The Los Angeles Lakers are evaluating their options for the centre position, with Deandre Ayton among the players being considered. With free agency approaching, the Lakers face decisions on how to improve their roster.
Lakers’ Centre Options: Ayton and the Free Agent Market
The Lakers’ C rotation has been managed well this year. It will be interesting to see how much LAL is willing to pay for the duo this summer.
The Lakers may find that Ayton on a multi-year contract isn’t ideal. Trade options may be bleak. There are a ton of centres out there for LA that will be FA and prices will be depressed overall.
IHart’s Free Agency: A Potential Bidding War?
One potential free agent is Isaiah Hartenstein. There’s a good chance OKC picks up his team option. This would render him unavailable.
If Hartenstein becomes available, several teams could be interested. Atlanta and Chicago might place big bids on him. It could be tough to beat such offers.
If IHart did get loose he would probably command somewhere near 30 AAV which takes all the shine off the penny almost.
OKC’s Decision on Hartenstein: Apron Concerns
OKC faces interesting decisions that will have a ripple effect. If they pick up all options they’ll be at about 250m, well above the second apron. If they keep Ihart they will likely not be able to keep Dort and a few smaller contracts.
IHart is the perfect insurance against a Cherry injury. They may not worry about the apron with the extra revenue they’re making now with the teams long playoff runs.
Other Potential Free Agent Targets
Hartenstein or Robinson could be options. However, not that exciting.
While some may like Mitch Robinson, he might not be a good fit with Luka. There are also injury concerns.
The free agency market could be influenced by decisions from teams like OKC, potentially impacting the availability of players like Hartenstein and creating competition among teams like Atlanta and Chicago.