The Los Angeles Lakers enter the 2026 offseason with few holes as big as the starting center spot. Throughout the regular season and playoffs, it was evident that the frontcourt of Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes would severely limit the Lakers' ceiling.
With a star-studded trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James, LA doesn't need some Nikola Jokic offensive bully of a five-man —they need a high-level athlete willing to do the dirty work.
When looking around draft boards, there are plenty of center options expected to be available when the Lakers make their selection at No. 25 on June 23. While names like Henri Veesaar, Tarris Reed Jr., and Zuby Ejiofor are intriguing options.
Following the NBA Draft Combine, Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr. separated himself from the pack.
The Wolverines’ big man has elite defensive IQ and instincts, is a strong presence on the glass, and has a very well-rounded offensive game that could make him the perfect long-term center for LA. Unfortunately for the purple and gold, he had an incredibly strong showing at the combine and has been widely regarded as one of the biggest risers. This has pushed Johnson out of the Lakers' range and leaves them with one option to land the Wolverine big man: a trade up.
Morez Johnson Jr. may be worth an aggressive draft-night move
Day one of the 2026 NBA Draft Combine will go down as the Morez Johnson Jr. day. After measuring in at six-foot-nine (barefoot) with a seven-foot-4 wingspan, Johnson would dominate the athletic tests.
On day one, he finished first in all three of the pro lane drill, 3/4 court sprint, and max vertical jump, while also being second in the shuttle run. To see a big man move that agilely while also weighing in at 251 pounds is incredible and was bound to pique teams' interest.
Johnson's tape alone already had some evaluators viewing him as a lottery-level talent, and this only strengthened that. The type of agility he showed off, paired with his awareness defensively, could make him one of the league's most effective rim protectors from the jump.
He did an excellent job at Michigan. Johnson was reading and reacting to what the offense was showing him, and really helped out potential lottery pick Aday Mara as a weakside shot blocker and rebounder.
This past season, Johnson Jr. averaged 2.9 stocks (steals + blocks) and 11.7 rebounds when adjusted for per-40 minutes.
He also continued to hint that he could develop into a floor spacer at the next level by shooting 17-of-25 three-point stars, and 16-of-30 threes off the dribble drills. This season, he shot at a 34.3 percent clip from deep on just under one attempt per game.
He also shot 78.2 percent from the free-throw line, which is often a helpful indicator when projecting long-term three-point shooting. Pairing the floor-spacing potential with his elite defense and rebounding, unreal athleticism, and a natural ability to read the game, he looks like one of the best center prospects in years.
Although trading up for a center may seem like a risk in previous drafts, especially when there is a center market like this summer, it would be worth it for Johnson.
He checks every single box the Lakers have at the center position and would be on a team-friendly deal for the next four years. If LA is looking to kill the trend of having continued uncertainty at the center spot, then it's time for Rob Pelinka to get on the phone and start calling about a potential trade-up.
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