The Los Angeles Lakers need a center, and there might be one available in the form of Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis, who played with Luka Doncic during their time with the Dallas Mavericks, has improved his game since leaving Dallas. Unfortunately, the injuries have still been prevalent, and dealing with an unknown sickness, Porzingis didn’t have the 2024-25 season that he was hoping for.
However, with how talented he is and his ability to hit shots from anywhere on the court, the Lakers would certainly be interested in him if the Celtics make him available.
In a proposed trade idea from Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, he pitched the idea of the Celtics sending him to the Lakers for Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, a 2030 first-round pick swap, and a 2032 first-round pick swap.
“The playoffs and last couple months of Kristaps Porziņģis’ 2024-25 campaign was completely derailed by a virus, but the healthy KP remains one of the best and most versatile big men in the league.
“And while the Porziņģis/Luka Dončić duo didn’t quite jell with the Dallas Mavericks, both have likely been humbled a bit by the last few years. And chasing a title alongside LeBron James could have them more focused on that than on who gets the credit for the success,” Bailey wrote.
This would be a decent package to give up for Porzingis, pick-wise, but the Celtics don’t have much of a reason to move on from him unless they get a deal in return that they love.
Having some control of the Lakers’ future could interest them, but it’s also important to note that neither of these teams should ever be that bad, considering they’re both marquee free agency landing spots.