The Los Angeles Lakers need a young, versatile guard who can contribute right away, and Anthony Black is shaping up to be that player. The 22-year-old Orlando Magic guard is developing fast, putting together a season that makes him an intriguing target for the purple and gold this summer.
Anthony Black’s breakout season is turning heads
With Orlando unlikely to give him a max extension, Black could be exactly the type of player the Lakers want to add. Through 42 games, he has averaged 15.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest while shooting a career-high 46.7 percent from the field.
He is also knocking down 35.8 percent of his three-pointers on 4.5 attempts per game, a noticeable improvement from 31.8 percent last season, and showing growing confidence in his shot.
Orlando has had a bumpy season. Expectations were high with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Desmond Bane leading the way, but injuries and inconsistent shooting forced others to step up.
Black has done exactly that, becoming the team’s breakout performer. As Sam Vecenie said on The Game Theory Podcast, “An Orlando team that is very expensive with four players already now has to decide what to do with this fifth player who is extension eligible this offseason… Can you have five of these guys making this level of money if Anthony Black continues to play the way we’ve seen?”
For the Lakers, Black checks multiple boxes. He is a two-way guard who can defend, handle the ball, and shoot from deep. Compared to what Los Angeles currently has in Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent, he would be an immediate upgrade.
At a time when the Lakers can’t realistically swing a trade for a star because they lack draft capital, a free agent like Black represents one of the few ways to improve the roster right away while also building toward the future.
At just 22 years old, Black is still growing, but the combination of size, versatility, and defensive instincts makes him a natural fit for a Lakers team looking to maximize its championship window.
His development this season has turned heads, and if Los Angeles moves smartly in the upcoming offseason, they could add a player who not only contributes now but has the potential to be a cornerstone for the next few years.