NBA Rumors: LA Lakers had a strong interest in re-signing center Damian Jones

The LA Lakers continue to dominate NBA rumors, with reports suggesting they were interested in bringing back another one of their former players this offseason.

The Lakers may not see Marc Gasol start the upcoming season with them, which saw them look around for centers in the market.

As per NBA rumors, the LA Lakers are expected to sign DeAndre Jordan once he clears waivers following his buyout with the Detroit Pistons.

NBA Rumors: LA Lakers considered re-signing Damian Jones

Damian Jones will play for the Sacramento Kings next season.

According to senior NBA insider Marc Stein, the LA Lakers were strongly considering signing center Damian Jones to add more depth at the five. Here's what Stein said in his most recent report about this:

"League sources say that the Lakers had strong interest earlier in the summer in trying to reacquire Damian Jones, but Sacramento elected to retain Jones and make his contract guaranteed for the coming season."

Jones played for the Purple and Gold on multiple ten-day contracts last season. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game across 8 appearances for the 2020 NBA champions. The LA Lakers ended up signing Andre Drummond instead, which saw Jones' time with the franchise come to an end early.

Today’s This Week In Basketball column also touches on the Lakers’ interest in DeAndre Jordan as they continue to pursue centers. The Lakers, sources said, were hopeful of pursuing the re-signing of Damian Jones earlier this summer before Sacramento guaranteed Jones’ contract. https://t.co/HGNH8lUDpm

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 3, 2021

The LA Lakers are yet to move Marc Gasol, but DeAndre Jordan's acquisition has made it apparent that the Spaniard is likely to depart. Gasol has one year left on his current contract with the Lakers.

The LA Lakers would have had both their centers aged 35 or more if they had continued with Gasol, 36. Jordan, 33, presents more athleticism and is comparatively a younger option to play in rotation with 35-year-old Dwight Howard.

DeAndre Jordan is expected to sign a one-year, $2.6M deal with the Lakers, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/25bgHnqbrL

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 3, 2021

The Lakers were clearly looking to add more athletic bigs this offseason who could be excellent in attacking the rim on the offensive end. It comes as no surprise they showed strong interest in signing a player like Damian Jones, who can provide exactly that.

Jones, 26, is also a young player, someone who could have given more youthful energy to the LA Lakers for next season. However, the Sacramento Kings decided to retain Jones' services for next season, which stopped the Lakers from pursuing him this offseason.