The Lakers may end up signing a different, surprising former Mavericks big

The Los Angeles Lakers roster has been stuck at 13 after the team made a flurry of well-received moves in NBA free agency. It is clear that the Lake Show is taking its time to find the right fits to add to the roster ahead of the 2023-24 season.

That patience is starting to pay off as there are new options hitting the market on what seems like a daily basis. The Oklahoma City Thunder waived a young big man in Usman Garuba while the Dallas Mavericks released a former Laker in JaVale McGee.

McGee seemingly makes sense for the Lakers despite his inability to shoot the ball, which is what the team is reportedly looking for in a center. At some point, the Lakers are going to have to prioritize talent over shooting ability and that could lead them to McGee.

McGee isn’t the only former Mavericks center that is on fans’ radar, as Christian Wood has long been teased as a potential target. But with a prominent Laker reportedly being against that signing, it may never happen.

But wait, there’s more (former Mavericks centers)! If McGee and Wood are not the right fit for LA then perhaps the team could try another former Mavericks big man: Davis Bertans.

How (and why) the Lakers could sign Davis Bertans:

Bertans is currently on the Thunder and is one of the highest-paid players on the team. OKC acquired Davis in a salary-dump move that was meant to get the Thunder more assets. While the team could keep him around and try to unlock something in him, there is also precedent to release him.

The Thunder could theoretically save the most by cutting a deal with Bertans and his agent to buy him out. Additionally, the Thunder have a lot of young talent in the frontcourt that shouldn’t be losing minutes to Bertans. OKC has to cut ties with four players anyway with the roster currently sitting at 19 players.

That is why Yossi Gozlan of Hoops Hype named Bertans as a potential candidate to be released by the Thunder. And if this was to come to fruition, he would make a lot of sense in the purple and gold.

Bertans may not have ever lived up to the egregious contract that the Washington Wizards signed him to but that does not make him a bad player. If anything, Bertans compares favorably to Nic Batum. Batum became regarded as one of the worst players in the league because his contract was so bad. But once he got bought out and was able to sign with a team that had a role in mind for him it became obvious he still had something to offer.

That could be Bertans with the Lakers. After all, he checks the box of being able to shoot the ball well. A career 39.8% three-point percentage is nothing to scoff at for a big man. Additionally, Bertans fits in nicely as someone who could play small-ball center off the bench while also playing the four next to Anthony Davis or Jaxson Hayes if need be.

That versatility is exactly what the Lakers need. The team does not need him to play 25 minutes a night but if he can give LA 15 malleable minutes with above-average shooting then it will be a huge win.

Perhaps this is what the Lakers have been waiting so long for.