The Los Angeles Lakers badly want a starting-caliber middle, and so they have been on the lookout for assist at that place for a while now.
They lacked a professional backup behind Anthony Davis throughout Davis’ previous few seasons with them, and as soon as he was despatched away within the Luka Doncic deal, they all of a sudden had a Grand Canyon-sized gap at that place. They needed to survive with Jaxson Hayes, who’s skinny as a reed and never a constant defensive presence, as their solely true 5 on an ordinary contract since buying Doncic.
The Lakers did make an actual effort to plug that gap, nevertheless. They tried to land rising Charlotte Hornets middle Mark Williams, however that tried commerce was rescinded when he failed his bodily. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin mentioned on “Straight Hearth” with Jason McIntyre that additionally they regarded into buying and selling for Onyeka Okongwu of the Atlanta Hawks.
“Earlier than the Mark Williams commerce, and I can’t let you know all of the names on that listing however I really assume he was one of many names on the listing that Rob Pelinka introduced to Luka as a result of I do know the Lakers made a name to the Hawks across the commerce deadline about Okongwu,” McMenamin mentioned.
Okungwu, 24, is 6-foot-10 and 240 kilos, and he reportedly has a wingspan of 7-foot-2. The No. 6 choose within the 2020 NBA Draft, he has been beginning to emerge as an impression participant over the past yr or two.
This season, he averaged 13.4 factors, 8.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 27.9 minutes a sport. He is a very good finisher across the rim and possesses robust athleticism, in addition to a strong motor, particularly on the boards.
He’ll make $15 million subsequent season, so he might be a comparatively cheap get for Los Angeles, a minimum of by way of the gamers it must hand over.
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