LeBron James and Anthony Davis to get HUGE HELP as Lakers target key player

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently eyeing big men Bismack Biyombo and Christian Wood to add to their team with the 14th roster spot.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis to get HUGE HELP as Lakers target key player

Bismack Biyombo and Christian Wood (AP photos and USA Today)

Following an impressive off-season, the Lakers front office has yet to revamp the roster. Rob Pelinka looks to insert a center for the team’s 14th roster spot. There have been reports that the Los Angeles Lakers are eyeing free agents to fill up the last few roster spots with big players in order to limit Anthony Davis’s minutes.

The Lakers have quietly been crowned NBA free agency winners as they managed to re-sign key players like Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves. They also signed new players like Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish. The team also did an excellent job in the NBA Draft, drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino (No.17) in the first round and picking up Maxwell Lewis (No.40) in the second round.

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As per Jovan Buha of the Athletics, “The Lakers are ‘actively’ seeking another center to shore up their frontcourt … Centers Christian Wood and Bismack Biyombo are in consideration for LA’s 14th roster spot.” It was reported that the Lakers are looking to replicate their big-man rotation during the 2019-20 season. As of right now, the team has former Pelicans big men Jaxson Hayes and Anthony Davis at that spot. But the management is looking to add another big player to allow Davis to slide up to the forward position.

A similar style was already experimented with during the Lakers Bubble Championship. Dwight Howard played the five, and Davis slipped at the four, providing two towers on defense. From the available free agents, Biyombo and Wood fit the Lakers’ bill, and either one would complement the team perfectly, but both in two separate ways.

Biyombo, who averaged only 4.3 ppg and 4.1 rpg last year, pales in comparison to Wood’s 16.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 1.3 apg in offensive production. But on the defensive end, Biyombo averaged an impressive 1.4 blocks per game and can offer effective rim protection as compared to Wood.

However, the main catch of the signing depends on the salary the players will demand. On the face of it, Wood offers a much higher production than Biyombo, but the rim protector is available at a much cheaper salary than him. The team will tread lightly, as the Lakers are just barely below the luxury tax threshold.

Related: “Lakers been cooking” – Anthony Davis FINALLY gets his wish, NBA Twitter IMPRESSED by team’s latest move

Lakers still deciding on Anthony Davis contract extension

Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis (via Pinterest)

Anthony Davis was the best player on the Lakers last season as he hobbled through injuries to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the Western Conference Finals. However, the 7-footer’s contract extension is still up in the air. The main concern for the team is his availability on the court, as the big man cannot stay healthy for a full season. For context, Davis missed a total of 26 games last season and is currently rehabbing from a foot injury this summer.

Davis is eligible to sign a contract extension for the duration of three years and a maximum contract worth over $167.6 million. He will sign a contract starting August 4 and prior to the first day of the 2023-24 regular season. Undoubtedly, Davis is a Top 10 player in the League when he is healthy. But the team will have to think twice before extending the point-forward. It is because the team is already $163 million deep in roster spending and might be digging themselves a deeper hole if things go south.

The Lakers’ success will be coherently dependent on Davis’s health. The newly revamped Lakers squad is one of the favorites to emerge from the Western Conference. With new teams on the rise, this upcoming season might be the last chance for King James and Davis to cap off another NBA Championship.

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