The Los Angeles Lakers are prioritizing a starting center upgrade this offseason as pressure mounts to build a contender around Luka Dončić. According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the franchise has been "scouting all year long" for a premier big man and sees a clear path to landing one.
Shelburne identified that the Lakers' most viable route involves targeting a center who is "very much in play" — though she did not name specific players. The team has been linked to several options, including Deandre Ayton, but Shelburne suggested the Lakers may look past him toward another target they have evaluated extensively.
This pursuit comes as Los Angeles seeks to upgrade a frontcourt that struggled against elite Western Conference bigs. The Lakers finished the regular season as a play-in team, and the front office recognizes that internal development alone won't close the gap with contenders like Denver and Oklahoma City.
Free agency opens in July, giving the Lakers limited time to execute a trade or signing. They hold limited draft capital and salary-matching flexibility, meaning any deal will likely require creative packaging of young players and future picks.
“We've been scouting all year long,” Shelburne said on ESPN. “They really feel like this is a move that's very much in play.” The Lakers' front office, led by Rob Pelinka, faces a pivotal summer to satisfy Dončić's championship window.