Los Angeles Lakers: 3 free-agent centers that would improve the roster

Marc Gasol

Can the Los Angeles Lakers former 2nd round draft pick come back home?

In hindsight, we can say with almost certainty, that the Lakers would not have included the rights to Marc Gasol in the trade for his older brother if they knew the player he was going to one day become.

Imagining Marc and Pau Gasol in their primes on the same team for the Lakers would have been a tantalizing prospect that we will never get to experience, unfortunately, but maybe the Lakers can see what they missed out on by bringing Marc into the fold next season.

Yes, Marc Gasol is no longer in his prime, his athleticism is leaving him and he isn’t the dominant defensive stopper he once was, but there is life in the old dog yet.

Gasol would offer something completely new that the purple and gold haven’t had consistently since Brook Lopez was a Laker, 3-point shooting and floor spacing.

In the past two seasons, Marc Gasol has shot 44.2% and  38.5% from the 3-point line. An elite number for any position but especially elite for a center.

This could add an extra caveat to the Lakers arsenal that has not been available.

A line-up of:

• PG Bradley
• SG KCP (If he re-signs)
• SF LeBron
• PF Davis
• C Gasol

This gives the Lakers the best of both worlds. It allows the Lakers to maintain their height advantage, rebounding advantage and still remain extremely tough defensively, whilst also allowing them to space the floor even better for the likes of Davis or LeBron when they are being doubled in the post.

Adding Gasol keeps the opposing defense honest and give them food for thought on whether to pile into the paint when the Lakers will have capable 3-point shooters all over the floor.

Gasol is also an exceptional passer for the center position.

Gasol on the Lakers, like his brother before him, would be a match made in heaven.

There is a real chance Marc Gasol gets one more big 1 or 2-year contract elsewhere and nobody would begrudge him for taking it, but the Los Angeles Lakers would give him a great chance to win another ring and come back to the team that drafted him in 2007.