Lakers rumors: potential Los Angeles trade target revealed by latest NBA report

The need to shore up the interior is massive for the Lakers...

Toronto Raptors v Washington Wizards
Toronto Raptors v Washington Wizards | Patrick Smith/GettyImages

Acquiring Luka Doncic in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks has been the highlight of this NBA Trade Deadline period for the Los Angeles Lakers. While there should be plenty of celebration regarding this fact, there is also a lot more work to be done by Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office.

It's an obvious thought, and one that should not be a new one for Lakers fans, but adding a big man to the frontcourt has become even more of a necessity since trading away Anthony Davis in the Doncic trade. There are less than 48 hours to do so before 3:00PM ET on Thursday strikes, and stops all further trade deals for the season.

Marc Stein reported from the Lakers' introductory press conference for Doncic that Pelinka suggested the offseason would likely be a better time to fill the void for Davis, based on the current 'dry' market. In all fairness, that may not be the worst approach, considering the newest acquisition in Los Angeles has shifted their timeline to being aligned with Doncic, and not LeBron James.

However, that has not stopped the Lakers from testing the water and making their phone calls. One key figure has emerged from those inquiries.

Lakers eyeing Toronto Raptors big man

Earlier in the 2024-25 NBA season, it was reported by Stein that the Lakers were losing interest in two of the more popular centers potentially available on the trade market. Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic and Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl were reportedly becoming somewhat of an afterthought for Pelinka and the front office.

However, recent reports have suggested that Los Angeles has not given up on the latter. Raptors insider Michael Grange revealed that the Lakers are doing their due diligence in pursuing Poeltl.

Grange wrote, "The Lakers have inquired about him, but the sense is the Raptors are holding out for an offer that would include a first-round pick (likely with a certain level of protection) and the only one the Lakers have left to offer is a 2031 first they’ve been clutching tightly for years."

To Grange's point, the Lakers are certainly low on draft capital to truly make this an enticing experience for the Raptors. Toronto has held on closely to Poeltl since acquiring him from the San Antonio Spurs, despite his name persistently coming up in trade rumors.

Perhaps Pelinka has some more magic in the tank to pull this one off. However, the earlier suggestion of Los Angeles waiting until the offseason may be the better (and probably easier) path for the organization.

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