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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a swipe to the face by Moritz Wagner #21 of the Orlando Magic during the first quarter of an NBA game at Crypto.com Arena on February 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>\u2019 search for a starting center may have hit an early obstacle.<\/p>\n NBA insider Jake Fischer reported late Saturday in The Stein Line<\/a> that\u00a0veteran center Mitchell Robinson<\/a>, one of the more attainable big men linked to Los Angeles this offseason, is \u201cvery open\u201d to remaining with the New York Knicks<\/a> despite expected interest from around the league.<\/p>\n The report carries added significance because finding a high-level center has become one of the Lakers\u2019 defining offseason priorities.<\/p>\n Since Luka Doncic\u2019s arrival, the roster\u2019s lack of an impact interior presence has emerged as one of Los Angeles\u2019 most glaring weaknesses. The five-time All-NBA guard has historically thrived alongside rim-running centers who can finish lobs, protect the basket and control the glass \u2014 traits the Lakers<\/a> lacked consistently last season.<\/p>\n Robinson appeared to offer a potential solution.<\/p>\n Unlike Utah\u2019s Walker Kessler<\/a> and Detroit\u2019s Jalen Duren<\/a>, Robinson is an unrestricted free agent and would not require the Lakers a massive offer sheet or surrender significant draft capital or young talent in a trade.<\/p>\n But Fischer\u2019s latest report suggests one of Los Angeles\u2019 most appealing pathways toward addressing its biggest roster need may be increasingly difficult to pursue.<\/p>\n Mitchell Robinson Checks Every Box for the Lakers GettyNew York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama<\/a> battle for a rebound during Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals in San Antonio, Texas. Robinson finished with 10 rebounds, including a pivotal late offensive board that helped seal New York\u2019s first NBA championship in 53 years.<\/p>\n Robinson\u2019s traditional statistics hardly capture his value.<\/p>\n The 28-year-old center averaged only 3.6 points during the NBA<\/a> Finals and shot just 26.7% from the free-throw line. Yet his impact on New York\u2019s championship run was undeniable.<\/p>\n Throughout the Finals, Robinson averaged 5.6 rebounds, including 3.0 offensive boards, and 0.6 blocks in only 13.4 minutes per game.<\/p>\n His defining moment came in the title-clinching Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Robinson scored only two points but grabbed 10 rebounds in 20 minutes. None was bigger than his final offensive rebound of the season, when he outmuscled San Antonio\u2019s frontcourt to corral Josh Hart\u2019s missed free throw and effectively seal New York\u2019s first championship in 53 years.<\/p>\n Those are precisely the traits that make him attractive to the Lakers.<\/p>\n Robinson remains one of the NBA\u2019s elite offensive rebounders. He averaged 4.2 offensive rebounds per game last season, ranking fourth in the league despite playing only 19.6 minutes per contest. Before Karl-Anthony Towns\u2019 arrival in New York altered the Knicks\u2019 frontcourt dynamics, Robinson routinely finished at or near the top of the NBA in offensive rebounding.<\/p>\n Lakers\u2019 Biggest Weakness Makes Robinson\u2019s Potential Return to Knicks Costly<\/p>\n The Lakers, meanwhile, desperately needed exactly that skill set.<\/p>\n Los Angeles finished second-last in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game at just 9.4, underscoring its lack of size, physicality and second-chance production in the frontcourt.<\/p>\n The shortcomings became even more apparent after the acquisition of Doncic and the organization\u2019s decision to build around him as its franchise cornerstone.<\/p>\n Throughout his career, Doncic has excelled alongside physical, rim-running centers who can finish lobs, create extra possessions and handle much of the dirty work inside.<\/p>\n Robinson\u2019s game aligns almost perfectly with that archetype.<\/p>\n For that reason, he had emerged as one of the more logical and attainable center options available to the Lakers.<\/p>\n Knicks Appear to Have Momentum in Keeping Robinson<\/p>\n The Knicks, however, have reasons of their own to fight for his return.<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Brian Windhorst<\/a> reported Friday that New York has already engaged in \u201csome level of cursory negotiations\u201d with Robinson\u2019s representatives. Windhorst added that he would be surprised if the Knicks ultimately failed to find a way to retain the veteran center.<\/p>\n Because New York possesses Robinson\u2019s Bird rights, the defending champions can exceed the salary cap to re-sign him, even as owner James Dolan has publicly expressed<\/a> an aversion to crossing the NBA\u2019s punitive second apron.<\/p>\n For the Lakers, though, the immediate takeaway is clear.<\/p>\n One of the offseason\u2019s most intriguing and attainable center targets appears increasingly likely to remain where he is.<\/p>\n Whether the answer ultimately turns out to be Walker Kessler, Jalen Duren or another big man entirely may go a long way toward defining the next phase of the Luka Doncic<\/a> era in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":750632,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":["post-750631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=750631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750631\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/750632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=750631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=750631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=750631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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