The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2026 offseason with extremely high expectations, not just from their fans but also from their superstar guard, Luka Doncic. Before the offseason really got underway, Athletic's Dan Woike reported that Doncic wanted three things: two-way wings, a true secondary playmaker, and better center play.
With the Lakers trading up to draft Baylor wing Cameron Carr on Tuesday night, box one was checked off. Carr is a long, rangy three-and-d wing with incredible athleticism and sky-high potential that in the long term will be a great fit with Luka.
The next day, Rob Pelinka checked the second box by signing Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million maximum contract, giving Luka his long-term secondary playmaker and scorer. That’s two boxes checked.
Now, all Pelinka really needs to do to satisfy Luka is go out and get him that center he so desperately needs.
Lakers' final box to check is getting a center for Luka Doncic
Looking back at Doncic's time with the Dallas Mavericks, a safety net for their offense was him paired with either Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford in the pick-and-roll.
Whether it was a bounce pass to the big, Luka drilling a floater, or throwing up a lob, it was an easy basket anytime the Mavericks needed it. This Lakers team didn’t have anything close to that last season.
Pelinka can’t afford to run back the same center quality he had with Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes. Whether it’s Ayton not being able to catch the ball near the rim or set a proper screen, or Hayes not being a guy you want to play more than 15 minutes a night, it was bad.
When you’re constantly seeing two and the focus of opposing teams' scouting reports in the way Luka is, having that safe option of throwing a lob to a big man is a necessity. It gives your offense something to fall back on if a play breaks down or you get late in the shot clock with nothing cooking.
It also takes some pressure off Luka and allows him to unlock that playmaking side of his game that hasn’t been as prevalent since he’s been wearing the purple and gold.
It’s not even that LA has to go out and break the bank on some superstar or top-10 caliber center in the league. They don’t need to pay Walker Kessler; they just need someone who can finish plays, set screens, and catch lobs.
In terms of targets, there are plenty of options for LA, both in free agency and on the trade market, but one name that does stand out is Gafford. The Mavericks just drafted Morez Johnson Jr. at No. 9 and could now view their veteran big man as an expendable piece given his three-year $54+ million contract.
Outside of that reunion, names like Jarrett Allen, Mitchell Robinson, or Robert Williams fit the bill of centers Luka would love to be paired with.
When you have a star player like Luka in the prime of his career, your job as a GM is to do everything you can to keep that player happy, and it appears Pelinka is trying to do just that. The Lakers have met two of the three goals Luka laid out for the Lakers front office—the final piece is bringing in a rim-running center this summer.
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