angeles has predictably been led on offense by the generational tandem of Dončić and four-time NBA MVP LeBron James, it’s been their defensive success that has laid the foundation for their rise in the standings in recent weeks, even with a pronounced lack of frontcourt depth.
In order to add a battle-tested center that can potentially help Dončić and James compete for a title in 2025-26, the Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka could be inclined to check on the possibility of a sign-and-trade to land the Boston Celtics’ Al Horford this offseason, who the Celtics could reportedly prefer to move on from in search of a talented forward.
“Boston has decent depth at the 5 with Kristaps Porziņģis, Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta, and a wing in place of Horford would make the defense a bit more mobile,” Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wrote Saturday.
“They already have a ton of highly switchable guards and wings. And the ability to shift on a dime and play big is part of what makes them so dangerous in the postseason.”
At 38 years old, Horford is an NBA champion and five-time All-Star who has still proven to be serviceable for a competitive Boston team in season No. 18, as he’s contributing 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds while knocking down 36.0% of his three-point opportunities and 90.9% of his chances at the free-throw line.
In exchange for the floor-spacing center, Los Angeles could potentially offer to provide Boston with a promising wing in the form of their 23-year-old rookie Dalton Knecht along with a large contract like that of Gabe Vincent or Jarred Vanderbilt’s and draft capital.
Knecht, who would be thrown into a deal for the second time in a calendar year after the famously rescinded trade for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline, could slot into Boston’s rotation as a capable shooter at the small forward position.
In 57 appearances for the Lakers this season, the University of Tennessee product has averaged 9.0 points and 2.9 rebounds on a solid 57.6% effective field goal percentage.
As for Los Angeles, Horford’s fit within their lineup as a proven shooting threat on offense and a solid rim deterrent at the defensive end would theoretically mesh well with Dončić and James’ collective passing talent.
Horford could provide the Lakers’ more inexperienced postseason players with invaluable mentorship while also acting as a major connective piece, possibly helping to lead the unit to title contention in 2025-26.
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