NBA Rumors: As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to scour the trade market, one of their priorities revolves around finding a center to fit next to Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers haven't made many moves so far this offseason, but there's an overwhelming belief that will change at some point before the start of the 2024-25 NBA campaign. The question is, what moves will the Lakers make and how effective will they be? First-year Lakers head coach JJ Redick has already been on the record for at least one priority the team has as it continues to scour the trade market.
In one of his first interviews as a head coach, Redick revealed that the Lakers are in the market for a "big, bruising center." In other words, Redick wants to add a center that would take significant pressure off AD to strictly play and operate in the paint on both ends of the floor.
Finding the right center to play next to Anthony Davis could be game-changing
At this point in his career, it's pretty safe to say that AD is most effective as a power forward. And if the Lakers could find a center that would complement AD and his skill set, it could unlock an entirely different level of ceiling for the team.
There are many advantages to playing AD at the 4 spot. For one, it will limit the wear and tear on his body. If AD isn't required to guard bigger centers, it will certainly limit the amount of pounding his body takes over the course of a season and then into the NBA Playoffs. Additionally, at the power forward position, he'll be a mismatch on multiple levels. He'll either be taller and longer than most other power forwards, or he'll be quicker.
Either way, the Lakers would get an immediate advantage, especially considering that he won't be a liability on any level defensively. Finding a rim-protecting center would also take significant pressure off AD's shoulders in the paint defensively.
Even though AD is somewhat ideal for a center in the modern game, you also don't want to run him into the ground. Even less so considering the amount of responsibility he generally has to carry on the offensive end as well on a night-to-night basis. It's one thing if AD was asked to be just a stretch big. But to ask him to be your best defensive player, your stretch big, and then the No. 1 option on the offensive end is simply not realistic.
That's why we've seen AD run out of gas or run into the ground (causing injury) so often over the last few years. It's easy to see Redick's vision on this one. There are clear advantages to finding a center that could fit next to AD before the start of the season.