The Los Angeles Lakers have a massive question mark at the center position. Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes have provided admirable efforts, but inconsistency has become a key talking point as the Lakers head toward the playoffs and ultimately the offseason.
Though the Lakers have ambitious dreams of resolving the issue with a star at center, the reality is that Rob Pelinka is going to need to get creative to fill the void.
Ayton has a player option for the 2026-27 season and Hayes is due to enter unrestricted free agency. As a a result, there's a realistic scenario in which Los Angeles loses both of their top centers to the open market and has to thus find a new starter and backup.
In that scenario, the Lakers will be forced to face a harsh reality: The list of unrestricted free agents they'll have to choose from is relatively thin.
Mitchell Robinson is a tremendous rim protector and offensive rebounder, but he also has an extensive injury history. Isaiah Hartenstein has a $29 million team option, but he's missed at least 25 games in consecutive seasons. For that matter, Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler are rising stars, but they're also due to be restricted free agents, meaning their current teams can match any offer sheet they receive.
With this in mind, the Lakers will need to figure out how to toe the line between necessary risks, short-term investments, and a proper understanding of the talent they can target.
Lakers can't rely on stars or a lottery pick to resolve center woes
The first step the Lakers must take this offseason is scouting the available talent leading up to the 2026 NBA Draft. Center is by no means the only position worth targeting at the annual selection process, but it's essential that they find developable talent at the position.
In addition to giving head coach JJ Redick a player whom he can mold into the ideal fit for his rotation, a drafted center would be playing on a team-friendly multi-year contract.
From there, the Lakers can't be afraid to take reasonably priced chances on the solid but not necessarily household names on the open market. That includes Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe, who has a $6.25 million club option Los Angeles needs to keep an eye on.
If Brooklyn ultimately opts to move on, then Sharpe would be an unrestricted free agent who, at 24, boasts career averages of 16.1 points, 13.7 rebounds, 6.0 offensive boards, 3.4 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals per 36 minutes.
Lakers must scout talent, make responsible investments at center
Unfortunately, even pursuing Sharpe would be a task that requires pieces to fall into place that Los Angeles has no control over. Therein lies the truth of what this summer will be: A testing ground for whether or not Pelinka can build a strong rotation without stars at his disposal.
Thus, the reentry of Hartenstein and Robinson, and the presence of key unsung heroes such as Jock Landale and Nick Richards as potential key rotational cogs.
Even if he were to sign Hartenstein or Robinson, Pelinka must figure out which low-profile players can elevate the rotation and create quality depth behind them. Injuries are a concern, and having multiple quality contributors is essential to avoiding the pitfalls of if or when they arise—let alone the fact that no one player can truly resolve the Lakers' need for depth.
With neither Ayton nor Hayes looking the part of the player the Lakers need, Pelinka can only resolve the woes at center by investing wisely and developing talent—tall tasks based on recent history.