The Los Angeles Lakers could breathe a sigh of relief on Sunday.
LeBron James opted-in to his player option for $52.6 million for the 2025-26 NBA season. He’ll remain in L.A.’s lineup at least for this season.
But there’s no time for the Lakers to rest on their laurels.
To maximize what could be James’ final season, or at least final season in Los Angeles, or final season in his never-ending prime… Well, you get the idea… The Lakers need a center.
This isn’t a want, a luxury, something that would be nice to have.
The Los Angeles Lakers of 2025-26 will not win the NBA championship without an effective big guy.
They aren’t asking for a ton. They just need someone better than Jaxson Hayes.
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Brook Lopez has been floated as a possibility. Clint Capela, too.
Someone like Nic Claxton from the Nets could be available in a deal.
As long as the player coming in is a starting-caliber center, that’ll do.
It’s a problem of the Lakers’ own creation. They traded away Anthony Davis to acquire Luka Doncic, which was brilliant and will help the franchise for years to come but did leave this gap in the middle of their lineup.
Would they rather have Doncic or AD right now? Luka is the clear answer.
But with LeBron and Luka heading into their first full season together, they need a big guy, a lob threat, a pick-and-roll weapon, a defensive presence on the interior.
If the Lakers find that, they could make a run at The King’s fifth title.
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