Lakers Trade Rumors: Mock deal sees Rob Pelinka adding Cooper Flagg's 7'2 Duke teammate to resolve center woes

The LA Lakers are in the market for a center, but a lack of trade and free agency options might push GM Rob Pelinka to pivot to the NBA draft. LA has the 55th pick, which is unlikely to yield the Purple and Gold a long-term solution, unless a highly touted prospect drastically slips.

To ensure they are in the mix for a better player, the Lakers might consider trading up, even into the lottery, to get their man. They could land one of the best centers in the draft, Khaman Maluach. Cooper Flagg’s former frontcourt partner at Duke, Maluach is a 7-foot-2 mobile center with massive defensive upside and the tools to excel offensively.

Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game, appearing in 39 outings. He shot 71.0% from the field. Maluach, 18, has significant room to grow, making him a potential long-term candidate to run pick-and-rolls alongside Luka Doncic for the foreseeable future.

Lakers Trade Rumors: How GM Rob Pelinka can trade for Khaman Maluach in the NBA draft

According to Sportskeeda's NBA draft expert Ben Pfeifer's latest mock, Khaman Maluach can land at No. 9 and head to the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors already have Jakob Poeltl on their roster and have decent depth with Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett in the frontcourt. While Toronto wouldn’t mind adding a young talent they can develop internally, the Lakers could potentially assemble an enticing package to get a deal done.

One potential pathway is using future picks and a prospect like Dalton Knecht. Toronto was one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA last year, ranking 29th in made 3-pointers per game (11.8). Knecht could help resolve their problems in that area and lift their bench production.

Here's a deal that Rob Pelinka can propose to the Raptors for the No. 9 pick in the NBA draft:

Lakers get

• No. 9 pick

Raptors get

• Dalton Knecht
• 55th pick
• 2028 first-round pick swap
• 2030 first-round pick swap
• 2031 first-round pick

The Lakers could also pivot to someone like Thomas Sorber, whom the Bulls could pick at No. 12, if Maluach goes early. If LA loses chances with either center prospect, it can trade down for multiple picks in exchange for the No. 9 selection.