3. Ivica Zubac
Since Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka took over, the goal has been clear; acquire superstars to bring the franchise back to prominence. So far they have accomplished half of that goal, landing LeBron James in free agency in the summer of 2018. Now, they have their eyes set to the summer of 2019.
Los Angeles has a number of players on expiring deals that probably won’t be brought back unless it is on a team friendly deal. One of the more interesting free agent decisions the Lakers will have to make this upcoming season will be with Ivica Zubac.
Zubac has emerged as the team’s starting center. Amid all of the injuries, Zubac has been one of the bright spots. In January, Zubac is averaging 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He is forgotten by many people when mentioning the young core, but he has played himself into the conversation.
However, with their eyes set on big prizes in free agency, there may not be room for Zubac. He has been rumored to be apart of some packages offered for Davis, as the Pelicans are looking to extract as much value out of the Lakers as possible.
If Zubac isn’t included in a package for Davis, the Lakers could dangle him to acquire help at another position. With Tyson Chandler and JaVale McGee on the roster, and rookie Moritz Wagner waiting in the wings, the center spot is one of their deepest positions on the team.
If the Lakers do not think they can retain Zubac this offseason in free agency, they could look to deal him prior to the deadline and get something of value back instead of losing him for nothing over the summer.