The latest mailbag article explores the Lakers’ options at center in free agency, their defensive resurgence, and the key matchups remaining in the regular season.
Itโs been a while since the last mailbag, and a lot has changed. In case you missed it, the Lakers now have Luka Donฤiฤ and are climbing up the Western Conference standings.
With the team playing exciting basketball, thereโs plenty to talk about. Letโs dive into this weekโs questions.
Starting with LeBronโs situation, itโs difficult to predict at this stage since several factors are still in play. The Lakers have multiple minimum contracts expiring, Shake Miltonโs contract is non-guaranteed, and Dorian Finney-Smith has a player optionโall of which will impact the teamโs decisions.
There is a scenario where LeBron could take a slight pay cut, similar to last season, to allow the team to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. However, itโs too early to say for sure.
That said, this yearโs free agency market isnโt particularly strong. Brook Lopez is an option, but age seems to be catching up with him, and he may not be the best fit for a Luka-led team.
Naz Reid is another name, but he wouldnโt be available for the non-taxpayer MLE. In fact, many of the available centers lean more towards stretch bigs rather than lob threats.
Clint Capela stands out as a potential exceptionโhe’s a free agent and might be attainable for the MLE. If the Lakers donโt trade for a center, they may opt for a short-term solution before pursuing a long-term option in 2026 when they have more cap flexibility.
As for Myles Turner, he remains a possibility, but itโs unlikely he would accept the MLE. There are also concerns about his fit, similar to Lopez. While having Turner on the Lakers wouldnโt be a bad thing, heโs not necessarily the ideal center for a Luka-led offense.
To address another question, Christian Wood was waived to make room for Alex Len.
Looking ahead, the most crucial games for the Lakers will be against the top teams in the Western Conference:
Thunder โ at OKC, April 6 & April 8
Grizzlies โ at Memphis, March 29
The Lakers have already shown they can compete with the Nuggets. The Rockets could also be added to the mix with their late-season showdown, but these three games will be key in determining how serious the Lakers are as contenders.
As for the teamโs defensive improvement, itโs likely due to a mix of factors rather than one single reason. Still, breaking it down:
The presence of two elite defensive role players accounts for about 40% of the impact.
LeBronโs increased energy on defense makes up around 25%, as his leadershipโespecially vocallyโhas been crucial.
The coaching staffโs adjustments and game plans deserve about 25% of the credit.
The impact of DโAngelo Russellโs departure is harder to separate but plays a role.
Anthony Davisโ absence didnโt necessarily improve the defense but may have allowed the team to focus on a more cohesive defensive strategy.
Lukaโs addition is an interesting factorโwhile it has helped preserve LeBron and Austin Reaves’ energy, LeBron was already playing well defensively before Luka arrived. Luka isnโt a strong individual defender but has a good instinct for reading passing lanes.
As for Swider, he simply isnโt a fit for this team, particularly with how the Lakersโ wings need to switch and read defensive situations quickly. Thatโs not his game.
When evaluating the Western Conference, outside of OKC, no team seems unbeatable. Even when the Lakers had Anthony Davis, the belief was that every other team was vulnerable in the playoffs.
But do the Lakers belong in that elite group? A larger sample size is needed, though their performance against Denver was encouraging.
At this point, the Lakers shouldnโt disrupt whatโs working. Jaxson Hayes is starting, logging 22-25 minutes per game, but not closing games. The current rotation has found a rhythm, so thereโs no need to change it.
Could this shift in the playoffs? Possibly. Similar to the 2020 postseason, when the Lakers adjusted their starting center based on matchups, they could decide to go without a traditional center in certain situations.
However, considering the makeup of the Western Conference, that strategy may not be viable against most teamsโexcept perhaps Oklahoma City. But it remains an option.
