…If the price is right.
Your Los Angeles Lakers may have an opening at backup center this summer. Former No. 6 lottery pick Mo Bamba was brought in to theoretically replace all-offense/no-defense primary reserve big Thomas Bryant, and has a non-guaranteed contract worth $10.3 million that LA can guarantee this summer for next year.
But Bamba has already apparently lost his place in line to Wenyen Gabriel, a solid defender who, unlike Bryant or Bamba, cannot shoot. Gabriel, nominally a 6’9″ power forward, has been playing at center all season. He’s on an expiring $1.9 million minimum deal.
The Lakers may very well be on the hunt for a new look at backup center.
In scouring the roster of today’s opponent, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the only impending 2023 free agent of note is recently-acquired backup power forward/center Dario Saric, an oft-injured sharpshooter who doesn’t give you much else.
The 28-year-old is currently on the final season of an insanely generous three-year, $27 million, but he has one big attribute: he can knock down threes. The 6’8″ big man is a career 35.9% three-point shooter on 3.8 attempts a night. This year, he’s making more of his triples (38.6%) than usual on fewer attempts, in a more reduced role (2.0 tries).
Saric may well be worth a look at a veteran’s minimum deal, but if he tries to pry any more money from Los Angeles, LA can do better. When it comes to big men, I think prioritizing defense over offense is generally the way to roll, meaning Bamba or Gabriel would make more sense, even if Bamba at his current price is going to be a bit of an overpay.
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