The Lakers tried to add Anthony Davis ahead of the February trade deadline, however, despite offering their entire young core, New Orleans stood firm, choosing instead to reassess offers for their star man in the summer.
Davis is believed to remain Los Angeles’ prime summer target, although, Magic Johnson and team executives will face stiff competition from teams including the Boston Celtics. Due to this, it is possible that the Lakers will once again miss out on the 26-year-old All-Star, and Johnson may need to look elsewhere. With this in mind, here we will look at three other bigs that the Lakers may consider this summer.
#3 Julius Randle
Julius Randle only left the Lakers last summer, although, during his debut season with the Pelicans, the 24-year-old has already demonstrated his potential to become a future All-Star. So far this season, Randle has averaged 21.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, and to the surprise of many, he has also developed into a threat from beyond the arc.
Due to the likelihood that Davis will exit the team this summer, the Pelicans will be desperate to retain Randle, although the power forward has a $9 million player option for the 19/20 season. Nevertheless, Randle is the youngest starting-calibre center available on the free-agent market this summer, and he could also prove to be the cheapest option.
#2 DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins was hoping to sign the first max deal of his career during the 2018 offseason, however, due to still recovering from a serious Achilles injury, Cousins found offers hard to come by. In light of this, he eventually opted to sign a one-year $5 million contract with the Golden State Warriors, although the Warriors have already ruled out an extension, and this summer, Boogie will once again be on the lookout for a new home.
Prior to his injury, Cousins was arguably the NBA’s best big, and after a slow start to life with Golden State, the 28-year-old finally looks to be returning to his previous All-Star level. It is extremely hard to gauge what kind of a salary Cousins will command this summer, although if he once again fails to find a max deal, the Lakers should enter the conversation.
#1 Nikola Vucevic
In the final days leading up to the February trade deadline, Nikola Vucevic was linked with a move to the Lakers, however, the Orlando Magic eventually opted to keep their star man in order to aid their pursuit of a playoff spot. However, Vucevic will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Magic need to accommodate space for their 2018 lottery pick, Mo Bamba.
While Vucevic has been a consistent performer over the last five years, the Montenegrin has this season taken his performances to the next level, averaging career highs in points (20.8), rebounds (12.1) and assists (3.9). Vucevic’s performances also landed him a first All-Star call-up and at 28, he is in the prime of his career.
Evidently, offering Vucevic a max deal would be a major gamble, although if the Lakers can convince the center to sign for something around $50 million over three years, a deal looks to be a no-brainer.
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