Proposed Lakers signing sees Los Angeles land $60 million defensive stalwart center, would be potential replacement for Deandre Ayton originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With LeBron James seemingly on the up-and-out, the Los Angeles Lakers need to start focusing on building around their other superstar, Luka Doncic. And, if they want a Finals run, they need to recreate the last team he took there, in the 2024 Dallas Mavericks.
Advertisement
Fansided’s Christopher Kline believes that the first step the Lakers need to take to do that is landing Mitchell Robinson in free agency. Robinson catches lobs, rebounds, and gets blocks easily, and would be the Los Angeles version of Daniel Gafford.
“The Deandre Ayton experience has, predictably, turned sour for the Lakers. He’s shooting with bonkers efficiency from the mid-range. He’s a great rebounder, and there are still moments where he feels like the most dominant force on earth. The talent has never really been the problem for Ayton, though. It’s all about process, and his unwillingness to embrace the rim-running, lob-catching specialist role of Dončić’s past running mates is generating negative headlines…All of that is to say, the Lakers need to look at Mitchell Robinson in free agency. The springy 27-year-old is due for a nice raise over his current $12.9 million salary, but Dončić dramatically increases the value of centers in Robinson’s mold. He offers one of the widest catch radiuses in the NBA — melding nuclear bounce with track-and-field agility and a 7-foot-4 wingspan. Robinson is a premium vertical spacer. He sprints out in transition, rolls hard off of screens and does all the small things L.A. wishes Ayton would do. Even if the latter picks up his option, the Lakers should target Robinson and stick him in the starting lineup as the Lakers’ version of Derrick Lively or Daniel Gafford,” Kline stated.
Advertisement
So far this season, Robinson is averaging 5.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 19 minutes per game. Put him in with Doncic, and those scoring numbers are sure to rise.
Robinson would be a great replacement for Ayton too, if he decides to decline his player option and leave the Lakers. However, with his injury history, banking on him being a reliable starting center may not work.
Advertisement
Hopefully, the Lakers still do land him, as it would make them another step closer to recreating the Mavericks roster that Doncic led to the Finals.
MORE NBA CONTENT