The Los Angeles Lakers got most of their offseason work done early. The 2023 NBA free agency period officially opened on Friday at 3 p.m. PT. By Saturday afternoon, the Lakers had agreed to contracts with Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, and Jaxson Hayes (they signed Colin Castleton and D’Moi Hodge to two-way contracts on Monday).
Rob Pelinka has earned plaudits for sticking to the Lakers’ stated strategy of running it back with key players, improving around the edges, and throwing in a couple of upside flyers for good measure. Most impressively, the Lakers pulled it off while staying $1.3 million under the luxury tax and $8.2 million below the $172 million tax apron, thanks to a slew of team-friendly contracts.
In the words of Kobe Bryant: the job’s not finished. The Lakers have 13 players slated to be on the roster for 2023-24, excluding the three two-way guys (contracts cannot be formally signed until July 6). That means two spots remain as the free agency pool thins.
The Lakers typically keep their final roster spot open heading into the season for flexibility purposes, so let’s predict they go that route again and add just one more player in free agency on a minimum contract. (The precise value of vet mins varies based on the recipient’s track record.)
Personnel-wise, the Lakers are shallowest at center. At the moment, Hayes and Castleton are the only true fives behind Anthony Davis. They are, in fact, targeting a big for their next signing, per ESPN and The Athletic, although it’s possible that they simply give Castleton, a 6-foot-11 rim protector, an active roster spot depending on how he performs at Summer League/training camp.
If they do look to sign another center, here are a few logical remaining options.
Christian Wood
I find it hard to believe that Christian Wood would end up on a minimum contract next season, but that appears to be a real possibility.
I don’t love Wood’s fit with the Lakers. They need consistency, girth, and imposing interior defense behind AD, not a one-way, stretch-5. And yet, Wood has averaged 18.1 points and 8.9 rebounds on 50.1 percent shooting and 38.1 percent from three over the past three seasons. He’s simply one of the more versatile and best-shooting bigs in basketball. Darvin Ham could find Wood, who is money in catch-and-shoot situations, minutes as a floor-spacer alongside LeBron and AD.
If he’s willing to spend a year rebuilding his value on a minimum deal with the Lakers, the value might be too enticing to pass up.
Bismack Biyombo
Hayes offers tremendous length and athleticism as a lob threat, but the Lakers need more physicality and shot-blocking underneath. Bismack Biyombo, 30, would assuredly provide that and likely won’t receive offers greater than the minimum elsewhere. In 61 games off the bench last season for the Phoenix Suns, the 12-year veteran averaged 3.6 blocks per 36 minutes and was just about the best in the league at defending shots at the rim (h/t Silver Screen & Roll). He’s a well-known high-character guy, too.
Mo Bamba
Mo Bamba, whose $10.3 million salary for 2023-24 was waived by the Lakers, is a candidate to return on a minimum deal, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. The Lakers acquired Bamba for Patrick Beverley before last season’s trade deadline with the hope that he would be included in Pelinka’s self-described “pre-agency” strategy.
Unfortunately, the 25-year-old appeared in just nine games for Los Angeles due to a sprained ankle. The Lakers still hold some belief in the upside of the 7-foot, former lottery pick with a 35.9 percent career mark from three and an elite block rate. He’s not a banger like Biyombo or the following name, but he makes a lot of sense on a minimum contract. (Ditto for Wenyen Gabriel.)
Tristan Thompson
Tristan Thompson is a candidate to return, per Buha and The Los Angeles Times. The 12-year-veteran Klutch client and close friend of LeBron James was signed on the last day of the 2022-23 regular season. He impressed the Lakers with his locker room/sideline presence and readiness to ably check Nikola Jokic for 10 minutes in Game 4 of the conference finals.
“I’d love to come back,” Tristan Thompson said at exit interviews. “I’d love to be here for training camp. I’d love to be part of what we’re being here. It’s definitely a role that I embrace. … I’m about winning and how I can help a team — whether it’s on the sidelines, whether it’s in the ‘stay ready’ runs, whether it’s being in the game. I’m two feet in for whatever the team needs. … Hopefully, I’m able to do that again for this team next year because I really loved being here and love what they’re building.”
Thompson would bring experience, leadership — perhaps a mentor for Hayes/Castleton — physicality, and trustworthiness. He’d embrace the third-string gig while staying ready to box out, communicate on defense, and set screens for LeBron and others. In the end, Thompson may check the most boxes for an extra big on the vet min.