The Los Angeles Lakers, which are in desperate need of reinforcement of the center, may have an opportunity to recruit the league's top big man more easily than expected thanks to the financial situation of their rival Boston Celtics.
The Lakers lost 96-103 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the first round of the 2024-25 NBA Western Conference at CryptoCom Arena in Los Angeles, California, on May 1 (Korean time) and were eliminated early with a series record of 1-4.
The Lakers, who had strong strikers such as LeBron James, Luca Doncic and Austin Reeves but failed to overcome the weaknesses of the inside defense, experienced a painful first-round elimination by allowing No. 6 seed Minnesota to set up.
There were many mistakes in attack, but local experts pointed to the failure to reinforce the center after Anthony Davis as one of the biggest reasons for the series' defeat.
Immediately after the loss in the third round (104-116), JJ Redic also acknowledged the limitations of inside defense, saying, "We don't have a defense under the basket. If you allow it to break through easily, you can't avoid losing points."
After the end of the season, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka made it clear that he would definitely sign a big man this offseason, saying, "We need a center that can vertically accept alley-oop and protect the bottom of the net."
Under these circumstances, the Lakers have begun to connect with a variety of big men, and recently the names of players who are completely unexpected have begun to be mentioned
Andy Bailey, a reporter for the U.S. media "Blitzer Report" on the 17th, proposed a "blockbuster trade plan" against the Boston Celtics, who were eliminated after Game 6.
The following is the trade offered by reporter Bailey.
Lakers GET: Kristaps Porzingis
Boston GET: Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, first-round pick swap rights for 2030 and first-round pick swap rights for 2032
Bailey said, "In the past, Porzingis and Doncic's teamwork was not perfect, but now both players would have become humble," adding, "We can focus on the success of the team rather than who stands out more in a situation where we are seeking to win with LeBron James."
"The Lakers need a real center right now. Porzingis is a player with block ability, outside shooting and intermittent post-ups, and is a much better upgrade option than Jackson Hayes," he added.
In fact, despite his height of 218 cm, Porzingis is a rare big man with excellent shooting abilities and mobility. He has been in the spotlight as a top prospect since his debut, and Kevin Durant has praised him as a "unicorn."
Although he has the disadvantage of frequent injuries, Porzingis is considered the best big man in the league if he is healthy. Although he left this season due to injury, he returned from surgery and played 42 games with an average of 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 41.2 percent success rate of 3-point shots, proving high efficiency even with limited playing time.
After being traded to the Boston Celtics last season, he played a perfect three-option role with an average of 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and a field goal success rate of 51.6% and contributed greatly to the Celtics' final victory. 메이저놀이터
Given this situation, no matter how shocking Boston, the defending champion, experienced a shock elimination in the second round of the playoffs, there is no way that the team's three options will be traded with role players like Hachimura and Clever.
However, due to Boston's current situation, Porzingis is a leading trade candidate.
On the 17th, US media "Athlon Sports" quoted "ESPN" reporter Bobby Marks as saying, "Boston may start clearing some players, including Porzingis, to avoid the luxury tax cap."
According to Marks, Boston's total salary has already exceeded $240 million (W336.1 billion), and under the new CBA system, it could total $500 million (W700 billion), including luxury taxes. It is difficult to afford in the long run.
"If we summarize Porzingis' contract of $30.7 million (about 42.9 billion won) with one year left, it could fall below the second luxury tax cap," he said. "Or we can start reducing our salary through trade with players worth $22 million (about 30.8 billion won)."
In the end, Bailey believes that Boston is likely to put Porzingis on the market to ease the financial burden, and argued that the Lakers should actively take advantage of this opportunity.
For the Lakers, it is a trade that must be made if possible. Porzingis has experience playing with Doncic during his time in Dallas, and although defense is not a strength, he can use his 218cm height to show sufficient presence in matchups with the opponent's big man.
In particular, he has excellent 3-point shooting ability, so he can naturally take over the role of "Stretch Big Man" that Anthony Davis played in the past.
Fans are paying attention to whether the Lakers, who have suffered setbacks due to the absence of the big man, will be able to try to win again by recruiting "unicorn" Porzingis.