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Due to the arrival of LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers headed into the 18-19 season with the belief that they could compete in a packed Western Conference. Amidst huge expectations, Luke Walton's side started the season well, but LeBron missed much of early 2019 through injury, and the Lakers' playoff hopes were over by March.
However, they are determined to maximise the twilight of James' prime, and the team has already pulled off a monumental trade to land Anthony Davis.
The Lakers will also be among the major players in free agency, and with JaVale McGee set to leave, a center remains a priority. Luckily, there are plenty of capable bigs hitting free agency, and here are three centers that could head to Los Angeles.
#3 Willie Cauley-Stein
Over the past few days, the Sacramento Kings extended a qualifying offer to Willie Cauley-Stein, making him a restricted free agent. However, the center has spoken of his desire to leave the franchise that drafted him sixth overall in the 2015 draft, and the Kings signed Dewayne Dedmon to a three-year, $40 million deal last night.
Needless to say, Cauley-Stein will leave the team in the coming weeks, and the Kings could even withdraw their qualifying offer to their former starting center in order to free up further cap space.
At 25, Cauley-Stein will add youth to the roster, and his ability to finish off fast breaks and finish inside should be a good fit for the Lakers. Over the previous season, he averaged 11.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 81 games, and Cauley-Stein would be a great pickup if he could replicate the same numbers in Los Angeles.
#2 Enes Kanter
Enes Kanter is about to hit free agency following a series of notable performances during the 2019 postseason, and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports believes the Lakers are interested in signing the former Oklahoma City Thunder center.
The Lakers were among the teams interested in signing Kanter after he agreed to a buyout with the New York Knicks earlier this year. Kanter went on to join the Portland Trail Blazers, and the 27-year-old impressed during the Blazers' trip to the Western Conference Finals - averaging 11.4 points and 9.7 rebounds over 16 appearances (14 starts).
Prior to being bought out by the New York Knicks earlier this year, Kanter was signed to a four-year, $70 million deal, although the Turkish center is expected to be available on a much smaller contract this time around.
#3 DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins was looking to land a near max-deal last summer, although a torn Achilles meant that the All-Star generated little interest on the open market.
With his options limited, Cousins eventually signed a one-year, $5.7 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, and while he failed to win the championship that he craved, Cousins managed to recover from one of basketball's most feared injuries.
Recent reports have suggested that as many as seven teams are pursuing Cousins, and the Lakers would be among the best fits for the 28-year-old.
Cousins spent the 17-18 season forming a dominant duo with Anthony Davis, and both players have discussed their eagerness to play together once more. The former Sacramento man is also set to be available for somewhere around $10 million, so the Lakers can sign Cousins while also adding shooters.
