Two Pelicans the Los Angeles Lakers could potentially trade for
By Jason Reed
Potential Los Angeles Lakers target: Nicolo Melli
I told you they are not the most exciting names.
As it currently stands right now, the Los Angeles Lakers have one glaring need in the rotation and it is a need that the Lake Show Life staff has been talking about before the season even began. It is not a need that significantly hurts the team, but it is the biggest need on a stacked roster.
That is the need for more depth at the center position. Marc Gasol is old and is not the same player that he was even last season and while he provides decent defensive still, his offensive output has been ugly and the Lakers do not have any traditional center depth behind him.
Montrezl Harrell essentially is the five off the bench and that is fine now. The last thing I want is Harrell having to play more minutes in crunch time in the playoffs against a talented big because Gasol is gassed or is in foul trouble.
Melli is not a traditional center in the sense of being a rim protector and rebounder but he is someone who provides depth at the center position. He is not a great defender by any means, but he is also not a below-average defender, either.
He is someone who, in theory, could come off the bench and hit a few shots all while playing decent defense against a bench unit. He had a decent rookie season with limited playing time last year but is getting only 11.4 minutes per game this season, which would probably be right around where he would get on the Lakers.
Melli is a free agent after the season and only has a $3.8 million contract figure, so he is easily obtainable. The Pelicans would absolutely be willing to trade him with Steven Adams at center while opening the door for Jaxson Hayes to get more minutes.